Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-02
THE BANQUET's SIGNIFICANCE.
lEernnl the ST Alnans Me rnr !


That was an excellent object lesson
in Vermont products which President
Guy Potter Benton provided for the
State editors at the banquet given by
the University OF Vermont last week 1t
vas an cye-opener in excellence and sug-
gests the slogan. First, ask if it is
made in Vermont. Rutland Herald.
Governor Gates made a good sugges-
ton right along this line during his talk
AT the after-dnner exercises. He de-
clared it was entirely wrong that news
boys Of New England trains should sell
Pacific coast grown apples and express
ed the belief that they would come to
The point OF selling Vermont apples il
loyal residents of this state would al
ways ask for native fruit, Despite the
fact that news butchers are not famous
for entertaining high business ethics and
would willingly call an Oregon apple a
Vermont apple if thereby they would in
sure sale, il is altogether likely that
they would eventually sell the Vermont
product Tor they would find it impossible
to substitute the beautiful mass OF
western punk for the equally beautiful
Vermont apple filled from skin to skin
with the decctablc juices which no one
could mistake
But after all the trouble is not with
creating a demand for Vermont prod
ucts; it is in furnishing them of a high
standard in sufficient quantities to meet
the possible demand. The main trouble
is not with the consumer but with the
producer. The word Vermont is worth
untold thousands as a trade cetter yet
IL is not properly taken advantage OF
| Western butter masqucrades in the Bos-
ton market as the Vermont product. II
! wouldn't if the Vermont butter makers
! would get busy and clinch the market
! for themselves by the use OF a d!stinc-
! tive Vermont trade mark and the insist
ence on a high standard of quality.
Other states supply the trade with Yer
mont" maple sugar They wouldn't find
| the opportunity to do this IL the Yer
mont sugar makers were wholly wide
awake to their opportunities and the
value of the single word Vermont.
| They would find a way to standardze
and legalize their product.
In other words. the Messenger doubts
seriously if the supply would equal the
demand if the demand were stimulated
to what il might be, In many lines
we don't meet the demand now in way
that we should, and We won't be able
to meet it until the Vermont producer
gets on to his job more than he is to-
day 1t is more necessary to overcome
the inertia of the countryside at this
stage of the game than it is to educate
the consumer to the worth and value of
Vermont products. although 1t is freely
admitted that as regards certain COM
modities it may he that vermont Ia
ready to supply stimulated demand.
The University OF Vermont banquet was
significant because it showed what
could be done with Vermont products.
The newspaper man was given the best,
| not the average. Might as we'll admit Il.
The thing to work for is to bring the
present average up to last Friday
nights best. When this is done the
beaten path that finds out real excel
lence even though it be hidden in the
out ~ the way spot will lead right to
the doors of the Vermont producers,
The banquet shows what could be done
and the bulk of the publicity given it
| ought to be SO directed as to he aimed
| primarily at the producer and not the
| consumer ~. -. -