Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-01-01
(By w. NJ. Hamilton, President Salem
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Commercial Cmb.)
The activities Of the Salem CONNER
cial club during the year, 1915, have
been multifold and varied to extreme
degrees. Some of the activities have
been strenuous and prominent before
the public while very large portion of
the activities have been the develop
ment of different achievements through
the personal and individual work of the
paid employees, officers, and special
committees of the club. Although men
ton has been made OF such work in the
press from time to time, no one person
can have an accurate conception of the
amount of united effort put forth by
the various members on club work, be-
cause no one person or group of persons
can know of all the work accomplished
by all of the other members, as much
work is done of which no written rec
ard is ever made.
Occasionally, someone expresses the
idea that the club is not active. 1t is
safe to say that persons who think so
have not even read what has been witt
ten and printed regarding the club s ac-
tivities from time to time, to say moth
ing of recognizing tine fact that much
is done that is not recorded.
Therefore, if one really wishes to be-
come informed in such matters he may
do so by reading, ana filing away for
reference, the various reports which are
made by the employees, officers, and
committees of the club, and the various
reports news items that appear in the
press. A complete rlle of the above
year constitute quite q volume, and
reports and news items for the past
would certainly dispel the idea in any
ones mind that the activities of the
club have been but few.
What Club Has Done.
Following is a brief summary of
some of the activities:
Participated in the Oregon irrigation
congress in Portland by sending a com.
mittee of four including the manager
to represent the club and take part in
the proceedings.
The "Try Salem First" slogan was
coined by the manager of our club and
a HldA NNl " Ndli1 Oul btiN
idea of the slogan. In doing this, a ser
les of letters were written to house
wives, business men, and others in Sa'
lem, calling attention to the principles
set forth in the slogan of trying to buy
the articles you desire at home before
purchasing them elsewhere. 1t is al
ways understood, of course, that if the
desired article cannot be purchased il
Salem at a reasonable price that the
purchaser is fully entitled to purchase
the same elsewhere after having made
the effort to get it in Salem.
In addition to these letters, the clut
put advertising cards in the street cars
ran general advertisements in the news
papers, had the slogan printed on sta
tionery, and supplied merchants will
cards bearing the slogan which wert
placed in the store windows. The re
suit Of the above campaign and thu
work done later along this line by thu
club has undoubtedly firmly established
the slogan in the minds Of many of oui
citizens. The result has been tha
whereas some persons have thoughtless
/ ly made their purchases outside of Sa
lem in the past without first trying t
get the article here, they are now try
ing Salem first with resulting bene
fits to all.
Boosted Loganberries.
Assisted in putting on loganberry
advertising campaign in the Saturda.
Evening Post, Good Housekeeper, ant
Iowa Homestead, in conjunction will
the local wholesale fruit firms, anC
many hundred sample boxes Of tn,
dried loganberries were shipped by tn
club to numerous points in the east
which were productive of many repea
orders, and no doubt formed the enter
ing wedge for many large orders in tn
! future.
The establishment Of the flax in
dustry in Oregon was started by tn
club in January, and many men promi
nent in the flax industry in Europe a
well as in this country were consulted
and the club, with the assistance o
the governor and that Of Mario
county legislative delegation and other
secured an appropriation Of $4,000
from the state legislature for the et
tablishment Of this industry and otheri
The necessary machinery has since bee
purchased and installed at the penit
entiary and the first crop Of flax stray
planted, raised and harvested, and par
Of il is now in the process of being ret
ted. The value of this industry TO Ore
gon will be tremendous.
-Four thousand booklets descriptive o
Salem and the Willamette valley wer
ordered by the club from the William
cite valley exposition association an,
distributed upon request Of easterner
and others, for information concerning
the valley. The pamphlet was careful
ly prepared by able writer's and tn
articles were confined strictly 20 fact
All ghttering generahties and exaggel
ations were eliminated, as well az al
highly eolored Autographs and hall
tone Illustrations which might tend {
create an exaggerated idea Of th
country.
Sent Out Information.
The club received from 100 to 200 IL
quiries each month from easterners an
others asking for information about 81
lem and the Willamette valley and tn
above mentioned books, together wit
proper letters we're sent out in repl
to all Of these inquiries. No literatur
however, was sent out except in respor
Sc TO inquiries.
A dinner to the farmers was given O
the Armory in April at which sever
hundred farmers were In Attendnnc