The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-02-15

CANON CITY CHAMBER OF COM
MERGE.
ANNUAL REPORT.
To the Officers and Members of the
Canon City Chamber of Commerce
Gentlemen:-I herewith submit my
Annual Report as Secretary, covering
a period of fourteen months, from
Dec. 11th 1915, to Feb. /. 1917.
Credit Department.
ITpon assuming the office as secre-
tary several recommendations were
made to the Roard of Directors effect
ing this department. The most i'm
portant being the establishment of a
complete new credit system and the
removal from this office of the Col
lection Department committee
was appointed to investigate the cost
and advisability of such change and
this committee made favorable re-
port, with the result that the new sys-
tenn was worked out and installed on
July 18th of last year and new rate
books issued. This system complete.
with files and cards cost about S250.0o-
Supplements have been issued the
merchants every two weeks giving
all changes obtainable in the rate
book. addresses of those leaving the
city, the securing of names and form
er addresses and ratings of all fami-
lies locating in this community and
additional trade experience with local
merchants. These supplements con-
tain 431 changes since July 18th and
foreign information has been secured
on 220 families locating in this vicini-
ty Twenty-four individuals and fami-
lies have had ratings to require cash.
Based upon an estimated average or
$500 in such cases, this one item has
saved the merchants about $l800.00. to
say nothing of the additional informa-
ton and ratings that have been estab-
lished on those already residing here
The present system gives the mer-
chant the trade experience of all other
merchants, the delinquent amounts
owing by the party rated. standing
and rating of those coming from other
localities and chattel mortgages of
record. Since the installation of the
new system the merchants have avail
ed themselves of the information OBJ
tainable and as a result their ratio of
losses have been very materially de-
creased.
Publicity Department.
During the past year Canon City
has received much good publicity
More than 5000 descriptive folders
We're placed directly in the hands of
people contemplating a change of To-
cality. Care has been used in the dis
tribution of this literature. Most of
the names were secured from lists
from the ID. & r. G. publicity office; /;
cards sent each family coming into
this community for names of their
friends WHO might be Interested; the
list published in the Denver CONNER
cial and letters sent out thru the pas
tor of one of our local churches. We
have received ninety direct inquiries
n. fy,er inf tifv,
this locality all classified into book
and reference number. We know of
several families who located in this
city as a direct result of this work.
Articles descriptive of this locality
were written and published in The ID.
G Z. C. Red Book; the Pueblo Star
Journal. Special Magazine of The
Arkansas Valley: The Midland Trail !;
log-book; The Blue Book log-book !;
Springs; The Earth, an A. T. & s. Fe
publication in Topeka; The Denver
commercial and Denver. Pueblo and
TT. Collins papers. A five hundred
word article, with photos of the Royal
Gorge and Skyline. has just been sent
in for publication in book form by one
of the garases in Colorado Springs
This firm expects to maintain stage
line to this city during the coming
summer.
Statistics and an article on this
County were prepared for the use of
the State Immigration Board in their
new folder of The Arkansas Valley.
which has just been issued.
The work of this Board has been
highly satisfactory during the past
year and the wide distribution of the
new folders should result in much
good for Canon City.
Special information and statistics
along industrial lines have been fur
nished The Industrial Utilities of
Toledo. Ohio, and also The Iron Trade
Review of Cleveland, Ohio.
Five hundred letters were framed
and sent out thru the medium of one
of our local churches. A large list of
prospects was obtained from these
letters.
The names of all tourists register
ing at the top of the Royal Gorge was
taken off and classified as to states
and towns and over five hundred let
tiers describing the scenic points of
interest and the city, containing the
names of those registering from that
particular city. and sent to the local
paper. The result of this campaign
was highly satisfactory and practically
q full column was secured published
in many of these papers. This stunt
cost the Chamber OF Commerce less
than $500.
The pollution of the river. our only
water supply, has been taken up many
times and this practice is apparently
on the increase. This matter has re-
ceived the attention of this body and
the cooperation of the State Game and
Fish Department has been requested.
This is a difficult problem as 1t aD-
nears that every offence committed