Omaha daily bee., 1918-03-09
BUSINESS men OF
TWO CITIES open
own Home DRIVE
Omaha and Council Bluffs
Represented at Big Meet
ing at Blackstone; Many
Prominent Speakers.

The "Own Your Home" campaign
is officially in progress.
It opened Thursday at the Black.
stone, when $50 real estate, business
professional men, city officials and a
delegation from Council Bluffs min
gied at the big "Own Your Home
banquet, exchanged ideas and re-
solved to make Omaha one OF the real
cities of home owners in A:uerica.
Such a representative body of busi.
ness men from every line Of activity
was seldom assembled in Omaha to
back big movement.
Benson Toastmaster.
President Harry M. Christie OF the
Omaha Real Estate board presented
E. A. Benson as POSTMASTER. This
met with immediate approval, as
manifested in the applause for all
who know Erastus A. Benson know
him as one OF the classics OF Omaha.
Then there was Charley Beno OF
Council Bluffs. Omaha business men
have for years recognized that no
attempt to cooperate with Council
Bluffs in any possible movement can
have any standing or promise unless
Charley Beno of Council Bluffs shoots
off the first gun. Beno introduced the
''Beno quartet" made UP OF four
splendid male voices, cultivated be-
hind the counters of Beno's store.
Mayor Dahlman spoke earnestly OF
the importance OF building city OF
home owners and then dipped into
politics and pointed out how con-
venient it Is to have home owners
when election draws near, Tor" he
said, "you don't have to keep after
the home owner all the time to see
that he is registered"
Wilson T. Graham boosted the CAM
paign, delivered an essay on Energy
and finished by reciting poem in
which he proved to his own satisfac-
ton that owning homes will lick the
kaiser.
Charley Black talked for the retail
ers. for the Concord club and for
Charley Black, for he suggested his
own name as a candidate for mayor,
just to see how it would take.
Bluffs Heard From.
Representing the, Council Bluffs real
estate men, Lee Evans, president OF
The Council Bluffs Real Estate Board,
discussed the campaign. told some
stories, and with the assistance of
George Hughes, also of Council
Bluffs, sang the famous Council
Bluffs song. Hughes then took the
floor and entertained with some OF
his stories and recitations.
Victor Rosewatcr dwelt upon pub
licity as the great power that will
have to be depended upon to make
the "Own Your Home" campaign a
success, and promised the full support
Of The Bee to the movement.
Rev. Edwin Hart jerks developed
the idea Of the stability of character
given . people by the homecoming
habit, and said he has himself paid
81, 1000 in rent since he has been In
Omaha and docs not yet own home.
though he has made the start of at
least buying few lots recently. !.
Committee Appointed.
The committee appointed to co.op-
crate with the real estate men iii the
three months campaign to educate
Omaha people to the importance of
owning their homes consists OF ]. Fl.
Dahlman, Everett Buckingham,
Could Dietz, George Brandeis, Rev.
Edwin Hart jerks, Senator G. M.
Hitchcock, Victor Rosewater, Joe
Polcar, Luther Drake, Archbishop ].
]. Harty, Harry M. Christie, 7. P.
Reynolds, Dean p. Smith, Rabbi Fred
erick Cohn, William Fl. Clarke, Rob-
srt H. Maniey, ]. H. Kopietz and
Harry Kelly.