Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-28
MORE THAN 800 AT DINNER BACK
PLAN FOR CITY TRADE
EXTENSION.
MOST OF FUND TO BE
BONUS FOR ROAD PAVING
Plan Approved BY Msrshsl'town Club
Ad Club and Committee Adopted
Without Dissenting voies--Psrt OF
Fund to Be Used For Publicity
Good Roads First Essential.

More than seq business and profess
sional men, following dinner served at
the Pilgram Totel Thursday night,
| brought together to consider extend
| ing the trade territory of Marshall
| town pledged themselves to raise sfo'-
| 900 for publicity and good roads
mostly good roads as the essential
thing that would bring more trade.
| and from a greater distance. to TINS
city The plan endorsed by the Mar
| shalltown Club the AID Club and the
committee of eleven that organized the
preparations for the dinner, was
| adopted unanimously and with en-
thusiaSm.
There was no dissenting voice when
it was proposed that subscriptions to
this fund were to be paid, 8 per cent in
cash and the balance when asked for.
The b per cent is to be turned over
to the Ad Club for publicity. The rest
is to be offered to the board Of super
visors as q bonus for paved roads
within five miles of this city.
.- Paved Roads the Thing.
The plan was presented in,the form
Of resolution by ID. w. Norris, on
behalf of the officers of the two clubs.
The resolution when presented carried
without further discussion than was
given in introducing it. 1t was stated
in the resolution that it was proposed
to collect 5 per cent Of the subscrip
tons at once for the AID Club for pub
licity and trade extension. The bal
ance is to remain pledged until needed
and none of it probably will be needed
until fall. 1t is proposed to offer the
board Of supervisors a bonus of $1,000
mile for each mile Of paved road
within five miles Of this city, the
thought being that the four most i'm
portant roads leading into the city
should be so improved. On basis
Of 81 500 bonus to the mile the $4,000
Of the fund would allow for bonuses
for twenty-five miles, without making
allowance for shrinSage in the fund.
This woulud be sufficient for all four
main roads for a distance of five miles
each.
How Good Roads Pull.
1t was pointed out that publicity and
advertising in the trade territory from
which business should be drawn was
often without result so long as there
We're no good roads. The, merchant
could advertise widely, but let it rain
on the day of the sale-buyers could
not come thru the mud. With hard
surfaced roads advertising was GER
tain to bring results.
1t had been established by federal
government Investigators that paved
hoads brought trade from the territory
touched by the road and half way
from the end Of the pavement to the
nearest trading center beyond. In
other words. the pavement reaches out
and extends the trade territory half
way beyond it's end to the next town,
Tor people will drive that far in the
mud if they know they go the rest of
the way on a hard road to the big
trading center. Road legislation, that
VIII be enacted by the general assem-
bly,, ana federal aid will make it DOS
sible for the supervisors to start paw
ing this year and pave eight or ten
miles each year.
Levin on Possibilities.
j. Levin. who first proposed the
trade extension movement at a meet
$50 Va siiS fAu SiuU d lew weeks ago.
mad worked out a mass Of statistics
and figures as regards the possibilities
OF extending the trade territory of the
city. He very pofntedly remarked that
the competitor was not next door but
was in the other trading centers and
was drawing business from this city
by mail orders. advertising, better
stores. service and stocks of merchan-
disc.
Citing the case Of ST. Louis whole
saler, who invited Iowa dealers to st,
Louis and paid their travelling expenses,
hotel bills and provided for their en-
tertainment, and sold 500 of them an
average OF $4,000 worth Of goods. Mr..
Levin suggested a special trading
week here for Grundy county people
one month. for Tama county people
another month. Special bargains and
inducements should be, offered for
these special weeks and entertainment
ought to be provided.
To illustrate that farmers are buy
ing the best merchandise in the best