Arizona republican., 1921-01-23
GALL MEETING ID
 BOOST TRAVEL OVER
 BANKHEAD HIGHWAY

To increase the number of tourists using the Banl1head highway and to achieve a concerted plan of action by the communities interested. the Doug las chamber of commerce has invited the chambers of commerce in all the cities on that highway from El Paso to Yuma, inclusive, to meet in Douglas on Saturday, Feb. 26.
 It is proposed that the meeting con sider every phase of tourist travel through the state of Arizona with par ticular reference to diverting as much as possible of it to the Bankhead route. The plan includes the forma- tion of separate organization with a paid secretary and a representative at Eocorro, N. M., or perhaps farther north, to inform tourists of the ad- vantages of the southern trip.
 The letter. from Ely Martin, secre- tary of the Douglas chamber of com merce and mines, in which the recom- mendations are carried, follows in full:
 'This Is to enlist your aid in the matter of increasing automobile tour ist travel over your section of the Bankhead highway. During 1920 more than 15,o00 tourist cars were registered at Springerville, Ariz., having been routed west through that point from Socorro, N. M. Many times that num- ber turned west in the vicinity of AL buquerque, N NJ, and went through Gallup and thence through northern Arizona. None of these cars ever reached the Bankhead highway, all though from Fl Paso west it Is incom- parably the best route and many tour ists would prefer to come this way If they only knew the facts.
 Tn order to obtain concerted action ss, chamber of commerce and mines has called a meeting of representatives of the chambers of commerce of the i'm portant towns on the Bankhead high way from Fl Paso to Yuma, inclusive, for the purpose of forming a peCma- nent organization to increase tourist travel over the Bankhead highway. this meeting to be held in Douglas Saturday. Feb. 26. The towns included are Fl Paso, Deming, Lordsburg, Doug las, Bisbee, Tombstone, Benson, Tue son. Florence, Mesa, Phoenix and Yuma. The meeting has been called hn Douglas because of it's central To- cation in the territory concerned.
 "The proposition under discussion is entirely too big to be handled by any one town but with all the interested towns working together the purpose can be effected in an efficient manner and at a comparatively small cost to each town.
 we believe that when the new or ganization is formed it should main tain paid secretary and should issue literature, maps and publicity articles, erect signs at strategic points, and possibly maintain man at Socorro. N. M., or even farther north, to meet tourists and disseminate information about the advantages of the Bankhead route through this section.
 These and other points will be dis cussed at the meeting. We trust that you will inform us at once that you will send a. good-sized delegation. and also favor us with any suggestions you may have on the subject.
 If we can bring only 10000 more tourists over our stretch of the Bank head highway this year than last. and if each tourist spends only $10 from Fl Paso to Yuma, that means $100, 900 year more than we are now getting. We certainly can afford to spend sew eral thousand dollars to accomplish this result Let's make an investment that will not only bring immediate re- turns but bigger and bigger returns every year."