Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-14
$1,000 STREET LIGHT RAISE HERE ALLOWED
AN OPEN LETTER ON
1.-THE HERECENTiTECHTO

you putting on this drive at this
time when conditions are so unfaV-
orable and times hard?" And in
the answer lies the whole point Of
the campaign, the essence of its
Importance, the germ of its Vita
necessity. Here is the answer:
Because times are hard, and
Georgia must have something be
sides cotton, corn, livestock ard
the like to depend upon in the flu.
turc TO keep from going bank
rupt."
1t was pointed out by one speak
er that Georgia had fallen back
from sixth to twelfth in total pro.
duction in the United States, and
that, alth ough possessing natural
resources unsurpassed in the na-
ton, and unequalled by few states,
manufacturs only per cent of
the manufactured products of the
United States Another speaker
showed why we cannot remain SOL
vent and depend solely on agricul-
ture in the future as we have bare
ly in the past. He called attention
to the fact that in the last six
years, during the recent war pc
Rod, more bonds had been issued
than during the preceding 200
years; that the bonded indebted
ness per capita had jumped from
something over $50 to more than
$500 and that the end was not in
sight. As an illustration, a bond
election was on that very moment
in the town in which the train was
stopping, $4,000 being voted for
school purposes to supplement a
previous recent issue of 100000.
He pointed out that this enormous
debt can be paid, as it must be
'paid only by the utilizing of our
natural resources along with our
agricultural resources, and that
these resources can be taken ad-
vantage of only by training the
brains and hands of the boys Of the
state for that particular purpose.
The people caught the idea ev-
erywhere. They realized that the
Tech campaign was not merely a
money raising campaign that had
the misfortune to come along in a
time of money stringency; they
saw at once that it was a forerun-
ner of their salvation, the vol
crying in the wilderness to lead
them and their state to new day;
they saw that it was their fight, not
the fight of the tourists, and that
despite the shortage of money they
could not afford not to get behind
the movement with all their ability.
That is why the Tech Tour gain
ed momentum as it sped through
Georgia facing representative
Georgians everywhere. People at
first curious came to understand,
that understanding preceded the
coming train, and as the week pro-
gressed the crowds grew until the
final day was one continuous ova-
tion. At Elberton, on thy' last day
of the tour, the whole town clos
ed up at noon, even if it was Sat-
urday and thousands of country
people were in the city to do their
trading. The regular meeting was
held in the court house, but it
could not hold 10 per cent of the
crowd, so a vast overflow speaking
was held and the people stood spell
bound, drinking in the message of
an Industrial Georgia to help
break the shackles Of all-agricul-
ture.
And so it went, with the public
everywhere getting the spirit of
the message and with great enthu-
siasm in place after place pledg-
ing cooperation in the campaign.
But in each town it was a diff
ferent crowd, whereas on board
the train it was the same crowd.
With those men, among the party
many of the leading citizens of
the state, the idea kept growing,
too, until at the windup, although
tired, they were surcharged with
energy and enthusiasm. They had
gone out to "sell' the Greater
Tech and an Industrial Georgia
idea to Georgia; they had done it,
but had come home sold" them
selves a thousand fold stronger
than it could have been possible
for them to " seIl'' any audi
ence,
That, friends, is one of til
strong things about the campaign
that is one of the reasons why the
campaign, despite the suggestions
some who still do not understand
is going over and going over big
The right men believe In it to tn
bottom of their hearts and THEY
ARE GOING TO PUT 1T OVER
They not only know it is right and
for the best interests of the state
but, themselves being business
men, they know it is the biggest
business proposition ever facing
Georgia, and that it cannot fai
because it appears from purely
selfish standpoint, as well as pa
| triotic. at is a business PROPOSE
I ton Of the very greatest and tc
its minutest detail said Victor
| Allen, Of Burord, chairman of tn,
state campaign executive commit
tee, a man who has built up in tht
little town of Buford a tanning
! business that brings into Georgis
between, S5,000,0OG and $6,000
900 a year. SO imbued is he witt
the Greater Tech idea that he n
! given up his private business fol
nine weeks now to direct thi:
campaign, and announces h
/ would give fifty more weeks i
necessary to accomplish success
Thesa arc some rambling i'm
pressions. am sold, hear