The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-08

yO8 ever uCoIV u = 8SAsACs AA~Sk~
table hamlet on our eastern coast
called New York city? A. town
where valuables are safe, where
the highest cost Of living ID low.
where gentle courtesy prevails and
the golden rule lathe invariable
practice! II not. you are destined
to hear about it shortly. A wide
spread publicity campaign is soon
to be launched by its public-spirit-
ed citizens which win make known
to a>skeptical world the unparal-
reled virtue. beauty. comfort. and
righteousness of this much-ma-
ligned metropolis.
The campaign will be directed
particularly at strangers, since it
would be superfluous to attempt to
thrust this information upon per-
sons already acquainted with the
city. Also it might start an en-
barrassing argument. The object
is to carry the truth to those un-
fortunate people dwelling in pa
thetic remoteness from New York.
who have come to entertain q
wrong opinion Of MS character.
There seems to be somewhat gen.
eral belief, for instance, that New
York is a fine place for gunner
but not for visitors; that it has .
blighting effect upon infants and
that it is unsympathetic toward the
thrifty.
New York has been entertaining
about 120,000,000 visitors every
year, according to statistics gath
cred by the Merchants association.
In 1921, the number rose to 1885,
i 897, 1881. which is more than the
population of the United States. In
other words, the whole population
of the nation could have come to
this city, and third of it made q
second visit A third of it could
have, but did it? The good citi-
zens of Manhattan are beginning
to fear that second visits from
strangers are on the decline. Ger
tainly, large number of those
who came in 1921 have, so far, not
returned in 1922, and, furthermore
they have taken great pains to
state their reason to their friends
and acquaintance back home
These reasons are usually anything
but complimentary to New York.
To Extend Glad Hand.
Consequently, the business men
Of the city, and especially those oil
the Hotel association, which COM
prises ia Of the largest hostelries
held a consultation not long ago
and decided that drastic measures
would have to be taken to make
people like New York and want to
return. All agree that the town
would have to drop its mantle OF
Indifference. Newcomers should be
given a cordial welcome and made
to feel at home, they declared
while the recent shower of blots on
the city's escutcheon would have
to be erased by skillful publicity.
The first to respond to the de-
mand for facts to be presented in
defense of New York was DR.. Roy
al S. Copeland, health commission
er, who has already proved a
sturdy champion of the city as a
health resort. He promptly pro-
duced from his coat pocket the fol-
lowing Copeland QUESTIONABLE
which Is soon to be broadcasted
Throughout the country:
"Do you realize that the infant
death rate in New York is lower
than it is in any other city in the
world?
DO you know that the death
rate in New York city is the lowest
of any great city in the world:
DO you know that New York
has the purest water, the purest
and best milk, the best guarded
food supplies of any kind in the
world?
do you know that every food
handler in New York city is ex-
amined by the board of health to
make sure that he is free from dis
ease?
"Do you know that when a Wis
itor comes here he is better guard
ed, as regards his health and safe
| ty than in any other place? No
matter where he comes from, he is
better off here than he is at
home"
At least, if this last is not quite
true now, it is going to be. The
hotel men. who, as might be ex-