Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-11
Hiram w. Kicker
Tells Work of State
Publicity Bureau


Regarding Big Project Of Bureau
Which Has Its Headquarters at
Portiand-campaisn for Support
To Be Made by Bureau Workers
Hiram w. Kicker of Poland Spring
fame. the president of the State of
d. Kidder Of Portland, field secretary
Of the bureau. spoke Monday night
before a group Of Augusta business
men, telling them Of the work and
possibilities of the State Of Maine
Publicity Bureau which has been re-
Gently formed for the purpose of ad-
vertising Maine and bringing more
peopleto this vacation land. The ses-
sion was held at the rooms of the
Chamber of Commerce.
Mr.. Kicker told of the possibilities
of Maine. He said that Maine has
the climate, the scenery and the nat
ural advantages for the attraction of
vacationists such as no other state in
the Union possesses. He told of the
enormous number of people who now
come to this State, especially in the
summer, and of the way in which this
number could be increased if Maine
was advertised as it is planned by the
bureau.
He told Of the work which was be-
ing done by places such as Atlantic
City, Michigan state and Canada,
these places forming a circle about
the New England states, and all of the
ether places fighting to take the vaca-
ton business from us. Then there is
the fine vacation business which has
been built up in California. Many
people who are now going to Europe,
could be brought to Maine with the
proper kind of advertising.
Maine has not only one place for
the visitors from other states to visit,
but every place in Maine, every
little town, both at the coast and the
interior by tourists; in fact, Mr..
Kicker said that Their was probably
not one little station in Maine at
which some visitor did not stop
while here.
But If Maine does not get busy and
get the advantages of the State to
the prospective tourist through the
medium of publicity, then in a few
years she will have lost much of the
summer business which she now
has.
Mr.. Kicker then told of the man.
ner in which the other states have
already caught on the plan as ORR
sinated by Maine, and he said that
they were working hard along SINH
l2r lines and If we should fail they
would cash in on what we had .lcne.
The Province of Ontario will short
ly send commission to Portland
to study the methods now in use
by the State of Maine Publicity Bur-
eau and they are to stay as long as
necessary to get the fine points of
its management.
Charles D. Kidder Of Portland field
secretary of the bureau. told of the
work which the bureau is actually
doing after only 60 days of operation.
They are now receiving from 100 to
500 letters a day, asking for Informal
ton about Maine and it's points of
interest.
He told especially Of one man and
ms wife who drove personally to the
bureau and said that they had no
plans for their Maine trip, they sim
ply wanted to rough it as they were
sick of city life. After much thought
on the part Of the bureau, they were
directed to a camp in the "wilds"
where they could trough it" in a
camp with hard wood floors, electric
lights, bath tubs and other things of
that nature. They went to- the camp
and got there just before the heavy
rains and in spite of the continual
downpour of rain. word has been
received from them that they are
having the time of their lives and
that they are to stay there all sum-
mer.
But the rich people are not the
only ones who come to the bureau
for information. Working girls who
have a limited amount of money up
on which to pass their vacation,
come here to find where they can
spend their vacation best.
The plan of the bureau was then
spoken of. Mr.. Kidder telling of the
method of raising the money and of
the response which he has noted
from all over the State in the actual
solicitation Of money. In regard to
the plans now formed and which it is
hoped will be carried out, Mr.. Kidder
said that they hope to advertise
Maine in such a way that the vaca-
ton season will be heightened
through the month of September.
The speakers were both well
versed in their subject and believing
in it as they did. they impressed their
audience with the value of the work
which is being done and which is to
be done by the bureau, and the fact
that this work will return to every
business man in the State a good
dividend in increased tourist bust
ness.
Mr.. Kidder is to be in the city
in about two weeks to secure the
pledges from interested business men
and he is to be assisted by several
men in this city.