The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-06-01
MATHES BOOSTS
OPPORTUNITY IN
TOURIST TRADE
Biggest Thing Alaska Has to
Sell, Bellingham Mayor
Tells Merchants.


The biggest thing you have got to
sell is your scenery, your tourist at
fractions" declared DIR. E. T. Mathes,
Mayor of Bellingham, in short talk
to the Juneau Commercial Associa-
tion today. DR.. Mathes reviewed the
history of his own town, dts efforts
to grow, how it overcame 7Iandicaps
and the part played by the business
mems organizations in the building of
the city.
The making of Belhngham as it
now stands, he said, was accomplish
ed little by little; the addition day
by day to natural advantages, normal
resources. Juneau, he said, remind
ed him of the Bellingham of rs years
ago with ITS planked streets. While
the same industries might not be
possible here, he believed that local
growth could be accomplished by
similar means.
Bellingham, said DR.. Mathes, five
years ago turned it's attention to de-
veloping its tourist attractions, par
ticularly to opening up Mt. Baker for
automobiles. For two months last
year by actual count some 200 cars
passed daily over the road that was
opened up as result of this move
lnent. The Northwest and Alaska
have neglected its opportunities ITO
attract tourists while California made
the most of hers, he declared Sell
your mountains and glaciers and
other scenic attractions" he urged
They are the only resource which at
the end of 100 years utilization will
remain undiminished, he added.
Fioe Compliments Club
Has F1oe, superintendent of the
Hawk Inlet cannory. who also at
tended today's meeting, complimented
the Association ON the stand it had
taken relative to proposed fisheries
legislation. Tho resolution passed by
the Association opposing enactment
of Legislation restricting one particu-
lar kind of gear but not others, he
sIid, was very proper.
Scout Spirit Worth While
Scout Executive Schurman gave
the members an intimate account OF
Boy Scout work from the viewpoint
of q .Scoutmaster From Scout spirit,
developed in boys through their con
nection with and work in Scout
troops, is a source of community
spirit, he declared. He told of the
aims OF the movement, what it seems
to do for the boys, the difficulties
encountered, and what was required
locally to make the Scout movement
a success for the boys and the COM
munity.
Juneau, he said, has as fine man.
power for her boys as Seattle has for
the thousands living thcre.
Folders Are Distributed
Secretary Whittier said that ar
rangements had been made for the
distribution of the Associations tour
list folders on all steamers coming
North from Ketchikan. Acknowledge
ment was also received from the City
ticket agents of both the Admiral
Line and the Alaska Steamship Com
pany at Seattle OF the folders sent
them Both officials said they would
be distributed to the travelling public
from the respective offices.
Dlsapprove cordova Plan
G. F. Forrest, chairman of the
Committee ON Coordination, in a
venbal report, said that he learned in
a trip Just made to Ketchikan and
Wrangell hhat the commercial organ
izations of both towns had rejected
the Cordova suggestion OF a central
chamber of commerce He said that |
the matter OF expense was the con-
trolling factor in the stand taken by |
both chambers.