New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-08-03

to convince the people OF New Brit
ain that we actually needed the hotel
and that now was the time and what
an asset It would mean to the COM
munity.
What might appear the easiest
part OF the job was quite a difficult
one before accomplished.
"Our committee conducted survey
which showed that there were 30
state organizations which would hold
their annual conventions in ina New
Britain provided there were adequate
hotel facilities, with a total attendance
of about $4,000. Satisfies gathered by
the United States Chamber of Com
merce showed that delegates to con-
ventions spend on the average of $40
day during their stay in the conven-
ton city.
"Our survey also showed that there
were about 100 different commercial
men visiting the mercantile establish
ments daily-many of whom would
stay in New Britain II there was suit
able accommodation. The survey al
so proved that there were clubs meet
ing weekly for luncheons at various
places which would total annually
from SO weekly luncheons 1900;
from monthly luncheons 1850 and an
nual meetings 2.225. The survey of
the manufacturers showed that IT'S
statesmen visited. the city weekly or a
grand annual total of 51,937. These
luncheons and lodgings were all going
to some neighboring city, where ac-
commodations were available. A re-
port from the gasoline filing stations
indicated that there were hundreds of
foreign cars passing daily, a great
percentage of which inquired about
our hotel facilities.
Wasn't this worth trying to keep in
New Britain? Our committee GER
tainly thought It was.
Expert Called In
The first thing to be determined
was what kind of a hotel should be
built and where 1t should be located,
and 1t was at this particular point that
the advice of an expert was needed:
because with a hotel, like any other
business, the ultimate failure Is near
ly always due to the fact that the
hotel was started wrong-either the
site was not the right one, or the
wrong kind OF hotel was erected.
After the site. design, and kind of
a hotel had been decided upon, came
the question of financing.
"A hotel may be started by an indi-
vidnal owner, a group or stock COM
pany, a community. or Chamber of
Commerce
Our hotel being community pro-
position, fostered by the chamber, we
launched campaign October s. 1922,
to raise $750,000. Preferred stock at
800 a share; was sold one share of
common stock being given with a
block of two preferred. The cam
paign was of course conducted like
all others and in a weeks time the
s750,O00 was raised.
"Our dream of Is years is now real |
ICED and we expect to formally open |
The New Elihu Burritt hotel January |
[, 1924. . <
THE project was promoted by the |
and Is owned by the in |,
1ividuals of the community and they.
have it's interest at heart.
t is not one of those intangible things
which Chambers of Commerce do; it
S a real building. one that can be
pointed out as a real accomplishment,
md l feel that this Is an example of
Practical community promotion"
Hospital Campaign
so 1t was, with the 100000 cam
,aign for new buildings for the New
Britain General hospital. A survey
" hospital authorities showed that
because the local institution lacked
space, many patients
we're going elsewhere for treatment.
With normal capacity OF rs patients
t the New Britain institution, about I
10 were being cared for daily!
Then there was another problem,
lew Britain could not get nurses. Old
wo and three family houses were
Used for nurses quarters and with
his atmosphere, there was no attrac-
ion for girls to enter the training
chool. The first step was the cree
ion of a beautiful $4,000 nurses
lome which Is one of the finest in
he state. Then work was started on
he new hospital building which is to
ontain about ITS beds, as we'll as the
most modern hospital facilities and
pparatus 1t Is now being built and l
ill be ready in few months. {
But. to do all this required months
{ hard work. The preliminary or {
anization campaign had to be gotten !
nder way. Manufacturing officials, I