Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-03-19
See Georgia First
Movement Started
Secretary of State S. G. McLendon
Urges Georgians to Back Move
ments Boosting Georgia

While the several movements to
build bigger and better Georgia are
under way every effort of every good
citizen should be put behind them to
carry them to success but in these
movements for the material better
ment of the state the csthetic side
of things should not be forgotten in
the opinion of s. G. McLendon, Sec
rotary OF State The esthetic side nat
urally would include development OF
recreation centers and Georgia ranks
among the first states in the union IN
her potentialities in this respect the
official declared.
1T is wonderful sign of better
things to see that well organized move
ments are under way in which The
Week is cooperating which have for
their object industrial expansion, de-
velopment of diversified farming pro-
grams, construction OF great state
port, utilization of Georgia'S vast min
eral resources for Georgia factories,
reforestation and the encouragement
of foreign capital to come to Geor-
gia.' he said. but ! want to suggest
briefly what can also be done in de-
velopment of recreational areas in the
state. All of these movements are good
ones, not one OF theme is controvers-
ial, each is a movement i'll which all
the people can unite in carrying to a
successful conclusion. To this list |
want to add development of recreation
al centers.
Georgia has in her northern noun
-l,g ,,l Il
become the playground of the entire
south" Secretary McLendon continued.
mo state in the Union is blessed
with as fine variety of scenery as IS
Georgia We have everything from
mountain resorts to ocean bathing be-
aches. Our mountain section, while
not containing as high mountains as
some of the states, is as beautiful as
can be found on the continent and
could be turned into vast playground
which would serve the entire south
Nov | suggest that this summer
every Georgian who has a vacation per
iod coming to him to use all of it or
part of it in visiting this beautiful sec
ton and seeing at first hand just what
wonderful beauty spot it is. In Geo1
gia we have some of the prettiest wa
terfalls in the world yet few OF ouI
people have scent hem. We have IL
the Georgia mountains the SECOND
highest waterfall in the country but
doubt if more than few hundred
Georgians have ever seen it. In Lum
pkin. White, Fannin. Rabun, Murray
Towns and other North Georgia coul
ties can be found every variety o
mountain scenery. Power development
carried out by the Georgia Rallwa,
and Power Company have creates
some of the most beautiful lakes il
the country in these Georgia noun
tains but only a scant number OF on
people have ever seen them.
in the last few years the stat
highway department and the fedora
government have cooperated i'll build
ing a system OF splendid roads whic
now makes these beauty spots acces
sible to every Georgian. They are lc
Gated within few hours drive OF Al
lanta. Camping sites large enough
meet the needs of the entire south ca
be found in North Georgia. Tn
Highway systems soon will reach a
the prettiest parts of the North Geoi
ola section and l believe we coul
bring about wonderful development
we could get our people to visit tn
section this summer.
"The Georgia mountains are
many respects far prettier than II
North Carolina mountains and II
new lakes are unexcelled for beaut
anywhere. There is splendid Fishing
innumerable mountain springs, ar
streams, the weather is cool and con
Portable in the hottest part OF tt
summer and that section is free
MOSQUITOES and other pests.
eff we can only get our people
visit the Georgia mountains this sun
mer we will start the developmei
movement which ultimately will lea
to the erection of great resort hote
all through these mountains. The te'
eral government has set aside much
this land for recreational purposes an
it is up to the people OF this state
begin this development by at least g
ing to visit these mountains.
When the stream OF Georgia pee
Die begins to flow to the mountain
YOU will see the people of Florida, Al;
bana, Mississippi, Louisiana and otht
southern states flocking to this beaut
full section in droves. This is what
needed to bring about this develop
ment and | would like to see tn
movement begin on big scale thl