Ellsworth American., 1926-10-27
TOO CONSERVATIVE.
New England States Must Blow
Their Horns Louder.

tary-manager of the Maine State
Chamber of Commerce, in an address
to New England conference of State
Federation of Women's Clubs.]
Mr.. Cummings asked what pub
licity is and wherein does New
England need more of it? He said
that when speaking of publicity, we
naturally think first of newspaper
and magazine advertising and that
as a former newspaper man he
would not be loyal to the craft if
he did not declare his honest belief
that newspaper and magazine ad-
vertising ranks first in Importance
of all forms Of publicity.
He added, however, that there
are other lines of publicity in which
New England stands in real need
and in which the women of New
England and their social and eco
nomic organizations can be most
helpful.
"Above all else," he said, "Iet us
New Englanders get over the long
cherished notion that it is bad form
to speak enthusiastically of New
I England thrift, commercial and in
dustrial enterprise and accomplish
ments. We all glory over the nat
ural beauties of our respective states
and even of New England as
whole, but when reference is made
to New England progress in manu-
| featuring, agriculture and CONNER
cial lines, we are very apt to join
in the sad refrain that New Eng
land is badly slipping. We express
fear that we are rapidly surrender
| ing to the South all our textile fac
| tories, to the midwest our shoe
factories and machine shops, to the
| far West our lumber and chief agr1-
cultural products and to foreign ma
tions our fisheries"
To refute these fears, the speaker
| quoted from analysis of recent
United States government statistics
showing that New England's 10000
industries furnish an annual pro-
duction valued at eight billion dol
lars; that the total wealth of New
England is approximately twenty
five billion dollars; that we have in
these six states, with only per cent.
of the land area of the United
States, eight million people, or
per cent of the total population OF
the United States, Massachusetts
ranking sixth; that in New Eng
land banks are 40 per cent. of the
savings of the United States; that
one million, three hundred thousand
New England homes are owned by
their occupants; that with total
area less than that of the state of
Oregon, we have in New England
nearly eight thousand miles of rail-
Io
sand miles of hard surface State
highways.
Our six million acres of cultivated
lands have with their improve
ments, a total value of more than
one billion dollars. The yearly pro-
ducts of New England fisheries ex-
ceed nineteen million dollars. Her
lumber products total in value about
twenty-five million dollars annually,
and Maine leads the country in
pulpwood, with an annual produc-
tion of nearly four hundred million
dollars worth.
Following the summary of indus
trial conditions in New England, Mr..
Cummings said: "All this is not in
tended as boastful. How we New
Englanders do dislike to be accused
of boasting! We so much prefer to
be called conservative, even ultra
conservative. New England conserva-
tism has held sway since the land
ing of the Pilgrims. This reminds
me of what Governor Brandon of
Alabama told us Maine-to-Florida
pilgrims. He said that the South had
for ages been living on the glories OF
the chevalier and New England on
the history of Plymouth Rock and
Bunker Hill. He added that the
South is awakening to the value OF
it's God-given resources and oppor-
tunities, and that New England
seems to be following the South's
example"
In answer to the query as to how
the women of New England can
share in and further encourage this
revival of interest in New England
industry, Mr.. Cummings said: "By
getting acquainted with the quality
of New England factories and
farms. BY studying trademarks and
in their purchases favoring New
England products, provided, OF
course, that the three elements of
successful salesmanship - quail
ity, fair price and service-are COM
bined in the merchandising.
Lack of knowledge.
The speaker next told the story OF
Names Statewide plan of develop
ment in which cooperating organiza-
tions have functioned. 1t began, he
said, with a campaign to acquaint
Maine people with Maine products.
One week of intensive demonstration
was arranged and throughout the
State real interest was shown in
| what Maine has to offer in various
lines Of production. There was also
discovered a surprising lack of know
ledge in very many communities of
| the extent of Names industrial
| growth and the varieties and high
quality Of products of those very
communities.
A member of the Maine co-operat-
| ing committee who had attended the
| .yintar snortS at Lake Placid NJ Y,