Smyrna times., 1931-06-17

also have opportunity of securing
worthwhile portion of tourist
traffic which will visit Washington
during their celebration as well
as building up the very valuable
all-year far north to far south traf-
fic. AS to permanent settlers
brought into Del-Mar-Va as the re-
suit of the Associations activities,
a canvass made among those from
other sections who have purchased
property here since 1925 gives evil
dence that more than a thousand
such property sales have been
made and that something over "a
per cent Of these newcomers were
originally attracted by our adver-
tising and publicity. This number
of sales may be in all fairness
doubled as it has been possible to
secure transfer records in but sew
en- of our fourteen counties. The
Del-Mar-Va Association does not
claim the full credit for bringing
in tourists and new settlers. We
are we'll aware that each of the
three States, Delaware, Maryland
and Virginia, have carried out an
extremely efficient and worthwhile
road building program throughout
the Peninsula counties. Good roads
are a keen attraction and aid tre-
mendously in developing any sec
tion. But, we wish to emphasize
to our membership the Importance
of two facts. First, that the wide
spread and quickly accepted pub
licity and advertising carried on by
the Del-Mar-Va Association placed
before the people of other states
the good roads and other resources
of the Peninsula; and second, in so
stimulating interest that tourist
traffic and vacationists were the
direct result and increased the flow
Of money into State and local high
way funds by which the building
of new roads was expedited. In
Virginia alone State Departments
credit tourist traffic with % per
cent of the gas tax received. We
feel justified in claiming for the
Del-Mar-Va Association a proper
portion of the progress that has
accompanied the road building pro-
grams of the three States of which
we are part.
Recognized by Publishers
Confined because of a limited
budget during the past two years
/ to a minimum of advertising, the
Association has directed its prin-
cipal efforts toward securing valu-
able publicity. Within the past
year % magazine articles appeared
in publications of not only national
but also international circulation.
This is entirely aside from the ma
terial regularly supplied and pub
lished in more than one hundred
newspapers. It is no longer neces-
sary for the Del-MarVa Associa-
ton to seek a source of publishing
interesting material regarding our
Peninsula. Just a week ago today
request was made for an article on
the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula to be
broadcast under the auspices of a
Washington newspaper and over a
national broadcasting chain. This
came voluntarily from the publish
[ -. - ba q faot11ro in their Travel
and Resort editions. Del-Mar-Va
today, after five years unbroken ef-
fort on the part of the Del-Mar-Va
Eastern Shore Association, is at
the gateway of receiving greater
prosperity and greater prominence
through publicity than it has ever
dared to hope for. We have built
a worthwhile and sound foundation
and upon this may be erected a
structure which would lift Del
Mar-Va to place Of such promin-
ence that its natural resources anG
its unlimited attractions would be-
come practically world known.
Educating Our Own People
Forced to operate conservatively
the Association has endeavored tt
educate our own people as to what
is actually being done. One of the
resultful steps taken during the
past year was maintaining booths
at the various County Fairs where
literature and information was dis.
persed. Hundreds of residents ex'
pressed interest and received infor-
nation giving them an insight into
the Association purposes and it:
activities. Very recently the AS
sociation has compiled and ISSUED
a Del-Mar-Va Business Directory
This is in answer to a demand or
the part of the public and of es'
pecial benefit to the Association
membership as in this Directory
every member is listed under hi:
or her individual community a:
well as under their business classi
fication. This Directory is finding
favor among persons in variou!
sections.If 1 may express one pers
onal desire, permit me to say tha
I wish every member of the Del
Mar-Va Eastern Shore Association
could realize that the Del-Mar-Vs
Peninsula is looked upon from al