Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-12-18
Business Awakens To Possibilities
In George Washington Bicen-
tennial Celebrations.

A nationwide increase in business &C
tivity is coming with the nation wide
celebration of the 200th anniversary oil
the birth of George Washington. The move.
ment has begun under the stimulus of plans
made by merchants and manufacturers tC
participate in this tremendous public dem.
onstration in every city and town in the
land from February % to Thanksgiving
Day, 1888.
Evidence of increased business activity
as a direct result of preparations for the
Bicentennial, has reached the United States
George Washington Bicentennial Commits
sion on the eve of the great celebration in
the form of letters and verbal statements
| from merchants and manufacturers. news
papers, State and City Bicentennial Com
mittee'. and trade experts closely in touch
with the business situation in all parts Of
the country.
Within the last few weeks there has been
a marked increase in production as direct
result of the preparations of manufacturers
in all lines of trade to meet the demands
of department-store managers and mer-
chants generally, who are getting ready
to supply the people with merchandise In
connection with the nine-month celebra-
ton.
The advertising departments of the news
papers and trade journals are joining with
advertising managers of manufacturing
concerns and stores in a definite move
ment to stimulate the Bicentennial trade.
Business men all over the country are
waking up to the unique commercial posi-
bilities for them in the George Washington
Bicentennial Celebration.
The Dr0durti0n nf arfialac 0f oil kinda
for the Decentralization penknives and
pencils to dress goods and chinaware, from
furniture and statuary to new roadways
and bridges-is having pronounced effect
in restoring business confidence and reduc-
ing unemployment.
The encouragement and direct assistance
which the United States George Washington
Bicentennial Commission is giving free
and without discrimination to all manu-
facturers and merchants in helping the
business structure of the country to turn
the corner" says John Meyer. field director
of the George W. Mead Paper Institute. of
Madison, Wisconsin, in a letter just re-
ceived by the Commission. This institute
is intimately in contact with the business
offices of newspapers and with men in
many other lines of business all over the
United States.
This whole matter looks like a very
important movement. especially in the
face of prevailing conditions" continues Mr..
Meyer. ut may be just such program
as yours which will tend to put things in
many lines on the upgrade"
With reference to the newspapers part
in the movement, Mr.. Meyers says: II
believe that if the newspapers get inter-
ested in this angle of the forthcoming
lab U.vsn h. i'll nh
more effective and put it into very much
wider use than if the newspapers do not
get chance to prod and 'enthuse' the
merchants. The fact that this work on
the part of the newspapers will be means
ofincreasing their local advertising revenue
is probably not so mercenary as it might
seem to some. Unquestionably. thousands
of dollars worth of good advertising sugges-
tons and material are wasted every year
because the merchants just don't get to use
them, whereas if the newspapers find out
about these things, they get after the mer-
chants to get the various helps into action"
George Washington, besides being SOL
der and statesman, was one of the leading
business men of his time. He once wrote
pithy and pointed statement which is
quoted as motto in a pamphlet entitled,
Suggestions for Merchants and Depart
ment Store Cooperation" published and
widely distributed by the Commission.
ut is not a custom with me to keep
money to look at" declared George WASH
ington.
DR.. Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary Of
Commerce commenting on this saying in
recent nationally broadcast radio address.
said:
'Washingtons attitude in that respect
has tremendous lesson for all of us at
at this moment. Entirely too many of US
seem to have fallen into the ill-advised
and short-sighted habit of keeping money
to look at'-the practice which the Great
Founder so vigorously rejected. And the I'M
warranted boarding that had indisputably
been going on during the past couple Of
years-though it has fortunately moderated
very materially of late-had very direct
bearing on this problem of unemployment
which is now the subject of such earnest
and resolute relief efforts. When
money is willing to 60 to work it can put men
and women to work-men and women who
may now be suffering and in despair.
Manufacturers and merchants are show
ing their interest in the plans for the
greatest celebration in honor Of a national
hero in the worlds history by flooding the
United States George Washington Bicen-
tennial Commission with requests for as
sistance. Specially designed articles asso-
ciated with George Washington and the
early history of the nation are being manu-
featured in every possible line of trade and
the department stores and other mercantile
establishments of the country are making
elaborate plans to keep them on sale
throughout the year. In business. as well
as in every other line of endeavor in the
United States. the year 1882 is to be a
George Washington Year."