Evening star., 1934-12-16
S9,0D0,ODO SPENT
HERE BY VISITORS
DURING PAST YEAR
Steam Turned On in Final
Effort for Early YuIe Shop
ping and Mailing.

The Greater National Capital Com
mittee estimates that visitors to the
city will have spent in the neighbor-
hood of $50 900 900 in Washington by
the end of 1884.
The number of conventions already
held this year and those scheduled
before January l equal the record Of
1882, which was the George Washing
ton Bi-centennial year, Curtis Hodges,
director of the committee, stated. He
estimated that the number of sight
seers here this year will exceed the
1888 total by some 300 900.
"Washington's second largest IN
dustry, from the standpoint Of the
amount of money put into circulation
in the city and therefore the degree
of help it offers to business interests,
is the visitors industry-second only
TO the Government pay roll" Mr..
Hodges asserted. THE amount Of
money put into circulation annually
through this industry has been esti-
mated roughly at S40,000,000. But
there are good reasons to believe that
the total for 1884 will go considerably
beyond that figure.
The record number of conventions
in 1894, many conventions with at
tendances OF several thousand, are
chiefly responsible for the great strides
made in the visitors industry. These
conventions, together with the In
crease in sightseeing tourists and the
great number Of people who have come
to Washington on Government busl-
ness, give ground for the estimate that
the total amount of money expended
in Washington in 1884 through this
source will be much larger than the
normal $4,000, ,000." Hodges pointed
out.
AT this time. We believe the indica-
tions are that 1885 will be good year
for the visitors industry in Washing
ton. Three events-the meeting OF
the Shriners, the jamboree of the Boy
Scouts, and the Cherry Blossom
Festival-that are scheduled for next
year, alone should bring from half
million to a million visitors to the
city. This figure, of course, does not
include the hundreds of thousands Of
other persons who will be here for
other important events, for their ma
tional conventions and on Government
| business"
Already a total of los national con-
ventions have been scheduled for
1885.
Two Committees to Meet.
Two meetings of important Board Of
Trade committees are scheduled Tor
this week.
The first will be a luncheon Of the
Public Order Committee tomorrow at
1890 pm. in the Harrington Hotel.
Or. Allen A. Stockdale, pastor Of the
| First Congregational Church. will be
the guest speaker. Committee mem
bers were notified by Chairman Odeu
S. Smith that there will be other
speakers. to be drawn from the ranks
| of District officials.
A meeting Of the Public School
Committee has been scheduled for
| Tuesday at the same hour and place.
DR.. Sidney p Talaferro. former Dis
trict Commissioner, is chairman.
Push Buy Early Drive.
With only eight more shopping days
! before Christmas, the Merchants and
| Manufacturers Association Is expected
this week to redouble its efforts to
persuade the buying public not to
wait until the last minute rush to
purchase presents.
The association points out that the
shopper who waits until the last mo-
ment to buy. has a pickedover stock
from which TO make selection. be-
sides incurring the discomfort Of the
final frantic rush.
The Christmas shopper who takes
pains to select carefully a present
will save the recipient of the gift
and the store from which it was pur-
chased much trouble. Mrs. Sallie
Muchmore. assistant director Of the
Washington Better Business Bureau,
declared in a radio talk on the prac-
tice of exchanging Yuletide gifts.
She counseled against buying un-
usual gifts on the grounds that more
often than not they are unsuitable to
the person who receives them and
must be exchanged.
The public was invited to take ad-
vantage of the services of the Better
Business Bureau in all cases where
there was suspicion Of misrepresenta-
ton or fraud.