Evening star., 1935-05-12
GREATER CAPITAL
UNIT PLANS DRIVE
Committee to Ask $4,000
for Work in Attracting
Visitors Here.

Washington business men will be
called upon, beginning Tuesday, to
raise a minimum of $4,000 to con-
tinue for another year the work of
the Greater National Capital Com
mittee of the Washington Board Of
Trade.
Lloyd B. Wilson. president of ths
Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co.,
Is chairman of the drive and asso-
ciated with him are IS Well-known
business leaders as members of the
committee. Many other prominent
business and professional men will also
give their time and attention to the
campaign to assure its success.
The Greater National Capital Com
mittee is beginning the fifth year of
Its existence. The minimum budget
set for the coming year has been
based upon actual experience in the
past, which has seen the committee
broaden its activities and increase the
scope of its work each succeeding
year.
Based upon actual figures and re-
liable estimates. the Greater National
Capital Committees activities have
brought to the city close to $50.000.-
900 from visitors attracted here to
conventions, for sightseeing excursions
or for holiday visits. For the calen-
dar year 1884 the campaign commit
tee pointed out that 200 national con-
ventions brought to Washington ap-
proximately S13,500,O00; 2,400, 900
tourists brought in $25,500,000, and
visitors here on business brought in
an additional $l0,000,O00.
These figures are based upon actual
data compiled on conventions, road
from hotels and governmental agen-
cies and from attendance records of
the Smithsonian Institution.
Leaders in Campaign.
Definite plans for the campaign for
funds were made at luncheon meet
ing Friday at the Washington. Hotel.
Conferring with Chairman Wilson were
B. B. Bergunder, Lee D. Butler, A. C..
Case, James E. Collifower, John H
Davis, w. w. Everett, Robert v. Flem-
ing, Arthur j. Harnett, Bert L. Ohm
sted John Saul, F. P. H. Siddons,
Marcy L. Sperry. Charles H. Tomp-
kins. F. G.. Addison. jr., and Robert
j. Cottrell, members of the commit
tee
The committee has stressed the
point that $4,000 is a small invest
ment for the return of $4,000, 900 to
S50,000000 in a single year. Visitors
contribute more to Washington trade
channels than any other group except
Government employees.
THE Greater National Capital
Committee" Wilson said, "does not,
of course, claim that it is solely re-
sponsible for bringing every visitor to
Washington nor for every dollar spent.
1T does claim that it is responsible
to considerable degree for the large
and increasing number of national
conventions each year, for the con-
tinually expanding attendance. and
transient visitors.
1T also feels that by recognizing
the tremendous possibilities in this
second largest source of Washington s
purchasing power and by definitely
promoting and protecting it in the
face of similar organized effort in
other communities, that it serves
Washington in a way that no other
organization is doing.
1T provides opportunity for a safe,
conservative investment in a vitally
important community activity"
Organized in 1881.
The committee was organized as a
division of the Board of Trade in
April, 1881, after several years of con-
sideration of such unit by the busi-
ness and civic leaders Of the city.
Curtis Hodges, its executive direc-
tor. has served in that capacity from
about the time it was organized.
The committee devotes its efforts to
two things: Cd to increase to the
highest possible figure the number of
visitors of all kinds coming to the city
each year, and (2) to see to it that
the visitors are so well treated while
here that they will become good adver-
tiSerS for washington when they re-
turn home.
Washington is advertised by the
committee through the use of printed
pamphlets, motion pictures of the city,
large posters, travel literature, radio
broadcasts, and the use of news and
feature material in the daily news
papers of the country and trade and
other magazines and publications.
Its largest single activity Is in con-
nection with conventions, and mem
bers of its staff travel from 10000 to
10000 miles per year and conduct
voluminous correspondence with the
$500 organizations of the country
which hold annual national meetings.