Imperial Valley press., 1940-01-26

What the chamber OF commerce
has accomplished in the past for
the city of Ell Centre and Imperial
| Valley, and what its objectiveS for
! the future are, were the subjects
discussed at the second public forum
! sponsored by the Readers Round
Table of the Ten Thousand club
Thursday afternoon in the club
| house auditorium.
H. R. Anderson, president; Rob-
ert Hays, secretary-manager, and
Paul A. jenkins and Walter B.
Havekorst directors, represented the
chamber of commerce, first outlining
its achievements and aims, and
later answering questions.
Mr.. Anderson spoke first giving
brief summary of the general
| scope of the organization activities,
pointing out that the purposes of
the chamber are tWo-fold: to in
| crease business of the community
and to make the community a bet
ter place in which to live. Some
of the activities enumerated by Mr..
Anderson were: securing freight
rates east on produce shipped from
the valley that are on par with
those obtaining in Arizona; aid for
agriculture, including cooperation in
! the introduction of new crops for
the valley; cooperation with Ell
! CentrO merchants in making the
city the trade area of the valley;
| improved roads: development of the
| valleys possibilities as a winter re-
sort, and the attraction of winter
tourists to the valley; development
of ANA park as a part of the state
system.
Publicity Work
Robert Hays secretary manager,
was next presented, and spoke on
the publicity work Of the chamber,
emphasizing in this connection the
paramount value of newspaper pub
licity. Advertising bulletins, pamph-
let's, magazine articles and photo
graphs are also valuable media of
publicity and Mr.. Hays had on dis
play a number of these mediums
including magazine articles which
have appeared recently in we'll
known publications.
Mr.. Hays explained that the
chamber administers the advertis-
ing fund of the city and that the
chambers mail is exceptionally
large, approximately 100 letters 60
ing out daily from his office in
response to letters received. To
save writing personal letters,
pamphlets nave been developed
which answer the usual questions
asked by correspondents.
Paul A, jenkins, chairman of the
committee on the chambers eight
point program, listed this program,
explaining briefly the reason for
including each objective in the
chambers basic program, and point
ing out that Imperial Valley must
be merchandised in the same way
that the individual offers his goods
to the prospective customer.
8Point Program
This elght-point program includes:
speeding of the Imperial Irrigation
Districts refunding program; solu-
ton of the drainage problem; more
farm credit for Imperial Valley:
settlement of the power controver-
sy; increase in the number of farm
owners; resort development of the
cast and west mesas in the most
beneficial manner: merchandising
Imperial Valley.
Walter B. Havekorst was intro
duced. but confined his remarks to
the answering of questions which
followed.
These questions dealt for the
greater part with methods of at
tracing the better grade of tour
lists to the valley, discouraging the
influx of miratory workers, and
also with the Identification of the
city.
Various speakers pointed out that
the chamber IS doing all in its pow
er to achieve these ends, Mr.. Jen-
klnS explaining that in order to
attract investors. the eight point
program would have to be achieved
particularly with reference to re-
funding, drainage, power contro-
versy farm credits.
Mr.. Anderson stated that P. E
Ryerson is chairman Of the city
Identification program which will be
emphasized particularly in connec-
ton with the All-Am1rican canal
completion celebration in a year or
so.
WHY don't We have more attrac-
tive housos to rent for winter Wis
tors who would like to spend some
months in til" valley but who do
not wish to stay at a hotel?" This
question was answered by Mr.. Have
korst who stated that progress is
being made in the city'S building
program.
rs it necessary to offer conces-
sions 10 industries to get them in the
| valley and if SO. what kind of con-