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■ 6 n TTEARST’R SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, OA., SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1913. WITH ATLANTA MANUFACTURERS Chamber of Commerce Leaders Tell Why City Needs Permanent Exhibit u Permanent Display of Manufac tured Products From City’s 548 Plants Projected—Chattanooga Trip Serves to Show Feasibility. Exhibit Can Be Made Self-Sus taining, and Will Impress Vis itors Strongly, Besides Leading Directly to Advantageous Sales. •U: bed by WThner L. Moore, pres ident of the Chamber of Com merce, sixty-five members of At lanta’s leading “booster” organ ization took a day from their business at home and spent Thursday in a trip to Chatta nooga, where they inspected that city’s exhibit of the goods manu factured at home. For ten years Atlanta has slow ly been developing sentiment in favor of a permanent exposition of the same kind. Persistent work by Brooks Morgan, Mr. Moore and other enthusiasts worked the vague sentiment up into something definite this spring. Finally, the interest be came so great thatiit was decided to find out everything possible about the most successful exhibit of the kind in the United States. This means Chattanooga. The trip was purely business. There wu no entertainment program and the Chattanoogans had been asked by telegraph nut to make preparations. It was an earnest, serious crowd which boarded the special coach at tached to the "Dixie Flyer.” bent on ascertaining whether the hast Inter ests of their City, present and future, demanded such a venture. The decision Is unanimously In fa vor of the plan. The Conclusions Reached. After thorough Inspection of Chat tanooga's display, after an exhaustive inquiry Into every detail. Including the financial question, the Atlantans have decided that There are no serious obstacles in the way. ... ... The expense Is not prohibitive. The exhibit will be self-sustaining. If Atlanta will establish a display of the thousand-odd products of Its 643 factories the profit will be Im measurable. O. L. Hunn, secretary and assistant treasurer of the Chattanooga Manu facturers' Association, and E. M. Temple, chairman of the exhibit com mittee, guided the Atlantans from lop to bottom of the two four-story buildings, Mr. Moore and Walter O. Cooper plied the guides with questions. They asked about expense, number of visitors, how the funds were raised, what the exhibitors think of the results derived, and how the cas ual visitor, if he shows Interest, Is brought Into touch with the exhib itors. How It Was Done. O. L. Bnnn gave In detail the plan followed In estatillshlng Chnttanooga's exhibit The site was offered the Manufacturers’ Association at a figure below what it would bring on the market. Mr. Bunn took the option In hls own name. Then he proceeded to sell bonds to cover this amount. When this had been accomplished, the man ufacturers were called upon to engage floor space. At 10 o'clock of the last day of the option the deal was closed. A holding company was organized called the “Home Association." Title to the property' is vested In It. The Manufacturers' Association pays a fixed rental for Its offices to this hold ing concern, as do the exhibitors. The rentals are enough to pay all expense of operation and maintenance, to pay Interest on the bonds, and to create a sinking fund for retiring the bonds. The rentals amount to a figure be tween 60 and 90 cents per square foot per year for exhibitors. In the four years the exhtblt has been In existence few manufacturers have expressed dissatisfaction or quit. Most of them are enthusiastic as to Us advantages. Some can trace many sales direct to the exhibit Others have faith In It In the same way that they believe In general advertising that sales come even though they can tot be traced. Some Striking Examples. Some striking example* of direct sales are given. There was a conven tion of textile mill superintendents in Chattanooga, and one of the delegates visited the exhibit, though he was not Intending to buy goods A few months later the manager of his mill needed a device, and did not know where to get it. He told hls plight to the superintendent, who said: “Why, I remember seeing Just that thing in the Chattanooga-made «x- '.ibit.” A sale followed. There Is a concern In Chattanooga which manufactures automobiles. During the Confederate reunion last week three orders were taken as n uirect result of the display. Several devices are used to make the display of value to the exhibitors. For one thing the elevator (made In Chattanooga, by the way) will not stop at 'ntermedlate floors, but carries »11 passengers to the top. This forces all visitors to see the whole exhibit. 8al«smen Called to Hall. On each floor is stationed an em ployee of the association. He shows viators through and explains the ex hibits. If aiiv visitor shows that he is particularly Interested In any ond display too uitendaois goes to Uts tei- A TLANTA needs to keep in view of the fact that its future growth depends upon its development as an industrial center. Already, it is the principal distributing point of the South. Almost every concern of im portance in the United States which does a national business has a representative in Atlanta. But there is a limit to this. In creased population, increased real estate values, greater bank; deposits, all hang upon the foun dation of new factories and upon the growth of those we have. “For this reason, I believe an exhibit of Atlanta-made products is the most important project be fore the city at the present time. “Such an exhibit will bestow two great benefits. First, it will give the manufacturer publicity. It will let the city and the rest of the world know what is made ’ here, and will, in a few hours, do more to show the visitor what A TLANTA, by reason of its peculiar location, its climate, and its railroads has become a city of 200,000 people, not one of whom can give an intelligent answer to the inquiry recently sent out by our splendid and loyal ‘Why is At- m. i m t b— Atlanta is than will anything we can do in any other way. “As I see it, we must have a distinct organization of manufac turers, following the Chattanooga plan. I would favor adding to the system there some means whereby sales could be made at the exhibit. The real estate holders, the bankers, the owners of huge office buildings all must be aroused to the benefits they will derive from developing Atlanta as an industrial city.’’—Wilmer L. Moore, president of the Chamber of Commerce. ■ m citizen, J. K. Orr, lanta?” I do not want to be consid ered a pessimist I am by nature otherwise inclined, but in my humble opinion, if Atlanta does not begin to go along other and more substantial lines, she will not progress nearly as fast in the future as in the past. Our real estate values and our position, from an invest ment standpoint, can not bf | maintained unless we do some thirtg to increase our pay roll f. Our pay roll, as compared witl ^ other cities with the same and j> r smaller population, shows up in > j £[ a very unfavorable light, par -»—-—— ticularly alongside our neigh-• bors—Chattanooga and Birmingham. Pay rolls of the progressive cities of the United States come from manufacturing industries. If Atlanta expects to increase its pay roll, we must look to the manufacturing industries. Georgia is the tenth State in population, the twenty-fourth in manufacturing. We believe a permanent exhibit of Atlanta-made goods would increase sales right in the city, besides attracting hundreds of buy ers from all over the country.—BROOKS MORGAN, Leader of the Movement. ephone ar.d call* up the exhibitor, who sund® a salesman to the building at once. Then there are Inquiry blanks, whereon the visitor write® hls name and address, and the name of the Arm from which he wishes Informa tion. Inquiries of this sort are nu merous. Ordinarily, an attendant on each floor and two Jalntors are enough to take care of all visitors. When there Is an unusual crowd, the office force from the association’s headquarters Is pressed Into service, and if these are inadequate, members leave their offices to assist. At every display, descriptive liter ature Is made available for visitors. Booklets answer many questions which no attendant could memorize. Many displays explain themselves. For Intance, a lighting device manu facturer has a display of lights In operation. An effort Is made to group kindred lines on the same floors, but this Is not always practicable. Almost every foot of floor space is in use, and it has to be utilized to the best ad vantage, so that competing manu facturers of stoves, for instance, can not always have their goods side by side for comparison. There has been no complaint from the exhibitors on this account, however. New Haven, Conn., and Richmond, Va., have be. n 00 much impressed with Chattanooga’s example that these cities are following suit. Every effort is made to maintain an attitude which shall be strictly impartial as between rival exhibi tors. Mr. Bunn records an actual conver sation of recent date. A man. a stranger to him, viewed the exhibits and expressed hls Inter est in office supplies. Avoid® Neat Trap. “I see you have two displays of office devices,” ho remarked, “both are excellent, but which Is the bet ter?” “Both are among Chattanooga’s most progressive Arms,” replied Mr. Bunn. “But confidentially, now, which Is the better firm for me to trade with?’’ persisted the visitor. “They’re neck and neck,” said Mr. Bunn. “You’ll have to decide for yourself. Shall I call them up? They'll be glad to send salesmen over.” . “You needn’t mind,” said the stranger, “I’m one of Smith’s sales men myself.” laid a trap to test the attitude of Smith was an exhibitor and had the exhibit manager, lie was satis fied. One of the greatest tasks which has confronted the Chattanoogans Is the difficulty of making the exhibits strictly "Made in Chattanooga” dis plays. This caused n tussle with the Job bers. Many of the manufacturers carry lines made In other cities, which they sell as supplementing their own goods. They wanted to display these lines in which they are distributors. The association firmly ruled them out “We want to be able to tell every visitor that everythinu in this build ing was made In <in tanooga,” said M. E. Temple, chairman of the ex hibit committee. “And now we are able to do so truthfully. It Is much more impressive when this rule Is adhered to strictly. I think every ex hibitor sees It that way now, and we are having no more trouble on this particular score. Those whq were exhibiting Jobbing lines have withdrawn their exhibits and are fill ing their space with their own goods.” “We have no secrets,” said O. L. Bunn, secretary and manager of the Chattanooga Manufacturers’ Associa tion “We are glad to explain every thing. even to open our books to you if you so desire. We feel that the building of such an exhibit by At lanta can not hurt us, and. in fact, that it will aid up by advertising the South even more widely as a manu facturing section.” Among other details which the in quisitive Atlantan* learned were these: Ar* average of B0 persons a day. year in and year out, visit the display. Ffcw manufacturers who once make an exhibit ever cancel their reserva tion of floor apace. Many sales can be traced direct to the exhibit. Some manufacturers have abolished their sales* rooms and use their exhibit space for this purpose. During large conventions the visi tors throng the building and carry its fame to their homes all over the United States. While the Confederate reunion was in progress 35,000 person® went through the building. The “home folks” do not Ignore the displays. New Year’s Day, 1913, 15,- 000 Chattanoogans attended a recep tion in the building. Chattanooga Jobbers and retailers are proud of the label. “Made in Chat tanooga,” and they have been edu cated to this point largely through the exhibit. There are 120 exhibitors in the Chattanooga exhibit, out of 300 mem bers in the Manufacturers’ Associa tion. Within four years the exhibit has outgrown a four-story building. 25 by 110 feet, and now fills another building of identical elze. Rental of floor space has served to pay all in terest charges, expenses and to create a sinking fund. It will not be many years before the buildings will be free of debt. As it is not the Intention of the association to realize a profit on the undertaking, it Is likely the rents, reasonable enough now, will be re duced from year to year as the debt is retired and the interest charges grow less. Always Something New Insure Brisk Trading with New Goods When you buy, don’t you look for the best and newest articles to be had? If you do, our facilities for getting new articles make it possible for us to keep our customers supplied with the latest novelties as well as the newest staples at all times. If you have tried us, you know; if not, do so and we will make a friend of you with our service and quality. Ridley-Williamson-Wyatt Co. Wholesale Dry Goods and Notions 77 North Pryor Street . . . ATLANTA, CA. “Made in Atlanta’’ SEABOARD PUTS ON LOW RATE TO RICH MOND. $16.70 from Atlanta, on sale June ( 7, 8. Through trains, steel Pull- 1 mans and dining cars, unexcelled ( service. City Ticket Office, 88 j Peachtree. < MADE IN ATLANTA VARNISH APPLIED WITH A CLOTH Let our demonstrator show you. No hard work to apply. Only us« a cloth. Runs to a free surface. A VARNISH, not a POLISH. Varnish With a Goth Varnish, Not Polish Varnish With a Goth Varnish, Not Polish WATER-PROOF DUST-PROOF HEAT-PROOF No brush marks. Dries In five hours TACCO will make your furniture look like NEW. Don’t have to rub off. THE AMBER CHEMICAL CO. Office; 603*4 Forsyth Building. Phone 3131 Ivy Laboratories: 91 Piedmont Avenue. For sale by Alexander-Seewald Company and King Hardware Company. Insist on Crystal Mist “Ginger Ale” Do not confuse with others. This drink is ab solutely different from any on the market, and is in a class by itself, as a thirst-destroyer and mild laxative. Discriminating people know. MADE AND SOLD IN ATLANTA BY JACOBS’ STORES. ATLANTA SODA COMPANY (4 Stores). ELKIN’S STORES. GREATER ATLANTA CONFECTIONERY CO. BENJAMIN'S. JOHNSON’S PHARMACY. WEINBERG BROS. PALACE OF SWEETS. STERLING SODA CO. ON DRAUGHT—IN SYPHONS Crystal Mist Ginger Ale Co. 307 Peachtree—Ivy 6708 “THE SIMMONS SAFETY” NEVER SCREAKS SIZES AND PRICES F. O. B. Nothing Better In Porch Nothing Stronger in Hangings. Nothing More Durable. We use light artistic steel frames and bolt them securely with carriage bolts (NOT A NAIL IN THEM). They are suspended by two strands of heavy chain at each end, giving double strength, making adjustment easy, and also prevents their tilting. Delivered throughout the city by auto, and hung in a very safe man ner by an expert. Or shipped complete with full printed instructions, for oash. (See cut.) A Boon to Heavy Weights See our 102 Swings at Grant and Piedmont Parks. Manufactured and Sold by G. W. Simmons & Son. 1378 DeKalb Avenue Atlanta, Ga. Bell Phone Ivy 5773-L Calls Answered Day or Night