WHAT TOURIST TRAFFIC
IS WORTH TO A CITY
BY JACK DE LYSLE
Vice President Director of Traffic and Publicity-The Atlantic
Coastal Highway Association
The Atlantic Coastal Highway can
well ha called the most historical scen
ic highway in America. Long before
the white man came to our shores
the “Indian Trail” followed the shore
from Maine to Florida.
Dating lrom the time of Ponce De
Leon in St. Augustine, Florida, to
the settling of the French Hugenots
in Maine, in the sixteenth century,
the old trail became what is now
known as the Atlantic Coastal High
way. With the springing into being of
state highway commissions, state road
departments, various state, county and
Federal numbers were given this road
but to the traveling public it still re
mains the ATLANTIC COASTAL
HIGHWAY. At a meeting attend
ed by a few men with vision at Wil
mington, N. C., in 1920 the South At
lantic Coastal Highway Asscoiation i
was organized, five coastal states be
[ ing represented, and from this meet
ing an idea was originated to include
the sixteen coastal states, forming the
Atlantic Coastal Highway Asscoia
tion, members in this association to
direct every effort and influence to
assist in paving a highway nearest the
North and South Atlantic Coast to
be known as the Atlantic Coastal
Highway. The “daddy” of this orga
nization was Mr. F. O. Miller, for
years its president and at present
chairman of the execuive board, and
now one ot the vice presidents of the
American Auttomobile Association
and head of the Jacksonville, Florida
Motor Club. He and hig associates
were the pioneers in road building,
procuring the right of ways and see
ing to a successful conclusion the
paving of this great highway.
In the early stages, due to the ex
penses involved, highways were built
See Our COMPLETE Line of CHRIST- i
MAS GIFTS For Family and Friends
TAYLOR -- MATTHEWS
DRUG COMPANY, Inc.
DIAL R-170-1 No. 45
Roanoke Rapids North Carolina
IMPORTANT—This is No. 46 ofe one of 49 ads like this which will
.un from Jan. 23 to Dec. 24. The first twenty persons bringing
the 49 ads to our store on Dec. 24, 1930, will receive free, one dol*
c, j
some distance from the North and
South Atlantic oceans, but the firm
idea of eventually having this high
way follow the shore line predomi
nated in all plans. At the present time
it is practically impossible to go from
the North to the South or from Maine
to Florida without traveling the At
lantic Coastal Highway, although at
some points in the Carolinas the
traveler may take an optional route
eventually coming back to the Atlan
tic Coastal Highway shore line at
some point on his tr.'p.
It is doubtful if any highway in the
world has aroused such tremendous
enthusiasm in the cities through which
it passes. The picturesque city of
Key West, America’s southernmost
city and the Gibraltar of America,
spent $3,5000,000 through bonds is
sued by Monroe County of which the
city is the capital, to bring the high
way there. Miami, the magic City of
Florda, spent $8,000,000 on Biscayne
Boulevard, clearing aw’ay 33 blocks
of stores and buildings to give a fine
entrance for the Atlantic Coastal
Highway to Miami, along the bay in
front of the city. Wilmington, N. C.,
a few months ago opened its great
double bridge across two branchces of
the Cape Fear River, costing $1,250,
000 to open the route of the Atlantic
Coastal Highway. The historical old'
city of Norfolk, combined with Ports
mouth and South Norfolk, a communi
ty of nearly 300,000 has spent over ten
million on new bridges and ferry sys
tems for an open sesame for the At
lantic Coastal Highway. The highway
now leads into Norfblk-Portsmouth
area by fine bridges and connecting
asphalt roads.
Through the efforts of the Atlantic
Coastal Highway Association assisted
by the Advertising Board of the Nor
folk-Portsmouth Chamber of Com
merce, maps by tens of thousands are
distributed to popularize the new
route. New accommodations for mo
torists have sprung up the entire
length of the highway. It is now the
shortest route between the North and
South along the Atlantic Coast, and
the development is a tribute to co
operative work and to the influence of
the automobile.
The main route follows U. S. No. 1
starting at Cikfe, Maine to Bangor,
Portland, Portsmouth, Boston, Provi
dence, New Haven, New York, Phila
delphia, Baltimore, Washington, Rich
mond, t oNorfolk; or Philadelphia
short route to Wilmington, Del., Salis
bury, Cape Charles and thence by fer- i
ry to Norfolk, Va., thence via U. S.
17; 17-1 or 117 via Suffolk, Franklin,
Emporia, Va., Roanoke Rapids, N. C.,
to connect at Wilmington, N. C. for
Charleston, Savannah, Brunswick
Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, St.
-Augustine, West Palm Beach, Miami,
Key West and thence 90 miles by fer
ry to Cuba and its extension of all
paved Atlantic Coastal Highway from
Havana to Santiago.
With the completion of the old
Kings’ Highwy from Wilmington, N.
C., to Charleston, S. C. .adequate fer
ries between Norfolk and Cape
Charles and various other short cuts
that have been planned and are now
being paved, the Atlantic Coastal
Highway will soon offer by for the
shortest routes between the North and
the South. Now that we have the
highways the next step is the exploit
ing of Same.
Just what does traffic mean to a
city, county or state?
What is the size of the tourist
industry ?
In dollars and cents what does the
tourist put into circulation?
From the mass of figures and data
I obtain each year, I believe I am in
a position to give some enlightening
information. I Will first quote Dr.
Julus Klein, Assistant Secretary of
Commerce, who states the tourist traf
fic each year is on par with the gigan
tic steel industries and that the tourist
crop of today is even greater than
cotton, corn, peanus, and tobacco, etc.
Dr. Klein estimates the yearly tour
ist crop as putting into circulation
$3,000,000,000.
I quote from Paul B. Williams, edit
or of the Utica Press, Utica, New
York, who by checking with the va
rious tourist agencies estimated that
last year more than 45,000,000 persons
were touring the United States and
that the increase for 1930 would ex
ceed by 10 per cent last year’s figures.
Based on the 1927 census of manufac
turers, motor vehicles top all lists
NE CHRISTMAS
GIFT THAT KEEPS ON
GIVING FOR YEARS I
ANOTHER dramatic achievement for Wettinghouie
....who first harnessed the waters of Niagara and
made them light a million homes.i.«.who pioneered
in radio broadcasting.... who brought new ease to house
keeping with Flavor-Zone cooking....and the first automatic
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After twelve yeen of study...reteerch...e«perimentelloo
oJhcy now score e fresh triumpli.~.with the NEW electric
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possible in the new Westinghouse by en edvenced type
of Ireeiing mechenism which incorporetes redicel mecheniCel
end elcdricel improvements.
In now end let us toll you ell the interesting details
«f this rcmerktblc new Itiiehen-plenned electric refriuerelor.
Our Spcciel Peyment Plen meltes CMjk»s buying cesy
—$10 DOWN—end the belence in eery ewethly pey
Westinghouse
REFRIGERATOR
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with a volume of $4,000,000,000, out
ranking steel, meat packing, clothing,
cotton goods, grain, mill products, to
bacco^ and other basic products. An
alyzing these figures we find that
from every dollar expended by the
tourist 26c is spent for merchandise,
20c for restaurants, 17c for hotels,
and 11 c for automobile accessories and
gas. Of the sums so mentioned prac
tically every dollar swings back into
local channels for supplies, pay rolls,
et., so that the tourist dollars are a
very substantial contribution to local
businesses and bank accounts. These
associations, cities and states that
have made a bid for such tourist dol
lars have been well paid.
We will now take the figures of
the Advertising Board of the Norfolk
Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce,
which was created in 1925. How home
ly but trite, the expression, “Busi
ness is picking up.” Up to 1925 Nor
folk with its beautiful beaches, famous
hunting and fishing grounds, golf
courses, etc., and as a great ship
ping port had made no special effort
tc induce traffic to come through their
section. The advertising mediums
used in Norfolk since 1925 have pro
duced the following interesting in
creases.
Estimated amount spent by each
tourist who visited Norfolk and stayed
one day, for gas, oil, hotel, supplies
and purchases made locally approxi
mating $15.00 per day: 1925, $2,370,
000; 1926, $2,400,000; 1927, $2,625,
000; 1928, $2,775,000; 1920, $2,060,
000.
Figures as yet have not been com
pletely compiled for 1930, but the
summer season of this year was the
greatest of all, even in the face of
national depression.
These figures DO NOT include reve
nues at the various beaches, nor do
they include the great volume of rtaf
fic that spends a day in Norfolk while
in transit to other sections. Practic
ally all of these increases were ob
tained by advertising.
Now let us see just how the van- j
ous states have gone about the bring
ing of traffic to their centers by ad
vertising. Many cities and organiza
tions have yearly budgets of approxi
mately $45,000, of which $17,000.00 is
spent for map folders, about $4,000
for newspaper davertising about $5,
000.00 for miscellaneous advertising
and the balance for management and
overhead. It is extremely hard to get
comparative figures, but here are a
few:
Maine spent approximately $125,
000.00 for newspaper and other ad
vertising AWAY FROM HOME.
California,, $1,360,00.00.
Texas, $640,000.00.
Colorado, $370,000.00
Virginia, 165,000.00.
t Florida approximately $1,900.00.
Practically all of these sums were
spent to tell other communities the
advantages of coming to the section
advertised.
I will mention a specifice case
where due to roads being under con
struction for a period of practically
two years, the travelers were forced
to take a CERTAIN route through the
“Carolines.” Towns of 2,000 or more
found that every twenty seconds,
three out-of-state automobiles passed
through their section. One, out of
twenty cars, stopped for gas, oil, cold
drinks or sandwiches. One, out of
every seventy-nine stopped for lodg
ing. In consequence in less than a
year, new business came into being,
practically 80 per cent of the homes i
along the highway through these
towns became hotels or had tourist
accommodations, local capital imme
diately built one or more good hotels,
bank deposits became heavier and a
general air of progression became evi
dent in these areas. Realizing that
with the completion of . the other high
ways then under construction, that
this section would perhaps lose this
volume of traffic, various towns com
pleted regional organizations, rats
ing funds fro the purchase of maps,
literature and data to exploit this
route. These communities that ef
fected such organizations were well
paid for their efforts. The backward
communities who did not advertise,
who made no attempt to get tourist
traffic have not enjoyed such bene
fits. There was no unity of purpose.
Regional associations, who in various
sections were In direct compettion
to each other, recognized the value
of tourist traffic. Every association
seems to be making a separate bid
for tourist traffic, no one seeming to
realize that there is plenty of traffic
for everyone and that the tourist does
not particularly care to drive the
same route each year. States that
are fortunate enough to have only one
main highway do not have these bick
erings, and many asociations have
concentrated on a publicity campaign,
which in many cases has netted them
as high as 50 per cent returns of visit
ors to their section, based on the ac
tual pieces of literature sent out. Take
for example the State of Maine, the
Publicity Bureau reports an expendi
ture last year of $125,000.00. Most
of this was maps, literature and
newspaper articles. As near as they
can figure they received a return of
40 per cent in tourist traffic came in
response to their advertising.
Quoting Mr. Paul B. Williams again
Maine has $15,000,000.00 worth of tax
able property, chiefly summer homes
or non-residents. Maine knows where
the money is and si going after it,
thru one centralized bureau. France
is spending $2,000,000.00 per year to
induce tourists to visit them, Ger
many is spending in excess of $5,
t'00,000.00, yet the State Publicity
bureau of New York spends only $14,
000.00, which seems, Mr. Williams
claims, is totally inadequate.
The Atlantic Coastal Highway As
sociation knowing these facts recog
nizes that communities, counties and
states must be enlightened as to what
tuorist traffic means to their sections.
City county and state officials lacking
vision or not understanding the value
of this greatest of all industries are
perhaps spending little or no money
to assist in the movement to bring
traffic to their doors. What applies
to the State Publicity Bureau of New
York I am sure applies in a greater
or less degree to all sections. The At
lantic Coastal Highway Association
now awakened to these facts is ex
ploiting various potential routes and
making affiliations with various as
sociations in the Unted States in order
that the tourist traffic will have a
clear picture of how to go into all
areas over paved roads. A campaign
to educate the city, county and state
authorities in the proper handling of
traffic is under way. The enlighten
mg of communities as to the best
method of handling traffic with a
number of objectives, including the
widening of all main highways, elimi
nation of curves, uniform driving laws
etc., the marking of the Atlantic
Coastal Highway and optional routes
with the six color “Follow The Indian
Maine, Florida to Cuba” design orig
inated by Colonel J. C. Stehlin, Presi
dent of the Atlantic Coastal Highway
Association, is under way, with every
mile of the highway to bear this in
signa. Today the world is on wheels,
there is plenty of traffic for all high
ways and those cities that are back
ward, that make no attempt to induce
the travel to come to their area are
overlooking one of the greatest
sources of revenue that we have today.
We have found that you cannot force
the traveler to take any given route,
neither should you penalize them by
forcing them to come into a particular
city, through a mass of traffic, when
they are in a hurry to get to their des
tination. In consequence many cities
recognizing thsi fact are building
hghways skirting ther city, but by
judicious advertising they are calling
attention to the HISTORICAL ITEMS
of INTEREST, the ADVANTAGES
in a business way, the social or re
| creational features, and are causing
I travelers to spend a day in their area.
The traveler of today is perhaps the
the citizen of tomorrow in a new
community. The three great factors
in inducing the traffic to a particular
section are newspaper and magazine
advertising, map distributon and di
rect mail contacts. We are using
these three to advantage and can
trace approximately 47 per cent re
turns thrpuh such mediums.
While it is true the Atlantic Coast
al Highway is the oldest and most his
torical route between the North and
South and its combination of optional
traffic between the North and South
routes represent the bulk of all
through traffic between the North
and South, the same comparison of
figures will apply to any section in
any state where comprehensive plans
of exploiting the particular highway
are undertaken along the some lines
that our association, cooperating with
the various cities, is doing.
Notice
NORTH CAROLINA,
HALIFAX COUNTY.
By virtue of the authority confer
red upon me as Administrator of Os
born Tony, deceased, I will on Sat
urday the 13th day of December, 1930,
at 12 o’clock M., on a vacant lot be
tween Traynham & Grimmer’s store
and the Patterson store in the town of
Rosemary, N. C., sell to the highest
bidder for cash the following articles
of personal property, to-wit:
One horse named “Black,” one mule
three shoats, five pigs, one sow, one
cow, one two-horse wagon, one one
horse wagon, one cotton planter, one
cotton plow and accessories.
This the 20th day of November,
1930.
W. C. WILLIAMS,
Admr. Osborn Tony.
2t-12-ll.
Rev. and Mrs. Leon Hall left Thurs
day for their new home in Wilmington,
North Carolina.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Shell, Miss
Ruby Shell and Mr. Lloyd Allen spent
Thanksgiving in Kinston, N. C.
Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Akers spent
Friday in Richmond, Va.
Gift |
Headquarters j
I • Of course, you remember 1
I \ the attractive values in ]
; I Christmas Gifts which j
! were offered to you here «
; last year. This year !
they’re better than ev^r
before. Electrical appli
; ances, toilet goods, choco
lates, stationery, hundreds
of practical gift sugges
tions are now on display
I at new low prices. You’ll
find an early visit well
worth your while.
J ELECTREX
$ HEATING PAD
/ (Price)
j Sold only at Rexall Drug
^ Stores.
< Roanoke Pharmacy
£ Roa. Rapids, N. C. j
■ MH n# Jltora hh |
Has your, insurance
Kept pace with new
purchases?
Y^U make improvements on
your home -— you add many
new furnishings. Does your fire
insurance policy include all these
recent acquisitions? Are you real
ly sure it does?
If fire came would you be re
imbursed to replace them with
goods of like kind and character?
As the local representative of the
well known Hartford Fire Insur
ance Company we shall be glad to
check your present property values
with your policies.
National Loan & Insurance Co.
24 Second St. Dial R-444-1