Business: New England Play

The boat chuffed along the greening, creek-cut shore of Lake Champlain near Burlington, Vt., an afternoon last week. Men of the third New England Recreational Conference had lunched and in easy chairs were giving flitting attention to ways of enticing the U. S. to play among New England’s unquestionable beauties. Last year Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island spent $107,500 of public money on advertising their state values.

To the cruising lunchers were read messages from President Gerrit Fort of Raymond & Whitcomb (travel experts) and B. O. Foster of the Standard Oil of New York (Socony), delineating their plans to advertise New England’s pleasures this summer. Immediately Major Patrick F. O’Keefe, redoubtable Boston advertising man cried out: “Let New Englanders stop talking about things and start doing them.” Shouted the conferees: “Hey! hey! Hear! hear!”

They promptly went upon record to support a comprehensive advertising program for the six states. It will centre upon a symbol, the map of New England, which looks in silhouette like the head and fore-quarters of a shaggy Irish terrier.