The Evening critic., 1881-11-08

In BUSINESS POINT OF VIEW, Wash
ington Is popularity among American
cities. The ncarncss of Baltimore, with her
great resources and commercial standing
and wealth, robs us Of all hope Of ever be.
coming conspicuous rs great business
metropolis. Such, at least can be regarded
as very safe statement to make in this
year 1881. What may develop in the near
future is problem, but the facts of location
and very nature of our population both 60
to indicate that Washington's prosperity
will not take commercial shoot.
The constant demands, however, Of nearly
100000 people for the comforts and luxurics
trade in operation, and the growth Of the
city implies q corresponding increase in all
departments Of trade. While Washington
is now enjoying boom unprecedented in
her history, q few remarks upon the plain
duty Of public-spirited and progressive
Washingtonians, will be in order.
More than any city of the size in this
country, we are literally world in our-
selves, and as such 1t is well to be governed
by the spirit Of inter dependence. The vast
amounts distributed here each month
among Government employees find their
way into thousand different channels, but
it would, no doubt, be safe to say that the
great bulk is first started on its travels right
here. Why? For the manifest reason
that employees of the various Departments,
when they stand in need of clothing
house furnishing, or articles for home use,
or even luxurics, they find themselves
unable to cultivate desire to make their
our merchants obtain the most of their
trade. Within this circle the interdepend-
encc of clerks and merchants is felt and
recognized; but outside of it, there is an in
sane disposition among people of means to
pack up and jump out Of town
whenever they have purchases to make.
Business men are constantly losing sight of
an implied business obligation to deal among
themselves as far as possible, and this, not
because there is any sensible excuse to be
offered in difference of prices between
Washington and elsewhere, but simply
through force of habit. They do it because
they float along with the current, thought
less all the time Of the fact that they are
taking trade liberties with their CONNER
cial friends, which they themselves, if sim
ilarly treated, would condemn and resent
No one disputes the mere legal right of
Jones to order his new house-furnishing in
New York, but we contend, on behalf of
vrIn ,,,ka Ix, t1at
Jones is under mercantile and social obli-
cations before he starts for New York to
investigate his homo market and assure
himself that he can't save dollar by the
trip. Assure himself, in other words
which he is almost certain to do in nine
cases out of ten, that he can do three
things
/. Crafty nearly every want, as to quail
ity and quantity,among the dealers of Wash
ington at prevailing market rates.
2. Save the difference in the trimmings
always involved in pilgrimage to New
York.
| 3. Save tho difference in handling ex-
penscs and freight.
The principle Of reciprocity should be re-
spected and followed by all public.spirited
Washingtonians, and, no doubt, it would be
more thoroughly than it is, if our people
stopped moment to think.
AS to contracts for Government supplies
needed here, the same argument applies,
and that, too, should control the acts of the
proper officials. Merchants who come here
to build up tho prosperity of the District
are entitled to encouragement from the
Government that inherits the good results
of their business enterprise. Before these
contracts go outside, let it be established
that we can't take the job at home.