The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-03-06
PATRONIXE HOME ENTER
PRISES.

people of our city as to those of Shreve
port-who are in the habit of sending
abroad for everything they eat, drink
and wear, when equally as good bar
gains could be had from our home
merchants:
There is valuable lesson conveyed in q
paragraph that appears in the Manufactu.
rers' Record. A contract was to be let fol
the building of Court House at Cedar,
tewn, Polk county, Ga. 1t was awarded
to the Cedartown Lumber Co. at $23, 800,
by responsible parties, one of them being
So, 800 less than that Of the successful
bidder. The building committee were in
tluenced in their action by IA desire ''to
sustain home industries" believing that
the difference of $500 wonld be more
than made up in the enhanced value OF
property by aiding to build up the home
manufacturer.
The Times has frequently urged upon
the people of Shreveport the policy of
such practice. There are some of our
citizens who send abroad for very many
articles used in their households which,
when everything is taken into account,
they would promote their own interests,
indirectly if not directly, by purchasing
at home. There is a mutual dependence
existing III communities, an intelligent
appreciation Of which should prompt each
member thereof to give the preference to
his neighbor. Nor does such preference
come under the head of charity, as he is
directly interested in keeping at home
money which he, in tie course of trade, is
very apt to enjoy the benefit of handling.
Yet this policy and practice should not be
one-sided; their adoption should be gene
raj. We have heard merchants bitterly
protest against against the practice OF
certain citizens sending off for dry goods,
groceries,, clothing or drugs, and proba-
give All order for printing to a travelling
agent. But there is an obliQuity of men
tai or moral vision i'll the average min
that prevents him from having fair,
square insight into his own want or con-
sisteucy. BE this as it may, we held to
the opinion that the only way to success
fully build up Il town is for its citizens to
paUrorize and sustain each other; nor
should the system be confined to the town.
A preference should be given to all those
tributary t. its trade who bring to mar
ket any product of their own raising. Ii
they should chance to pay Il little more,
they, in turn, will receive more for their
wares or labor, and thus the balance is
preserved, while all are benefited by Il
retention of capital.
This is one side of the case, and we re-
gard 1t as clearly the right side and the
strong side.
On the other hand, in an argument on
the subject not long since with Il gentle
man who sends off for most Of the articles
used i'll his family, he gave some details
Which, were there not IL weak place in his
reasoning, might be calculated to stagger
the home patron. While protesting to
appreciate the fhrce of the home theory,
if it could be carried into practical opera
ton without Il too great personal sacri-
fee, he went on to descant as follows
Il can buy silk goods in New York or
st. Louis for $1.25 a yard which would
cost here So or $3.50. | can buy for 90
cents pair of precisely the same quality
of lady's gloves that would cost $3.50 in
Shreveport. My wite's shoes cost me 81
4 pair. l would have to pay IS here In
the small article of buttOn-hole silk there
is difference of hundred per cent-two
spools for Il nickel elsewhere, one spool
here. My handmade shoes cost me 81. 50
a pair. Orr shoemakers charge from 81
to So. l can buy a suit of clothes for SIG
that would cost $3.50 or S25 here. l can
get suit of boys clothes from New York
for 81 that | would be charged at least
81 for here. While our mechanics may
not, and presume do not, clear much on
+" building contract, they charge out OF
all proportion ior repair work or fol
menaing broken articles. Fruits entered
at the port of New Orleans, am told
can be bought in Chicago % or 335 pei
cent cheaper at retail than they are re.
tgiled in Shreveport. Canned goods, and
fancy, if not staple groceries, can be laid
down from st. Louis or New York % pei
cent cheaper thun our grocers charge al
retail. In short, Shreveport is an eXpen
slve place to live in. Our talors, shoe
makers, carpenters, wood-choppers, day
laborers, prescription clerks, even Oul
BARRIERS charge higher prices than obtain
iii Dallas, Fort Worth and her cities
Remember, my remarks apply solely tt
the retail town trade. On the other han(
am very well assured that country
merchat or :. planter-that is, one who
has the cash to pay-can have bill fol
dry goods, groceries, clothing, drugs, etc.
filed in Shreveport at lower figures thar
st. Louis, New Orleans or New York
And this applies with probably greater
force to hardware"
When the gentleman was through W,
ventured to suggest that not one nau il
twenty, possibly not one in hundred, il
Il critical judge Of the quality of goods
and the qeality makes all the difference il
the world. The cheap silk is, in all prob
ability, slazy; the gloves rat, instead 0
kid skin; the shoes of inferior leather o
make; The clothes shoddy. Nor are al
merchants themselves all-wiSe. We hav,
known some Of them to send off for jol
work and receive paper much inferior tt
that priced to them here Again, Their
IRE II number OF prosperous merchants il
Shreveport, deeply interested in its pros
perity, whose advertising patronage t.
their home papers does not amount to s
IL year. And vet these same men woult
be probably the first to cry out against .;
paper that refused or failed to advocate
any enterprise calculated to promote thu
interests of the place and, in consequence
their own interests. As to the charges o
mechanics, no doubt their prices woul'
he lower if they had assurance of contin
ued employment. Finally, our friend wa
staggered, if mol knocked ont, by the sng
sestiou, and his forced admission, that h
received for his services from 80 to 10
per cent higher prices than obtain in mos
other cities. 1t may he well TO add tina
IL n,nst be ,rasumad the merchants n