The record-union., 1893-09-07

tnat recently lodge of a fraternal
association in this CITY sent it's bylaws
to San Francisco to be printed because it
happened that San Francisco house bid
few dollars under standard local
rates and fair living prices. That lodge
look out of circulation here its money
gathered from home membership that
must live on theiI trade nj business,
upon the expenditures Of their neighbors
who do business or work in the trades.
Another instance is related Of a Sacra-
mento business house which took print
Ing bids of home offices for a small
catalogue, and then notified th bidders
that because a Chicago job Office ould do
the work little cheaper the catalogue
would probably be sent there "a be pub
iished. Yet that house asl1s the
several hundred peopl related TO the
printing business in tbis CITY, and who
nave homes here, 10 buy goods Of it, and
would be JT'}y indigna should these
workers send 70 Chicago for their house:
hold supplies.
In another case we hear Of certain csbi-
net work being sent to an 1 tern h9use
which could not do the work any cheaper
or better than any one Of several home
houses. But the party who thus erin
pied his neighbors lives in his business
directly upon the custom Of workers in
wood.
There is a reciprocal obligation among
people of a community that amounts to a
solemn duty, and the violation of which,
under ordinary circumstances, is little
short of criminal. What, for instance,
would be thought of a Sacramento mer-
chant who should purchase all his house
hold and store supplies-outside of his
stock, of course-of San Francisco houses
to the exclusion of the local deal
ers, upon whom he himself depends
to maintain his own business? 1t is the
right Of every man to buy where he can
buy to best advantage and most cheaply.
No one will question that right. But
there is also the duty incumbent upon
every man who lives by the industry Of
another not to cut the foundations from
foreign rival who can do no better by
him.
If the entire community were to pur-
chase its groceries, its clothing and its
daily supplies Of San Francisco dealers;
if it were to have its shoemaking, it's
tailoring, its plumbing, its carpentering,
its painting, printing, plastering, mason
cry, its wood and it's ironwork done by
San Francisco or Chicago houses, would
that community be justified in expecting
grocers, clothiers, shoemakers, tailors,
plumbers, carpenters, painters, printers,
masons and wood and ironworkers to
live here, or endeavor to carry on busi-
ness here?
The ten-dollar coin that ought to GO to
the bootmaker or carpenter to enable him
to pay the butcher or grocer, who in turn
would pay the dealer of whom he buys;
the money that ought to be paid to the
worker who would buy of the merchant,
who pays rents to landlords and who con-
tributes to public works, if diverted
wrongfully from local channels for that
which can be had at home, is put to
bad use. Even when the home worker
cannot do the work to a farthing
as cheaply as some who, in larger
communities, by reason of volume of
trade or low labor conditions, may bid
against him, it is put to bad use. If we do
not give to each other at least a reason
able share of patronage we have no right
to expect patronage in return from our
neighbors.