The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-22
A DUTY BEFORE THE WOMEN.

There is a duty bofora the women of
Roanoke TO aid in building UP and de-
veloping the business OF this city. As
an instance of what the women OF Mem
phis, Tenn, are doing in the line which
we would suggest our good women to
fellow, va quote from q recent commu-
nication in tho Manufacturers Record
The article refers to the work being
accom- plishad by the Young Mems Bust
ness Lea que OF the thriving Tennessee
city in the location of new manufacture
ing enterprises and the development of
market for it's product The reference
to what he women have done follows:
at a public meeting attended by several hum
dred OF the leading women OF the city lecture
was delivered showing how the people OF the
city failed to purchase home made goods. Mem
phts mills turned out hrst-class flour. but Mem
phia honsekeepcrs bought Western flour; Mem
phis factories make good ehocs but found little
demand at home in competition with Northern
shoes. The women determined to inauguratc n
new system they started out to buy homer made
goods
If their groccrs supplied them with any other
than Memphis hour it was promptly returned.
and not only mus, tao flour be made at home
but the barrels the bags In which ii was
packed must be made in Memphis Instead OF
buying New England shoes they concluded that
shoes made IN Memphis were equally as fine and
desirable. Memphis shoes they found would
wear equally as well as Northern shoes
The result is that all Memphis is stirred up in
crusade on the part OF it, women, who arc de-
termined that Memphis made goods shall lind
Memphis market. There il. OF course, a limit to
which this spirit can be iudiciously extended,
but, properly managed, it Is a move In the right
direction.
VIVA Memphis women have accom-
plished Roanoke women can strive 70
bring about to the extent which this
city permits. We have no shoe factoric.
hero, to be sure, hut some day We may
be able to locate one within our borders
and lis.le interest devoted toward
purchasing tho manufacturers made at
homo would encourage such an estab
lish ment. We have Touring mills here
and in our Immediate vicinity, and our
housewives would be at no Disadvantage
in patronizing such industries. Bat
just al present our merchants are the
ones most deserving and desirous OF
home patronage, and many dollar
which is sent out 10 the big Philadel-
phia and New York merchants could be
made to serve double purpose by being
expended at home.
When the Young Mems business
League was first started in this city one
OF its avo"ed objects became the devel-
opment OF spirit to patronize home IN
dustries and homo concerns. One Of
the memb9rs became so imbued with
the idea That ho publicly declared his
intention to patronize homo tailors In
the future when he should he in need of
clothes. The wives. sisters or mothers
OF the members oil the League, and all
women in tho city in general, should
be equally SO DESTROYS OF aiding The
busl developmen, By purchasing
their dresses, their millinery, tbet,
laceS and ribbons, the thousand and one
little articles which they require of
home merchants. If they have not JUS t
what is wanted no doubt thew can
secure what is desired, and there is tho
opportunity displayed for the advanc, =.
nent of homo concern just so much by
each purchase.
The South must learn to consume its
own products to greater extent than it
has done in the past and the women
an aid in this consumption.