Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-01
Why Our Interests are Common.

A gentleman speaking of our recent edi-
torial on the common interests of Augusta,
Hallowell and Gardiner, as regards the
building of road to connect with the
Wiscasset & Quebec road at Cooper's Mills,
questioned the accuracy of our statement,
that the Augusta, Hallowell and Gardiner
Electric road had been benefit to the
traders of all three cities. He thought
there was just about 20 much trade
centering in each of the three cities, and
that whenever an interchange of trade took
place there must inevitably be balance of
loss against one or the other of them.
Nothing could be more fallacious than such
view as this, and yet we have no doubt
that it is honestly entertained by number
of good people in the three cities who have
not given the matter careful thought. Fort
unately the error Of such reasoning can be
easily shown. The added facilities for
travel between the three cities which the
electric road has afforded has built up the
trade of all of them, in the following ways ::
LIST. 10 has held at home q large amount
Of trade that formerly rent 10 cities out
side Of the State.
This has been due to the advantages Of a
selection from the combined stocks of the
three cities. Formerly when the people in
any one of them could not fnd what
they wanted at the home stores
they usually sent to Boston, New York or
Chicago for samples or deferred their pur-
chases to the next trip to Boston. All this
has been largely changed. Now when an
Augusta purchaser cannot find desired
article among the stores of the Capital city,
a trip to Hallowell or Gardiner is taken as a
matter of course, and in the same manner,
purchasers from Hallowell and Gardiner
come to Augusta. 1t is surprising to what
an extent this interchange between the
three cities has grown. The representa-
tives of the JOURNAL have especially good
facilities for noting its increase, aud they
can state from personal observation that
the volume of this trade is growing stead
lily larger. Shopping trips to Boston, are
as they formerly were, and there is good
reason to believe that there has been a
large falling off in the sample trade with
large cities in other states. The effect of
this has been plainly seen. The volume
of business has grown steadily in all three
cities and was never in healthier con-
dition than it is today.
The people Of these sister cities have also
come to see very clearly that, by the very
force of circumstances, by the conditions of
location and communication, their CONNER
cial interests are, and must be, common.
What benefits one benefits all. Asa re-
suit of these closer commercial relations,
any old narrow local jealousies that may
have existed in years past have been
swept away and nothing but the
most cordial feeling, exist between the
people of the three cities. They have come
to appreciate the fact that in closer union
there is increased strength and prosperity
for all.
The greater the stock of goods shotrn the
larger tie uoiume of trade.
This is a commercial axiom, and holds as
true for three cities SIS it does for one.
Even assuming that no trade were saved
from going to cities outside the State, the
fact would, nevertheless, remain, that from
the very advantages incident to a larger
selection of goods, the volume of trade
would be increased in all of them.
twill therefore be seen that so far rs hold
log trade from other places is concerned
Augusta, Hallowell and Gardiner have COM
mon interests and should work for common
ends. There is no reason whatever why