The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-14
soeDa your Money Mt Home.

The Young Mems Business League Sof
| Charleston has issued an address TO the
people of that city urging them, from mo-
tives of patriotism, public interest and
self interest, to spend their money at
home. The address shows that ii is false
economy. and an injustice to local enter
prise, to send to New York. Philadelphia
or other far away markets for goods at
retail which might just as well as not
be purchased at home. 1t is asserted, the
address says, that there are many fam
lilies in Charleston which, in certain lines,
deal almost entirely with New York. The
aggregate value of the dress fabrics and
ladies' wearing apparel, jewelry, shoes,
furniture, carpets and many other arti-
cles bought annually in New York,
amounts to a sum that would startle and
surprise even those who buy away from
home. The men, too, order their clothes
from eastern establishments. yet these
very persons will lament the fact more
loudly than others, that the city does not
prosper Mothers and young ladies who
make their purchases in New York will de-
plore the necessity for their sons. and
brothers having to leave Charleston to
get employment. Complaint is constantly
being made of our many vacant houses
and yet we are kept busy paying clerks
and artisans in eastern cities to fill the
vacant houses there"
A good deal of the Charleston leagues
address is applicable to Savannah. While
we have not an excessive number of va
cant houses here, and the retail mer-
chants are doing a very good business,
still there is entirely too much of buying
away from home. Many persons, so we
have been informed, who depend more or
less upon the merchants for their incomes,
make practice of sending to northern
cities, or to London or Paris, for consid-
cradle amounts of merchandise which
might as we'll as not be purchased almost
a their doors, and for prices very little
if any larger than are charged by the
northern or foreign merchants. The in
justice of this practice is apparent. The
merchants are expected TO furnish num-
Der of persons with employment in one
way and another; they pay licenses and
taxes, and take a leading part In every
movement for the benefit of the commun-
ty, and they are entitled to consideration
when one has money to spend. If there
were considerable sums to be saved by
sending away for goods; If the local mer-
chants could not meet competition, there
would be some excuse for sending to New
York for desired articles. But the fact is
that Savannah merchants, having the ad-
vantage of cheap transportation from the
great centsrs of trade, and buying in large
quantities, are able to sell about as cheap
ly as the merchants of any other section
of the country. With proper encourage
ment, Savannah would be one of the very
best retail cities in the United States.
If the trouble were taken to investigate,
it would probably be found that a great
many of those who send money TO north
ern cities for the purpose of making re-
tail purchases are persons who are all the
time talking about the hard times and the
scarcity of currency in the south. They
are among the agencies which keep the
south drained of currency. II they would
turn their currency loose, through
the medium of the local merchants ills
1t would soon find its way into circulation
here again, in extra clerk hire or other
wise. There are a hundred arguments in
favor of buying at home where there is
one AGAINST IL le.ss