Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1900-05-16
PArRoNIzE HOME MARKET.
Mechanic" Critlcises Merchant" ON tn,
Home Trade Ouestfon.

"Mechanic" tritlcises Merchant" on the
Home Trade Question.
The statement In Mondays citizen
signed Merchant" would be a very
good thing for our city, II everyone
would follow his advice. 1 would like
to ask Merchant" and many more Of
the same class why they send away for
nearly everything they wear and use
In their business? Perhaps on the very
paper that article was written you
might find the stamp OF some st.
Louis or California printing company,
More than half the merchants Of this
town get their bill heads and envelopes
printed elsewhere, and also all their
clothes, even to underclothes, socks and
han~dkerchiefs. Every tailor drummer
who comes to this town gets from fifty
to seventy-five orders for fall suits,
and at prices far In advance of our
home tailors. Instead OF about TWEEN
ty-fye tailors we should have at least
two hundred at steady work the year
round and help build up the city. Go
any evening down to Haryey's Cafe
and see the line Of Merchants" din
ing there. Everything is shipped In,
and every dollar Is shipped out. Re-
t'iiA0 ~ AhA5 NhAt aiVAt hpuli tlhDlpy
nearly one hundred men for one year
at two dollars per day, and here Is
another one hundred families that
would build up our city. IL Is 30 in
everything. Look at the buggies and
carriages-about six hundred are sold
every year In this city and not one Is
built here. At least two hundred hands
could be employed here steady in this
line OF business, where at present we
have about ten men - employed. Take
the harness business. Suppose our
merchants and wealthy men would in
sist on homemade harness. The har-
ness nan tells you he has none on
hand. He seldom gets an order. The
grocer around the corner sells a set for
50, that knocks him out. But tell him
that hereafter you don't buy harness
from the grocer or blacksmith, but you
want a home made set. Well the result
Is that the harness-maker te~legraphs
right away for Ave frst-class harness
makers. The other shops do likewise.
and here we have a dozen mechanics
with their families earning good wages,
while at the present time we cannot
keep two men busy. Look at the horde
Of Chinese who gather thousands of
dollars each year to send home TO
China. Instead of two steam laundries
we could support eight, where our
smart American girls could carr good
wages and help support many a widow
ed mother. Many of our s"anctimonlous
Christians hand out their clothes to
these Chinese. who bunk on them In
their opium lens half the week and
then spit on them the other half, while
many poor women are watching and
waiting for a chance to earn a few
dimes.
Yes, Mr.. Editor. we could very easily
have a happy population OF thirty thou
sand In our city II every one would
insist on having everything they use
or need made here at home. and the
great Increase of business would over
balance the extra prices we would pay
for homemade work.
Let The Citizen strike out and start
the ball rolling, and our little city will
soon be booming. Put a social boycott
on anyone giving the Chinese a thing
to wash. The same on any man hav-
Ing his clothes made outside OF the city.
and In one year I will guarantee our
population will be doubled.
A MECHANIC.