The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-10
PROPER SPIRIT SHOWN.

&
In view of the slight difference
which marked the bid of the local
firm and that of the Butte firm, The
Gazette is of the opinion that the
people of the district will sustain the
board of education in awarding the
contract for the construction of the
new south side school house to the
Billings contractors. Sixty-nine dol
lars and fifty cents is the amount of
the difference in the two Lids, that of
the Butte men being that much low
er than that of Foley & Grove. The
district can well afford to pay that
much more for the building to insure
it's erection by home industry. The
men to whom the contract has been
awarded are residents of the commun-
ity in which the building is to be
built and the men whom they expect
to employ in it's construction are like
wise it's citizens. All the money paid
out by the district will be kept at
home and it is but fair to assume
that in time it will be spent here and
find it's way into the local channels
of distribution. The same could not
be said were the contractors non
residents. It is true that probably
paid out by the district would be dis
tributed here for labor and some of
it would probably remain here, but
the profit would go to the gentlemen
who make their homes elsewhere.
Much of that paid for wages would
undoubtedly also find its way to other
places, as it is reasonable to suppose
that many of the men in their en-
ploy would be brought in from Butte
or some other town and all above the
bare cost of their living while here
would be taken away with them upon
completion of the job.
1t is only by patronizing home in
dustry and encouraging home enter
prises that communities no larger
than can be hoped to prosper and
grow. Every dollar spent at home
adds that much to the circulating med
ium of the city and as it is a well
known economic proposition that the
more money is retained in a COM
munity the greater is its prosperity
and the more rapid its growth. Send
ing money away from home does not
only lessen the amount of the local
circulating medium to that ex-
tent. but it deprives others
of the benefits that would
accrue to them were it ex-
pended at the place of origin, SO to
speak, and prevents it's return to the
sender in the way Of payment for such
commodities as he may have to dis
pose Of. 1t is money spent absolute
ly beyond the hope of return and is a
clear loss to the community.
Were everybody to send for things
needed because they can be bought
pCI ClSCN1 1C1O llC VI ~
community would Don reach the
point of stagnation and from that
point to the vanishing point is but a
little distance. To live and let live is
one of the axioms of business adages
and is applicable to all branches of
communal exchange of commodities,
whether that exchange be in the way
Of articles OF merchandise or the lab
or of the producer. The artizans who
consideration as we'll as the mer-
chants, for they are factors in the
city's growth and development and
contributors to the general prosperity
Of the community. Money paid to
them for labor is money kept at home
and the profits which their employers
make are also certain Of remaining
here and becoming part of the general
wealth.
Analysed to a fine point, the Butte
gentlemen may have the right on their
side, but taken as a whole the board
Of education did the commendable
thing when it let the contract to the
home firm and The Gazette sincerely
hopes that it's members may not be
induced to reconsider their action, but
stand by what they have done. In de-
clining to reconsider they should have
the endorsement of the entire com
munity.
is THE LIMIT REACHED?
1t is hard to believe that the Amer.
lean designer has reached the limit