The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-05
TUESDAY. MARC1I 3, 1901.
COMMERCE AND LIBRARIES.

Tho fine may come when capltal
and labor in America will both stand
d,,nh and terrified before the aS-
cressions of some new competitor lor
the worlds trade, as Great britain
stands to-day before the rapidly VIC
ching sphere Of American ana Ger
man influence in the commerce OIL ha-
lions. If that day. ever dawns 1t VIII
he because the dangerous competitor
is better educated i'll his line or DUST
ness than the labor in America Win
whom he is competing.
The whole of England was shaken
to It's centre when Parliament passed
an act requiring every article made
in Germany to bear that legend. SO
that all the world might see Up to
that time the English people fondly
imagined that English goods were the
best in the world and that nobody
could be persuaded TO use cheap for
cicn limitations if they could only get
the real and original English article.
Following out this line of thought,
Parliament passed that celebrated
made in Germany" act, and England
woke up one morning to find that her
most darling treasures, the pride of
English manufacture, the best exam
pies of British intelligence and skill,
the very goods that were exported by
British merchants to all parts of the
world as British products were made
in Germany"
Seldom has q nation received q
greater commercial shock than this
state of affairs caused the British.
And England to-day is placarded from
end to end-in the Street-cars, on the
stations in the newspapers, on the
atrical programmes, and even in the
mouths of the singers on the music
hail stages with the counter battle
cry Wake UP England
The laws Of commerce are not
mystery. The public buy where
they can get the best for the least
money, and that manufacturer can
sell cheapest who manufactures with
The problem is how to reach this de-
sired end. and one of the reasons why
Germany has been able to solve this
problem is found in the fact that the
public libraries With which Germany
is filled are used 10y workmen to sup
ply themselves information rs TO the
best method of perfecting themselves
in their chosen lines of labor. Re
ports from the public libraries in Ger
many show that the largest portion of
the books taken out are those bearing
on mechanics, chemistry and philoso-
ply With such information and such
aims as these no wonder the German
workman has achieved the position
that he now holds. The public library
in Germany is an arsenal from which
the workman draws weapons with
which TO fight the better i'll the field
of commercial warfare. The public
library is no idling place, no cosy COR
ncr FOR pleasant lounge. 1t is rath-
cr 4 workshop where mechanic and
employer both so TO gather Informal
lion for their life's task and from 1he
knowledge SO gained comes the means
that has put Germany i'll the front
rank Of ihe manufacturing nations OF
the world to-day.
We have i'll Richmond climate
that cannot be surpassed. wafer that
is chemically pure and could be made
physically delightful. We have the
best spirit of the. Anglo-Saxon people.
We have every advantage to make us
a great manufacturing centre. Can
we afford to/lay aside the enormous
impetus that will be given us and our
city by refusing to avail ourselves of
the opportunity OF great public Ii
brary:
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