Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-06-11
Our State and City.

tended trip through the South and East
we believe Washington to be the coming
state Of the Union, the natural gate
way to the Orient, which through our
great commonwealth, has been opened
never to be closed again as long as the
world lasts. Our Washington is now at
stage and point in her community life
that call for careful and well considered
movement in business way. There
is in progress very healthful growth.
The new buildings being completed are
absolute needs. For the new business
going there is ample room. For those
row in prospect here exist the same
conditions. Property holders and bust
ness men can afford 10 hold out the hand
of welcome TO those who are casting
their lot among them, for there will be
no conflict. Each new establishment
and each old will, under conditions now
crystallizirg, be of benefit to the other.
Business attracts business. People will
be drawn to town where every want
can be supplied on the same visit. A
town in which business is but partially
represented drives many to the next near
est town if it has what their home town
lacks. Ritzvillle needs a wider range in
some respects in her business life, and
the prospects are good for the needed
expansion during the next few months
or the time may perhaps be reduced to
weeks. But when the circle of business
has once been completed, let there be a
pause. The mistake made in many
young and ambitious towns is to allow
business to become overdone. Too many
shops of kind is opened; trade in the
same lines is too much divided. What
few houses should have out of a bust
ness, properly conducted, is divided
among many. This leads to demoraliza-
ton Of business. Questionable schemes
to catch trade are almost sure to be
adopted by some to the injury of ALL
The quality of merchandise is apt to be
lowered in the attempt to secure trade
by means of lower, and therefore sup
posedly more attractive, prices. Asg good
stocks can not be carried in quantity as
well as quality in an overdone town.
The result is bad for both seller and
buyer, 1t is desirable to have legitimate
competition to give healthy tone to
trade. But the line must be carefully
drawn between legitimate competition
and OVERRIDING. The man or firm with
out business skill or business ethics, is
apt to be the man who crowds in where
there is really no room for him and at
tempts to make room by injuring the
trade of others. The man who acts upon
correct principles never attempts this,
but looks for location where there is
an opening for him.
In the growth of town, openings for
new firms in existing businesses come
gradually; demands for new lines of bust
ness develop in the same way. 1t is the
tendency to push ahead of this natural
growth that is to be guarded against and
discouraged. At the same time, the bust
ness firms of town must keep abreast
of demands. If they show lack of enter
prise. lack of appreciation of the needs
and wants of their community they thus
create openings for men who will do so,
and lose their places in the procession
because they ought to. There is no SYM
pathy due the dog in the manger who
neither eats hay himself nor is willing to
let those to it who would eat it. A man
who has not the enterprise to respond to
growing demands or keep in touch with
changing conditions must and will be ell
bowed out of the way.
The future of the town will depend
largely on wisely directed activity at the
present time, and it is the solemn duty of
every man in the community who has its
welfare honestly at heart to take lively
interest in affairs pertaining to our pro-
gress and advancement which should
and will meet with hearty cooperation
in raising our standard and gaining a
still higher prestige in the state and ma
ton.