The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-01-26

In several of the towns of North Da-
kota commercial clubs have been or
ganized recently and are now working
for the advancement of the business
and social interests of their respective
towns. This is a move in the right dl-
rection and the Trade Journal believes
that every town in the great state OF
North Dakota, and for the matter OF
that every other state in the great
Union. ought to have some kind OF an
organization that would have tend
ency to bring the merchants and busi-
ness men of the towns more closely
In touch with each other. The com
mercial club fosters proper public
spirit and co-operates N civic better
ment 1t reaches out after more trade
and sees to it that the town gets all
the trade that rightfully belongs to it.
This is the kind of an organization
that is needed in every village of the
country and this is about the time Of
the year when such matters ought to
be considered, as all new ventures
should start with the new year. The
people of village may be particular
1y fortunate in being located in one
OF the most fertile and productive sec
tions of the state and the town may
have prospered from the beginning,
but there are several matters that
ought to be looked after that would
bring still greater prosperity to the
people.
We have not the space, nor do we
deem it wise to map out a campaign
OF work for such an organization, but
we will make some suggestions as TO
the work that might be taken up in a
town.
One of the most necessary matters
at the present time is campaign of
education among the farmers showing
them the advantages Of trading at
home On authority that cannot be
questioned we have learned that farm
ers in the vicinity of many villages in
the Northwest are patronizing cata-
logue supply houses to the extent OF
$4,000 to $4,000 month on an aver
age. Which means that this amount
of money Is being sent out of the
country, and it is about time tEat the
merchants and others united in a
campaign to put stop to this kind of
business. If the matter were taken
up Systematically 1t ought to be com
paratively easy for the business men
of a village to convince the average
farmer that he could get better value
for his money at home than he can by
sending to the catalogue houses. Gen
eral merchandise is sold just as cheap
at home as it is by the catalogue
houses, and cheaper in many in
stances, considering the quality of the
goods, but the farmers have not learn
ed these facts, and it is up to the bust
ness men to use the same methods
that the catalogue houses do in get
ting their business before the people.
Among other things that might be
taken up by the commercial clubs is
the matter of better roads, transpor-
tatiOn, rates of insurance, good
streets, clean alleys, proper methods
of advertising the town and the sur
rounding country, securing manufac-
turing establishments such as a
creamery, cement block establishment
and a score of other things that would
come up from time to time as the
needs became apparent.
1t is not only the financial end of
such an enterprise that would be bene-
fetal to the community, but there is a
social side as well. The simple fact
that the people get in the habit OF
working together would probably re-
suit in the greatest gain after all.
There is nothing that would be as
beneficial to the social welfare Of the
average village as to have all it's citi-
zens actively and Systematically work
ing for the benefit of the whole town.
Church workers say that the best way
to broaden a mans religious life is to
put him at work. The same holds
true in business and civic affairs. A
man may sit and dream about what a
town ought to be, but these dreams
are apt to be forgotten. Once let
man take hold of specific piece of
work, however, and then he begins to
realize in an effective manner what
good citizenship really means. So it
should not be overlooked that not the
least part OF the work Of commercial
club is to improve the citizenship of
its members by putting them to work.
st. Paul Trade Journal.
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