The Elbert County tribune., 1906-03-15
THE PURCHASE OF HONE PRODUCTS


Thos. c. Scott, general manager of the
Colorado Manufacturers Association,
sends out the following article on the
purchase of home products, which IS
worthy of the careful consideration OF
our readers:
There has been so much said in regard
to the exorbitant freight rates into Col
orndo and out of Colorado that the aver
age reader has gained the impression
that it is impossible for Colorado man
ufacturer to compete with eastern com
petition. They arrive at the conclusion
that if the freight rates are so very ex-
orbitant, as pictured from time to time,
that the Colorado made product is either
an inferior article, or must be more ex
peDsive to the consumer. In either case
the Impression is wrong. Goods manu-
factured by Colorado manufacturers are
never inferior, are always equal, and in
most cpses are superior to.eastern made
goods, and Furthermore, you will find
that the Colorado manufacturer is meet
ing all eastern quotations, and in great
many cases is beating the eastern prices.
or course we are not claiming that
Colorado has all she is entitled to in the
question of freight rates, but we find
that the transportation companies are
willing and glad to assist US wherever
consistent in adjusting our rates, so that
we can compete with manufacturers IN
other territories.
What is required in Colorado more
than anything else is an increased pat
ronage of home products. If every
housewife and every household would
ask for and insist on being furnished
with Colorado products or goods manu-
factured in Colorado, this state would
soon develop her manufactures so that
she would be looked upon as the manu-
featuring metropolis of the west. There
Is a certain amount OF civic pride in
every individual, but with great many
of the citizens of Colorado it has not been
developed. We will venture to say that
there are thousands of cases in Colorado
today where the-housewi is patronizing
eastern Industries by asking for and pur-
chasing certain lines of goods. Perhaps
she ls using "A soap manufactured III her
native town, or in her native state, be-
cause her mother used the same. class of
goods in the old home back east, or it
may never have occurred to this same
housewife that she could get as good il
not better, articles manufactured right
here in Colorado. If we can educate all
such of our residents who are patroniZing
eastern made goods to live in the present
and the future, instead of in the past, and
to look to the west for everything. our
home banks would soon notice u remark
able result in the way of increased de
posits. There is still another case where
civic pride has not been developed, and
that IS where people of good circunstan-
ces, living in retired way, are inditfer-
ent TO the brand OF goods 30 long as they
are furnished with wnat Is claimed TO he
the "best." Perhaps the family may
have moved to Colorado to benefit the
health Of one of its members, perhaps no
member of the family is engaged in any
mercantile pursuit, and consequently
does not become familiar with the prod
ucts of our state, or perhaps they may
be looking forward to the invalid mem
Der of the family regaining health so
that they may all return to the old home
in the east. We have lot of this class
of residents in Colorado, and if we could
only induce them, while they are here,
to look on Colorado as their home, to
support the state in every direction that
is possible, to ask for home made goods,
to forget their eastern ties far enough to
develop an amount of civic pride and
loyalty to their new home in the west
we will have accomplished great results.
Then we have another, and perhaps
the largest class of all, the Indifferent
class, those who take but little interest
in the manner of developing the states
resources, not from the fact that they
are not anxious to see Colorado prosper
Gus, but for the reason that it has per
haps never dawned on them that il made
any difference as to what class of goods
they purchased, whether made in the
New England states or in Colorado. II
all the classes we have mentioned could
be aroused to the fact that it is their
/ duty to be loyal to Colorado in every re.
spect, regardless of whether they are
citizens of our state by nativity or adop
tion, and would demonstrate their loyal
" by never failing to ask for Colorado
made goods when making purchases of
various kinds. the result would be a
landslide of prosperity for Colorado and
her people. The untiring efforts that
are being made by the various organiza
tions of the state to boost the interests
of their town, or of the state as II whole
to bring more people to Colorado to help
develop her resources, etc, are all second
in Importance to this one feature OF
patronizing home industry. 1t is within
the power of the people of Colorado to
double the capacity Of every manufac-
turing industry in the state within one
year, and it will not cost them farthing
to do it, from a financial standpoint
Three little words cover the entire stu
ation-PATRONIZE HOME INDUS
TRY, buy Colorado made goods, tell
your wife, your brothers, your sisters,
your employees, tell everybody to buy
Colorado made goods. Did you ever
stop to realize that every time you buy
$1,000 worth of goods manufactured out
side the state of Colorado you are send
ing $1,000 out of the state that never
comes back? Whereas if you buy with
this same $1,000 Colorado o-made goods,
the entire amount remains in Colorado
and you indirectly become profit shar-
er. Could anything be more simple and
yet more effective in the upbuilding of
our state? III Won double the manufac-