The Virginia enterprise., 1907-08-23
A SIMPLE REMEDY
ONE OF THE WAYS TO CURTAlh
OPERATIONS OF TRUSTS.
HOME PATRONAGE PRINCIPLES
Systems That Oppose the Advance.
ment Of Rural Towns and Agri-
cultural Communities.


portance of home protection as they
are at present The wide knowledge
spread by means of the public press
as to the operations of the great trusts
and how the masses are made to serve
the more favored classes is having its
effect. The residents of agricultural
communities are beginning to realize
the dangers of business concentration
in sections of the country dominated
by the capitalistic classes. They are
fast becoming aroused to the truth
that this concentration is a menace to
the prosperity of the nation, and d.
rectly affects every producer, every
laborer and every citizen of the cOun-
try who depends upon his work for
support.
The building up of great trusts COM
menced less than score of years ago.
At the same time there were other
systems inaugurated that tended to-
wards robbing the home towns Of
business and concentrating this busi-
ness in the large cities. One of these
systems, most notable in it's injurious
operations and it's force to draw
wealth from communities where it is
produced, is the mail-order system Of
business. None will say that this sys-
tenn is illegitimate, but no economist
can show wherein its principles are
sound. BY the system communities
are impoverished and kept from pro-
crossing. He who will give study to
the basis of country development will
see that 1t is the labor employed that
not alone enhances the value of the
farm lands, but builds up the towns.
When there is little to employ this la
Dor, the result is depression, stagna-
tion and non-progress. The great evil
of the mail-Order system which has
grown up, is it's taking away the
means that small towns have of en-
ploying labor, and the drawing from
each community the profits in COM
mercial transactions that represents
the wealth that is procured. 1t is
sOphistry to claim that the resident of
community who sends his money to
q foreign town and saves the ten per
cent. that may represent the home
merchants profits, is not factor in
impOverishing the community. While
the saving may remain in the CON-
munity the employment of labor essen
tial to every business is given to the
foreign place, and the home town is
robbed of this employment giving
power.
Every dollar that is sent away from
a community where it is produced
either by the tilling of the soil, by the
growing of live stock, by the work of
the day laborer, or by the storekeeper,
impoverishes the community to that
extent, and this dollar ceases to be
any factor in the advancement OF the
community. Presuming that there are
in a community 1000 people, suppose
that each one of these 1000 people
send away to some foreign place $50
per year. This in the aggregate is
100000 per year that goes to the sup
port of a foreign town. Suppose that
each one sending his money away
saves ten per cent; the savings for
year would be IS, and in ten years $50.
Look at the other side-$100,OOO busi-
ness per year would support in the
Of these stores would give employ
ment to number of hands The small
percentage of profit that would be
made would be retained in the COM
munity and be invested in new enter
prises. Year after year there would
be q continual increase in the pros
perity of the town, and the building
up process would add to the value of
all the town property, and to the
farms within the trading radius of the
town. While by sending away the
farmer would in ten years time save
but $50, whereas by patronizing the
home town the profits that would
como to him in substantial increase
in real estate values would be ten
times this amount. The building up
of the town would improve the home
market, affording every producer on
the farms better prices for all his pro-
duce.
Then there is another thing, the
town supports the churches, the
schools and other public institutions.
The efficiency of these institutions are
dependent upon the life and activity
of the town. Where poor towns exist.
the schools do not receive the support
that is necessary to make them good.
neither are the churches of the high
standard they should be- Home Dat
ronage means good schools, good
churches and all conveniences that
add to the pleasure and enlightenment
of people.
All the residents of a community
have common interests in 1.-THE
banker, the lawyer, the doctor. the
merchant, the farmer, the day laborer
all have equal interests. Thus we
find that community is in reality a
large cooperative assembly. What is
OF interest to one is of material inter-
est to the other. But more important
than all is that by practice of the
home patronage principle the possibili-
ties of building up trusts for the con.
troll OF Industries of the country are
reduced to the minimum; in fact, a
strict adherence to this simple princi-
pla OF building up and protecting home
industries precludes the building up
Of harmful trusts and combinations.
D. M. CARR.