Evening star., 1907-10-16

Washington and Business
The plan of the Chamber of Commerce
committee for extending the shopping
patronage OF the city has everything to
commend it There is business sense in
the proposition. The subject Of the de-
VcloTmnnt of trade between Washington
and the territory adjacent and naturally
tributary TO it Is proper one for earnest
and persistent effort. Washington should
command the trade of the country OF
which it Is the geographical center.
1t is not easy to explain why prospac-
tive buyers who live within d few miles
of Washington will travel very much
further to buy their goods in Baltimore.
The readicst inference would be that they
get lower prices. easier terms or gen
orally better bargains there than here
If this is true, there are many lines of
goods In which it ought not to be true
In this age of hustle and competition
neither the merchant nor anybody else
can afford to be asleep at the switch.
Only a few lucky mortals can sleep late
and catch the worm. There is one expIa-
nation Of the condition that Is periodi-
'caiIy complained of. which is that from
many parts of Maryland and vi. yinia
nearer To Washington than to Baltimore
1t is easier to Ent to Baltimore than to
Washington. Then, in addition 10 this.
so many thousand buyers are in the
habit of buying in Baltimore and habit
In trade as in other things. is a force
that must he reckoned with.
In those districts where Baltimore gets
the lions share of the trade she works
for it, and nurses it after she has OBJ
ta!ned it. Go To the country store. per
of the Capitol or the tip of the Monu-
ment is visible. and you will most likely
meet Baltmor, drummer. On the
shelves of that store are Baltimore dry
goods Baltimore notions and Baltimore
groceries. The Baltimore merchants are
in constant touch with the merchants in
the small towns and country districts
The Baltimore drummer is at every cross
roads In the Office of the hote! in little
towns which should be tributary to
Washington there is a group of the Bal
timore drummer. He is busy advertis-
ing his house and talking Baltimore
Very little thought is bestowed in these
places on Washington as a business city.
OF course il is d fine place to come to call
on ones congressman or to see an in
augural parade. but for buying a bill of
goods. Il always go 10 Baltimore" is
what the majority of the small merchants
say.
The remedy for this situation is clear
Make the acquaintance of these small
merchants. They mix a certain amount of
friendship and social intercourse with
their business dealings Let them know
(and make it 4 facD that Washington
has full lines of goods to sell. that
the quality Is as high. and the prices a
little lower than elsewhere. There ought
to be no difficulty in commanding a fair
portion OF the trade of the upper Potomac
valley. Along the lower Potomac after
one gets below the Wicomico river on the
Maryland side and Nomin creek on the
Virginia side, nearly all the ways lead to
Baltimore. Even below Piscataway creek
on the Maryland side and Occoquan bay
on the Virginia side Baltimore does bus-
ness.
In all the Rappahannock country from
Fredericksburg, where the railroad
crosses to the mouth of the bay the lines
of communication are with Baltimore
Most of the northern neck" of Virginia
lying between the Potomac and the Rap
pahannock deals with Baltimore. So 1t is
throughout the Patuxent country, except
IN the higher part. through which a rail-
road runs to Washington Over all the
plain of northern Virginia, except closely
adjacent to Washington. Baltimore sup
plies the small merchants. In the Pied
mont region Baltimore does most of the
business. Even across in the Shenandoa h
valley Baltimore sells the goods. And so
ii is in western Maryland even where the
distance TO Washington is less than to
Baltimore. Cheap and quick transporta-
tion of goods is essential TO Washin gton' $
commercial success.
1t is hoped that the plan OF campaign
agreed on by the Chamber of Commerce
committee Will b. carried out. This plan
as outlined in the news columns of The
Star last night, is:
ITO appoint u special shopping day or
days. 10 run special trains into Washing
ton. TO provide a headquarters for the
visiting shoppers and afford them special
facilities for reaching the same; to estab-
lish a bureau of information at the rail-
road stations and the headquarters and
afford the shoppers every facility for visit
ing the stores and points of interest in the
city and 10 place such printed matter in
their hands. with reference TO Washington
q trading center as will induce them
To repeat the visit to the capital"
Here is where Washington merchants
WHO want to extend their trade should get
busy The trade is there and they should
go after it.
Fishing and duck-huEting trips. that
~ al oh tss,,