The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-08-24
A SIMPLE REMEDY
ONE OF THE WAYS TO cURTAil
OPERATIONS OF TRUSTS.
HOME PATRONAGE PRINCIPLES
Systems That Oppose the Advance
ment Of Rural Towns and AorS.
cultural Communities.

Never before have the people OF the
country been SO awakened to the I'M
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 It's
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 dl-
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
meuced less than a score OF years ago.
At the same time there were otner
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 its injurious
operations and it's force to draw
wealth from communities where 1t Is
produced, is the mail-order system OF
business. None will say that this sys-
TEN is illegitimate, but no economist
can show wherein it's 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 it 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 Ia
Dor, the result is depression. stagna-
tion and non-progress. The great evil
Of the mail-order system which has
grown up, is its 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
a community who sends his money to
| a foreign town and saves the ten per
| cent. that may represent the nome
merchants profits, is not a factor IN
| impoverishing the community. While
| the saving may remain In the COM
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
] t.
either by the tilling of the soil, by the
| growing of live stock, by the work OF
the day laborer. or by the storekeeper,
| impoyerishes 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
s1OO, 900 per year that goes to the sup
port Of foreign town. Suppose that
each one sending his money away
saves ten per cent; the savings for a
wear would be s., and in ten years $50.
Look at the other sde-$1000 900 bust
ness per year would support In the
home town five good stores. Each one
Of these stores would give employ
ment to a 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 a 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
come 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 pat
! ronage means good schools. good
churches and all conveniences that
add to the pleasure and enlightenment
OF a people.
All the residents Of 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 a community is in reality a
! large cooperative assembly. What is
Of ipfaraSf a Il Of ri al In