The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-01-31
BUY AT HOME.
THE SOCIAL AND MORAL OBllGA-
TONS OF THE MAIL Or
DER PROBLEM.

TlONS OF The MAIL Oh
DER PROBLEM.
A preacher who was a crank on doc
trine wearied his congregation by con-
stantly harping on baptism. A brother
that longed for a rest handed him a
text he thought safe. 1.-THE way Of the
t~ransgressor is hard"
Friends" says the preacher, there
are three things suggested by this
scripture: First, the t~ransgressor.
Second, his conversion. Third, mis-
baptism. We will pass over the fist
two and come at one to the third.
Many reasons why people should
trade at home rather than send their
money away have been given, but sup
pose we pass them all by and come at
once to the one vital reason
1t is the right thing to do.
For after all the fundamental ques-
ton in every transaction is whether
it is right or wrong. Not will l save
| money, but Is it just? Not is it
convenient, but is it fair? Not whether
Is it good business, but whether il is
good morals?
For you and | know, and all the
world is coming to know, that not n
dollar is ever saved or made by unfair
means that does not curse the posses-
sor. And a man may be as dishonest
in saving money as in getting it.
1t is right to spend our money with
the home town and wrong to send it
away because we are under obligations
to the home town, but not TO the ~ !
order house.
Financial Obligations.
In the first place, the country is I'M
der financial obligations to the town.
OF course, the town is also indebted to
the country, but the town cannot help
but pay it's debt, its very existence
does that. Hence, we are merely dis
GUESSING the country side of the obliga-
ton.
Find 200 acres of good land almost
anywhere that is twenty miles from
town, and you can buy it for $25 an
acre. The same land within ten miles
will bring $50, within five miles its
value is $50, within two miles $S5 an
acre.
Thus that town has increased the
land within a radius OF ten miles an
average of $35 an acre. AS that is
about the age OF country towns gener-
| ally, you may figure that a town, as
long as it is fairly prosperous, in
creases the land around it an average
of 81 an acre every year.
Not considering staple articles, like
| cattle. hogs and grain, which can be
shipped and sold anyway, the town, as
a. local market, is worth at least S75
a year to the ordinary farmer.
For example: This year the peach
markets were so glutted no ordinary
fruit would pay the express. Around
the little town in which the writer
lives most farmers have a few peach
trees. The 1000 Inhabitants bought
nearly every bushel in the vicinity ut
from 40 cents to 81 a bushel. More
than $4,000 was paid for peaches with
in three weeks.
That was clear gain, which must be
set over TO the credit of the town.
Plums, cherries, early vegetables,
scores of little odds and ends, perish
| able stuff that the farmer could not
or would not ship, he turns into cash
at the home town.
So if a man owns 200 acres within
reach Of town, he will receive $275
a year direct cash value from that
town, none of which he would receive
from the mail order house.
To be sure, the town does not do
nate him that amount, the town was
not built for the purpose of philan-
thropy, yet he receives an actual cash
benefit because the town is there; and
he is under actual financial obliga-
tons to return that benefit by spend
ing his money at home.
1t is not an obligation that the law
would recognize, but it Is n that
appeals to those independent, clean
hearted men Of high honor, who feel
that perfect honesty demands that
when benefits are received from
| stranger or brother, friend or foe, ben
| efts should be returned.
1t is sometimes argued that the
town has forfeited it's right TO ~"
| farmers patronage by selling too nigh
| But a careful investigation will not
! bear out that contention. Your town
is unusually prosperous If you can
count more than four merchants who
have cleared 10000 in the past ten
years. That is $1,000 n year for time
| and interest on capital. You can
count FIVE or six others who have
| failed during that time, lost every
| thing. The January invoice will not
| show a net gain Of $500 per business
man. That means the ordinary mer-
| chant and his capital are not clear
| ing $50 a month. This does not indi-
| cate an unreasonable profit on goods
sold.
Social Obligations.
1t is right for the country to spend
its money with the home town be-
cause OF the social obligations between
/ AhA-a