The Springdale news., 1907-02-22
Patronize Home
 Business Enterprises.

O9AL4l- }N190llA4l ! ==zz&dllAi41 lIGIII and return them il defective ir any way, goods at as ,ow price as any catalogue house ran >eII them; every man and woman i> to blame who sends away for goods; and everyone who fails to raise his voice in favor of home trade. The editor holds the most responsible position and should be the leader in this move. ment
 The remedy has been outlined in q general way. We will sug- gest the first steps. Let merchants buy at home they cannot consistently ask others to trade with them when they do not patronize their brothers in trade. The editors should patronize home, and even at con- siderable personal sacrifice refuse foreign advertising for lines of goods in competition with the home merchant. The editor de serves more credit than he re- ceiVes. Many a well-to-do farmer or city man would think himself perfectly justified in sending away for all his groceries and clothing il he thought lie could save ten dollars thereby on the years purchases, but most editors forfeit many times that much every year by refusing adTertis- ing from distant firms in the same lines of business as his home merchants; and sometimes the home merchant even then declines to advertise.
 Trade-at-home clubs might be organized, with mottos some thing like @I patronize the=Iiome Merehants,1 or T Buy Nothing from Mail Order Houses, for members to display. The accept anee and displaying of such |  card might constitute person or member.
 Much of the trading away from home is due to thoughtIess- ness and ignorance of business principles. Many persons con >ider only the first cost. if they save 2 cents on ten dollar order by buying from | mail order house they consider that clear gain. They should be shown that q merchant and his family living in their midst, keeps up q house, pays taxes, adds to the social features, con tributes generously towards pulp lie enterprises, etc. If by buy ing 1t home their town gives support to several more local merchants, creating better home market, they get back a liberal percentage. Every man and woman takes more or less pride in local affairs and IS will ing to contribute something toward home improvements, if the matter is fairly presented. That is why l say the remedy lies in education.
 Most mail order houses claim they are enabled to sell cheaper than country dealers because they buy tn large quantities and get especially low prices. This IS often base miS-statement of facts; let me cite an instance: \ stock man from eastern Wash ington was visiting in Kansas City. One morning, walking with his nephew, who was d clerk in leading wholesale hard- ware house, he asked where Bland & Co.'S store was located. Don't think l ever heard of them, replied the young man. 70, yes, l do remember the firm; they have no store, they have an office in tgiving the name If the building). but l don't see how they can sell hardware as low as your home merchants, for while we sell them goods al less than retail price, w don't give them as low prices as regular dealers, because they buy in such small quantities, just as they get orders. The stock man Was greatly surprised, he supposed he had been dealing with one of the largest firms in the city.
 The mail order business has developed 50 slowly, and works so quietly that few persons