Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1908-06-19
THE BEST MOVE YET.

montpelier IMAM aHSbnlng thaJ mas happen.
Ell to this town yet.
Montpelier has resources, She has able
and energetic business men, and business
establishments that would be credit to
larger towns. The one thing she has not,
and which will tell against her as long as
she lacks it'll the cooperate IN Of her
people.
Cooperative effort makes town or a
community. You may look up the history
of any community in the West where cities
have grown, as it were in night, during
the past ten years and in every case it will
be found the same factor has caused the
growth-co-operative effort on the part of
the business interests.
When the merchant decides to get
business by business methods alone, when
ne hesitates to take step that will iniure
a competitor, but thinks only of the up
building of his community, and knows
that his competitor is following the same
principle he is adding every day to the
wealth Of the community in which he lives.
When the outsider can come in and take adj
vantage of the rivalry,-or better say jeal-
ousy, for that is the spirit Of much of the
Montpelier competition in the past,
take out several hundred dollars worth of
merchandise for which he does not pay he
detracts that much from the wealth of the
community. When any enterprise is offer
ed to Montpelier and is not encouraged
properly. because of the inability of the
m .rchants to get together Montpelier loses
that much wealth that should be hers
In every old community there is apt to
be a lack OF harmony and cooperation, and
SO long as it exists the community as a
whole pays dearly for its existence. The
history Of Portland and Seattle is fitting
illustration.
Years ago Portland was the only town
OF Importance on the northern coast. The
old business men who had helped build the
town still were in control of her business
interests. They owned all of the valuable
property, leading stores, banks and in
flct were the entire business interests of
the town. Among them there was no CO.
operation nor united effort. 1t was great
er source of qualification to an old-time
Portland merchant to cost his competitor "a
dollar than to make two dollars for himfelf.
About this time Seattle. then small
town conceived the idea of unity and united
effort. The business men of the town
banded themselves into an organization in
spirit the same as was started in Montpelier
last Monday. No merchant took a step
that injured unnecessarily a competitor.
He rather figured that il he could make
ten cents while making his competitor
dollar and he was the ten cents ahead and
all worked on the same plan. The result
was that Seattle shot ahead of every ether
town on he coast.
At sight of Seatte's advancement the
Portland people commenced TO take notice.
They all knew that their resources far ex-
ceeded any resource Seattle had and could
not understand this marvellous growth.
At first they called it temporary boom,
but they soon found their name was misfit
and commenced TO study the question more
deeply. The result was the employment of
Tom Richardson, noted as an organizer.
and paying him a handsome salary, and he
was paid for just one thing-to get Port
land business interests united.
They are united today and in the past
year Portland's growth far exceeded that
of her sister city Seattle. Mr.. Richardson
is today working for Portland and organic
ing The surrounding localities In an effort
To get them into closer working harmony
with Portland.
We want TO help you make dollar SO
we can get sixty cents of it, is one Of his