Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-11
HOME TRADE BOOMER.
Value of a Progressive Union in Boost
ina Town.

ing Town.
Do you wish to enlarge your home
town? Do you want to increase its
local trade? Are you anxious to see
spirit of activity in the stores, espe
cially by your fellow citizens trading
at their home stores? Then you must
advertise. Patronize your local news
papers. Call the business men and
merchants together and form an asso-
citation to further your interests.
New Orleans has struck the key
note In this line. What she did last
year and Is still doing through the
work of u progressive union can in
some measure be done by any town.
At least its principle is a good one,
that of developing local trade and ac
lively reaching out to attract people
to her hospitable doors.
The aims of the New Orleans Pro-
gressive union may be briefly summed
up III the statement that it stands for
expansion of trade territory, new in
dustries, high class immigration, bet
ter train and mail service, municipal
sanitation and health, exploitation Of
the city's advantages, increased Pana-
ma trade, steamship lines to Soutl.
America, lower freight rates, higher
education, home patronage of home in
dustries, more railroads, more capital
and more labor. Along these lines the
| organization has done much during the
year and expects to do even more in
| the near future, The present admins
tration Is justly proud of the part that
| the union has played in the develop
ment of the lakes to the gulf deep wa
| terway project.
| Under its present management the
Progressive union has after months of
labor finally succeeded in having the
various railroads leading into New Or
| leans grant ten day free stopovers
there on all continuous tickets issued
from various points In the east, west
| and north. For years the business in
terests of New Orleans had tried to
| bring about the adoption of the free
stopovers, but failure marked every
i effort until this year. In the final
fight every influence controlled by the
| Progressive union was brought into
play, and after months Of correspond
N ence on the subject all railroad and
i steamship lines operating in and out of
New Orleans acknowledged the claims
Of the Crescent City and granted the
stopovers. 1t has been estimated that
the stopover privilege means some.
thing like S1,300,O00 to New Orleans
every year.
Through the work of the Progressive
union seven new mail trains have been
secured for New Orleans, and that city
has been made the headquarters of 9
new railway mail division This means
increased mail facilities for all mer
chants and business men and quicker
dispatch in the handling of all kinda
of advertising matter, literature and
other mail
Under the auspices of the New Or
leans Progressive union the manufac
turers of that city held an exhibition
where nearly everything manufactured
In that city was shown in an exhibit
ton lasting an entire month
The Progressive union, which wa.
at the head of this enterprise, Is thu
largest civic organization in the south
ern states and has during the last few
years been very active in promotin;
that city's welfare by advertising 1T
resources and helping its merchants il
every way to fight it's Industrial ant
commercial battles.
Characteristic of the press, which Il
constantly taking steps to advance TIL
interests of the community it serves
r the New Orleans Daily States give
manufacturers of that city an oppor
tunity to make their goods known a
very small expense. Three times
week its columns are offered free t
their good points and other reason
why they should have the preference
Of local buyers. In return for this tn
publishers ask the manufacturers t
take ten or twenty line ad. thre
times q week
The merchants of New Orleans ais
used every effort to cooperate wit
l. the Progressive union, each merchan
k after his own fashion, getting u
k some special attraction or inducemeI
|. to help attract the crowds simultan,
k ously to and coincident with the bi
e manufacturing exhibition.
k One very prominent music house a
ranged an exhibition of high art music
al instruments through the differer
: manufacturers they represent and keI
''open house." giving free recitals da
and night. This feature in itself a
tracted very wide and favorable con