The Newark journal., 1908-02-07
< SIMPLE REMEDY
ONE OF THE WAYS TO cURTAII
 OPERATIONS OF TRUSTS.
HOME PATRONAGE PRINCIPLES
Systems That Oppose the Advance ment of Rural Towns and Aeri-
 cultural Communities.


 Never before have the people of the country been so awakened to the inn 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 its 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 di- 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 con- menced less than a score of years ago. At the same time there were other 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 it's 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- tenn is illegitimate, but no economist can show wherein it's principles are sound. By the system communities are impoverished and kept from pro- gressing. 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 la bor, the result is depression. stagna- ton and non-progress. The great evil of the mail-order system which has grown up, is it's taking away the means that small towns have of em- ploying labor, and the drawing from each community the profits in con- mercial transactions that represents the wealth that is procured. It 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 home merchants profits, is not 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 a community where it is produced either by the tilling of the soil, by the growing of live stock by the work of the day laborer, or by the storekeeper, impoverishes 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 2,000 people, suppose that each one of these 2,000 people send away to some foreign place $50 per year This in the aggregate is $100.000 per year that goes to the sup port of foreign town. Suppose that 6dCH OIle SCIdlHS ito ilOlCy o"oy saves ten per cent; the savings for year would be s5, and in ten years $50 Look at the other side-$100,00 900 busi- 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 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