St. Tammany farmer., 1909-04-10
MUST ULTIMATELY COMPETE WITH
NEW ORLEANS.

In the work of building up the commercial
interests of town the greatest difficulty
encountered is the displacement Of old Gus
toms and habits of business It must be
lcomprehended that advancement means
change, and the nature of the changes are
easily ascertained by noting the changes
that have taken place in other towns that
have grown in prominence and prosperity,
especially such changes as invariably occur.
Coyington is the parish seat, has two rail-
roads, waterway which carries the larger
part of the freight of the town, motor
line, and a population of somewhere above
four thousand, description which should
carry with it tale of modern structural de-
velopment and large commercial achieve
ments. But while some attention has lately
been paid to the draping Of show windows
and the specialization of business, withal
Covington is just emerging from the pupae
state of commercialsm.
With communication with New Orleans
both by rail and by water, and with the ul-
timately low rate that must result from COM
petition between the different transporta-
ton companies, the time must inevitably
come when New Orleans prices must be met
in order to keep the trade at home
There is one fact to be borne in mind
neither buyer nor seller will seek distant
market if nothing is to be gained thereby.
Self-gain is the governing power that con-
trolls all commercial transactions, and the
nonwohor+ oY1ono1 To +ha4 cnlf irfnYs0cf
in order to keep and to extend his trade.
The fact that we are but a few miles from
New Orleans is not hurtful to US, but is our
salvation Brooklyn and New York City
each had it's fair share Of trade until they
grew into each other Cincinnati, O., with
a population Of 325, ,9O2 in 1900 and Coving
ton, KY, with population of 42,938, sepa-
rated only by the Ohio River, have each
grown wonderfully since then, and each
have their large and prosperous commercial
establishments To come nearer home, Al
giers, is an example. Our town continues
to grow. Many can remember when it con-
tanned but a few stores, which attempted to
carry all the necessaries Of life
New Orleans in 1900 had a population of
| 287, 104. She claims to-day $4,000. Cow
ington in 1900 had 1905; to-day has between
four and five thousand. New Orleans has
gained little over 80 per cent in nine years,
while Covington has gained over $50 per
cent. In few years hence we will look
back upon the Covington of to-day and smile
at the commercial spirit of time that con-
sidered nearness toNew Orleans stumbling
block and cheap excursion rates ruinous to
business. If the fare to New Orleans was
five cents it would be the greatest blessing
to the merchants of Covington.
We have the interest of Covington at
heart more than any other interest. We
have the interest Of Covington merchants at
heart, beause their success means our sue
cess. We are more or less affected by the
condition of every interest in Covington,
public and private, and are therefore actu-
ated by that same spirit of comnercialism,
self-interest, when we say keep trade at
home not by isolating ourselves but by in
vlting competition and catering to public de-
mand. Specialize your business and thereby
increase your opportunity for both selling
and buying.
Look around Covington to-day and see if
it is not true that those who have come
nearer to carrying out this policy are doing
the better business