The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-19
Thu HATTTESBJKG NEWS

eApeClSu lOI llle DuSlhSoS lhelI SN4AAN~
to US. But the same zeal, and just
as much of it, should attend our joint
efforts to prevent community compe
tition from taking business from us.
Since the collateral or subsidiary lines
of business furnish employment to
the greatest number, it would be well
to trace the relations Of some of these
lines of trade to others.
All the business done in a commun-
ity inures to the good of the whole
community, because we presume that
every correct transaction nets some
profit which enters into the commun-
ity's wealth. A city may count as its
own, whatever business is created
within it's limits by the needs and
earning power of its people. That is
all it can so count, and it loses some
of that to foreign traders.
To increase it's volume of trade, it
must reach the consumers Of the sur
rounding country. The radius of this
trade depends upon capital, enterprise
and transportation facilities-and the
cost of these ficilities. Here, follow
up the relation of the wholesaler or
iobber to his community and its other
lines of business. The jobber is the
advince agent of his community. He
cannot thrive on his local trade, and
must go into the contiguous country
for more. He looks up and investi-
gates those persons in the surround
ing towns and villages and at the
cross roads, who would make desirable
customers. He visits them, sells them
and extends them credit. Soon the
iobber has pressed his sales out as
far as the laws of trade will permit
The relations thus established bring
in due course of time these purchas-
ers to town" They form other ac-
uuaintances and make new connec-
tions. The banks, factories, shops,
retail merchants, professional men.
hotel keepers, artisans and laborers
meet them, serve and incorporate
them The attention of these outside
customers is thus focused on that city.
They become friends and come soon
to look to that city for all their needs.
Their patronage extends to every line
of business and becomes part of the
commercial support,
To accomplish his work for he city
and community, the wholesaler must
have his commercial sphere. He must
establish lines of INSTRUMENTATION
along it's radii. 1t is largely the job
Der who must add to the ciF's growth
--.-s share Of the growth of his ter
ritory." We must depend much on
him for the assimilation of every new
conner to his territory as we'll as
- every new commercial element that
springs up in it.
q His failure to meet competition is
the city's failure and a sure sign that
the city's facilities for handling the
business are at fault.
In these days of fierce competitor
TRANSPORTATION alone swings the scale
Investment enterprise, and energy
count for little till the question OF
transportation is adjusted. So far as
} modern inland towns and cities are
j. concerned, the term transportation
= resolves itself into railroad rates.
5 Every city's pre-eminence among
its competitors is co-eXistent with the
supremacy of its Wholesale trade and
} its prosperity commensurate with the
importance of that trade.
f The city of Uatiesburg is located
in the center of one of the finest yir-
= gin forests in tho world. Her chief
= in terest is lumb.r
, Scarcely more han decade OF op'
t erations in this forest has made Hat
5 tiesburg a city Of 10000 people with
: wealth per capita almost without par
2 allel for a new town. Our geograph-
: ical situation is ideal. and, were 1t
y not attacked by unfriendly influences
: that neutralize in a great measure our
+ natural advantages, our city would yet
S show even more surprising growth
n than it has shown.
/, On account Of the disparity OF the
/ freight rates charsed US and our com
!. petitive centers, our comm%eial eX
e pansion is rendered impossible. The
( cost of transportation is a part of the
= purchase price OF an article or com
h modify. Some commodities are sold
3 at such close margin that the differ
t ence in freight. We are compelled te
@ nav. costs our CRY much business. We
4 feouently witness the Notifying spec
tacle of goods moving by our ware
s houses on various railroads from com
o petiye towns TO cousignees who, by al
>. the laws of trade, should be our Gus
l. toners
s OuY wholesale territory is so re