Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-01-18
BUY HOME PRODUCTS
How a California City Set the
Pace For All Towns.
BOOSTING LOCAL ENTERPRISE


or Anywhere.
In November l had the privilege Of
spending week in n city which has
developed beyond most other places
In the United States the spirit of 10y
atty to home industries. Every town
In this country, large or little, may
profit by the example of the city men-
toned, which is none other than Los
Angeles. Cal.
"Buy and boost home products" now
Is the slogan Of that city. Perhaps
never before has such an impetus
been given to the home trade move
ment and such a jolt handed out to
the mail order octopus as resulted
from the proceedings Of the one week
[ mention. 1t was called prosperity
week." AS student Of local develop
ment anywhere and everywhere the
writer watched people and witnessed
performances in that city during pros
perity week with perhaps more than
the average interest. 1t is because he
believes that every town-this, that
example Of Los Angeles that he writes
briefly here Of the doinss in that city.
IN the first place, it may be said that
prosperity week was the idea of a
bright young business woman, Miss
Frances Holmes.
Miss Holmes proposed that for one
week every citizen should make a spe-
nj fn {v,d,
IT,. ~. +,ooG3 made at home. give
the mail order catalogue the go-by for
the time being and discover what was
to be discovered. Everybody cooper
ated-that is, everybody but the mail
order folks. who looked aSkance.
But their opposition was not a drop in
the ocean. The city chamber Of COM
merce got to work. adopted the slogan
Buy and boost home products" had 1t
wrought into design. copyrighted
The design. printed it by the thou
sands and distributed it to merchants.
manufacturers and individuals. BUY
and boost home products" you may
well .~.;ava. was as popular for the
week as the latest catchy song from
sut COLllC pay az Tue OIclu uOuSC.
Everybody bought and boosted. And
It was surprising to observe how many
home products there were to buy and
boost. Every local manufacturer. from
automobiles to corkscrews, saw that
his products received proper displays.
Every one who made anything for the
market made the fact known to his
90 hOd
suspected that such an enterprise was
"in their midst" For instance. they
had been putting various kinds Of pic
kles in their midst for many years
bought outside, but they discovered
local pickle factories with just as
mary varieties and just as good pic
kles. The same fact held as to crack
ers, breakfast foods, steam engines.
oil cans, post cards. and right here let
me relate an amusing thing.
A Los Angeles hotel had spent much
money, more time and it's entire stock
Of patience in trying to get some pic
ture cards made in Germany, where
1t WAS supposed all the picture cards
came from. Germany is a long shot
time ard money to get post cards
made there than the average citizen
might suppose. This hotel man during
prosperity week discovered that he
could get his cards made just as beau
tifully colored right at home at price
considerably lower and much more
satisfactorily as to time.
bn To-
"buy and boost" parade. 1t was four
miles long. Everything in line was
homemade, produced right there. The
people rubbed their eyes in amaze
ment. They were just waking up
from long sleep. They had discovered
that their neighbors were manufacture
Ing great many of the things re-
quired in every household and by
every person. They bought and boost
ed.
The local merchants each made elab-
crate window displays Of home prod
ucts. Here and there and everywhere
were the copyrighted buy and boost"
cards. At the end of the week scores
of merchants declared that their sales
udu Decll UuS " an t>tNiiS shNy
could not have predicted without be-
Ing called visionary. They said that
1t had been made evident that people
really prefer to buy home products If
they know such goods are to be had,
and they are confident thai hereafter
the sales Of such articles will be much
larger than in the past.
The manufacturers. big and little.
are jubilant. The city is swelled up,
10 use a phrase that is expressive II
not elegant Pride in home products.
home enterprise. home development.
has received such an imitation that the
swelling up is as plainly to be seen
as is the expansion Of balloon when
the gas is pumped into the limp silken
bag. But there is no hot air or gaseous
expansion in this local pride. 1t Is a
permanent proposition to be reckoned
with in dollars and cents for the town
wherein it happens to be on tap.
There is m excellent and salutary
hint in all this for any town in Ameri-
ga that wants to improve and advance
In prosperity. Why don't you re-
70 hr,v