Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-02-11

bringing the average of real estate in
that section down to a very low basis.
These conditions that exist and I
know of towns in this state where
years ago before the mail order bust,
ness killed the towns, the lands were
Is per cent higher than they are to-
day. On the other hand, near the live,
| progressive and supported town, you
find happy farmers, prosperous, Opt
miistic of the future. the price of land
continually on the increase, the lands
near the town held at higher prices.
Right here at home you know that this
condition exists as yet. Not long ago,
a farm containing a whole section,
near this city, sold for the splendid
price of $4,000 per acre. What are
farms lands worth ten to fifteen miles
from this city? Not 50 much but still
the. influence of this town helps the
price even at that distance.
Since it is the profit of the trans
action that remains in the community,
! is it not right and fair that that profit
is left in the town in which the person
| lives rather than sending it to the
city where it stays and works against
the country town?
The business man who is driven
from his business in the small town
must look for other fields in which to
gain living and in most cases the
larger cities are chosen. The EN-.
ployees likewise are driven out and
they too land in the city to swell the
population, not only that, but the far
mer's own boys become disguised
with his surroundings, because all that
made life worth living has been done
away with, the weekly trip to town
has been discontinued because The
town is no more, there is no enter.
tainment for him there. no schools or
churches, no genial people with whom
to associate, and he bids the farm
farewell and goes to the city to try
his fortune. The city is already filed
to overflowing with people who have
been driven from the small towns and
the farmer boy finds it hard to make
living there, and is forced into the
bread line, that we hear so much
| about.
In other words the urban popula-
ton has grown during the past few
years at an alarming rate while the
rural has correspondingly contracted.
do not wish to paint direful picture
OF the future, but having upon several
occasions noticed allusion to this very
state Of things by eminent political
economists, fear that my statements
are not very far fetched.
To many persons it has never even
dawned upon their minds that by
sending to the mail-order houses they
are injuring their own community.
Every dollar of profit that is sent
away from the place in which they
! live makes the circulating medium
tuat much less.
1t has been said to us merchants ::
Why, you buy your goods in the
large cities. That is true. We do
buy our goods from the manufac.
turers and iobbers in the cities. But
we buy these goods to be sold again
at profit and that profit is left in
this town.
The cost of the goods is RENTED to
the manufacturer. When the consum.
Ell sends his money to the mail-order
house he is sending both first cost of
the goods and the profit.
Of what value to town are stores
like the two large stores in Warren ?
TO person who has not given this
phase of the matter any thought it
may be surprising. I venture the as:
sertion that each of these stores,
leave in the town in expended profits,
| outside of the net profits, that is run
ing expenses of all kinds, some
100000 to s15,OO0.OO annually and
the net profits are left there for i'm
provements, besides, this holds good
with every other enterprise in the
town of whichever nature. The
money that is made here, stays here
and helps to develop the town and
country.
Is it not worth while to support
your home town enterprises?
Give them a boost whenever you
can. That helps great deal more
than telling your neighbor that you
can buy such and such an article, at
this or that mail-order house, for so
much, and the local store wants so
much for the same thing. And come
to find out, the same thing may be
entirely different. ~..s