The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-03-11
BUY HOME PRODUCTS
How a California City Set the
Pace For All Towns.
BOOSTING LOCAL ENTERPRISE
Campaign of Purchasing and Praisins
Goods Made at Home Proves a Won
derfui Success-idea Applicable Here
or Anywhere

In November l had the privilege Of
spending a week in a 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
l mention. 1t was called prosperity
week" AS a 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
and the other town-may profit by the
example of Los Angeles that he writes
briefly here of the doings in that city.
In the first place, it may be said that
prosperity week was the idea Of
bright young business woman, Miss
Frances Holmes.
Miss Holmes proposed that for one
week every citizen should make spe-
cial effort to patronize home indus
tries, buy goods 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 drop in
the ocean. The city chamber Of COM
merce got to work, adopted the slogan
Buy and boost home products" had it
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
we'll believe. was as popular for the
week as the latest catchy song from
the comic play at the opera house
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
nelghbors, many Of whom never had
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
MANY varieties and just as good pic
kes- The same fact held as to crack
ers. breakfast foods. steam engines.
Oil cans. post cards. and right here let
me relate all amusing thing.
Los Angeles hotel had spent much
money, more time and its entire stock
Oh patience in trying to get some pie
ture cards made in Germany. where
1t was supposed all the picture cards
came from. Germany is a long shot
from California, and it takes more
time and 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 a price
considerably lower and mich more
satisfactorily as to time.
There was during the week a big
buy and boost parade. 1t was four
miles long. Everything in line was
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