The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-19
IMPORTANT MEETING
OF COMMERCIAL CLUB
Continued from page one.

competitive city, by means of some
advantage, should divert the traffic
of another city, unless the city suf-
fering rise up with sufficient force to
counterfeit the advantage causing the
loss, there would necessarily follow
shrinkage in volume of business, from
which, shrinkage in all values and
profits would ensue. This would mean
dissipation of the communitys wealth
and the decadence of its prosperity.
Each inhabitant of such a commu-
nifty would bear his portion of the ca
lamity in proportion to his investment
or worth.
The value of any land, structure,
chattel or labor in a community is just
as susceptible to the competition Of
another city as the profit and loss ac-
count Of any merchant or manufactr-
err is susceptible to local competition.
Therefore, such a community of inter
ests involves the commercial safety
of every citizen composing the com
munity. Then it seems that the bond
Of sympathy and common purpose be-
nifty in a struggle against undue or I'M
fair invasion of its territory, by other
communities, would be of as much i'm
portance as the bond between the
brick and mortar that fashion its
buildings.
A community's commercial activity
is the expression of it's industrial, fl
nancial and social power. By these
forces a community is weighed and
measured; from them eminate all its
influences, attractions and powers to
serve. Service of any nature estab'
| lished relations; relations attract, in
; vite and compel Trol lie and business
= into cur midst.
: Just as each member of a commu
5 nifty bears a portion of it's losses, SO
does he share in its prosperity.
The location of the trade center, OF
course, fixes the character of its chief
industry. The subsidiary or collat-
eral interests. being purely CONNER
cial, vary little in any case. The life
! of an inland city is dependent almost
: entirely upon the trading in Nature
! products until its growth and import
: ance enable it to directly appropriate
: these products by manufacture. Az
, riculture is the only pursuit whereby
? man can draw on Natures wealth
e without ultimately depicting her treas
/ ury. 1t follows that this interest is
l the surest and most permanent Oh
! which a community may depend. In
It yersely. it must be true that com
t Immunity founded on any other indus
d try will find the period of its existence
t. fixed by the supply of the product tina
d supports that ndustry-unless, befor;
7 the exhaustion of that product, sucl
l. a community be strong and enterpris
ing enough to prepare for adjustment
o to the new condition of CONNIE 'cial lit'
, consequent upon the consumption O
d that product
The conservation Of a community
d revenue-that is, keeping confined t.
home channels, as nearly as possible
the money of its people, is most I'M
portant consideration. To do this
p fully, community pride and loyalty
must be of the highest order. The
seller must be enterprising enough t.
i, keen what the buyer wants, and sell
right. The buyer must be patriotic
enough to make his purchases a
b0Ae when he can reasonably 40 81
Is This not only leaves the amount oil an!
f. given investment at home, but
: leaves there, also, the prom
% in the transaction which builds
o I'D some person or institution INT
= aggregate of individual profit is thu
>, measure of a city's financial progress
The amount of money yearly los