Evening journal., 1910-12-10
SATURDAY, DEC. 10. 1910
BUY-AT-HOME.

BUN-AT-HOME.
IT HE Christmas season is the most impor ., tant
i mart of the year to the merchants OF VII
mington 1t is the time when the unusual rusn OF
buying is expected, when the merchant mas hisn
bores that his trade will be greatly increased when
he expects it will be decided whether his year is
to be one of profit or of stand-still, or OF loss
Every Wilmingtonian every Delawarean shoulu
re Interested in fact deeply concerned IN the well
fare of our merchants Ii should be almost per-
sona matter with every resident OF TINS CITY ana
The surrounding country. II our merchants are
not prosperous it they are not Forging aheau'
they are not reaping fair return for their aoors
and for the money they have invested the city
surely presents dull appearance and IN the eyes
of the world it is not going forward.
city in a large measure is judged by its stores,
by the appearance of its principal streets, by the
welfare and talk of its merchants. NO city tnat
Processes to be anything worth while, can be so
unless it possesses progressive and prosperous
merchants. These facts seem to The Journal to be
fundamental, but they are often overlooked, cften
forgotten by persons who when they make their
purchases, pass by the home merchants and rush
off to other cities in the hope that they will get
something better for their money although in
nine cases out of ten the reverse is true.
city as well as a country should cultivate
patriotic and civic spirit. Unless city has that
spirit which is manifested by action and not BY
words it is likely to become dreary place, unable
70 attract newcomers and often unable TO hold
its own residents.
Patriotism is needed in city as we'll as in
country And this patriotism must extend 10
genuine practice of helping others about US. To
be specific, it means that Wilmington man,
man who has his home and his property here who
earns his living in Wilmington should patronize
the home merchants, should "Buy-at-home."
There is no better time than the present to call
attention 10 the "Buy-at-home" sentiment in viii
mington.
Every newspaper should Loyalty and faithfully
support the Wilmington merchants IN this matter
and should urge the people TO spend their dollars
in Wilmington. Even the most casual observer
must have noticed the considerable progress maze
by the Wilmington merchants as whole during
Tie past decade. Our stores have greatly i'm
rroyed Market street has been almost trans
formed IN appearance. Other streets have much
improved. We have finer and better stores, more
.ide-awake merchants than We ever had.
The question now put up to the people Of this
,ilv IS whether the merchants shwl continue 20
make progress, whether in fact the city shall 90
srsar6 50 far as its business life is concerned
whether II shall retrograde and become merely
q suburb Of a city IN another State
This IS the serious problem that faces tie mcr-
chants oi this city and ii il is serious for the
merchants much more serious should it be 10 the
general mass Of people who are concerned in the
in particular have been making a strong bid for
Wilmington trade. and II they are successful in
securing any considerable amount Of it our own
merchants are gravcly affected. Every dollar
taken out Of Wilmington and spent in Philadelphia
means that Wilmington is drained of so much
Of its wealth. that the mass Of the people employed
BY the local merchants are deprived OF what
should rightly be theirs. The whole city is af.
fected
Our own merchants are tax payers. Upon their
success depends the value Of properties in thu
business part Of the city With merchants no
prosperous there is decline in the demand fol
business properties. The properties become o
less value and the taxable revenue OF the CITY an.
county is reduced. Taking money from a cit,
NQ some other place is wheel working within .
wheel 50 far as the city from which the~money 4
taken is concerned.
Most people either through thoughtlessnsss o.
indifference do not consider the basic fact
involved in this matter, facts Of serious import
not TO be passed over lightly or without refec
ton. The merchants can do much we think, tC
help themselves to hold trade for this city They
should make concerted effort in a legitimate
manner TO prevent trade from going TO Philadel
phia. In this matter what is the concern of one
Is the concern of all. What affects one affects
another. If the merchants sit idly by, do not i'm.
press upon the people the fact that they have well
stocked stores, that they can cater to the trade
OF our home people as well as the merchants Of
other cities they will have no one TO blame but
themselves ig they lose trade