The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-20

portion of that same dollar paid out to
another for labor gets back into the cof-
fers of our own business again. Why,
| then. doesn't every resident of Birming-
liam trade with our Birmingham mer-
| chants?
There can be only one answer, We don't
| think or realize what 1t means!
| We must educate each other and edu-
cate ourselves up to the point where we
will not order single item out of Biz
mingham that can possibly be obtained
here. If it can't be obtained here now,
If YOU ask often enough for it, some of
our enterprising merchants will certainly
get it and that soon. Let's try it?
Patronizins Home Industries
| Now there is only one thing better
than uniformly trading with our home
merchants, and that is buying home
manufactured products of the home mer-
| chant or factory.
| When our local merchant sells us some
thing at retail that he has to buy at
wholesale in another state. he only keeps
part of the money here, the net cost or
the goods has to go away but when we
| buy of the local merchant locally made
product. then all of the money stays here
at home The manufacturer pays the
| tiller of the soil or the miner for the raw
materials, pays his labor to transform
/ the raw materials into the finished
product, and we have a factory payroll
| A large, cash labor payroll from di-
versity of industries is the best asset OF
| this or any other city. 1t means pros
perity for our merchants, who rent bet
| ter stores. live in better homes, and
nav out more wages and keep the money
circulating, doing its service over and
over again.
The merchant for his own good should
sell the homemade product. Every time
an increase In the sale of a local manu-
| facturer causes him to employ more
help, just to that extent are some grocer
and other merchants going to get an in
crease of business.
| Value to City of Home Trading
The benefit. however does not stop with
a benefit to the merchant, to the manu-
facturer and to the banker. Every single
inhabtant of this city is benefited by
home trading, because, In the first place,
1t means more available jobs and steady
work, and in the next place it means
bigger city, more prosperous city,
| money to build more and better streets,
to maintain more perfect sanitary sew
erage system which makes healthier
city; more and better parks for the pleas
ure of all of our people.
Then 1t is also true that unto him who
hath 1t shall be given,' and the city
which has the reputation for standing up
| for its home institutions draws capltal
from other cities and states and specify
| becomes a greater city. How often In
this Chamber of Commerce or in the
rooms of the Commercial club its prede-
cessor. have YOU heard the cry for more
small manufacturing enterprises? Very
| often. and you have gone down into your
| pockets and put up money TO try TO gel
them here. You are now putting up sew
| eral hundred thousand dollars in Five
Hundred club" to help establish and put
on their feet more local Industries. just
think what tremendous boost home IN
dustries would get, and how easy IL
would be for them to maintain firm
footing If every Birminghamte demanded
land bought only a Birmingham made
product. If obtainable in Birmingham!
Not only would our present Industries
thrive and prosper, but we would nave
trouble furnishing suitable sites enough
for the industries of every kind and size
which would want to become a part OF
that greater, cooperative, prosperous Biz
mingham.
Having adopted the old Commercial club
motto, .Patronize home industry let
us adopt also the new Chamber of Com
merce motto Not for self, but for ALL
Not every one for himself alone, but for
himself and his neighbor as well.
Some Practical suggestions
Now, gentlemen, here are some of the
practical suggestions which have been
made by different members of the com
mittee. and they are offered for your con-
sheraton and discussion, and we hope
action that shall make them operative
A home trading club has been suggest
ed as one practical means of spreadin;
: and impressng the idea and necessity TO
home trading Cards signed with thu
names of men and women and children
who would pledge themselves to Away
trade with a Birmingham merchant an;
to see to 1t that they get a home-mad
: product where possible, would indeed con
stitute a roll of boosters, and a roll o
! honor
To keep the idea constantly befor
every one the plan of establishing at
II tractive metal signs on the car lines an,
roads leading into the city has been sug
gested. The Southern Advertising com
pany has made an offer of a low yearl
rental for FIVE signs. and has offered t
give free three others, making eight Il
all for this purpose.
: It has also been suggested that w
.. | might ask all merchants and manufac
turers using billboards at present to hav
, added at the top of their signs, the mex
|. time they are repainted or remade, con
. spicuousiy the words Trade With HON
/. Merchants and Buy Birmingham Prod
! ucts," or TRADE at Home" or othe
, similar and appropriate wording.
A huge electric sign has also been sug
, gested, which might span the street dag
onally between the Woodward buildin
: and the Brown-Marx building. and hi
everyone, day and night to Trade a
, Home" or Trade in Birmingham" o
, Buy Birmingham Products"
0 Teach Children Civic Pride
:. It has been suggested. too, that If prize
+, were offered in the public schools of tn
city for the best. essay on why w
Should Patronize Home Merchants an
Home Industries 1t would result In a.
I education in civic pride.
The winning articles each month Nigh
, also be published in the newspapers an
! thus be the means of added publicity 70
. the ideas set forth.
: 1t is said that there is no better o
} surer means Of publicity than to tie
, 1t to a woman" and the womens club
! Of Birmingham might be asked to hel