The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-11
Well Known Business Man
Reads an Interesting Paper
Before Members OF the
Commercial Club.
OILING OF STREETS
APPROVED BY CLUB
Reports on House Building
and Traction Projects Re-
ceived-Building Code Is
Now Revised.

A very interesting paper by Lee -.
Nusbaum. on THE Merchant as a
Community Asset" which was follow
cd by "A discussion led by Sharon T..
Jones, reports from various commit
tees, and n resolution commenting the
action of the city officials in determin-
lining upon a test of oil treatment OF
streets To eliminate the dust nuisance
featured the meeting OF the CONNER
cial club last evening.
The importance of "A merchant being
public spirited and taking an interest
in enterprises for the welfare of the
community as well as In his own pri-
vate business. was the general theme
of the address by Mr. Nusbaum. II is
I'm this way he said that the merchant
becomes the greatest asset to the
community.
1T is true that every citizen should
be public spirited and display an in
telligcnt interest In public affairs" de-
clared Mr.. Nusbaum. but there Is "A
special reason for the merchants in
terest. Not that he seeks or expects
special favors for his business. but
because the prosperity of his trade
will depend upon the encouragement
and promotion of those movements
that make for the bettermcnt of the
entire community. lie must share i'm
the common prosperity of the city.
Bigger Than Business.
But again lot II be said that the
man Is bigger than his business
"On the face Of marble slab in
n foreign country these words are
said to be inscribed concerning a
character whose bones we may be-
lieve rest In peace beneath
Born u man. died "A grocer
at Is feared that his life has been
cmulated by too many modern 'mer
chants. The appeal of trade with the
entlccments of its profits. the compul
sion Of increasing business and the
burden of It's cares have too often mar
rowed the range of life from the
broader manhood to the confines of q
mere tradesman life and outlook. The
qualification Of the man seems some
times to progress conversely with the
development of the merchant. unit
the man is utterly lost. The higher
manhood should not succumb in tho
struggle for existence. for financial
success. The man owes the communi
~ u debt because of what the com
munity has done for him as man
Certain conditions which make mer
chandising profitable to him and con
sequently enrich him, enlarging his
capacity for public service have in
them elements of peril to the public
also. The concentration of population
in our cities presents the city problem
and the city peril. Recent census re
turns show that urban population has
increased almost three times as fas
as the rural population I'm the last de
cade. In other words, IS per cent o.
the total increase in population ha.
been In cities of twenty-five Thousand
or more"
Remarks BY Jones.
In leading the discussion which fol
lowed the reading of the paper Shar
on L. Jones in addition to emphasizin,
the points brought out by Mr.. Nus
baum told of few things which h,
believed the community owed the mer
chant. Chief among these was tha
the home trade should be given to tn,
local merchants. He said that tn,
modern tendency Of ordering through
mail order houses was bad for tn,
buyer In that the price was very Otter
higher than what the article could b,
bought for from the local merchant
and was often OF inferior quality. Ais,
II was bad for the merchant he said
In that II reduced his patronage ant
took money outside the city instead o
keeping In within circulation.
Among those who Joined in the dis
cussion were Charles Shiveley. DIR
Bond. Folger Wilson, Prof. I. f. Neff
Herbert $. Weed and r. b. Johnson.
A matter OF importance also. wa.
the appointment OF a committee com
tCpntinu,d IN parp Eivhf