The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-12-05

ms
Every thinking person knows that
tine condition we have outlined is one
that tends toward the Capitalization
ne business. These concerns locat in
q known community, but they reap the
benefit of the building and improving
in all communities without any way
having taxes or helping the commun-
ity.
This amounts to hundreds of thous-
ands Of dollars annually. There is no
question about it, and we sometimes
think that this one factor has probably
had more to do with the centraliza-
ton Of business than any other one
cause. And we further know that
every nation that has gone to pieces,
that has been wrecked, has been
wrecked because of conditions in their
business centers. They have never
been wrecked because retail mer
chants in the smaller towns and cities
d4yaIop a better condition or because
tho farmer himself raised more corn,
or stock than he formerly did.
The holding of farmers institutes,
and he conducting Of short courses
and things along this line never yet
has caused the w~reckage of a nation.
1t is the great business centers where,
some how or other, corruption enters
in that have caused the downfall.
The Journal realizes that in order
to remedy this condition it will take
the action of our national congress.
But congress is the servant of the
American people, and if the American
people see the injustice that is being
perpetrated upon them they have it
in their power to cause congress to
make a change.
Just how the burden of expense of
this community, whether it will be in
the form of a general taxation in each
state, or whether it should be a per-
cent on the volume of their business
in each state and county, we are not
saying, but there is a way for the
American people to get at this.
Someone may say that the whole
saler selling to the retail merchant; Or
the manufacturer selling through the
same source, should be made to con-
tribute for this purpose. Well he
does, he employees men, women, and
children in your state; he employs
travelling men who contribute through
railroad fare, the patronizing of hotels
and liver!es. a portion of their
money comes into the state and coun-
~ and ado. TO its prosperity. Besides
the concern selling through the retail
merchant places its goods in the mer-
chants store and there they are taxed.
People are employed to sell these
goods over the counter and in this
way employment is given, a certain
percent is added to, or taken from the
goods sold by retail merchants, and
added to the fund that helps do the
things We have outlined.
In addition to this, the wholesaler
and the manufacturer who sells his
products through the retailer mer-
chant, assists the merchant in the
accumulation of funds which makes it
possible for the merchant to assist in
doing the things that he has done.
But the man who sells direct to the
consumer by mail, passes all these in
~fluences and there is absolutely no
place along the line where he is asked
to contribute. He becomes a leach
upon society and upon the community.
He violates every principle that to-
day is accepted by the American peO-
pie, which causes US to charge public
utility companies for franchises.
Surely, if the street car company
who employs hundreds Of men, who
erect buildings, who pay taxes, should
be asked, aside from this, to pay for
the privilege of doing business in the
community, surely the concern selling
direct to the consumer by mail, who
in no way employs any one in your
community and pays no taxes, should
be asked to bear their share of the
burden.
These concerns pile up millions
upon millions of dollars in profits and
they do it because they are exempt
from the expense of building up the
conditions that makes it possible fol
them to do the things they are doing
This is no TRADE, no attack, no ap
peal against these concerns. We arr
trying to keep above these things, bu
it is simply asking that these concern
bear their share of the expense of pro
noting prosperity that is now pai'
for and brought about by the effort
Of others.