Holbrook argus., 1912-07-23
A Yankee Answer.


 with mail order houses?'' many will answer by asking the question "Why should we buy of the local merchants, when they ask us more than we have to pay the mail order people?' Many far ners think the only reason they are expected to buy of the local merchants is hat of patriotism, and patriotism in this sense is simply a matter of sen iment. They forgot almost entirely patriotism, when considered from the standpoint of fidelity to local mer- chants, is not sentiment, but one of the best forms of business judgement
 Granting simply for the sake of argu- ment that the local merchants do ask a slight increase in prices over those asked by the mall order houses, and even after granting such false state ment to be true, patriotism to local dealers is still matter of good, sound business judgment. Such fealty on the part of the farmers means that their nearby village can continue to thrive and remain an important civic center It means that the village stores can re- main the center of activity, socially, as we'll as of merchandising.
 The patronage of the farmers in any community is the chief supporting force ,f the local village. When the farmers gre prosperous the villagers are pros Jerous. The residents of the village md the rual communities band forces, and obtain better highways, maintain heir schools to high pointof etficien- y, consider local political conditions in the same honest light that results in efficient township and county officials being chosen.
 The village is the hub of the farming community. It is the shipping point, as we'll as the social center, for the agricul- turist. The farmer is not only able to dispose of his propucts in convenient manner, but local dealers are the ones who pay him cash for his wares. The village is the seat of the post office whence the rural mail is dispatched to the home of the farmer. The local bank sr advances the farmers cash to tide him over, or extends large loan when he desires to buy additional land or make Improvements. The local physician is within easy call, when the farmer or member of his family is stricken. The village blacksmith is ready to shoe the farmers horse on a moments notice. The hardware and the implement deal CT are prepared with emergency repairs for machinery, when the farmer wants such repairs and wants them quickly. Even the local dentist is more than eager to use his forceps on an aching tooth. Now, do the mail order houses afford any of these conveniences?
 When farmer once begins on new method ofsupplying his wants, quitting his support of the local merchants, and starts sending his money to tte mail order merchants in the large cities, he is delivering harder blow to himself than to anyone else. Take the village and the village merchants away from any farming community and the farmers prosperity will drop large per cent The value of his land will decrease and his convenient methods marketing will be thing of memory only. Any honest minded farmer, who is enjoying pros- perity, will admit that his prosperity in large measure is due to the fact that thriving village is located near by. Why then destroy this aid to pros perity? When the soil tiller by his own acts, does things which tend to de- stroy or mar the commercial welfare of his nearest village he is directly begin ming method that undermines his own prosperity.