The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1912-01-06
TOWN UPBU|LDlNe.
Congested Population In Cities a
Menace to Country's Welfare.
MAIL ORDER PLAN RuINous.

Of HOUSEHOLDS In Rural Communities
Should Be Bought Over the Counter
Of the Local Merchant.
There are many country merchants
who see their trade gradually slipping
away from them, leaving the country
town and going to the great cities by
the channel Of the mail order trade.
There are many country editors who
see the prosperity Of their towns de-
pleted and circulation and advertising
income reduced for the same reason.
There are very few. however, who
realize that their problem IL national
one and that 1t is wrapped up in and
q, part Of the great fundamental Ques-
ton whether this nation shall be per-
petuated or shall be destroyed by the
physical degeneration Of humanity, the
sociai unrest, Industrial discomfort. NOR
al and political corruption and class ha-
tired bred in the city slums and tene-
ments and certain to eliminate In an
archistic crimes, riotous mobs and oil
destroying social upheavals as the re-
suit Of some long continued period Of
Industrial and commercial depression.
reasons Maxwells Talisman.
The fact is that the upbuilding of the
country town and suburban village as
an antidote and safeguard against the
poisonous social. moral, physical and
political consequences Of herdiug mil
lions Of our working people together In
the unnatural congested life of the ten
ements Is the one great question that
rises above all others In Importance as
problem that this nation must solve.
Unless 1t does solve 1t 1t will suffer
death from human degeneracy-the
fate Of so many nations and civilian
lions that have risen in the past only
to be destroyed. Ours will be likewise
destroyed unless we take heed In time.
The danger, arises from the conges-
ton of population In cities and from
nothing else.
The solution lies In checking the fur
ther growth of cities ut the homes Of
industrial workers and scattering those
homes into and among suburban home
croft villages and In country towns
and rural settlements.
To do that trade and industry must be
decentralized. Industries of all kinds
must be established In the suburbs of
the cities OF In the towns instead Of In
the congested centers That In some
thing that requires an organized cam
paign. but first 1t requires current Of
right thought I'm the minds Of the peo-
pie.
1t requires that everything should be
done that can be done to hold In the
existing towns and Villages the trade
that now naturally centers there. Any
part Of II. small or large. that IL d.
verified to any Of the huge central mail
order centers in the big cities and
thereby taken away from the locality
where It originates and belongs Is IN
influence that promotes just to that ex-
tent the growth Of the evil that Is eat
ing at the heart of our national life.
Whatever IL required to supply the
needs Of every household in every rural
community should be- sold over the
counter of local store and not through
the postofi1ce nnd the mail trade.
Then comes the question Of the
growth OF towns and villages. There
is where the country editors and mer-
chants can help themselves. Once get
1t into the minds Of the whole Ameri.
can people that the salvation Of the nn-
ton depends on the upbuildlnG Of tho
country towns and suburban Villages
get the idea planted and deeply root
ed so It will grow itself-and u thou-
sand Influences will enter the field md
enlist for this great campaign for r,irnl
and country town and village develop
ment to check the overgrowth Of cities.
with nll Its resultant evils.
1t cannot oil he done mt once. The
first thing Is to get public thought ac-
lively aroused aud turned into right
channels. There must be q complete
common conception In the minds Of
millions Of people Of this new national
ideal. Then there must be united. con-
certed and vigorous action to realize
that ideal. The facts and arguments
to support 1t must be disseminated
through great educational campaign.
entirely separate and apart from poll
tics.