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

AiAt'C
that from an actual money standpoint,
the retail merchant has been an i'm
portant factor in deY looping condi-
lions which lead toward a greater
prosperity in the community.
Are you wondering why all this has
been done? Do you wonder why the
roads have been improved? 1t is that
the farmer may deliver his produce
grain and stock-to the market at a
less cost. 1t was SO that he could go
and come without tearing the life out
of his horses, wrecking his buggies
or his automobile.
The farmers Institutes, stock and
grain shows and short courses, have
been conducted hat the farmer, the
basis of the life Of the community,
might be a better citizen, and produce
more corn and more stock on his farm
than he has done before, and thereby
have more money to spend in all
ways.
Lecture courses have been conduct
ed that a better citizenship might be
developed, both in the community n
in the town. 1t has had for its pur-
pose the raising Of the community in
tellectually, which leads to a better
and a more prosperous community.
All Of these different methods Of
helping have had for their one pur-
pose the benedting and the lettering
Of the community. And as the com
munity has been benefited and better
ed, the people have prospered more.
Their lives have broadened. They
have made their farms and their daily
labor produce more. Where the farm
er formerly produced sixty bushels of
corn, he is now producing sixty-fiye
or seventy. Where he formerly pro
duced forty bushels of oats, he pro
ducing forty-fve or fifty. Where his
beef cattle formerly weighed n
thousand pounds, they are now weigh
ing twelve hundred, thirteen hundred
or fourteen hundred pounds, produced
at little more cost than when they
only weighed one thousand pounds.
Where his hogs formerly averaged
two hundred and fifty pounds they
are now averaging three hundred and
three hundred and fifty, or ven more
than this, with very little cost over
what he used to have.
This has been the result of educa-
ton and development. Now, on top
OF this the individual merchant and
the farmer, by taxation, has maintain
ed agricultural colleges and other in
situations of learning that the people
Of the state might develop intellect
ually and from this lead to q greater
financial development, which means
success; it means that each individual
has more money TO spend on Injuries
and the necessities Of life.
This WORK, with the work on the
roads, and bridges, and schools, etc,
has been bourne largely through d.
rect taxation, but nevertheless, it has
come out of the pockets of the people
of the community. If you will take
the time to get the percent Of the
taxes paid by retail merchants, you
will find that it is something enor-
Mind you, now, we are not taking
credit for the retail merchants in this
things. The merchant has largely put
his money into these things from a
selfish standpoint, because he knows
that all these developments and i'm
provements cause the people of his
community to have more money to
spend, thereby making it possible for
him to do a better and more profitable
business.
This is the basis of what We have
to say on this subject. This is the
outlining of the community condition.
In our large cities, and so far as it
touches the manufacturer, in some of
our smaller cities, we find institutions
known as mail order houses
selling direct to the consum-
ing public, and they do their business
entirely through the mails. One of
these immense concerns in Chicago
does business in almost every hamlet
and town and community and city in
the entire United States.
1t is possible for this Chicago con
Germ, that has now grown until it
counts its millions by the dozens upon
dozens, to get its business largely be-
cause the community from which they
get it has been made prosperous, or
more prosperous, because of the work
and expense We have enumerated at
the beginning Of this article. The
more people have prospered, the more
they have to spend, both at home ant