Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-04-09
AMARILLO AGAIN
CHOSEN HOSTESS


event thau ne ~ bopultTiy Hiftf
credit for
The doctor l. not the first man
10 establish bis business In a com
muniiy. the minister nor the teacher
asa rule are not the first 20 establish
themselves permanently IN a com.
munlty. The bankers waits for the
retail merchant 10 20 IN and develop
the business. and n u ~ not devel-
Oped he never goes.
Not only has the retail merchant
been the pioneer and shouldersd
much % the burden OF establishing
community eenters. but he today In
one % the most loyal Supporters OF
the town and country. when a pub
Ne Improvement Il proposed he ~
usually called upon first OF all to
add his support and Influence
Worthy causes always find him a,
the head OF the list The needy and
suffering humanity In a community
usually turn 10 him first OF all study
the lists OF petitions Of various Kind
and IN the majority OF cases you viii
find the retail merchants name at
the head OF the list ~ some on-
In your town circulated petition
for donation for any worthy cause
or Improvement. whether In town 90
country. Who do the circulators go
10 frs, OF all, Well. II your town
IL no, dlfferen, from mine. they go
70 the leading retail merchants first
Of all because they know they are
public spirited men and always In
favor OF the Advancement Of their
tosn and community They know he
Il Interested In making II a better
place 20 live In. a better place for
his friends. neighbors and customers
10 live and better place for him
10 DO business Now. In speaking Of
the retail merchant IN this light
am speaking OF him as a great class.
not as the retail hardware man. I
understand there are exceptions To
this rule. hut possibly fever eScep-
lions among the retail merchant than
any other class Most Of the retail
merchants are OF the progressive
type. and this Is largely true because
Of natural conditions. The place OF
the modern retail merchant cannot
be filled by the man who Is little.
narrow minded and blgoted, The re-
tail merchant occupies an important
place In his town or community. Ills
mission OF supplying the necessities
aud Injuries OF life demanded by
the people about him is a high and
noble calling and 20 truly tulfill that
mission he must be a biz. broad
minded man. fully awake TO his op-
portunlties and TO his responsible
ties
But | want 10 notice some or the
Disadvantages under which he is
working. Notwithstanding the fact
that the retail merchant Is a power
aud necessity In every town and
community. a great many of the peo-
pie look upon him with degree OF
suspicion. The average individual.
the honest hard working man. who
pays his honest debts and tries to
save little. looks upon the merchant
as kind OF a parasite upon society
The great mail order houses have
In the last fifteen or twenty years
spent millions OF dollars instilling
this idea into the minds OF people
aud you all know how well they have
succeeded. This idea has got to DO
net In different ways think one
Of the best ways OF meeting this 10
through our commercial clubs. We.
at Memphis. are trying this to some
extent. II Ia our object to get every
man in Memphis and Memphis trade
territory 10 Join our club, whether
they contribute much or not. II there
Is some public work In the country
lha, needs 20 be done We help them
do a. II there is something In town
W ask them 10 help us We have
banguets and ask them TO Join US.
II they have picnics We Join them
Our idea Is 10 get better acquainted
wlth them. and have them get bet
ter acquainted with us. and as Tar
a. We have tried this plan We are
vel satisfied with the results
There is some laS In effect that
should be repealed. for example. our
present pistol lav. that compels the
retail merchant 70 give one-half the
retail price 10 the State. but allows
the great mail order houses 10 sell
pistol 20 our customers without
paying one cent 20 the State. Then
there are some laws that should be
passed FOR example. the anti-ped-
flers Law II Is not fair 20 US 70
have % pay state. county and city
tales. keep up roads. bridges. sup
por -hurches and schools. both good
ard bad years. and then have the
petdlsfs drop In during the good
yssrs and sell TO our customers. with
out having 10 pay their just proper
ton ~ taxes This could be rene
did t. We would only work together
q even half OF the retail merchants.
On ttis district. would speak, write
o. sire your representative and sen
aiof nat you wanted these changes
made They would get busy and ihe
ssue r. true IN other districts. but
~ t-osble has been that We have
bot sorked together
"Ths greatest question that con
'roats us today IL that OF price. Be
,sset so and 90 per cent Of the out
D., o. the factories is bought by the
fe'zH -uerchants. but the people who