The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-10-09
THE SOCIETY WOMEN
OF AN OHIO TOWN
RECEIVED A SHOCK
YainIy Ask Business Men to Aid Civic
Beauty League
Become Highly licensed and he Ensuing
Conference Develops Some In
expected Results
BY David Powell.
copyrighted 1914; all rights reserved,

electives scheme to encourage home
buying was inugurated and carried to a
successful issue by the women of Bar
burton, city of $4,000 inhabitants
located within easy trolly ride Of Cleve-
land, Ohio.
A Civic Beauty League had been
organized by the leading women Of the
city and to carry out its purposes they
appealed to the business men Of the
town for financial aid, never doubling
that for so worthy cause there would
be any reluctance on the part Of the
merchants to subscribe.
AS it so happened, the two or three
women most active in promoting the
League were very much given to run
ming into Cleveland to buy a large
share OF their clothing, hats, house
furnishings, etc., and when the matter
came up before the Business Mems
Association for endorsement several of
the merchants present were of the
opinion that this would be rare oppor-
tunlty to give those women a we'll
merited rebuke. After some discus
sion it was decided to appoint a COM
mittee to meet with the ladies and
explain to them that owing to poor
business conditions caused by so much
money being spent out of town it
would be impossible fer the merchants
to help them at that time. Though
the ensuing conference between the
committee and the ladies was held
many years ago, the members of that
committee still retain very vivid mem
cries of the occasion. After some two
hours diScussion-mostly on the part
OF the women-the committeeman re-
tired with as much grace as they could,
but later developments proved their
martyrdom was not in vain.
Being whole-souled sensible Ameri-
can women, the ladies readily saw the
force OF the arguments presented by
the business men, with the result that
it was but few days until their Beauty
League was converted into a "Buy-at-
Home" club, composed of only women
and working independently of the
merchants, though of course the money
necessary to conduct their campaign
was solicited-and needless to say quite
willingly STANDARDIZATION the bust
ness interests Of the city.
Through the medium of the local
newspapers the women conducted
prize contest for the best ten reasons
why people should buy from home
merchants and was open only to con-
testants who were not connected in
any way with local enterprises. AS it
was desired to create as much interest
as possible in the contest the prizes
offered were very substantial and so
arranged that everyone sending in an
article could feel almost sure Of winning
something.
The results were more than satisfac-
tory. Hardly block in the city but
contained one or more of the prize
winners. The following article won
the grand prize of $25O.00 and after
being prepared in pamphlet form in
the most attractive type the printers
art could devise, was placed in the
hands OF every resident OF the city:
I'VE should patronize our home
merchants because it is patriotic. That
which prompts a man to don his armor,
and if need be to give his life in de
Tense of his country, is patriotism.
Patriotism never counts the cost. 1t
prompts the loyal citizen to lend his
utmost action to the upbuilding OF his
country, his state and his city. No
greater evidence OF true patriotism can
be displayed than the expanding OF
your earnings with your home merch-
ant, thus building up and strengthening
the institutions OF your home city, and
adding to the general prosperity OF your
community.
Because it will cheaper the price
Of merchandise in your home stores.
The greater volume of business trans
acted by merchant, the smaller will
be the margin Of profit he will require.
! By adding to his volume Of business