The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-12-08
NATIONAL
PAY-UP WEEK
A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT TO
INDUCE PEOPLE TO PAY THEIR
DEBTS DURING THE WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 21-26, INCLUSIVE, HAS
BEEN INAUGURATED.
Such an Event is Timely, as there are
Few People Who do not Owe
Debts to Some One-Few
Who Could not Pay if
They Would.

They Would.
WHAT promises to become an annual
national event has been inaugurated as
National Pay-Up Week. February 81
20. Inclusive
Credit is one OF the great assets OF our
present. day system of business, but like
many another good thing, it is some
times abused and overdone; and because
SO many people are careless about pay
ing their accounts. there are millions
upon millions. of dollars in outstanding
accounts in this country today thai
could be paid without inconveniencing
the debtor, and if all these millions oi
dollars were put into circulation during
one week, there would be the greatest
week of prosperity ever known in this
country.
While credit is great thing, it Al the
same time becomes a tax when abused.
The man who does not pay his debts
pays penalty or tax every time ne
buys a dollars worth of merchandise;
but not only must he pay THIS lax. out
the man who pays uiS uooeS 10 Souipoh
ed to bare his share of this unjust tax
tax collected in increased price on the
commodities of life occasioned by the
failure of the debtor TO pay his bills.
1t is often said that the customers OF
the retail merchants who pay cash pay
more for their merchandise than they
should, because they have TO pay for
what deadbeat gets without paying
and there is much truth in The state
ment. too the man who pays his bills
pays cash, does really pay more for the
commodities of life than he should
because so many do not pay.
National Pay Up Week had its Begin
ing in the little city of Waukon. Iowa.
county sea- of but little over 2.009 pop
ulation at the end of a little railway in
the northeastern part of the state OF
Iowa. Waukon is a beautiful little
city. and a busy business center, but
the people OF that community are like
the people in many another town and
during the past years, bought goods for
which they never paid, Until the week
of January 9. Is. 16l5, the prin,;i ;ipal OF
the high school, who happens 10 be sec
retary OF the Commercial Club. sug-
gesIed that it would a good thing for
waukon To have a day OF reckoning.
The idea appealed to the business men
of Waukon, more particularly to the
merchants who had considerable money
in outstanding accounts. So the week
of January els was advertised as Pay
Up Week. and during that time in this
little city, over $50, 900 in old accounts
was wiped off the books of the local
business houses.
Everybody seemed to join in the
spirit, and consequently all found IL
easy 10 pay their debts. And 1t is
needless TO say that prosperity reigned
in that town, for it means something TO
town of 1000 population to lift a debt
of $50 90 in one weeks time, and es-
peeially when part of the debt is so ofd
that it has been considered uncollecti-
ble
The results of Pay-Up Week at Wan-
kon were so good that the Merchants
Trade Journal, a uatioal magazine read
by retail merchants in every town of
any consequence in the entire country,
told its readers of the success OF the
Wankon people in paying their debts
and urged business men in other towns
to give greater attention TO their collec-
lions, and soon other towns began try
ing the plan-aIl with splendid results.
And now the entire country seems ready
for this extraordinary event of National
Pay-Up Week.
Our credit is national in its scope.
jobher, the jobber carries the retail
merchant. the merchant in turn extends
credit to his customers, and, therefore,
every business interest should be inter-
ested in National Pay-Up Week. If
local people in towns would make IL a
point to pay the doctor, the preacher,
the grocer and all other merchants, and
the merchant made it point to pay the
wholesaler and the jobber, and the
wholesaler to pay the manufactures
during this week, February 2l-26, there
would be more dollars put in circulation
in this county than were ever started
moving during the same length OF
time;
A good slogan to be used from now
till National Pay Up Week would be.
'.You pay your brlls-I will pay mine,
February 2l-z6