Weekly journal-miner., 1915-12-08
NATIONAL PAY UP
 WEEK IN FEBRUARY
(From satnrday's DaiIy.l

February 21-26, inclusive.
 Credit is one of the great assets of our present day system of business, but like many other good thing, it is sometimes abused and overdone; and because so many people are careless about paying their accounts, there are millions upon millions of dollars in outstanding accounts in this country today that could be paid without in conveniencing the debtor, and if all these millions of dollars were put in to circulation during one week, there would be the greatest week of pros perity ever known in this country. While credit is great thing, it at the same time becomes a tax when abused. The man who does not pay his debts pays penalty or tax every time he buys dollars worth of mer- chandise; but not only must ne pay this tax, but the man who pays his debts is compelled to bear his share of this unjust tax-a tax collected in increased price on the commodities of life occasioned by the failure of the debtor to pay his bills,
 It is often said that the customers of the retail merchants wno 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 statement, too-the man who pays his bills, pays cash, does really pay more for the commodities of life than he should pay because so many do not pay.
 National Pay-Up Week had its be- ginning in the little city of Waukon, Iowa, county seat of but little over 1000 population at the end of a little railway in the northeastern part of the State of Iowa. Waukon is beautiful little city, and a busy busi- ness center, but the people of that community are like the people in many another town and community that is, some Of them have, during the past years, bought goods for which they never paid, until the week of January 9-15, 1915, the principal of the high school, who happens to be secretary of the Commercial Club, suggested that it would be good thing for Waukon to have day of reckoning, or rather. week of reck' oning. The idea appealed to the busi- ness men of Waukon, more particu- larly to the merchants who had con siderable money in outstanding ac- counts. So the week of January g. Is was advertised as Pay-Up Week, and during that time in this little city, over $5O,0OO in old accounts was wiped off the books of the local busi- ness houses
 Everybody seemed to join in tne spirit, and consequently all found it easy to pay their debts. And it is needless to say that prosperity reigned in that town, for it means something to town of 2,OOO popula- ton to lift a debt of $S0Yo0O in one weeks time, and especially when part of the debt is so old that it has been considered uncollectibie.
 The results of the Pay-Up Week at Waukon were so good that the Mer- chants Trade Journal,a national mag azine read by retail merchants ill every town of any consequence in the entire country, told its readers of the success of the Waukon people ill pay ing their debts and urged business men ill other towns to give greater attention 10 their collections. and soon other towns began trying the plan-all with splendid results. And now the entire country seems ready l for this extraordinary event of Ma tiona1 Pay-Up Week.
 Our credit is national ill its scope. The manufacturer extends credit to the jobber, the jobber carries the re- l tail merchant, the merchant i'll turn extends credit to his customers, and. therefore, every business interest should be interested in a National Pay-Up Week. If local people ill towns would make it point to pay 1 inc doctor the preacher, the grocer and all other merchants, and the mer- chant made it a point to pay the wholesaler and the jobbcr, and the wholesaler to pay the manufacturer curing this week, February 2l-26, there would be moro dollars put in circulation in this country 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 bills-I will pay mine, February 21-26."
 -O- POPULAR MECHANIC