The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-12-26
PAY Up WEEK IS
PLANNED LOCALLY
keokuk Retailers League Is at Head
Of Movement TO Help Mer-
chants Meet Their
Debts.
FEBRUARY 21-2e DATE
Slogan for Five Days WIN be ~ win
Pay Ny Bills So You
Can Pay Me
@ Yours"


Keokuk Retailers league, will join in
the national pay-up week campaign
which is scheduled for February 81 to
Is. The members Of the league are
planning to Join in this institution
which makes it possible for the mer-
chant to meet his obligations through
his customers meeting theirs.
Every business man feels the pres
sure Of credit business. Credit which
is a necessary convenience at times
becomes particularly abused Espe-
cially is this so in the case OF the
retailers. Professional men also are
victims of the credit proposition, and
there are times when the credit priyi-
lege is a sadly abused one.
There is considerable prosperity In
the country at the present time. judg-
ing from the business reports which
are being made. Keokuk merchants
have enjoyed a big trade. In the en-
deavor to pass prosperity around.
pay-up week is being inaugurated.
What Idea Covers.
Literature dealing with the various
aspects of Pay-up week has been
sent to NJ e. Justice. president OF the
Keokuk Retailers league One OF
the articles sent out recently from
y the merchants JUL Af1S
this to say of the idea:
What promises to become an an
nual national event has been inaug-
urated as national pay-up week,
Feb 21-26, inclusive.
Credit is one Of the great assets Of
our present-day system OF business,
but like many another good thing. 1t
is sometimes abused and oyerdone;
and because SO many people are care
less about paving their accounts in
this country today that could be paid
without mountaineering the debtor,
and If all these millions of dollars
were put into circulation during one
week there would be the greatest
week OF prosperity ever known in
this country.
While credit Is a great thing. 1t at
The same time becomes tax when
abused. The man who does not pay
his debts pays penalty or tax every
time he buys a dollars worth OF mer-
chandise: but not only must he pay
this tax, but the man who pays his
debts Is compelled to bear his share
of this unjust taxa 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 statement, too-the man who
pays his bills. pays cash. does really
pay more for the commodities OF life
than he should pay. because go many
do not pay.
Waukon Started Il
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 little
railway in the northeastern part OF
the state of Iowa. Waukon is beau-
tiful little city, and busy business
center, but the people of that COM
munity are like the people in many
another town and communicated
is, some of them have, during the
past years, bought goods for which
they never paid. until the week OF
Jan. 9-15, 1915, the principal OF the
high school. who happens to be sec
rotary of the Commercial club, sug.
gested that it would be a good thing
for Waukon, more particularly to the
merchants who had considerable
money in outstanding accounts. So
the week of Jan. 9-15 was advertised
as pay-up week. and during that
time in this little city over $4,000 in
old accounts was wiped off the books
of the local business houses.
Everybody seemed to join IN the
spirit, and consequently all found it
easy to pay their debts. And it is
needless to say that prosperity reign
ed in that town, for it means some.
thing to town of 1900 population
to lift debt Of $4,000 in one weeks
time, and especially when a part OF
the debt is SO old that It mas been
considered uncollectable.
The results of pay-up week at
Waukon were so good that the Mer.
chants Trade Journal, a national
magazine read by retail n erchants in
every town of any consequence in
the entire country, told it's readers
of the success of the .Waukon peonIe
in paying their debts and urged bust
ness men in other towns to give great
er attention to their collections. and
soon other towns began trying the
plan-all with splendid results. AND
now the entire country seems read,
for this extraordinary event of Ma
tional pay-up week.
Pay All Bills.
Our credit Is national in its scope
The manufacturer extends credit t
the jobber, the jobber carries the r.
tail merchant, the merchant in tur
extends credit to his customers, an
therefore, every business intere
should be interested in nation
pay-up week. If local people
towns would make it a point to pc
the doctor, the preacher, the groc
and all other merchants, and Il
merchant made it a point to pay Il
wholesaler and the jobber. and Il
WHOLESALERS to pay the rnanufactur
during this week, Feb. 21-26, the
would be more dollars put in circul