The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-12-02
WANT ALL DEBTS PAID THEN
Efforts Will Be Made to Get Money in
Circulation in Kenosha With View Of
Getting All the People Of City as
Nearly Square as Possible.

What promises to become an annual
national event has been inaugurated as
National Pay-Up Week, February 21-26,
inclusive, and it is to be put on in Ke-
nosha next year.
Credit is one of the great assets of
our presentday system Of business, but
like many another 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 out
standing accounts in this country today
that could be paid without inconveni-
lions 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 great thing, it at
the same time becomes a tax when
abused. The man who does not pay his
debts pays a penalty or tax every time
he buys a dollar IS worth of merchan-
disc; but not only must he pay this tax,
but the man who pays his debts is com
PEELED 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 state
mCnt, 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 it's be-
ginning in the little city Of Waukon,
Iowa, a 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 beautiful
little city, and busy business 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 hap
pens 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 reckon
ing. 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 9-15 was advertised as
Pay-Up Week, and during that time in
this little city, over $4,000 in old ac-
counts 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 need
less to say that prosperity reigned in
that town Of 1000 population to lift
especially when part of the debt is so
old that it has been considered uncol-
lectible.
The results of Pay-Up Week at Wau-
kou were so good that the Merchants
Trade Journal, national magazine
read by retail merchants in every town
of any consequence in the entire coun-
try, told its readers of the success of the
Wonkon neon1e in nayinU their debts
and urged business men in other towns
to give greater attention to their col
lections, and soon other towns began
trying the plan-all with splendid re
suits. And now the entire country
seems ready for this extraordinary
event Of National Pay-Up Week.
Our credit is national in it's scope.
The manufacturer extends credit to the
iobber, 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 a National Pay-Up Week. If
local people in towns would make it
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 manufacturer
during this week, February 21-26, there
would be more dollars put in circulation
in this country than were ever started
moving during the same length of time.