Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-02-11
FEBRUARY 2t26 IS
PAY.UP week HERE
PRACTICALLY EVERY LOCAL
MERCHANT JOINS IN NATION
WIDE CAMPAIGN.

WIDE CAMPAIGN.
National pay-up week for Olympia
and Thurston county, which is also
to be observed in all parts Of the
United States from the 21st to the
26th Of February, promises to prove
successful, a. q great majority of the
business houses are enrolled in the
general campaign against obliga-
tions.
Owing to the storms Of the past
week, which have delayed all express,
the Olympia Chamber of Commerce
has not as yet received the campaign
literature ordered, but should this
fail to arrive in time, the committee
in charge is determined to make the
campaign a success and is prepared
to start independent Of the national
movement, should the material nee
esary fail to arrive by the first of the
week.
The Idea Behind It.
Pay-up campaigns have been high
ly successful in a great many cities
throughout the country and the
scheme is no longer a venture but
pronounced highly successful. The
object is to set aside the last week
in February as the general time for
liquidation. If each individual pays
his accounts, this act releases money
in all channels of trade with the re-
suit that each is able to meet his bills
because the other fellow has or Is
going to pay him.
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 busi-
ness center, but the people Of that
community are like the people in
many another town and community
that is, some of them 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 happened to be
secretary of the Commercial club,
suggested that it would be good
thing for Waukon to have a day Of
reckoning, or rather, a week Of reck-
oning.
The idea appealed to the business
men Of Waukon, more particularly
to the merchants who had consider
able money in outstanding accounts.
So the week of January 9-15 was ad-
vertised as pay-up week. and during
that time in this little city, more than
$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 1t
easy to pay their debts. And it is
needless to say that prosperity
reigned in that town, for it means
something to a town Of 1000 popu-
lation to lift debt Of $4,000 in one
weeks time, and especially when
part of the debt is so old that it has
been considered uncollectible.
Credit Sometimes Abused.
Credit is one of the great assets
of the present-day system OF busi-
ness, 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 outstand-
ing accounts in this country today
that could be paid without inconven-
iencing the debtor, and If all these
millions of dollars were put into cir
culation during one week, there
would be the greatest week OF pros
perity the country had ever known.
Credit is national in it's scope. The
manufacturer extends credit to the
jobber, the jobber carries the retail
merchant, the merchant in turn ex-
tends credit to his customers, and,
therefore, every business interest is
interested in National Pay-Up Week.
II local people make it point to pay
the doctor, the preacher, the grocer
and all other merchants, and the
merchant makes 1t point to pay the
wholesaler and the jobber, and the
wholesaler to pay the manufacturer
during this week, February 21-26
more dollars will be put in circula-