The bee., 1916-07-25
National Pay-Up Week an Or
ganized Movement to Bring
Prosperity

The word prosperity is magic
word to most people inst as other
magic words are such, because the
great majority OF people do not un-
derstand its meaning.
The word prosperity has been a
political watcword and catch word
for generations. Gresl contests have
been wa2ed around it because of its
magic influence over the popular
mind.
But the people of this country are
reslizIg more and more that pros
perity is not thing to be had by
resolutions or by decree nor alto.
gether bv legislation. but 1t comes
through action of the people in keep.
ing moving the people of prosperity,
which is our money.
We are a credit people. This nation
Is possibly the greatest credit ma
tion on the face of the earth The
great bulk Of our business is done on
credit. We credit one another; the
manufacturer credits the merchant;
the merchant credits his customer:
the professional man credits his Gus
toners and client; and so on through
every avenue of our whole business
institutions, we find credit the one
outstanding characteristic.
Credit is a great thing, too, but like
other good things it is sometimes
abused, and where it is abused or
misused 1t becomes a detriment
rather than a factor in upbuilding
the business of city, town OF COM
mnnity.
The man who uses credit judlcious
ly in his business is an asset to his
community, but the man who mis-
uses his credit Is a detriment go the
genera business welfare of his COM
munitY, aud yet these are a great
many people who misuse their cred
it unIntentionally but with bad ef-
feet nevertheless.
Every Professionalism has an in
terest in the material prosperity of
those about him because he is serv-
ing them. Every minister in every
church is interested In the material
prosperity of his people, and indeed
those in other churchs and those OF
the community who belong tot no
churchill ecause 1t requires money to
conduct the activities of a church,
and the teacher is interested, too be
csuse it requires money to finance
the educational institutions of this |
country. And anything that will
cause the people of town and COM
muuIty to pay their debts will help |
everv business, every institution and |
every individual in that community. |
Incidentally, this movement is not
uew, as this same association con-
dacted a National Pay Up Week
during the week of February 2lst to
26th inclusive. During this time
hundreds of towns throughout the
country participated In the move
ment with the result that thousands
upod thousand of dollars were put
into circulation.
In Huntington, Indiana, thOus-
ands of dollars were paid during the
week, aud all agree that they feel
better as a result.
At Ridgewav, Pa, the secretary OF
The Pay Ub Week Association said
after the event: AS we sOwed, so
lid they reap"
In Creenville s. c., people pecame
70 enthusiastic over paying their
iedts that many who did not have
he cash dated checks in advance
10 that they would be snre that their
iebts were paid at the earliest poss-
BILE moment after they had money
n bank with which 70 pay.
Hundreds oftowns were awakened
o the evils of the unrestricted credit
business from California to Maine
md from Washington TO FlOrlra lu
many small towns of but a few
thousand population, it was found
hat amounts often running Into
hundreds of thousands of dollars
Tere due, and In many instances in
hese sma iler cities and towns,
ranging from $50 to 800 900
1ere paid during Pay Up Week.
Lets have q pay up week in Earl