Connecticut western news., 1916-02-24
PAY-UP WEEK
The Originator or the idea Explains
 It's Workings

Charles r. Pye. secretary of the Commercial Club, of Waukon. Iowa, who originated "Pay Up Week. " which
 is going to be tried out here under the auspices of the Canaan Business Mems Association. gives enlightenment on the plan, as follows:
 Pay Up Week as we carried it on was planned with two ideas mainly in view: First: To remedy a bad cast, of credit accounts. Secoud-To assist in build. ing mp q community habi: of annual settlement. Incidentally it caused merchants and others to see the value of community organization in such work.
 The method of procedure was very simple. The first move was to enlist the merchants themselves. If they are not dead in earnest any effort will fall flat. Having secured their co operation the next step was census of the book accounts. The secretary of the club went tO each merchant and asked him for the number of book accornts being carried. Based upon these figures we had little slip printed winch was to be enclosed with the statement of ac count tO each customer. Care must be taken to prevent the commercial organ. izatiOn from becoming collection agency.
 The next move was an appeal through the newspapers to all debtors to settle In order to keep it on as high a plane as possible little was said about the prize feature of the week. The appeal was to honesty and square dealing. First-Credit abuse is responsible for high prices. and to some extent for the differences in price between a catalog house and the local merchant. It. is unfair to growl about high prices when you owe every man in town. Second- Abuse of credit is responsible for the lack of progress in affairs. Put what is owed the merchants of any town into the course of trade and see what possi. bilities are opened up. Fifty thousand dollars in the hands of the business meu of q small town makes quite d differ ence Tn the attitude toward all move ments for the improvement nf the town Third-Every man should once a year al least get square with himself and his
  woIId in the face and say: "I owe not any man. At least to make settle ment, other motives were appealed to, among which was You expect 10 pay sometime; why not now and perhaps win d prize 7"
 The window advertising was in the form of large cards calling particular attention to the $50 in prize money to be paid during the week to those pay ing their accounts. On the first day of the pay upweek we were very careful to have all merchants, etc.. settle with one another. The first move was to set the pace and when farmers and me- chanics saw a general movement among the merchants to settle with one an other, they realized that the movement was undertaken as a settlement day and not means of inveigling the poor farmer into some scheme.
 On payment of an account in full, the customer was given ticket which was made in duplicate so that each merchant held duplicate of all tickets given out. This ticket was the chance on the prize money. At the close of the week drawing was held and the lucky individuals were mailed checks with the thanks and appreciation of the Commercial club.
 The week netted over $50 coo to the merchants immediately concerned and many others paid us II matter of senti. ! ment that we could get no clue of. It was a success because the merchants took hold of the matter earnestly and followed up the plan. Those that did not, got small and slow returns. That our appeal was correctly directed was evidenced by the number of men from long distances that would come 10 1 town. go to the bank and draw out a large amount. go from merchant to merchant to settle and then straighten l! up and say as I heard one of them, "There, 1 don't own damn'd person in i the world" The tickets are a great | help and the worst offenders do the | most good. Some man will have q whole handful of tickets and exhibit them proudly, saying that the big money is coming to him, and remarks of the same kind