Douglas Island news., 1917-08-10
VALDEZ PAPER
 HITS BULLS EYE
Itinerant Merchants and Foreign Printers Work Animation
 to Alaska Towns

! A recent issue of the Valdez Miner
 contained the following words of wisdom which we commend to an
 business men In Alaska, those of
 other towns as we'll as Douglas: Human nature is the samo the
 world over. That is most human
 nature is the same. Sometimes you | find people different from thc ordi- mary run Of folks, but they arc gon- orally in the hands of the under takor and useless to an intents and purposes. A few days ago a rcnrc- sentative of a Cheap John company camc into Valdez with stock Of goods which he placed on salc in a vacant building leased for that pur- pose. A cry arose from among
 certain of our business men that the aforesaid Cheap John was com IpctinE unfairly with them and the man wus fined and put out of bus mess, whercat every fair-mindcd man In the city rcjoiccd greatly, be- cause, while our merchants sell at greater price than Seattle and Ia coma merchants, they also pay taxes here, help keep up thc city's streets. and in many ways arc % direct benefit Co the community, which thc itncrant merchant is mot When his goods are sold he bulls his freight for some other town where suckers wax plcntcous and tho game goes mcrrily on. But when it comes Co printing it is dir-
 fcrcnt Tho past few days many representatives Of Tacoma and Sc lattlc houses have toured the terri
 tory and have taken away many nice. juicy orders orders which would make the Alaskan printer re-
 ioicc exceedingly Co receive.
 These men do not pay one dollar Co help support thc town, they never put forth one penny toward its de- vclopmcnt. and the thousands Of dollars they take out of the terri tory is never returned. lt goes Co help employ moro men Co build up Seattle and Tacoma busiuessea.
 Now, wherein is tho difference between merchandise and prinu Inc the merchant deserves protection why should not the printer receive the same treatment? Ir it is unfair to our businessmen Co allow outsid- CTS to come Into thc territory and undcrsell them, why is it not unfair for a representative of outside Triut- ing concerns Co mdcrscll territorial printers. lt is undoubtedly true that travelling representative can underscll a local concern, but it is also true that this is the only scry- ice they render Che commuuityThcy pay no taxes. they do not help build up a town. they take thc cream Of the business, receiving only the large orders. the small jobs being left for thc local man.
 If it is right in one case Co pro tect the local man it is certainly right to protect thc local man in the other ease. The orders taken out of Alaska by itncrant houses would increase the population by many hundreds. and will enable many a printer who is lighting m- der adverse conditions Co meet his obligations and install good ma chinery. lt would add two or three high-priccd employees Co every town in Alaska. whose money would be spent at home These men would become loyal Alaskans, who would work for tho upbuildnE of this grand old territory, Instead of tear
 ing it down by shmmiug the cream off the business, leaving thc skim milk for the home man.