Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-30

the human story in it's own selfish
ness and supreme idioc,. That is GER
tainly the tendency now, and our
friend seems to think that there is
nothing in human ingenuity that can
head us off in the way we are travel
ing.
Let us look at one of the most cas-
lily adapted and sensible arrangements
that could be made to lift us out of
the present rut of unbalanced condi-
tons. Let US first note that today
the universal cry of business concerns
in every great city, in every large
town and every country hamlet. is
TRADE at Home" Patronize Home In
dustries." and Keep Your Money in
Your Own Locality" That is the re-
ligion of chambers of commerce,
boards of trade, etc, with the object
of building up trade centres and sup
porting prosperous business commune
ties where banks and markets may be
encouraged to supply all the demand
Of the territory round about 1t is
good doctrine, if it is not maintained
in one-sided manner. 1t is good to
see the farmers and the day laborers
that find church and school and trad
spending their dollars there for the up
keep of the trade community, for their
own accommodation and for drawing
the dollars of still more remote sec
tons into their field for circulation and
consequent upbuilding.
But with the trade and financial in
terest closely CT SaniZed and govern
ed under comm on agreement, by reg
ulations for the common good, the I'M
organized elem ents around them quite
naturally secure the little end of the
horn" In other words, it is perfectly all
right for the trader or the traders
wife, or the traders daughter or any
person pertaining to the traders house
hold or private interests, to send their
money away to any point of the uni
verse where they can secure the great
est amount OF goods for the smallest
us know that the goods which we buy
Of the local dealer, or at least that
portion for which we would send to
Roe, Seerbucll & Co. are purchased
with money that is sent out of our ter
ritory. Indeed the up-building portion
of the money which we save by trad
ing at home represents the profits of
the trader, and if the individual ac-
quires competency in the purchasing
line equal to that of the dealer then he
transfers the profits Of the dealer to his
own pocket. Believing that they have
attained such competency. hundreds of
thousands Of people throughout the
country are more and more patroniz-
ing mail-ordor houses.
That is an evil which must be met
and rectified, because it is of the same
tendency as the other-drawing the
people away from the country with the
money that is being massed in the
great centers of business.
Now here, we believe should be the
first step in correction, and our answer
to our business friend would be that 1t
is just as necessary for business and
finance to take the chances on build
ing up a market for every bit of the
produce Of the country round about,
as it is to supply to that same terri.
tory all it's needs which it cannot
produce.
We do not know of a single town or
city of less than 100000 population that
attempts to handle the produce of the
country round about which makes its
existence possible.
Boards of trade consider how they
may call in new factories and new
businesses that will build houses and
fill them with laborers: that will buy
the towns imported goods and manu-