The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1919-08-13
The Store In
The Community

When the little town was started a
good many years ago, the need for
store was uppermost In the minds of
the people in the community, and
finally one came and located This
store, when it came into town, brought
capital, the result of savings else
where and in other lines, perhaps. 1t
added wealth to the community and
increased the population of the COM
munity. but the most important thing
it did was to bring to that community
service-a brand new stock of goods
to be sold at reasonable prices SO that
everyone in the community might walk
into the store, see the goods, and select
his needs. This was truly a service
very much appreciated.
The need for that store is just as
apparent today as it was when there
was no store there, but the fact that
it is with US, that we see it every day,
makes it easy for us to forget its
benefit-the service it renders to the
community. 1t gathers the goods from
the great central markets. places them
on display where they may be had at
moments notice upon the payment
of reasonable profit, which profit is
exacted for service and benefit. 1t
gathers the goods from where they
are produced and not wanted and
brings them to the point where they
are not produced and are wanted.
This is the function of the merchant
and in that sense he becomes pro-
Queer, and the profit which we pay to
the merchant is for performing such
service.
More than that, the store makes
the community a more desirable place
in which to live; it adds to the con-
veniences of the community. The
store pays taxes in proportion to in
vestment the taxes go to support the
schools, the roads, paying the officers.
townships, county and state, and be-
comes a financial asset to the state,
county and community as well as a
service asset.
Then the merchant. through the fact
that he is a good merchant, imbued
with the spirit service, adds another
element to the community. He sup
ports charity, the churches and
schools, the county fair, the lecture
courses, young peoples enterprises,
the entertainments, the forces that
give life and stability to the communi-
ty.
The merchant is a community
builder as well as a business builder
and the fact that he has spent whole
life in the retail business in the COM
munity without getting rich is ample
evidence that he has rendered a SER
vice which has not been overpaid.
The store is a part of one of the i'm
portant institutions of the community,
state and nation-business A COM
munity cannot develop, grow and pros
per as it should grow and develop un-
less all of its institutions grow and
develop in proper proportion and re-
lation to each other. Business is the
heart of the institutional life of any
community, and so it behooves US in
every community to give full credit to
the Importance of the local store for
the good it does and the good it has
done, and to continue our loyal sup
port that it may continue as develop
ing. uplifting factor in community
life and development. We need the
store Just as we need the bank, the
churches, the creamery, the school,
the home. good roads. We should
support each and all Of these because
each and every one OF these institu
tions goes to make q prosperous,
happy communities, fit to live in. The
store does its share. Jordan indie
pendent.