The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-02
For the Good of
the Community

n
- mingham people do not patronize
Birmingham business concerns to the ex-
tent they should
A few days ago one of the leading bust
ness men of Birmingham stated that he
had submitted an offer to furnish several
thousands dollars worth of material of
certain kind. He has large plant in
Birmingham, representing an invest
ment of something like 100000, and en-
plOyS a large number of men. His weekly
payroll is several hundred dollars.
His bid was 5000 higher than the low
est. The lowest bid came from a man
who is merely broker having no invest
ment in Birmingham and occupying only
desk room in another mans office. He
pays no taxes to the city, county or state,
and gives employment to no one but him
self. His bid was accepted notwithstand-
ing he had never bought a dollars worth
of goods or material from the person who
called for the bids.
The difference in the two bids repre-
sented about $40 on each of ten houses
for which the materials were being pur-
chased. Every dollar spent for the ma
terials purchased under this bid, except
the brokers' commission, went away from
Birmingham to pay wages of men en-
manufacturers in other places.
Ordinarily is is economy to buy at the
lowest prices, but in case of this kind it
would appear that for the small differ
ence in the price-S200 in total pur-
chase of several thousand dollars-the
other way round would have been econ
omy It certainly would have been bet
ter for the community if the extra 5000
had been kept at home and the business
thus given to local concern would have
given employment to several men and
consequently put more money IN cIrcula-
ton thereby increasing the business of
local merchants helped working men to
buy homes, or pay rent.
The broker had no office or plant ex-
penses to pay; he never saw the materials
he sold and handled none of the money
except the commission which was for
warded to him by the manufacturers after
they had collected the account.
This is not an argument in support OF
patronizing home enterprises regardless
of what it ay cost. That would not be
good business policy. But where the diff
ference in the cost of the home product
and that brought in from other places is
small, mere trifle as in the case cited, it
would appear that it would be the better
business policy to buy at home.
One of the complaints most frequently heard in
Birmingham in past years has been that Birming-
ham people buy away from home at the same or
higher prices than are charged at home A great
many articles that are manufactured in Birming-
ham have a very small market at home; in some
instances it is claimed the merchants fail refuse
to handle the home product and their customers,
not seeing them on display, never think or do not
feel inclined to call for them.
This is an injustice to the home manufacturer.
the home people will not take the trouble to ask
for his products people in other places can hardly
be expected to do So
Made in Birmingham should be an attractive
advertisement to Birmingham people. Calling
for the home product creates demand that the
merchants will heed and il. time it will help the
home manufacturer to build up a business that in
turn builds up Birmingham
Birmingham makes over 400 different articles.
They include iron and ste i and their products,
coal and it's by-produots zine End cement cotton
and cotton seed products, chemicals of various
kinds, woodenware, vehicles and vehicle parts,
machinery TOOLS mill and rhine supplies, clothing,
grain products and hundre is of others that might
be enumerated
Birmingham advertises 81. 100, 900 week pay
roll, thereby inviting the word to come among us
to sell it's products, but es e1om is there an adj
vertisement in newspapers, ragazines or other
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