The Delta independent., 1920-04-30
People Cannot Take More Out OF
a Community Than They
Put In.
COLLAPSE IS Inevitable
Town Will Not Survive Long II Its
Commercial Structure Is Torn
Down Faster Than it Can
Be Built Up.

lie WHO uuuCeS luuSl pay Iue hoOiCA.
That is an old saying which is full Of
| truth. The primary idea in this say
Ing of course, is that one cannot have
any pleasure without paying for it in
some way, but this is not the only
sense in which it may be construed.
1t means that we cannot pursue any
foolish policy indefinitely without pay
ing for it in the end.
No man can overtax his physical
strength indefinitely without risk
ing ultimate disaster. Dissipation
or overwork may be continued for
time without any noticeable results,
but If continued for sufficiently long
time the inevitable comes to pass. The
laws of nature cannot be violated with
impunity. If one takes out of life more
than he puts in, if he tears down his
physical strength faster than he builds
it up, he must eventually pay the fid-
dler.
What is true of the laws of nature
Is equally true of economic laws. The
people of community may for time
tear down the commercial structure of
a town faster than they build it up
without meeting disaster, but it cannot
be continued Indefinitely. In the end
they must pay the fiddler
Exhaust Resources of Community.
The person who makes his living in
a community, receiving the money of
the community for his labor or the
products of his labor, and then spends
his income outside of his community
Is helping to exhaust the resources of
the community just as the man who
expends his energy through dissipa-
ton or overexertion faster than he
builds it up is exhausting his physical
resources. One man may do this, Of
course, without noticeably affecting the
economic strength of theocommunity,
but when a dozen men or women do
II the effect becomes noticeable and
when a hundred do 1t the resources Of
the community become exhausted to
the point where collapse is inevitable.
Those who are responsible for this sit
uation may think that they have profit
ed individually by their actions. but
they have not realized that in the end
they must pay the fiddler.
There are some persons who seem 70
be able to get through 'tfe without
much effort. There are some who pro-
ceed ON the theory that the world owes
them a living and they proceed to col
lect 1t. They take what they can get
and give nothing In return. Such per-
sons, however, are not very numerous.
Most of US must pay for everything
that we get. Some may have to pay
more than their share and these are
carrying the burden Of those who get
more than they pay for. The fact re-
mains that, as a general rule, one can
not have much worth while without
paying for 1t.
The merchants Of any community
are the backbone of that community,
so far as its prosperity and progress
are concerned. Individually there may
be some of them who do not exert
themselves to boost their community,
but collectively they are the men upon
whom the living Of every person in
the community depends. The success
or failure of an individual merchant
may not be of particular concern to
the people of community. but the
success or failure of the merchants as
a whole is matter of the very great
est concern.
Provide Market for Farmers.
The merchants Of town, in the first
place, provide a market for a large
part of the products Of the farmers
in the territory surrounding the town.
They buy the produce Of the farmers
In small quantities. in accordance with
their need, and some Of them buy in
larger quantities for shipment to for
eign markets. II the merchants could
not do this there would be no market
at least for the small quantities except
at ruinous prices. II the farmers could
not realize a reasonable profit from
their products, there would be no mon
ey for them to spend and there could
be NO money to pay for your products
or to pay for your labor. 1t is there
fore, Of the greatest Importance to ev-
cry member of the community, wheth-
er a resident Of the town or farmer
In the country surrounding the town,
that the merchants be enabled to pro-
vide this market for at least part OF
the farmers products.
Every dollar sent away from eetOwn
to a mail order house helps to diminish
the ability of the local merchants to
provide market for the farmers prod
ucts or to do any of the many other
things which the merchants of every
town do for their community.
Business in a community cannot be
conducted on a one-sided basis. A man
| cannot take out of his community
good living for himself and family and
give nothing in return. He may do
/ md with