Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-10-22
MERCHANTS INITIATE
SOLID WEEK OF
BIG SALES
%" GETS ANANSWER
ETERNAL QUESTION MARK THAT
HAD OTTAWA CUE sslNG AS TO
ITS IMPORT, FINDS SOLUTION
IN TopAYs FREE TRApER-JoUR
NAL-THE STORY is IN THE,
"ADS."

Merchants of the city today an
swer that enigmatic question
mark appearing daily in the adj
vertising columns of the Free
Trader Journal. Endless spec
ulation and befuddling doubts
have arisen since the eternal ,
made its first bold defy for read
ers to guess what it portended.
The solution is found in every
page of todays paper 1t is the
Ottawa retailers answer to a ma
tion-wide cry for return to nor
malcy, normally in thought, nor
malcy in the home, normally in
business and normalcy in our
national life.
Through their master stroke mer
chants here have taken mighty steo
forward. gaining big jump on othe
sections of the state, which, while
crying for resumption Of the good
old days. have up to the present done
nothing by deed nor act to bring that
end about. Ottawa. through its ener
gctic business people, who have taken
the initiative in this important mat.
ter, points the way that now will be
followed by many other cities Of the
middle west.
Business sagaeity. or foresight. II
you WILL prompted the store managers
e. kLn Il NAsIa
new prosperity hits America. By
clearing out their large stocks Of mer-
chandise the dealers accomplish re-
suits that are manifold in their bear
ing upon agriculture and industri.
From scores Of different channels
money which heretofore has been w.
ing idle is put into many avenues OF
circulation. No matter how small
the amount, added to the total an
abundance Of good is bound to be re-
fiected upon the farmer, the factory
worker and ctzenry in general.
While Ottawa's bit may be classified
as only a drop in the bucket compared
with the rest Of the country, enough
Of those drops eventually overflow the
bucket, and before we know it NOT
maicy, with all its attractiveness, viii
lie full upon U.s. God cpeed the day.
buyers Week." inaueurated as
stimulus for trade, was conceived as
d possible solution of the general de-
preston which now is gradually being
lifted like an impenetrable veil o.
mist after it has been swept aside, re-
veaIina the beauties of the sun. Re-
cults from the venture will be evI-
dent In increased business for month
to come.
knowing that sales, can be promoted
only by offering attractive bargains,
every line of merchandise has Joined
In the city-wide movement for real
honest-to-goodnes Buyers Week.
Strict precautions have been taken to
prevent any dumping of unsalabit
goods on the market during the period
set aside for the trade campaigh
which begins next Monday and con-
cludes Saturday night, Oct. 2e. Every
sale is a bona f;de bargain and means
monumental savings to the buying
public.
Z, As the Chamber of Commerce aptv
puts the merchandising situation, "The
Ottawa Merchants Won't Be the
Goats Any Longer.
"The retailer has been the goat in
public criticism on the high cost Of
living.
ain reality the local merchants have
been one of the greatest forces IN
Bringing prices down to sane levels.
"There are a let Of things over
which they have had no control and
which, have kept prices high. AS long
as railroads are permitted to charge
the present day rates; as long as
rents remain abnormaIIy high; as long
as wages are high; as long as taxes
are high; as long as gasoline sells
around 20 cents, and as long as bread
is from 10 cents to is cents loaf;
ae long as the public utilities are al
lowed to increase their telephone
rates, gas rates, light rates, ETC., prices
are bound to remain high.
"The merchants in this Buyers
Week have gone the extreme limit BY
Offering their merchandise at iowe'
prices than it has been sold at "
many years-positive proof that the
are doing their share and more.
"This gigantic sale movement, b,
every leading Ottawa store, offei'