Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-05-20
help abut win.

1--WE are all one big family in this town. de-
clared one of the leading merchants at meet
ing few days ago 1--WE ought to all work to-
gether Nothing is to be gained from. constantly
working each man against every other"
The Fitzgerald Cooperative Sale is going to
be one big result Of the get-together spirit.
Whether it will be the large success that the
merit of the merchandise which is offered for sale
warrants, is yet to be seen. People from fifty
miles around would find it to their advantage to
come to buy. The cooperative sales idea has
brought wonderful results in other places, where
it was carried out deliberately But the big
thing is in getting the spirit of working together
breaking the ice of suspicion and distrust.
We reproduce from the Cordele Dispatch an
appeal for deliverance from a condition which,
happily, does not prevail in Fitzgerald:
The merchants Of Cordele should get some of
the good out of cooperative trade boosting.
Dawson has just come out of three days season
which is said to have done much to boost bus
mess. We could shout for joy if any two OF
three or dozen merchants here could get to-
gether long enough on any one program to bring
good trade results There are enough live mer-
chants in Cordele to make this one OF the Invest
trade centers in the country
Our fault is that each man in pulling separ-
ately, on his own footing with the belief that he
can do more keeping his plans and efforts to
himself This is not true. The elimination of
this habit and the substitution of cooperative
efforts will turn great volumes Of trade which
this community has not heretofore touched
Other trade centers all around us are our bus
mess competitors. We could name scores of
towns that get trade which is at least possible
for this community. But it will take organized
business efforts to get it. The merchants invest
ing in large stocks of dress goods for women in
Cofdee, instead of pulling separately, ought to
be working together to develop this one business
SO that those who call for anything in that line
might know they get it. If one merchant
fails to connect up on purchase and knows he
is going to miss it, the next best thing is to
make the customer buy it in Cordele That's
trade cooperation in one of its many phases. 1t
is far better to speak up for competitor than tc
permit trade to go out of this community. 1t is
right to pail first for SELF but ultimately for
Cordele
Every merchant should be shot through with
the idea. 1t builds all the tme-adds more vol
ume to the years total of trade.
Here is frank criticism, offered for the good
that it may do: Our merchants are less enthusi
astic on the matter of trade cooperation than
they ought to be. Other business interests in
Cordele are outstripping them in spirit and
hustle. 1t is because of failure to cooperate and
pull all together for larger trade. In union
there is strength. In cooperation among home
merchants there is larger volume of business
A hustling, cooperative business spirit among
Cordee merchants would bring astounding
results.
Who has the courage to start something worth
while in this line?