The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-04-09
FAIR PLAY TO HOME
MERCHANTS

The Duluth Herald has struck ;
note OF loyalty to home Interests
that ought to be heard in Other
cities, including Minneapolis. i
protests editorialy against patron.
age by Duluth citizens of repre-.
sentatives OF stores in other cities
WHO set up temporary sample
rooms in hotels and private homes
and. through the business done
with unthinking customers, make
unfair encloachments on the trade
field OF home merchants. The Her
aid puts it squarely up to the citi-
Zens OF the town to ask themselves
il they do right by themselves, by
their neighbor business men. By
the employees of these business
men, or by the community in which
they live and earn a livelihood.
The editor says partly:
These outside stores pay no
taxes here They do no, con-
tribute a penny, all combined.
to local charitable institutions.
They take no part in Duluth's
civic activities. They do not
pay to local workers. They
contribute nothing what ever to
the building up Of Duluth. but
80 far as they take patronage
away from deserving local en-
terprises they work to tear
down Duluth.
The local merchants. on the
other hand. pay rent and tax
es here; they contribute to the
churches and charities of the
community: they patronize the
professional men who live
here: they and their employees
spend their money in the local
stores and shops: they buy
their automobiles of local deal
ers; they work. through their
own and other civic organiza-
tons, to build UP Duluth and
make it grow and prosper.
The citizen who spends his
money is working to build UP
Duluth. The citizen who
spends his money in other
cities is building up those other
cities at the expense Of his
own.
On this indictment The Herald
'laborates TO the same purpose OF
eeping for Duluth merchants ana
:tizens what is, in all fairness and
eason. their own. 1t finds that il
not conscious disloyalty, but
houghtlesspess, for the most part. !
nat leadsspeople to share the !
enefits soheir patronage with
utSiders Ah0 do nothing to de-
erve these benefits, who have no
rlor claim on the financial and |
resources OF the commun-
y.
Local merchants are community |
ullders who not only sell goods, |
ut put the spirit and fact of sery-
e into their business, do their
lll part in hearing public bur
ems, help to underwrite the agen !
les that function for human wei
ire at home, and are not founI
Ais'hS "hCh CIc SUMMONS comes
publish the home town in desir-
bic terms to the world, whether
he medium be the public prints, a
ageantry Of local industry. or a
celebration signalling
lie presence of a distinguished Wis
or or commemorative of car
lnal event in the history of the
The home merchants have stand
as they must abide by, merchan-
Sc and service values they must
aintain, if they are to continue
lccessful in business. The tenn
)rary invader from outside is too
ten unbound by these require
ents. He sells and fits, taking
lth him money for which. consid-
ed from the standpoint of the
he leaves no ADEQUATE
uivalent.
Patronizing home trade is more
an fair play: it is individual sele-
terest, of legitimate sort, and il
sound domestic economics. -
nneapolis Tribune.