Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-25
"RuY Now !"

OWN
economics in the Buy Nowl" movement
fostered in Washington by the CHAM
Der Of Commerce. In Philadelphia q
similar campaign appears to have been
successful. There is every reason why
it should be more so here Washing
ton is less affected by the ups and
downs of prosperity than any city in
the country. There are no great in
dustries here to feel the pinch of de-
creased purchasing power. The biggest
industry, the Federal Government,
goes along just the same, The normal
pay roll tends to increase, rather than
decrease. The savings banks are full
ct money, A population that enjoys a
low percentage of unemployment and
high percentage of ove-the-averaae
salaries remains relatively untouched
by shut-downs, lay-offs and curtail-
ments that elsewhere accompany peri
odic depressions. Conditions IN WASH
tngton to a certain degree reflect con-
d1tions elsewhere. But they are msrely
reflections, not the original image.
But why BUY Now? There are sew
eral sound reasons. The purchasing
power of the dollar is greater. Your
dollar buys more than it did last year.
Prices are lower. Nearly every article
Of clothing, nearly every article that
goes into furnishing or equipping the
home is cheaper than it was a year
ago Houses, automobiles, toys, rugs
this, in short, is buyers market, with
basic conditions relating to purchas-
ing power little changed.
II everybody began to buy and to
Buy Now" the depression would cease
depressing. But. unfortunately, every
body Is not going to buy now simply
because the Chamber Of Commerce says
so or because the Bureau of Labor
Statistics presents inviting comparisons
between the dollar Of 1925 and the
dollar Of today. The man who has
seen his savings reach q new high
mark, the pessimistic fellow who firmly
believes that doom is waiting Just
around the corner, the man who is out
Of q Job, or his neighbor-these are
not going to rush out and engage
in immediate spending because they
read in the papers that the Cham
Der OF Commerce thinks it would help
the town or because they hear some
body make an appeal over the radio
for confidence in the Nations future.
Something more is necessary. Some
body must break the Ice, and break it
with q bangl
Col. Arthur Woods, called back by his
old chief, President Hoover, into I'M
employment relief, has the right idea.
He Is finding out who Is breaking the
Ice and telling the world about 1t. The
Chamber Of Commerce or appropriate
committees of organized wasl1ineto-
mans might undertake, on . local scale,
what is being attempted on a national
scale by Government agencies Let
them set about creating the atmosphere,
or psychology, If you will, that makes
for substantial and non-artificial buy
ing movements. There might be COM
piled muster roll Of reasons why one
should Buy Now" 1t should be made
up Of such announcements as the fact
that the A. B. d c. Co. has let a con-
tract now, instead of putting it OF, as
originally intended, until next Spring;
that B. c. d D., Inc, has increased its
pay roll and expanded its field of &C
tivity now, instead Of postponing it
until Conditions warrant; that the
x. Y. z. plant enlargement, contem-
plated for some years, is to be made i'm
mediately and that John Doe e. Sons is
going to retain It's fun force instead of
making the seasonal lay-of that had
been planned. All Of these things may
be said, and more, too, If they are true,
and they win be true when the city's
Buy Now" advocates 60 into the high
ways and byways Of Washington trade
and business, do the necessary mis-
sionary work and obtain the proof of
the pudding that lies in the eating
thereof.
Somebody must lead, the public must
be informed. and others gathered into
the train of those who are ready and
willing to Buy Now!" Then the move
ment will take care Of itself.