Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-07-16

pedestal, some premature mourners
said: Just another thing to injure the
life of the small town! This new
tangled sound equipment is expensive
The local 'opry house or Bijou Dream
can't afford it. You'll see smore of our
people flocking down to Zenith to hear
the 'yelluloids'!" But how about it,
really? How is it working out? | was
turning the pages yesterday of big
volume listing every picture theater in
this country, with a notation as to
whether it has been wired for sound
could hardly believe my eyes. There
were hundreds-thousands- of thea
ters showing talking pictures in towns
with as few as 700 people, or 1000 or
1,8O0! That shows enterprise, deter
mination, will not to be left behind
And we see that same splendid spirit
in varied manifestations, in small town4
throughout the Nation. The American
small town is not going to quit or take
punishment lying down" One of our
Washington humorists who sometimes
expresses his shrewd wisdom through
the character of an old colored uncle"
made his Uncle Eben say, the other
day, Whenever you see gutter,
you's liable to see man date wash
much of beginner in de fust place
But American citizens of the small
town are just the reverse of that They
were valiant, dauntless beginners-and
/ am convinced that they will prove to
be very sturdy stayers.
They are coming to realize, think
that one of the secrets of restoring
small-town business, where it has
shown signs of decadence, is to be
found in a brisk, resolute moderniza-
ton program for the stores, the intro
duction of more rigid efficiency along
partment misunderstanding or even
transforming of equipment and ar
engagements, the installing Of stock
control systems, the careful training of
salespeople, cooperative advertising,
chamber-of-co commerce activity, the
creation or arousal of keener civic
consciousness.
Obviously, one of the most potent
weapons available to the small town
merchant is the trade developing
power of local advertising media. Ger
tainly, intelligently guided publicity
and consistently vigorous local adver-
Using especially in these days of con-
sumner timidity, represent outstanding
means at the command of the smaller
community merchant for arousing
greater interest in his goods and at
tracing customers to his door.
Let us look at one example of what
can be done in the small-town mer-
chandising field. Moved by the strik-
ing results of our recent Grocery Sur
vey in Louisville Kentucky, every
single retail merchant in one small
town in that State carried out an ex-
trernely thorough modernization of his
store. With what result? There has
been, ever since, very substantial in
crease in the combined net business of
all the towns stores. They have created
new business and new profits Other
small towns can do the same through
energetic and adroit action.
find / have not time today to take
up some of the main factors. some of
the outstanding contemporary forces,
that promise to help small town bust
ness in the future | have not been
able to discuss the factory prospects
of our smaller communities, the great
possibilities in the decentralization of
industry, the Importance to little places
of air routes and of our vast new high
way systems, the potential influence of
the impending coming of television, or
most important of ALL the long-dis-
lance transmission of electric power as
a great stimulant to small town in
dustries. have not said anything about
the spread of mail-order trading or
about the chain store endeavoring to
invade the small town-and certainly
do not want to miss those things. Let
us postpone these topics till next Sun
day.
In the meanwhile, let us bear in mind
the story Of the two strangers who fell
into conversation on a railway train.
Where yuh going?' asked one. ITO
Jonesville," replied the other-"town
Of about 5000 up the line ways"
Better steer clear o. Jonesville, pard-
ner,r yawned the first speaker;
'everything's frightfully dull up there"
The ether mans eyes beamed: That's
great" he Grid, that's fine. I'm scis-
sors-grinder!' Fewer yawners and
some additions to. our already great
army of scissors grinders" will sharp
en- up the business prospects of the
American small-towns. They are COM
ing strong, as hope to show you in
next Sundays talk.
Ito be continued)