The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-05-01
AMERICAS SMALL TOWN
AND MERCHANDISING

AMERICAS SMALL TOWN
AND MERCHANDISING
THIS TOWN is first of all a mar
ket place. That is the foundation
upon which it is built. On that
foundation Of merchandising is also
built the spiritual, cultural, social
structure of the community.
Take away the stores and with
them would soon 60 the churches,
schools and all those things which
make the town desirable place in
which to live, and desirable place
for people of the farm homes to
visit.
The influence of, and the advan-
tages offered by the town do not stop
at the corporate limits. It is the
center, the hub, Of a community.
Its spiritual, social and cultural in
fiuence extends into the farm homes.
The people of those homes are part
of the community of which the town
is the hub. They, too, support its
churches, its schools and its market
place. They, too, are interested in
its prosperity and advancement, and
its continuance and improvement as
a market place. Such improvement
means increased convenience for
them and increased values for their
farm acres.
For this town, and all other Amer
lean towns, the shortage Of rubber
that makes necessary the saving
Of tires, is not an unmixed evil.
There is less inclination for the
towns people or the farmers to trav-
ell longer distances to larger market
centers. The trade of the commu-
nifty is staying at home. The con-
ditions of today offer an opportunity
for tomorrow for the merchants OF
this and all other American towns.
Buying that is now being done in
local market places will continue
after the war, provided all mer-
chants make the most of their oppor-
tunities. For them it means larger
and more varied stocks of merchan-
disc. 1t means merchandising, in
stead of storekeeping methods. It
means providing in home stores
those things people have previously
gone to larger centers to obtain. This
and modern advertising methods in
the hometown papers will keep the
business of the community in the
hometown market place.
u. s. DEMOCRACY
IN A DINING ROOM
P. G. B. ("BUD") MORRIS is a
friend of many years standing. He
is English-born- atford-on-Avon-
an AL American citizen, who flew
American naval planes in World
War /.
I was having dinner with him at
the Arrowhead Springs hotel, of
which he is manager, in the foot
hills of the San Bernardino noun
tains in southern California. 1t is a
pretentious place, with bride paths
and saddle horses, golf courses and
dinner coats, lavishly furnished
lounges and spreading balconies. II
located in Europe, such a place
would be rendezvous of wealth and
the nobility. In America it is rem
devious of democracy.
I asked bud" to tell me who
some of his guests in the dining
room were. There was an Iowa
farmer and his wife; a merchant
and his wife from a small Nebraska
village; a United States army
colonel; the head of one of the great
packing concerns of Chicago with
his wife and her friend; country
doctor from Pennsylvania; New
York society leader and her daugh-
ter; a private from nearby army
camp and his mother, and SO on.
The men were all gentlemen, the
women all ladies-not by class but
by instinct. They were all eating in
the same dining room, all selecting
their choice of food from the same
menu, all paying the same price.
There was no thought of class dis
tinctions. They were all Americans.
Such a gathering in such place
could be found in but few countries
outside of America. Because it can
happen here is what makes America
tick, what makes us love this land
of ours and its institutions; what
makes us fight for its preserva-
ton as land of opportunity.
CONGRESSIONAL POLITICS
IN WAR TIME
THAT THE minority lobbyists at
Washington, who threaten timid
members Of congress with loss of
votes for any infraction of the lob
byists' demands, do not represent
any considerable number of voters
is illustrated by the result Of ma
tional polls. A congress that is more
interested in winning votes than in
winning war should note that SO
per cent vote for legislation that
would force labor unions to register
with the federal government and
report their receipts and expendi-
lures. It should note that approx
mately rs per cent oppose the 40
hour week and demand at least 48
hours before overtime is paid.