Show II HOME TOWN TOW BUILDING I II l In last weeks week's issue we commented upon the decrease of of- population during during during dur dur- i ing the past ten years in the smaller maller i towns and invited correspondence on i the subject Following is a contribution contribution contribution tion from a writer whose name is withheld by request Dear Mr E Editor In your issue of last week you put the question What is the matter with the country towns in th the West and Middle West Why are they stationary stationary stationary station station- I ary or showing a decrease in population population population tion In this you have certainly hit upon a live issue The question is one that should have the serious consideration consideration consideration consider consider- of ev every ry business and professional profess profess- ional man of your town as well aa as every merchant and manufacturer in inthe inthe inthe the United States When the smaller towns go backward backward backward back back- ward as m many ny are now doing the industrial industrial industrial in in- and moral welfare of the country will suffer It is id well known by economists that there has been ar a r revolution in in business busine s conditions i in inthe the pa past t t ten n y years a 8 and d. d i p ion accompanied by the shifting of of population lation from the country to the cit city has been enhanced by st the automobile and the interurban The writers writer's opinion is that a good share of the trouble originates with the town small n merchants We all know that the country busi mess man represents the development in American manhood That is ia the prime reason re-ason why the na nation nation na- na tion is not benefited by the e mi migration of the country boy to the city The he av average rag rag-e storekeeper in the country town is invariably healthy strong and intellectual but unfortunately as a am m merchant he simply will not g get t out of the rut made in his line of trade by the footsteps footstep of his predecessors This is plain talk but it is what iu it needed by those country merchants who imagine that they can handle their business on the same old plan planas as that employed by their pred predecessors cess cess- ors twenty or forty years ago They have new conditions to face new forces to contend with The inter- inter I urban urban I the car automobile good roads and the P P Parcel Po Post t are here to stay This This means means ans' ans that the country merchant merchant mer mer- chant hant i in hi order to be be successful l. l must meet city competition with the city- city I mans man's plan of getting business That Thatis I I is his problem and so long as he fails I II I to fo o solve it you will see good count country y yI I money and business opportunity d drifting drift drift- ift- ift ing ng to the city Easy to tl s say y but difficult difficult difficult dif dif- II to do is the thought that enters enters en en- ers the mind of the country merchant merchant mer mer- chant l ant who reads this but that sort of reasoning will not make headway Think it over Here is the question How do the big stores in the city attract buyers The The answer answer is they hey do it first by big advertisements in the newspapers Think of it adaily a daily adaily issue of a well illustrated il illustrated il- il catalog with catchy descriptions descriptions descriptions and emphasis on cut prices out before before men and wo women women en who have money to spend and who need the goods There can be le but butone butone one ens result result result-a a Sale v How Howlong long could these big stores exist ex- ex they d i d-i t use filets advertisements advertise advertise- v ments menta to draw trade Their expenses es would eat them up and put them out of bf business inside of ot of oten ten en months Of course it would be nonsensical to suppose that the country town own merchant could afford to issue a big catalog but he has his local newspaper newspaper per aud audits its working force at his disposal disposal disposal dis dis- and it is the best and cheapest selling force in the world store this thought under your hat Every cou country try town that has a weekly ne newspaper is missing missing missing miss miss- ing a harvest if A its merchants cl do n not I make it a mail order catalog It should be your price cut-price catalog with a good illustration and catchy description of every article of merchandise Dont Don't be afraid to advertise your prices es That is the whole the whole secret of successful merchandising Price first last andall and arid andall al all the he time should be the the-bi the big feature Your name iu in big letters will pot pull tra trade e. e Prices and plain figures w will ll do so A question suggested sUgg by the fore fore- going is is How much Eph Ephraim ai n money is sent to the order mail-order houses every year to work for the industrial up up- building of the larger trade centers We venture the assertion that if the figures could be ascertained they would stagger belief The foregoing article will be continued in next weeks week's issue Later the writer will have something of interest to say to doctors householders household rs and retired farmers Mr P. P 0 O. Anderson has kindly forwarded an an- ar article icle d dealing aling with another phase of f toe the Home Town pro problem lem The communication appears b below low Another article by one of our subscribers subscribers' was received too late for publication It will appear appear in next in-next next weeks week's issue The interest shown by our readers is indeed gratifying |