| Show SUICIDE one of the strangest phe phenomena nomen a witnessed in most towns and small cities is the apparent ea eagerness with which many otherwise good citizens contribute to the tendency to commit community suicide these citizens will often show uncommon zeal in boosting any movement to obtain city improvements to promote the location of new industries dus tries to secure better educational facilities and so on yet many ol of these same proud boosters boasters bo will deliberately libera tely engage in the practice which nullifies all their otherwise laudable lau dible efforts and wonder gieir t beir town go ahead we refer to the dial habit babit ol of buying away from home the enormous growth of the mall mail order and city habit in recent years is largely responsible for the failure of many communities to make the progress which their natural advantages should make possible the money that ought to be kept at home for the expansion of local trade and industry is sent away to lie he city never to return the lifeblood of prosperity is allowed to ebb away through the indifference or thoughtlessness 0 of atthe the very persons who should set an example of local pride and loyalty A trifling saving here and there usually more imaginary than real is sufficient to cause the average citizen to forget his duty to his community and to himself which it if performed would mean far more in the direction of local prosperity than all his other boosting efforts put together why boost in one direction while committing community suicide in another |
