The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 6

PAQE POUR THE BLYTHEVILLE COURIER NEWS THE COURIER NEWS CO, 0. B. BABCOCK, Editor UMHES, Manager 'Jolt NaUaiul The Tiiomu cluk Cot Mew York, Philadelphia, AtianU, Dillw, Bah Antonio, Su VfAnclico, Chicago, fit. Louta. Published Every Ailernoou Except Bundsjr.

Entered second muter the pott office at BlythevUle, Arkansas, under act ol Coagreu October 1917. Btrved by uie Onlted Press SUBSCRIPTION BATES By carrier In the cliy'or 15c per week or $6.50 per year In advance. By mall within a railiuj ot K. mUffl, $3,00 yeir, 11.50 for six months, 85o for three months; by mall In postal Mnos two to six, inoluslre, 55.SO per year, In tones seven rrd eight, $10.00 per year, payable In BlylheOtlle as a Trade Center Tlu department of commerce report on the retail drygoods trade in Blythcvillc, published elsewhere in this paper, contains little information not already known to most of us, but does nevorthsless provide an occasion for a little thoughtful analysis of our locul business situation. Blythcville is primarily a retail business town.

The city exists' in part, of course, because of the Chicago and Lumber, corporation mill, the Fftl- eral Compress and Wiirehouse company plant, lite Blythcvillc Cotton Oil company mill, the numerous pins, and a few other industrial estiiblishnients, but their payrolls are nowhere near sufficient to justify a population of over 10,000. Fundamentally Blythevillo is because it is the natural trading center of a fertile and populous agricultural region. Most BlytlvHville business men recognize their dependence upon agriculture, which explains why any movement, for the development of greater farm prosperity finds ready support here. Uvcn satisfactory solution of the so-called farm problem, however, not, going to provide a final and definite answer to the question of Blytheville's future. As a matter of fact the very evident tendency of a good many of our more prosperous citizens to look to Memphis or elsewhere for much of what they buy suggests that an improvement in 111; general level of prosperity may 1 'aiV increased tendency for trade to leave town.

Fortunately this tendency is one that can successfully be combatted, and in our opinion it is up to the merchants of flu community to see that something is done about it if they are to have a reasonable hope of future prosperity. It is not primarily price that attracts Mississippi county shoppers to Memphis stores. It is sometimss given as an excuse for trading away from home, but those who think that they save money by making a 150 mile trip are simply kidding themselves. The real reason for the, bigger part of this city's trade loss to Memphis is the belief of local residents, often founded on experience, that they cannot get the variety or quality of goods they desire in Bly- thevillo stores. Naturally there never will bo lime when BlythevUle can offer as complete and varied linea, particularly of the luxury classes of merchandise, as can Memphis or other large cities.

There Is room for improvement, hovMvcr, and in our judgment it must be through such improvement that retail trade conditions here arc to be stabilized and strengthened. Here is how it works: A woman needs a certain item of clothing or household equipment. Perhaps she visits a tow local stores and fails to find it, perhups she simply takes a neighbor's word that it cannot be found here. She decides to go to Memphis, bul because she does not like to make the trip alone she invites a number of friends to accompany her. The ladies visit number of Memphis stores, the desired article is found and purchased, perhaps a cost of only a few dollars, not in itself a ser- ioifs loss of trade to BlythevUle.

But the stores are full of attractive merchandise, nnd purchasing does not atop with Ihc single item for which the trip was Check hooks are unloosed, and by the time the day is over the fact that little article of merchandise could not be purchased here has brought $100 or more of Hlylhu- ville business to Memphis stores, most of it for goods that could just as well have beeri purchased here. Now the store that should havo carried the piece of goods that took $100 worth of business to Memphis may or may not have lost by not having it. Perhaps it was something for which the demand is so limited as hardly lo justify stocking it. But other slores, psrhaps carrying complete and satisfactory stocks in their particular lines, surely did lose because of it. This little story is typical of occurrences that happen almost every day.

VVlml is the remedy? Well, in ths, first place, local business proprietors nnd their families ought to forget their little competitive jealousies and trails with one another. If no owner of a Blythcville store or member of his family went out of town, for goods not carried in his.own store general situation would be helped, a whole lot. Some stores wotdd be enabled to carry better anil more complete liius, thus making unnecessary so many Memphis trips of the kind outlined above. In the second place ft little co-operative effort could accomplish a great deal. We have too many stores trying to carry complete linos and failing.

It would be a good thing for all concerned if locul marchandise stocks were less generally competitive and more complementary. Wider range in variety and quality would thus bo possible without tying up more capital in merchandise. One store could build up a reputation as headquarters for goods of a certain type, others for other lines. And there would be fawer trips to Memphis. BLYTHEVILLE.

COURIER flEWS SIDE GLANCES By George Clark "I'll bet he won't forget me this time." WASHINGTON LETTER BY RODNEY NBA Service Writer the country, the misery of broken men and cf others very near the breaking point Is being into the cars of the Veterans' Bureau' officials who have been directed to first pieferencc under the new bonus loan law to ex-soldiers who are in distress. Many Hes also arc being lold. Thete are men, avid to get more money Into their immediate possession than (hey ever had before at one who frame hard luck stories so tli.it they may have immediate action on their aplicatlon fpr loans. TUESDAY, MAKC1I 10, have been developed i for shutlns 1 and tlis handicapped mean that! many persons well along In years! may live re normal and Interesting' life. BE SUREIYQU'RE RIGE Hobby Ij Important Of particular Importance Is the development of some Interest In a form of occupation or hobby that will In tlw aged the desire to live.

Golf constitutes for many old people the maximum of enjoyment. They should, however, limit their golf to courses that are reasonably flat and not be too anxious to play 36 hol-s or even 18. when nine represents the limit of their physical capability. Indeed, after 90, one retired philanthropist has found that seven hoies represent his Interest lor the day. Happiness In old age depends largely on adaptability to one's sur rounditiKS, and the maintenance of Interest hi some mental or physical activity.

Old age Is a time to ba enjoyed, particularly when there Is not the fear of economic distress. Medea to aynj away ike ox a. wciem sknti- A single P'pe will do. Tag otas aye werelu to give yx. illusion, of power.

insisted their need for cash was urgent is Inclined to.be somewhat cynical. He thinks only about a (hlrd of the men now applying for lonhs are really in need. Face Loss of Homes "The principal reason given for preference is that. the borroweis are about to be dispossessed ol their homes or are back in their I rent and have been given notice." he says. "Often this Is the result of unemployment, but not always.

"There is also large group which tells of sickness In the family, of badly needed operations, of wives who must go to the hospital and of wives who are about to have or have jus', had babies. "There Is a class of poorly dress- FIRST TELEPHONE SPEECH On March 10, 1816, Alexander Graham Bell. Inventor ol tho tels- phone, sent the first complete sentence ever the telephone. It was an order summoning an assistant In another room: Mr. Watson, come here; I want you." Bell's earliest efforts were da- voted to the perfection of a "liar- monio telegraph" with which he I hoped to send several telegraphic messages simultaneously over a single wire.

At the same time. he also tried to.transmit speech electrically. On June 2, 1875, he succeeded in transmitting by wire the sound of a twanging click spring. Others had predicted the possibility of transmitting speech by wire but had not hit upon the only practicable method. Bell's original system used a device slinller to tho modern receiver, both for sending and receiving.

The transmitter ol today, which has been developed by many scientists, is much more delicate and satisfactory. At present the telephone consists essentially of a transmitter, an induction coil, and a receiver, connected by copper wires and supplied with a sourc: ol direct current. teller's are soMeHw.es sadal, corAu'iis jto -VJ550 It largely And there arc women, tearful of imjre cliuis Qreg ojlng their only Insurance jtotcc- cd men who have gone without tlorT as represented by adjusted worii for thrce or our months now ccmpansstion certificates who call flcoll(lw IUe dt who are anxlous the regional offices of bureau, (0 60 that th m4 re She Asked fcr Alarm Clock BOSTON. Massachusetts Welfare Ohest, a branch of the Massachusetts Emergency Committee on Unemployment, recently received a novel application. It seems that a woman, after diligent search, hall found Jot.

Fcarini she might place her Job in jeopardy by oversleeping, she the Welfare Chest to supply her with an Co-eds at a New York university may win athletic credits by pushing baby carriages. DDCS this come under the head of bawl exercise? OUT OUR WAY By Williams vdERr. LOST DiDMT V.NHICV4 WAW To TijRM 1 J. lo ask whether their husbnnda have pledged those certificates for loans and to urge that such loans be withheld. Outside (he office link salesmen automobile salesman hoping to sell a veteran a secDiid-hancl flivver for $35 ov £51 or lo late advantage cf another man's natural desire to trr.dc In Ills old ear for a new one.

Life "Misflls" Crowd In Ami forward in all its strength come those whom time Ins the 'morons and misfits of who, apart from the victims of hard unequipped mentally or physically to stand the r.rst inroads of depression the ranks of the employed and who hnvc not saved money. Men with a few hundred dollars to their name.s were nol in the lines which swamped the regional olflccs at the outset. All that, at least, is the altogether human but not quite happy picture which one gathers from officials of the Veterans' Burcav who have observed ar.cl listened ta applicants In Washington Aside- from the normal influx lo the local regional office, there have been many veterans applying who were stranded at the capital causc Ihey had made original loans alarm clock. frcm banks which turned their certificates over to the Veterans' Bureau tore. An official of the burcnti who for awhile likened lo as as 150 stories a day from veterans who home, realizing lhat they will better off there than in this strange city.

We are moving th'em along as fast as we can. Of course also get this same story from men who have been for years. "We aren't getting the white-cbl- Inr crowd. Those of that group who have applied for loans have teen content (o send hi their applica- lions and await their turns. Among them are quite a few who are bor- rowng money on their certificates at per cenl to liquidate loans which they have made from private sources at 6 per cent and more." None Admit Bachelorhood This man says that among sev- crr.l hundred applicants interview ed Vf.

hasn't found one yet bachelorhood. But quite a lot of them, he knows, have never keen married. And others who claim as many as seven starving chijdren hat? r.rver kTiown the pangs of paternity. The bureau and Its regional offices, incidentally, are not empowered to heed the pleas of anxious wives who don't want their husbands to got- the money. The belief e-xprcsscd at the bureau is that up to 15 per cent of the 3.400.COO ccnificate holders wil be applying for loans under the new 50 per cent loan value.

Tha would mean an increase of about SO per cent 0:1 the number of veterans who borrowed on their certificates under the old lean values. CHURCH EXCUSES George W. What I call tils Collection Com- mitlcc to pay me the usual weekly call and I suppose they intended It collect amount ciue on my or at least they called it a Pledge. I never could im- thirly cents; and he thought if all would have even semblance the Christian Spirit that this goo woman had that all departments the Church would prosper and ills we would feel much better. He aU del-stand why they call it a pledge said that it was published in son -all I UlC was to sign a card.

I did not read it. I just supposed it was something all the members signed. I rtcn't telievc in making an agreement to pay a certain amount each week or month. My idea is for cv- paper that she had done that an that from all over the country poe pie sent her food and clothing an much that she cou not use all of it. He said that th; was the fulfillment of the Scrij eycne to pay when they feel like tures.

I just told him I did not tx it and if one does not BO to Church ov 'e everything I heard or I can't why they would expect either. That these newspaper folk him to pay. would take up anything and ofte One of the Committee is a fellow I te thin no one could bs I don't like much. He did most all 1CVe of the talking He s.iys such crude! 1 a say one tin: things. I think Church would 1 that if you be even fair wit set along much better if he were! C3cd he would bless you such not en this He seemed awful lot.

1 put in some moue to know all about our income. He antl haV5 ye noticed any, dil had i-cati abcut a wXow that walk- -r rence miles to put into some kind of Mission all the mon- O' she rthlr.1: ha it. was; Read Courier. News arss. Hobbies Play Important Part in Keeping Aged People Well IY nit.

MOTiniS Ertilor, of. thr American Meilfc.il Association, ntid of Hy Scla. the Health It Is common that old people are difficult. Thrir have fcicome fixed, cnc.1 Ihe heart, interfered with the function ol the kidneys, or para- togim to break down. they may constitute considerable prcblcm at their home.

On the other hand, many old pfojlc adapt themselves bcautl- to IMr surroundings and constllutc such an important lure of family life that thought arises in the minds ol any or.e thai they arc in any sense ol the word a problem. Ir. a recent consideration ol the mental health of Ihc ami, H. Douglas Sinscr iioinis cut that Jyzed the muscles means much more later in lite than it docs at the moment when it first habits occurs. tissues The person who takes steps toward proper hygiene and right living in youth is putting by health insurance old age that is far beyond any monetary consideration.

The old person of tcday in no way resembles the tyjic ol vcgcta-1 live existence tha! used to mark the livos ot (he aged in previous yeari. Today the movies, the radio, the popularity ot bridge and "other card games, the occupations that Annoimcemcnts wr.r aic undfisoing r.ovi Health Insurance On other liiuul. itioio wlin. aro disccntcnlrd, paralyzed, help-. or imhapnv arc nc-t normal condiiiou rciv.t:.-.nts not tte' otteclF of aw.

but issunlly of dam-; ase to the bcdy that lias occurred' 'tt cvb'js lime. A dit-cascj that has 11-: weak-; of the election to be held April 7: 1'tir A. B. FAIRriELD NEILb HEED (Uc-Election, 2nd Term) For City Treasurer UOSS BEAVERS Irc-tfcctloii, 2nd term) Perhaps you do your staple shopping by the week. Larger items you renew each month.

Household furnishings, automobiles, radios, and similar things are in the nature of investments, whether for mon ths, fov years, or for life. You buy these things at long intervals. But no matter what you buy, you serve yourself best if you plan your purchases in advance. Every list you make is a budget in itself. Careful study of the advertisements will always help you in picking and choosing in comparing prices in weighing your needs and desires.

Making up your list is really a fascinating game when you play it against your allowance. The more careful you are in the preliminary study of the advertisements, the better will be your chance not only to get the best selection for your inn-pose but also to find out in advance how much money you can save for unplanned extras!.