The more things change, the more they remain the same, as the old saying goes. The following is a 1927 editorial of the Lassen Advocate, as it was concerned about how mail order business hurt the community. Fast forward today, replace mail order with online shopping.
The Town Grave Digger. In nearly every community may be found quite a number of persons who consider themselves leading citizens, but in truth are helping to dig a grave for their town.
They do it through their failure to support institutions which make the town what it is. They do it by sending away for merchandise which might be brought with equal advantage at home. They do it frequently through thoughtlessness, but often througfh sheer disregard for the welfare of the community of which they are aprt.
The doctrine of buying at home in not advanced solely in the interest of the individual markets. It is advocated because every citizen of a town is to a certain extent dependent upon every other citizen for his own prosperity. Business men are sometimes as greatly at fault as anyone else inthe matters of out-of-town trading.
If the shoe dealer sends away for his automobile tires and the automobile man sends away for his furniture and the furniture man sends away for this clothing and so on, how can they expect to build local prosperity?
All the fine talke about civic pride that one may indulge in will never make a town, so long as the life blood of the community—the cold cash—is spent elsewhere.
A man may make boosting speeches until he is black in the face, but unless he spends his money where he makes it, he is the home town grave-digger.
Excellent editorial, thanks for sharing Tim! Its as true today as it was then.