The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1911. STRATFORD’S TRADE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 19, 7 September 1911, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1911. STRATFORD’S TRADE.

If tho views expressed by the Stratford business man who was interviewed by a representative of this journal a few days ago were a trifle optimistic, it was certainly a cheerful, healthy optimism, which meant well and spoke well for the town he lives in. Further, the views therein expressed will be very generally endorsed by a great majority of Stratford’s business people, and all this notwithstanding tiie quite astonishing wail which we publish in another column. Anonymous effusions do not generally count for much, but. if, as, one would almost deduce from tho one under notice, our good friend’s business really has slackened off or receded, we arc sorry, and trust he may have a more cheerful tale to tell ere long. If such a set-back hah occurred to him , we would suggest that ho is possibly unfair in placing the blame where he docs, and that it might be well to ascertain if perchance the fault may not be with himself or his methods. It is not wise ■ to always stick too closely to the beaten track in these progressive times. Turning to tho letter for one moment surely the condemnation of it lies in the writer’s statement that “business places have practically doubled”—-in number we presume he means—during the past eighteen months or so, and in making tin’s point while forgetting to also make reference to the great increase of population in tho district and tho added railway facilities which convey people to Stratford as their market town, ho days himself open to tho suspicion (quite unfounded, we feel sure) that he is merely acting selfishly in tho views ho sots forth. It is quite possible that certain businesses in any town or city have as much competition as they desire or require, but these matters always adjust themselves • and tiio energetic, up-to-date business man who has something to soil, and who does not forget to tell the public that lie has that something, is the man to succeed, be he newcomer or old resident. We arc convinced that business men in Stratford will not endorse our correspondent’s statements: at many of them they will laugh consumedly. There is, however, another and more serious aspect of the whole question which is by no moans a laughing matter. It is the damage such ill-considered and pessimistic expressions may do to tho good name and credit of our town and district. If our friend’s business profits drop another point or two after his outburst, wo shall not wonder, for ho will merely have himself to blame. Surely, also, it is hardly noeessaiy for ns to repeat the words of that eminent M. lb our correspondent quotes: “A lie lias a thousand logs and there’s no catching it.” For our own part wo can only say that the steady growth of prospoi itv in Stratford is evidenced on every hand and that the indications are that pros-

parity will go on ami grow greater. We decry any attempt to “boom” Stratford as much and as sincerely as our correspondent docs, hut we do not think it wise to go to the extremes lie is doing in Ids anxiety to waid off a possible “boom” time. Stratford has bad wholesome experience in the past and lias before bad to suffer from attacks from within. Never were they less merited than at present. In conclusion lot us point nit that possibly no other business in a community is so well able to judge the advance or retrogression of a town or district as that town or district’s newspaper, and we know that Stratford is progressing and that business generally is certainly not in the sad way “Commonsense” would lead one to suppose by Ids rather anguished wail about his own.