During the last few years, a number of Polish business enterprises have been launched in Chicago which, despite the base machinations of competitors of other nationalities, are flourishing and are providing the Polish people with merchandise of a very high quality at the lowest possible prices.

One such enterprise is the Avondale Clothing Company, located at 2875-77 Milwaukee Avenue; it is a men's clothing store. A reporter from Dziennik Zwiazkowy visited the establishment and, thanks to the courtesy of Ambrezewski, the manager, was able to see how business is conducted there and to obtain information concerning the firm's financial status.

Taking the proverb "Fortune smiles upon the fold" as their watchword, four energetic Polish citizens, namely, J. Magoziarz, A. Ambrozewaski, Leon Wojcinski, and J. Nowicki put together their hard-earned money and, in March, 1912, opened 2a men's clothing store in the community of Avondale, where Jews had been doing business among the Poles for many years. They incorporated, in accordance with state law, for twenty-five thousand dollars. It goes without saying that, at the prospect of a Polish clothing store, the Jewish competitors attempted under-handedly to ruin the new enterprise, so that they might continue to cheat the Polish people by selling inferior goods. We need not dwell upon the difficulties encountered by the new firm during its initial stage, for everyone who is at all familiar with conditions can easily imagine them for himself. We need but underline the fact that, thanks to the support of the Polish people, all initial difficulties were overcome, and today the firm is famed as the best Polish men's clothing store in Chicago. During the course of this firm's existence, Jews tried five times to establish an enterprise of this sort in Avondale, but failed each time.

Whoever has had occasion to visit this Polish store will have noticed that the selection of clothing is very large. It has in stock several hundred ready-made suits of all prices. The carefully arranged racks contain summer suits, all-season 3suits, hats, caps, shirts, ties, and shoes--in short, everything in men's clothing.

So far as our reporter could notice, this Polish firm charges lower prices than Jewish-owned stores, while its merchandise is of better quality.

"We buy most of our merchandise," explained Ambrozewski, "from the Polish factory known as 'Wozniak and Company.' This factory uses good material and finishes the work properly. We also take orders for custom-made clothes, from twenty-eight dollars up.

"We cannot complain of lack of support from our countrymen. We have a great many steady customers who have deserted our Jewish competitors, convinced that they have been cheated by them for years. We have the good fortune that, when once anyone buys anything in our store, he becomes a steady customer. And we have more customers of other nationalities than we expected. Many 4Swedes, Russians, Czechs, Slovaks, and even German and Jews trade with us. Some of those last mentioned are among our best customers.

"We had some undesired customers a few weeks ago. They were burglars who entered during the night while the between was gone and stole 216 men's suits. The loss was a heavy one, but what could we do? We shall just have to be more careful in the future so that it does not happen again."

The members of this Polish corporation hold their meetings quarterly. Meetings are held for the purpose of determining income and expense, and to confer upon business methods. Every stockholder has the right to express his opinion and to present plans for the firm's future.

As is usually the case in this line of business, the busiest seasons are early spring and early autumn. Summer and winter are slack seasons, when there are days when costs are not even covered. In general, this Polish firm is prospering, and there is hope for a still better future.

If the Poles finally come to understand that they must cease to patronize German and Jewish stores and support Polish enterprise instead, not only the Avondale Clothing Company, but many other Polish business establishments will prosper in the future.