A man may live a lifetime of virtue and honesty; then by one false step destroy the delicate structure of Reputation which he has so painstakingly constructed. The _Good Name_ of H.B.C. has taken two hundred and fifty years to build. Yet _one year's departure_ from H.B.C. ideals and H.B.C. standards would serve to corrode the foundations underlying this priceless Reputation. When acting or speaking in the name of the Company, employees who appreciate the insecurity of Reputation _think twice before saying or doing anything_ that might be adjudged _un-Hudson's Bay_. The Prize Contest "How I Earned My First Dollar" Contest is stirring up much interest among "old timers" in the ranks. First letters are beginning to come in. Please do not delay in sending the facts about your early start. Two hundred words are enough to give the main details--and are soon written. _Some People in the East and the West are Whimpering and Whining!_ Pessimistic over the outlook for spring business. Some people think the bottom has fallen out of things, when the fact is things are as good as ever they were. Only that with the getting back into the condition that prevailed before the war prices are falling, and many people have contracted a fever which was very prevalent in the States a short time ago called Pessimania. _We've Got to Do Our Part to Create a Spirit of Optimism_, for if we all join the army of pessimists, it's going to be bad for ourselves, bad for the Company, and bad for the country too. _Besides, we have every reason to be optimistic and here are the reasons_--First, there is the good news of lower prices on nearly all kinds of goods, and people who have been doing without can now buy freely again. Second, the government has abolished the undesirable luxury tax. Encourage your customers and friends to buy now, for prices cannot jump down below what they are now for the spring, and the more they buy the more it will add prosperity to the country. No country's prosperity was ever built up on fear, but faith. The low prices are here now. People have money for necessities and we must do our part by talking and thinking hopefully for the coming spring. That's it! Have you ever stopped to think of the wonderful power of thought. Like the pebble dropped in the lake, ever widening in circles, your tiny thought of hopefulness and helpfulness will have an ever-widening effect. Every word that you say with belief behind it stimulates other people to be optimistic, and so your influence increases. This is what makes _power_. Every added sale that we make will not only increase our own record but it will add its quota to the prosperity of Canada.