, 1874-06-21
HoT The Storckeeper Is Affected by the
W0rkingman's Inability to Collect
His Wages.


the dry-goods merchant, the dealer in meat
and poultry, are making such large profits tim
fhey are getting rich fast and that they max
.Leir money easily, without having to wor]
for it.
little better acquaintance with this k1nd O.
business would show him
TILE FALLACY OF HIS coSCLCsIoSs,
aud convince linn that no clnss Of men are more
Oh the alert than are our merchants while sta
tlstics provs that. where one merchant succeeds
N amassiug wealth, niuoty-nine fail in business
and lose the capital they had invested in goods
Momory now recalls men who bad good farms,
Who, becoming weary Of their occupation, sold
their land and invested the proceeds in merchan-
disc, expecting to become wealthy in
short time; but, alas for their ex-
pectations! a brief period suticed to
aaow them that they were without founda-
lion. Their farms, upon which they had lived
IN comfort for years, and Which promised them
good support LII old age, we're swallowed up in
tlcir business, and they wero now Obliged to
earn 3 support 1or themselves and their families
as day-1aborers.
The first requisite knowleSo for person enter
lug into mercantile business is to know
WHERE, WIEN, AND HOW TO BUY.
It is an axiom among merchants, that, when
.hing il we'll bought, it is half sold. A retail
merchant who goes to market ignorautly will
buy SO that he can never realze any profit at all
on his sa1es but will often sink in his purchases
part OF bis capital which he invested. In small
place, where there il but little competition,
retail merchant who is acquainted with his bust
ness, who knows rhnro and how to buy, who
knows his custom sra' wants and tastes, CAL
make good marcin, and in time amass
WHHitH. n
where there is SO much competition,
where every merchant endeavoring to
secure good run Of custom, and where the
purchasers are seeking to lind tie store At which
they can buy the cheapest, the prices are put
down so low that but co nparatively little margin
IN left and it is only by the closest economy and
the strctest attention to business that merchants
can sustain themselves.
A retail grocer, in order to meet the wants Of
his customers keeps on hand supply Of fruit
and vegetables, which are subject to decay and
sometimes the losses in thia line are SO great
that, when the years accounts are balanced, it
Is found that On the saie Of these articles
NO PROFITS HAVE BEEN REALIZED;
The time and trouble epeut in handling them
have resulted in no benefit to Che morchant, but
only in the accommodation OF customers. Fruit
il the more perisAable OF the two, aud requires
tho greatest circumspec.ion, and eycn then,
those most accustomed to tho business will lose
money on those articles.
4 retail merchant visits wholesale store in
tue morning, and purchases fruit. By
tho afternoon it hiss accumulated on the
hands OF the wholesale dealer, who, fearing
it will spoil before it is ali d1sposed Of,
reduces his prices hr. B., another retail
merchant, buys his fruit at the reduced rates.
and, IN consequence, CAL undersel Ill. 4, who
purchased In the morning. Mr. A very soon
discovers that .lr B is selling his fruit for the
same pTco as lie paid for his, and, in order to
sell. he is obliged to bring bis down to the same
level as Nj B, Which cuts off I'll his profits; snd
If the fruit decays before it il sold it becomes
total loss. Localities have great effect On these
kinds OF articles. In store surrounded by people
OF wealth. who purchase their fruits and vegetables
regardless OF cost, the Gales are rapid and very |
little loss is experienced by man accustomed to |
the business; but, in store whose customers
arc composed mostly Of persons OF limited |
Eleans, who eau afford to buy but little, except
ths bare nocassitios Of life, extreme caution has
to be used on the parS OF the merchant in pur-
cfasing these periBhabie goods, or he will lose, |
not only all his proits, but also part Of the |
money invested in thenl |
One Of the grestest evils with which retail |
merchant h1s to conten d is |
TIE cRED4.T-sfsTEM
and until there is rad cal change in society,"
credit-customers will be the merchants baue.
A1cn who are out OF work; who do work, |
but are unable to collect tl.eir pay.-must lire !
Having no money, they go TO the store, and ask |
for credit until they can obtai.a their wages. The
merchant let's them have what they want, think
lag that he will Some time get b. pay, and trust
ing to the mems honesty and ..bilty TO collect
what is duo them for work. As /, general thing
the worklngman is honest, and fully intends |
to pay his debts. II he collects his money. he
paYs them; il he cannot collect h1s. wages. be
cannot pay them, and the merchant loses the
nlunay-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. are the best and worst |
tustomers who buy 3. retail stores. Where tie
poatuers pay regularly, and tha landlord and
Andlady cau meet their paymeata, they re the
best purchasers; but, where their bosrde1s, for
Eant OF work, or want Of ability to colleos pay
!or work: canpot pay their board-bills, tho 1>nd-
men hoarders, or supply their tables
N credit st tho stores Tbs mo-
:hant, not willing to lose 80
toos customer, gives credit Tor d time, tzusl~
,oard-biiis. When they cannot collect them, it |
evident that the n-payiug boatde1s have not |
.ved 40 much At the expense OF the landlords IL
hey nave At the expense Of the merchants. It
y tho same with men and women who cannot |
collect their wages The employer who does Lot
'ay does not SO much depriTe the workineman
s he does the merchant who supplies the work
rgmnn with the necessaries OF 1ife
Ihs is one point on which the merchant and |
Mechanic, as they are equal sufferers, can make
onnlon cause, and unite in petitionine for tle
nactment of laNH for
TIE SPEEDY COLLECTION OF wAGEs
considerable time vas spent bY our Lerisla-
urs Last winter, On the amendment OF tue Lien
XIV. 1t IL true It YVES amended q little but it
rs. but little, as, under the amended law. the
'"he[ OF + building can still keep the workmen
'r2 "r u .ueir pay from two to five years The Ia
@ o.es OF tue mechanic may, during that period
s'4se1 untold mserles, and see his family die OF
.a1sAsion unleas the retail merchant will SUD-
y l nlm ~ mn food until he can obtain his pay.
,;it;rra 'eh h.. oeen ealo that great many fine
uiolnss aI ha's been erected, and many beauti-
a. =, costly. articles been produced.
the EXPENSE Of the WORKING r-ciasses'
No.. no did not receive their pay T il