The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-31

uSt OF all the 6rucieS IN tuelI liue NAicA WcAe
not represented in their stock; finding the
deficiency to be of tenfold the magnitude he
had expected, and supplying it before the
next day g dinner-hour The next step was
to materially increase his staff Of statesmen,
employing only those whose capacity and re-
liability had been amply tested paying them,
of course, such salaries as were an equivalent
for their eminent usefulness.
The next Sunday A i BIS advertise
ments eclipsed those of their competitors.
and on Monday customers swarmed 80 that
the staff, Notwithstanding the reinforcements
with which it had been strengthened, expert
enced great difficulty in serving them. b
had not ventured to indulge hope OF such
complete success as the new tactics had &C.
complished, and did not fail to profit subse-
quently by the valuable lesson he had learned.
Again the question. arose in his mind; "What
will A say about my having more than
doubled the expenses be and l deemed SO
heavy?"
After permitting him to blow while will
reply, "The improbable expenses have not
been at all augmented, although the profitable
ones have been largely increased. We might
reduce our expenses by dismissing our boys
and telling customers they must carry or send
for their purchased goods, but would they not
all reply, if you withhold the privileges vol
unfairly rendered by all your competitors. you
may keep your goods and We will procure
supplies perhaps at lower prices from those
manfesting more hberality.' We might save
money by closing our doors at dark, but the
stock consequently left in such confused con-
dition would have to be regulated in the
morning, when customers would need the at
tention of all hands.
eve might hire staff of incompetent sales
men at very low prices, out a week thereafter
We could make still further Saving Of expense
by dismissing them, because you and could
attend to all the customers who would visit
us, without being denied the privilege Of read
ing the newspapers through. There could be
no greater self-delusion than that of suppos-
ing that one conducting business among COM
petitors can save money by not expanding
enough to secure all needed aid in the shape
of statesmen, boys, gas advertising, etc. each
dime saved ~ in that way costs the saver at
least dollar, by disgusting customers and
consequently driving them to competing
stores.
Suppose some popular and fascinating gen.
tleman, whose acquaintance was very extern
sive, should propose to act as customer broker
by persuading his host of friends to patrorizs
us, it being understood that we would fix his
compensation after testing his capacity in
that line Several days in succession ten or
more customers visit US, each presenting Mr.
Brokers' card remarking that he had recon-
mended our house as one entitled to their
entire confidence.
"When Mr.. B returned, would he not find
us prepared to retain his services steadily at
very liberal salary, not on account of per-
sonal partially to him, but simply because
we would materially aid some competitor,
and proportionally damage ourselves by per-
hitting that competitor to secure the advant-
age of his valuable influence? And is not
the newspapers the equivalent cf Mr.. Broker
multiplied By tfty9 Does not that daily visit
the residences of all those possessing money,
informing them that if they wish to gaze
upon as magnificent display of every article
in the dry goods line as ever dazzled lady's
eye, and supply their wants at astonishin ely
low prices, A & BIS store is the locality
for which they are yearning? ~
But B might have saved himself the labor
of soliloquizing on SO large scale, or even
small one, since on AS return, and attempt to
enter the door, he was about to retreat, think
ing he had mistaken the locality, as the inte-
rior bore no resemblance to its former aspect
The familiar and beloved voice of B, however,
served to arrest his steps and induce him to
rush in, imploring an explanation Of the
transformation he was beholding, unless he
was under the enchantment of dream.
Still more incredible seemed his experience
when, having been advised by B to examine
the cashiers book, he discovered that the
daily sales were exhibiting higher figures
than did the ,ceekly ones prior to his depar-
ture. He did not blow at al, but almost
exhausted the ample supply of complimentary
terms in expressing his admiration of the wis
dom of his gifted partner, as evinced by the
prodigious results he had achieved.
"Why," he asked the latter, do We charge
OUTLAWS for rent, advertising, gas, clerk hire,
and other profitable investments to expense
account, while debiting merchandise account
with profitable investments in goods? With
out the former class Of investments, profits
on the latter would be impossible {; and as all
the investments named participate. some d.
rectly and some indirectly, in producing the
profits we realize, can not understand why
they should not be recogniz ed as partners,
operating under the comprehensive firm of
Merchandise Account"
"Much as | have congratulated myself,
continued A, upon the favorable result of
my law suit, | now see clearly that should
have been amply compensated for defeat in