Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-06-05

numerous failures. heavy losses. hard
times, and much distress The abuse OF
The credit system is, in tact, the underlying
cause of al the panics, the hard times. the
! financial distress, the CONNIE renal Worlii
has ever experienced. Dnuer system OF
sharply watched and closely restricted
cre,lifs, panics are impossible and all the
arguments based upon convenience. tie
necessity Of expansion in trade. and the
fact that slow pay gives all opportunity for
large profits. can never be made to balance
this Eict Stability, tie reasonable certain
~ that What one counts az assets are Of
real all, static va.as, and can bc quickly
without With healthy and prosperous
trade is Impossible. ard every long and IN
certain account, every bad debt. every fail
urc in business, tends to render the condi-
ton OF the merchant insecure and unsatis-
factory The demOraliZing effect of slow
pay, both upon buyer and seller, is so pat
s.h as TO need no argument. The habit is
the foe OF thrift, Independence, and conf
,nrcia integrity. and 2 business built upon
sucb system IS ike a house built upon the
sands-at the continual mercy of the cle-
E9nts.
In this country, the cash system has
hardly prevailed TO an extent 10 give it a
fair trial. SO fur as making its results evil
,!eat to an entire community is concerned.
But in England. the successful establish
nrTt of cooperative stores upon Il cash
basis. has demonstrated the value OF the
system, for it is really the cash principle
which has insured the success OF tie
scheme. This is proved by the fact that it
is the only weapon which the retailers are
abe TO use effectively against it.
An eastern paper. speaking Of the sue
cess of the cooperative stores, and the
means useti by the trade to compete with
them, says: Hitherto there has been
comparatively little distinction between the
customers who pay cash, and such as ask
long credit, and nothing has so iorcibiy
driven OF from Old connections many who
now reluctantly spend their money away
from the regular trader as this habit of
making fiie rcady-money buyer pay the
same as those who require trust. The
phrase we never make two prices has been
current 70 the detriment of the best and
most desirable customers. There is Il grow
ing inclination TO make two prices, one Tor
cash and enc tor credit, and to make the
advantage to the rea''ymoney patron so
large and obvious that he may not be t!riy
en- away to Establishments phc2e he pays for
aebody's 5ad dc5ts and no rams tj7ss15ari-
ties. The contest tor trade is steadily
growing warmer between the cooperative
stores and the ordinary traiesiEen, and the
discussion tends to the establishment of
the cash SYSTEM"
4 little reflection must make it obvious
to ali, that the words Which We have itaii-
cized above, contain a truth of vast import
to the buyer. The slow accounts and the
bad debts of the merchant who credits
loosely, sre Il heavy tax upon his business.
asd q tax that must in the long r,in be pai,!
by the remainder OF his customers; and the
most thoughtful merchants are fast discov-
ering-aSpecial,y since the recent hare! times
has read them so severe Il lcsson-that those
houses which sell only for cash. short time,
or to houses that have we'll known re-
cord for prompt pay when credits have
matured. can sell more cheaply and more
tlian those houses which are
in tie habit of crediting loosely.