Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-11-27
MERCHANTS ORGANIZATION.

.
ssss sSs The retail merchants of Austin met in
she City Recorders office Thursday ev.
.ening and listened to an address by Mr..
FOOte ofthe Merchants Retail CONNER
.Gial Agency, 53 Dearborn ST. Chicago,
Ills. The system in use by this Agency
has tor it's purpose the protection of the
retail merchants. The legality, practical
sbility and results of the system were
fully explained. After consideration,
motion was made that those present pro-
.ceedst0 again organize the Austin Branch
of.such agency. The motion prevailed
by a unanimous vote. The following
were chosen as officers, w..
s TT. Leonard, president,
4 w. N. Roberts, vice president.
il Geo. Merrick. secretary.
\. c.. IL johnson, treasurer.
II Il. G.. Campbell, = l.. West and j. F.
Fairbanks, executive board.
i This Agency uses no dishOnOrable
means to force collections or settlements.
abut the merchants propose to exercise
their legal right to refuse credit to per-
son who gains the reputation OF not treat
ing member of the agency honorably s.
I There is no law compelling merchants
sto sell their goods on credit. There Is no
law forbiddlng merchants refusing credit
ito any person they see fit, and when a
merchat sells his goods on credit it is as
an accommodation to the customer, and
if such consumer has no appreciation of
the favor extended and Wlllfully ncglects
to make.a reasonable and honorable ad
iustment of his Indebtedness, then he
should be compelled to pay as he buys.
1t is better for him and much more profit
able for the merchant. Many poor
worthy man has been refused credit for
the necessities of life because of the mer-
chants unpleasant experience with bad
debtors, but this system will tend to OBJ
viate all that. because the man who does
respect his creditswills be known and have
a staatting among merchants, while the
dead beat" and others of his kind will
also be known to the members Of this
agency and be absolutely refused credit;
no matter it he moves. TO another town or
state his reputation as poor pay will fol-
low him and the merchants in such new
place of residence will also refuse him
credit. This agency issues regular and
legal Bi-Morthly Abstract of unsettled
accounts. Each member agrees to forfeit
twenty dollors to his branch as penalty
in case he extends credit to a person
whose unsettled account appears in the
abstract and no account can appear there
in until the debtor has had a full and fair
opportunity to go to the merchant he
owes and in some way arrange such in
debtedness The man who can pay and
won't pay and the man who cannot pay,
but will not go to the merchant and state
his condition and make effort to arrange.
Is, the person this agency is after,
| This agency does not interfere with the
credit of men who deal honorably, no
matter ii they are slow; neitl e. does
it IN any way regulate prices. Its sole
object is to compel men to be honest with
merchants or to pay spot cash for goods
purchased. Something of this kind has
been needed for a long time and this sys
tenn will work. In combination there is
strength" The members have the sue
cess or failure of this system in their own
hands. Wherever merchants have pro
erly combined. the system has proven s
great success. The west is being careful
ly covered by this agency, and the mer
chants in all small towns are visited and
solicited to ioiu the county branch.