Telegram-herald., 1889-10-31
THE P. OF |. STORES
Grand Rapids Wholesalers do Net
Sell 70 Them.
rHEY WILL not LIVE NAVY YEARS
fas r@kFoas sr Iadustry Can Set Get
Gsoas "a oEand kapias-Tbs OPia-
fsas OF several ~ hslssalsrs
Ga the subieeG

Considerable has been heard OF late
about the Patrons II Industry" and
the organization Of companies 70 run
stores 10 a number Of small towns IN
Michigan as well A. throughout the
vSs.e country The organizers OF
these companies propose aud promise
u sell goods al wholesale prices % the
farmer and iabonng men who support
them.
several Of the leading Wholesale
gr0cers were interviewed yesterday by
a TELEGaAH-HEaALD reporter 10 re-
gard % these stores and the probable
effect they would have on the whole
sale trade. Ma %. 4. Ball SAID. I'VE
have not sold any Of those stores any
goods. l0t because we DO not wish %
eel AL the goods % every good and re-
spouso.e man that We can, and are
here for Gl az purpose, bat because We
do not Wish % hntag0nize our Gus
toners by selling % these institutions
winch are the avdwed enemies of the
retail grocers. As 70 the probable re-
suit, think that they Will die as all
tne other schemes Of that class have IN
the last twenty years. I don't believe
that the stores can sustain themselves
and sell groceries ata lower figure than
tne retail grocers are now doing.
No. we hate not doue any
busness with tlcm for wc can not
afford TO give up the trade of twenty
good grOcers that we lge row trading
with, o. secure the trade OK those few
institutions lt thc principle on which
they are run s ali right they Will live
and become general. but IF the prlnci-
pie IS poor they wli d.e out in a short
time. | believe tnat thc men who are
organizing the lodges and stores are
making money ont ot it and they VIII
be the only ones who Will be benefited. )"
l.. e.. Hawkins was found very busy
at his new block at the corner of IOnia
and FuitOn-st. lie sa'd that he knew
hut lttie about the Z. Of Is,
as they call themselves, but one
thing ne did know was that no goods
had gone ont OF his store for any of
them. His reason was the same as that
gwen by Mr.. Ball.
samuel Lemon said in answer TO a
question. NO, sir, we have sold them
no goods. While we think their money
Is Just as good as any ones, they do not
run on the right principle 70 live long
You see, the men living in and around
a small town organize one of these
stores. These same men have been
trading nc one of tine regular grocery
stores 0t tlc place and owe bill of
anywhere from $50 20 $3.50. Now the
l.. OF /. store sells only for cash; so all
tine ready money Ot the persons who
20 into the new system of doing busi-
ness goes into the new store, and the
other grocery stores must wait their
pleasure TO get their money. That Is
not right. They should first settle up
with the grOcers, aud then II they could
make their new scheme work II would
BE- their right and privilege % do So"
There are some 600 grOCers in Michi-
gan and not more than twenty of these
+. of I. stores, SO they cut but q small
figure n the trade, anyway. They II
dle out Just rs the other schemes have
done before. yet there are good men
who have gone into this business and
Do IS wonder 20 Us why they have
done SO, but queer things happen some
times.
Amos Musselman said: Il have not
sold them any goods and don't propose
TO. There are but few Of these stores
in Grand Rapids territory and they
don't amount 90 anything. They are a
good deal Ike the Grange stores that
were organized through the country
some years ago. The men who or
gauEe the lodges OF T. Of I. are the
fellows who viii be- benefited by the
order They are probably making q
pretty good thing out Of It,"