Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-30
AN ARMY OF psApsEArs.
Quaker City Men Who Forget to Pay
Their TAilOrH.

Inelr IAllorh-
There are between 5000 and 5000 men
in this city who do not pay their tailors
bills. This statement is made upon the
authority of a member of the new insti-
tuition known as the Merchant Tailors'
Protective Association and Exchange,
which is preparing the list for publica-
ton and circulation among the members
of the organization. When this black
list is once made public it will ruin the
credit of the hundreds who have existed
on the tailors in the past.
The Merchant Tailors' Exchange has
had list of this character for some
years, but the membership of that organi-
zation is small and limited almost en-
tirely to the tailors having large estab-
lishments in the vicinity of Walnut and
Chestnut streets. The new association,
which was organized on Monday even
ing, will cover much wider field, and
efforts will be made to include every
tailor in the city. Each member will
turn in the names of those from whom
he has been unable to collect his money,
and copies of the complete list will be
furnished every tailor in the city.
The list is to include not only the dead
beats that never pay, but all those who
help to make the life of tailor bur-
den. For example, it is almost impossi-
BILE to make clothing to suit some men.
No matter how carefully they are made,
some objection will be found, and after
enough alterations have been made to
eat up all the profit the price must be re-
duced, on the ground that after SO many
changes have been made the garment
comes under the head of damaged goods.
Under the new order of things these men
must change their tactics or depend on
the ready made dealers for their cloth
ing.
Hiram DeWalt, who was made tenn
porary chairman of the new organiza-
tion, says it is surprising to what ex-
tent the business of beating tailors out
of their money has been carried. sit is
confined to no particular class" he said,
''but is done by men in all the walks of
life. Two classes of people stand out
more prominently than the rest, how
ever-those who want to make greater
display than their circumstances will
warrant, and the sons of rich men who
evidently use their allowances for out
side pleasures and want to get their
clothes at the expense of the tailors.
SIN the compilation of the list great
care and caution will be exercised. The
tailors will all be given numbers, and the
names of those reporting delinquents will
not appear on the list; but opposite the
name and address of each Objectionable
customer will be given the name of the
tailor at whose insistance he has been
blacklisted, and the cause for the action
sit is only after man has shown con
clusively that he does not intend to pay
that his name will be reported. After
dunning man for year without get
ting anything out of him, it is safe tt
suppose that he does not intend to pay
and down goes his name on the blacl
list. don't believe, however, that the
losses from this source are so heavy al
are claimed by some. The tailors have
learned wisdom, and during the last few
, years have been very careful about trust
ing people they were not absolutely sur
of. But even with all this care they ge
stuck every now and then, and the gen
, eral black list is intended to remedy
this"
, Robert Stewart, the president Of tn
! old Merchant Tailors' Exchange, is
, firm believer in the efficiency of tn
, blacklist. Nothing but the best good
in the house will suit those people VIII
: make habit of not paying" he said
: ''and whenever we lose by one of then
| it is always pretty fair sum. A NAL
, who appeared to move in the best circle
. came into the store some time ago an
ordered suit of clothes for $65. Afte
r he had gone I looked over our list an
. found his name there immediatel
sent him note stating that we coul
/ not make the clothing without having
: good deposit. He stopped in shortl
| afterwards and explained that he eS
= week or SO, and would pay when tn
!. clothes were made. He never returned
. however, and I have since seen him o
the street in a new suit, but they wer
/, ready made.
a "a black list of this character ma
q seem rather hard to some outsiders, bu
it is the only way by which tailors ca
a prevent heavy inroads into their yearl
a profits I think 5000 low estimate {
: the number of men of that character i
i this city, and for the tailors to clothe a
l army like that free of charge is consit
b cradle Of draft upon our purses. y
= Philadelphia Record.