The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-06-24

Merchants Organization.

Forty of the Retail Merchants of Rayenna
met IN the Town Hall, Friday evening" June 10
and listened to an address by S. w. Briggs, ot
THE MERCHANTS RETAIL Cos5MFRC1A1
AGENCY, So Dearborn ST., Chicago, Ill. The
system In use by this Agency has for its purpose
the protection of Retail Merchants. The legal
1ty, practicabity and results of the system were
fully explained. After consideration, a motion
was made that those present proceed 10 or
game the Ravenna Branch of such Agency.
Inc motion prevailed by a unanimous vote
lhe following were chosen as officers:
w. ). KRAKE, President
{. A. BEcKLEY, Vice President,
K. G. BEATTY, Secretary,
PETER FLATH, Treasurer,
u. M. CLEwELL, w. A. JENKINS, E. F.
DEMING, FRANK KENwARD, G. w. GocKFI.
Executive Board.
Inns Agency uses no dshonorable means to
force collections or settlements, but the mer
chants propose to exercise their legal right to
refuse credit to person who gains the reputa-
ton OF not treating member of the Agency
honorably.
There is no law compelling merchants to sell
ther goods on credit. There is no law forbid
ding merchants refusing credit to any person
they see fit. and when merchant sells his goods
on credit 1t IS as an accommodation to the con-
sumer, and if such consumer has no apprecia-
ton of the favor extended and wilfully neglects
to make reasonable and honorable adjustment
OF his Indebtedness, then he should be COM
PEELED TO pay as he buys. 1t is better for him
and much e. AZ
Many poor worthy man has been refused |
credit tor the necessaries of life because of the
merchants unpleasant experience with bad |
debtors, but this system will tend to obviate all
that, because the man who does respect his
credit will be known and have standing among
merchants, while the dead beat and others of
MS KIND will also be known to the members of
thiS Agency and be absolutely refused credit;
no matter if he moves to another town or state
ms reputation as poor pay will follow him
ana the merchant in such new place of residence
Will also refuse him credit. This Agency issues
a regular and legal Bi-Monthly Abstract of
unsettled accounts. Each member agrees to
forfeit twenty dollars to his branch as a penalty
IN case he extends credit to person whose un-
'ettleo account appears in the abstract and no
account can appear therein until the debtor has
lad full and fair opportunity to go to the mer-
liant he owes and in some way arrange such
The man aoho can pay and ,,ou,t
'ay and the man who cannot pay, but aeiU not
% to the merchant and state bis condition and
make effort to arrange is the person this Agency
5 after.
This Agency does not interfere with the credit
men who deal honorably, no matter if they
re slow; neither does it in any way regulate
rces Its sole object is to compel men to be
onest with merchants or to pay spot cash for
oods purchased. Something of this kind has
cen needed for long time and this system
Ill work. "In combination there is strength"
he members have the success or failure of this
stem IN their own hands. Wherever mer- 7
1ants have properly combined, the system has i
roven great success. The west is being care. W
lily covered by this Agency, and the merchants y
all small towns are visited and solicited to =
in the county branch. =