The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-10
AMgRCuAErS, MEETING.
General Manager Dodge Explains the nIer.
ehants' Retail Commercial Agency.

General Manager Dodge Explains the mor.
chants' Retail Commercial Agency.
Aiarge gathering Of the merchants Of
Wheeling met in McLain's hall last
evening 70 listen 10 an address upon the
credit system, by W. H. Dodge, Of Phil
adelphis, general manager Of the Mer-
chants Retail Commercial Agency. The
dangers which constantly confront mer-
chants In the extension Of credit were
viVidly portrayed, and the dead beat and
non.paying class which infest every
community were handled without
gloves.
The System in use by this agency for
the suppression OF such classes was care.
fully and clearly explained by the
speaker.
The Merchants Retail Commercial
Agency ia u regular corporation, with
paid up capital stock Of thirty thousand
dollars. II has branch Offices in differ
emit sections OF the United States. Its
general Office is at Chicago, western
office at Council Bluffs, eastern office at
Philadelphia, New England office at
Boston, southern Office at Atlanta, and
Gulf Office at New Orleans, The system
is almost national in Its opsr-
atoms, doing business in twenty
four States. It has over one hum
dred thousand actual subscribers,
and during the year 1890 was intrusted
with the collection oil over three million
and twenty-five thousand dollars worth
OF accounts. It abuses no debtor, but
treats every person respectfully, but the
non.paying class must pay up or pay
spot cash for all goods purchased after
this system goes into operation. The
poor mpn who Is honest, but cannot pay,
Is not disturbed, but the professional
I'D. B" is shut out from further iay0rs.
The system Is to retail merchants pre-.
cisely the same as the R. G. Dun & Co.
and Bradstreets commercial agencies are
to the jobbers-collect and protection
Is the combination.
i Many strong endorsements were read,
in letters addressed TO some Of Wheel
ing's leading merchants. This agency
system is no untried thing, no expert.
mept, for 1t has been in successful opera
ton for the past six years.
1thas the three strong elements Of
buCSSbo- Cdpltt1 buLuGLShV
to carry on It's business, and character
in its official management. Strong en-.
dorsements to this effect were presented
TO the meeting.
The contract Is annual, and Is plain
andfair. Seventeen gooddrms Of the city
had signed before this meeting, and quite
8 a number OF grocers added their namel
: at the close OF the meeting.
|: The agents, Mr.. Cobb and NJ. A
j Whitney, are now in the city to organic
8 a branch, which will be done as soon a
complete canvass Of the merchants il
!. made. All the towns adjacent t
s Wheeling are also concerned.
s A debtor leaving this city is followed
D by the agency system to his new plact
Q Of residence and the merchants OF suct
d place warned against giving him credit
9 II debtor wilfully neglects TO settl,
his Indebtedness with one merchant, al
I the others know it, and arc obligated
not to extend him credit till he settles II
Q some satisfactory way with such mer
chant. It seems as II the system mus
7 work a revolution in the credit hueinesl
If the merchants will only pull togther