Griggs courier., 1894-08-24

A Word to the, Wise.
MINNEAPOLIS MIMI, Aug. l6. 1894.
To the Editor:
As secretary Of the Northwest.
ern Home Trade ASSOCIATION. it is my
duty to be informed of the conditions
which may influence Northwestern
business interests and to give a special
thought to those conditions bearing
directly on the matter of home patron.
age This association was not organ.
lied in the interest Of any city or
locality. nor is the purpose Of the work
in the interest Of any particular class
of business men, but to promote a gen.
eral sentiment on the part of the
northwestern people to trade at home
and buy northwestern products from
northwestern merchants when the prices
and goods are equal to those brought
from abroad. There is, probably, no
greater menace to northwestern retail
ers than the practice Of thousands
Of farmers and other consumers in
sending their money and open orders
to the catalogue houses of Chicago and
other eastern cities, and paying IN most
cases moro for the goods than the same
could be bought for at home. There is
no greater snare for the unwary than
the catalogues from these houses. A
recent comparison of the prices of q
Chicago catalogue of some 800 pages
with the regular prices of goods in q
store in Minnesota city of 10000
population, showed that.in nearly every
case the catalogue prices after adding
the freight were higher than the regular
retail prices of the merchants. It must
be remembered too that cash must ac-
company every order, which makes a
difference of at least per cent in favor
Of the home merchant, for, If the buyer
has credit he can generally obtain such
accommodation as may be necessary.
The selection of goods is of necessity
left to the shipper and if not satisfactory
there is no redress for the buyer. These
eastern houses who do this business do
not buy the highest grade of goods,
and of necessity the goods shipped
will rarely be up to standard; but the
home retailer buys from reliable job.
bing houses and manufacturers who are
known always to handle only the best
goods. In nearly every instance it will
be found that premium has been paid
for buying second-grade goods of g
concern 400 miles away.
Now, what is the result Of this absurd
and expensive method of buying goods!
To illustrate the matter plainly: The
farmer goes to town with a load oi
garden truck which he sells in q general
store for cash and in few hours it is
consumed. He takes the money receiv.
ed and sends it to an eastern catalogue
house for goods which he could have
bought rs cheap at home. He has sent
his money 400 or 500 miles away, yet he
marvels if next week he finds no money
ready to buy his produce. If he will
stop to think he will realize that he has
placed it out Of the power Of the home
consumer to ouy again from him by
sending his money away. The natu1 al
place for him to market his produce is
IN Chicago if he sends the money there
with which to buy it, but he will tell
you the ''freight rates are against him,
which is true. He must fiEd market
at home, and in order to find that mar
ket, he must help to create it by leaving
his money at home. If he could buy al
good goods at lower prices after paying
the freight, no protest would be ir
order, but the almost universal expert
ence is that sooner or later they learr
that they are subscribing to fraud.
If the papers of the Northwest woule
call the attention of the consumers Il
this matter and emphasize how serious
a matter it is, much could be done t,
overcom the evil. Let us all have il
mind the motto of this association
Buy Of those whom you would hav,
buy Of YOU" Buy home products of
fered through home retailers and eacl
and every home in the Northwest viii
feel the influence of this loyalty to loca
institutions and much direct prosperity
will be the direct result.
Yours Truly,
GEO. w. PARKER,
Secretary Northwestern Home Trade
Association
Not n Fs,soo Cnfnoon Rf11