St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-12
TO FosrER HoMN TRADE.

TO FOSTER HOME TRADE.
a commercial convention, composed
of merchants and raders of the North
west. is to be held at Minneapolis on the
Esd inst, for the purpose of promoting
trade relations between the cities OF
this section. The call say that it has
long been a matter of serious considera-
ton with the manufacturers of the
Northwest whether the goods manufact-
ured in this section have received the
attention and patronage merited, and
that it is important to call the attention
of the retailers, and particularly the
customers, to the fact that in building
up our cities and towns and to give
prosperity to all the people it is neces-
sary to build I'D. increase and support
the manufacturing and jobbing inter-
ests of the Northwest, and to inspire in
the consumer a loyalty to retail dealers
and induce customers to purchase at
home. rather than go abroad for their
Su pplieS.
There is much need for such a gath
ering as the II proposed. 1t is an IN
doubted fact that merchants, and ever
consumers, prefer to do their trading in
Chicago rather than in either of the
TwinCiiies, even if they gain nothing by
doing so, but are often the losers when
travelling expenses and increased cost
of freight are taken into consideration.
There is a certain fascination for some
people to do their trading at a store
whose goods are direct from Chicago or
New York, even though those goods
may be inferior in quality and anti
Quated in style. And the fact is that
the stocks of goods carried by st. Paul
and Minneapolis houses are. as a rule.
fresher and of better quality than any
that can be found in the Windy city.
In Chicago. it is true, stocks are larger,
and occasionally a more varied assort-
ment may be found there than here;
yet the goods displayed here are usually
purchased with a direct view to the
public wants, and there are, at the end
of the season. few shop-worh goods re-
naming. The entire stock is being
constantly renewed, and is eve out
style.
In one respect the Twin Cities are at
a disadvantage as compared with Chi.
cagO. Railroad freights are relatively
much higher from here than from Chi
cago. A merchant at an interior city
a hundred miles from st. Paul is com-
PEELED to pay as much upon his goods
shipped from this city as he does on
similar quantities shipped from Chi
cago, more than four hundred miles
farther off. This discrimination IN IA
yor of Chicago has been a great diSad-
vantage to our local trade, and has
driven much custom from our doors.
The interstate commerce law, which
was designed to prevent such discrimi-
nations, is of no effect, for its provisions
are evaded by the granting of rebates
and by other means familiar to railway
officials.
st. Paul and Minneapolis should con-
troll the entire trade of the Northwest.
Their merchants are as enterprising and
as liberal as those to be found any
where else Ill the world. They enjoy
all the advantages possessed by traders
in other metropolitan cities. They pur-
chase from manufacturers and import
ers, and car successfully compete in
prices with the largest firms west of the
Allegheny mountains. They do not de-
mand or exact an extraordinary profit.
They are firm believers in the policy of
making quick sales and small profits.
and in always being abreast of the
times. They offer as favorable terms
as do their Chicago competitors, to which
they can add in many instances lower
freight charges; and yet country mer-
chants persist in going hundreds of
miles away from home to buy their
goods.
The coming conve ntion ought to be
productive of much good. An earnest
effort should be made TO reach all mer-
chants within our legitimate
cial domain. By presenting the facts
as they exist. even the most obdurate
can be convinced that they are doing
themselves an injury by trading else
Wnara