The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-08-23

but to promote a general sentiment
on the part of the northwestern peo-
pie to trade at home and buy north
western products from northwestern
merchants when the prices and goods
are equal to those brought from
abroad. There is, probably, no great
er menace to northwestern retailers
than the practice of thousands of
farmers and other consumers in send
ing their money and open orders to
the catalogue houses of Chicago and
other eastern cities. and paying in
most cases more 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 Chicago catalogue
of some 800 pages with the regular
prices of goods 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. 1t must be remembered
too that cash must accompany every
order, which makes difference of at
least S per cent in favor of the home
merchant, for, if the buyer has credit
he can generally obtain such accomo-
dalton as may be necessary. The
selection of the goods is of necessity
left to the shipper, and ifnot satisfac-
tory, there is no redress for the buyer.
These eastern houses who do bust
ness do not buy the highest grade of
goods. and of necessity the goods
shipped will rarely be up to standard;
but the home retailer buyes from re-
liable jobbing houses, manufacturers,
who are known always to handle only
the best goods. In nearly every in
stance it will be found that a premi-
um has been paid for the privilege of
buying second-grade goods of con-
Germ 400 miles away.
Now, what is the result of this alb
| surd and expensive method of buying
goods? To illustrate the matter
plainly: The farmer goes to town
| with load of garden truck which he
sells in general store for cash and in
few hours it is consumed. He
takes the money received and sends
it to an eastern catalogue house for
goods he could have bought as cheap
at home. He has sent his money 400
or 500 miles away, yet he marvels if
the 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 buy again by send
ing his money away. The natural
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 find a market at home, and in
order to find that market, he must
help to create it by leaving his mon
ey at home. If he could buy as good
goods at lower prices after paying
the freight, no protest would be in
order, but the almost universal exper-
fence is that sooner or later they
learn that they are subscribing to
fraud.
If the papers of the Northwest
would call attention of the consumers
to this matter and emphasize how
serious matter it is, much could be
done to overcome the evil. Let us
all have the motto of this association,
'Buy of those whom you would have
buy of you" Buy home products Of
ferred through home retailers, and
every home in the Northwest will feel
the influence of this loyalty to local
institutions, and much direct prospect
ty will be the direct result.
Yours Truly,
GEO. W. PARKER.