The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-19
MODERN BUSINESS METHODS.
The Grocers' Protest.
New York sun, Nov. 10.

Those Who have had their eyes open to
what was going on have been expecting
for some time past the meeting OF the re-
tail grocers, held last night, to consider
which have been made for several
years through the agency .of
the great dry goods houses. One
OF the circulars distributed by the grocers
among themselves said: ''If you do not
take action you will be ruined. 1t now
becomes your duty to defend yourself.
We are not going TO be humbugged. We
will maintain our rights. Protection is
the watchword. Time is precious. Now
or never" In another an account was
given OF the varieties of groceries now Of
fered for sale in an establishment that
had until lately been wholly devoted
TO the dry goods business, and of
the depressing influence thus exercised
upon the trade OF the regular grocers.
1.-The retail grocery trade. It said, "is
about to be revolutionized." Ii attacked
tue methods OF those drygoods stores
that have "grocery annexes," which,
however,, it admitted. have been
fence were made In the resolu-
tions that were adopted ut recent
meeting. One OF them was TO induce job
bers and manufacturers to refuse TO fur
nish grocery articles to the Objectionable
establishments; and the other was TO boy
Sott every ury Roous store lnat mas
grocery annex. "We agree to withdraw
our patronage from them and TO instruct
our families to buy their dry goods else
where" Evidently the grocers regard
their affairs as in a very serious situation.
The late A. Il. Stewart was the first i'm
portant dry goods merchant to take'on
the grocery business; and since his ven-
ture IL has been asst spreading throughout
the trade, conducted on a standard OF
prices so low that the original grocers
have discovered that the life of the busi-
ness in their hands is going out.
What makes the dry goods competition
in groceries particularly threatening is
that the principle OF the "leading
article" or the sale of some one very
desirable thing for price without
profit, in order 10 attract custom
for other goods, has been ap-
piled to groceries; and so
far as the dry goods new
grocery branch is concerned. IL is but
leading article. While not directly en-
riching the dry goods merchant, it makes
the grocer poor indeed. The latter must
carry on the competition disadvantage
ousiy, for he has not the resource Of profit
from other lines of trade.
No wonder that the grocers feels them
selves to be in danger, and assemble with n
common interest to present united
front in opposition. What help, though,
can they have beyond pairing down their
profit TO the last living point? For all
business this is the day of trusts,
and of combinations, by which
trades totally dissimilar are con-
centrated under one management. Busi-
ness men are just beginning to learn what
can be done by superior talent, and are
organizing their Affairs on scale and
with comprehensiveness of which the
old magustes of commerce never
dreamed. The all-provide, merchants
who, under one roof, will furnish man
with everything he needs, barring a wife,
family and fortune, are coming TO tho
front; and old fashioned tradesmen OF any
line of goods, like musicians who can
twang but one string, are in danger OF
losing their living.
The grocers derive their rivhts and op-
portunities from the same laws that are
enjoyed by the dry goods men, and
though they have no more rights
than the latter, they have no less.
We sh uld say that the best plan
for them, il they see that they are to be
beaten in their old style occupation, is
the bold aggressive measure OF them
selves breaking in upon the dry goods
field instead of driving the dry goods
men out OF groceries.