The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-07-03
TeIephone no. GO.
COMBINATION TAG.

The cannerymen OF the Columbia are
quick to forget. They do not seem to
imagine that details of their business
methods are sufficiently known TO outsid-
ers to enable those outsiders to speak
with any degree of certainty about mat
tiers affecting their interests. And we are
sorry to say that In some instances, even
when Gamers have been compelled to
acknowledge the excellence of suggestions
m,lde, they have failed to act on them
simply because It might look like conced-
ing too much, might compromise them as
II were to acknowledge that they did not
know all about the idea before 1t ap-
peared in print. This is neither business
nor common sense.
The tag label proposition that we have
advocated more than once in these col
umns is not new thing nor do we claim
any special merit for having brought 1:
forward, but the Historian desires to say
that the proposition, In connection with
the Columbia River salmon industry, con-
tains the germ OF one OF the finest strokes
OF commercial enterprise ever made by
any body Of men on the continent. Since
the advocacy Of this matter was started
by this paper, Printers Ink, the most
expensive advertising medium In the
country, has seen fit to make mention of
the idea edltorially and to advise ITS adop-
ton. The free advertisement thus given
the scheme could not have been obtained
for hundreds OF dollars. AS we have
before sthted the adoption of the combi-
nation tag and the judiclous and sys-
tematic advertising of the trade mark
thus decided on In the leading family pa
pers OF the country will not only educate
the consumer quicker than he can be
reached In any other WAY, but will make
Its influence felt before next seasons
fishing begins. Throughout the winter
months this advertising should be con-
tinually kept up, and the harvest will
be reaped in the spring. Not as long,
mark you, as the farmer has to wait for
hla crop by a good three months. And
yet the Gamers hesitate and, taking ref
uge In the fact that they are at the pres
ent moment o. little busy try to bury the
idea under a bushel Of heaped up letters
and think no more of It.
We hear great deal in this part of
the country about the "effete plst." and
the smart, wideawake, soft-hatted busi-
meas geniuses of the Vast, but 1t seems
as II the real conditions have been re-
versed. Confident methods in commercial
life and that free habit of superiority
that a man unconsclously breathes In
from the hir when he comes to the west
erR part Of the continent, are all well
enough and no doubt 30 "a considerable
distance towards success. But they are
not everything It takes deep thinking,
and lots Of 1t nowadays, to keep one In
the front rank OF the business world.
New IDEAS and fresh original methods
must have full swing. The opera
tor In any line Of work must be
bold. shrewd, and above all able to
best his competitors by superior general
ship. And the Columbia River canner
has competitors who, up to the present
time at any rate. have proved themselves
just as capable and as bright as he has
been duh and slow-witted, The ideas Of
the humdrum village grocer with an es-
tablished trade In candles and tobacco
and with an abiding faith In the efficacy
OF his stand to bring custom, are pre-
cisely on the same plane as the business
notions OF our local Gamers. One class
has no more originality OF method than
the other, and both alike are imbued with
that spirit Of calm confidence which
makes Its possessors blind to every chan
mel OF progress and Improved methods.
From the hnmblest peanut vendor who
tries by caliope attachment TO his steam
cooker to attract purchasers, up to the
largest manufacturers In the world,
ranges this spirit OF advancement in bus
iness methods "F'orward" is the watch
word Of commercial life, the very essence
Of commercial existence, nnd the men
who perslstently refuse to wake up and
get out Of the rut Of old-faahloned ways
may as weii shut up shop right away,
II viii come TO that before long, anyhow.
whether they do It now or not.
We know that the average man has
very wei imbedded notions Of his owr
importance ard that he Is 10th to be told
anything that rejects on his extraordl'
nary brilliaucy. or his marvellous powers
Of perception. But we cannot help think
Ing that II has got to the time when 4
few straight words 10 the cannerymen Of
the Columbia River VIII not be out o.
place. They have come to the meeting
Of the roads. Ten years Of stupidity
have landed many Of them In rocky har
bors. ana n a few more seasons severa
win be hunting in a pained and anxious
manner Tor a soft jumping on place