The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-03-14
To RevOlutiOniZe the System of
Rating the Standing of
Business People.
WILL LIMIT GUESS WORK.
THE INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF HAPHAZ-
ARD REPORTS ON THE RESPONSE
BILITY OF BUSINESS MEN.
One Strong Case in Point Where the
Merchant Was Incorrectly Reported
to and Rated by the Mer-
camille Agency.

Among the visitors to town yesterday
was George S. Titus, of Philadelphia, q
gentleman who claims to represent a re
Gently organized sort of secret service to
be used in connection with commercial
agencies. Mr.. Titus says he represents an
entirely new undertaking, one which will
revolutionize the credit system in com
mercial circles. His visit to this region
is due to the business crisis that has
brought about so many seizures by the
Sheriff of late. Although his business,
to large extent, partakes of the secret
character Mr.. Titus spoke quite freely to
reporter. He says that many of the
commercial agencies have found that
they have been imposed upon by certain
people who have been relied upon for in
formation concerning the standing of
business people. Pursuant to inquiry
caused by disclosures made through
these defective returns to com
mercial agencies, agents found that
in many cases the rating of some people
who should have ranked high had been
placed as doubtful, and in s"me cases as
worthless, and vice versa. Next to the
business men rated, none suffered more
inconvenience by these improper reports
than the travelling salesmen sent out by
the wholesale houses. The case of a Shen
andoah salesman was cited. He took an
order from storekeeper for barrel OF
provisions on credit, knowing the man to
be responsible for at least a thousand
barrels. yet the house would not fill the
order because the merchant was not rated
satisfactorily by the commercial agency
with which the house had dealings. This
situation, Mr.. Titus says, came about
through somebody not knowing anything
about the merchants business attempt
ing to rate him; or, perhaps, the duty to
assign the rate being placed in the hands
of party anxious to do the merchant
an injury. 1t has also transpired that
several people in the region who have
been rated at splendid figure have been
the first to 90 under the Sheriff's hammer,
while many who were rated very low have
braved the financial crisis and give no in
dication of going under. Mr.. Titus says
that at present there is really no remedy.
Many of the merchants suffer unconsci-
ously, because they are not members of
the agencies rating them, and the agencies
cannot proceed against the parties furn-
ishing the information, because it is given
as a gratuitous service and without any
attempt to guarantee correctness.
1t has been the practice of these mer-
camille or commercial agencies to for
ward to certain business places in differ
ent towns blank return sheets with letters
requesting that the blanks be filled, Civ
ing as near as the writer can the financial
standing of the man whose name is
written at the head of the blank. 1t can
be readily seen that this places a power
full weapon in the hands of any unprin-
cipled person whom the agency may in
advertently deputized for the work. Mr.,
Titus says that some failures in the coal
region have occasioned much surprise
in distant commercial circles, but il the
proper information had been forwarded
to the agencies there would not have been
room for surprise, as many of the people
would not have enjoyed the credit &C
corded them. The new system is in
tended, to an extent, to act as a checl
upon some of the reports made to tn
agencies and adjust discrepancies, whereof.
it is hoped the actual standing of tn
business people reported may be NOR
closely reached. If successful the system
will be OF great benefit ia all circles. Th
legitimate business man will no longer b
! the victim of unprineipled foes; the ma
who really has little or no standing vii
be deprived of the chance to give himsel
fictitious rating, and the mercantil
agencies will be able to give their client
more reliable information.