The morning times., 1895-07-07

of domestic happiness and taste the Weets
of complete housekeeping were there no
such institution as an ''installment house"
There are persons, and they comprise the
| majorty,of those who love and long for
home life, that are not possessed of sur
ficient quantity OF this worlds goods
| to enable them to purchase al an outlay the
/ chattels needed for the establishment and
| maintenance OF EoueeEold, yet they can
spare from each weeks Income a small
amount.
To this class the in5tallment establish
ment is boon which affords an easy means
| of obtaining the much coveted home with
| its repose and quiet. During the past few
years there have been from time to time re-
I peated attacks upon the business firms who
| adopt this method OF dealing, but the
enemies ard the fauitfinders, after an in
vestigation into and study of their processes
| and results, have become their greatest
| friends and supporters.
FOUND PLENTY IMITATORS.
Not only are the installment houses them
| selves fIoursbing but their methods and
| plans have been copied and put into opera
| ton by merchants and traders in every con-
| ceiyable branch of business activity. The
| people have found it so convenient and sat
! isfactory that they ask and practically de-
mand of those whom they patroniZe credit
| or instaIment terms be accorded them, with
| the result that there is no establishment of
| any kind where goods are on sale, and at
! all events, 10 furniture, bicycle or machine
store that is condu cted on a strictly
cash basis
| The more modern, and perhaps more dig
nified appellation OF these business con-
| Germs is that Of "credit house" BY using
| this term the difference between the two
| systems of selling can be Immediately indi-
Gated.
| In the commercial world to-day there is
no such thing as actual cash selling.
| Every buyer expects and is allowed time in
| which to meet his obligations, and it would
be deemed ridiculous and preposterous 10
| even intimate payment in actual money
| To the cash merchant a note is given for
1 the sum of the sale, upon receipt OF which
he relinquishes to some extent his claim
| and hold upon the goods
NO NOTES WANTED.
The installmeut man would not have the
notes if you would give them TO him. He
| is secure and safe aud his title to the goods
remains with him so long as the smallest
part OF the bill is yet unpaid. Both OF
the merchants allow time in payment
One requires that all must be paid before
a certain stated time, while the other
! cOmpels the purchaser TO pay stipulated
| sum per week or month which IN the end
| is the same thing in both cases. When
! prospective buyer comes into store he
! undergoes a rigid examination as 10 his
| financial condition, occupation, place of
/ bu sineSs, place Of previous purchases,
/ and references.
( In deciding upon whom TO sell the propri-
etors are influenced TO a large extent by
! their knowledge OF fhumannaturea and eXper-
! ience. Letters may be forged. names
/ fraudulent, friends posted and particlpatorS
| in the swiudle, and years OF business inter
course with men ndwomen have convinced
| the credit-man that the face Will reveal
| most quickly and surely the innermost
! purposes OF the mind. If the report is
| favorable and verbal examination sat
| isfactory, the customer selects the goods,
the amount of which is usually limited to
a figure which varies with the class and
means of the buyer.
sum of money is required in cash, the
amount OF which mu ST mauifestly depend on
| conditions contract is next signed
which Certifies that the purchaser has
hired and received the carefully iter2liZed
bill of goods and that he agrees to pay a
certain specified weekly lnstallments unit
the entire debt is discharged. 1t further
stipulates that if the payments be not met
then the firm is empowered to euter, at any
time any place where the goods may be
and to take possession of and remove them
When the specified sum is paid according
to the word and letter of the paper, the
contract is closed and the merchandise
becomes the property of the buyer.
AN IMPORTANT CONDITION.
A clause in the contract made by most Of
the leading firms in this city states that all
claim to whatever money that has been
paid in is forfeited when the goods are
| sieZed for non-pa yment of iustallment
| This is tie feature on which the cash mer-
chants lay so much stress and which is used
as an illustration of the wickedness and
| deprayity of the Stallment dealers.
1t is very harmless, however, and is but
rarely enforced, it being TO the interest OF
the merchant to do without enforcing as
often as possible. The goods that are
taken away cannot by any possible means
be so made like new furniture that even
the mereSt tyro will be deceived, and the
only disposition that can be made of them
| is to put them up at auction. Here they
bring q small sum in any event and as a
rule must be almost given away. 1t is
much more to the installment mans III
| terests to forbear and the party who misses
one or two payments may rest assured,
|
the merchant to the contrary, the goods VIII
| not be taken until ali hope of further re-
muneration is passed.
| As an argument, if one were needed, Il
prove that these establishments do not
prey upon the poor, many instances could
be cited where parties. after having pald
in a considerable portion of the amount,
had undergone change of circumstances
and were released of the payment OF the
balance of the bill, which they were un-
able to meet.
DELICATE CONSIDERATION.
The delivery wagons of credit houses ar,
invariably without the name of the firm
on them, because it is understood that the
patrons do not desire them to be. 1
must be confessed that il is rather awk
ward to have fine set of plush parlor fur
niture deposited at the front door, Will
which we expect to make our neighbors
and friends turn green with envy. Ant
then We are at a loss to know why the
people who live opposite are laughing Sc
vigorously, until We discover, to oul
chagrin, that in great big letters thC
public at large is informed that We bough
it on the installment plan.
1t is better for all parties to leave some
things unsaid, and this is one of them. a
man may not be able to furnish his house
on any other plan than the installment
still it is eminently better for his Owl
! peace and contentment of mind, and fol
the conversation and gossip OF his friends
that the latter know nothing about it.
AS the wheel is to the wagon, so is tht
collector to the whole machinery of al
installment house Without him all things
stop, for he gathers in the SheckeiS an1
through no other channel can this essentia
item be attended to. When the majorit,
ofthe customers buy they promise that they