The record-union., 1897-05-02

| site of the results coming from monop-
olies.
''It would seem to me- putting myself
! in the position of diSintereSted OBJ
server that the smaller Dealers by
organization and by agitation, are most
seriously injuring themselves, and are
| defeating their own purposes by ad
vertiSng the virtues and the merits of
department stores.
In proportion as they dwell upon the
fact that they are unable to compete,
either in prices. or assortments, or ia
| cilities, with department stores, so, in
proportion, do they increase the desire
on the part Of the trading public to
avail themselves of the advantages to
be enjoyed only by trading in depart
ment stores.
1T would seem to be that the best
interests of smaller dealers should
prompt them not to parade these facts,
but to hide them. And hence the agi-
tation which they have now under
taken. looking at it from the standpoint
of the dsinterested observer, can end
only to their own injury and to the
benefit of department stores.
c. P. NATHAN'S OPINION
c. P Nathan, of C. P. Nathan & Co.,
said to the reporter:
L have been engaged in business in
this city for nearly thirty years, and
during twenty years of this period 1
have dealt in goods which are consid-
cred as a Single Line only; namely,
mems and boys clothing, hats and fur
nishing goods.
Owing to the continued solicitation
tOf of
themselves as preferring to buy their
shoes at the same store where they OBJ
tanned their other clothing, I finally
consented to add shoe department to
my stores, and although during the past
year | have been encouraged and ad-
vised by many to extend my business
to other lines. such as dry goods fancy
goods, etc, 1 have Though my capital
and means will permit it, steadfastly
refused to add any new departments,
as l consider the large department
stores do not tend to the general well
fare and prosperity of a city.
The city of Stockton has no depart
ment store, and in the business part of
that city not single store displays the
sign TO Let the business men of that
community pay good salaries, are pros
/ porous themselves anu Iedl estate VAL
ues are high In this city we find long
lines of stores on J street vacant, their
former occupants having either retired
from business or been forced into bank
ruptcy, and the values of real estate on
this street have deprecated in some
portions to two-thirds of its former
value.
1T is only a matter of time when
values on j street will be merely NOM
inal, unless the department store is
checked: and the Assessor will eventu-
ally place the burden of taxation on
the mechanic and artisan, a great num-
Der Of whom are the owners of small
homes in the residence portions of the
city"
MR.. WASHBURN'S VIEWS.
o. F. Washburn of the American
Cash Store, said to the reporter:
tAll the commercial lines on which
business is done nowadays are purely
competitive. Each one faVors what he
thinks is best for his own interest and
it is for each one to judge for himself,
and competition is so sharp that he does
not care much what effect it has on the
other fellow, who must also use his
own best judgment. l think that each
has perfect right to decide for himself
in the matter. The present movement
| is, in my opinion, retrogression. 1t is
going back to the old days of the guilds
in Germany, which forced each guild to do
it's own branch of work and no other
The system finally broke by it's own
weight.
| Restrictions may be imposed, but I
do not think they can ever be main
tanned. Buyers buy for their own bene-
! fit and not for that of the people they
are buying from, and they spend their
money where they can get the most for
it, and are likely to do so as long as hu-
man nature remains what it is.
We are not prone to damage ourselves
in order to benefit other people, and
generally take care Of ourselves first
1t is hard to tell what the limit is to be-
| For my part | have no objection to
leave the departments and go back to
my main line, if others would, but L
have seen the department stores break
into my line and had to meet them.
THE man that can produce most is
admittedly benefit to society, and that
| being SO. why is not the man who can
distribute the most also a benefit. If
the department store can distribute the
most, it has a decided advantage. The
principle cannot stop at distribution,
but also embraces production. 1 believe
that competition will ultimately end in
cooperation. The signs of the times, L
think. point that way"
HAVE NOTHING TO SAY.
| Mr.. Hale of Hale Bros, was not in
the city but the reporter was told he
would have nothing to say were he at
home. Albert Elkus. Hevener & Mier,
the proprietor of The Hub" and the
proprietor of the c. c. c. store also de-
clined to say anything on the subject.
L. L. LEWIS & co.
| L. L. Lewis was not in the city, but
General MARITIME, Vice President of the
Company, said:
THE department store is one of the
greatest misfortunes that ever befeH
| this city. and what the outcome of their
way of doing business in the next few
years will be, if allowed to freeze out
| the small dealers in legitimate lines of
trade, the future alone can tell In
my judgment, the mass meeting of last
evening was a step in the right direc-
ton, and if our people can be educated
up to the idea of not patronizing these
octopii, to the detriment of their own
best interests, much good will come
from it.
Now that this very momentous
question is well before us, a word to the
very respected property holders on J
street would not be out of place This
once popular thoroughfare needs a little
new life in the Way of buiI0ing nm and