The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-11-02
METHODS OF DOING BUSINESS.
Tho Old and New-A Matter Of vital
Importance to All Consumers.


Importance to All Consumers.
In time past the only method Of getting
merchandise from manufacturers to con-
sumers has been as follows: From manu-
facturer to wholesaler, from wholesaler to
retailer, from retailer to consumer, involv-
ing three profits, and each profit made
larger to pay losses that are inevitable to
the credit given In very large majority Of
the transactions made. The cash buyer. or
he who pays promptly, be he wholesaler,
retailer or consumer, must necessarily pay
enough more than living profit to each
dealer to make good the losses from bad
debts. An analysis Of the situation shows
that the margin between the manufacturer
and consumer will average at least IS per
cent, and it often reaches 100 per cent and
more Under present financial and indust-
rial systems, causing constantly shrinking
values OF the products of the soil, and Of
all forms of human toll this large margin
has become a downright hardship to nearly
all consumers. s.--
The situation naturally led to the adop-
ton OF new method of doing business.
one that is now largely practiced, and that
grew popular as it became known The new
method involves the buying OF merchandise
in large lots by some men or firms direct
from manufacturers for spot cash. so as to
get it at the lowest possible price, and then
sell direct to consumers and thus reduce the
margin between the two to the smallest
possible point The new method eliminates
traevling men and other costly means Of
making sales, and employs i'm their stead
catalogues and other advertising mediums,
and does business with customers at
distance by mail alone. This results in cut
ting the old margin of IS to 100 per cent
down to from 10 to 40 per cent. saving that
it would be simple folly for consumers not to
avail themselves Of
But the beneficiaries Of the old system do
not propose to be driven out of their field
if they can help it. That system supports
and often enriches men who will be driven
into other and possibly less congenial avo-
cations as the new one becomes more uni
versal, hence vigorous means are employed
to destroy the new and maintain the old,
and the means are not only vigorous but
often INSCRIPTIONS and illegitimate, in proof
of which few illustrations given:
F. S. & H. has recently been informed by
manufacturers Of farm implements and
machinery that they are under contract to
wholesalers not to advertise in papers that
carry the advertisements of supply houses,
and especially in papers of the Northwest
that carry the ads. Of I. NJ. Roberts. and
this action as to the Northwest is due to
the demands of wholesale dealers in this
region; and the wholesalers are forced to
action by the retailers, the near neighbors
of those who are so greatly benefited by
the system that said neighbors would de-
stroy. Following is some documentary
proof of the efforts made to destroy the new
system, that is proving itself SO beneficial
to the great mass of the people. These reso-
lutions were adopted by the wholesale deal
ers of Minneapolis, and probably concurred
in by other Northwestern wholesalers, or
jobbers:
AGREEMENT.
We the undersigned jobbers and manufac-
turers Of implements and vehicles, agree not
to sell goods Of any character or descrip-
ton to supply catalogue houses
We also agree not to load In car with
goods of manufacturers or jobbers who Go
sell to supply or catalogue houses.
We further agree to purchase no goods
of manufacturers who sell to supply or cat
alogue houses. 49, -+t.-
Resolved. That this agreement be pub
lished with names of the signers, and also
with names of those to whom same was
presented and who refused to sign.
Here is the boycott in its most aggra-
waited form. and invoked by men who would
doubtless denounce with emphatic bitter
ness any attempt of laboring men to use
the boycott in their own behalf. But it is
more than this-it is a confession that there
is no other way to fight and destroy this
new and better system. 1t is confession
that supply houses are reliable, that their
methods are legitimate, xand that the goods
they sell are of good quality. There is no
attempt made to show that the new sys-
tenn is wrong, that it does not save money
to consumers, that it is illegitimate and I'M
DuSlneSSl1ke, II Is cUHlcSStU THAI tlleIe dIo
no vulnerable places in the system for legi-
innate attack, but that it must be de-
stroyed by physical means, by brute force,
by threats, intimidation and coercion.
Now the fight is on: the lines of battle
are plainly drawn; the plans of the bene-
ficiaries of the old methods of doing bust
ness are clearly revealed, and so is their
motive which IS to destroy by force sys-
tenn that they declare cannot be destroyed
by persuasion, or argument or logic Where
are consumers to be found in this fight-on
which side of the line? Will they join the
ranks of the old and costly system, or will
they defend and perpetuate the new and
less costly one? Will they become the 81.
lent and passive victims OF the remorseless
boycott, or will they assert their right and
duty to avail themselves Of every oppor-
tunity to obtain their supplies AT the small
est possible cost? This Is a serious matter.
involves deeper and broader interests than
the late war with Spain. ana again, it is
asked on which side will the consumers,
the great mass of people, be found? Who
is ready to enlist the side of the con-
sumers in this great struggle? There should
be no uncertainty regarding this matter:
every man must take sides, and none should
fear to have his position known. Let the
attitude Of every reader Of this, and of his
neighbors. be stated by postal to Farm,
Stock and Home. This is no idle request.
The disposition of the people needs u be
known, and the sooner the better.-From
Farm, Stock and Home Nov !.