The Irish standard., 1898-11-05
METHODS OF DOING Dus1xE.
The Old and Ncw-A Matter of
Importance to All Consumers,

The Old and Ncw-A Matter of
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, involve
ing three profits and each profit made
larger to pay losses that are inevitable to
the credit given in a very large majority
the transactions made. The cash buyer, o.
he who pays promptly be he wholesale.
retailer or consumer, must necessarily pay
enough more than a 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 I
more. Under present financial and indust- |
rial systems. causing constantly shrinking |
values Of the products of the soil, and Of i
all forms of human toll, this large margin
has become downright hardship to nearly
all consumers. Z n
Tho situation naturally led to the adop-
ton Of a new method of doing business,
one that is now largely practiced, and tina
grew popular as it became known. The nc
method involves the buying of merchants
in large lots by some men or firms dire
from manufacturers for spot cash, so as
get 1t 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 in their stead
catalogues and other advertising mediums.
and does business with customers at a
distance by mail alone. This results in cut
ting tho old margin of Is to 100 per cent
down to from 10 to 20 per cent, a 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 unf-
versal. hence vigorous means are employed
to destroy tho new and maintain the old.
and the means are not only vigorous but
often INSCRIPTIONS and illegitimate. In proof
Of which few illustrations are given:
T. S. & H. has recently been informed by
manufacturers OF farm implements and
machinery that they are under contract to
wholesalers not to advertise III papers that
carry the advertisements Of supply houses,
and especially in papers of the Northwest
that carry the ads of T. M. 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
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 concurrt
in by other Northwestern wholesalers,
jobbers: ~
AGREEMENT.
We, the undersigned jobbers and manufa
turers of implements and vehicles agree NJ
to sell goods of any character or descrir
ton to supply or catalogue houses.
w r1S ,,ot to 1nnf1 % Ys TVvtfI
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.
Resolved That this agreement be pub
l!shed with names of the signcrs, 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, 0nd that the goods
! they sell are OF good quality. There is 70
attempt made to show that tho new $ys-
tenn is wrong, that it does not save money
j to consumers, that it is illegitiniate and un-
/, businessike; it is confessed that there are
| no vulnerable places in the system for legl-
| innate attack, but that 1t must be de-
stroyed by physical means, by brute force,
| by threats, intimidation and coercionl
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 a sys,
| tenn that they declare cal.not he DESTROYED
| by persuasion, or argument or logic. Where
are consumers to be found in this iight-on
| which side of the lire? Will they JOIN tne
ranks Of the old and costly system, OF Wall
they defend and perpetuafte the new anu
less costly one? Will they become the els
lent and passive victims of the remorseless
boycott, or will they assert their right Stild
duty to avail themselves OF every o1por-
tunity to obtain their supplies at the small
est possible cost? This is a tserious matter,
involves deeper and broader, interests than
the late war with Spain. aSd again 1t Is
asked on which side will tAe consumers.
the great mass of people, be found? Who
is ready to enlist on 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 to be
known, and the sooner tho better.-Frcn
Farm Stock and Home, Nov. !.