The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-11-05
METHODS OF DOING Dus1xE.
Tho old and Ncw-A Matter of
Importance TO All Consumer,

Importance to All Consumers.
In time past the only method Of getting
merchandise from manufacturers TO cons
sun1ers has been as follows: From manu-
facturer to wholesaler, from wholesaler to-
retailer, from retailer to consumer, involve
ing three profits, and each profit madai
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 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 75 per
cent, and 1t often reaches 100 per cent and 7
more. Under present financial and induSt-i |
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. M
Tho situation naturally led to the adop-
ton Of 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 ana 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 the old margin Of 75 to 100 per cent
down to from 10 to 20 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-
| 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 illegitmate, 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 Z. 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 netghbors
| 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 N1innea polls, and probably concurrt
| in by other Northwestern wholesalers,
jobbers: