New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-10
WANAMAKER A WITNESS.
11s VIEWS ON DEPARTMENT STORES
GIVEN TO THE INDUSTRIAL
COMMISSION.
-yrv ARE A PUBLIC BENEFIT. HE SAYS.
BY REDUCING PRICES AND GIVING
BETTER SERVICE.

BETTER SERVICE.
v,osb,rs+on. Dec. 9-John Wanamaker to- day
....,eed before the Industrial Commission on
-. s,,b,ect Of department stores. He said that
49, dansrtment store was beneficial to society,
,..,,c a substantial economic and moral basis
for its existence
~. &c" he continued, "a natural product
.,.o,ved from conditions that exist a result
:, eved trade laws Cheaper capital, better
.,srortation more rapid communication, make
A. modern retail store possible. natural and
81. therefore inevitable. Executive capac-
-. combined with the command OF capital,
-, ,,rortunitv in these conditions, which are
- horroonv with the irresistible determination
:, ,be n-oducer TO meet the consumer directly
- ., merchandise TO find distribution along
a.. limos OF least resistance Economy in the
o,6iture of money, time and effort measures
,.nortr,eDt store success. Just in proportion as
- ends are reached is it popular powerful
and prosperous
No contended that the effect Of the creation
=, .baee stores had been to reduce retail prices.
- sunnort Of this statement he asserted that on
american drygoods generally the retailers per
&C Of rrofts has been reduced one-half IN
he last twenty years This was also true on
.-oouap silk and cotton fabrics The total per-
oa,teoa ~ reduction in prices to the consumer
.c,ld not be stated, owing to the varying stand
a. - ouelties and taste and improvements
{. r,onufacture but Mr.. Wanamaker believed
~. ,ho consumer saves the entire reduction in
the retailers proht
7, sor,e articles definite comparisons Of prices
80 made as follows: Kitchen agate ware is
rou, retailed at less than one-half the prices OF
IssO Prices of some wooden ware articles for
do.osstlc use have fallen so per cent In fifteen
Gears Many housekeeping articles manufactured
.. metal wood and wire have been reduced 80
~, cent in twenty years The causes Of these
raductions were ne said. various, but promi-
,ent among them are the power OF the large
,stailer to buy cheaper and sell for reduced
rates Of profit Standard patterns OF French
china dinner ware and rich cut glassware are
now retaied at % per cent less than the prices
., ten years ago. This reduction was ne
thought to be credited entirely 10 the lnnuence
~ the modern retail store. II could also De
stated. he said that the profits Of the great re-
TALL stores vary from 3 to per cent on the
amount Of business done.
REDUCTIONS IN PRICES.
NJ waoamaker also argued that reduced
,-,,as stimulate consumption and increase en-
,ovrnent More labor was required for produc-
lion transportation and distribution. The pup
uo serv,ce was the sole basic condition OF the
growth Of the retail business. The variety OF
articles dealt in was such that 1t was Impossible
~ form combinations and trusts in the retail
business 1t was much the same as the jour
naistic and other learned professions.
The only advantage Of the large store over
the small was 10 be found in the superiority OF
its service II was also true that generally the
eu-ploye In a large store was better off than the
proprietor OF q small store. Some Of them re-
ee.ved 5000 year. and many $1,000.
Speaking o. the effect Of combination stores
% small shopkeepers he said 1t could not be
denied that one Of the effects of the big store
had been to retire from business small retailers.
but he commended that, while this was true. the
interests OF these few persons were not to be
compared with the interests Of the mass Of the
people The wholesale stores and jobbers were
also greatly affected by the fact that the large
stores deal directly with the manufacturer. but
this on the other hard. was great benefit to
tbs manufacturer. He classified the present
large city store as merely an enlargement OF
the general crossroads country store, and the
greatest advantage found In them was that they
eliminated Adventures and spectators from the
business.
do not the large retailers often make point
Of buying UP bankrupt stocksY' he was asked
az they do they are children merchants or
idiots the witness replied. He went on to say
that he had been Of this class until ten or twelve
years ago, but he had changed his methods in
recent years He had discovered that the people
did not want debris. such as bankrupt stocks
The great demand was for new things. and often
goods were considered old which had not been
on the shelves for more than thirty days He
also argued that the properly conducted store
Was a university, educating the employe not
only IN writing, spelling. etc. but in morals.
Men were often discharged for lying to custom
ers. Summing up. MI. Wanamaker said that
there was no basis for the hue and cry against
the big stores. and that the only basis for such
criticism found in the misfortunes OF the
comPlainers.
CURRENCY AND THE TARIFF.
When he had first gone into business he had
thought II well to do his own manufacturing,
but he had abandoned the idea finding 1t prefer
able 10 be able TO go into the open market He
took occasion TO say that the worst blow that
the carpet business OF Philadelphia had ever
received was when the high tariff put on
carpets, shutting out foreign goods. The result
Was home overproduction. Many manufactured
goods have been sold in the large stores. but
The loss did not fall on the stores. He did not
believe in selling goods at less than cost as a
mere bait, and expressed the opinion that the
store which followed this practice expected to
make up the loss on some other article Where
The advance would not be suspected.
Referring 10 the advance made by the Amerl-
can manufacturers in making woollens Mr.
Wanamaker said: we don't need the French
longer in this work France can go 10 war with
England if she so desres-we would not miss
her"
How about England?'
u would rather 90 TO the Paris Exposition
than 10 20 TO war with England 1 am too fond
Of Joe Chamberlain who is doing so much
talking these days"
In the large stores the purchaser OF large
Quantities had no advantage over the buyer OF
small quantity The mail order business had
no, been found profitable He considered women
Salle as useful az men in many places IN iarss
Stores and I'm some instances women employees
'eSSsslVed high as $1,000.
Don't ask me about the New-York business,
60, a MI Wanamaker, after speaking OF the eX-
tent OF his interests in Philadelphia, "for ] am
rhladephan and Philadelphia is my nrst
I've I've. He went on 10 say that the New YORK
people Gid not stop in business hours 10 take d