The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-06-08
SHOULD DEPARTMENT STORES
EXIST?

The department store issue. one OF
the "livest" in business today. and up
on which legislators Of several West
ern states have 'egisla.sd and courts
decided, is thoroughly discussed. so
far as 1t relates to New England. in
the first part OF The report OF the
Massachusetts, Bureau of Statistics of
Labor. Whether the conclusions, some
OF which are in the nature Of sur
prises. are fully applicable to Brooklyn,
a less conservative and more cosmopol-
itan .city than Boston. may be inn
agined. Nevertheless. the work. like
all from the Massachusetts, bureau, will
stand as authoritative. and. in many
respects. an effective answer to the
demagoguery and partisanship with
which all social ami Industrial ques-
tions are unfortunately wrapped. It
will, for example, doubtless surprise
many of the objectors to department
stores that the statistics. most impair
TALLY obtained and intelligently exam
ined. do not show a material decline
in the number of retail stores in pro-
portion to population; the ratio chang
ing only from one to 125 in 1875 TO one
TO 142 in 1895. Some lines show a con-
siderable decline. for which it is by no
means certain that The department
store is responsible. while in several
other lines, against which complaint
has been directed. the number is either
greater or not materially different from
that Of a quarter Of century ago.
Many lines Of retail trade show during
the term a complete reversal Of meth
DDS. affecting each quite as much as
the department store. the competition
for example of a thoroughly organized
grocery being fully as severe upon
those less perfectly organized, or work
ing with smaller capital. as that Of a
dara rtr,,avt etc.,. oo,,id ha T,1aad 4Lo
in all branches Of trade
is keen, but it is quite clear that it
proceeds from various causes besides
the growth Of department stores. for
the introduction of new
styles. more fastidious tastes among |
customers, oblitaration of district or
boundaries. and special
Ization of branches. The aggrega-
tion Of numerous kinds Of goods under
one roof appeals to the public, and |
as made clear by the report, stores dis
the name Of department stores
apparently follow the same course.
The general advantages Of the depart
ment stores 20 the public are fully
shown by the amplsst testimony, and
even the complaint against false and
advertisements exhausts it.
self when it is attempted to pursue the
objections to enactment.
The report sums up the whole mat
Ter in the following authoritative and
conclusions;
The trend Of modern business, quite
apart from whatever Unfair practices
nay exist among the unscrupulous, is
oward concentration Of capital and
Of organlzations-the elm
nation Of Unnecessary expenses and a
reduction Of profit on
he individual article, accompanied by
IN enlargement Of profit in the aggre-
sate, which permits lower price to
he consumer. This is substantially
he same movement that has taken
,lace and is still going on in the in
lustrial world. On the one hand the
department. store, on the other the fac
ory, exhibit it in its highest form,
ut the same tendency is shown through
very branch of trade. every avenue Of
Its ultimate result, so far as
he consumer is concerned, is a wider
upply Of commodities at lower prices.
20 such movement can take place, Of
curse, without arousing active oppo-
ition from those who suffer from IT, q
r who are overcome by It, in the ::
ransition from the old to the new or
er."