Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-13
LOCAL. COMMENT.


In all the years that the writer mas
been a resident of MarshalltoWn, ana
Intimately acquainted with the retail
interests of the city, never mas ne
known a season in which competition
of the contentious sort between local
merchants has been so active as now
prevails in this city. The public that
BUYS merchandise doubtless has little
complaint to make, for goods were ney-
err bought in Marshalltown at so small
a margin of profit to the merchant as
during the last thirty days, but the
newspaper man has always believed
that the ideal condition of local affairs
was one in which goods could be SOLD
at reasonable profits and all of US could
prosper thereby. The see strife
between competitors which cuts ana
cuts, and again cuts prices down to
ruinous figures may be temporary
boon to the buying public but 1t inevi-
tably brings disaster to some one ana
does not build up a prosperous city.
However, the general public is not to
blame for what may be the folly OF the
merchants, and the thing for every citl-
zen within fifty miles of this city to
do now is to take the train for Mar
shalltown and buy goods while the
fight of the merchants is on. There is
hardly a line in which local competitive
strife does not offer the purchasing
public an unusual opportunity this
month. In the jewelry line disagree
ment between partners has resulted IN
a sheriff's sale, followed by an auction
sale, and finally the purchase of the
stock by competitor, who must sacrl-
fee profits to move it, and his COM
petitors, every one, are compelled to
meet his figures. A sixty days sale of
a Job lot of suits, skirts and cloaks for
women has brought prices of these
goods in every dry goods store to fig
ures at which profits to the merchants
are gone. A reorganization and new
partnership arrangement in the cloth
| ing line has set nearly every clothing
merchant into a perfect frenzy of price
cutting, while mere business Jealousy
has created an upheaval in the piano
and organ business. These conditions
can not last long. Merchants will come
| to their senses soon and ask the profits
they ought to have, so, while they are
at their play, the person who needs to
| Duy SiIly Trims Ills NlhtCi NSeAt $3.50 81
| ford to pay railway fare for a very long
| Journey to Marshalltown to buy 1t now
before the fight of the retailers is de-
| clared off.
| Modesty will not prevent the T.-R.
from observing that the list of pottery
| lot purchasers presents roll OF honor,
members of which should enjoy de-
served pride and be accorded unbound
ed praise. 1t is true that the pottery
| plant was builded better than any one
knew, and every mans lot has been
made worth the price, but the men who
took lots at 5000 apiece did so solely
from motives of public enterprise and
desire to help the town. They did not
know at the time that the factory would
prove such an industrial prize as 1t now
promises to be, but they believed that 1t
was every mans duty to put his Shout
der cheerfully to the wheel and push
with the rest, for the advancement OF
his city. He should have taken pleas
ure in so doing and his neighbor who
failed, or was not given the chance to
be so enrolled, should be the first to wiz
respect for himself the next time the
| Commercial Club offers the opportuni-
ty Men whose circumstances preyent
| what they would otherwise like to &c