Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-06-26
NOT ALWAYS DAMAGED.
fhe Goods That Are known In
Trade Circles us Seconds"

fhe Goods That Are known In
Trade Circles as Seconds"
1T does not follow" said the buyer
for one of the sections of one Of Wash
ington's big department stores, that
goods which are known to the public
and to the trade, and especially to lady
shoppers, as seconds are damaged
goods.
Goods Of all classes are known to
the trade under three great subdivi-
siOns - the absolutely perfect, the
seconds and the short ends-and their
Importance and value are regulated ac-
cordingly.
"The manufacturers Of goods of all
descriptions, from a locomotive to a
spool Of thread do not try to dispose
of their products as perfect unless they
really are such, however light the con-
sciences of some retail dealers may be
on this point. Woolens and cottons at
the mills and all goods sold by the
yard and down to bicycle tires are
carefully inspected for flaws and de-
fects Of the minutest description. Such
as are not up to the standard Of merit
placed thereon by the house turning
them out are laid aside by the experts
and classed as seconds. These are dis
posed of to the trade under this name
and at a greatly reduced price as com
pared with the perfectly made article.
"For instance, let US take the case of
mems collars, and especially the high
turnover collar. After being laundered
they are examined for defects, the
most prominent of which Is a slight
break in the linen on top in front where
they button. 1t may be scarcely per
ceptible, but it is enough to cause it to
be thrown aside, and the name Of the
maker is not stamped thereon, as would
be the case if it were perfect. Very
often one Of the buttOuhOles is slightly
torn or there is a little scratch in the
linen on the outer side. Some firms sell
thousands Of dozens of these collars a
year at very low price, while some
of the defects are not perccptiDle to the
eye of the purchaser. who buys the
goods at retail at less than half the
cost of the perfect article. The same
is true with bicycle tires. the makers
cutting their names off the rubber.
Dealers are careful not to have their
names 20 on seconds, as the public
would Judge their perfect articles by
the imperfect relying upon the name
of the manufacturer to buy a perfect
article.
"In weaving yarn goods a broken
thread or loose pin or few drops of
oil from the loom will make half a
dozen or more yards imperfect, yet
salable as short ends These are cut
off from the bolt and sold cheap to
dealers who make q speciality of han
ding such goods. Some mills will have
at the end of the season thousands Of
these short ends. The retail buyers
and jobbers secure them at low prices,
the public very often supposing that
they are getting bargains in the per-
feet goods at less than known market
rates. Usually they receive full value
for their money.
"The loss to the manufacturers and
the mills from seconds and short ends
makes q big hole in the profits at the
end of the season, and this loss is
taken into consideration in the whole
sale price asked for the perfect goods.
In some mills they have Il system Of
making the operatives pay for any diff
ference in the damaged goods where
the loss may be traced to their per-
sonal fault and not that of the ma
chine. This system makes the opera
tives very careful, as it materially af-
fects their wages. If manufacturer
attempted to put on the market sec
onds for perfect goods, the retail deal
ers would not buy from him, and the
public would likewise withdraw its
patronage. e."-Washington Star.