The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-22
Ninety-twO Per Cent. of GrOcers
Do Not Succeed.
Statement of Secretary Mason,
Of National Association.
ADVISES AGREEMENT.
Thinks GrOcers Should Have
Schedule of Prices.
Should Make Peaceful Adjust
ment of Difficulties.

If the grocerymen of Topeka organize
a combination for the purpose of con-
trolling prices on the staple and fancy
articles of the trade it will not be with
out the approval of Fred Mason, secre-
tary of the national organization. Mr..
Mason has certainly laid himself open
to the charge of abetting the formation
of such a combine, providing such
combine shall result from his appear
ance before the local grocers at the
council chamber last night That 10
what Mir. Mason wants.
Sixty or 20 men interested in tho
grocery business listened to Mr.. Magon'a
talk upon the affairs of the grocery
business and upon propositions for its
Improvement in the council chamber
Monday night After the address thu
gathering resolved itself into a smoker
during which coffee. sandwiches ana
"sinkers' were served. Most OF the
grocers met and shook hands with the
national secretary. Mr.. Mason will leave
Topeka today to visit other Kansas
towns, but before he goes he says he is
going to call on Governor Bailey to md
out why he vetoed the garniehment bill
passed by the legislature last winter. 1t
was a bill calculated to protect the
tradesman who extends credit to his
customer.
Gentlemen, it may be all right to
have cooperation in buying, but we must
have cooperation in selling if we are
to make our business a success" This
is one of Mr.. Mason's statements to the
listening grocers last night He had
made the assertion. which he offered to
establish, that 90 per cent of the men
engaging in the grocery business fail.
This alarming proportion of failures in
business commonly supposed to be a
remunerative one he attributed to the
impractical habit indulged by retailers
of endeavoring to undersell one another
1t is generally accepted that the expense
of conducting a grocery business is be-
tween 10 and IL per cent of the invest
ment and that to leave margin OF
profit the grocer must sell at about 10
per cent profit. 81
''If the men engaged in the grocery.
business make a fair and honest ef-
fort to show the public that they must
make a reasonable prof1t, said MI
Mason sin older to conduct their bust
ness successfully the public will. accept
the situation and give what, we ask.
! couldn't say that the bootbiack. Is not
a better business man than the grocer,
and vet he has educated the public into
thinking that it is worth ten cents to
shine pair of shoes properly and the
public has come to that way OF MINK
in<."
In order to cut down the enormous
percent of failure in the trade MIR. Ma
son urged the grocerymen to be friends.
to regard the other mans situation and
to make advances for a peaceful settle
ment Of difficulties without resorting
to the disastrous practice of price cut
ting and counter-cutting below the nee
essary margin of profit. This cooper
ation he said. must be extended to the
wholesalers. UNDERSTANDINGS in regard
to trade privileges and prices must be
maintained; agreements must be made
and Kept if the per cent of bankrupt
businesses is to be kept down.
Mr. Mason advised the grocers to do
things that come very near to the ban
of the law but his advice was unques-
tionably good from the point of view
he is entitled to take. The grocery
business has suffered from the evils he
pointed out and his proposed solution,
the formation of friendly ORGANIZATIONS
and the maintaining of iron-clad un-
derstandings upon price margins is in
disputably the only practicable one.
OF the garniShment law which Gov
ernor Bailey vetoed he said:
''It is in your own hands to secure
your aim if you use the means at your
disposal If the legislature will not
give you a law under which you can
protect yourself. you may say to the
public. since such is the case. we will
withhold your credit. we will resort to
credit rating books and will not sell
man. 1t won't be long until the public
will be on your side in the demand for
the garnishment law. And you will
1t.