Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1904-08-05
Mail Order Evil and
the Home Merchant
Continued from page ~

merchant He has to pay their prices
or do without.
"The Record wants people to patro-
nize home industries and help build up
the town, when the merchants drive
away trade TO OUTSIDE towns. III the
home merchants have the welfare OF the
town at heart, why don't he buy his
farm produce at home and give the man
that produces it what he ought to have
and let the city store take care OF itself.
RAY FRAZER"
Mr.. Fraker must have been mixed in
his dates TO start with, but the Herald
made the following reply: "In brief
our correspondent maintains that the
farmer has "A perfect right TO buy of
mail order houses in large cities because
he can get his goods cheaper, and IN the
same breath, strange as 10 may seem, he
maintains that merchants in small towns
should buy of the farmers, even if it
costs them more. This position is incor-
sistent. IL the farmer should buy
where he can buy the cheapest, so should
the merchant, but the Herald holds with
the Record, that it is the mutual advan-
tage of both rural merchant and farmer
to deal with each other.
1.-THE value of every farm In Gratiot
county is determined in large degree
/ by its ncarness 10 good market for pro.
duce and desirable trading point. Take
away the towns their stores and grain
elevators, and the value Of every farm
would shrink more than 90 per cent,
4
at any price.
"What makes the towns in Gratiot
county? Mainly the farmers patronage,
/ the purchasing and shipping OF farm
produce and supplying farm necessities
/ Whatever interiors; with this natural
exchange, interfres with the growth and
prosperity Of the town, aud hence with
the development and prosperity Of the
/ farm, the two must 90 hand IN hand.
\ The village merchant cannot sell goods
as cheap.y, perhaps, as the big mail
/ order houses, but the goods sold by local
merchants are usually Of better quality,
and even If they costs a little more, we
| should remember that these INGREDIENTS
/ by their enterprise, by furnishing "a
home market, by building up the nearby
/ town, and thus enhancing the value OF
real estate, by bearing large share Of
taxation, are justly entitled 10 some re-
turns. The mail order houses may sell
their inferior goods "A little cheaper in
/ some cases, but the difference, il any,
is far more than made up be the in
creased value Of farms and farm pro-
duce, due 10 the market created by the
enterprise of our home merchant"
The Record desires 20 add q word TO
what has already been said, in an en-.
deavor to convince Mr.. Fraker that he
is wrong, and we ask all who are Of the
same mind as our friend TO give this
their unpre JUDGED thought.
He asks Hs to explain why so many
patronize mail order houses, but il is so
apparent 10 those who are wise enough
10 leave them alone that not much of an
apology Is necessary. These houses
thrust Turing advertising matter on the
unsuspecting public and many like our
friend are led TO buy, expecting TO get
something for nothing, but like the lady
who sends one dollar for ten yards Of
pure silk, and received a little spool OF
silk thread containing ten yards which
she could buy OF any merchant for three
cents, find that they are deceived, hum
plugged, and the mail order house gets
rich at your expense.
cash, buy insight and unseen, and then
very often send second class article at
a nearly first class price, while on the
other hand the home merchant Is often
asked to give credit from week TO a
year, and expected to sell good goods at
mail order house prices.
The Record asks you, and the mer-
chants sustain TO bringyou catalogue
TO their stores and be convinced that
they sell you goods just as cheap as you
buy anywhere. quality considered.
Is the home merchant intrusted with
$50 OF your money, and relying In his
honesty and judgement, requested TO
send buggy or furniture according to
their description? No, he sends it TO
the mail order house, and comes to his
home merchant and gets trusted for
ten dollar suit of clothes. Can mer-
chant save his three per cent on that TO
discount his bills and in that way buy
cheaper, and therefore sell cheaper?
Why no, he is expected to sell first-class
goods at a second-class price.
There isn't thing that the farmer
produces but what the merchant buys,
either directly or indirectly. Your eggs,
butter, fruit, grain, wool, hay, in fact
everything you have TO sell Is largely
consumed in your home town, and you
are paid the regular established prices.
Who keeps mp our schools? Who
maintains our banks? Who does most
TO keep mp the roads so that the farmer
may draw their loads to market? The
rural mt rchants are the ones who con-
tribute through taxation and subscrip.
ton, the most for all these things, and
who establish market and demand
for what the farmer raises.
The great mutual benefit OF cc-opera-
tion between loyal farmers and me--
chants is hard 20 over estimate.