The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-21
Voice OF
the People,
Jobber VS.. Manufacturer, East
ern and Western Shoes.

Editor OF Tho Tlmes-Dispntch:
sir,-The question often arises as to
the relative strength and position Of tho
shoe jobber and the shoe manufactui<r
and 1t Is not seldom that the very strong
position Of the shoe jobber is known.
SO many retailers when approached by
representatives of hlgh-class jobbers, re-
mark. buy my shoes from the manu-
handle jobber's shoes. 81 "
Now BY analytical reasoning and logi-
cal deduction, only can the merits and
true facts Of any condition OF affairs
In recent conversation with repre-
sentative of one of the largest West
,ern manufacturers and iobbers, tho sales
man remarked that his city made more
States, and that all. the good shoes. that
they sold they made, and all the cheap
fshoddy shoes they sold they bought IN
the East He also remarked, t hat, t1s
showed that this city was the largest
patron OF Eastern markets.
Such being the case, It naturally fol;
lows that this same city sona s Sa
market and also have a greater demand
for this class Of goods.
The general opinion OF statesmen from
the Woolly West. and Grand Prize
leave. or attempt to leave. is that the
shoes made there arc better by far than
those made anywhere else, and that this
enables them TO- ca.er TO- o. and n handle
than the jobber who handles Eastern
made goods, and also leaves the impress
sion tina Eastern made goods are inferior
in quality, style and finish to the West
ern made goods. X
Asa matter Of fact. the reverse Is the
case for take any manufacturer and JOB
bling concern In the West. no matter
how large,or in what territory they travel.
MIN afxrr ,1aV
goods to- buy their higher class OF shoes,
in tho batter grades Il ynlentton,t in both
men and women shoes. from the East.
and buy the Eastern made lines exclu..
sively, and when they attempt to sell
these better grades In the place OF these
Eastern lines. they find themselves up
against a brick wall and can SO no
farther.
The position to-day OF high-class Job
Der Is stronger from every point OF view
than tthe position Of the Western job
Der and manufacturer, no matter how
also Is stronger than the individual GUS.
tom manufacturer Of the East, for vari-
Gus reasons. TO illustrate:
Eight or ten years ago, very nearly
every tobacco and snuff manufacturer
went directly to the retail trade after
business To-day, no matter how large
retailer may be- II he wishes TO handle
any goods by recognized ana best, known
manufacturers Il refer to other lines Of
merchandise, rs we'll as tobacco. snuff
and cfgars). he Ia compelled to have them
shipped through a jobber.
3 Any town In the South Boosting q cot
ton mill. making any kind OF fabrics. en-
deayor to form theSconnection with an
Ea stern jobblng or commission house to
handle their products, and thess same
products are sold from New York, to
the trade In the town wherein the factory
his located at a lower price than the fac-
tory would get by so doing, II they sold
| The goods TO the retailer direct,
| This condition is not TO make proft
for the jobber or to tnke profit from tho
| retailer, Z.
the shrcWdest and most sue cessful busi Z
ness men that In order to distribute
and dispose of Immense quantities or
manufactured products. that through the
| jobber' Is tho most economic way for all
| parties concerned,
L It takes more capital to job shoes than
II does to manufacture them, Is another
point that is overlooked by many neal-
| crs. ~
| IN "a conversation recently With
La manufacturers OF ladies' knit tn-
1 derwear. this manufacturer, also
running u retail store informed
he Y that when Il johber came 10
| Ills place to place, contract for the
l1prodlet Of his mills, the orders were
4 zen orally from loo to 800 or 900 dozel.
| INA & With such q contract he could buy
! his yarns and cotton on o basis 20 turn
| The Sc goods out al n iair profit Tor Spot
ErcnslfS at sl.s5 per dozen. hut that he could
! moi ia ndle. a retailers account for less
! ina s., as per Dozen and that the jobber
| Gould frequently gundersell him " "a