Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-06-28


 principal cities of the East have talk en hold of an entirely new idea in ord CT to produce more business, and if this feature grows in importance as the mail order business has grown in the past year, not only merchants but bankers as well will be drawn into the fight that the merchants through out the country are now waging on these institutions.
 The latest scheme is to solicit de- posits from their customers all over the country in any amount from $5 to s1,OOO, and pay per cent interest on the same. The money so deposited is subject to withdrawal at any time without waiving their interest. If these institutions can create bank ing business of this kind it must be admitted that they will be menace to the business of this country that will prove disastrous not only to the mer- chants but to the banking interests as well.
 It is said that the assets of two of the largest mail order houses in Chi eago amount to over $1o,000,00O. When it is taken into consideration that this vast amount of assets has been accu- mulated within the short period of ten or fifteen years it proves that the business must be enormously profitable. Where is there a merchant or set of merchants in this country who has &C., eumulated such capital in so short a tinei If the mail order houses can make such an enormous sum Of money in so limited period, at whose ex- pense has it been doDes The people of Yavapai should arise to the occa- sion and protect their home industries. Our merchants can and do sell merehan- disc at lower figure than these mail order houses, but, unfortunately, they do not employ huge catalogues full of alluring descriptions. The average person in the country who receives 2 mail order catalogue and is followed up with a well-wordel letter in which the house states how much it costs them to get out the book, and that under ordinary circumstances a charge of 25 cents is made just for the priri- lege of looking at the book, is impress ed with the idea that the merchandise displayed therein is priced much be. low what they can purchase the saTc goods for in their own city.
 Human nature is prone so look up n such generosity" as heing something out of the ordinary, and straightway makes out an order ani sends it to the octopus. When the gJc Is are Iecciv- ed and the excessive chargcs are pai.: for freight or express, and the quality of the merchandise is so woGuliv lack ing, they know for a certainty they have made a bad bargain.
 Our merchants shoult by ali means make an active campaigr for Dusi- ness this fall, along linaS that will con- bat the mail order eat Iiog,: $ The on'.' Msy in which to do this successfully is to start publicity 'ltaiogues nf their own and use the sa IT. n'ethads as the eastern institutio $ 1o. Once a plan of this kind is cdr-i..I out ti" mail order houses will los, thorsan'S . =, hoL secure from this cOunt;.
 How about the banKerSf Are they going to permit the sHvings or their depositors to help swell th' assets of these eoneerns' Seven per cent is VGy large interest to pa, on check ing account, and it cql be sait Ia:.t t,'tre is not a reliable CT safe institu- tiOn in the country tb m can i.' so. Many people are carr'"i away nv ai turing booklets, telling how such in- terest can be paid on running accounts but there is not a banking business in the country that conducts Is business along safe lines. that could promise to pay such sum on savings.
 The object of the mail order houses in proposing this plan is to have the people make their deposits with them so that it will be an easy matter to sell them merchandise. Once the money is in their possession it will not be a difficult matter to keep the de- positors constantly loaded up with literature regarding the superiority of their goods and the low prices at which they are sold. The temptation to pur- chase on the part of the purchaser will be strong, and as it only requires a cheek against their account, they will send the order on, and so their ae-