Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-16
Notable Address Delivered Be-
fore the Hardware Dealers
Association
FARMER STANDS IN OWN LIGHT
Patronizins of Mail Order Houses a
Detriment to His Farm, the Value
of Which Depends Upon the Growth
of Towns to Which Is Naturally Tri-
butary.

against catalots houses, were maze
by Mr.. H. L. Cllaffee of Minneapolis,
Mimi, yesterday in an address to the
ciation He showed how every farm
err who is buying of catalog house is
depreciating the value Of his own farm
by helping to tear down the business
interests of the adjoining town and Of
the state. He pointed to the cry that
some narrow minded merchants make
against the publicity of discussions of
catalog houses, and said that it was
publicity which ha. driven the unjust
life insurance companies to bay and
was safeguarding the welfare of the
people.
Some one says you are giving the
catalog houses too much publicity,
said Mr.. Chaffee. Yes, but all
CRATER or a burglar wants is to be left
alone. The McCalls and the McCur-
dys are out. Publicity did it.
Sending money out Of your state to
build up a large city in another state
does not hurt the merchant any more
than 1t hurts the farmer or the me-
chanic, the preacher or the teacher,
the doctor or the lawyer. The me-
chanic who sends to another state for
his tools is doing all in his power to
make business at home SO dull that
there will be no more building and no
10 Innokinc
his own supporters. The teacher is
helping to reduce the value of assess
able property and lowering the school
fund in his or her district. The hotel
man and livery man, are voting to cut
their own threats, while the farmer is
voting to increase his own tax levy
and helping TO pay for policemen or
paving in Chicago or some other city.
Your census in Iowa shows that with
the exception of perhaps dozen towns
your urban population has fallen off.
Which will sell the best, a farm near
good town or near a poor town?
There is an economic phase to this
question which overshadows your or
my personal interests. Capitalization
of both wealth and population are adj
mitter to be the two gravest dangers
that threaten our republic.
Do Not Contribute.
How muca do these mail order
houses contribute towards your schools
or your churches, your good roads,
your sidewalks or your bridges? These
facts are pretty well understood by the
patrons, so well in fact that the most
of them realize and act as though they
were doing something they ought not
to do. Did you ever watch one of them
buy a money order at the postoffce?
He looks over his shoulder to see if
any one is listening and then whispers
the name, or if there be others within
hearing, he islyly shoves out the print
ed envelope for the postmaster to copy.
They even go so far as to often have
the goods shipped to fictitious name,
The catalog houses themselves UNDER
stand this fully and explain that blank
tags can be used so that no one may
see from whom the goods are shipped.
Why all this clandestine procedure?
The man who asks the merchant to
carry him until after harvest and then
when he gets a little cash sends it
away knows that he is doing wrong.
Revival That Iowa Needs.
| 81 want to say right here that the
kind Of a revival which is needed here
in Iowa is not so much one Of the Billy
Sunday three thousand for three weeks
variety, but a revival which will make
men more loyal to their neighbors,
| their town. their county, and their
state Iowa, which grows more pure
foods than any state in the union. has
for many years been dumping ground
| for all the poisonous connections that
devilfsh ingenuity could invent. How
ever, it is encouraging to note that the
practice of catalog house buying
seems to be growing more unpopular.
| A few years ago these houses sold
their catalogs, now they hire men
to give them away. A postal card will
bring one to any address, and right
here let me say that the catalog
house is Just as much afraid Of you as
YOU are of them. They know that is IS
within the power of the retail mer-
chant and their friends and relatives
to nearly put them out of business.
You see these catalogs with the
postage cost about so cents each. There
is another reason why this business Is
becoming more unpopular. The pat
rons are beginning to learn that as
rule, quality and price considered, they
get less for their money than they do
| at home. 1T is notorious fact that it
costs the large stores in our great
cities about rs per cent to do bust
ness"
A Strenuous Day.
Yesterday was decidedly strenuous
day for the members of the IoWa Re-
tail Hardware Dealers Association.
There were all sorts of things to do
and be done from the time the con-
vention was called to order at $3.50 in
the morning until the gay and festive
banquet board was left in the early
hours of this morning.
For the most part the day was full
of business. 1t started off with the
address of the president, H. S. Vincent
of Fort Dodge, following which the re-
| ports of the officers were given.
A. r. Sales of Fort Dodge, secretary,
reported that there were $50 members.
127 of whom are paidup members. He
! praised the exhibit features of the
| present convention.
The afternoon was taken up with
| technical discussions.
Last evening the state association
was the guest of the Des Moines
Harware club at a banquet and vaude-