The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-09-19
EDITORIAL COMMENT
AS the Farmer Sees 1t.


Minot recently printed the following, which
should furnish some food for thought:
Here is what a farmer reader Of the pape
says about the local merchants and the catalof
house. The farmer from his point of view buy!
where they can get the best goods for the least
money. With them it is not matter of senti
ment but business proposition pure and sim
pie. We don't blame the farmer as much as the
local dealer in order to get rid of the mail order
house as competitor, the local merchant must
undersell them, or at least meet their prices
cious advertising.
If the mail order houses get 81, 600 out OF
this county each month that belongs to the home
merchants the fault is with the home merchants
themselves. The mail order houses advertise
and give prices on everything they offer for sale.
sell and what they want for it. Of course we
pet soaked once in a while and if we do we try
some other house. Most Of the merchants who
advertise don't quote prices. They neglect to
tell US what we want to know-the price. OF
course we can go to the store and ask the price
one doesn't know so we'll exactly what he wants
to buy when he gets in store as when he is at
home And here is where the mail order houses
make their hit. They send their advertising
matter into homes and we read it when We
haven't anything else to do and every member
something that he or some other member of the
family wants and many orders are made up and
sent out just at such times.
Fright here is where the home merchant
falls down. If he talked up his business to us
in our homes the same as the mail order houses
do the people would be in to see him the first
time he came to town and in many cases extra
trips would be made to get the things at once
that we didn't know we wanted until they were
brought to our attention.
The home merchant can save the expense of
getting out a catalogue. We people read the
logue and if a merchant wants to talk business
with us let him put his talk in the home papers
and put it so that we know he means business.
The home merchant likely, nine times out of
ten, sells his goods as cheap as the mail order
houses and believe on many things they are
much cheaper, but how are we to know if he
doesn't tell US about it?
"A merchant must not think that even his
best customers know his goods so well that he
can tell what he has without being shown. It
is none of my business how the home merchant
runs his business, but don't like to see the
little stuff shipped in once in while and never
anything said on the other side. There is al
ways two sides to question, and l have given
you mine. If it is worth anything to you you
can take it. Yours truly,
A Subscriber.
333eee
A rather amusing story is being told of a
man who went into hardware store and
purchased an ak. Being shown the article he
faid, why can get the same kind of an ak
from a Chicago mail order concern for ninety
CENTS Very well,' said the dealer, II will
give it to you for the same price. providing you
will do the same with me as you would with
them ::Al right" replied the customer as he
boo 1o1 no 6olla no dos 1or hon
back ten cents in change. "Now,' said the
dealer, II want twenty five cents more to pay
express charges which the customer had to
hand over. "Now, how much does the axe cost
YOUR :'$1.l5," answered the man. every
we'll Now give me five cents more for money
had to hand over .Now. how much did your
ak cost you?" .s$l 2O,' said the customer.
"Not so cheap after all, said the dealer, where
upon he picked the ak up, tossed it back upon
the shelf and told the customer to call for it in
ten days. as that would be as soon as be could
get it if he ordered it from a catalogue house.
Farmers have all kinds of advice hurled at
them by amateur agrieulturists and economists
as t. how they should farm, what kind of stock
they should raise and when they should sell
paid to this gratuitous advice. The editor of
the Times does not persume to know all there
is to be known about the markets and crops,
and does not wish to impress too seriously his
views on the farmers, but he believes that the
oft repeated advice to farmers "hold your
wheat can be .heeoed with the best results.
For months the wheat market has been ner-
vous and operators are more in the dark as to
the size the crop than ever before. There is
unquestionaby short wheat crop throughout
the world and if the farmers will keep the "visi-
bic supply out of sight and in their granaries
while they do their blowing and other fall work
&ho.c. "a No Doubt Init what the nrice of wheat.