Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-02-28
~rne MAIL ORDER BUSINESS"
iron another s,andpOin1l

MT, Ehllnh'- -i..,, In
Much time and space are given IN
All our local papers 10 the con,
sheraton of the Email order business
and although not a customer myself
10 any extent, OF any OF these houses,
| have observed many instances
among my friends and neighoors'
where an order 10 some big depart,
ment store has, undoubtedly, saved
them many dollars, and il seems TO me
that there is a side 10 the question
which has not been taken mp IN tue
discussion. refer TO the claims OF Tue
great "middle class OF our common
wealth which includes the agfieni'
turist-rhe Vermont farmer-and II
l. in the interest Of this latter class
that write this article,
The cry all along the line TO give
the local dealer the dollar" because
he is ''our friend" "our nelghoor
and "helps pay our taxes sounds very
pretty and is all right-m print
But when We come TO strict facts
there is not merchant or dealer IN
our town, or any other, who Is IN
business to "help his friends, his
neighbors or his town by paying
large tax. lie Is in business for the
money in il, every time, just as the
farmer is farming to save little
ahead.
And can't the same be said Of the
farmers ? Are they not your friends
anu neighborsn and n very necessary
article in the town? And don't they
pay their taxes (and some OF them
twice.. Isn't II just as essential that
they save a dollar, if they can, as to
give il to the local dealer
Let us reverse things little, The
price of practically all farm products
is controlled by the big city markets,
Whatever Boston, New York or
Chicago markets say is the price OF
butter cheese, eggs, etc, goes,
Suppose Randolph farmers advance
the price OF these articles 20 a point
where they could be bought in market
and shipped here at much less money.
Would our "local dealers cheerlully
give them the dollars because they
were "neighbors'-"paid their taxes
etc. Methinks they would hustle
themselves" to get a carload where
they could buy cheapest.
Would our "local merchants" give
the farmers five cents bushel more
for a carload OF potatoes here than
would cost them ii bought a d shipped
from Maine ? You know they wouldn't.
And yet. you are telling us it is what
We should do for them.
These mail order houses are not
"cut-throats'-Or at least not the
ones | refer to. They are ION the
square and many OF them ship goods
"iOr examination to be returned at
their expense il not as represented
Their standing is unquestioned, and
they have come TO stay.
The rural free deliyery-and sooner
or later, the parcels-pOst-has placed
The big department stores in the cities
in position to compete with the
country stores for rural trade, and
though country dealers may think
they can't compete with such big
firms, they are just getting where
Vermont farmers found themselves
years ago-when improved transporta-
ton facilities placed the products OF
the great West in our markets cheaper
than we could raise them. What did
Vermont farmers do? Cry "baby P"
No They went to work with hands
and brain to adjust themselves to the
situation and by improved methods
and machinery brought the cost of
their products to a near level with
their big" competitors. The local
dealer" may have to hustle as the
farmer did to keep pace with his city
friend () the department store.
We are living in an age when our
"neighoor" does not mean simply