Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-02-09
HOME TRADE.

N'N'NN 'ApihS won w COY q ~"
words in answer. There has appeared
at different times articles in your paper
| chastising the ranchmen, stockmen and
miners for sending their money out of
town to buy their repairs, dry goods,
| clothing, groceries, harness, etc. | want
to say to you right here that / am a
home trade advocate, am a member of
the Custer Commercial Club, and am in
terested more than primarily in the in
terests of Custer City and Custer county.
My neighbor, and fellow mans interests
let's see why these department stores
and eastern concerns exist, let's take this
little circumstance which happened not
long since. Three parties met, all had
on mitts exactly alike, and on compar-
ing notes they had all bought at same
store in Custer. One paid 45c, one paid
soc, one paid 65c. The one that paid 65c
was home trade advocate, the other
two didn't care a snap where their
| money went. | wish to cite you to two
other circumstances. First the writer
wanted two of the same article. He had
his Custer merchant order one, and he
ordered one himself. The one the mer-
chant ordered for him cost him 50 so,
the one he ordered himself cost 81 SO,
both of same model, material and made
by same concern. Now, doesn't this get
you guessing as to whether everything
cumstances as these are what are caus-
ing the people to investigate prices of
eastern concerns. When you find you
can save 25 to 100 per cent on your pur.
chase you begin to think how much you
will have to buy to save enough to pay
your taxes (Which are very high.
You speak in another issue of our
home merchant living here, paying tax
es here and improving our city. Who
pays our taxes and improves our home ?
DO we do it by paying exhorbitant prices
to our home merchants, or by our saw
ing on our shipped in supplies? Shall
we beggar ourselves to see our business
men build up fine homes, fine business
blocks, etc? No, come throng, get right
if your customer wants an article you
don't carry, send for it for him. Charge
him reasonable profit, show him you
are going to do the right thing by him,
and you will soon get the confidence of
the community, and the large catalogue
will disappear from all the homes In
which they are now installed.
You speak well when you say lets get
together on this matter. We (the con-
sumers) are ready to do the proper
thing but our savings for our loved ones
at home are our nearest and dearest in
terests. The ranchmen, stockmen, min
er and mining men of this county are an
intelligent lot. Mere sayings are no
proof to them | asked a merchant the
price Of an article few days ago, make
it to you at SC that is just cost, it costs
see this don't 90 down. | do my trading
in Custer as far as they carry what /
want. l have also been reprimandod for
buying in Custer by head Of concern |
buy for, because / could have saved
money otherwise. / am yours for home
trade, prosperity and square deal.
SUBSCRIBER.
We cheerfully publish the above,
which was handed in by one of our sub
scribers, who by reason of his position
has good deal of material to buy, and
there is considerable meaning in what
he says. 1t is well to have both sides of
the question shown up, so that We may
get down To the bed rock of facts. We
must correct our contributor, however,
wherein he says we have sought to chas-
tise the miners and ranchmen for not
buying their supplies at home. "Chas-
tising" is too harsh a word. We have
urged them to buy at home, because it
it is the proper thing to do, but we do
not feel that they should be chatised or
rebuked for not doing so, because we
realize that they have in too many in.
stances had reason for sending away for
their goods. But that this condition of
affairs should cease is apparent to every
one. and our appeal to our merchants to
moderate their charges has been equally
as strenuous as our appeal to the con-
sumer to buy at home. 'It takes two to
make bargain" and it is desirable, yes
it is imperative, that our merchants and
their would be customers should come
to a better understanding in this matter.
1t is important, and we contend that 1T
is absolutely necessary, that change
take place in this respect, if we ever ex-
pect to build up a town here and pros
per as community. We all recognize
this fact, and it would be well if our
merchants take a little pains To convince
their customers that they intend to favor
| them all that they consistently can, and
then establish acontdence bv actually
doing it, Nothing short of this will do.