The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-11-28
HOME TRADE LEAGUE.
Motives of Organization Fighting
Retail Mail Order System.
SQUARE DEAL FOR CONSUMERS

Il Believes Merchants Are For the
People and Not the People For Mer-
chants-lt Stands For the UpbuIld-
ing of Home Towns.
AS conditions are today probably SO
per cent of the brainy business men
manufacturers, jobbers and retailers
Of America are spending more or less
time seeking solution OF the retail
mail order problem, and the intense
pressure must cause something to give
somewhere if wise provision is not
made beforehand to control and direct
on broad lines that are consistent to
all interests, says the Home Trade
Lacquer. We can expect movements
from each present center that WILL
have eccentric force, whereas control
led and directed by wise forethought
on the part Of those whose interests
are at stake and converged, as 1t were,
in one mighty movement untold good
will inure to all involved in this inter-
necine commercial struggle.
These vast economic interests and
consequent movements must evolve
from somewhere code Of ethical eco
nomics which will expound in clear
terms the motif and fundamentals OF
present day tendencies. Because OF
the very nature Of these conditions as
they now exist this movement will not
be evolved according to conventional
expectation. People read, people think
and wrongs are righted in these times,
as this great wrong will be.
Many of the various larger interests
approached for a solution Of this ques-
ton during the last eighteen months or
30 have approved, hesitated, quibbled
and finally ended up by doing nothing.
This failure to bring about an active
force to combat the system appears as
almost a providential decree for the
birth Of the Home Trade League OF
America, which will represent In full
est measure the crystallized thought
and the best directed efforts OF the
thousands interested, who are only wait
Ing for the bugle call to fall in line.
The Home Trade league stands for
an order of commercialism which Is es-
sentially American. It stands for the
American retail merchant in the field
he has pioneered, pre- empted, has built
no and maintained and made 1t the
very foundation on which the CONNER
cial supersructure Of the nation has
been reared.
It stands for a square deal for the
consumer. 1t believes the merchants
are for the people and not the people
for the merchants. 1t believes the con-
sumer is the logical ally Of the retail
merchant and should be able to buy
his merchandise in his home town at
prices that compete with the retail
mail order house.
It stands for honest advertising-a
truthful representation of the merchan-
disc offered.
It stands for a square deal for the
retail merchant and believes the manu-
facturer and jobber should place him
ON an equal footing with the retail
mail order houses, believing If he Is
thus placed he can hold his own.
It believes the manufacturer and
jobber cannot consistently sell both the
retail merchant and those that are COM
mitted to his elimination, and there
fore should elect which to supply.
It believes In all justice that they
should protect the retail merchant (who
is their local agent by refusing to sell
the retail mail order houses.
It stands for square deal for the
country press, whose very existence Is
threatened In this effort Of the retail
mail order system to eliminate the
country merchant, which means the
disintegration Of country cities and
towns. Neither the retail mail order
houses nor the country merchant is
selling gold dollars for so cents, but the
former sometimes use printers ink to
make it appear So The cooperation
of the country press Is already assured
in this movement, and the country
merchants must use 1t to survive.
The Home Trade league is unalter-
ably opposed to the destructive policy
inaugurated by the retail mail order
system, but stands rather for the up
building Of the home towns and to 80
protect the existing order Of things
that they may hereafter be maintained
by those who have built them and the
community life centered there may
continue to live in peace, plenty and
the pursuit Of happiness.
It stands unalterably opposed to the
socialistc contention that the "mer-
chant might as well prepare to take
his medicine. He belongs to fast dis
appearing age; he is not even in the
- m Por c,1rr{uol Tho On1V real StrT1Q-