Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-01-18

and that is the reason why these
catalogue houses are so successful. II
is on account OF the fact that they
do a large volume Of business and If
by advertising locally and pushing
your business, telling the people what
you have, you are able to control and
obtain this class of trade that goes I'd
the catalogue house, you can afford to
sell them goods at a lower price.
This question of advertising re.
minds me of the story they tell about
a shoemaker. There was an old shoe.
maker, at one time, who resided in a
village for some rs years, and every.
body in that village knew where he
lived. He had no sign. But finally
|one day young man came along and
entered into competition and opened
a shoe shop right across the street
from where the old gentleman was.
He conceived the idea that it would
be good thing to put up a sign. So
he got a sign that read something
like this: Henry Miller, sho smaker.
established 1902 His competitor
across the street saw the siga and
was equal to the occasion and put up
a sign: Thos. Jones, shoemaker,
established 1896, no old stock kept in
this shop daughter and ap-
plause.)
So you see the idea is to present to
the people your goods, the quality Of
your goods, and you cannot say too
many things to the public, or in a pub
lie way, about the virtue and the
quality and the merits Of the wares
which you handle. In that way you
will obtain trade. I believe that that
is one of the things that ought to be
considered on occasions of this kind
by the individual members Of this
association.
h I do not think that the association
is. organized for the purpose of OBJ
tanning any undue advantage and in
referring to legislation, mean such
Legislation as will be beneficial, not
that which will result in containing
control of certain lines, but that
which will stimulate and aid you, and
aid the public in general believe
sthat it is your duty to help enforce
all the laws pertaining to pure food
and bread stuffs. I think it is the
duty of every retail dealer who lends
his aid and influence to uphold the
pure food law.
/ think that is one of the best laws
that any state has ever enacted fol
the welfare of the people and by do
ling this you will educate the people
with the understanding that the goods
which you handle are pure, that they
contain full measure in weight and in
quantity, and when you do this you
will add a great thing to your own
ouSSCoo cInu ~ WILL lSoulI IL Liz gen
eral good of the mercantile business
| 1t is Impossible to enact a law
which will control efforts Of the cata
logue houses because people have a
right to go into the market and buy
where they please, and Of course
these purchases are made either in
Minnesota, Illinois, or elsewhere
where the houses are located, and we
have no way of controlling them.
So that the remedy for these mat.
ters must be brought about at home
and must be brought about by the
merchants themselves.
II do not think that the same condi-
ton with regard to the business which
goes outside of the state exists all
over the state. In some localities
practically no business goes outside,
while in other localities there is more
money sent out each year to the cata-
logue houses than the merchants re
celve. 4 have been in a position
where I know something about the
large amount of money that was go
ing out of our town. We handled the
money of the postofIice and taking
that into consideration, together with
the drafts bought in our bank, we
figured up and realized the large
amount of money that was going out
of the town each year and going to