The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-02-23
AN AMERICAN.
contiiued from Page Nine

| details or costume OF every KIND,
which will be both novel and at
Itractive. 1t We do not appeal TO
every kind of taste that asks for
the best things, it will not be for
want of trying every way We know.
Give lis suggestion, and VIC will
thank you for it; and we'n carry
ort any thing that's practicable.
There's nothing reasonable London
can ask for which Selfridge and
waring will not be willing to supply
and to supply as well as it can be
done anywhere.
Our representative went away ful'
of serious thoughts. He knew that
the American stores can do, and he
had been wondering how long it
would be before London would wake
up to their advantages. There has
of course been q great change in a
few CONSPICUOUS and wcll-known in
stances. But even the best of these
Is very different from such places
rcvno vaf)o "a pert Co shrdlnRh
as Wanamakcr s, or Marshall
Field s of Steigel and Coopcr's in
the States. However politely Mr..
Selfridge may phrase his attitude
to London, the meaning of his COM
ing is very clear. IL is definite
competition. 1t will no doubt teach
us q drastic lesson. M
For years the English producer
and vender has had the best article
on the market III many trades. Bot
he will never. take tho trouble to
change his methods of sale, or to al
ter his pattern toisuit any oil his
customers. If they don't Ike what
he offers them they can go to- well
as matter of fact they have gone
TO Germany; not for the best article
which England stll possesses but
the article they want which England
will not sell them. Not content with
losing the markets OF the world,
England's merchants aro now 10 SEQ
| the actnal trade of London itself
challenged before their very. eyes.
What are we going to do about it?
There was n time when we were
able to impose o,m own conditions
on buyers who could not get their
goods elsewhere. But now our pos
ition is totally different. We safe
guard trade upon tho ocean but We
no longer dominate trade every
where. The reports Of consuls-gen-
eral in every quarter OF the world
pour in from week TO week to- prove
how much ground we have lost
past recovery. II will apparently be
necessary to lose yet more before we
even will awake to the Importance
OF weighing and measuring, in sym-
bcls which alc convenient to the Gus
toners we want, Nothing short of
beggaly seems likely to convince
the English traders Of the necessity
Of the metric systGm. Rather than
use 1t he deliberately prefers to dis
gust four hundred and 6ifty million
possible customers every year. His
punishment, abroad, is coming unon
him, with more aud more severity
every month. AT lioane q similar
vengeance will fellow hard ON hide
bound conventions which refuse 10
recognize that buyer lis a human
being. 1t has been more slow in com
ing because the London trader has
been dealing with men and women
oil his own race. But such a new de-
velopment IN the immediate futnrc
as Messas. Selfidge and Warnings
big store i'll Oxford street is a syn,-
Dol or what wc may expect. Tho
writing has long been u,,on the wall
and few who ran have read Those
few have accordingly profited. Bnt
the majority who, will lose the trade
because they will not change their
Old habits, will suffer; and it viii
serve them right. But bis words
weae uttered to ears aiready scaled
IN ste,torous sllniber. Now it is tho
sleepers pockets tnat will suffer
ana tho appeal may provo more in,
tellisible. The eoulpetition Is sloss @
az home; tho gage of battle ;s
thrown down on his front door.sten
London lng. Daily Telegraph.