The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-04-12
! .nN ST.. Nas rs.tasta.E-s &. LEVI
NI;snkate Merchants Organ
ize TO Pay Free Fares.
,sil "aEn3i .hsh4se III III"
WILL BRING TRADE TO CITY.
Leading Business Aielf til Set Together
for the sPurPOse'of Extending
Trade Relations.

! From Tuesdays Daily 49, /
The adoption of the rebate system
l'as a feature in the business life of this
Petty is now assured. Practically all of
the leading merchants have been inter.
viewed on the subject of an organized
'and systematic plan forlspaying tire ear
fare of non residents shopping and have
heartily approved of the principle. The
| majority of merchants are familiar
| with the great trade drawing influence
of the rebate system rs it operates in
| the livelicst towns in the United States.
With those who are familiar with its
workings in other cities no argument
is needed. Stripped of all complications
the only question involved in the rebate
system is whether it is good business to
pay 2 cents for a dollar i'm new cash
business that otherwise can not be had.
-
paid until after the dollar is received.
Practically all car fares can be paid
for Il fraction over 2 per cent. This has
been demonstrated in over one hundred
American cities just as conclusivcly as
the principle underlying life insurance
has been proved to be sound.
The rebate system is simply matter
of cooperation. The relation of rebates
to total cash trade is practically the
same as the relation of premiums to
benefits in insurance. The man who
continues to pay his premiums will get
his insurance In the rebate system the
man who pays rebate dues inevitably
gets new trade. with this difference, that
the rebate merchant gets his cash trade
before he pays. The amount of rebate
dues he pays to the bank is based with
mathematical exactness upon the amount
of cash trade he has previously re-
ceived by this method The modern
utNtlopIhtHO vi Sy Sue"
wolves the loose leaf ledger principle.
Every merchant does his own bookkeep-
ing.
The rebate book is q neatly folded
ledger leaf, with the name of each mem.
Der printed OH the outside under a.
proper classification of his business, and
with his street number. In addition the
rebate book contains printed instruc-
tions for the shopper which are so simple
as to be incapable of misunderstanding.
Inside the book the name of each MEM
Der is printed in alphabetical order, with
appropriate rulings for the date, amount
purchased, and the signature of the
firm.
As generally operated rebate books
may be had for the mere asking from
any depot, hotel, bank or any member
of the rebate association. The shopper
presents this to the salesman when he
pays for his purchase. The entries made
by the merchant include the date.
amount and firm signature. The mer-
chant has no other connection with the
transaction. Upon finally completing
his trading the shopper presents his re-
bate book during banking hours as in
Dictated by the printed instructions OH
| the rebate book. Convenient places for
g.
the payment of rebates after banking
hours are arranged likewise. These
places are merely agents of the clearing
house bank, and turn over each moN,ing
all rebate books "cashed" since the pre-
ceding day.
An objection sometimes raised to the
rebate system is that the big stores will
get the bulk of the trade. If that is
an objection it must stand There is
no answer to it. The big stores now and
always will get the bulk of the trade or
thew will soon go out of the business of
being big stores. While the big stores
get the bulk of the trade they likewise
paw the bulk of the rebates. Funda-
mentally that is not an objection in fact.
Every new dollar spent in Mankato is
good for everybody in the city, no mat
ter when it is first spent. That
proposition is too self-eeident to
need argument. When the re-
lbate system goes into effect
the most enthusiastic advocates are the
other citizens who are not engaged III
trade at all. The one important qucs-
ton is, will every merchant in Mankato
do his part. The great success it is in
other cities, and the success Mankato
deserves, the merchant must sign the
| list as member of the association
when it is presented to him. If every
merchant will do that Nankato will
have million dollars more trade in
| the next year than in the last.
nj