The Huttig news., 1908-01-18
TOO MANY STORES
CONDITIONS SOMETIMES FOUND
 IN NEWER SECTIONS.
IS A POOR BUSINESS POLICY
Good Judgment in Amount of Trade Storekeeper Can Control Is Great Essential to
 Success,

There Is such thing as overriding business. There are numerous illus trations of this condition in the newer sections of the west. Towns are built up before the country is fairly settled, and there is little besides the town trade to support the business concerns. There will be several general stores to supply what one good store should look after.
 This is poor policy. There are cer- tain conditions that indicate whether there is room in town or a commu- nifty for a business concern. It is a well-known fact that the people re- Quire just so much food, so much clothing, so much this and that essen tial to living, and while one family or person may consume more than an other certain person, when the average is made it will be found that each spends so much during the year. This being the case, it is an easy matter for the man contemplating establish ing store to estimate about the amount of trade that he can safely hope to control. If he oversteps the limit, he is sure to meet with disaster Where there are more stores than is justified some dealer must conduct an unprofitable business. It is generally the one who has poor business ability. The experienced and the capable al- ways win, but it is seldom that the astute and careful merchant seeks a location in an overworked field.
 Where there are too many business men in town, there is always heard complaints of dull business. The field is generally made an overdone one by the classes which may be rightly called "pikers" or small-caliber mer- chants, who see one storekeeper in a place doing fairly we'll, and conclude that there is a chance for themselves to make little easy money. The re- suit is poor business for all, and eventually failure. It is poor judg- ment in matters of this kind that runs up the list of general store failures above the average in other lines.
 It is important that the one looking for good location for a store of any kind, pick out field where there is need of the class of business estab- lishment that he contemplates start ing, and where there shall be patron age enough to make the undertaking a success. Unless this matter be care fully investigated, one runs risk.
 In a new country the towns are gen. orally built up first, and the agricultur- al section settled up in a gradual way. Settlers are not always a wealthy class, and are not the most liberal buyers. Still they must have neces- sities supplied, and here is where the new town storekeeper gets his princi- pal business. A store is always sue cessful in a thickly populated com munity, if the management is such as to draw trade. In the large city all that is essential for success is capital and brains to rightly conduct the busi- ness undertaken, for there is always a large mass of people to do the buying, and they will turn their trade to the merchant that throws out the proper inducements to them, and satisfies them the best. In the country, or small town, things are different and business must be conducted on diff ferent basis. Where there is not popu- lation enough to consume any great amount of goods, 1t would be fool hardy to try to build up great busi ness, for trade is regulated entirely by the wants of the people, and their wants are according to their customs, their success and tastes.