The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-01-25
USE PRINTERS INK
BEST METHOD OF COMBATING
mAiL-oRoER EVIL.
HOME MERCHANT TO BLAME
Facilities for Attracting Custom Arc
at His Command In the Columns
Of His Home Newspaper--Ad-
vertlse Rightly.


Much has been written about the
subtle influence OF the big four-pound
catalogues sent broadcast over the
land by the houses located in the big
cities. and which. strange 20 say. re-
fuse TO sell goods TO the residents Of
the cities In which they are located.
There is no mysterious element In
these bulky paper books. From cover
20 cover they are filled with pictures
and with prices and descriptions OF
goods. II is the power OF printers
ink that Is the only magnet. and this
magnet can be used by merchants
everywhere. The publishers OF these
great catalogues do business running
well up toward the fifty millions year
ly. All their success has been in the
ink they use. and the way they use
IL. Because these concerns receive
patronage that should go TO the home
merchant II Is the home merchants
fault He neglects TO do just what
the houses which publish the big cata-
fogucs do. He may not have the
money 20 get out such a great list
stocks OF goods. Yet he possesses all
the means necessary 10 gain the trade
that goes 10 these great concerns
He can buy goods just as low. has less
expense. and while the big catalogue
goes TO a customer only once In a
year or two. through the medium OF
the local newspaper the merchant can
eg, alI hn 10 ~ he rat
once week and at the lowest ex-
pense.
AS 10 the matter of prices. the big
catalogue is an educator 1t tells
the people OF values These values are
associated with classes of goods. The
merchant In the home town can turn
this information 10 his own account
In the catalogues are only pictures
The merchant IN show the goods,
and can explain the difference be
tween grades u 10 evident that n
trade Is 10 be held Nc home II must
be upon business basis. Sentiment
cuts a mighty small figure in matters
whore dollars and cents are con-
cerned The average farmer would
rather buy good from the home store
than from some distant place II he
Is only sure that he Is getting a square
deal II IS up 10 the merchants 70
let him know that he is getting this
square deal There are towns In
the western agricultural sections
which a few years ago were getting
only half tho trade that was 10 be
had IN the district Merchants be
came convinced Tint they were weak
somewhere They found that they
were not advertising rightly and com
menced campaign which has result
ed In driving the catalogue houses
out OF business as far as these towns
are concerned The newspapers Of
these towns tell OF the enterprise OF
the merchants The merchants them
selves will tell YOU that they do not
have educated the people TO trade AZ
home. TIE people who were mail
order house patrons will tell you that
they know that they can do better by
buying az home. that they are CON
WINGED that their Interests are best
protected by the home merchant. and
that since they have thrown of the
mail-order habit they are saving more
money The mail-order house is
great bugaboo II is not near the evil
than many suppose II Is. II Is harm
ful only In accordance with the lack
OF enterprise on part OF the home mer.
chants. Whore the merchants are
awake. are up-to-date. and advertise
rightly, there is no complaint as to
the mail-order system.
Each country editor can do his
share in educating the merchants AZ
we'll as the people in business meth
DDS. In principles that are helpful to
the home town The live merchant
can hold his own. Business is based
upon such principles as give the
competent merchant fair show in
the competition for trade. No one
person has a monopoly OF the right
TO advertise The way Is as open 20
the small merchant as II Is 10 the big
one. The principles involved apply
10 the small business as well as TO
the large business The only magic
used by the catalogue houses Is that
found I'm advertlsinR and in prices