Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-01-24
MAIL ORDER MENACE
How the Cash Retail Trade Is
Being Drawn CityWard.
THE LURE OF THE CATALOGUE
Amazing Growth Of Big City Concerns
That Drain tho Country Of Money
Which Should Be Spent at Home.
How tho Evil May Be Comb sted.

That Drain the Country OF money
Which Should Be Spent at Home.
How tho Evil May Be combsted.
In Maxwell's Talisman are the fol-
lowing remarks on the mall order busi-
ness by Richard Hamilton Byrd:
1t is recognized fact that the retail
business OF the country villages and
the large towns, for that matter, is be-
ing destroyed. Year by year the once
prosperous merchants are being forced
10 the wall-driyen out by the mall or.
der business. And this Is taking place
IN face OF the fact that the population
and purchasing power OF the country
districts are ever on the increase.
What is the matterf
The mall order houses are drawing
the cash retail trade from its natural
channels to the cities.
The growth OF this octopus has been
phenomenal. From n jellylike idea
without form-an experiment Sfteen
years ago, 1t has grown to proportions
that threaten the determination OF the
retail country merchant.
An idea OF the way the money Of
the people is being drawn into this
mall order trade can he had from the
reports OF some OF these houses.
A certain mail order house OF Chi
cago which began with a few thou
sand dollars fifteen years ago now
carries capital stock OF $5.O00.00O
and has arranged TO increase that
stock to S40.000,0O0. II does a bust
ness OF S5.0O0,000 n month and earns
net profit OF 100000 n year.
Like the patent medicine business,
the mail order business depends on
the gullibil,ty OF the general public.
Thousands Of people every week send
in their hard earned cash TO some mail
order house in payment for goods that
could have been bought cheaper ut
their homo store.
Why do they do III II is owing
partially TO the desire OF the average
person to be humbugged and partially
The mail order house sends out Its at.
tractivc literature TO every family In
the country. In this literature. com
posed OF well illustrated catalogues
and cheap magazines known as mail
order papers. the goods are set out In
the most attractive manner. II Is
tempting bait. and the fish bite.
All Of these millions come out OF the
legitimate trade Of the country mer-
chant, the man who has invested his
capital. built himself q home and been
active In building up the town. with
the expectation that he would be al.
lowed to do a legitimate business In a
Legitimate way. He Ia entitled TO the
trade OF his town and the country ad-
Jacent He pays his taxes and con.
tributes to the support OF the commu-
nifty That community owes him a
reciprocal duty-the duty to give him
the preference OF trade, everything
else being equal. This IN the theory
OF all organized civilized communi.
ties, beginning with the family and
going on up through every organlza-
uon 10 that OF the state Home pro
lection from foreign robbers IL the
first duty OF every good citizen. II
the village and town life that hns
grown NJ under natural laws OF trade
is to be maintained the retail business
must be preserved against the unfair
inroads OF the mail order buetness
And this can be- done only by orSanIza.
tion and education Let the people
know the facts about the mail order
business, and The offerings on the al
tar OF crodullty win grow beautifully
less