The Jasper news., 1908-02-20
USE PRINTERS INK.
BEST METHOD OF COMBATING
MAIL-oRpER EVIL.
HOME MERCHANT TO BLAME
Facilities for Attracting Custom Are
at His Command In The Column
Of His Home NeWspaper--Ad-
vertise Rightly.

MUCH mas D09u WTltJ6u dUOut LILO
subtle influence of the big four-pound
catalogues sent broadcast over the
land by the houses located In the big
cities, and which, strange to say, 70
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
to cover they are filed with pictures
and with prices and descriptions OF
goods. 1t Ia 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
1t. Because these concerns receive
patronage that should go to the home
merchant 1t is the home merchants
fault He neglects to do just what
the houses which publish the big cata-
logues do. He may not have the
money to get out such great list,
neither the means of carrying great
stocks of goods. Yet he possesses all
the means necessary to gain the trade
that goes to these great concerns.
He can buy goods just as low, has less
expense, and while the big catalogue
goes to customer only once In
year or two, through the medium OF
the local newspaper the merchant can
go to all the people of the community
once a week and at the lowest ex-
pense.
AS to 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 to his own account.
In the catalogues are only pictures.
The merchant can show the goods,
and can explain the difference be-
tween grades. It is evident that II
trade is to be held at home 1t must
be upon business basis. Sentiment
cuts mighty small figure in matters
where dollars and cents are con-
cerned. The average farmer would
rather buy goods from the home store
than from some distant place IL he
is only sure that he is getting a sQuars
deal. It Is up to the merchants to
let him know that he is getting this
square deal. There are towns in
the western agricultural sections
which few years ago were getting
only half the trade that was to be
had in the district. Merchants be
came convinced that they were weak
somewhere. They found that they
were not advertising rightly and com
menced a campaign which has result
ed in driving the catalogue houses
out of business as far as these towns
are concerned. The newspapers o
these towns tell OF the enterprise o
the merchants. The merchants them
selves will tell you that they do no
fear the .mail-order houses, as the,
have educated the people to trade a
home. The people who were mail
order house patrons will tell you tina
they know that they n-do better b!
buying at home, that they are con
vinced that their interests are bes
protected by the home merchant, ant
that since they have thrown on thu
mail-order habit they are saving NOR,
money. The mail-order house is !,
great bugaboo. 1t is not near the evi
than many suppose 1t is. It Is harm
full only in accordance with the lacl
of enterprise on part Of the home mel
chants. Where the merchants ar
awake, are up-to-date, and advertis
rightly, there is no complaint as t
the mail-order system.
Each country editor can do hi