The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-05-01
VRO NG FIGHT
EFFORTS re PREVENT MONEY
LEAVING HOME COMMUNITIES.
sAAAlL-oRoER SYsTEM*:eAp
Many Concerns in Small Towns In
poverished for the Benefit Of the
Few in Business In Larger

Bright minds of the different trade
associations have for some years been
working devisfng means of preventing
the growth of the mail order business
Various plans have been projected.
Nearly all that have been tried have
met with failure. The catalogue sys-
tenn of business continues to advance.
Some small houses have dropped out
Of sight, but the big ones are grow
ing bigger.
The mail order problem is a trouble
some one. One of the reasons why it
is SO is because of the methods that
the houses pursue, their wide adver-
Using, and the presentation of their
side of the question by the hundreds
and thousands of farm, religious, So
ciety, fashion and mail order papers
that go to the homes of the masses,
and which are mainly supported by
the advertising of the mail order con-
Germs. Each locality has it's peculiar
local conditions. Merchants in some
towns, and these towns are many, are
not the aggressive and enterprising
class that are capable of competing
with the mail order concerns. The
agricultural classes are among the
most intelligent, are readers and think
ers, but there are channels along
which their thoughts flow. Close study
demonstrates that as a general rule
farmers labor under the impression
that low estimate is placed upon
them by the people of the towns. The
city folk dress better, the children of
the merchants move in q different
class from the children of the farmer,
and even the merchants wives per-
haps dress little more extensively
than do the wives of the farmers. All
these things have their reflection in
business matters. Then, owing to the
impressions that are the result of con-
tinnal reading of the advertisements
of the catalogue houses, the farmer
is led to believe that he unnecessarily
pays higher prices for what goods he
requires when he purchases them of
the home merchant than he should
He believes that he is made q victim
and that the profits that go to the
merchant should not be so great.
1t is evident that the farmers educa-
ton along economic lines is defective
He has to great extent developed 4
warped idea of business and CONNER
cial values. If the catalogue house
proposition be ameliorated it is evil
dent that the consumers of every class
be made to realize that they are in
error. In fact, course. of education
along right lines is necessary. 1t is
not good business policy for the pa
pers that draw support from mail Or
der concerns to combat business Or
publish anything THAT is likely to in
jure the income from advertising.
Thus little help can. be expected from
the papers that have their columns
filled with mail order advertising.
Then there remains only the country
press as the medium through which
the people may be enlightened. But
here Is another problem. The aver
age country editor is not by training
equipped to carry on an intelligent
campaign. He is likely to injure the
cause by creating prejudices, by his
too blunt attacks on the catalogue
house system, and on their patrons.
Any effort that he may make is looked
upon by the farmer as emanating from,
the business interests of the town, and
published solely with a selfish mo-
tive. Thus are excellent arguments
deadened, and shafts that should be
effective. act as boomerang.
It has been the inclination of the
merchants associations to discuss the
mail order house behind closed doors.
In his small knowledge of association
work the farmer is most likely to
think that when business men of a
town organize it is for the purpose
of raising prices and working against
the interests of the farmers in gen.
eral. The way the associations have
been conducted in many towns almost
justified this belief on the part of the
farmer. It must be understood by
the merchants that any matter that
affects the interests of merchants and
farmers and laborers alike should be
discussed openly. There is no reason
why a lecturer on business economy
should caution his hearers that only
merchants should be present to hear
him. II his proposition will not stand
the criticisms of all whom it should
interest, it is 4 poor one.
Farmers and laborers have their
own organizations. These are all OF
the protective class. It is the aim
of the average farmers organization
to combat the Vaccinations of the
trusts that dictate to them the prices
that they shall receive for their prod.
ucts. 1t is the object Of the laborers'
associations to combat the inclination
Of the capitalistic classes to lower
wages, and raise prices Of commodi.
ties On close Investigation it will
be found that the farmer who is the
most active worker against the trusts,
and the laborer who cries loudest
against the oppression of the employ.
ers, are the ones who by their short
| sighted policy give the very systems
that they complain about the greatest
support. The evils of trade and com,
MERGE to-day are the offspring of cap.
ltal concentration. For years vast
sums have been diverted from all sec.
lions of the union to the great metro
pol1tan cetters. Billions of dollars
have been drawn by the great insur.
ance companies; country banks have
made in the aggregate many millions