The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-06-18
USE PRINTERS INK
BEST METHOD OF COMBATING
MAlL-ORDER EVIL.
HOME MERCHANT TO BLAME
Facilities for Attracting Custom Arc
at His Command in the Columns
of His Homo Newspaper-Ad-
vertse Rightly.

Much has been written about the
subtle influence of the big fourpound
catalogues sent broadcast over the
land by the houses located in the big
! Cities and which, strange to 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
to cover they are filled with pictures
and with prices and descriptions OF
goods. 1t 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
we'll up toward the fifty millions year
| ly AN 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 it 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 a 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 L.n show the goods,
and can explain the difference be-
| tween grades. It is evident that IL
| trade is to be held at home it must
| be upon a business basis Sentiment
| cuts a 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 If he
is only sure that he is getting square
deal 1t 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 a 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 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
| fear the mail-order houses, as they
have educated the people to trade at
home The people who were mail
order house patrons will tell you that
they know that they can do better by
| buying at home, that they are con-
vinced that their interests are best
protected by the home merchant, and
that since they have thrown off the
mail-order habit they are saving more
money. The mal-order house is
great bugaboo. 1t is not near the evil
than many suppose 1t is, 1t is harm
full only in accordance with the lack
Of enterprise on part Of the home mer-
| chants. Where the merchants are
awake, are up-todate, and advertise
rightly, there is no complaint as to
the mailorder system.
Each country editor can do his
share in educating the merchants as
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 a fair show in
the competition for trade. No one
person has monopoly of the right
to advertise. The way is as open to
the small merchant as it is to the big
one The principles involved apply
to the small business R well as to
the large business. The only magic
used by the catalogue houses is that
found in advertising and in prices.