The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-05-04
'MAlL-oRDER SYSTEM aAD
Many Concerns in Small Towns I'M
poverished for the Benefit Of the
Few In Buainess in Larger
Cities

Bright minds Of the different trade
associations have for some years been
working deyising 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-
TEN 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 trouble
some one. One of the reasons why ii
is SO is because Of the methods that
the houses pursue, their wide adver
tising, 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 90 to the homes Of the masses,
and which are mainly supported by
the advertising Of the mail order con
Germs Each locality has Its 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 a low esti.eate Is laced upon
them BY the people OF the towns. The
city folk dress better, the children Of
the merchants move Ia a different
class from the children Of the farmer,
and even the merchants wives per
haps dress a little more expensiyely
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
tinual 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 be is made victim
and that the profits that go TO the
merchant should not be so great.
It is evident that the farmers educa-
tion along economic lines Is defective
He has to a great extent developed a
warped idea Of business and CONNER
clal values. # 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, a course cf education
along right lines is necessary. i is
not good business policy for the pa
pers that draw support from mail or
der concerns TO combat a business or
publish anything that is likely to IN
iure the income from advertising.
Thus little help can be expected from
the papers that have their columns
filed with mail order advertising.
I 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 efort that he may make ls looked
upon by the farmer as emanating from
the business interests Of the town, and
published solely With a selfish no
tive. Thus are excellent arguments
deadened, and shafts that should be
effective. act as a boomerang.
It has been the inclination Of the
merchants associations to discuss the
mail order house behind closed doors
IN bis small knowledge Of association
work the farmer is most likely tC
think that when business men Of Z
town organize It IS for the purpose
Of raising prices and working agains
the interests Of the farmers In gen
eTai. The way the associations hav,
been conducted in many towns almos
Justified this belief on the part Of th'
farmer. It must be understood bl
the merchants that any matter tina
affects the interests Of merchants an,
farmers and laborers alike should b.
discussed openly. There is no reason
why a lecturer on business econonl.
should caution his hearers that onl.
] merchants should be present to hea
him. II his proposition will not stanl
the criticisms Of all whom it shoull
interest, It Is a poor one.
Farmers and laborers have thel
own organizations. These are all o
the protective class. Il is the ain
Of the average farmers organization
to combat the Vaccinations OF th
trusts that dictate to them the price
that they shall receive for their prod
ucts. II Is the object Of the lahorerc
associations to combat the inclination
Of the capitalistic classes to lowe
wages. and raise prices Of commod
ties. On close investigation 1t vii
be found that the farmer who is tn
most active worker against the trusts
and the laborer who cries loudes
against the oppression of the employ