West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-09-10
BOOK W|LES
How the Catalogues Lure Buy
ers With Deceptive Cuts.
ARGUMENT FOR HOME TRADE

The Man Who Sends Money Away For
Goods he Could Buy at Local Stores
Strikes at the Very Root Of His Own
Prosperity-Hints 60 tho Wise.
The head, tho hoof and the hide OF
the mail order business Is tho cata-
loguc, and tho meat OF tho catalogue
is the picture. In these voluminous
books the larger catalogue houses pic
turc everything from hog ring 10 a
portable snwmlll, They picture things
which they have ana which they have
not. Every thing goes In this great book
OF books. III they have not the real
thing that the picture represents. they
have something Just as good and
cheaper" says n writer In Maxwolrs
Talisman.
They invite you To send I'm your
money, for this IL strictly n cash I'm ad-
vance proposition. If they have not
what you order they Will send you
something else. but bc suro to send
your money In with your order. That
Is Important. You will have no oppor-
tunity To examine the goods and COM
pare the quality with other grades, but
what OF that2 II IN such nm exciting
moment when you come TO open tho
bag and see the color of the cat.
Tho catalogues are sent 10 every fam.
lily where there is "A possibility OF Sc
curing mn order. And these picture
books. supplemented 10y persistent nd.
vertising In the agricultural and reli.
gious journals, keep Il constant stream
OF money flowing from the Legitimate
channels OF trade into tho Golfers OF
these catalogue concerns.
Tho business policy OF the old grange
movement was shortsightcd, and tho
results proved IL 10 be impracticablc.
IL was born of prejudice and mlscon.
ception OF the organic laws OF trade.
The country needs the town as much
MS the town needs the country. And
the middleman IL an essential cog In
the wheel of everyday trade. To cut
out the retail merchant and business
men generally In the country town IN
To destroy the small trade and social
ccnters, the prosperity and growth OF
which VIII always determine tho value
OF farm property In their vicinity. The
nearer farm IL To consuming mar
ket the greater becomes the earning
power or each ncre and consequently
tho greater It's value I'm the general
market. The catalogue mail order idea
II carried out 10 its ultimate conclusion
would wipe out every village and small
town and leave nothing but individual
farms and few large distributing
centers, with Il complete monopoly on
the essential commodities. Local cen.
tiers OF consumption that now furnish
the market for largo per cent OF the
farm products would disappear from
the map, and the social and educational
advantages afforded I'm large com.
munity could be found only I'm cata-
loguo center. and there would DO no
need for more than one OF them. The
greatest trust In the world is the ideal
catalogue mail order combination. IL
covers every possible field OF trade and
brooks no competition.
Civilization as we know Il is based
upon reciprocal obligations. In the or
dinary course Of trade the local mer-
chant furnishes n market for the small
er produce OF the farm and also pro-
vides reasonable assortment OF goods
for the use and convenience OF the
community. For these accommoda-
tions the community Is under re-
ciprocnl obligation to give him the
preference OF trade-at lcnst 10 give
him fair chance 10 compete for that
trade. This principle Is recognized by
the community when II demands that
peddlcrs take out n license.
The man who sends his money away
from his home town for goods that he
can buy ut the local store loses more
than he can possibly gain. He strikes
ot the very root OF his own prosperity
II IS n penny wise and pound foolish
business. Every hundred dollars sent
out OF the county reduces the work
Ing capital Of the county Just that
much. a prosperous country town in
dlcotcs a prosperous rural community
II your towns look seedy and unkept
II the "For Rent" signs In the store
windows stare you I'm the face. II the
merchants are discouraged. what Is
the effect on farm property what does
the stranger. the investor. II you
please, think Of the community I'm gen
eralf VIII he invest his money in n
community that Is not true to itself2
The thinking man knows that the prlco
Of farm real estate depends ns much
upon It's nearncss TO good live town
as II does upon the producing power
OF the soil