The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-03-27
USE PRINTERS INK
MAIL ORDER HOUSES FLOOD THE
COUNTRY WITH ADVERTISING.
In Fighting This Serious Menace Mer-
chants Must Resort to Publicity
and Advertise in the Local Press.


The most serious problem confront
ing the retail merchants Of the coun-
try today and the one that Is giving
them the most concern Is that OF the
so called mail order systematic retail
catalogue house trade.
This is an ere Of combinations
trusts, both financial, Industrial and
commercial But the most lnenacing
trust in the world today, says Max
wells Talisman, is the commercial
combination that tends to destroy the
retail business Of the country.
Not satisfied with the mercantile field,
these commercial trusts are also seek
ing TO become the financial depositaries
for the rural districts by opening bank
departments and as an inducement to
the farmer offering per cent on de-
poslts.
The retail catalogue houses are man
aged by farseeiug and broad gauge
business men who fully realize the val
ue Of advertising. They have been
spending millions of dollars year In
systematic advertising campaigns. IN
addition to their elaborate catalogues,
they sustain with their patronage hun
dreds of mail order journals. These
Journals have combined circulation
Of 32,OOO,0OO a month. They are SOW
ed broadcast through the country. Nor
do the catalogue houses stop here. EV-
ery magazine, agricultural or religious
paper that will accept their advertise
ments carries them.
The lines of this great conflict De-
tween commercial interests are clearly
drawn. On one side are the retail mef-
chants and the publishers Of the local
press on the other the catalogue houses
and the numerous publications which
have sprung up in a night. backed by
advertising appropriations that run lnto
tbe millions. The enemies Of the local
publishers and the retail merchants are
allied as perfectly as is any other mod
ern trust.
Many of the larger catalogue houses
now do their own manufacturing. III
the end the jobbers and manufacturers
who now sell to the catalogue houses
will be eliminated When that time
comes, and It certainly will come un'
less something is done to prevent It, a
few great commercial giants. mon
strous In size, influence and resources.
having practically no competition, VIII
combine to dictate the price the mass
of the people must pay for every az
tice they sell.
This inevitable conclusion IS not a
pleasant one to contemplate. and 1t be-
hoovcs those who are already feeling
the heavy hand Of this unnatural COM
| bina;ion for control Of trade to bestir
themselves in their own defense anu
adoDt measures for self protection.
The retail merchant and the local
| press are entirely unorganized and are
IN no concerted way making coInm69
cause against a common danger. AT
tcmpts have been made By the mcr-
chants in some localities 10 stem the
tide bv refusing to buy from jobbers
| who sell to catalogue houses. This Is
| good so far as it goes, but If the cata-
locuc houses cannot get the goods from
one source they will get them from an
other and, If necessary, will buy the
manufacturing plant to secure the out
| put So long as they can by lavish
use of printers ink create the demand,
lust so long will they manage to get
the goods to supply that demand
Fight the devil with fire. Any plans
for the protection Of the retail mer-
| chants and the jobbers and the manu-
| facturers who sell to tie trade must so
to the very root Of the evil'-must meet
the catalogue house competition ut eV-
cry point and on their own grounds
the advertising field.
The catalogue houses are conducting
the most comprehensive, systematic
and farreaching advertising campaign
that was ever planned, and they have
been at it for years. spending dollars
where the retail and wholesale mer-
| chants have spent cents. They have
had the business courage to put tnelr
money into publicity, knowing that
they would get it back multiplied a
| hundredfold. They have created the
demand for their goods and educated
the people to look upon the mall order
business as Il godsend.
What has been done in an organized
way to Offset this avalanche of mail or
der Journals aud catalogues?
Nothing.
Some Of the local merchants have
advertised literally in the local press,
but q much larger number have utterly
failed to keep up with the procession.
The people often do not know what
| the local merchant has In his store;
neither do they know the prices, but
they do know what the catalogue house
has to sell, and the price Is always be-
fore the eye.
If the retail trade is to hold It's
ground against the competition OF the
catalogue houses. they must meet them
on the broad field Of advertising and
publicity as well as on the field OF
prices. And this must be done through
the local press.
In nearly every town the local pub
Usher has stood manfully by the In
terests of the community by refusing
to run mail order advertisements. Fur
ther, he stands ready to prosecute an
aggressive campaign against the mail
order idea. What Is necessary is con-