The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-30
WRONGS TO FIGHT
EFFORTS TO PREVENT MONEY
LEAVING HOME COMMUNITIES.
MAIL-oRDER SYSTEM BAD
Many Concerns in Small Towns I'm
poVerished for the Benefit of the
Few in Business in Larger
Cities

! associations have for some years been
working devislng 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 it
is SO is because of the methods that
the houses pu!sue, their wide adver
tising, and th9 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
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 fow Close study
demonstrates that as general rule
farmers labor under the impression
that low estimate is placed upon
thop by tho nnOoIo Of tho towpc Tho
city folk dress better, the children of
the merchants move in different
class from the children of the farmer,
and even the merchants wives per-
haps dress a little more expensively
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 he is made a victim
and that the profits that go to the
merchant should not be so great.
1t is evident that the farmers educa-
tion along economic lines is defective
He has to a great extent developed 4
warped idea of business and CONNER
cial values. If the catalogue house
proposition be amelorated 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.
1t 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. 1t 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 lecturer on business economy
should caution his hearers that only
merchants should be present to hear
him. If his proposition will not stand
the criticisms of all whom 1t should
interest, it is poor one.
Farmers and laborers have theil
own organizations. These are all oi
the protective class. 1t 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
merce to-day are the offspring of cap
ital concentration. For years vas
sums have been diverted from all sec
tions of the union to the great metro
politan centers. Billions of dollars
have been drawn by the great insur
ance companies; country banks have
made in the aggregate many millions
of dollars deposits in the big city
banks. The trust companies are load
J ed down with trust money from al
sections of the land. These vas
sums must be employed in way tha
; vii pay interest. Financiers devise
means for investment A dozen con
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