The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-08-27
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 70 the Wise,

Goods He Could Buy at Local Stores
Strikes at the Very Root Of His Own
Prosperity-Hints 70 the Wise.
The head. the hoof and the hide OF
the mail order business is the cata-
logue. and the meat OF the catalogue
is the picture. In these voluminous
books the larger catalogue houses pic
ture everything from hog ring 70
portable sawmlll They picture things
which they have and which they have
not Everything goes I'm 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 a writer in Maxwells
Talisman.
They invite you to send In your
money. for this is strictly a cash In ad-
vance proposition. II they have not
what you order they will send you
something else. but be sure 10 send
your money In with your order. That
is important You VIII have no oppor-
tunlty TO examine the goods and com
pare the quality with other grades. but
what Of that? IL is such an exciting
moment when you come 10 open the
bag and see the color OF the cat
The catalogues are sent TO every fam
fly where there is n possibility OF Sc
curing an order And these picture
books. supplemented by persistent ad-
vertising In the agricultural and reli
gious journals. keen constant stream
Of money flowing from the legitimate
channels OF trade into the Golfers OF
these catalogue concerns.
The business policy OF the old grange
movement was shOrtsighted. and the
results proved IL 10 be impracticable.
IL was born OF prejudice and a miscon-
ceptlon OF the organic laws OF trade.
The country needs the town as much
as the town needs the country. And
the mhdleman Is an essential cog In
the wheel Of everyday trade. To cut
out the retail merchant and business
men generally In the country town Is
to destroy the small trade and social
centers. the prosperity aud geowth OF
which viii always determine the value
OF farm property In their vicinity. The
nearer a farm Is 10 a consuming mar
ket the greater becomes the earning
power Of each acre and consequently
the greater It's value In 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 a few large distributing
centers, with complete monopoly on
the essential commodities. Local cen
ters OF consumption that now furnish
the market for a large per cent OF the
farm products would disappear from
the map. and the social and educational
advantages afforded In large com
munity could be found only In a cata-
logue center. and there would be no
need for more than one OF them. The
greatest trust In the world Is the ideal
catalogue mail order combination. II
covers every possible field OF trade and
brooks no competitor.
Civilization as we know II Is based
upon reciprocal oh cations. In the or
binary course OF trade the local mer-
chant furnishes 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-
lions the community Is under a re-
ciprocal obligation to give him the
preference OF trade-at least to give
him fair chance TO compete for that
trade. This principle Is recognized by
the community when Il demands that
peddlers take out a 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
at the very root OF his own prosperity
IL 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
dicates 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 in gen
eral? VIII he invest his money in a
community that is not true TO itself?
The thinking man knows that the price
Of farm real estate depends as much
upon its nearness to n good live town
as It does upon the producing power
of the soil