Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-03-06
(From Tuesdays DaiIy.}

| (From Tuesdays DaiIy.}
S. W. Fish of Appleton, presiden
of the Grocers and General Merchant
association of the state, addressed
meeting of the Watertown Retail
Grocers' association at the Masonic
hall last evening on various questions
of interest to the dealers, there being
| very GOOD representation present
Mr.. Fish is very earnest speaker
and brought up many matters OF vita
Importance and presented them IN 4
/ ma inner very convincing, leaving q
favorable impression with the grocers
and tendency to strengthen the bons
of good fellowship which already
exists among the merchants OF this
city.
The speaker first dwelt upon the
deadbeat feature of the business,
which he held up as d strictly bad
feature. but pointed out the remedies
of the evil that exists, if the mer-
chants only stand shoulder to shoulder
in strong local organization and
take advantage of opportunities that
exits to free themselves of this bad
feature that is proving very serious
proposition where organizations do
not exist. MIR. Fish pointed out the
necessity of confidence among the
members Of local associations, citing
his home city as good example. He
SAID he would rather see an associa-
tion with ten good loyal, conscientious
members that one with twenty five
who were not. Mr.. Fish made the
statement that he would not carry on
a business III any city IN the state
where a local association did not
exist He cited as an illustra ton a
merchant at Appleton whJ did three
times the volume of business last year
t. an he ever did before in a single
year and lost onlv SIS in bad accounts,
due to the credit system carried out
by the Grocers' association there.
He also announced that three mer-
chants at Appleton failed last year
merchants who had refused to become
me mbers of the association
The speaker dwelt at considerable
length upon the good fellowship that
exists among the association members
at Appleton and their accommodating
methods practiced.
Mr.. Fish paid his respects to the
newspapers, Ia the smaller cities
especially, which are laboring to the
end of promoting the patronage one of
the home merchants as against the
catalogue houses and sweat shops of
the cities. In return, Mr.. Fish urged
the merchants to turn their printing
over to their local newspapers and
practice what they are preaching,
instead of using the stereotpyed bak-
ing powder stationery sent to them
as bait by the wholesale houses. 1t
was good SOUND lUgic voiced by Mr..
Fish and The Leader man felt like
going forward and patting him on the
back. The rule of patronizing the
home newspapers works. just the same
with the printer as it does with the
grocers or any other representatives
of trade. A healthy patronage of the
home newspaper spurs the editor on
to fight more loyal battle for home
trade. Mr.. Fish in closing his re-
marks of respect to the newspapers,
stated that all of the Appleton grocers
were patronIzing their home news
papers and were not sending out of
the city for any of their printing. If
the local retail grocer will give the
assurance at any time that they are
doing the same, The Leader will
increase its force to begin red-hot
campaign against catalogue houses
and sweat shops, which it detects and
fights as much as time and means
Will permit.
Mr.. Fish showed up the bait
scheme of the catalogue houses in
advertising bill of goods for Sl8. 90,
headed by 100 pounds of sugar for
81. rs as leader, with lot of other
staple articles that are invariably
dear at any price. He showed how
the Appleton merchants had net their
unfair competitors by offering the
same bill of goods, only Of better
quality, if those buying would lay
down the cash and take the goods
away, feeling then that they had re-
ceived a fair profit on the total bill.
The Leader is positive that any Wa
tertown merchant will do the same.
Reference was then made by the
speaker to the seriousness of the credit
system, offering many good sug
gestions as remedies, one especially
where a deadbeat list is presened and
credit refused by all associe ton mer-
chants where bills remain unpaid.
Brief mention was made of the
notorious Parcel Post bill, Mr. Fish
stating that he bad just received E
letter from the secretary Of the
Illinois Grocers' association, stating
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