The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-06-24
Iowa Merchants Beat larken

The retail merchants of Burling-
ton, Iowa, says the Grocery World,
recently adopted particularly
effective method of meeting and de-
feating the Larken plan of selling
soaps and flavoring extracts direct
to consumers, always with pre-
MUM said to be worth $40.
Not long ago the Larken company
came there and rem ted portion OF
public hall to give an exhibition of
their soaps, etc, together with a
line of their premiums. The move
ment against the concern was first
inaugurated by the labor unions,
which have the Larken company on
their unfair list. The labor men
took up the matter with the mer-
chants long before the Larken exhihi-
ton came on account of the large
sales of Larken stuff that were con-
stantly being made in that section.
Some. months ago Tie trades a>semb-
Nv began strenuous bone industry
.;ampaign, larg.l d'r' cied at the
Larker COMPANY, he sew papers
.rcourapiny Re NOV u!ent aud CIV
ing ge ne, OuSt III tn ~ space. lien
5h a 'nbly appoint 1 committee
pf fifl ecu and dir, c'ed that mint
Ia make Overture : TO the CONNER
cial Exchange. proposing a close
alliance for ID home trade paign.
At this juncture came the Latkin
representatives and their show. "A
mass meeting of business men was
held. to which the trades assembly's
represent tlves were invited, and
the result was the adoption of a
plan for a joint campaign to expose
the soap club fallacy. Labor took
the publicity end, while the mer-
thants arranged counter exhibit.
That OF the Larken company was on
the third floor CT the Grimes build
ing, and the home exhibit on the
second floor of the same building.
1t was demon strated at the mer-
chants exhibition that better ar
ticle of soap than the Larken pro-
duct, selling at S. box, is made
there that retails at any store in
town at 1926 a box. 1t was de-
monstrated that the majority OF
Larken products toilet prepare
tions, coffee. tea, spices, extracts,
etc. listed at more than double
the price at which the same articles
have been regularly sold in the stores
there, The demonstrators at the
home trade exhibit took many or
ders for goods on exhibition and
turned many Larkin patrons from
the error of their way.
It is part of the Larkin system OF
high finance that any of their pro.
ducts will be sold at one half the list
if the customer pays cash instead Of
taking the article as a premium.
The home trade exhibit showed that
all these articles could be bought al
home for considerably less than this
cash price.
Tt was demonstrated that the
members of the Larkfn soap clubs,
instead of receiving $40 premium
for selling $40 worth of goods, have
paid $40 for soap and premiums
which can be Bought at home for So.
In other words: each OF the ten
women in the club has acted as sell.
ing agent for Larkin and paid So in
cash for the privilege of securing or
ders for an unfair house.
Members of the label committee oil
the typographical union We're active
in the inauguration of the home
trade campaign. served en- number
of the joint committees with mem.
bers of the commercial exchange.
and took charge of the publicity end
of the campaign in the newspapers
bv means of which the Larkin sys.
tenn of high finance was thoroughly
exposed.
The result of the campaign was
that the Larkin show not only tel
fiat, but left the company worse of
than when it came there, since the
methods of the merchants in expos
ing it's fallacies cost it many regular
customers.
l - Ma Alona