Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-10-09
PATRoN1zE HOME INDUSTRY.
A Heart to Hears Talk Upon q Subject
Worth ConsiderlnR.
Where do You buy your supplies?


the community of which you form ;
partp
not, why not?
Some people may say they can buy
their supplies more cheaply away from
town, figuring that by buying in quan
titles they can make saving. There IL
something in that but the argument does
not 90 far.
Did it ever occur to you that you car
make saving in similar way by deal
ing through the local merchants?
This subject is worth considering.
Who has not received a catalogue
from mail order concern in the east
Those houses spend thousands of dol
lars every year fof the attractive look.
ing catalogues that enter your homes
The catalogue tells you you can buy any
thing from that house, from sack ol
-four to a threshing machine and that
you can save money by buying there
direct. 'Save the niddleman's profit,
is favorite catch phrase, and it catch
rs thousands of innocentS. Did you
stop to figure out the express or freight
charges that you have to pay to secure
the goods you purchase from these
houses?
There is not an article offered you in
a catalogue that you cannot secure from
your local merchants. If it is not carri-
ed in stock, 1t can be secured for you,
sometimes at less cost to you. for the
merchant is often in position to CON-
bine shipments and thus save a portion
of the freight or express charges.
There is another way of looking at
this matter. Some people pay cash for
all purchases; many others do not One
cannot make a purchase from a cata-
logue house unless cash accompanies the
order. Do you realize the enormous
benefit business house derives from a
strictly cash trader DO YOU know that
a merchant who pays cash for his goods
can save money by taking advantage of
cash discount? But how many of US
pay cash when We make purchase ?
Many people do not even make prompt
settlement of their accounts when they
are due. The merchant bears many
burdens which few people appreciate,
yet he is always ready to accommodate u
customer.
IF one could realize the amount of
worry, effort and thought a merchant
expends in his attempt to meet the de-
ulands of customers, and consider the
anxiety he sometimes endures when
some of his best customers neglect to
pay their bills when payment is ex-
pected, Il whole lot of sympathy would
20 out to him. And yet there are some
people who prefer to ignore him and
buy from the catalogue houses without
even comparing the catalogue prices
with those offered by the home mer-
chant.
The catalogue one receives from the
mail order concerns is made up in q
most attractive form, profusely illus.
trated and brimful of information about
the articles offered for sale. There is a
lot of interesting matter it does not con
tain, however. Have you ever read in
a catalogue that the concern will extend
credit wnen you need itP Does the con
cern offer to pay just proportion of th'
county taxes? Does it contribute Il
the operating expenses of your town
Does it make donations to church socie
ties?
The merchant does all fthese things
Isn't he entitled to your patronage
The merchant bears his part of the bur
den of taxation and his enterprise help
to build up the town. When churcl
society needs hel p the merchant is tn
first person expected to contribut
though why this should be 50 is nc
> clear. Perhaps you are member of
church society and perhaps You are pal
ronizing the catalogue houses. Is this
square dealP
: The merchants worst enemy is tn,
catalogue house his next is the custo II
er who won't pay his BILL The latter b
can take care of himself but the forme
has all the advantage, and without tn
assistance of the consumer the merchan
will always be at his mercy, more {
less.
1t might be argued that one cannot a
ways tell what can be purchased in one
own town because some OF the me
chants do not advertise. This may b
true but it is no excuse. One can q
least make an effort to find out. Th
merchant who advertises has an emo
nous advantage over competitor VIII
does not. Make it point to get bette
acquainted with the merchants. 1t wi
result in mutual benefit. The merchar
is in business to please the consume
and unless he is an extraordinary so
of person he will do everything in h
power to meet the demands of the col
sumer.
Il There are some few communitit
where the catalogue houses cannot 81
cure business. Those communities wi
thrive, for most of the money stays I
home and goes into Improvement
, What would happen if the catalogu
house business became generalP Whel
would you get credit in time of need
Who would be compelled to pay create
3 taxes when the merchant went out
, business? Don't you see that 1t is
> your own interest to support the loc
: merchant?
ri Ask yourselves the questions that al
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