Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-01-13
AID FOR HOME TRADE
Strong Fight Should Be Waged
Against Mail Order Menace.
VALUE OF SYSTEM BUYING.

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Own Ground and Enables the Local
Merchants to Cut Retail Prices-Co-
operation Is Beneficial.
One method of fighting the mail or
der houses adopted by some country
merchants is that of system buying.
While it is we'll to warn merchants
against irresponsible representatives of
so called system concerns. the plan
itself is one of merit and properly or
gained and honestly carried out can
be made Of very great benefit. What
is known as system buying is merely
an application Of the cooperative
principle. 1t meets the catalogue
houses on their OWE ground and by
procuring the lowest possible prices
from the manufacturer enables the To-
cal merchant to cut retail prices.
System buying takes advantage of
the method of buying adopted by
the mail order concerns themselves.
Through considerable experimenting
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higher state of efficiency than it could
boast in the beginning. AS a matter
of fact. some of the early efforts in
this line We're ran failures. These
very failures taught their lessons, how
eve and pointed out the danger spots.
A kindred effort to help the local
merchant is the sales promoting COM
pany. The design of these concerns
is to give the individual tradesman the
advantage of the latest and most APP
proved methods of advertising. collec-
tons. soliciting trade and carrying on
a successful campaign against the cat
alogue houses.
Both the system buying and the
sales promotion are in a way an APP
plication of the principle of co-opera-
ton among local merchants. The idea
has perhaps been carried TO its far
thest point of development in the com
bination of manufacturers and mer-
chants into Il house similar to the mail
order concern. with the exception that
all sales arc made through the local
tradesmen. One of the pioneer houses
of his kind has its headquarters in
Sioux City. | am far from advocating
any specific company or indeed from
advocating any sort of combination,
system buying or sales promoting that
does not appeal to the individual mer-
chant himself. My own idea has al
ways been that in the last analysis
this fight depends on the local trades
man. He is the trade winner. He is
the n most interested. and he is the
one who must decide. 1t is only with
the idea of making some suggestions
which may possibly help him in his
fight that this article is written.
While it is true. however, that the
individual merchant is the cornerstone.
he is not the entire superstructure.
His relation to his fellow merchants
who have like interests with himself
goes to make up the completed editice.
The cooperative principle is sound
and is the most important factor in
modern commercial and industrial de-
tvelopment. For the local merchants of
America to make q successful fight
against the catalogue houses some
form of cooperation is absolutely nee
essary. This will in no way or at
least should in no way hamper the
liberty and initiative of the individual
merchant. Its only legitimate function
is to help him, to make him more eff
Gent. to give him lower prices in buy
ing. better ideas i'll advertising and
soliciting. more buSineSSlike handling
of credits and collections and up to
date methods in selling. In the main
the interests of all local merchants are
the same. Their experience should help
each other. by uniting each Of them
strengthens his hands. But this union
must be their own. Il belong TO the
individual merchants themselves. 1t
must not be made by some outside
concern for the purpose of its ad-
v~ancenent and enrichment. That is
not cooperation. but exploitation. The
union must be for the purpose Of ad-
vancing and enriching the local mer-
chants. They should keep the control
in their own hands. This is sound
business. And some such cooperation
is forced by the very logic of the stu
alton.
There is no reason why Il large num-
Der Of local merchants should not band
themselves together and adopt a meth
cd of system buying that would be of
benefit to all. 1t would vel be pos
sible to have certain manufacturing
concerns go in with them. Such an
association could devise it's own meth
DDS of trade promotion and Of fighting
the catalogue houses. The individual
merchant would be left absolutely free
in his w sphere. He would only
have added the support Of his fellows
and gained the advantage of their ex-
Eperience. He would likewise have the
power through combination with them
ito procure the lowest possible prices
in buying goods.
This is the day of honest merchan-
idising and of truthfulness in advertis,
ing and representing goods. No other
method will win in the long run. No
other plan will meet the competition
of the catalogue houses and the big
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