New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1910-07-27

Nebraska Towns Merchants
Pool Deliveries Of Goods.

Pool Deliveries Of Goods.
NO BOTHER and NO JEALOUSY
Success Of Plan Furthers Community
Of Interest Idea and Erection Of
Opera House and Cooperative Prod
uce Exchange Are Cited as Evidence
Of Benefits Of Unity.
A novel example in community CO.
operation is shown in the town of
Pawnee City, county seat of PaWnee
county, Neb., one Of the richest agri-
cultural sections in the west. One of
the causes assigned for the increase in
prices Of the necessaries Of life has
been the abuse Of the delivery system
from stores. This has grown to the
point where it is not unusual for pa
irons to telephone to the grocer or dr.
goods man for a single article Of sma
cost, with the request that it be ser
up.
The Pawnee City merchants thinl
they have solved this problem. II
Commercial club is the organizattc
through which this novel experime.
was launched. The club has 100 me1
bers, who pay SIS a year apiec
Through the bringing closer togeth
Of the business men Of the city in til
boosting Of several enterprises there
was established confidence and a
mutually that made the delivery
scheme easy of accomplishment.
Merchants Pool Deliveries.
In Pawnee City no merchant makes
his own deliveries Instead the asso-
citation has contract with local
teaming company, which is paid $40 a
week to do all Of the hauling needed.
Notwithstanding the fact that all mer-
| chants do not pay the same proportion
of the cost, it has proved a thorough
| success.
What is regarded as the amazing
| part of it is the elimination of business
| jealousies. Fifteen business firms pat
| ronize the cooperative delivery. The
only exceptions are the feed stores, the
laundry and the furniture store, the
| business necessities of which require
| independent action For the others
| this scale of prices was made and
agreed upon:
Two hardware stores. each $3.50 per
! week
| Two clothing stores, each 81 a week.
| Three general stores, each S. a week.
| One exclusive grocer, S. week.
/ Three drug stores, each 50 week.
Two meat markets, each $3.50 week.
/ One dry goods store, 50 a week.
This schedule was agreed upon after
/ a committee had made a thorough in
/ vestigation Of conditions. The genera
/ stores were taxed higher than mos
others because they maintain variou:
departments
Towns and Suburbs Covered.
Two wagons are employed in max
ing the deliveries. Each covers half O.
the town. These start at one end O
the business street one week and iron
the other end the next week The,
collect all Of the goods to be delivered
stopping at the larger stores each tim
and at the others only upon red fla
signal. -Four trips are made each da
at stated hours, while one trip is mad
outside the city limits, where nun
Der Of families reside
/ This enables the grocer, for instance
to secure all his deliveries for $40
month, whereas before it cost him Sc
or $40. The saving of $500 year b
computes TO be substantial profit, bt
ing 8 per cent on $3.50
! This cooperation has led to sti
further community of interest. Th
merchants meet once month to di:
cuss credits and exchange fnformatio
about customers. 1t led also to a
agreement fW early closing In the ever
ing, $50 for all stores save the grt
ceries, which keep open an hour Ionge
Nobody keeps open on particular O.
casion unless be consults with the otl
II ers.
} When it was proposed to build a
opera house it was easy to seeu1
. enough money pledged for the purpos
It is now proposed to build a co-o]
erative produces exchange, and othe
}, schemes for bringing money into tow
and keeping it there are being incu
Gated
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