The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-24

: forced to become such to make a liy
ing profit on our years business. ant
] all simply because of an established
custom, grown out OF our extraraganr
American ideas in our retail system
whereby dealer forces his advances
. or declines by scent pieces instead Of
, pennies. In other words he is a vic
, tim OF an established custom which
forces him not to make penny
change" This works hardship and
injustice on the manufactures, the
dealer himself, and the consumer
The fair-minded consumer is willing
to pay the manufacturer and the re
| tail distributor just and reasonable
profit, and the only way that all in
. terested can secure their just due, is
by branding this custom as absurd
and discarding it as such, substituting
in its place the sane and businesslike
/ method of making penny change
over the retail counter.
i 1t is up to us, to the dealer, and to
the consumer, to get busy on this
economic idea. 1t is up to us particu-
larly at this time to put the ball in
motion. It is up to the newspapers of
this country TO use their splendid in
fluence to further and foster penny
change
! Penny change" must come, wheth-
err or no. The pure food laws will
force it sooner or later-the time is
near at hand when all package goods
must be marked with net weight. The
days of the even money, package
sales are numbered, and their passing
will be good day for all. One great
curse of the manufacturing business
at this time is the demand for pack
age goods to sell at an even figure,
and show manufacturer and dealer a
fair profit As an example-take re
cleaned package sometimes
the sixteen-ounce carton retails for a
dime, then the twelve-ounce, and
again the ten-ounce, depending on
the market for raw material; making
1t necessary for the manufacturer to
be prepared with the packing mater
ial, ct cetera, to meet any market
condition.
The above is true of spices, and
what motif we had penny change"
a zone weight" package would be
standard, and it would sell for eight,
nine, ten or whatever might be the
legitimate price, based on the market
for raw material
Take rolled oats-if the price of
raw material goes up SO the large
size cannot be sold for % cents at
profit, the weight of the package is
cut, and when the market recedes,
usually the additional weight which
should be given, is not added; and
this is where the consumer gets the
worst OF it, not only on oats, but on
coffee and every other package com
modify as well. Here again would
penny charge" save the day, and dis
pense justice as to prices and profits.
There Is a continual cry going up
from all over our country against
trusts, but the lack of the penny
change" system is many times more
responsible for the additional high
cost of living than the trusts ever
were. Some of our so-called trusts
made themselves by dishonesty, and
they should suffer accordingly. Incl
dentally, might say that correc-
ton of our state and federal statutes
to include an Imprisonment penalty
instead of mere fine, would work won
ders in the way of holding their high
handed operations within the bonds
of reason. But in the majority of
cases, they made themselves by econ
omy-they cut out the middIeman
keeping themselves the major portion
of benefit thus secured. At the same
time, the consumer has benefited byI
a reduction in his cost price. as this is
part of the trust policy to quiet the
clamor OF the men who have suffer-
ed from the loss of these positions.
On the other hand, the lack of the
penny change" custom, is anything
but an economical idea. It ia simply
the outgrowth of our extrayagant liy-
AA1to. -A ~ 'sAAcS3Ilic Jul EOOU Ter
man and English friends giving the
newsboy nickel for penny paper.
and telling him to keep the change?
Not much-they are too thrifty
they have learned the value of mon.
ey; they have learned to make "pen.
ny change" and the lesson they have
learned, we must and will learn soon.
er or later.
How would a penny change sys.
tenn affect the dealer? Why is it that
the business of SO many apparently
good retail merchants finally dwindles
down and out? Has it ever occurred
10 you that it was because he did not
split the nickel?" The bases from
winch a business is figured are, sales.
per cent of profit on sales, and per
cent of expense to sales. The differ.
ence between these last two should
spell net profit. How easy then for
merchant to succeed, or at least to
determine wherein he is not so doing.
II all, or practically all of his sales
were made at a given per cent of