Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-04-20
Mail Order Houses
VS.. Local Merchant
Timely and Illuminating
Discussion of Why's
and WherefOres


are interestedly discussing the parcels
post bill. the following illuminating
discussion of the why's and wherefores
Of the prosperity Of the mail order
houses to the detriment Of the local
becomes timely and inter-
esting, The article is taken from a
recent issue Of the Magnolia Gazette,
and is as follows:
Practically without exception, the
new papers Of Mississippi have fought
the battle of the home merchant
against the big mail order houses OF
the large cities.
Time and again, with wealth Of
argument and abundance Of reason
they have urged the people to aban-
don the suicidal policy of buying goods
away from home which can be pur-
chased at our very doors.
They have emphasized the obvious
fact that these Chicago ST. Louis
and New York mail order houses do
not contribute one penny to our pros
perity, They take our dollars and all
we get in return in the goods we
ordered, which often fallg for short OF
being as represented in their hand
some catalogues They never have
and never will pay a cent in taxes tc
maintain our state or county or munlc
ipal governments They never con
tribute a fraction of mill to the sup
port Of our churches and schools, no
would they so much as notice an ap.
peal for local charities.
On the other hand, our merchant
are our own people. They are Cit
zens OF our county, own property her
and pay taxes on it; help US in main
tanning churches and schools; sell II
goods on a credit when cash none
is scarce and in a word, are sue
essential factors in our prosperity, il
dividually and collectively, that W
could not get along without them.
All these things are obviously true
and the newspapers have repeate
them with sometimes tiresome iters
ton.
Ilercharts to Blame.
But is it not true, also, that the mel
chants are largely to blame for failn
to check this constant stream OF none
which pours in unbelievable volum
into the cash vaults Of the big ma
order houses?
Are they not sleeping on their or
portunity? Are they letting the peopI
know through the recognized mediul
of publicity that they have the sam
goods to sell, and can sell them q
, cheapIy as the Mail Order houses?
Does that man who sends to Ch
cago for a set Of harness know tht
= he can buy that set for the same none
in his home town? Does the LOCI
newspaper which he reads advis
him constantly that such and sue
, stores in the neighboring town ca
furnish him with all his househoI
! and farm or shop necessities, let hi
t see them before he buys them, ar
back up their value with the guarante
of the merchant?
! Candid answers to the question
= will reveal the whole source Of ii
trouble.
a The consumers are not so much
y blame as the merchants are ther
J. selves. The time has passed VIII,
:, the buyer of merchandise will hunt /
4 the seller 1t has been demonsrat
II SO often that it has become axioma
in the business world thai merchan
e sale Of merchandise is in proporli
to the publicity he gives to his Undue
E meats to the buying public. The mt
S chant who merely hangs his sign
d front OF his door and sits down
+" wait for customers, will. sooner or lat
be asking his good wife to pat
the bosom OF his trousers. In
same town where he is attempting