The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-06-02
r.eUlug the Middle Man o. The
Home Merchant Tin.
800 The Advocate.

T'0r The I1A'S
r +base days Of rapid transit com
ln avnress and mail facilities, people
pieLe .aside in the rural and more re
WY narts of the country, who in
n oI DAYS patronized home trade al
foI n.t exclusively, are being led off
nus rrhers to the larger cities OF the
LII - Or through catalogues to do
coL wv. bnving. Consumers following up
UT nIan seem to lose sight that they
lli9 5astroving competition, and of the
~ - nat we're they buying at home
I IN, would have ample time to in
tL an assortment Of larger volume,
sp pJ mat BY patronizing home indus
- +bav become investors in that in
u 1!s+rv TO degree, cause it to be pros
u u-oue instead of run down, and in
p ptosd Of visiting small stores with
son1atad stocks they could visit and
uurchase from stocks and assort-
P,ants that would be as attractive and
- GOOD as those shown in the large
cities.
~ systematic cooperation, the mer-
cbants in our county seats and other
nIorps of business could not support
ouch places and carry such stock as
would attract the larger buyer.
n would seem ridiculous to believe
+bat the house a thousand miles away
n some large city could sell its goods
N the individual, pay the freight or
EXPRESS, as the case may be, keep up
enormous running expenses and com
note with the local merchant or cor
noration, who buy, in car lots and
direct from the manufacturers. We
are sure any such belief must be
false when it is necessary, in order to
sell the consumer direct, to mail him
catalogue, often write several let
ters of explanation, have his ship
ment packed and shipped, pay high
rates Of taxes on places of business
and support employees all Of whom are
I'D against city expenses to the fullest
Then you consumers, who have the
catalogue idea and the idea of dealing
at distant places who send your money
10 foreign places for investment, the
result of which you seldom see or hear
of, you also rob yourselves Of the op-
portunity Of becoming thrifty mer-
chants or co-partners in some growing
concern near your home.
1t certainly cannot be gratifying
to the buyer, who makes a bust
ness of dealing IN his nearest
little village, town or county seat, to
hear merchants there, of many years
standing, claim that business is fall
ing off because their former patrons
are being led away to the larger cen
tiers, through catalogues, and don't
come to the home store to even ex-
anime prices or stock.
You must therefore realize too that
these large centres seldom make an
investment among you or in your
neighborinS town. hence 1t can De
readily seen that a continuation of
such conditions does not benefit you
in direct way, and direct benefit, in
these modern times of industry, is
what is needed by all.
While we are glad TO see the mag
nifcent business industries from the
Atlantic to the Pacific and from Can
ada to the gulf, we want the people
to get together at home, there is p1en-
ty of room for all willing hands.
This article, we hope, will not be
taken as pessimistic lay out, but you
consumers and merchants think it
over, act at your next place Of meet
ing, and take some steps to change
affairs, for the good of our merchants,
our residents, our banks, and possibly
at some time giving yourself or your
family an opportunity to secure po-
sitions, for which you now go 500 to
| 900 miles to get
ID. r. ZEPP,
Marston, Md.