Norwich bulletin., 1911-11-11

(Written Specially for The Bulletin)
 There's one phase of this high prices proposition which the consum- | ar can influence very largely. if he or she chooses-and really she has more to do with it than he
 mean the market basket phase.
 Once on a time the household buyer used to take his or her market basket on the arm or in the wagon ana go to the store That buyer knew about what he wanted and about what It looked like. He had his sugar weighed out before his eyes and put 1t in the basket He seleced the tea from the samples and saw that he got just what he ordered. He tested the cheese and took piece or left it according as it suited his taste. He looked over the meat at the market and picked out just the cut he wanted-if he could get It al the right price. Same with all the other purchases. He went after them, saw the goods before he bought them, paid Cor them in cash on the spot, and carried them home with him.
 It used to be said that we should give the devil his due. The retailer isn't often q ffend-he would usually be giad to be a freind to all his customers. Some retailers are hogs-just as some of his customers are. and as some in all communities are But in the midst Of our complaints about the prices he charges us let's give him a fair hear ing and his due
 Go back to the last sentence in the last paragraph. There was a time hen the buyer went after his goods. How many do-rthat now. in town or country Some. no doubt. still do so, but the majority wait for the store wagon to come to them and get their orders Or else they telephone the or ders in- Then they expect the store keeper to know their tastes in regard to everything they consume. and to hit said tastes to the last ultimate morsel- Frequently they require him to charge it. and wait Tor his money tllI they get good and ready to pay. Last of all, they demand that he deliver the goods to them. at their kitchens.
 You will observe that they require him to keep a lot of horses, more or less according to the size of his busi- ness to chase after their orders with and deliver the goods. It costsi money for horses-to buy them, to stable them, to feed them, to keep them shod, to ray veterinary bills, to keep wagons and harnesses in repair-even for whips and axle grease. All that money, you. MT. or Mrs. Consumer pay and must pay in the prices you nay for your goods. How else can it possibly be paid2 The dealer has got to get the money from somewhere, and you are his only business source of supply
 Still further. he has to have an ex- tra force of delivery or order clerks, to dc this outside work. It takes more
 
 ocOr. perhaps miles from the store. than it would to pass them over the do as much in a day-can't serve as many customers There must be more ren to wait on you and they must be paid for doing it. That pay comes out os you in the end-every red cent of it.
 Also the retailer must have a tele- phone, which is another convenience you pay for
 t.I< \. answer me if you really think you have any kick coming" against the retailer, because when he serves you with the labor and the convenienceS you demand he then requires you to pay for them2
 Don't forget, in passing, that this modern way of shopping also entails upon the dealer complete system of bookkeeping. with expensive books and Ealaried boolkeepers; a system of col I Iectors who must be paid their wages for their work; and that it involves the making of a good many bad debts:@ debts which cannot be col ! lscted at all.
 The customer pays and must pay all l of these expenses, too.
 Often and often. when l hear people l complaining about things which they | are themselves partly responsible for, l ] think of that old saying: You can't | eat your cake and have it. too You may keep the cake. if you wish. till it | grows mouldy: in which case you don't 1 eat it. Or you may eat it whenever | Iou happen to feel like eating cake; | in which case you don't have it any | longer You are your own master as l 10 which you will do- Y You are at per l feet liberty to keep the cake. You are | st equal liberty to eat the cake.
 But you are NOT at liberty to eat ! fl and then kick like a mad mule be- cause VOL haven't it any longer
 IL certainly is easier to sit in ones | cosy home and telephone in ones or off to the store, perhaps in rain or a l snow, and order the goods direct. It is much pleasanter to give your orders l 10 the delivery clerk at yours own door than 10 have to change to a street | costume and spend an hour or two of your own time to carry in your own erders. And it is certainly easier. not to say "tonier," to have the wagon leave them at your kitchen door than to lug them home yourself in a heavy | and awkward basket.
 Very well; that's exactly where your field for choice opens. You can select the easiest and pleasantest way for yourself and require the retailer to do all the hard and disa greea ble part for you. Tn which case you must pay him for doing it. If you don't do your owr farm work or vour own house work ] and get others to do them for you, you pay those others of course. You don't expect some one el>e to ilauI your ma 1 Tlure out or wash your dishes for you charity ou can do the things your self and save money. or you can hire some one else to do them and save yourself the workout you can't save both money and work, at the same time on the same proposition. You have your choice as to which one you will save Having made that choice. IL IS neither just nor decent to find fault because you haven't saved both.
 In other words, it is only babyiSh to cry because you haven't your cake. after you have deliberately eaten it all up.
 Now, ! don't mean to say that all the high prices are due to the de- mands of consumers that their puryey- ors should take this extra trouble and do this extra work for them. But I do say that, if all the expense of addi- tional teams and additional delivery clerks and additional bookkeepers and additional collectors and telephones