Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-04-12

that existing conditions in the busi-
ness world favor the merchant of
the smaller town. Even though it
be true that the tendency of trade
is toward the larger cities, the fact
remains that the growth of this move
ment will depend in a large measure
upon the effort put forth by the
small town merchant to hold the
trade of his communicable trade
which should, and does, belong to
4 him.
/ The country merchant (and by this
! term / mean any merchant other than
/ the metropolitan department store
owner) has no right to expect his
neighbors to buy outof- date mer
chandlse through feeling of loyalty
to home institutions, nor to ask them
to pay unreasonable profits for goods
sold at a reasonable profit in some
other community. Indeed, there
would seem no good reason why the
country merchant should not actually
undersell his city competitor. The
large store may be able to secure
slightly lower prices on account of
the greater quantity of goods pur-
chased, but this difference is more
than offset by the lover rent and
lighter running expenses in the small
er town.
1t is a fact that the country mer-
chant does sell cheaper than his city
brother. Let it be understood that /
this assertion applies to the sale of |
new and seasonab1e merchandise
not to goods that are just going, or
have already gone, out of style. Ev-
cry woman who reads these lines
knows that the department store
prices on new goods are almost
without exception a shade higher
than the prices asked by their home
stance where a truly new and fash
ionable article is included in the de-
partment store bargain list, and when
such an article is placed on special
sale, one may safely assume that the
cut in price was made in the hope
Of stimulating the sale of other and
ess desirable goods.
The obligations of community to
is home merchant are many. The /
nome merchant helps pay the city
md county taxes. He contributes to
he support of our schools, our
churches, our libraries-to the sup
bort of every movement for the up ,
building of the social and industrial !
lie adds to our monthly and yearly /
ncome by buying the products of I
Dur orchards and farms-the dozen ,
,ggs the department store does not I
want, and the sack of turnips for
which the mail order house has no |
oOm And, as rarely occurs in a I
county like Old Polk 8
when the savings in the family stock :
ng run low, the home merchant is r
eady and willing to carry us over }
'ur temporary period of financial r
Iepression," and, being a neighborly +
ort of neighbor, he doesn't charge ,
Is interest on the account. He APP
'reciates our patronage and our good Q
WILL and is ever ready to meet us .
more than halfway in return. The g,
nail order man doesn't know us; ;
ares less about our affairs and is u
Interested in us only for what he can
make out of us.
The country merchant who is really :
ic col f,,t D.
bout the trade of his community o
DING elsewhere. lie knows his !,
oods are right and that his prices h
re right. He buys from the same r
rms that supply the city stores f.
e sees the same samples-and the p
ault is his if he does not select the %
ewest and most desirable goods. He
oes not spend bis time in railing n
gainst the department stores and :,
Inning about the mail order trade, d
Or he knows that the goods on his i
wn shelves are equal to the best in -
he market, quality and price consid- .
red, and he is busy making his s
eighbors know it. He uses the col q
mns of his home newspapers to ac- :,
laint the people with what he has n
sell; he installs modern fixtures in .,
Is place of business and leaves moth q,
& undone that viii add to the COM -
rt and convenience of his custom .,
$. He runs his business on ,,S
erits. and not on an appeal to the .,
Itriotism and charity Of the COM h,
unity. ~
Such a merchant cannot fail Of sue n,
ss-whether his lot be cast in the in
city or in the country m
lage. II is a constantly increasing A,
mber of such merchants that is
'adily widening the trade territory NJ
Dallas and making our town one af
the best known trading points I'm On
e. Willamette Valley. a,
OF VOCATIONAL. w