Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-04
Some Opinions
Concerning the
Parcels Posi-

the merchants Of the city of Salem"
said Alonzo Morrison, the representa-
tive of the United States Steel Prod
ucts company. Every Salem mer-
chant should be highly elated over the
passage Of the act.
How about the mail order business
taking a strong hold hereafter" was
asked Mr., Morrison,
Every business house in the Capt.
tai City should be content" said Mr..
Morrison The consumer will be con-
yinced sooner or later that to buy at
home means that they get what they
buy and to cater TO the mail order
houses will eventually result in mis-
understandings embarrassing both to
the dealer and the consumer. The
Salem merchants should be content
with this "If you secure your goods
from my establishment, they will suit
you and If they don't, bring them back.
On the other hand, you patronlze the
mail order house and If your purchase
don't suit, you have only one alterna-
tive, and that Is, keep IT, In fact, the
present situation Is the same as 1t has
been heretofore if the consumer
would rather run a chance (and a
chance 1t is) by patronizing a firm
away back east and after securing his
or her goods be deceived as to the
actual worth Of the article contracted
for, they have no recourse other than
complain loCally-then 1t is not the
Salem merchants fault Why the con-
sumers should cater to the out-of-town
for goods and bear the re-
spOnsibility of being bilked and bam-
fooled, / can't understand | venture
TO say, that when a purchase is made
by any person in Salem Of local busi-
ness establishment, the goods are eth
er guaranteed TO suit or refund or
some atonement is made Immediately
uIon demand.
AS ! said before, let er buck, so to
speak, and the general public will soon
realize that the mail order business is
not as beneficial as making the pur-
chases right at home advertising to
The contrary Notwithstanding.
The manager of the Spencer Hard
ware company was free to state that
rarcels post would be no detriment to
he merchants Of Salem and that in
fact the measure would be a benefit
In the long run. He was very brief
in the statement to the effect that in
as the hardware business had
no special use for either parcels post
or express services, the new issue
would not affect his business, one way
or the other.
About the only effect the parcels
post will have upon this firm is that
We will undoubtedly enlarge our mail
order department" This is the state
ment made by Mr. Lupton, advertising
agent for the Meyers clothing estab-
hshment.
Mr. Lupton further states:
THE parcels post will undoubtedly
aid the smaller town merchant The
farmer will be enabled to secure goods
through the mail order houses at
rate cheaper than he can otherwise.
The farmer will take advantage of this
cheap delivery rate and the larger
merchant will suffer sooner or later.
That the parcels post issue will affect
our firm In the line of regular merchan
disc and special articles Is unQues-
toned We will be compelled to en-
large our mail order department in
very short time"
The managers Of the Salem Wooden
Mill store are very frank in saying
that little or no effect will result from
the fact the parcels post will soon be
in operation Chamcey Bishop de-.
clares that insofar as the Salem Wool
Ell Mills Store is concerned, there will
be very little difference noticed. He
states that II to be supposed. there
Will be u large number of people ca
tcring to the mail order houses, but
insofar as the Salem trade proper is
concerned, the business will not be
affected in the least Mr.. Bishop
states that when he last visited the
east he was reliably informed that
one mail order house realized thou
sands of dollars per day He said that
these business firms secured second
band articles and In this way built up
a business Of proportions almost un-
bclieyable by the ordinary consumer"