The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-06-19
so much a speech.

so much speech.
Recently this section OF the country
| was flooded with blank petitions to
| representatives in Washington urging
the defeat Of parcels post legislation
then pending. Many people signed
these petitions.
The blanks came from the "Com-
mercial Club" OF Northern city.
| . L wrote to the mayor of that North
| ern city and asked him about that club
He knew nothing about 1t, except that
1t had a telephone number. / wrote to
the secrtary of the Board of Trade. He
| replied that there was room in one
OF the office buildings with Conner
cial Club" on the door. that the room
had telephone connections; that 1t
| had only been recently rented; mat,
although he tried at three different
times during the day. the operator
could not get reply from the club"
room; and that no one seemed to
know much about "Comonircial club"
| The CLUBS" only business was to
send out blank petitions and other mat
ter for the good Of the express com
panies.
| The plea that the parcels post would
ruin the country merchant, although
sound ION the surface, utterly falls to
pieces when exposed to the light Of
common sense.
There are in every community @ few
people who buy through mail order
houses. They are. in every case, peo-
pie who have little or no interest In
the welfare Of their town. They have
an idea that anything bought out Of
| town Is better and cheaper than any
thing bought at home. The parcels
post, of course. would knock few
cents from their expense account. But
nine-tenths Of people In small towns
would not be led astray by lower mail
or express rates. They buy now, and
Will continue to buy, where they can
get an article promptly where they
can examine an article before buying
| It,
The best way to judge these ques-
tions is to bring them home to No 1
| Would the Advertiser editor buy his
shoes in Chicago If he could save eigh-
teen cents, above carriage charges, on
the same quality of shoe? OF course
he wouldn't. He tries a shoe on be-
fore he buys 1t. Furthermore he does
mt want to wait twelve days for new
| footwear.
Well, does he not suppose that he
|
other people just as full of human
nature?
How many women out Of ten will
buy dress pattern without examin-
ing the goods? What woman will buy
hat without trying IL on? What fam
lily VIII wait two weeks for pound
OF coffee? Local grocery sales cannot
be effected by a lower express or mail
rate. Families sometimes buy years
supply from Shears -Sawback G Co.
and have them sent by freight. but
not many do it. because the cash has
10 go with the order
Groceries are nearly always bought
as needed. Those who buy a seasons S
supply, do so on credit Mail order
houses demand cash in advance. If
they were to start a credit business
they would have to take such strict
precautions, and demand such a maze
| OF red tape before allowing credit with
them on that basis.
| Hardware sales would not be eff
fected by a parcels post. for the heav-
| ier wares could not go by mail and
seven out Of ten of the smaller arti.
cles are sold to farmers or others
who want them Immediately
Aside from hardware. drugs and
groceries most goods are f class
that people want to examine before
buying. And no amount of legislation
Will change human nature.
This discussion is ridiculous. Just
little bit of common sense would
clear up the atmosphere-bu so few
people are willing to do their own
thinking, -
The benefits of parcels post are
legion. Country people could buy ar
ticles that local stores do not care
to keep in stock and get them deliv-
cred at about one third OF the present
cost. Truck farmers. dairymen and
small fruit raises could get their pro-
ducts to market promptly without pay
ing exhorbtant rates. Country mer-
chants could get small 'fll-in" or
special orders without paying all the
profit on the transaction into the
treasury of the express companies.
Opposition to the parcels post Is OF
class. with opposition to electric
| lights and bath tubs.-Fountain Inn
| Tribune.