The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-05-22

pay cash Tor them, and attach these
stamps to the package, in advance.
How are these stamps to be charged
for by the merchant? The item Is too
small for a separate spot cash bill.
The stamps, therefore, will probably
be charged on the regular invoice for
the goods. If a customer takes two or
three months time 70 pay the regular
bill, then the merchant will be out the
actual cash stamp investment for this
period without any interest or profit in
return. II, on the other hand, the mer-
chant allows the cash discount, then
the chances are that his customer will
deduct the cash discount from the
price Of the stamps as we'll as on the
price of the goods. AS a result, The
merchant will have to pay spot cash
for parcel post stamps, and then for
his trouble he will lose the cash dis
count on the cash he has advanced.
Wasn't that a beautiful dream that
the magazines told about when they
described how a farmer could send a
dozen eggs by parcel post to his city
customer? Just figure out the price
of eggs in the country, then add the
cost of the special pasteboard box in
which the eggs would have to be sent,
also the postage or the eggs, together
with the loss from breakage, and We
think you W" find that fresh country
eggs would cost Jul city friends about
Z cents each. l guess it wodld be
cheaper for him to get them from the
corner grocery.
The other day | meandered into a
drug store and ordered certain chem
icals which l happened to know actual.
ly cost IL cents. The druggist charged
me 35 cents. l inquired If he hadn't
added too much profit. / told him
just what the items cost. my dear
sir" answered he, in this corner drug
store We do not pay any attention to
the cost Of the chemicals in the drugs
that is the smallest part of u tx
pense. We are selling you the high
rental of a drug store ON a convenient
corner, electric light, furnace heat,
free telephone service, stamps sold at
cost, a meeting place for the neighbor-
hood, a place where you can stand
on a cold day and wait for your car,
free seats, free newspapers. Not only
that, but we are prepared to tell you
what is good for dyspepsia, toothache,
indigestion, lumbago; in fact, We pre-
scribe, free of charge. for most hui
man ills. 1t is for this class of SER
vice hat we chargc-the drugs that
We dispose of are simply incidentals."
Well, brother, don't you think this
druggist was about right? At the
same time, it is just you and me to
accept all the5e convenienccs and ac-
commodations, and then kick II a fly
happens to light in u soda water.
Did it ever occur to you, when you
happened to wan anything and need
ed it in a hurry, what it costs to have
this particular item all ready for
your use at q store just around the
corner?
| remember a case where a city
took issue with an electric lighting
plant on account of their charges for
the service. The electric lighting
plant showed, in cold figures, what
it cost them to be prepared at all
times to serve that city with electric
light. 1t was a most interesting ex-
hibit. When the sun was shining
brightly and the days were long, that
city did not want much electric juice.
If, however, a storm suddenly blew up
and darkness came upon the city, then
everybody expected to turn on his
electric light. When the storm was
over and the sun came out again, he
turned off the juice. Now" said
this lighting plant, I'VE have to have
in reserve all the time enough power
to take care of these sudden and un-
expected demands; we have to be
ready to serve every minute Of the
do W and NIGHT This roo n In co RI SarUa
costs money, and We a only get our
money back by charging 1T in the
price of the juice"
In my fashion, / am in this article
making a plea for the retail merchant.
He must be ready to serve you with
anything you want in his line on a
moments notice. Isn't it really won
derful that you a walk into a retail
hardware store, call for almost any
item in hardware, and always find 1t
on hand? For instance, If you wish a
pocket knife of a peculiar style, there
it is 1t has just been waiting for
you to call for 1t. Then the merchant
waits while you lean with your elbow
on the glass counter and paw it all
over. You smear you greasy hands
all over it's beautifully polish d blades,
you blow your breath on the blade to
see whether the steel Is good or not.
Probably you inspect fifteen or twenty
knives before you finally decide to in
vest so cents. In the meanwhile the
merchant patiently shows you his
stock and tells you the entire history
Of the manufacture of cutlery from
the time Of Pharoh down to the pres
ent date.
Maybe after consuming thirty min
utes Of this merchants time you smile
sweetly and tell him that you will
think 1t over and drop in again tomor-
row. Maybe before leaving his store
you go to the telephone ami have a
chat with your best girl, and also Dor
row a stamp to mail a letter. Or,
perhaps, you ask If he won't loan you
a pipe wrench for awhile. Then II
you are real smart the proper thing
is to go home, send an order to a mail
order house for a pocket knife, cash in
advance, and take your chances on
whether the steel is good or not, when
the knife arrives.
Then let us reflect, that after all of