Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-11-22
GET WHAT YOU PAY
FOR IN LONG RUN
Era Of Honesty in Advertising
Means Much to Those
VINO Buy.

Ideals are necessarily higher <han
achievements. else we'd become so
good we'd be tiresome, and there
would be no room left for improve
ment But the ideals of honesty and
scfupulous truth telling which tbs
advertising men OF the country set
up in their Baltimore convention are
not mere blinds Th,re is real prog.
ress that way.
Ne dare say you. Mr.. and Mrs.
Reader. comments the Omaha News.
have often turned away from some
advertisement which dealt with super.
latives and seemed a good bit on the
circus poster order, and said, scorn-
fully: Oh, these advertisements are
nothing but lies
or course, there are lies IN adyer-
tisements as well as elsewhere, But
the tendency toward truth-telling has
been mighty rapid OF late. Whereas,
a generation ago, a modest. candid ad.
vertisement seemed q rarity, SO great
was the vogue of blatancy and exag-
geration, now the rule is far the other
way and II is the deliberately mis-
leading announcement which is the
exception.
The rush of the ad men to the
honest injun" band wagon is due in
part to quickened conscience, for
were all getting our souls eyes
opened these days: and in part 10
the discovery of the shrewd men who
supply the money for advertising that
If you want to stay in business with
out having to fit by night, confidence
and good viii are mighty fine assets
to build up.
But don't run away with the inn
precision that YOU haven't finger
I'm this pie
In buying. what is your point Of
view? DO you realize chat good
article is worth fair price and that
you have no right to expect more than
you pay for?
In business special conditions soDle-
times force the sale of goods at prices
below cost; and competition frequent
t. narrows the margin of profit so
that YOU have opportunities Of getting
exceptional bargains But drawing an
average over period OF time, do YOU
expect to get what you need for less
than It is really worth. and in that
expectation, put pressure on trade
until you force a percentage of mis-
representation
A little reflection ought to make
Il clear TO you that the manufactures
and the retailer are not in business
on basis OF philanthropy, but for
profit and that without profit they
cannot stay in business or you be
served
1t follows, then. that If you press
them necessarily for abnormally cheap
service they win of necessity meet
that condition in ways which win
leave their profit undisturbed.
The best buy" is when you pay
a just price and get full value When
you get high value at low price YOU
are lucky, and in the nature OF things
What you gain in this way has some
how TO be Offset.
In the long run. therefore. you get
what you pay for BY aceustoming
yourself TO paying quality prices YOU
Increase the probability of quality
service. just as, by reversing this
rule. you increase the liability of fiim
fam
Which in no degree iustifies cheat
ing. of course, but which maybe helps
you explain YOUR part in the en-
couragement of that very wrong prac-
tice.
Maybe there is such a thing as i'm
moral buying as well as dishonest
selling. And maybe the two are more
closely related than we have usually
supposed