Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-01-01
LOCAL EFFECTS OF PARCELS POST.


There appears to be opposition in
some quarters from local merchants to
the new parcels post because it will,
they think, give the mail order houses
greater opportunity to extend their
business. Arthur Brisbane, said to be
the highest paid writer in the world,
has some very interesting things to
say about the situation and some good
advice to give. Mr. Brisbane gives
this advice after reading what some
one says about opposing the move
ment. He says the problem of pros
perity for the country merchant ''can-
not be solved by opposing modern
successful methods. You can do moth
ing by opposing progress.
Mr.. Brisbane then goes on to give
the country editor as we'll as the
country merchant some advice. He
says:
eff the editors throughout the coun-
try and the stOrekeeperS throughout
the country will combine. if they will
USE the parcels post instead of OPP
selves pOssess0rS Of a new prosperity,
and comp EDITORS on a real and a success
full scale Y IN the great mail order
houses that have done so much injury
Of late years TO the prosperity Of the
local merchant.
*'No mail order house can possibly
succeed in a community as we'll as
the local merchant, If the local mer-
chant plans his business as intelligent
Iy and economically as is done by his
big distant competitors.
Hitherto the great mail order
houses have had the advantage in buy
ing and distributing.
Manufacturers were compelled to
deal through jobbers and mail order
houses. They could not reach the
consumer direct.
But, with t0e parcels post and
through the parcels post, and with the
aid of the country newspaper and the
country sC0reSeeGer, manufacturers
will hereafter be able to deal direct
with the consumers, and the great
mail order houses viii find that they
have real c0mpeti tOn-an excellent
thin Tor everybody,
with the parcels post working,
the local merchant viii have his cata-
logQes instead @ a great stock in
trade. The manufacturer will adVer-
tise through the local newspa. er, and
create trade for the local merchant.
'Ina local merchant can be. if he
chooses. as big and as complete a ner-
chant in his own Community as any
mail order house IN Gne world
HE VIII have the catalogues Of ali
the manufacturers. He will be able
to take his commissions, and vet by
developing his own trade, by advertis-
ing individually in the local new5pa-
pers, and by encouraging the manu-
facturer5 to advertise IN the local
newspapers, he viii be able to take
the order from his customers, send the
order 10 the big manufacturer. have
the goods delivered for him through
the parcels post, and after making his
profit he VIII De able to sell the goods
at least as cheaDly as mail order
houses can afford 10 sell them and il
many cases much more cheaply.
''Let the country editors and the
country storekeeper5 remember what
experience in this country proves al
ready-that work on very grea
scale cannot be done as efficiently a.
on d smaller one with closer individual
attention.
1.-The stOrekeeDer who attends tt
his customer. who adjusts complaint
and makes things right, who can give
advice. and who, WITH THE PAR
GELS POST, will be able to delive
Immediately anything that is ordere'
in less than one quarter of the tim
that the mail order houses have beer
delivering that storekeeper, backe
up by the country edi tor. will know
prosperity that he has never known.
LET the st0rekeeper advertis
through the country newspapers VIVA
he can do.
LET the country newspapers in
press upon the manufacturers the fac
that they, the editor and country me-
chants, are the only statesmen in diree
contact with those that live in tn
country.
''Tbere is room for everybody in tn
country-tfrat is to say, for everyboc
who intends to be of any service Al
the mail order houses will live. B,
their great monopoly will cease.
''Do not overlook the fact that the
being intelligent men, realize what V
have told you here. They know tn
there is real danger for them in tt
makes practically worthless the
elaborate system of freight deliver
which they have built up through year
They know that their system of sci
ing hundred pounds of goods at
time in order to take advantage of
low freight rate now goes overboar
eff the merchant in the countr
and the local editors throughout t
country. understood the parcels Pc
as we'll as mail order houses unde
stand it, they would know that t
parcels post will prove to be t
greatest blessing the country editc
and country storekeepers have ev
known
with the parcels post the loo
merch ants prosperity must increa
at once And with the parcels pe
the country editor will. for the fl
time. come into his own The pare
post will give to the country mercha
a delivery system as good as that