The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1913-05-02
Why the Retailer.

Northwest missouri Retail LUMBER
Dealers association, which held It's
session recently In st. Joseph, by Roy
C. Kunkel, Of the firm Of Ruley Il
Kunkel, Of Oregon:
"Detinition Of Retail: The sale OF
commodities in small quantities or
parcels. Opposed to wholesale.
"This question can be answered by
Just one word, Necessity The Re.
taller is a middle man, therefore the
subject might be changed to why
the Middleman.'
1--WE hear a great deal these days
about the middle man'-principally
that lie Is the chief cause Of the high
cost Of living, etc. The slogan seems
to be- Cut out the middieman.' we
trace this agitation we find the mail.
order houses the Demagoguc, and In
some instances mayors Of cities have
taken up the slogan and are telling
the people there Is no need for the
middle man or retailer. II seems TO
be weakness OF the American peo.
pie to side In with some rabbler, who
talks against the man who for gener.
ations has guided the ship Of com.
mercc safely.
"In looking back through history,
we find that the retailer is not Of just
recent date. In the year 1920 B. G.
we learn that Joseph was sold TO some
merchants who were en- route to
Egypt to buy merchandise. And that
merchants were very conspicuous
when Soomon's temple was being
built and that merchants and gold
smiths worked together In rebuilding
the wall around Jerusalem. And In
the famous city of Tyre about Il2 Is.
C,-the browning city, mind you
whose merchants were princes, whose
traflickers were the honorable Of the
earth. And finally In Revelations ~
says that thy merchants are the hon.
Durable OF the earth
"And so on down through the cen
turtles TO the present time We find
been the real power behind the throne.
II you will read carefully the pages Of
history you will find that the legions
Of trade have been strongly en-.
trenched In many Of the worldsgreat.
est battles, sieges and conquests Of.
ten, indeed hidden behind political
and religious sentiment, philanthropy
and personal ambition. After the
smoke Of battle has cleared away, we
lind the sentinel Of commerce Of trade
there at his post, ready to make trea.
ties, to again declare war, to main.
tain armies and equip navies. So we
learn that the retailer has been pref.
ty much Of . necessity In all ages.
at Is well for the retailer to occa-
sionally stop and think Of the real
philosophy Of his business. We are so
accustomed TO thinking of business As
a hard and heartless thing that we do
not fully appreciate It's place In the
worlds program, and ! fear there are
thousands Of retailers who do not rca.
lie for a moment the very important
position he occupies In our grea, com.
mcrcial scheme.
$50 wc shall attempt 10 show Why
the Retailer l. u necessity today, -
he has been In the past and u very
likely TO be In the future. As We 20
about our business II is very easy 10
lose sight Vi the fact that our modern
commerce, indeed the commerce of all
ayes, has been founded upon the pri.
mary principle Of human activity
which i the strife for sustenance- -
the gathering Of food, raiment and
shelter. And the retailer has always
been an important factor In this ac'
tivity.
1--WE might go on and enumcrate
the benefits Of why the Retailer In
the dist ribution Of food and Of raj
ment, but we shall take the class rep
resented by the merchants here today
that of shelter. why the Retailer
In the Lumber Businessy
Gentlemen, II seems to me that II
the retailer In general Is To 80 as some
try to make us believe, ! think the re-
tall lumbcrman viii be the las, that
the people will be willing TO get alonl
without. Take the building Of ~
average house as an example First
Is the material for the foundation 9
few yards of sand and rock, and 30 u
100 sacks OF cement all from different
sources OF supply. Then tina dimen
sion and common lumber from thu
south, the finishing lumber from an
other point, the shingles, siding ant
porch flooring from the Pacific coast
the plaster mailing from u different
state altogether, and the sash, door
and interior finish from some nearb!