The midland journal., 1914-11-27
Confessions 0 a
Mail Order Man
By Mr.. M. O. x.
Revelations BY One Whose Expezieneein
the Business Covers Range From
once Boy 20 General Manager
KEEP YOUR MONEY AT HOME AND
BOOST YOUR 4 ocAL TRADE.

Inc max Or0eF BUSINESS with the exr
,eption Of the stock market, is the only
business in which the entire capital Is
tlrnished by the trader In advance OF
he transaction.
Furthermore, there is no business In
he world that could not be made
highly profitable abundantly so--if
he customers were to pay their money
In advance at the time OF the giving Of
he order
For the reason that the merchant
,r dealer who handles the cash is not
subject to any loss from bad credits,
cancellation Of orders, return Of goods,
etc.
Did you ever stop to consider that if
there are ahalf dozen, more or less, bad
credits, or. to use more forceful ex-
preston, dead beats. in your ecom-
munity on the books Of the merchant
with whom you do business, that it
Is you who must pay for his bad
debts? There is no other way for the
merchant to save himself from loss.
Somebody must pay and. naturally, IL
Is those who do pay their mills who
must pay enough extra to take care OF
the bad debts and save the dealer from
loss.
Something like half a billion dollars,
b sum which staggers the comprehen-
sion of any mathematician, sum
that you could never count in a life
time were you to count every number
out mentally, is sent to the big cities
every year with orders for merchan-
disc to the big mail order house. You
send your portion of that enormous
sum.
This great sum would capitalize a
half million stores ia as many small
towns with a thousand dollars each, In
cash. But there are not that many
small towns in America. In fact, the
figures are so big that 1t is impossible
to compute them with reasonable ac-
curacy. However, IL this great volume
of capital were to be invested with
local merchants in the small towns, in
stead Of sending it away to the mall
order houses In the big cities, do you
realize what it would mean to your
own town?
Do you realize that it would mean
that the merchants In your own town
could supply you wifi, everything that
the mail order houses can give you
that everything would be of a better
quality and more substantial and that
you would be able to get what YOU
want, when you want it? Also that the
money would be reinvested right Ia
yonr own town, w1ich would mean
more rconay tom taxes for improve
Eaenfs, better streets, better lighting
facilities, better schools, better roads
In your county, ETC.?
Were Won to 20 ia vour local mar.
chant and give him the money IN ad.
vance for any purchase Won might do.
sire. instructing him to buv Il for vol,
ana giving him a few days' time IN
which to find just what you want
ed, you would be more effectively
served and better satisfied. Should
there be an error in his selection you
could talk it over with him and he
Wouiu make 1t right. he would be
compelled to- even If he did not desire
to do SO. But he would realize that it
was to his own interest to make the
deal satisfactory, without 'compulsion,
and everything would be on a much
better footing. all around.
Were these conditions to prevail,
and they will prevail, without question,
some time, there are thousands of dead
little towns now in existence that
would spring into prosperity, which
would increase the value and the real
worth OF every house ard lot in the
town. Yes. every farm IN the com
munity would be worth SO much more
per acre. every bushel of grain, every
ton Of hay and everything raised on
the rarm would De given an additional
value.
There would be great readjust-
ment Of values throughout the United
States. Country property would be
a.mmAIm -. =