The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-05-13
THE RETAILERS POSITION II
THE BUSINESS WORLD.

THE BUSINESS WORLD.
The malicious campaign of mlsrep-
resentation and denunciation so LONG
and so adroitly carried on by the mai
order houses against the retail mer
chants of the country has resulted III
cruel injustice to a great and mer
itorious class of men. 1t has Sc
cured to the powerful, we'll financed
mail order concerns a large percent
age of the trade which is the right
full property of the retailer, and,
through the most unwarranted defam-
alton of the character of retailers in
general, has somehow won for the
mail order houses not only the patron
ago of millions of people but has es-
feeling towards them and a cores
ponding hostility towards the home
merchant
The purpose and practices of re-
tailers' associations have been skill
fully and persistently misrepresented
until the utterly false opinion pre-
walls in many quarters (notably in
Congress) that the sole object of or
ganized retailers is to fix price and
regulate territory. AS matter OF
fact. in the words of the national
secretary, at never has been and is
not now either directly or indirectly,
the object, purpose, or practice or any
retail association to try to regulate
the price of merchandise or to regulate
territory"
In order to correct so harmful an
impression and to improve conditions |
growing steadily more desperate, and |
in order to acquaint Congress with |
the claims which the retail merchant
has on the patronage of every COM
munity and on the protection of the
government the National Retailers
Association last winter delegated its
secretary, ]. R. Moorhead, to request
an audience with the president fer
the purpose of presenting important
facts regarding the retailers position
in the business world The occasion
was noteworthy. 1t was the first tine
in the history of the United States
that representative of retail mer-
chants had been given an opportunity
TO state their case and to lay bare the
schemes and devices by which the
nail order houses by perverting pub
ic opinion, were unlawfully seeking
o effect their ruin, and monorolize
rade.
In a clear, forceful, and concise u
Mr. Moorhead took up WITH g
he president the tremendous services y
f retailers in the building up of their V
ountless communities; the vast nam- y
,ers of persons directly dependent ~
pom retail upwards of Il =
billions; the advantages to the produc- i,'
r of the home market in the retailers 80
tore; the menace of distribution mon ~
poly, the lines for which are now be-
lg cleverly formed the falsity OF mail
:, Al
rder house claims as to reduction In
rice without reduction in quality;
nd the moral, social, religious, po ~
teal, and economic evils to be look
for in the threatened complete con-
of the distribution of COM
ODDITIES in the great centers. g.,
On behalf of the millions he di- mr.
city represented, Mr. Moorhead rec me
an amendment OF the Sher- Is,
an antitrust law, requiring for mail
der houses and gigantic department
pres the same publicity as to credit,
anding, and so forth as is now re- 7
ired in the case of the retailer and ia
10 the creation of a commission to nat
Idly certain phases of the present at
v in it's unfavorable, disastrous, and ma
just effects upon retail merchants. the
reasonable hope is entertained by ban
use who have a high regard for the
,sident's thoroughness and fairness sen
It he will act in this matter in ac- rem
dance with his profesed and we'll
OWN views in regard to the desira-
ty of encouraging small towns and
small business man, and of pre- l.
ting the concentration of industry. cele
he next step to be taken by the has
lilers will doubtless be to conduct of n
planned campaign of edu- has
on in order that the members of yeal
gress may detect the charlatanism full