The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-02-19

During the past fortnight ten huge
sacks containing catalogues from one
OF the great mail order houses Of the
United States arrived at this postof-
| flee for distribution. From that con-
signment there is no way of estimat-
ing the returns that will flow to the
house from which the catalogues were
issued, yet is it safe to say the total
amount will run far up Tito the thous-
ands before the year is out. 1t is the
belief that they are getting something
for a less price than the same article
can be purchased in the home market
that induces people to patronize these
mail order houses. Possibly in some
instances they do, which would not be
surprising considering the ability,
with it's unlimited capital, for the mail
order house to buy in immense guam
titles direct from the manufacturers.
But when all is said, when stock is
taken of the small amount saved, if
there has been saving at all just
ask yourself the question, does it pay
in the end? Are you as consumer
justified in contributing toward the
immense dividends that these great
houses pay, and by doing so taking the
trade that legitimately belongs to him
from the home merchant? Do you ever
get an accommodation in return from
the mail order house as you demand,
ard are given, accommodation from
the small merchant in your home
town? Ask yourself if at any time
when you are in = pinch for ready
cash do you sit down at once and
write to a mail order house, telling
your tale of woe, and asking for credit
for a bill of goods until such time as
you are prepared to settle? Have you
ever approached a mail order house
III that tone of voice? If not, just for
curiosity do so See then what will
the answer be. 1t does not require
the prophetic sight Of seventh son
Of a seventh son to predict the reply.
And what a strange combination
Of Inconsistencies is man, anyhow.
How lacking is the common run OF in
dlviduals in appreciation and simple
gratitude. In the first place the popu-
lar cry is against monopolies, swollen
fortunes, the idle rich, and yet no
class of people contribute SO literally
toward the building up of monopolies,
toward increasing swollen fortunes,
toward providing the ready means for
the idleness of the rich as patrons OF
same mail order house sending out
these catalogues paid dividend of
fifty per cent on $40,000000. Twenty
million dollars in a single dividend!
Just try to conceive this vast sum, this
profit coaXed out of every single in
dividual who is inveigled into ordering
goods from this mail order house.
This house reaches out to every post
office in the land, and from every
postoffice in the land a stream of
ready money trickles back to the
house. These little streams meeting
and flowing together make perfect
food of cash. No wonder that such
enormous dividends are declared to
stockholders in this giant monopoly.
1t is not necessary ~ dwell upon the
second proposition of absence of ap-
probation and gratitude. That refers
to those who stand off the merchant
for goods from month to month, and
then when fortunate in the possession
OF ready cash fly at once to the cata-
logue and lose no time posting their
money to a house where sentiment is
unknown and trust is a word that has
been eraced from it's lexicon.
During the last fiscal year over $47,-
600 in mail orders went out of this
postoffice, and the vast bulk of that
sum drifted to the Golfers of this mail
order house The year after a branch
Of this house was established at Sea-
tile, where it could be more easily
reached by people living on the coast,
the money orders at the Oroville post
office jumped over $4,000 The rea-
sen is obvious.
The shocking part of the mail order
business is that many people send out