The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-12-30

to the mail order houses"
That's bad state of affairs What are you doing
meet the situation"
Nothing much" he answered, what do?"
what can dol" What can he do?
This attitude Scruggs is typical large
retailers doing business throughout the United States
They calmly and let Sears Roebuck Co., Montgomery
Ward Co., and other big mail order houses get the bulk
cash business of their communities without seeking
ways and to divert the money into their tis
Some pretend to ignore the situation
say the mail business is not hurting Them but
1t problem that cannot be overlooked by any nteli
gent business Last year the mail order houses
gains their business It is reported
large sold $10000000O worth of goods in
1914 These concerns will increasing their business
by twenty million figures unless something done
to stop them.
your business experience you know that there
many people in your community who not buying
goods from you AS far you learn your compet-
in other lines not selling them to any great
They getting their furniture dry goods, hard
ware groceries, etc, from somebody.
Who getting the business? Go down your freight
depot express office and look and you will
find You will be surprised at the number of pack
find from mail order houses for prominent people
you know. There is roll of rugs for Robert Brown;
rocking chair for Jim Smith, and Grated refrigerator
for Mrs j. r. Johnson. You examine it and wonder why
she didn't buy it from you. You have refrigerator
stock probably of better quality and just reasonable
knoeo anything about it, She didn't send the order to
Sears Roebuck Co. she had any special fancy
firm because did that she could
buy the article cheaply at home.
Can you blame her? Can you blame Sears Roebuck Il
Co. getting business? Whose fault is it? No one
BIT yourself.
used to hear great deal about the fellow chopped
OH his head with AK but believed it pos
sble. Now L know that such a thing happen,
recently ~ead account of where furniture dealer
small town delivering catalogs for Of the big
mail order houses to list of names furnished by them
For this service he received the princey of
each There cataogs shipped to him by freight
his for delivering that they would be
delivered - somebody anyway and if he drove around
town with them in his wagon labeled Furniture" he
would be advertising his business Think of it! man
engaged in the furniture business delivering
caaOgs to the people who ought to be buying goods
from him. If this is not choppng off your head with
a vengeance don't know what you might call it.
The mail evil constantly thoughts great
many of the smaller merchants They lay awake at night
thinking picture when they will finally
be driven out of business by this modern octopus
keep people from buying away from homer? is the
thought uppermost in their minds Instead of trying
work out solution in practical business way they
their time crczng people for patronizng cataog
instead Of trying to educate them into the advantages
trading at home
Some of the plans advocated for getting mail order
competition are nothing less than downright
I0OuSl 1nSnce, the secretary OF commercial
in Iowa conceived the brilliant idea OF having big bonfire
in which all of the mail order catalogs in the community
to be burned. These cataogs to hauled to
the fatal spot in big headed by procession
brass band They then consigned the flames
accompanied by funeral dirge from the band the
cheers of the assembled multitude good would have
been accomplished by such nonsense? few caalogs might
have been gotten rid Of but in than the town
would have been full of them again.
One thing is certain If the merchant pro-
gressve enough to attract and hold trade burning
cataogs is not going to bring customers
store. This is the sort of thing might expect
children, but not from grown
The main reason why people paronze mail order houses
freely generally because they think they buying
goods cheaper. Whats the use" says Mrs Smith "of
paying two prices for things in town when buy
at wholesale from Montgomery Ward & Cog?
And it is easy for Mrs Smith to do this The rural
carrier her route carries money order with
She get her money order without having to
town to make it out People living in town have to
to the postofice to have it done.
In addition to helping the mail order this way
the Government also aids them by giving them greater
service without charging them corresponding fee.
example, suppose that 50pound parcel shipped
zen living in the 150mie zone by of the mail
carried at the rate applying the first zone
which is for 50pound parcel "a parcel of
same weight shipped by merchant say distance
OF seven miles, likewise takes the of "a
According to the Postmaster Generals estimate of
the service performed for the Chicago City shipper
costs 5l cents against 81 cents for local shipment
This not fair to the Advantage being taken
by the mail order house of the opportunities which the
parcel post offers by establishing agencies central points