The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-03-24
merchants Start Cleanup Of stores
and Windows for Second
Contest Next
Saturday.
CLEANLINESS IS FIRST
Merchants Learn From Experience
That Judges Make cleanIi-
ness Matter OF First
Consideration.

FL
contest OF the series but three days
distant, merchants began today plac-
Ing their store and windows in con-
dition and getting things ready for
the inspection Of the judges and the
big crowds OF people who are expected
here Saturday. From now until Fri
day night this work will be going on.
Some of the displays that were ex-
hfbited in the first contest have re-
NAMED in the windows since, but most
Of these were being taken out today,
preparatory to the placing in tho
windows of new displays.
Probably one of the most marked
improvement that will be made in the
windows and stores for the second
contest will be in that of cleanliness
There were many OF the merchants
who evidently believed that cleanlf-
ness would be small factor in
the consideration of the judges. They
learned, instead. that cleanliness was
matter of first consideration and
that in making the gradings on
cleanliness, the judges not only in
spected the glass in the window but
they examined the whole store front,
!, the interior of the store. and even
looked for dust and dirt behind the
goods stored on shelves.
Better Understanding Of Rules.
The merchants who have entered In
: tie contest now have a better under
standing OF the methods on which
their exhibits will be judged. There
evidently was a good deal of confusion
on several matters at the time of the
initial contest of the series. One OF
these points was in the matter of
price tags or cards on goods displayed
in the window II had been stated ot
one of the Retailers league banquets
that the presence OF price tags would
deduct from the artistic value Of the
displays and therefore be objection
able.
Going on this basis, a number of
merchants had no price cards In their
s display windows when the Judges
made their inspection. They were
somewhat surprised to learn after the
Judges decisions had been announced
that the absence of price cards de-
Quoted very materially from the sales
value Of the window. The failure Of
several stores to win prize in the
first contest was attributed to the
absence Of price cards with its conse-
auent reduction in thessales value of
the window.
What One Judge said.
One Of the judges of the first con-
test, speaking on the Monday follow
ing that event, MENTIONED the name of
one store In the contest and than
said: This store would have been
gwen the highest rating Of any, By
myself at least. but for the poor
sales value Of the window. The dis
play and the store in general, stood
exceptionally high in all other points
upon which we made judgment. Had
this merchant placed some neat. at.
tractive price cards in his window
with, perhaps, one Of them announc-
Ing special price for the day on
something that he carried In stock,
would have given him q very nearly
perfect rating
The COMMITTEES in charge of the
contests announced today that one
more store has entered the contest,
bringing the total number of stores
entered up to nfty-one. The store is
Reiner's grocery, 1126 Main street. Ac-
cording to the rules Of the contest,
this store cannot win the sweepstakes
cup but IL eligible for any of the
cash prizes to be awarded during the
next three contests.