The Socialist press., 1915-09-18
TRUTH TWISTING =
 HURTS RETAILERS
Customers BamboozIed by Spe- ciaI SaIes-Misuse of Adver-
 tising Power.
By HARRY R. DRUMMoND.

ly to the present condition of things in the advertising business. Collec- lively speaking. he has spent vast sums of money in educating the con- sumer along lines that are not condu- cive to standardization.
 Of the least sought, least bought things in the average retail store reg ular" goods at regular" prices stand at the top. Everything Is special and all merchandise is said to be worth" much more than the prices asked. People have been taught to keep away from goods until they are reduced" in price.
 It would be ridiculous to assume that much of this advertising is truth full. The majority of it is not. It takes an inventive genius to satisfy the average retailer when he wants an advertising man.
 Truth - plain, straight-from-the- shoulder truth-seems to have been crowded out of the advertising pro- gram as far the retailer Is concern ed.
 Fake Special Sales.
 With the increase of success of Clearance Sales come the corre- spending dechease of regular" busi- ness during the regular" season at regular" prices-which called for the invention" of special sales"
 These special sales have grown in number until now there are special sales six days week and fifty-two weeks a year. barring holidays.
 The values quoted during these sales are for the most part imaginary -purely inventive, but they give the buying public a fear of tackling any regular goods at regular prices.
 There is lack of faith. feeling of distrust permeating every line of business; a feeling that is proving disastrous to many retailers and is at the same time helping the mail or der houses
 Following Thanksgiving the retail stores of New York began spending money right and left, urging early shopping They do this every year and they do 1t less effectively every year.
 Early Shopping Farce.
 The Sunday papers of December 22 contained. among other things, the an- nouncement of Kesner's store that for the last mad rush all seasonable and holiday merchandise has been reduced in price one-half and less. Macy's ad- vertised Productions in Most Depart ments." Lord & Taylor offered great reductions in the prices of mems house coats. carriage bags. silk hosiery, faces. umbrellas. Saks & Co. mentioned reductions in mems house coats. women's house robes, motor case. fur trimmed coats, furs, silk hose and other appropriate Christmas goods. Greenhut, Siegel-Cooper Go. announced "a two days sale of Christ mas goods, in which regular prices are heavily reduced" and so on ad lib.
 Fine lot of stuff! It was that way last year and for years preceding. It will be that way next year. That is what the retailer Is using advertising for-to educate the people to these tricks that would disgust even Bret Hart's immortallzed Heather Chinee. They f,unt their breaking faith with early shoppers--pay good money for space to tell the people who bought early in December that they were chumps. that they were easy marks. suckers and dubs. They rub it in and, simply because advertising edu- cates. because 1t really delivers the goods, they raise howl.
 Misuse of Advertising.
 The retailer misuses advertising. He uses it as a narcotic rather than a stimulant. and as he is unfair to customers, so is he unfair to advertis- ing.
 There are exceptions to this rule. There is one store. of which the writer was advertising manager for some time. where the customer who made purchases on December 1, was not asked to pay one cent more than the customer who bought on Decem- Der "A.
 This is but timely illustration. In January the bars were let down so that we might buy our winter cloth ing. our linens. furniture and many other staples that should be sold just as reasonably at one time as another It is the misuse of power that is do- ing this.
 One merchant. in complaining of the mail order houses and the business they do, said to the writer: "Why is