The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-01-12
RETAIL MERCHANTS
ASSOCIATION FORMED
Local Merchants Organize For
Mutual Protection.
TO PROMOTE HONESTY.
One of the Main Features or the
Organization IL the Credit
Rating System.

Organization IL the Credit
Rating System.
A retail credit bureau has been es-
tablished by the local merchants for
the benefit of the retail trade, and
the officers are now very busily en-
gagged in compiling these ratings in
a card index system. This associn-
tion Of the merchants and profes-
sional men will be known as the
Retail Merchants Association OF
Lancaster and under the. working
plan adopted much good is expected.
When the bureau is completed some
ten or twelve thousand individual
cards containing from three to fifteen
reports on each as to the credit
standing of each individual who buys
on credit basis will be at the dis
posal of the retail merchants and
the business men of the city who are
members of this association
This work of the retail merchants
of Lancaster is simply a campaign
for the promotion of honesty hon
esty in the dealings between the mer-
chant and customer. Not alone is
an endeavor made to make the gem
eral public realize that II pays to
meet just liabilities and debts, but
to impress upon the merchant also
the necessity for doing business on Il
strict basis of business honesty.
One OF the principal features of
the Retail Merchants Association
is the credit rating system. This
system covers not only the entire
city of Lancaster and adjacent terri
tory, but also most ali who DO
credit business in the small towns
and villages in the Lancaster terri
tory. This Is not any scheme to in
jure the reputation or hurt the feel
ings of any person. Under the meth
DDS used in this credit rating sys-
tenn, the person who is honest Sc
cures a rating which enables him to
get credit from any merchant in the
country.
Through system Of credit rating
information 1t exposes the crooked
dealings OF the Credit Grafters'
and the man who secures credit ac-
commodatiOns which he never in
tends to pay if he can avoid so do
ing. The rating system gives u
rating on the wealthy man as well
as the pauper. The wealthy person
who will not pay his or her bills is
worse than the one who is prevented
from SO doing by poverty and mis-
fortune. Many of the bad accounts
on the books of the merchants of this
state and most of the heavy balances
which he carries from year to year
are against the accounts of people
who are well able to pay their just
and honest obligations but who pre-
fer not to unless forced.
There is a general belief in the
minds OF customers that the retail
merchant is making an enormous
profit in the handling of merchan-
disc. This is a mistake The only
chance for the merchant to make
any money under the present con
ditiOns is to do the volume of busi-
ness. In other words, he has to turn
his capital over five or six times i'm
the grocery business or two or three
times In other lines of trade The
average net profit of the grocer IL
not over i've per cent. There are
expenses In connection with the
mercantile business of which none
but the merchant is aware. Add to
this expense a heavy percentage OF
loss from bad accounts and the cos,
OF doing business is very materially
increased. The credit rating sys.
tenn eliminates much OF this loss and
that IL why an effort is being made
to make success Of this System In
every locality and TO secure not only
ths co-o1sration of the merchant
bit Of the general public.
The Retail Merchants Association
does not stop At trying to mutually
protect the Setail dealer. but the or.
sandsation 10 used for the promotion
for good roads. trades weeks and the
upbuilding Of communities. When
the merchants and the business mon
OF the town are thoroughly, organised
they are able to assist their farmer
friends in matters OF public enter.
prises.