Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1915-08-14
MAII-ORDER EVIL;
HOW MERCHANTS
Can OVERCOME IT

In recent issue OIL TIE MoHlooih
ery (W. Va0 News, Luther S. Mont
gomery, editor and manager, makes
some interesting observations on the
number of catalogues Of one OF tue
big Chicago mail-order houses which
so into that territory twice each year
and the cost, which evidently runs
into the millions annually, for dis
tributing these catalogues. Ihese
figures, he says, should bring home
forcibly to every merchant the value
of advertising, and along this line he
continues:
Think of it, Mr.. Business Man!
You will probably say, as you
laugh I'D your sleeve, that times are
hard, that people have no money, ana
that advertising in this instance VIII
not pay the Chicago mail-order house.
But don't you be fooled.
Years Of experience has taught
these big business men behind the
mail-order house that the profits OF
the world in all lines of trade and
commerce are built on advertising
The balance sheet of the mail-order
house, so long as you continue to give
it your field without a word OF OBJ
lection. will continue to show the
enormous profits, and the yearly gain
on the right side Of the ledger.
If it didn't pay them to advertise,
do you think for one minute that they
would do it on such large scale?
And think of the hundreds OF big
mail-order houses doing exactly what
this one Chicago mail-order house is
doing right here under Our very noses
Then multiply this big expenditure by
that number and the result will
startle you.
You have your remedy, you have al
ways had it, but you persistently fail
to apply it.
You should fight the NAL -order
house with it's own weapon-adver-
Using.
You think that won't pay. But what
have you got to say about the figures?
Are they not proof that it does pay?
Have you given it fair trial? No.
Then try it!
But, you say, the News gives you
this advice with the hope that its ad-
vertisng will grow and our profits in
crease. Very true. And with the in
crease of our profits so will your
profits increase ten-fold.
When the newspaper attacks the
mail-order house, when it urges the
home people to spend their dollars at
home with the home merchants you
laud it, you cheer it, you give to the
editor words of encouragement, and
say Ego to it, that's just fine
The newspaper spends hundreds of
dollars each year doing that thing
for your benefit, keeping the dollars
at home to swell your own bank ac-
count
Of course that is the advertising
in which you believe, and you believe
in it because it does not cost you
anything.
But what if the home newspaper,
always boosting your business, keep
ing the dollars at home for you. asks
you to buy fifty dollars worth of
space year to be used in inviting the
home people to patronize your bust
ness? All, that is another matter.
swat the fly has but recently be-
come popular slogan. The slogan
of the city mail-order house has been
for years "swat the small merchant"
and the implement Of war is adver-
Using. You have at your command
the same implement with which to
"swat the mail-order house." Use it.
Cooperate with your home newspa-
ger, the benefits will be mutual. The
newspaper uses its space without cost
to you to keep the dollars at home
for you, SO you should buy some of
the space to get the dollars. 1t is
not the custom Of the American citi-
zen to go where he is not invited to
go. If he is invited to buy in Chica-
go he will buy there, but he would
rather buy at home if he were in
vited to do so. But don't let the
newspaper do all the inviting. That
is practice in every respect as I'M
fair as unfair can be.
And don't think either that your
particular business is not affected. Be
you a dealer in drugs, shoes, cloth
ing, dry goods, groceries, hardware,
insurance, lumber, or any article in
daily use in this country, you are
affected by the campaign of the mail
order house against your business
Start your campaign by cooperating
with your home newspaper.
Swat the mail-order house with it's
own Weapon-ADNERTIS