St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-06-09
NOT ADVERTISING AT ALL
Cooperation Urged On Merchants In
Suppressing a Trade Nuisance

Cooperation Urged On Merchants In
Suppressing a Trade Nuisance
The following article which will
interest local merchants who desire
to escape from contributions to So
ciety undertakings under the name
of advertising is taken from "The
National Jeweler and Optician."
Local advertising presents many
problems to the local merchants.
There are questions not only of how
to advertise but also of how not to
do so. w. Lewis DeHart, in the
course of an address before a Mis-
souri, convention of retail merchants
recently, referred at some length to
the latter phase of the subject.
The little schemes, such as adver-
Using in telephone directories,
theatre curtains, programs, circus
elephants and the thousands of other
things that almost daily confront the
merchant, constitute, he said, a very
serious evil. While in most cases
the amount spent upon any one
scheme is insignificant, when the
average merchant totals the amounts
at the end of the year, he finds that
he has spent a lot of hardearned
money and has not received a single
lOId VI USuSuI Ou1s
It is often very hard to turn down
a proposition of this kind, because
the amount is small and in most
cases the solicitor is a friend of
yours and a customer of your store.
1t may take one or two implied
threats to make you come across, but
it is very hard for the merchant to
fight this evil single-handed. He
gets lot of people down" on him,
is regarded as tight" and called all
sorts of mice" names and in most
cases, he falls right back into line
and lets the solicitors and grafters
take the cream of his profits from
him under the guise of advertising.
This evil has been successfully fought
in a great many places by the form
ing of a retail merchants associa-
ton. Much good can be done by
teamwork or cooperation which
would be impossible for the indi-
vidual. In one Illinois city of about
10000 inhabitants, for instance, the
retailers formed an association and |
signed an agreement not to patrOniZe |
any such schemes presented under
the cloak of advertising" Here are
the things that were decided upon as
and that all agreed not
to patrOnize:
Advertising in all kinds of pro-
grams, no matter for what purpose
the entertainment, celebration or
gathering might be promoted.
Advertising on score cards for
baseball or any other athletic sport,
for races or any other contests of any
kind
Advertising originated by foreign
or solicitors. In this
class fall all sorts of schemes, such
rs telephone directory cards, wall
maps, fire alarm cards, kitchen helps
,ards, space on the elephant on cir
,us day, and hundred or more other
schemes that are devised merely for
he purpose of dividing the merchant
rom his bank roll.
Advertising in all religious and
professional periodicals, or other pc
'iOdical advertising other than the
laily or weekly newspapers.
Advertising by floats in any kind
If celebration or procession.
Trading stamps of every descrip- !
ion, coupons and premium checks,
10 matter what the nature, were not !
o be tolerated in the city by the mer-
hants.
Donations of money or merchan-
Use to church fairs, bazaars, suppers
nd other special benefits of all 5
finds.
Donations to fraternal societies,
haritabIe institutions and public
enefit occasions.
Prizes to fairs, Labor Day ce1ebra-
ions, school celebrations, national
Holiday affairs, excursions, contests,
hautauqua, auditorium, etc.
Tickets for raffles and lotteries of
IL kinds for all affairs presented by .
hurch, society, pleasure club, hos
ital, athletic association or for any
Their purpose whatever.
Some of these restrictions may ap-
ear rather severe to a local mer-
liant at first view, but an advisory
ommittee was given the power to
low any one to solicit or sell any
Orm of advertising that received the
lamp of its approval. With a very
ew exceptions, however, these re-
trictions could be strictly lived up
o.
Why continue to let these things
ap the very life blood from our bus
ness. If a thief should break into
our store and take that which right
ully belonged to you, you would use
our best efforts and call for outside
ssistance to apprehend and convict :
he culprit. Yet there is unquestion-l y
bly, more money thrown away Z
through little "swindles" under the X
uise of advertising than in the ran
acking of the professional crook K
Why not use a little of your personal y