The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-10
UNITE IN BUSINESS
Merchants Must Cooperate in
Home Trade Fight.
Mail Order Firms Greatest
Menace to Local House.
EMpORIAN TELLS TROUBLE
JeWeler Addresses kansanS al
Short Course Session.
Several Topeka Business Men
Attend Lawrence Meeting.

Lawrence Kan Feb 1O.-"The
salvation of the man in small "4 "
ness in the ordinary Kansas town ne
in his cooperation with his com
petitors." With this thought as the
keynote Of his address, Carl }. KlcNJI'
Junior member of the firm OF :: +
Kicker & Son, of Emporla, lalNeu ~
Kansas merchants at the morhlhs
meeting Five hundred retailers OF
the state are assembled here tor the
Merchants Short Course.
with mail order catalogues III
every home, which work seven gay
i'm the week. don't close on TuAuaa ~
at O'Clock and which make man
buy a SO iron bed and feel tnat II
would he a shame to take IT AT twice
the price. the retailer IN tle siia ma
town selling at a small margin bliu
doing business on small capital, ~ up
oeai9st n stiff proposition" said Mr.
Kicker But before anybody can az
TEMPT to talk about trying to meet Ine
conditions under which the mai o t,lI5
house works. he must look at tiie liV ,.
and discover what IS Wrohs WIN
home merchant.
Fighting tho Other Man
RECOMMENDATION among competitors II,
the small town is the thing WnlGn W. ~
enable the little retailer to Hsnt f t,r
larger foe. People nave reSPe.t' -
the large firm in the far away CllS -,
cause thev are assured that they VIII
GET satisfa elton for their money SpeIle,
With every retailer in small 'oW "
looking at his competitor as cue
throat and just enough OF ','
citizen to keep out OF prls"H ~
small margin and telling every pouy
else what he thinks of him; anu WI"
three or four Of his competitors 80
ing like things about him. IL II W. W..
dor that the buyer in the commuhlty
looks aekance at his home merchahI
and really wonders if eNerNpocY III l"e
town IS trying to skin MN
Jewellers Work Together.
"Pereouallv. l know that co-opera-
ton pays. we jewelers. trled II III - -,
noria and are all getting more business
man ever before. The retailer IN tlle
small town must reach the place Wllele
he can look HE customers IN the eEe'
tell them to look around beIore pul
chasfnp suggest some article IN the
,.oTnDetitor's store that may suit, or
nrfer to order anything in any cata-
Iogue-plcase the customer cAcH
though he lose a sale Win nun nun
To- 0f really decent citizens doing
business in a town, there is no reason
,,1y they should not all work toget,neI
FOR the good of the comm unity. nheS
could do that in many ways IhJS
could buy together, arrange Tor ee a -
,avment and get q discount. theY
could-go over stocks together, save
money, trouble and time in ordering
ana not have the inconvenience OF pc
ing overstocked at any uine; TN!
could conduct educdtlNe duN e ei14is
campaigns that would reap results ana
give the people feeling OF fespeCt lol
The merchant in that particular ousl-
ness in that community.
Topeka Men There.
Among the several hundred mer-
chants from over the state attending
the short course are the following To.
tsI,a men; II. II. Clark, in charge of
Inc auto supply round table: j. w.
Robinson. Lee Harrison and Paul
I.ovewen. of the Merchants Journal;
A booth is maintained at local hotel
Inv the Merchants Journal. The school
will close Friday evening