The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-09-07
Mail Order Evil Explains Itself.

The Supreme Court in the handing
down of recent decision says: 1T
is fallacy to assume that the price
cutter pockets the loss, the, buyer
must make it up on the other pur
chases.
Now let us see how that works out.
Go to the special grocery lists of the
M. O. concerns, ana we find the
biggest bait" "lure," or leader"
advertised there is the rs pound
sack of sugar for $125 on condition
that we buy at least $40 worth of
other goods from the list (and you
are carefully instructed that there
can be no more sugar, flour, ETC., in
the order).
Now let us select some thing from
that list and buy $40 worth of it and
see by analysis what the Supreme
Court meant.
Now, here's thing that goes into
almost every house in the U. s.
starch--so we will purchase $40
worth OF that for our example. Mont
gomery Ward & Co. offer me M. w.
& Co.'S package starch in only one
size of a package, viz: IL ounces.
that's only a three quarter pound, as
it takes Is ounces to make a pound
of starch, they sell three of these
for l cents, or six for 20 cents. So
now let's turn to Sears, Roebuck and
see what we can do on the same ar
ticle. They have the Iron Cross
starch and again we find it is II
ounce package Gust what / warned
you against in my speech; reducing
or skimping or maxim smaller Of all
that they sell)
ic no 1,1 auto nf
they say IS for 4c'', sc for 27c,"
so their price is &c lower than the NJ
w. concern. We will buy of them
Now of their IL ounce packages
make ~ ounces or exactly 4 u lbs.
16 ounces to the pound. And at 81
cents that is exactly 6 cents per
pound. have to buy $40 worth now
before l can secure 20 pounds of
sugar for s1.25 extra. Now on
packages OF the starch l get ~
ounces, or, ounces short Of the reg
ular standard quantity that any of
our home stores will sell me for %
cents. Yet, that's exactly right for
l am not assuming or guessing about
it, | went directly to your own home
stores and learned their figures
(same as l advised you to do and
they all said 5 pounds for a quarter.
Five pounds-S0 ounces. So for every
quarter l send to Sears, Roebuck, j
am short 8 ounces, and on my dollar
80 ounces and on my SO purchase
$40 ounces or exactly 20 pounds. |
So now we can plainly see what
our Supreme Court meant for
here we find we must pay
$1.25 and 20 pounds of starch, which !
at the Sears-Roebuck quotation of &c
per pound is worth S1.20. So we
really pay S2.45 for that sugar bait |
instead of Sl.25 and also let me call
the attention of the mail order pat !
rons that in the above example have /
not charged against that sack of
sugar one single penny for money
order, postage or freight which you
can add on to it if you please, or
even leave it off as l have done and
take the bare $2.45 cash into any of |
your home stores and see if they will |
not gladly sell you 25 pounds sack
OF sugar for less, proving as l told !
the Mail Order patrons in my Boost .
er talk here that instead Of Saving
money by sending away to Chicago,
you can by applying this very simple
test acquaint yourselves with the
real fact that you actually lose mon
/
dreds Of times to prove it out for my
auditors and you can test it out for
yourself at any of the home stores.
Just make up your order, no matter
what it may be for as any class of
goods, hardware, wall paper, paints,
lumber, drugs, clothing, dry goods,
Or any other line sold by the home
merchants, will prove it out to you
as we'll as groceries. Each time you
try this out you will learn that buy
ing the cheap stuff sold by mail or
der concerns to .'saye money is just
like stopping the clock to save
time"
Mr.. Byrne, the town booster,
spoke to large audience at Deca-
tur City Saturday night. Don't miss
the opportunity of hearing him for it
is all for the welfare and good of
your own home community.