The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-01-20
COMPETITION.

A merchant in certain town has
no competition. He has everything
his own way. He thinks he has the
people right where he wants them
and that they will have to go to him
or go without.
He runs along nicely for time
and then begins to get careless. You
notice that his floor needs sweeping,
the windows could stand soap and
water, dust collects on the goods and
counters and cobwebs are seen in
the corners.
Soon he thinks he ought to make
more money with less work. He push
es up the prices cent or two and his
pOcketb0ok gets fatter. That looks
good to him and he shOves the price
up again.
He doesn't take the trouble to
study his customers, their needs, and
the conditions that prevail, because
he, has no competition. His store
gets dingier and less inviting and it
lacks the homelike appearance of
welcome when customers CALL
In time the customers begin to get
tired, for they feel that they are be-
ing stung. Some turn to the mail
order man, while others will go miles
out of their way to reach another
town. They want, something for
their money.
Soon the merchant notices a
shinkage and wakes up. He makes
desperate efforts to entice his GUS
i toners back to him. But it is USE
I less. They have had enough.
The merchants business has been
irreparably} damaged by his indif-
ference, neglect and greed, caused by
lack of competition.
But there is another side to this
picture-one that is brighter and is
seldom turned to the wall.
Where competition exists there is
life, and energy, and brightness and
where these things are the people
will go.
Competition brings to the surface
and into use; the best that is in every
man, where otherwise these qualifi-
cations often lie dormant and with
out avail. And these qualifications,
when brought into play attract, draw
and hold the allegiance of the people.
The public asks no more than a
fair return for it's money, and if
there is not sufficient competition in
= the home town to insure this then
: they will look elsewhere.
80 No man can expect to secure and
hold trade of any class of people just
because he is himself. He may look
good to himself, but if his goods are
of proper quality and the price is
right they will discount his person.
atty one hundred per cent. And
competition forces every man to keep
: the right kind of goods and make the
right kind of prices and it is mainly
the quality and the price that keeps
the trade in the home town.
The more competition you find in a
town the. cleaner and brighter the
stores will be, and the tastier the dis
plays, and the. more attractive the
price. These things spell life and
life Isl always appealing to the
people.
It is competition that has devel-
oped. our magnificent school system
and. developed and broadened our re-
igious institutions, and our railway
systems. and the thousand and one
enterprises, that are making this the
great commercial nation of the globe.
1t is the outlet and overflow of un-
bounded energy and ingenuity super
induced solely by necessity and COM
petition.
TO compete successfully with an
adversary a merchant must know his
people, and anticipate their desires.
He must meet them half way in every
step they take. The people can be
won, but they, can not be bought.
The. most, successful merchants the
world has ever produced are consist
ent and persistent users of advertis-
ing space in their local papers. They
L
pie demand it and insist upon what
they demand.
The. localf merchant who uses the
advertising columns Of his home