The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1916-01-28
COMPETITION.

What do you know about the sub
ject o. "Competition?" Is there any
thing left for you to learn? Is it true
that competition isthe life OF trade?'
Let MS see.
4 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 they will have to so to him o,
go without.
He runs along nicely for time and
then begins TO get careless. You no.
tice that his floor needs sweeping.
the windows could stand soap and wa
ter, dust collects on The goods and
counters, and cobwebs are seen in tie
corners.
Soon he thinks he ought to make
more money with less work. lie push
eS prices up cent or two and his
pocketbook gets fdtter. That looks
good to him and he shoves the prices
up again.
He doesn't take tile trouble to stu
dy his customers, their needs, and
the conditions that prevail, because
he has no competition. His store gets
dingier and less inviting, and it lacks
that homelike appearance Of welcome
when his customers call.
In time the customers begin to get
tired, for they fear that they are be-
ing Stung. Some turn to the mail
order man, while others go miles out
of their way to reach another town.
They want something for their money
Soon the merchant notices shrink
age and wakes up. He makes desper-
ate efforts 10 entice his customers
back to him. But it Is useless. They
have had enough.
This merchants business has been
irreparably damaged by his indiffer-
ence, neglect and greed, caused by the
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
60.
Competition brings to the surface
and into use the best that is in every
man, where otherwise these qualifica-
tions would often lie dormant and
without avail. And these qualitica-
tions when broughtinto play, attract
and draw and hold the allegiance Of
the people.
The public asks no more than 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.
No man can expect to secure and
hold the trade Of any class Of people
just because he is himself. He may
look good to himself, but II his goods
are of proper quality and the price is
right they will discount his personal
ity hundred per cent.
And competition forces every man
to keep the right kind Of goods and
make the aight kind Of prices, and it
is mainly quality and price that keeps
the trade i'm 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 is always appealing to the people
II is competition that has develop.
ell our magnificent schoolsystem, and
developed and broadened our relig.
iouS institutions, and our railway
systems, and the thousand and one en-
terprises that are making this the
greatest commercial nation of the
globe. 1T is the outlet and overflow
OF unbounded energy and ingenuity
superinduced solely by necessity and
competition.