The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1917-07-13

Town Competitors - Now Boosts
Home Trade.
copyrighted, 1914, by Thomas J. Sullivan.l
A couple of years ago | noticed while
passing through a manufacturing sub
urb Of Milwaukee that hundreds of
large, expensive catalogues were being
distributed.
| vas amazed at such an outlay, as
it did not seem possible that they could
get returns from a town which was
situated at the side door of a large,
prosperous city.
The big mail order houses have
found it necessary in order to win the
confidence Of their patrons to offer bar
gain bats and therefore scatter here
and there through their catalogues a
list of certain goods, with which the
public is familiar, with prices attached
that will serve to convince the pro
spectiVe purchaser that the bargains
are real and, not fictitious.
Without license to do so they seem
to be able to prove to their prOspec-
tive patron that they are advertising
items in their catalogues that are Of.
fered at prices the local dealer, who
sells the same goods, cannot duplicate
and the chances are the patron will be
convinced that every article advertised
in the book is sold at a bargain.
Catalogue Houses Alert.
But the mail order house knows it:
business. 1t bet on the weakness Of
human nature and won, as a persona
Investigation of the town a few weeks
later revealed.
| checked up the money sending ia
cilities of the town and was surprised
and amazed to learn that in the few
days that had elapsed since the cata
logues were distributed no less thai
21S money orders bad been issued il
favor of the catalogue house, aggregat
ing a total of several thousand dollars
; Why City Does Not Prosper.
Can any one imagine anything s
ridiculous-a manufacturing city wher
ali residents are wage earners, VIII,
live mOdestly and without luxury
where cash sales with the home mer
chant are the exception, not the rule
sending 21S money orders to an out
side concern for household and person
al necessities which could be bought a
t cheaply and delivered more prompt,
right at homeF
n And those same people wonder VIII,
their city does not thrive and prosper.
One woman with whom | had talke
bought shoes for her children. Sh
said that she had to pay only $1.45
pair, while they would have cost he
. $1.60 at home.
Yes; she always bought on credit a
home. but usually paid in two o
three months. No; she had never aske
) the retail mail order house for credit.
She MAJ Not a Taxpayer.
No: she was not a taxpayer, but sh
sent her children to school. They hav
good schools too. Yes; they have sew
ers, water and street lights, and tn
city is patrolled and protected by a
ample police force.
Who pays for it all? Why, the bus
ness men and taxpayers, of cours
No; the Chicago mail order houses d
not pay anything toward the educi
ton of her children or the comfort
her family.
Sure, she was a church member, an
the church often gave fairs and S
/ cables and things. No; the Chieal
# mail order house never bought al
r tickets. but the home business me
did and paid cash for them too.
81 Yes: her husband was employed
the suburb, and his employer Deepen
ed upon and must have local busine
in order to provide work and mon'
for his help
ID Admitted She Did Wrong.
IN Yes. she now, for the first time, rel
:, lied that she was doing herself, b
D children, her husband and. above a
the home merchant a grave wrol
nv sending her husbands earnings
: an out of town competitor. but s
- would never do 1t again.
The world Is full Of just such "
men as described above. They do q
think or understand. but when tn
do no power on earth will swerve the
from their sense OF right and duty.
Then let us change all this aud
together. It is only right and honoI
BILE and just to ourselves and high til
to reform-to adopt the buying at l"l
system Of everything we need
. Even II some OF the nelghls'rS h,
II not yet learned that they W a dr
to their town 70 rannoi he said q
their case Is hopeless. for we can
them a good example
We can show by action that we y
: never be n party to pnttipg tho ln
merchant ont OF business through "a