The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-11
EIA|LERS HEAR
| SPLENDID TALK
...sor Kurtz Of Extension Divl-
sion Of Iowa State University
spoke Before keokak
League Last Night.
.rMEDY SOME DEFECTS
~. are Several Ways in Which
Merchants Can Deal With Prob
lens and He Suggests
These.

4 merchant needs assistance just
4 much as does the farmer, G. f.
rurtz of the extension department
n the Iowa State university told the
|veokuk Retailers league in his talk
|sst night on the Economics or
pnsiness." For this reason, the. ex-
|,ension department of the state uni
,ersity was organized, and its bust
moss research bureau was founded.
surveys of the city, of the business
mat is coming into the town, OF
hat which is going out, and the rea-
ons for it, and other features are
made by the bureau with a view to
,orrecting mistakes and to set the
merchant right in his dealings.
Because the merchants Of the
mlntry are not proceeding properly,
10 percent of them are failing. A
andy Of the field of retail merchan-
Using shows that conditions are
hanging. There is a process Of evo
hion going on all the time. The
merchant is frequently proceeding
dong unscientiic lines, in spite OF
The fact that the greatest field is
hat of retail merchandising.
Permanent Inventory.
The permanent inventory, which
has been applied to business, tells
uactly what happened in the store
for which it is taken from day to
ay. It makes the chain stores pos
dMe. The permanent inventory is
tommencing to be a necessity and
hnkers are. going to ask for it.
There has been an evolution in
hsiness policies, Mr.. Kurtz said. He
MD the merchant who has his per-
ENtive fixed twenty years ahead,
Nd is working towards that perspec-
te is the man who will succeed.
M merchant must have definite
Ntes along the line of advertising
"a accounting. With reference to
srertising, he said there must be
" elimination of improper adver-
ding.
Newspaper Ads Best.
There is no better medium than
Ne newspapers" he said. THE
Immunity is judged by its news
|ppers. See to it that the newspaper
Gets the best effort you can make
lie suggested advertising consecu-
lively. intelligently and to use newsy
tens, just as the reporter does in
IBIS stories.
Mr.. Kurtz told of the proprietor
MI store who stayed ION the door"
this way he got in personal touch
Nth his customers, saw to 1t that
Everything was satisfactory, and saw
10 1t that they were pleased GUS
Iomers when they left his store. He
paid other people to take care of his
lrcounting, and he had only to spend
Z few minutes each day from meet
ING these people to look over his
rcounts.
Make District Alive.
The average visitor to a small
own judges it from the business dis
aict, Mr.. Kurtz said, and he urged
the merchants do something to
make the town seem alive. Cut
iown the mortality rate and devise
aew policies, he said.
The merchant should be aligned
On the side of education, Mr.. Kurtz
aid, since the demand for service
uses with the curve of literacy. rhe
hardest form Of competition to COM
at is that which uses unfair
Methods. Make your store known
trough the news element in your
he suggested.
Mr.. Kurtz suggested the improve
nlent Of store fronts to make a bet
ff impression. He suggested how
easy it is to make a little mistake in
ourtesy which may give a town or
: store a bad name, and he sug-