Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-04-11
BUSINESSMEN ARE
AGAINST CONTESTS
Portland Papers Scheme Con-
demned---Character of
Credit Suggested


The Salem Business Mems league at
their monthly meeting held last evening
went on record very positively ON two
propositions. One was that the league
most heartily endorsed the action Of the
Patriotic league Of the city in its en-
leavors to raise funds and the other
was that its members as u body as well
as individually were opposed to being
solicited in any newspaper subscription
contest wherein the merchants are to be
asked to subscribe for a Portland paper.
| Amy person who attempts to hold up
! any merchant for subscription to the
| Portland paper in this automobile Civ
/ ing away contest will be asked to see
I the secretary of the league and get a
card. The league most positively frowns
down on subscription contests of all
kinds, whether put on by a Portland or
Salem paper, and incidentally the Cap
ital Journal was commended for stand
ing against such contests.
| The trading stamps bugaboo came in
| for its share of discussion aud the eff
forts that had been made to defeat any
| legislation whereby the big companies
dealing in trading stamps could come
into the state. The sum of $50 was
voted by the league to pay part Of the
expenses incurred in this work during
the sessions of the late legislature.
Editor Duncan Talks.
Robert G. Duncan, managing editor
Of the Oregon Merchants Magazine and
secretary of the Portland Grocers asso-
citation, made talk on "0rganza-
ton" The burden Of his song was that
the local grocers or the business men of
any city could not go through the
world without being organized and he
had the figures to show what well or
ganized business could accomplish. As
la shining example, he referred to the
| big mail order houses which had things
so well organized that now almost every
farmer had mail order catalog occupy
ing the main place on the center table.
AS a means of fighting the big mail
order houses, he suggested that a mer-
chant should have in his store goods
from the mail order houses and his
own goods displayed together as an OBJ
| ject lesson as to whether he could not
sell as cheap, taking into consideration
| transportation charges
Concerning Credits.
| III HlSCuSSlHB circuit RATINGS, hF. DuH-
can thought that not only those who
were of doubtful pay should be rated
but even those who are regarded as
good for anything they want He
thought man might possibly be rated
as all right for his grocery bill but not
rated quite so prompt pay FOR millinery
and drygoods and that every merchant
was entitled to know of both ratings.
| ANYHOW, Mr.. Duncan claimed the two
great enemies to the retail merchant
were the mail order houses and those
1 who forget to pay for merchandise and
4 that if the retail men of Salem or any
other city were to fight these two evils,
. it could not be done by individual eff
I forts but by close organization.
! To arrange for an interesting pro-
gram at the next monthly meeting a
committee Of nine viii be appointed by
1 Fred W. Steusloff, director Of the Bust
mess Men s league. Five Of the com
lmittee were appointed last night, w D.
/ Evans, +. T. Barnes, o. J. Wilson, l..
Westacott and William Foster. The
other four viii be appointed within a
few days.
I The business men who are members
Of this department turned out TO the
number Of about 35 last evening and
I the general discussions rather indicated
that the members Of this department
are interested in the problems before
them, and know what they want.