The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-11
(RN q. e. Rahrnna.l

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The high school students who ar
on this years debating terms il
the inter high school and debate thu
subject: Resolved that in Nortl
Dakota the Patronage Of Mail Ordel
Houses is Detrimental to the Bes
interests OF the State" have by IA
the most important subject evel
given to high school debating teams
The boys and girls who are on the
teams this year. are fortunate in
| deed, a. they will be given more as
GiEtancs and information on this
| important subject than was ever be.
fore given to debating teams. Bust
ness men, individually and collec-
lively, are gathering all the argu-
msnts they can for the affirmative
side and the mail order houses are
sending ready made speeches, pre-
pared By experts, TO the negative
side.
Let us hope that the alternatives
| will be supplied with some real con-
structivs arguments. Thus far, ii
seems that the only constructive
argument furnished the debaters
are those sent out by the mail order
houses. Calling an opponent names
WAL not win a debate any more than
calling a competitor names will
] build up q business. II calling
names could settle this question, the
mail order houses would have been
out OF business years ago.
We admit that there are two
sides to a question when we under
take to debate 1t and business men
should not take offence at the mail
order houses for sending arguments
for the use of the negative side;
better do likewise for the affirma-
live.
Affirmative Has Better OF IL.
The subject, Resolved that in
North Dakota the Patronage Of Mail
Order Houses Is Detrimental to the
Best Interest OF the State" offers
little opportunity for the negative
to win. as there is very little argu-
ment in favor Of sending business
away from a community one wishes
to benefit; and yet the negative
side won the first debate Of the
series. This was because the az
firmative lacked constructive argu-
ment, when the very nature of<their
contention is constructive.
The mail order houses realize that
the negative side has little chance OF
winning, and in preparing their
arguments they make no effort to
show that they can or do benefit
North Dakota. Their appeal is en-
tirely to the individual consumer,
intimating, however, that in benefit
ing q. large number Of individuals,
they benefit the state.
The mail order houses claim that
they serve a large number Of peo-
pie better than the small retailer
can, because they sell goods at lower
prices, because they ofreT. q much
greater variety of goods to select
from, because they sell only new, up
to date goods. while the retailers
goods are often shelf worn and out
OF date, and because they cheerful
ly refund the purchasers money If
the goods are not entirely sattsfac-
tory.
The mail order houses also claim
that they have helped the retail
merchants themselves. In sending
out millions Of catalogs they have
educated the farmers and people Ivy
ing in small towns to consider many
things necessities which, few years
ago were. looked upon as luxuries
and that the retail merchant had an
opportunity to supply this new de-
n1and. Furthermore, the mail order
houses have forced the manufactur-
erN to sell their goods at moderate
prices, thus putting them in reach
Of everybody.
The Answer To IL.
We, on the other hand claim that
the mail order business greatly low
ers our land values and credit; u
increases our taxes, our interest
rate, our freight rate end the genef-
eli cost Of doing business in North