The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1918-01-12
GOLDEN RULE HAS
PLACE IN TRADE
Has Been Found to Be Good
Business Policy Both for
Buyer and Seller.
OBLIGATION NOT ONE sided
Consumer Gains Az Much BY Being
Fair With Merchant As Latter
Does BY Being Square
and Honest.
fCopyright.l

anu FNoUSbt.
(Copyright)
Some cynical persons have remarked
that the Golden Rule has no place III
business. They have taken the posi-
ton that instead of doing unto others
as YOU would have them do unto you,
the only safe and sane plan is to do
others before they have chance to
do you.
Fortunately for business and for the
world at large. however. these persons
are few and far between. The great
majority of people are honest.
1t has been proven repeatedly that
even In business 1t pays to practice the
Golden Rule just as II has been PROV
en- repeatedly that honesty Is the best
policy" II not only makes man feel
better down in his heart when he EN-
ploys the principle of the Golden Rule.
hut he finds that It Is good business.
This applies not only to the man who
stands behind the counter and gives
full pound of sugar to the man who
asks for Il pound, but also to the man
who stands on the other side of the
counter and pays his money for the
pound Of sugar.
Does Consumer DO His Part9
The consumer expects the merchant
TO be honest and square and give him
his moneys worth for every penny that
he spends with him, but how often
does the consumer stop and ask him.
self the question, "Am ] being as fair
and honest with the merchant ns he IL
being with me?' The consumer not
only expects the merchant to give MN
honest weight and full measure ut the
lowest possible price. but he expects II
world of other things at the same
time, Nine times out Of ten he expects
the merchant to give him credit, ana
nine times out of ten the merchant
does It. Many times he expects the
merchant to "carry" him for three or
fo,E months before he pays for what
he buys. and as many times the mer-
chant does 1t. He expects the mer-
chant to pay for advertising space In
the church program which he Is get
ting up. and the merchant does 1t. He
expects the merchant to kick In
most literally when he Is raising a
fund for the benefit of the town band.
and the merchant does 1t.
He expects the merchant to provide
the bonus which Is to be paid to OBJ
tain a new factory which Will benefit
the working man, the clerk and every
body else In the town, and the mer-
chant does It. He expects the mer-
chant to "come across" With dona.
ton to help the poor family which
| otherwise would become charge upon
the common funds of the community,
and the merchant does.
Another Side to Picture.
Now, look on the other side OF the
picture. Mr.. Consumer decides that
he needs a new suit of clothes. or
Mrs. Consumer decides that she wants
new kitchen range, or some Of the
little Consumers express n desire for
train Of cars or bobsled. Mr.. Con-
sumer picks up the big mail-order
catalogue which the mail-order house
has printed with his money or that of
others like him, and he looks 1t over
| until he finds picture that strikes his
eye. It's picture of d nifty" looking
suit of clothes. OF course, he can't
| feel the picture to see whether the
cloth IL as good as 1t looks; he can
look the mail-Order man In the eye and
| ask him whether he will guarantee IL
to wear for at least a month or six
weeks; he can't tell the mail-order man
that he will drop In the first of the
month and settle for 1t; he can't tell
the mall-order man that he would like
| to have q little of his business or a
! chance to DO little carpenter work
or painting or plumbing work for him,
as long as he Is buying his goods from
him, for the mail-order man hasn't any
business or any work to give him. But
the picture Is a pretty one, SO MIR. Con-
sumer digs out his hard-earned cash,
! goes down to the postofflce, buys a
! money-ortler and sends it to the mall
order man.
1 a. WEN VI tCn uuy Va poosipis
! two weeks, the suit arrives. 1t may
be nothing like the picture. The cloth
may be Of poor quality. The chances
are that 1t doesn't fit at all. But there
Is nothing for Mr.. Consumer to do
but put the suit on and wear 1t. He
can't get his money back. He might
send the suit back and the mail-order
man might send another In its place,
but the chances are that 1t wouldn't
be any better than the first and Mr..
Consumer would only be out the add
tional express charges.
Found Golden Rule Pays.
Mr.. Consumer found that 1t pays to
remember the Golden Rule In business.
If be had done unto the merchant as
! he would like the merchant to do unto
him, he would have got more for his
money and he would have aided In
making 1t possible for the merchant to
help him and his town when they
needed help.
Il ,ys.