New-York tribune., 1918-01-26
Back to the Grab-R.a
We Must Barter and Haggle if K,o,...
Merchandise Is Not Prot.c..a

SIR; Edmund Burke defined con,
common sense. but that was in o.. 20, a~ a.
past. Our laws of to-day apperta;n;.. 'ans
regulation OF so-called trusts or in inc
! ! ot 'faoe could not be go simnlv sains d.s
whether the laws in themselves Ns"hed
c'ous or so often misapplied matte. w pefa
IN their application they prove da.. 'ue Il
BRING the case of the A.torney s'ucslTe.
the United States apt CoIcato '"era ef
aoie d oozen business men OF some d.. o.
''o"s, instead OF court of law. and u. 4sa'
"ou'o not consume an hour TO preso,. esss
.a.e e.s, anu 70 reach decision. Here ;s se's'
s;.,e es.anilsonent which has been sa "ef
.ss oant '"n.leceiy an with the public f., '''s
century, Their methods, the Ate. .of over
eral now charges, are vioIo.;u ney Ger.
man antitrust law, in that thev d;.i Il, I've sher
as TO who can and who can not nrras inmate
products. nv purchase thei,
Any retail merchant, no ma...u
ing IN business ideals. posssss. "0w lack
enough to know that certain 49,. acunel
lines Of asked for" commodt;ss a"uarozed
carried In stock. These we'll sd,s ."us' be
pendable lines are sold at fixed ..s''eo' nr;a' de-
no chance for the retailer ~ ;p..es' with
profits: Yet to hold his pres.ioa ,,,''saSs s MS
offer them for sale. The profit ~ .t ne must
so limited that its elimination co,,,s oes' IS
De turned to better account bv soiI.S 01''ihes
or even less, relying on their n,,I,;.co a' Cost,
10 multiply the number Of custonaras po"e'
percentage of whom could be ;navao, i@fg'
cept something just as goodn or 49, ~ ac-
'nane Or II customers insisted on tho s.a',
aio'~eo commodity, the chance of MAXIM "g' ~,
u'.iol'ai Saies OF other articles is to mss.
retail merchants an allurng scheme "sHy
10
good faith, who has no idea Of suh..;.'s s."s ~
in mind, but delivers without com,nss. ss,'u'l0n
IS asked for, who serves the public in VIVA" "ns'
and out, soon finds that these s.and.ss.' S.ssSa
.lnes stay in his stock too long. The;r 80
merit initiates against their proft.hs.'a
Al uSeo as Dalt by one merchant and beld :,
stateo prices by another The makers ~.
'heir price, but sense of business moral.
prompts them to endeavor to see .heir 49,
ucts played fair with by stamping ont ~.
Werchant VINO uses their reputation n o;
an unfair advantage. To that end thev r;.,.
lully select their customers, refusing ~ a.
low their reputation to be used for h,s,."'
batting. To advertise cake or so.n =. =,
cents, claiming that it worth Is cents. doss,.
mean anything, but advertise a cake of "a
gates soap at a cut price and tho cror,
await their turn, SO fixed is the reeuls'
ton price IN the public's mind To allow tbo
practlce Is to encourage substitution and d;s
courage the Standardization of articles N
daily use, to nullify commercial ethics as nov
oioei S0ooo ana put business methods bacL on
par with the old horse swapping davs
ANY men who have coupled their hrsn
and energy with accumulated capital SNOW;
ing the years to make and market . hs,
ter commodity, maybe a perfected comnod.
lty, at reduced price, are crtitled to all II.
rewards that accrue. The one reward ,bst
most certainly should not be denied is +bo
rl2nt 10 conduct their business in such man.
her as years Of contact with it have proved
i"ane lor permanency and an equitable dis
trloutlon of their wares without financial II.
justice to any party concerned.
a business whose name is synonvmous with
dependable merchandise possesses tho mass.
ports that should entitle it to freely sock
corresponding success. Yet none can stand
Tor long the pestiferous attempts of the GOV
ernment to prosecute them, even when 3,
trial no case is proved The potentialities
OF namely, time, energy and capital
are all needed, and not to be exnended !,
defending a lawsuit. The natural forces
ever down pulling are enough. but to hsv
10 COMBAT governmental altagonisms will ta:
hasten the collapse. To penalze initls.re
faith, to encourage ty-by night concerns or.
ganlzed solely to feature this or that article
that promises an excessive profit is lust whs:
the legal department is doing in acting On
the asinne assumption that established suc-
cess is prejudicial to the public's Interests
10 hamper our standardized indu stries jsa
move back to the days OF the bazaar, when
to barter and hagge was the method when
one was sure Of nothing except that he was
stuck. Would we go back to the grab-bsg
plg-in-the- poke way of doing business when
the modern method Of one price 70 all for
merchandise Of known quality can be made
more general if encouraged methods SIM
pie and safe, that free the consumer from
uncertainty, that eliminate waste and reducs
lnconvenlences to a minimum?
Emerson in his ESSAY on Wealth" states
open the doors Of opportunity to talent and
virtue and they will not be in bad hands"
"ln a free and just commonwealth proper?
1ushes from the idle and imbecie TO the in.
dustrlous. brave and persevering"
CHARLES CLIFFORD TINCKLER.
Maplewood, N. j., JAN %, 1918.