The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1918-08-10
MERCHANDISE
DELIVERIES.
An Effort Made to Systema-
tie the Haphazard Plan
Now Existing.
Cooperation and Economies
Sought.

Mr.. Luke Bertrand advises Us
that his effort to get the mer
chants to cooperate in outlining a
policy for delivery of purchases to
homes by retail dealers, was no,
the success he had hoped for
This question originated with the
National Council Of Defense, and
it's one great object was to reduce
the cost of handling the retail
business. If the merchant is run
ming delivery system and he
does not keep q check on it's cost,
it is liable to run him out of bust
ness. And yet if the merchant
goes blindly at the business and
includes in his expenses an esti
mate of the cost of delivery, and
he carries that estimate at too
great cost, he will inevitably
lose his patrons. There is a hap
py medium-one that the traffic
will bear without complaint. TO
get clear understanding of this
there should be spirit of coop
GRAFTON in which the experiences
of the individual retailer can be
made available for the benefit of
all BY becoming a basis of a cost
system for deliveries This contem
plates also the taking into the cal
culation the number of trips that
should be made daily. Whether
1t Is one or ten, there should be q
mutual understanding to avoid
useless or needless expense which
Is sure to follow where a horse
and wagon are employed to effect
such deliveries upon the cOnclu
sion Of each individual purchase,
large or small. There must be
system, or competition cannot
long exist. There must be intelli
gent compe ;ition, or the customer
must pay more for his goods.
Mr.. Bertrand says he is not a,
all discouraged with his first eff
fort and he believes IN making an
other trial. He has tried the
merchant with Indifferent results,
Notwithstanding constantly soar
ing prices and expenses, aud the
fact that every profit is carried on
the shoulder of a big question
mark.
This second effort will bel
made to interest the ladies
of the tOwn-the wives and
hOusekeepers. he feels sur+
that their patriotism is above par
and that their ideas Of practical
economy will win the day. H.
suggests for their consideration
the idea Of making up the hom+
orders for groceries once q day,
and no longer encourage the innu
merable small orders. Should an
need manifest itself
after the placing of the general
order, send q messenger to the
Store to fetch the articles wanted
This would prove more economical
in the end and woald help to keep
the expenses Of doing business
down, and this condition would
enable closer selling prices by the
retailer. With this end in view,
and the patriotic purpose of en-
deavoring to fully Garry out the
suggestions of the Council of DE
fense-both the National and the
local OrganizatiOns-another meet
ing will be called for an early
date, when the lady bone builders
Of the city will be invited to take
an active, a leading,-even to
directing part. Discuss the mat
ter with your neighbors with the
view of achieving u practicable %
derstandlng and = working plan
adaptable to the necessities of ali
one that even the merchant
must respect by yielding an obedi
eDce to its mandates The Council
of Defense has q plan, and If the
wives and directors of the homes
have not q better to offer, il
should at once be adopted and put
iUto operation for the sake of econ
omy. The ladies should insist o..
this. II they will, the merchants
will fall readily into line.
If the proper economies are en-
forced, 80 that to effect every pos
slble saving, this town will be en
titled to q place on the "Honor
Roll" of the Council Of Defense.
II the ladies will only determine
that this shall be done there will
be no uncertainty about the result