The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-10-29
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2s, 1918.
THE COST MARK.

ton of country amongst the peo-
ple of another section. 1t is defen-
sible as a legitimate business only
so long as it proves itself the most
economical way of making this dis
tribution. When the people who wish
to buy in small quantities may Sc
cure what they want without trou-
BILE and unnecessary delays by a
cheaper route, then merchandising
is no longer defensible.
Therefore, we are of the opinion
that the proposed law to have all
goods marked in plain figures, both
with the cost and selling mark,
should become of force. 1t has been
tried during the present season in
the retail coal business, and is prov
ing a success in every way. The
government has fixed the margin at
which coal is to be sold at retail,
and a man who purchases knows
that he is is paying a margin of two
dollars per ton for coal when it is
delivered by the retail coal mer-
chant. This two dollars of course
must cover all losses incurred in
weights, the labor of unloading and
the expense of weighing and haul
ing, and the cost of bookkeeping
and collecting.
We see no reason why the same
plan might not be adopted with re-
gard to groceries, dry goods and
furniture. The fact that the prices
now charged by some merchants
above the cost price is so heavy
that a knowledge of it might lead to
a lynching does not prove that the
law should not be adopted. The
people would not object to reason
able profit. They would learn that
in order to obtain goods at retail, it
would be necessary for the mer-
chant to buy at wholesale, and 60 to
the expense of handling the goods,
for which he is to be repaid, and
that interest on the money invested,
clerk hire, losses land many other
items of cost to the buyer would be
taken into consideration, as we'll as
the fact that the merchant must
himself live. But they would be en-
abled to say when the profits charg-
ed are so enormous to be unendur-
able.
The result would be that the dis
tribution of the products of one
section by the people of that section,
and the purchase of these products
by the people of another section
would be a matter of concern to
both these peoples, and knowing the
facts the people would begin to
study methods of cutting down the
cost and expenses of such disposal
on the one hand, and acquisition of
such products on the other hand, so
that in little while we would find
commission merchants, or selling
agents or buyers associations hand
ling all these goods, and disposing
OF them through certain agencies,
which would put them in the hands
Of the people who desire to buy at
the least possible expense.
The fruit business in the South is
an example of what can be done
when people begin to study their
own problems. A great many people
in this section started to raising
peaches for the markets some few
years ago. When the fruit was
ready to sell they were forced to
dispose of it to the wholesale mer-
chants at a nominal price, or lose
the fruit. This happened for a.
year or two when the fruit growers
decided to take hold of the matter
themselves. The result was that a
manager of the business was en-
ployed, and arrangements were