The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-26
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Many changes have taken place
since our country has gone into the
great world war and many more will
| take place before the war is over.
Emergency war legislation has
brought about changes in business
methods, that most of US thought inn
possible for many years to come.
History is being made in DAYS In
stead of years, every day we expect
something new in the way OF gov
eminent control. Thinking men
throughout the country are making
every effort to do away with waste
Of money, materials and energy in
workshops, mines and homes, people
are thinking and talking of changes
everywhere and conditions will never
be just the same as they were be-
fore.
While our government will no
doubt take care Of the country at
large in this great reorganization of
business every locality has its own
problems which must be solved by
consider carefully, the future welfare
Of our community when we plan to
solve our own local problems.
We must bear in mind that there
are many selfish people who are ever
ready to take any advantage to
profit by Just such conditions as
exist in the northwest at this time.
We refer particularly to the mail
order houses. which are, at this time
doing everything in their power to
get control Of the business in the
northwest.
The Way To Meet IL.
5 Next to the war the mail order
question is the biggest problem that
confronts the people of the north
west at this time. This question
must be solved, not by raving about
the mail order evil, nor by saying
their goods are inferior, nor by the
thousand and one other arguments
that are always used and never set
tied.
This question must be solved by
the same calm elaboration that we
apply to any other important bust
ness problem. Is the mail order
house a benefit or a menace TO us
individually or. collectively? Mail
order buying has advantages as well
as disadvantages what are they?
That mail order buying has
is a foregone conclusion;
thousands OF people are convinced of
this or they would not continue to
patroniEe the mail order houses. The
main advantages as set forth by the
big catalog houses themselves are as
follows: First, lower prices. Second, |
a greater variety to select from. |
Third, no old out of date, shelf worn |
goods. Fourth, your money back IL |
not satisfied. |
The Claims Analysed.
The first claim is partly true, they |
can and do undersell the local mer- |
chants in some lines. in others the |
quality is as much lower as the |
price, especially in shoes. clothing, |
machinery and furni-
ture.
The second claim is true, no store |
in the country can have on display |
all the goods listed in the big |
catalogs; nor do the biggest mail |
order houses carry them in stock. /
You will note that they ship many /
articles from the factories, located |
In different parts Of the country, |.
direct to you.
Their third claim of having no
true as 1t Is necessarily controlled |
II the demand for the goods does not
come up to the expectations of the
buyer, the goods remain on the shelf.
Just as they would in any other /
store.
The fourth claim that they refund
money if the purchaser is not salts
fed. is true, but by no means ex-
elusive. Most local merchants allow
their customers to take home sew
eral articles on approval and many