Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-13
GROCERS HIT AT
CASHAND CARRY
PLAN OF TRADE
Committee Declares Business
Is Subjected to Unfair
Competition

some twenty BrOcerS In q statement
under the heading, THE Cash and
Carry Burlesque" made public last
night.
Contending that the cash and
carry propaganda" has caused old
reliable grocers to lose trade. which
goes instead to cash and carry
schemers," who, the grocers claim,
sell one article at cost and make up
on a number of others, the groccrs
claim that the cash and carry sys-
tenn has been misrepresented to the
advantage of grocers who use it un-
fairly in competition.
The grocers say in their state
ment that to adopt the cash and
carry plan universally here would
spell ruination to many of them, who
they say. are selling their wares at
a dangerously low profit" at the
| present time.
A closer cooperation between the
| grocers and manufacturers is Of
fered as n solution to the high cost
of living bugbear by the grocers, who
gave the information that in many
cases deliberately wrapped and ad-
vertised commodities purchased from
the grocers are not worth as much
as the wrapping and advertising
alone cost
The statement of the "Grocers'
Committee" follows:
"On account of a lack of actual
knowledge of the details of the prac-
teal side of the grocery business,
the facts regarding the cash and
carry plan have been so much dis
torted and misrepresented by the
press that the public is being de-
ceived. The policy of conducting
the so-called cash and carry stores
~ nfhinc
of the usual honorable business
methods as to approach fraud.
at is claimed that six to eight
cents can be saved on every dollars
worth of groceries if you carry your
own packages. This is not only not
true but is absurd and ridiculous
and is made for the purpose of de-
ception or made through ignorance
IF this statement were true il
would cost a grocer as much to de-
liver goods as it costs him for rent
light, heat, insurance, telephones
clerk hire, paper, twine, ETC., al
combined, and any paper making
such statements must presume thai
the people of this community are
like a nest of young robins with
their mouths open ready to swal,
low anything.
"The propaganda as conducted
tends to spread dissatisfaction
among consumers and to entice
them from the long established re-
liable grocers who have served then
honestly and fairly for years to the
cash and carry schemer, who sells
one article at cost and makes VI
, on another, a policy which many ar
upright man would not stoop to.
"Any sane person knows that IL
| for lna1
of bread and sells it for eight cents
he makes up on something else, ol
he could not stay in business any
longer than he could beat his cred
itors and get out of paying rent
unless perhaps he might like thu
Kaiser claim to be in partnership
with the Higher Power who can dt
miracles.
To Conserve Food
eff Mr.. Cash and Carry does no
make up on other articles for thos'
he sells at cost why don't he sell al
his goods at cost? A grocer whC
will practice deception will beat hil
customers when he has chance
When a grocer sells an article a
cost he loses money on it because
he does not get back his cost o.
doing business. An horIorable gro
Ger who prizes the confidence of hi
ratrons and expects to serve then
in the years to come will not resor
to that kind of flimflam.
"It is most, commendable, 1t Il
patriotic, it is our duty and oul
pleasure to conserve food even Il
the point of privation in order t.
feed we'll those who now lie in TIL,
trenches on foreign soil to protec
our comfort and safety at home, an(
no class of businessmen are doini
their bit more loyalty nor NOR,
cheerfully than the grocers-thost
same grocers who served you be
fore the advent of the cut price
schemers, most of whom send theil
profits away from Harrisburg .tC
maintain their estates in the fash
ionable suburb of some large city
where they live in luxury.
1T is honorable and legitimate fol
any grocer to fix a decent living
profit on every article he sells anC
he will not undertake to deceive hi!
customers by, offering them sensa
tional prices on a few articles useC
as bait to conceal the sharp poin
of a crooked hook he expects Il
catch them on. The legitimate gro
GERS of Harrisburg are doing bust
ness on dangerously small profits
now. Several grocers have failed
within the last year, five in ont
neighborhood, and others who coult
not live out of the profits of theil
stores have gone to work for wages
1T is not the object nor the de
sire of any grocer to oppose th'
Food Administrator nor to retarl
the progress of his most commend
able efforts to effect lower prices
but it is their desire to cooperate
II in every way and to give such ale
and advice as only a practical gro
Ger who has actual knowledge o.
the details of the business is able t'
give.
Not the Solution
HE knows that the solution o.
the problem does not lie in the casf
and carry plan, but he also know!
that much can be accomplished in
directly through the grocers by be-
ginning with the manufacturer. Fol
Instance, suppose the Heinz Com.
many. who carry a stock of theil
goods in Harrisburg adopt the cast
and carry plan and give reduced
prices to the grocers, who cart theil
own goods, then the grocers coulC
pass it along and give the beneh
to their customers without impair
ing their already too small profits
Why not Heinz sell all his pickle;
in bulk and save the cost of expen'
sive bottles, labels, etc, then the
consumer could get twice as many
pickles for the same money (for the
packages actually cost more thar
the pickles) and it would not rol
the grocer of his small profit. There
are many packages in a grocery
store, where the package and ad
yertising cost more than, the con.