Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-28
MERCHANTS ARE
INSTRUCTION.
new METHODS
F. P. Mann Last Night Gave
Interesting Address to
Business Men. /.

Probably one Of the most interest
ing talks ever listened to by the Mer-
chants association Of this city, was
that heard last night at the CONNER
Lake spoke to 1875 merchants OF
Grand Forks. and a few from the sur
rounding towns.
When taking as his subject 'Nod-
ern Merchandising from the View
point of the President Of the North
Dakota Retail Merchants Associa-
tion,'' Mr.. Mann chose a subject with
which he was thoroughly familiar and
one that the merchants. of Grand
the proprietor of the Mann depart
ment store of Devils Lake and he gave
the gathering last night the benefit of
his experiences.
In the course of his address Mr..
Mann spoke with emphasis of the
! harm the mail order houses were do
ing in this state through the farmers,
by their buying from these houses.
He said:
Last year thirty-two carloads OF
mail order house catalogues were re-
ceived in Fargo, twenty came into
Bismarck and seven into Minot with
two carloads of shoe catalogues into
Jamestown. And why is this? Because
80 per cen of the merchants of North
DonOlA wv " OOIASFO AL 0OtS1 4S11lS
The advertising done by the mail or
der houses is tremendous and their
success comes directly from these
same catalogues hat people are
receiving. Why not advertise as they
do? Every time the farmer buys out
of his town he is hurting his own in.
terests. When his town goes down, he
is the one that suffers. and still the
mail order house gets the business
Warning Words.
While in Boston Mr.. Mann secured
an interview with the president of the
/ Chamber Of Commerce and when he
put the question to him, whether OF
not the mail order houses would be
allowed to carry on their business as
they were. he was told that If he were
trying to get legislation against the
mail order houses there was nothing
doing as they were the most efficient
houses and the retail and wholesale
houses throughout h country were
most inefficient, and if the merchants
did not get busy they would feel the
will be a national movement to help
educate the smaller town merchants
in the smaller towns, to conduct his
business on the right basis and the
credit system will be abolished. Mr.
Mann is a non-believer in the credit
business saying that the mail order
houses a lay their success to theil
cash system.
Business men Of North Dakota are
to blame for the condition of Their
business at the present time. They
give credit and do not advertise
enough" said Mr.. Mann. The object
of Mr.. Mann's address was to open 8
campaign in this city for the purpose
of educating the people as well as the
merchants as to, the best way to carry
on their business. and to eliminate the
business of the mail order house ir
this locality. He illustrated the work
that is being done by the members Of
the campaign committee and explain:
just how it would be conducted. One
hundred towns of North Dakota are
being visited and out of hat number
at least seVenty-ive are expected tt
system of advertising will be shown
them and they are to carry it on. HI
insists hat no business can be done
without the continual advertising
both through the local papers ant
through the mails, such as attractive
pamphlets being sent out to the Gus
toners telling them Of the new stool
just arrived, giving prices, etc. Mr.
Mann say that through one four-pag,
ad his store ran in the local paper
the store did a $4,000 business on tn,
Saturday following the ad.
That Mr.. Mann made an impression
on the gathering is not to be doubted
as after the talk which lasted abou
confronted him with their individual
questions and troubles, which MI
Mann answered and explained to thei
satisfaction. @