Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-04-18
BAD PRACTICE.
w. A. WALKER, JR.,
Secretary.

There is a practice in vogue in and
about Milwaukee that / think is re-
fiecting discredit upon the patriotism
of the city and its industries and caus-
ing unfavorable comment, generally.
The practice complained of is of men
in uniform soliciting orders on vari-
Gus kinds of articles, mostly without
any merit of value. In other words
they are commercializing the interest
and regard of the public in the uni
form. This solicitation is most gen.
orally practiced by door to door sell
ing methods, consequently bringing
these men in contact with the women
of the household.
You undoubtedly realize that the
average woman is not in position to
successfully combat such solicitation,
although she may feel that the article
offered is not meritorious or worth the
price asked; and in other cases where
an initial investment is made for
articles that are to be delivered later
she is naturally apprehensive as re-
CARDS the dependabiIity of the deliv-
cry. In other words, the greatest per-
Fcentage of this solicitation that is be-
ing made has its principal force in the
fact that the solicitor depends upon
the average purchaser not desiring to
turn down a man in uniform.
have no doubt that an investiga-
ton will prove that lot of manufac-
turers of merchandise of the usual
variety MADE for door to door ped-
ding are concentrating this con
oiltion and the service of these men.
There are many cases where the man
in uniform himself presumes to take
liberties of craftsmanship that he
would not dare to take were he in
civilian clothes.
Further investigation will prove
that the merchandise offered general
ly consists of soaps, perfumes, spices,
books, magazines, etc., and under ordi-
nary conditions would not be favor
ably considered by the public. This
is rejecting upon the Industrious sol
diers who have been and are anxious
to obtain employment in the regular
channels of industry, insofar as it
gives the public the idea that a big
percentage of returned service men
prefer to adopt this method of solicit
ing a livelihood, rather than enter a
standardized channel.
In any number of cases you will find
that 80 per cent of these sales that
are made are made because of a condi-
ton of embarrassment on the part of
the purchaser.
Now / don't want to give the i'm
preston that all soldiers doing this
class of work are not square, clean
and sincere, nor that all merchandise
offered is not likewise worthwhile;
but | do say that this method has
brought about a condition wherein bad
merchandising and craftsmanship are
being practiced upon the public of
this community and l feel that before
this practice is carried on any further,
which is discreditable from any angle
you look at it, that there should be
some procedure taken wherein the
public will be advised that solicitation
of this kind should carry with it some
further endorsement of the merits of
the goods and the character of the
man selling same, irrespective of
whether he is in uniform or not, that
is more substantial and dependable as
reference than a peddler's license
and that permits of this nature should
not be issued to men in uniform until
they can prove to the authoritative
source beyond any question that the
merchandise is of real merit, that the
prices they are asking are right and
last, but not least, that. the man him
self has a first class service record
and has conscientiously made an eff
fort to obtain employment at his for
mer vocation.
l have no doubt that you viii find