The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-09-22
MERCHANTS TALK
CONSOLIDATION
One Man Opposes An
other Ridicules
Proposition
Continued from last Issue)

Continued from last Issue)
Mr.. Trego replied that they were
not parallel cases at all. He said the
telephone system and the newspaper
system We're entirely different from
ordinary merchandising, that while
some of the principles of consolida-
ton applied to all merchandising,
that not all of them did. He stated
that more of them applied to furnish
ing light and power, but not so COM
pletely as to the telephone system
and the news service. For example,
1t costs 5 cents minute to keep
linotype operating, and to have three
linotypes in the town, working at the
same time, setting exactly the same
news, was an absolute waste of 10
cents minute, which the public
had to pay for. The operation of the
linotype avs only one small item
among thirty-nine on which savings
of duplication and waste could be
effected. Besides that, the CONSOLE
dation proposes delivering a better
service at practically half the cost
Mr.. Trego asked Mr.. Biethan If he
would be willing to consolidate the
furniture stores and then have the
consolidation enter into contracts
agreeing to deliver furniture to peo-
pie, for the next fifteen months, at
half the prices they are now charging
and at half the prices they would
have to charge, if they operate the
three furniture stores separately. He
stated further that the consolidation
does not contemplate selling people
something they do not want, or ex-
pect to use anyway, in the same
period of time. The proposed adver-
Using contracts asked for by the con-
solidation, merely contemplated the
delivery of certain amount of ad-
vertising at certain dates of the fu-
ture, at which times the merchants
would want that much advertising
anyway. Besides reaching more peo-
pie thru the consolidated paper and
reaching them at lower cost to the
advertiser, they could get the service
on any week day morning in the
fifteen months that they indicated
they wanted delivery, and that Is
something that cannot be done now.
There are only certain days in the
week when person can get any ad-
vertising matter to the public.
H. d. MacCosham Of the Rowles-
Mack company, stated that he had
given the matter considerable study
and their firm had endorsed it and
decided to take an advertising con-
tract to help make 1t possible to
bring about the consolidation.
Mr.. Thatcher of the Mutual Cream
cry company, also spoke in its be-
half. A good many firms have al
ready endorsed the plan and turned
in advertising contracts, covering the
year and a quarter of its experiment
tai period.
Mr.. Trego stated that he had esti-
mated that it would take $1,000 Of
additional investments to put the
consolidation equipment in condition
but in the consolidation they would
also have considerable equipment to
SELL He said 1t would be necessary
to buy new perfecting press at a
cost of about $4,000, and it would
take something like twelve months
to get it. built and delivered They
would not place an order for such "a
press unless they were secured
against competition for period
Of at least year and
quarter. Up to the time the
new press arrived it would be nee
esary to use two cylinder presses and
The folding machine to secure the
-ame results in quick time. Plans
for the new building were completed,
and he passed the designs around
for examination. The building he
said could be completed in a few
weeks from the time the papers were
signed for the consolidation.