The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-01-22

ten or twelve years and tell them
you would like them TO take some
space in the paper. Have them pay
for it,"
We got out the 14-page advertise
ment. 1t made a wonderful hit,
brought a great deal of business. and
established US more firmly In the eyes
Of the
Fights Mail Order Houses.
have been doing a great deal of
work with the jobbers, manufacturers
and retailers. About one-third of the
business of North Dakota WAS going
TO mail-order houses. | sent out q
man, Doctor Carr. TO investigate. |
hired him because he is running a
magazine advocating TRADE at
Home" When we found mail-order
houses doing business at home, we
became interested in mail-order bust
ness In North Dakota. Seventy-two
solid carloads of catalogues from mail
order house were delivered In North
Dakota at that time. | hired two
men and sent them out over the state.
They interviewed merchants. | had q
little sheet for them to fll out, asking
about advertising. Well, l found that
10 per cent of them didn't believe In
advertising. Then | knew at once
what was the trouble TO a great Ell
tent. / estimated that over a million
dollars was being spent In that state
by mail-order houses. I found that
4T5.00O,00O were being spent In the
United States by the mail-Order
houses. and that a million vent to the
state of North Dakota. To those con-
sumers every single day came cata-
logues or pamphlets of some kind. and
the retailers Of that state absolutely
not making an appeal to the consumer
for their business. / went to the job
bers and manufacturers. They didn't
know what was going on. 1t never
entered their heads that they were
losing Is per cent of the business 10
that state. / told them: "You ought
to realize that retailers are your
agents and when they are gone you
won't have anyone to distribute your
merchandise"
/ have been In Chicago in Mar
shall Fields, and Carson Pirie Scott's.
They have been interested along
that line. I said to these jobbers: ."
want you to do something for the
retail merchant along these lines.
/ found in talking to these men
they do not understand advertis-
ing and do not believe In It. / am
satisfied that IS per cent of the
business people in the United States,
the larger cities, do not be-
lieve In 1t, do not use it. and do not
the wonderful opportunities
they are losing. l started to- educate
them, t. interest them in this work.
so that when the merchant wants adj
vertisfng for his paper or his letters
Or circulars or pamhlets, he@will go
to any of the houses and they will help
him. They have become interested in
Il. Also the question of price has
up. To this day a great many
people figure that the retail merchant
compete with mail order
louses." | laid 1t before these men
You must furnish the retailer mer-
,handise al such a price he a meet :
nail order competition. He is your ,
lgent. Are you going to let them clean
linn up or keep In business yourself?" :
They promised they would furnish
merchandise that would meet all mail
rider competition. I tell the retailer !,
f the wholesale houses don't give :
hem a price that will meet mail order :
competition, let me know about it; =
nd In two years / have not had a =
instance where the jobber or '
manufacturer has refused to meet
nail order competition. I got away I
nth the price. I put backbone into =
he merchants. Il
Then | started on the advertising c
anne. / talked to travelling men and q
OF their houses to go out and sell Il
~,erchants not only merchandise but p
dvertising. n
Solving Peddier Problem.
L found the peddlers were selling an
IMMENSE amount Of groceries over e
Torth Dakota, and / went to the o.
'holesale grocers and said: II want 4
, get out an advertisement myself, lo
grocery ad. just as attractive rs &c
,ese mail order people send OUT"
hey got up an advertisement They ni
ent this out to their trade. We used NJ
lis advertisement and, believe me. we "
I'D some merchandise. And they B
fought that a good idea. They went -
and sold over 1900 Of their Gus I'll
,mers that idea and I think eventual he
we are going to get out of It won sh
srful results. We
/ found hat IS per cent Of the
flee In the state Of North Dakota
as being sold by peddlers and mail
der people. I know we did not have
e coffee business and began to inves- ",
gate why. I found we were selling de
,und packages and mail order houses Is
ere selling 25-pound packages for a q
W cents cheaper. These men told IN,
Q about 1t; suggested what we ought n
do. I bought coffee in larger pack
,es and started advertising; put q