Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-10-21
BUSINESS SENSE
Western Paper Asks That The Public
BE Fair.

In recent ISSUE OF the IoSl intei-
ligencer of Seattle, Wash, there APP
peared an interesting and sensible
editorial under the heading, Inter
esting Reading" in which the editor
said
"Some Of the most interesting
reading for the average person in the
coming year will be in the advertis-
ing columns Of the newspapers, for
i'm this literature will be related the
decline and fall of prices. Az least
this reversal appears 10 be on the
way. The midsummer recession in
business may not be more marked
than is usual at this season of the
year, but il is clear that the public
attitude is that of anticipation of
distinct reduction in prices, and this
assumption is encouraged by lower
ing Of charges for some classes of
merchandise and for services.
THE public fancies that the mer-
chant has welcomed the swift and
extreme rise in prices, and has mis-
Judged the amount of profit which
retail dealers have made during the
war period and since. But the fact is
that the experience has not been
pleasant for those who are in bust
ness with the expectation of continu-
ing, for it has been time Of dis
organization, of uncertainty, of ex-
asperating delays in the delivery of
stock, of arrogance on the part of
many manufacturers, of purchasing
power by customers so far beyond
that of normal times that demands
for stock could not be anticipated,
and with far different assortment
upon the shelves than constituted the
range before the war. What will
come out of the process of gravita-
tion which has begun cannot be fig
ured out by the merchant. He can
only watch and wait, alert to shape
his course as conditions develop; he
cannot forsee the basis upon which
affairs will settle; he can only ven
ture a guess whether it will be on
silk or calico.
"The public, getting its view of the
mercantile business i'm show windows
or in walking along counters, sees
nothing of the complexity Of opera
tions. and only the expert accurately
discerns the many factors that are
involved. Business today is a high
~ elaborated affair; competition inn
posese conditions that burden an en-
terprise with slow assets or with
definite losses; the paper profits of
this month may be wiped out and re-
placed by a deficit month hence;
the whim of portion of the people
may bring an insistent but transient
demand for Improbable goods but
mand He must keep stocked with
everything that may be called for
carry dead weight with his active
lines, watch every turn of the mar
ket. every change in local conditions,
contend necessarily with competitors
in courtesy, and be circumspect in
all Of his activities TO avert disfavor
Few have these things in mind
when they indiscriminately denounce
the 'profiteer' Few recognize the
fact that stock bought cheaply and
sold at high prices must be replaced
with stock bought at high prices
which may have to be sold at loss.
The voracious item Of overhead abb
serbs big portion of the receipts
from sales and is but slightly altered
whether business is dull or brisk
Charity that begins at home hastens
down town and makes the round of
the stores, and the merchant is less
free moral agent when he has to
face a request for a donation. If the
public could spend day or two be-
hind the counters it would revise its
opinion Of the degree to which the
men of business are profiting by the
after-war disorganization. Few would
envy those who must steer course
back toward normal basis.
$50, when readers Of advertising
announcements scan the columns and
Find pleasure i'm the evidence of de-
cline in prices, they should see some
thing Of what lies back Of these bids
for patronage and realize that it is
for the best interests Of all that the
process Of gravitation be gradual
The business OF merchandising is as
inseparably related to other factors
of prosperity in a community as are
wages and conditions Of employment
The injury Of one affects all.