The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1920-04-29
interesting Results Might Be OBJ
tanned by Making Certain
Requests.
LOCAL MERCHANTS HELPFUL
Do All the Things for the People OF
Their Community That the
Catalogue Concerns Will
Not Do.

portion-the exact figures do not mat
ter-of the business Of the world is
done on credit. If this was not true
there wouldn't be much business done
for no currencs system could be de
yised that would furnish enough money /
TO meet the needs OF commerce If ev-
cry article sold had to be paid for In |
actual cash. The amount OF money IN /
circulation I'm the United States Is only /
S47 per capita and this would not go |
very far If everyone had 10 keep |
enough cash on hand TO pay for ali
that he might buy.
The greatest of financlers need cred
IT, They keep their resources employ
ed and at times are in need OF READY
cash. The same thing is true at times
of men of smaller means. The credit
system, as Il is used sometimes, espe-
cinlly in the smaller communities, Is
abused and works a serious hardship
upon the business men OF the town.
Some merchants, TO avoid the loss thar
results from such abuse OF the system
or possibly TO enable them 10 sell
goods at lower price than their COM
petitors. operate strictlypn cash ba-
sis, but the great majority OF mer-
chants in every community give those
customers who are responsible ana
honest the privilege OF charge ac-
count and the chances are that some
sort of a credit system, properly safe
guarded. will always continue to be
feature of legitimate trade.
Ask Catalogue House for Credit.
You who have a reputation In your
community for being at least fairly re-
sponsble and upright know that when
you desire II or need II you can obtain
credit from st Least some of the mer-
chants in your town. But some ILL.,
when you are in need of some article
Of merchandise and are little short
Of ready money, order what you want
from a mail order house in Chicago or
some other city and ask them 10 please
charge Il till the first of the month.
The experiment will be interesting. at
least. and the answer that you receive
may cause you 10 give a little thought
TO the difference between trading with
the mail order house In some far-on
city and buying from the merchants In
your own home town.
Some mail order concerns are now
operating a so-called credit system, but
II is not credit system such as Is
maintained by most retail merchants
These mail order houses will sell GER
tain merchandise on the installment
plan. but they not only demand an
initial cash payment. but require the
purchaser to sign a contract which
operates as a mortgage not only on the
merchandise purchased, but upon any
other property that the customer may
possess. There is nothing in this
system that bears any similarity TO the
open credit system that is used by
the majority OF retail merchants.
I There are some other requests you
might make Of the mail order man
when the occasion arises and the re-
/ sponses might be equally interesting.
/ For instance, you. Mrs. Farmer. who
bought that box of groceries from the
catalogue house, last month. might
write the manager and ask him 10 buy
your butter and eggs. OF course, II
would be considerable more trouble TO
mack them for shipment TO the city
than IL Is to take them in 20 your To-
I cal grocer. who is always ready 10
pay you the market price for them, but
then maybe the mail order man would
pay you enough more than the market
price to pay you for the extra trouble
And then again. maybe he wouldn't
And. then. there Is that moving
machine that you. Mr.. Farmer. have
been figuring on trading in for a new
machine. Suppose you write 20 the
mail order man from whom you bought
that wire fencing and ask him what
he will allow you for your old machine
on a trade for a new one. or course
the local hardware dealer in the town
where you find a market for your farm
products will allow you a fair price
for your old machine. but what's the
use Of asking him 20 do II. The mail
order man surely VIII be glad to Dc
that much for you, viii he noti Yes
he viii not.
List Is Encle0-
There are a good many things tbs
mail order man win not do for you
The list would be too long 70 crowd
into one issue Of a newspaper. Hs
viii not give you credit, however
much you may need H. Es win not
buy tha farmers produce. He viii not
Pay a ooilar OF taxes 70 help suppor'
your schools or build your roads. H'
viii not contribute q cent 70 the rup
port Of your churches or your charita
lie institutions. He viii not lend yos
helping hand IN tins Of trouble
The local merchants IN a community
win DO everything for the people II
that community that the mail ordel
man win .ot DO for them. This fhc
should make It easy for the people O
The community 10 decide which II Il