The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-02-11

| who is always studying new plans and
putting them into operation.
| During the war we acquired the
habit of buying any kind of goods.
We will have to break away from that
habit, we must buy, pick. choose and
discriminate and closely study the
tastes and buying capacity of the
community from which We expect to
draw our trade.
During the war we arranged our
| delivery service on an economical
basis. Now l am sorry to say many
! of us are getting back to the old ex-
ltravagant system. You cannot add to
your general expense by catering to
| frequent calls for delivery. Guam
| tity of service is expense, and in the
long run will react to the disadvan
tage of the trade in general
"A great many men are out of en-
ployment, they have been receiving
big wages and spent it as soon as
earned. The first person to apply to
for help is the retailer. What are we
going to do about it?
Unfortunately, in ordinary times
all that is needed to get credit from
the average storekeeper, is self-confi-
dence, a ready flow of language, a
readiness to make any kind of a
promise the merchant requires. How
now?
THE banker asks, How much do
you want; how long a time; what
security? Usually all the grocer asks
is the privilege of delivering his prop
erty promptly in good conditions, at
a reasonable price, without security
of any kind or interest, with the only
hope that he will get his money some
time in the future. Is it any wonder
that we are the laughing stock of the
business profession? More dishonest
men are made by the indiscriminate
giving of credit than by any other
cause
'"The moral of this disquisition is,
that when for the sake OF convenience
or as a favor you give credit, you
should indelibly impress 1t on the
mind of the customer that there must
be a definite limit, and that there is
vast difference between time and
eternity. Business is now being done
in every department Of our CONNER
cial life on nearly a cash basis While
credit will always be the fundamen
tai basis of our commercial life yet it
wifi be along we'll defined lines and
closely GeSlTlCI6u leTHlS
There is an old saying, The way
to help yourself is to help humanity
There Is not a practical merchant in
the United States that does not recog- /
nize this important fact. The one !
fault with thousapds of retailers who i
have gone out of business at one time
or another was that they helped hu- !;
mainly and did not take the necessary !
RI baln them selves
THE opportunity for successful |
business was never greater than it is !
today. This is a day of service. Bet |
ter goods, cleaner stores, good pre-
scented more attractively, where quail |
ity is paramount, where an aggressive /
and intelligent policy prevails over
mere price comparison. a business
conducted along these lines will in
spire confidence and will have ultimate
success.
Nearly everything in the zone of /
business today hinges upon the sin
certify of the interest that the individ-
ual takes in the performance of his
duties. Safety, prosperity and the
ability to enjoy the fruits of an ear
nest effort are wrapped up in the de-
sire to serve in the manner that the
individual would be served. Such a
belief practiced makes one first
worthy of prosperity, then presents
him with it and protects him in it.
There are two things which we
can't monkey with, one is the multi
plication table, tn eother is the "Ten
Commandments" Every disaster that
has ever come to any person or or
ganization or any people has come
from an attempt TO change these great I
principles that underlie all our rela-
and are at the basis of all |
our development. We have to play
the game and we have 70 play it
straight. If we do that we will have
the ABILITY to meet any situation, and
then there is no question about the
results.
Centuries of experience have
worked out the great intricate ma
chinery for production. MANUFACTURED
and distribution. In each phase there
are necessary subdivisions and each
is dependant upon all tho others. The
part Of the retailer in distributing the
food supply and other necessities of