The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-10-28
FOSTERING HIGH PRICES

No better way to keep prices high in local stores can be devised
than to send away from home for everything except ones most imme-
date needs, to patronize the home concerns only in case of an emer-
gency. The converse of the proposition is equally true, to help re-
duce prices in the local stores buy at home wherever possible.
In every community there is a tendency on the part of some of
the residents to make home concerns objects OF convenience. 1t a
mail order shipment of groceries, just as an instance, be late, a call
is sent for a can of vegetables, a few ounces of tea or coffee, just
enough of what is wanted to tide over until the mail order goods ar
rive, and perhaps the small purchase is charged The same thing
applies to other concerns in the same way,
Strange as it may seem, the very persons who send away from
home most frequently are those who complain loudcst that the home
stores have not a sufficiently varied or complete stock. They blame
the merchant when it is really themselves upon whom the blame
should rightly fall. They complain if they are Inconvenience by
finding only a small stock and it is they who make the keeping Of a
large stock impossible.
The home merchant is expected to have, just S a matter of con-
venience for the community, a stock as large and priced as low as
does the business house in the larger communities. He is expected
to pay for goods and keep them on his shelves while those who might
use them send away for their major needs. His money is invested
in the stock and as long as the goods are on his shelves the invest
ment is non-dividend paying. In order to get an adequate return
on the investment when a sale is made, a higher price must be
charged, for the business license and other taxes have to be paid
even if outside concerns get all the cream and the home house only
the blue skinned milk.
Every live business man wants to keep the largest and best stock
that business will permit and to turn that stock over as frequently
as possible. The more often he is able to put new stock on his
shelves, the prouder is he OF his establishment, the more pains he
takes to please, the better able to price his goods down. 1t is only
because he does not get community support that he does build up
and improve his stock. The more he sells, the more he buys.
1t is true that there are some concerns in these Islands that ap
pear to be seeking to charge "al the traffic will carry" who still
hope to get war time prices in the face of lower wages and salaries
They are not upheld, are as much to blame, perhaps more, than is
the person who sends away for his or her general needs. But he has
the excuse that he would be able to make more sweeping reductions
had he the home support. He is not encouraging such support and
he is injuring his ~neighbor merchant who is playing the game
squarely, is satisfied with a fair profit.
But it is discouraging to the business man to see persons from
the outside come in and take away business which he is perfectly
capable of handling and would be glad to handle were the chance
given to him.
There are many arguments that can be presented for home buy
ing but the strongest of all is that the concern that one uses as a
mere matter of convenience is practically forced to the wall by lack
of home patronage, and then blamed for carrying meager stocks al
prices slightly over what should be the market.