The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1921-01-07

III CFGly ldISS Guy VI lIl6 OUlJeu
States there are Credit Associations"
composed of the merchants of that
city. They pay large membership
dues to maintain bureaus of informa-
ton thru which they run clearing
house on credits.
That is to say, if a merchant gives
credit to a certain party, and that
party either refuses to pay, or dilly-
dallies along month after month with
out paying an honest debt, then the
merchant reports the party to the
clearing house of the bureau of in
formation.
This protects other merchants from
giving credit to the same party, and
in that way saves money for the
other merchants. The other mer-
chants in turn filed with the informa-
ton bureau the bad debts they have,
and the cooperative supplying of
information saves them all money
and at the same time acts as d stirnu-
liant TO buyers to pay their just debts
SO that their names will not be black
listed.
1t is on record that certain
pioneer merchant of Lambertville
was approached by young man who
had just started in business, and ask
ed by the young man if it was safe
to give credit to a certain party. The
young man explained that he had
very little margin to work on and
could not afford to take chances.
The pioneer merchant scowled at
the young man, and in a grouchy
voice said: Young Teller, it took me
twenty-five years to find out such
things for myself, an you can learn
just like | did"
We were glad to, learn that man
is no longer in business in Lambert
vile. It's immaterial where he is
now. But it is material that the
merchants of Lambertville and New
Hope must stick together if they reap
the just profits that should accrue to
them. Lambertville faces the same
menace of business that faces any
town within trolley and bus distance
of big city. There is no real COM
petition between Lambertville and
Trenton and Philadelphia. For local
merchants can really give more
value for money received than any
merchant in the two larger cities
named. But there is the lure of the
city that draws trade away from home
towns.
People pay transportation fares in
order to go to so-ealled bargain
sales in the big cities. When they
get there, they are either told that
the bargains advertised have all been
sold, or that they couldn't afford to
buy such cheap article as that which
was advertised. AS a result the buyer
makes purchase of higher priced
goods than were advertised, and pay
more than they would have had to pay
at home
Because Lambertville has lower
rents to pay for stores, and because
buyers have so short distance to go
they can carry their purchases, the
local merchants can afford to sell
cheaper than large cities. Because of
this local citizens think they are get
ting cheap articles. Buyers should be
ashamed of their discernment that
they cannot see the real value of goods
apart from the price on it.
And one of the disagreeable things
about many local people is that they
go scrambling to larger cities when
they are we'll supplied with cash, pay
ing transportation charges which add
to the cost of the purchases, and then
when out of ready money go to local
merchants for credit.
The local merchants cheerfully give
them the credit they ask. And often
the purchaser will go to Trenton or
Philadelphia and make cash purchases
when he has an overdue bill at some
local store.
Live and let live" is the only safe
and sane and just maxim of business.
Therefore the merchant should have
the right to ask of any purchaser who
asks for credit: "How much cash
money do you spend in Trenton and
Philadelphia ?" And: 'If l give you
credit win you pay me before you take
your ready cash and 90 to spend it in
Trenton and Philadelphia.
Local merchants must stick to-
gether. There should be no hesitancy
whatever in their informing each other
of the good or bad pay Of prospective
customers who ask for credit. If a
man buys some article of a local mer-
chant, and finds it is shoddy and no
good, he loudly proclaims to all his
friends and those who will listen. He
will blacklist" that merchant as far
as he can.
Then why should not the merchants
protect themselves by cooperative
information that will protect credits
and stimulate prompt payments?
Why should one merchant "howT
because he has been done" out of a
bill by bad customer, and then re
fuse to tell his name? If that "bad
customer" had been done" by the
merchant, all the town would know it
the next day
have found in the stores of Lamb
ertville and New Hope materials and
qualities as good as / have found in
New York. And the prices are
cheaper I know good stuff when I
seeo'it. Since l came to this com
munity l have bought clothing, hard
ware, CONNECTIONS, Office supplies,
jewelry and various sundry articles.
l have never been "done" in a single
purchase. And always I got them as
cheap as, and many times cheaper
than, the same things in large cities.
AND I SAVED TRANSPORTATION
But after all is said and done there
is fault with both the local stores and
local buyers.
Local buyers refuse to advertise
their goods because they conceitedly
think everybody knows all aboug them
and everything they have
Local buyers are lured to the cities
by the attractive advertising they see
in the daily papers.
/ do not blame the local merchant
for claiming ne loses a lot Of trade
every year to Trenton and Philadel-