The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-05-17

| W no owns car or Two or lHIee' W NO
says that John Brown can't afford to
own one is much like the man who
! has a cellar full of choice liquor
and votes dry. Show me the town
where everybody is driving a car.
! That's the place where there's real
J business activity and prosperity; the
place where you and l like to live.
1t is my sincere belief that one of the
| best ways for you men TO increase
the possibilities of your own bust
ness and your own town is to boost
the sale of the automobile and talk
its utility.
Most Of you well remember the
day when merchandise was marked
In characters and sold at any price
which the customer could be induced
to pay. Modern merchandising pol
icy has eliminated such practice.
How many of you men here would
have the courage to ask a merch-
ant today to cut the price on suit
of clothes? In the early days of SELL
ing automobiles. and to a consider
| able extent today, there was no fixed
policy as far as price is concerned
! This is a condition a few of us in
/ this business are fighting hard to
| eliminate There is no secret re-
garding discounts on the standard
makes OF automobiles. They range
from Is to is per cent. None of you
men, nor I, can look a a new car and
say what 1T should sell for. Manu-
facturers of small production gen.
orally price their product as high as
1t win stand; then offer special trad
ing allowances or extra discounts as
| inducement to exploit their product
We are constantly solicited with such
propositions. But a business house
who has reputation for square deal
ing to maintain cannot Conscientious
| ly recommend this class of merchan-
disc. and so will not resort to such
practice.
1t requires a lot of courage to turn
down a sale for the sake of an extra
tire. Yet, people feel that when they
come in the market for an automo-
bile, it is perfectly ethical to ask
for anything and everything. But
the principle is wrong for both the
buyer and the seller
AS the Golden Rule is rundamen-
tai principle OF Rotary. this body has
and is doing much to upset the old
theory that success cannot be OBJ
tanned honestly.
1 have applied the Golden Rule in
our business ever since 1t was start
ed. 1t has, on occasion. cost us sales
yet. it pays because in three years.
our house has not lost the good will
Of a single customer.
The automobile is discussed in the
home. in the office. in the work shop.
everywhere. But don't ever saw such
and such a car Is no good-or that
car IS junk. I would not say that
about any automobile: neither would
one of our employees do SO. All cars.
like all persons. have some good in
them. Fundamentally, the house sell
ing the car makes IL either good or
bad.
1t Is unjust to classify all men in
my business as robbers and cut
threats because you bought a car
and got stung. The car was prob
ably all right but the man who
sold it to you fell down on his Job.
or 1T was a car with a long dis
count and had a very low resale
value. In either event. you bought
merchandise at cut-price-not
II permanent transportation satisfac
ton.
The modern automobile merchant
likes TO be regarded as such; not
as factory representative or an
agent or garage man. He con-
stders himself a public servant in
every sense of the word. His bust
ness is that of merchandising in
transportation. 1 profesy that the
time is not far distant when you
will shop fer a merchant rather
than for a car. The responsible
dealer establishes good Will onl,
through proper and satisfactory
service to his customers; and the
fact that he is a responsible dealer
Of automotive transportation is O.
itself sufficient to satisfy the pur
chaser that he sells good automo
biles. He could not conscientious
ly recommend anything else I an
glad to say that our house has es
tablished much good will in tn,
: community. and that is perhap.
: hest indicated by the fact that w.
have in many cases sold the new
car and appraised the old car after
wards, the purchaser having faiti
in US to accept our valuation a,
just and fair.
There are a few other automo.
bile merchants in Hammond who's
used car appraisals will seldom
vary more than nfty dollars from
my own either way. These ap
, praisals are in accordance witt
good business practice. They ar,
good merchants and good mer
chants make better towns. ! dc
not regard such competition a.
competitors; but as operator
for better merchandising methods
All establishments which are doinl
: business honorably should have
your patrons ge. and most of all
your moral support Such supper
Z eliminates the INSCRIPTIONS deal
4 err who imposes upon the poor an'
n unframed purchaser and will like
4 wise. hasten improvement in you
own automobile transportation
\ service. and investment. If in YOU
2 opinion Bill Bellman is goo'
| AAaHO0PlNC COUCH
WITH No "cure''-but helps to re-
I. W duce paroxysms of coughing.
a. % n ~ 10 CD