The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-18
MERCHANDISING
PER D
Charges of Exorbi tant PFotltsa
Ridiculed BY Depart nlent
Store Propriet OF.

II eLali Observation-Disclosures HI kl1GkSk53S51
are only making nett roll A
per cent instead of the sexnrl ,It
profits which the yares accns
making, according to a i survey
conducted throug the statsSh
LIP. Souders Of thes ParsonISoG5
ders CO.. of. Clarksburg.fs
gg7 Aroused by statements th1caSS
have recently app he
press over the country tie Isss&
feet that retailers areSmakingsS
Sorbitant profits, N r:: SoudeTsTrs
Gently directed an nquirg sto8a
number OF firms inc1ude led th
membership Of the Vest rglnta
Retail Merchants Assocta 1on@;
composed of dry goods eadystpslA
wear and observation-disclosures
chants, requesting them tos I've
among other items. thefpercentAgsM
of net profit for the past ear Ss
Taking twenty of at h largaE
firms IN the state which included
stores located in Wheeling EaEzsSs
kersburg, C hardest onss Huntingto
tClarksburg, Fairmont, BluetisldsssSs
Martinsburg,R Princet tor Viii IA M
son, Berkl ey3 and Vi dontg omery
was found that the average tsSss
profit, without oh arging taxes Vas
fraction over 4 per cent sisSs
giving out this figure, MI. oudsrsS
stated that this has BEEN AZ earsss
below the average and #tha tssn orssss
mally these same store ~ l o IEls
probably show an average Fnet2p
fit somewhat4h higher han psii
cen
Harvard,'s Investi gait
ct Isl interesting g to note Oh
nection with this& fnyestigationasSs
to West Virginia g rms hssresuIsss
of Investigations madesa y:Ssat te "
bureau of businesssrese sasr' chsoIsttaeS
graduate school Of busin essSadsSs
ministration Of H award sIIntysrS
sity,,''.s said Mr. Soud ers:s
& That investi att on coYereas
500 stores located ind 9sstatessandsss
showed the average ne III prof dts$tSo1sss S
be .O19 per cent d sal
..Probab bly, the me- t5recentsst ~
vestigation is that cond ucted hyssS
the Joint Congressio on IS s:G M
mission Of Agricul tural nqutrg
appointed to 8inYestig ateat he$pTacss@
Of food and eli thin 6, etc. or5t1sss
purpose Of finding on tssW "a sN1a
the spread between It he SOS osi ES
producing and VIII at&s4c o ~ e "a
have to pay was q ,1e5s osss otaeI1
causes. Chairman sydney ndsT5g
son,
$"Retail dry goods ssss PRO - tss aEsss
found to have averagedS. 05 3aparss
cent Tor the mine year perl lodi o ~
1913 to 1927. From this otltss
must be deducted sucI tenas8ass
shrinkage in invent to- ysssSy all tsSsssso 81
merchandise, fed eraf s taxes aI1a$I
stock moving red nc ~ ss.ss1 ~
sponsponSe to price d clinesSsoE
movement Of stoc UNI y aLlQln
inyestig at ions byst e8DepartnllsTIlt@
of Justice und erS the LeYerEAe $50
SO showed that ements&c harrsgS8
ing retail rs wi til profiteer1ns
were, for the mos t9uned
ed.
Charges Are INF
.tThe results OF theses inyesttgAsSsssg
lions conducted u bylSu IN ba1ssd#as5ssS
encies establish how I'M aiTssa nsias
Eunwarran ted have@b eenSs heso ~
and repeated charges q p 81 la IN
5teering against 81 ogap aTlnosass
stores, stated Mrs ouders:
l.tIn the course 8 an ad dTesssbes
fore the West tailsMls erasa
chants Associat ton at Huntingtonsl
recently J ohm T. ~ oEyal1 TeshEss
dent Of the Nationa1aC Cred IT. MensysE
Association, stat gtha IN heTessln1iaLHse
ind oubtedly been man ysssss u va H.
ranted statements $regardngaPEoha
itering by retailers ut hatSpersonss
who make such statementsSgensE
ally fail to take into onstdeT lg29 ns
the cost Of ding business shTalnaAs5
age in value, eturned dine chalhlieaSsss
& disc and bad accoun t.. .s
The investigation scond ucted#
Mr.. Souders also showed "a atStl1ss
average cost of doing busin forS
these same Yves ;irgi MI a,sssto ores
was "a Ito per Ger; tss8sssss zssss
D. !. NJ. !. Z,