Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-10-26

FRIENDLY CRITICISM.
Some times the truth hurts and may be sons
of our merchants of Oxford will take this as
stab at them. But it is not
Oxford merchants are somewhat like the
majority of small town merchants They are in
business for profits, and they believe that theil
own set ways and methods of conducting a mer-
camille business are the only correct and safe
plans to run business. You cannot tell them
how to run their own business, if you attempt it
they will show you where to head in.
That is why Y newspaper in q small town is
handicapped. That is why small business never
gets any larger; and that is why small town
never gets any bigger. A town never gets any
bigger than it's merchants.
We were talking to a, little girl the other day
She is an unusually bright little girl She said
that she liked to go to school fine but that she did
not expect to go very long as she preferred going
to college. This little girl did not realize the great
gap that lies between her first years in school and
the threshold of the state university.
9 The average merchant does not realize what
he is losing by not applying more approved bust
ness methods in his attempt to conduct n1ercan-
lies between his business and success. He strug-
giles year in and year out to keep his nose above
The water and finally the sheriff will come ar,
ound and tack a paper upon his front door and
Jake charge of his keys. The cause of his failure
oh, we'll there is no use in discussing that mat
Ter with him. He was friend to everybody and
was one of the best business men in town. He adj
yertlsed liberally-some months he spent as
much as five dollars for an advertisement in his
#ocal paper. Something's he would have hundred
hand bills printed, telling of a special sale. He
read the advertisement on his hand bill
Jack it up on telephone post, not provided Ior
such purposes, and he actually believed that he
vas advertising his business. He did not stop to
think about the great gap that lay between 15l8x
band bill on the telephone post and the thousands
Of people Of his territory he would like to reach
ind invite to his store
The editor of the Eagle took upon himself the
TASK Of finding out some things as to why SO many
IF our merchants are grumbling, cussing and
2oaming at the mouth about dull business, when
there is SO much money in the country. We found
but at the express Office that the agent was writ
ng UP about So, 800 week in money orders, gong
% mail order houses. We found one banker who
saShed in one week over $1,000 for one certain big
nail order house; we found that the postmaster
vas shipping about So 900 to 81 900 week to mail
rider houses. There are two other banks we did
lot call on but we presume that they have their
hare of the mail order customers
Think of it. from ten to fifteen thousand dol
ars leaving Lafayette county every week. going
slto the northern banks. The very cream of the
business being sent out of the county. What 90
knese mail order houses care for spending mil
on dollars year advertising their goods.
We wonder 1t our merchants ever tried 20
cad off the stream OF hard cash that is leaving
nem in such terrible perdicment by applying
ne same methods used by the mail order houses?
If our merchants would do less Of the talking
nd more of the thinking, and put the printing
Hesses to work. they would soon realize little
ecret that many newspaper men have starved to
cath trying to explain
This story is not intended for the man who
noWS how to run business. it is intended for the
Merchant who is looking for remedy to better
is own condition, one who is waiting for an OBJ