Great Falls tribune., 1922-02-17
WATCH BUYERS
IS ADVICE OF
CREDIT SPEAKER
Exchange Members RespoH-
sible for Dead Beats, Says
Watson to Exchange.

| Members of the credit exchange are
community, in the opinion of r. w
| Watson of Spokane, who addressed a
meeting Of the Great Falls Exchange
| in the Palm room of Hotel Rainbow
Thursday night.
The dead beat is scavenger and
a parasite. He lives off of his fellow
men without paying for it, Mr.. Watson
said. "The credit exchange, if it care
fully checks on the buying public,
which it should do, can limit such a
PERSONS activities in community, can
force him to pay his bills. or keep him
from incurring bills by destroying his
credit with the business and profess
sional institutions in that community.
That is why say the credit exchange
is responsible for the dead beats.
Held Guardians
81 believe that so per cent of the
buying public needs guardians and
about so per cent of the buyers whose
credit ratings are blank cause trouble
to the business houses that extend
credit to them. And there's no ques-
ton about this. Fully SO per cent of
the public that is rated by the credit
exchange as good pay is good pay" he
said.
Mr.. Watson left Immediately follow
ing the meeting for Cleveland, Ohio,
where he will attend meeting of the
board OF directors of The Retail Credit
Mems National association. of which
he is northwest representative. He
has taken an active part in establish
ing credit associations in cities of the
northwest during the last few years.
He will speak at Salt Lake, Ogden and
Boise on his return from the east.
He pointed out the value of the local
credit exchange in affiliati ting with the
national organization. Fortyfive of
of the members of the Great Falls Ex-
change are members of the national as
soeiation. The rest of the 135 men,
bers of the local exchange should af-
filiate with the national association so
as to make the exchange 100 per cent
representative and obtain for the or
ganization as whole the benefits that
are to be derived from being affiliated
with the national association, Mr.. Wat
son said.
Local, Regional, National Problems
1.-The credit exchange has three prob
lens, local. regional and NATIONAL said
Mr.. Watson. Locally it should work
to get good accounts, avoid bad ac-
counts, obtain the prompt payment of
bills and guard against fraud. Region
ally. it should establish the status of
persons holding out of town accounts
and should keep close check on the
persons moving into or out of a COM
munity. Nationally, it should work for
the education of the credit men and for
the education of the public, influence
education generally and aid the au.
thorities in apprehending and convict
ing criminals.
He briefly outlined the program of
the national organization as follows:
Educate the credit man by means of
conventions, conferences, bulletins, ed
ucational committee, statistical depart
ment and The Credit World official
publication of the association.
Educate Buying Public
Educate the buying public by the
right kind Of advertising, personal ad-
vice and counsel and the restriction
of credit
Guard against adverse legislation,
promote helpful legislation that will
influence more uniform laws in re-
gard to the prosecution Of persons who
refuse to pay their bills.
tissue warning bulletins regarding
known dead beats and crooks"