The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-01-26
SQUARE DEAL FOR THE RETAILER

WE haNe reprinted on this page today an editorial from the Montgomery
" Nhuamu) advertiser whNh. when relieved OF It's ohvioup political pa*-
had TO bear "a ,~S difficult burden through the long process Of reimbursement
hc retail mcychnnu- uf lie country This Aataina uewsrnrer deals with
The recent eNcurhon OF the attorney general Of the United states into H"
Held NJ ptcntes1ng- and o." subsequent excursions h local officials
ihrourhout tho United States Into me same field az; the attorney general
bchcH
Upon that request uc attorney general Of Nw Mexico Joined with the
~ The purposes of which Wa TO invtNlgate possible prohtc'ring Nothing
wiz couc Of chat conference except the possible proposal OF more mws 10
add to the futile on"- now ON The statute bo"ks and a probable fostering Of
% feeling OF d-tfust crWecnu the public and merchant with whoin the people
deal IN daNy life Somc prices for some commodities are certainly too.
high In Nw McNco. as elsewhere throughout the country, but there IL moth
ing to convict the retail merchants Ns a class Of responsibility therefor
To ny one. familiar with the retail situation IN Alhuuucrluc. for "a
ample IT mu- De apparent that M general charge Of pronteerins is utterly
without foundation. n there arr Isolated eases whore there may hr q rc-
sonablc suspicion thi rNrcesiNc prices are acng charged those cases should
~ Investigated hy officials ~ they ave the authority. without casinE sur
pilon upcn e whole class Of business ncn-Rui the class with whom the
people have ia deal and who because of that intimate relation, must suffer
the brunt OF this suffering generality OF official criticism
As a matter OF TACT retail merchants here and elsewhere. have suffered
severely throughout ut past Twelve months Few have made morc Than
% nominal profit MANY have" mad" u profit at All Some have suffered
scuous losses q b. % rule That operates ln Albuquerque. in Ration in ~
fnso. in Buckpot, Maine. in lad Dog wyoming; On any n every city
again and take his inventory losses along with his Fellows siph lms not
donc the business For the kerurt competition known loo business operates
automatically to keep the retailer within bounds He needs NJ warning
fr1n the attorney general to rt bin pruht. HIS competitors see that he
dors or they get the business away from hin. There are bad retailer and
good retailers just m Their. are bad officials and good officials bad men ami
good mon IN every activity Hi. take them as a class and the retailers stack
cont unit, a. business ncu a. tN pHyers as community hoostcrt. ar o-
ploycrH. ndghhors aud friend Their businesses are huht aud ri tr
cyrtcncc upon public confidence and ~lfshncss alone wnuld keep them
operating 81 q decent margin Of ptolt. 70 they had no other motive
The rdat merchant. az "a rlast hns hccH walked on ard attacked and
abused an through usD trying pcrtud OF price sy-rockrtng and stunping
rnarkds md buyers strikes for sins win thu commission OF which hc had
not the rrmutes responsibility. II Is time to stop casting suspicion On him
md creating dtsuut Of him as q class and to get down to individual case
,nl specific Charge ao tnt the sIhy, where they cNt may he exposed ana
uuphhed. aud the vast majority Of the innocent mas have a fair chance "a.
opus themselves % conditions which In most reinl lines form ne pc'tumcd
led OF Ease