The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-02-24
TAXPAYERS AND


A LBlQlERQlE merchants who ,laintain
u pay taxes upon large establishments equip
- uents hud stocks. and whose combined
pavrnlis maintain hundreds Of families here.
are emf tied 10 a greater measure of protec-
ton against the itiucrant merchant than is
afforded by the occupation tax. Under pres
ent conditions il is possible for a man with a
couple Of trunks full of merchandise, or a
case or two of samples. 10 enter for a day or
two into competition with the permanent re-
tail community. and by a campaign of flam-
boyant advertising to make that competition
effective in gathering the orders of careless
buyers whose only recourse is in regrets and
experience. These people have no investment
They pay no taxes. They hire no employees.
They gather money and take 1t away with
them. like a circus but unlike a circus they
DO not provide amusement.
1t this kind Of merchandising was Of benefit
10 the community in lower prices for reliable
merchandise any protest from the established
retail community might be looked upon with
suspicion. But the consumer who buys from
one of these itinerants seldom gets a closer
price or merchandise as good as he nay Sc
cure at any time from the house that Is here
to stay. pay taxes and maintain employees and
their families. And the buyer has no come
back. II the merchandise. when delivered.
does not come up TO specifications the buyer
CnH HOWE. nul HNNIllE ItiNNflN Nv iNi'e
The average Albuquerque retail store, OF
whatever class need not fear any kind of hon
est competition, and does not fear IT. Retail
prices here, item for item, are as close AS any
where in the country. The local retail com
mnnity shows far less disposition to protest
against the competition of the "floatcr mer'
chant than is found in most towns Of this state.
II is not So much for the protection of the cs-
tablisled merchant as for the protection of
the public that a form of license is needed
which will make il Improbable for the over
night peddler to light in this community.
The newspaper has no particular protest to
lodge against this kind Of tourist merchandis
ing. from the standpoint Of the business of
flee. for this class Of travelling merchant can
afford to spend, and is willing 10 spend in adj
v~ertising space a generous proportion OF the
gross return he gets, not part of which is re
CURED for stock, taxes, fixtures and the ele
ments which lend permanency to business ant
help build a community and support its popu
lation.
The newspaper, on the other hand, under
stands this kind Of competition, because II Il
constantly subjected TO the competition OF IN
profitless and often dishonest peddler Of adj
vertising schemes which garner large por
tons of the community's appropriation 10
legitimate advertising and return nothing t
the advertiser but costly experience.
The whole problem is neither new nor con
fined to Albuquerque. This city, however, ha
more Of il 20 contend with than the average
community Of this size. Some reasonable ef
fort TO regulate it is due from the city govern
ment 10 the permanent business community
and such regulation. first. last and all the. time
will be for the protection of the buying public