Evening star., 1927-10-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES +. TR4CEWELL.

most of the statesmen seem never to
have heard of. are as follows: One
must be sold on the article himself
before he can put up convincing
plea in its behalf; the article must be
something that the person solicited
genuinely wants; tho seller must be Il
genuine salesman at heart.
There are too many bright young
mon floating around on dOnrstcps who
were not cut out to be statesmen. To
such n man craftsmanship is the most
dishcartcninC game in the world, and
most such misplaced persons shortly
get out of the business, but not he
fore they have succeeded in boring
several nciChhorhoodS to scVcrai
species OF distraction.
The letter printed above Vtvidly dc
nirts tho annoVance caused by the
canva ssers, and that it Is true in
every detail tho present writer can
testify. for he once stayed home in an
attempt to do his work, and after
answering at least dozen rings at
the doorbcll, from ladies ana gentle
men pining to sell everything from
washing machines to watermelons,
gave it up as a bad job and went
downtown, whore one might una a
little peace and quiet.
y. \, X X
A salesman who comes into a nelgh-
horhOod often wonders why he cannot
sell his product, but he would NOT
wonder a, second If he could have seen
the trail left by the II other can
yassers who preceded him.
That he gets treated as courteously
as he does speaks well for the patience
and kindness of innumerable women
who are forced to put up with such
importuning day after day, month IN
and month out.
The Gladly of the house" not only
faces the old discourtcsy of the sales
mans foot thrust into the door when
il is opened. but also is subjected to
a barrage of argument which the fei-
low is trained to bring to bear upon
all opposition.
To converse with him, therefore, Is
simply wasting time, not only the
householders but the salesman's time
if one is honestly not interested IN
the article or for any reason what
soever does not care to purchase.
Why a canvasser will continue to
argue against opposition when he
might go on to a home where his
article really is desired is only to
be accounted for by the aforemen-
toned fables of how Jones made S100
in an hour" ETC..
X X X
The writer is convinced that most
ladies are much too polite for their
own good. Instead of wasting their
time over house-to-house canvassers
they should lean out of the second
story window and declare:
Il have studied craftsmanship my
self and it won't get you anything
here"
Bang! Then shut the window down.
Probably better and certainly shorter
way would be to simply state, Il don't
want it" and close the door firmly,
especially if the salesman has his foot
in it.
Perhaps an even better method would
be to look severely at the fellow, then
swiftly close the door on his foot or
otherwise, preferably on the former.
This non-buying policy by house
holders would shortly end the house
toulouse canvasser. and it is about
the only method that will end his
career, because so long as he simply
takes orders he is not required to
even take out a license. If he makes
delivery of his article he must have
a license, but the man who simply
takes orders, as most of them do, is
not regarded as a peddler. Magazine
statesmen and those soliciting in the
name OF charity must have licenses.
but such license costs nothing and
means nothing, since practically any
one can secure one upon application.