WY z 1 6 Me Co aN x \e Se » 57 RY a oe S Bs a SS Ka AWS CN 4 AS NS LY) i ae SS i NA is a HN ) & Gs | ‘On ae LO ae STK ax , oh By Vs re EO A eu re f Y al ( — 5 q vA 2 AV SS 1D Teak Bie a a oat Uf yy Gy TE na OS ONY A) 7a ao WEG aE cu AB) aU ra! 4 x) yyy G ir Tse x yy i. NI oy a } be r re ‘ NCGS AE a YE EXE aT wore tne aoe MPANY, PUBLISHERS ra 3 eR fN AV et eo) is ee hUP YD A Ry G 1) ie a s Soy Se 29 <2 . oo ZEA ©) SP PUBLISHED WEEKLY GN é SAR) FSSA OSS OLE i sh aN me S S) EY AH) Aeon LEST. Fortieth Year YC NtN7 Sy a ANIC NZI ELD iC vari at i FIGHT FOR MORE THAN :THE SAKE OF THE FIGHT We TAMAtO! More than half beaten, but fearless, Facing the storm and the night; Breathless and reeling, but tearless, Here in the lull of the fight, I who bow not but before Thee, God of the fighting clan, Lifting my fists I implore Thee, Give me the heart of a man! What though I live with the winners Or rerish with those who fall? Only the cowards are sinners, Fighting the fight is all. Strong is my foe—he advances! Snapt is my blade, O Lord! See the proud banners and lances! Oh spare me this stub of a sword! Give me no pity, nor spare me; Calm not the wrath of my foe, See where he beckons to dare me! Bleeding, half beaten—I go, Not for the glory of winning, Not for the fear of the night; Shunning the battle is sinning— Oh spare me the heart to fight! CME MET OO Oma Wilt Ay 5 r IAtl V1 Or Red is the mist about me; Deep is the wound in my side; “Coward”’ thou criest to flout me? O, terrible foe, thou hast lied! Here with my battle before me, God of the fighting clan, Grant that the woman who bore me Suffered to suckle a man! John T. Neihart. Sete sae e ee a ee ie Ne ee pe ASAE BOOT OOOO BOBO BOO BOO OBO BO a BU BO BU BU BURUEIB USUPOBUBOMS EEO B EOE DATO TOTO OPO ALA EET GROCERS—You want to please your trade, of course. Hekman’s Baked Goods is an unfailing means of so- doing. ekman Discuit (a Grand Rapids.Mich. THE RESORTERS ARE COMING pa Svewbody Likes CANDY Gain 6 Yowneys GET READY FOR THE RUSH NATIONAL CANDY CO. IS PUTNAM FACTORY GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. A Lesson in Business Geography Those who live in PORTLAND, MAINE, may drink a brand of coffee that has a local sale. Those who live .in PORTLAND, OREGON, may never have heard of it. In SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, a locally sold coffee may be somewhat popular. In SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, it is unknown. Citizens of ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, may drink a blend that is in fair demand in that locality. To the folks of ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, it means nothing. BUT—-+-2 Manufacturing The young man who flies high doesn’t stop to worry about where he is going to light, THE CONFIDENCE OF GOOD GOODS In an article regarding business, printed forty years ago, which we have just read, we find the opinion expressed that the farmers tried to cheat their merchants and the mer- chants tried to cheat the farmers, and both knew what the other was trying to do. If this was a true picture of the condi- tions at that time, it is very apparent that the better class of business men to-day and the more desirable customers of to-day are trad- ing on an entirely different basis. The great bulk of the retail business is done on the basis of confidence. And the merchant who misrepresents his goods and sells shoddy goods and cuts the price of cer- tain merchandise to the point of losing money and raises the price of other merchandise to offset this loss; and the merchant who indulg- es in dishonest advertising; and the merchant who instructs his clerks to resort to trickiness, are all losing their standing in the business world. It is the store with GOOD GOODS— goods of real value selling at a fair price, whose clerks and the proprietor meet the public on a basis of honesty and fair dealing —that is gaining the confidence of the buy- ing public and thereby winning the bulk of the trade to-day. It was our belief in the ultimate success of this policy that gave us the courage, twenty years ago, to start the policy of selling GOOD GOODS. There may be lower priced merchandise offered, but we challenge any market to fur- nish as GOOD GOODS as we furnish at equal prices. Develop public confidence in your store by displaying GOOD GOODS in a prominent way. WORDEN (GROCER COMPANY Grand Rapids Kalamazoo—Lansing—Battle Creek The Prompt Shippers. ° MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 ae mer nL fh {= SAM pave Ny (= 2 | we i i ES Movement of Merchants. Grand Haven—Harm Koenes suc- ceeds Fred J. Bertschy in the grocery business. Morrice—Orlando Gruber succeeds N. C. Davis in the boot and shoe business. - Detroit—The Obenauer Lumber Service succeeds Mrs. J. M. Obenauer in business. Sturgis—Hulin & Walton succeed William Brokaw in the boot and shoe business. Lawton—H. Hawkins succeeds V. Pitcher in the confectionery and ice cream business. Marysville—The Marysville Sup- ply Co. has decreased its capital stock from $100,000 to $15,000. Leslie—Lloyd Pixley has purchased a store building and will occupy it with a grocery stock about July 2. *Chelsea—The Wm. Bacon Holmes Lumber, Grain & Coal Co. has in- creased its capital stock from $30,000 to $80,000. Detroit—The Puritan Brick & Tile Co., 710 Barwell building, has in- creased its capital stock from $10,000 to $30,000. Detroit—Moon Bros., Inc., 6330 Gratiot avenue, electrical supplies, has increased its capital stock from $15,000 to $90,000. Holt—F. C. Alberts has leased the rear of his general store to Otto Rodke who will occupy it with a modern meat market. Blanchard—J. L. Smith has sold his ‘stock of general merchandise to A. Kearsey, recently of Big Rapids, who has taken possession. Kalamazoo—Jake Ruster has en- gaged in the grocery, baked goods, cigars, tobacco, etc., business on the Dixie highway at Gourdeneck lake. Albion—Thieves entered the gro- cery store of Fred Shank, South Su- perior street and crried away the contents of the cash drawer and some stock. Lansing—Mrs. W. E. Herron has removed her millinery stock from East Lansing to a store in the Kerns hotel block and will add lines of fancy goods to it. Lfansing—J. -J. Dunnigan has opened a gasoline station, auto ac- cessories, grocery store and_ ice cream parlor about two miles from town on the turnpike road. Cass City—E. W. Jones has sold his stock of groceries and china to G. & C. Folkert, of Wheeler, who will continue the business. Mr. Jones has removed to Flint. Wayland—The Wayland Farm Bu- reau Co-Operative Association has increased its capital stock to $30,- 000 and changed its name to the Way- land Co-Operative Association, Dutton—J. Vande Bunte has sold his stock of general merchandise to J. Wierenga, of Fisher station, who will continue the business. Mr. Vande Bunte has removed to Petoskey. Burr Oak—J. M. Graw, who re- cently purchased the Fred Straw gro- cery stock and store building, has also leased the Deno store building and will occupy it with a stock of boots and shoes. Detroit—The Manufacturers Sur- plus Materials Co., 322 West Larned street, has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $10,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Vestaburg—John Bernins has sold his store building to the Odd Fel- lows to be used for lodge purposes and closed out his stock of general merchandise at special sale preparatory to retiring from business. Plainwell—Nicholas Pell, who has conducted a grocery store on the east side for the past 35 years, has sold his stock and store building to William H. Hutchinson and Warren Wheeler, who have taken possession. Kalamazoo—The Monroe Music House, 411 West Main street, has sold its stock to A. E. Blanchard, formerly connected with the Horace Prentice & Sons’ furniture store, who will continue the business under his own name. Pinnebog—Saul Rosenstock has sold his store building and stock of general merchandise to William Macey, recently of Filion, where he lost a store building and stock of general merchandise by fire, about two months ago. Olivet—Arnold & Herbert, pro- prietors of the Ball restaurant and cigar stand, have dissolved partner- ship and the business will be con- tinued under the same style by Mr. Arnold, who has taken over the in- terest of his partner. Grand Ledge—A. C. Baldwin, who has conducted a grocery store here for about fifteen years, has sold his store building and steck to A. C. Wyant, of Alma, who has taken pos- session. Mr. Baldwin will retire from trade owing to ill health. Flint—The Welch Battery Co., 111 West Kearsley street, has been in- corporated with an authorized cap- ital stock of $100,000 preferred and 20,000 shares at $1 per share, of which amount $10,000 -and 10,500 shares has been subscribed and $10,- 000 paid in in cash. Jackson—The Jackson Independent Oil Dealers Association, 806 Peoples Nat'l. Bank Bidg., has been incorpor- ated with an authorized capital stock of $1,000 common and 15 shares at $1 per share, of which amount $250 and 15 shares has been subscribed and $265 paid in in cash. Marquette—C. J. Dimmer has pur- chased the stock and store building of the estate of B. Neidhart & Co., 318 Front street, taking immediate possession .Mr. Dimmer has ordered new fixtures and will remodel the store building to care for the large new stock. he has added. Bloomingdale—Harrison & Spayde, © who have conducted a general store here for forty-five years, have dis- solved partnership, Mr. Harrison re- tiring to devote the remainder of his life to recreation and pleasure. business will be conducted hereafter under the style of Spayde & Sons. Cassopolis—Former Probate Judge U. S. Eby states that within the next ten days creditors of the defunct Farmers & Merchants Bank, at Jones will receive 10 per cent. of their de- posits. Judge Eby is acting as re- ceiver. He estimates that creditors will receive 25 cents on the dollar when final accounting is made. Holland—H. D Decker is erecting a store building at Gibson Corners on the road between Jenison Park and Saugatuck and will embark in the grocery and hardware business in the near future. His postoffice address is R. R. 8. He has been letter car- rier on this route for several years, during which time he has lived on a farm one-half mile from Gibson Cor- ners. Decatur—Dexter E. Brigham, hail- ed as Decatur’s onion king, not only for his success in raising and selling that odoriferous vegetable, but also -for the fact that he has developed a grade of onion that keeps much long- er than the average variety, is pre- paring to erect a large storage house. The structure will be cement blocks and insulated according to the best known methods, thus insuring pres- ervation of the stock in storage. It will have a capacity of 30,000 to 35,- 000 carloads. Mr. Brigham has planted 25 acres of onions for the season and has a six-acre field in which he is raising onion seed for future planting. He raises all his own seed. Manufacturing Matters. Jackson— The Michigan Seating Co. has decreased its capital stock from $100,000 to $5,000. Detroit—The W. R. Construction Co. has increased its. capital stock from $20,000 to $60,000. Detroit—The Deinzer Upholstering Co. has changed its name to the Deinzer Furniture Shops. Detroit — The Gotfredson Truck Co., 3601 Gratiot avenue, has in- creased its capital stock from $100,000 to $500,000. Croswell—The Croswell Brick and Tile Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $35,000, $25,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Hamtramck—The Star Products Co. has been incorporated fo manu- facture beverages, with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Ellsworth—The Ellsworth Can~ ning Co, has been incorporated with The: an authorized capital stock of $50,- 000, of which amount $30,000 has been subscribed and $6,000 paid in in cash. Detroit—The Mac Carburetor Co., 451 East Fort street, has been in- corporated with an authorized capital stock of $20,000, all of which has been subscribed and $2,000 paid in in cash. Saginaw— The Saginaw Handle Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $10,000, of which amount $6,200 has been sub- scribed and paid in, $3,200 in cash and $3,000 in property. Kalamazoo—The Piper Ice Cream Co. has opened a sausage manufac- turing plant at 408 East South street. The plant has a capacity of 2,000 pounds per day and is under the man- agement of Nicholas Bishouse. Kalamazoo—The Conant & Donel- son Co., 1834 Reed street, has been incorporated to manufacture and deal in machinery, tools, appliances, etc, with an authorized capital stock of $50,000 preferred and 10,000 shares at $5 per share, of which amount 2,000 shares has been subscribed and $10,000 paid in in cash. —_—_—_.»..———_—— Morley Bros. Observe Sixtieth An- niversary. Saginaw, July 3—Marking both the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the firm of Morley Bros., and the approaching occupancy by the firm of its fine new five story addition at Washington avenue and Tuscola street, the employes of the company were guests at an enjoyable dancing and card party Saturday evening in the new building. : About 500 were present, including officers and employes of the com- pany, their families and friends, and they spent the evening in dancing and at cards, in getting acquainted with each other and enjoying the re- freshments that had been provided. It was 60 years ago this year that G. W. and E. W. Morley, pioneer citizens of Saginaw, started the firm of Morley Bros., which in the mo c¢ than half a century since that time has grown to be one of Saginaw 5 most important enterprises, withi a business that has continually expand- ed and developed. From the small hardware business of the founders has developed the huge wholesale ard retail business of the present day, embracing hardware and many allied lines. : Next Saturday the firm plans to oc cupy its new building, now practica ly complete, which will be used for offices and stock rooms. Two floors of the building, the second and third were used Saturday evening for th: party. ; Bert Christian's orchestra played for the dancing, colored lights aided in decorating the building, and novelty favors were given to those attending Besides the local employes of the company, in all departments, the salesmen were invited to come 1 from the road for the affair ~ and many took advantage ot the oppor- tunity. ——— oo a Officers Elected at St. Paul. St. Paul, June 28.—Phillips A. De- Puyt, Rochester, N. Y., was elected president of the National Association of Retail Grocers at the closing ses- sion of the convention here to-day. Los Angeles was selected as the next convention City. Other officers elected: : : John C. Sheehan, Minneapolis, vice- president; John Speas, Kansas City, treasurer; John Cod, Nashville, Tenn., and Eugene E. Berthiaume, Superior, Wis., trustees. A - i| i 3 u July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN hye ‘ eee, eee eS eat a passes ccf 3 4 aN = = ¢ ZB = 1 < ‘e = 2 ZS = 2 ni y ’ 4 ~ T Essential Features of the Grocery Staples. Sugar—The wide margin between the cost of raws and the refined product is looked upon by trade buyers as being too great to estab- lish confidence in present prices. All refiners are on 9%4c_ basis, except Federal, which quotes 9%c Local jobbers handle cane granulated on 10c_ basis. Tea — Teas are unquestionably ruling high. Still, holders who seem to think they know, are predicting even higher prices, owing to the shortage of spot stocks and the firm primary markets. The situation has not changed during the week either as to price or anything else. The consumptive demand is good, all prices being about firm and unchang- ed. Coffee—The market is still feverish. Futures, which represent the specula- tive element of the market have strengthened a little during the week, after the slump of the week before, but Rio and Santos coffee, green and in a large way, is still dull and weak. There have been no material declines from last week, however, the prices on all grades of Santos are weak, and most grades of Rio except No. 7, the standard grade. Mild coffees are dull and also in buyer’s favor. Canned Fruit—A settled market on new pack California fruits is needed to stabilize the carryover and to gen- erate more interest in both kinds. While a number of independent can- ners have quoted new peaches all the way from $1.85@2.05 for standards, the larger canners have not yet made public their formal opening prices and it is the latter who set the pace and deteremine the * market. No prices are expected this week be- cauase of the holiday, but in the near future the market will likely be quoted. In the meantime peaches are quiet as there is little buying ahead. Apricots. are easy on both spots and futures. Jobbers are slow to consider futures in the face of a big crop. Cherries are also more or less un- settled. Up-state canners say that the low buying ideas and high pack- ing costs are hard to harmonize. Pineapple is firm but scarce. Apples are in nominal demand. Canned Vegetables—All cannery reports on tomatoes are to the effect that there will be a complete cleanup of old goods before new pack is available. Pretty much this condi- tion already exists at the source in gallons, Eastern and Western. No. 3s are closely sold and are now a re- sale proposition. California No. 2%s are held firm on the spot in wood and fiber and cannot be duplicated readily in first hands in the West. There is a fair demand for Southern No. 2s. Brokers are not urging the sale of futures of any size and No. 10s are considered as a good buy. ports from all producing centers are not satisfying. The yield per acre is not panning out as expected and the tendency is toward ordinary -grades. Canners are not seeking business to any extent. Corn is_ featureless. There is very littlhe demand for standards except in a routine way. Canned Fish — Chinook salmon opened last week on the basis which had been expected, but there was meager response in confirmations to Ss. a. p. contracts. Most distribute ’s are buying sparingly. Red Alaska is a rather slow seller and is merely - steady. Pinks are fairly firm at the factory where there is no surplus of any style. Buying while hand-to- mouth, is liberal enough to absorb stocks as rapidly as they are canned. California sardines are in better job- bing demand. Tuna fish is scarce and generally firm, which is true of shrimp. Dried Fruits—The dried fruit mar- ket was deprived of the one event which was expected would break into the monotony of the past few weeks —the naming of the opening prices on apricots by the California Prune and Apricot Growers’ Association. The organization decided to postpone action until after the July 4 holiday on the ground that the past week was unfavorable to such an important step in marketing the first dried fruit crop of 1923 to be moved.° The reaction after the 4th during the balance of the current week may result in not: naming prices for another six or seven days. The distributing trade is not’-bothering whether prices are quoted to-day or to-morrow, nor are they speculating as to what the range will be. They are indifferent and their only preconceived intention seems to be not to buy on contract unless the price is attractive. That means it will have-to be low, in view of the big yield of average grades in prospect, the extent of the carryover and the slow sale of the latter all of the past season because of the handi- cap of a high initial opening. There has been neglect of independent packers’ offerings and as yet very little business has been placed. The spot market is weak ‘and inactive, but there is the possibility of more in- terest in the carryover should pack- ers slash prices to clean up after. new crop has been established. Buying demand for prunes is normal. A few boxes at a time is the extent of the demand and no further inside prices on old crop have been reported to Pea re- get rid of them through speculative channels. The California Association will likely not name its opening prices until the latter end of July. Raisins are fairly steady but are wholly in routine demand. Thompsons are bet- ter placed than other varieties. Everything hinges on the revised prices on new fruit, which will be made public in the near future. Peaches and pears favor the seller, but are generally neglected. Neither is there any breadth to the.demand for currants. Syrup and Molasses—Molasses is dull, as it really ought to be just now though there is some business do. ing every day. Prices remain steady Sugar syrup of good quality is not it very large supply and prices an steady. Demand light. . Compounu syrup fair demand at steady prices. Rice—More confidence is shown in the market and stocks had in the country are not so_ extensive, but there is still conservative covering. Ordinary and low grades drag on the spot and are in only moderate de- mand in the South. Foreign rice is inclined to be easy, as the demand is narrow and offerings are not exten- sive. Beans and Peas—Business_ very small in all grades of white beans, prices in buyef’s favor. The same applies to green and Scotch peas. Beverages—While the absence of torrid zone conditions during the past week somewhat lessened the public’s eagerness for cold and cooling drinks, the lull is but temporary and by the time this is read we may be back in the desert of torridity where an Oasis of even temporary coolness will be hailed with acclaim. The hot weather time of the year offers op- portunity for the grocer to cash in strongly on merchandise carrying a longer-than-usual margin. In addi- tion to opportunity to push the regu- lar bottled soft drinks there is a chance to talk tea and coffee for iced beverage usage. Preserving Supplies—With a gen- erally large crop of fruits the house- wife is not going to permit the high price of sugar to discourage her usual canning and preserving activities. She will be in the market for fruit jars, rubbers, jar covers, jelly molds and glasses and the other accessories of the canning season. Does she, mean- ing the collective housewife of your community, know that you are pre- pared to supply her needs? If you feature fresh fruits there is also an opportunity to try out combination offers, the merchandise embraced therein, including one or more crates of some particular fruit together with fruit jars and other supplies, a price by the lot being named. Many gro- cers have found by past experience that the lot idea creates a nice amount of additional business. Cheese—Cheese is lower in the West, and this is weakening the mar- kets in the East on practically all grades of Western cheese. Cheese from nearby points is_ relatively stronger than Western, because the pressure to sell is not so great. The whole cheese market, however, is rather weak; demand. about fair. Provisions — Provisions are in- 5 clined to be weak. The demand is poor, and the market rather soggy, in spite of the fact that hogs are firm. Salt meats, however, are in good demand at steady prices. Lard shows a decline, and all lard prod- ucts are dull and easy. Salt Fish—Mackerel is unchanged, with the demand light and prices about steady. —_+2-s___ Prunes and Apricots To Be Priced Soon. Latest advices from the Pacific Coast indicate that the California Prune and Apricot Growers, Inc., will not name prices for the 1923 crop of dried apricots until after July 4. It “was expected that prices on apricots would be named last week but, on account of inventory-taking and the holiday, they were withheld. The wholesale trade continues to buy only for immediate wants, and it is hoped that after prices are named buying will begin for regular com- mitments, as it is thought that prices named will be so low that advances will be in order as sales are made and confirmed, and that those who buy quickly will buy at the lowest prices. Prices on the 1923 crop of prunes probably will not be named until after July 15 unless present plans are changed. It is expected that the Sun Maid Raisin Growers will revise its prices for 1922 raisins about July 15 for July, August and September ship- ment. The raisin association under its contracts with the growers will exclude Malagas and Feherzagoes. This will leave a large tonnage of these kinds for the independent raisin packers to handle. They are both of the seed bearing variety and ‘not as desirable as Muscatels, but it is prob- able that they can be obtained in the loose and seeded forms at low figures. These excluded grades mentioned are desirable for manufacturing and the price will be an inducement to manufacturers. John A. Lee. —————— Worden Company Sells Its Drug Business. Lansing, July 3—The Capital Drug and Chemical Co. has passed from control of the Worden Grocer Com- pany, having been granted to a new company composed of local men who have acquired the property. The incorporators are M. R. Car- rier, president; J. Edward Roe, treas- urer; Victor Stephens, vice-presi- dent and general manager; J. Earl Brown, secretary; R. E. Olds and D. B. Northrup. The new undertaking is the out- growth of the old Northrop, Robert- son & Carrier Co., organized in 1874 to deal in the manufacture of drugs and grocery specialties. In 1902 the firm was incorporated and in 1912 entered the grocery business exclusively. In 1919 the Worden Grocer Company purchased the busi- ness and revived the drug and chem- ical line, which ‘has since been con- ducted as a side line along with the grocery business. The new house: will add _ several lines of drugs and heavy chemicals to supply the needs of local factories. Mr. Stephens has been manager of the drug department of the Worden Company and the new firm will con- tinue to occupy space in that com- pany’s building at 308 N. Grand avenue. —__~-2>.——— Shipping, long at low-tide, should shortly begin to rise. Ss : SUPREME COUNCIL U. C. T. Thirty-Sixth Annual Session Held at Columbus. ‘The thirty-sixth annual session of the Supreme Council, United Com- mercial Travelers, convened at Col- umbus, Ohio, Tuesday morning, June 26, at 10 a. m. The Supreme Councilor, Frank J. Roeser of St. Louis, Missouri, in the chair. The usual offering of prayer was made by Supreme Chaplin, S. S. Morse, of St. Louis, Missouri. Following this, with all members standing, we sang one verse of America and one verse of God Save the King; then, with the roll call of officers and delegates to the number of 241, Supreme Councilor Roeser declared the thirty-sixth annual session duly opened. He then appointed the fol- lowing committees for this conven- tion: Credentials—C. W. Terraney, Ken- tucky; A. A. Dicks, Indiana; L. H. Craig, Carolinas. Mileage and Per Diem—J. 'W. Mel- lor, Missouri; H. J. Percy of Ohio; Cc. A. Poole, New England. Necrology—H. J. JuDell, Califor- nia; W. P. Gilbert, Texas; Richard Reeder, Pennsylvania. Charters and Dispensation—J. U. Foster, Illinois; Elmer Doolittle, New York; W. F. Sarset of Iowa. Resolutions—C. F. E. Peterson, Minnesota; Captain E. B. McMaster of Vancouver, British Columbia; Walt Welton of Missouri. Press—C. H. Smith of Ohio; H. H. Hanover, Ohio; P. H. Fox, Ohio; John D. Martin, Michigan. The committee on Credentials had been busy picking up credentials and immediately made a partial re- port. Following that came the re- port of Past Supreme Councilor, F. J. C. Cox, Chief Agent of ‘Canada. This report showed very satisfactory results of work done in Eastern Canada by the committee appointed last year, this committee consisting of H. S. Rowe, of New York; Lew J. Bertsch, of Michigan and T. R. Crayston, of Canada. ‘Supreme Secretary Walter D. Murphy started to make his report, but, owing to the fact that his re- port was in printed form on the desk of all delegates, a motion was made that the report as printed be accepted. At 1l a. m. recess was declared and the entire Supreme Council went in a body to Supreme headquarters and participated in the laying of the corner stone of the new Supreme building. Supreme Councilor Frank Roeser handled the trowel, Sup- reme Chaplin offered prayer and the “big man” from Iowa, where the tall corn grows, ‘handled the windlass that lowered the stone in place and in which many documents pertaining to the order were placed. At the opening of the session 1:30 p. m. Tuesday a report came from the outer door that some strangers wished to be admitted and when the door was opened in walked a com- mittee from Missouri, carrying a beautiful bouget of flowers as a ‘tribute to their associate in the _ Supreme Councilor’s chair. John D. Martin, representing the MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Supreme Council Hotel Committee, made a request for the chairmen of the different Grand Council Hotel Committees to meet in the parlors above at 5: o’clock. This proved a very enthusiastic and well represent- ed meeting. The report of the Supreme Execu- tive Committee also being in printed form on the desks was approved as printed, but a supplementary report, pertaining to the new building was allowed to be read. This building will represent, when competed, an outlay of nearly a quarter of a mil- lion, but it will certainly make a beautiful home for the meetings of the Supreme Council, as well as a permanent one for the officers of the Supreme Council with ample vaults for the protection of all paper. Homer R. Bradfield, one of the Michigan delegates, was presented by the other members of the bunch with a package of cigarettes, as he seemed to be the only one sitting around the table who was not smok- ing. (Homer accepted these cigar- ettes with the expression that he fully appreciated the thoughtfulness of the boys and placed them, as he supposed, secure in the large en- velope that is furnished to each delegate for keeping papers and other matters together during the session, but at the close of that ses- sion, when Homer went to look for his cigarettes, they were gone.. There were suspicions laid upon some of the members, but no proof was estab- lished that any one had them. The reports of the Claim Depart- ment, the Supreme Attorney and the Supreme Surgeon, all being in print- ed form, were accepted as printed. D. K. Klink, of Chicago, chairman of the Organization and Mileage Book Committee, stated that they fully expected to win the fight which is-coming up this fall in the Sup- reme court pertaining to the issuance of interchangeable tickets at a re- duction of 20 per cent. from regular fares. Following this, the Committee on Resolutions authorized brother Klink’s committee to spend, if neces- sary $3,000 to carry into court the matter of the mileage books. The Committee on Credentials again made a partial report with the statement that they were still short of credentials and authorized each delegation to deliver to them any credentials that were not already in their hands. The report of C. ‘H. Smith, editor of the Sample Case, showed a con- siderable reduction in the cost. With the same support that had been given him in the past year from members of the organization, a year hence he would turn over his re- port to the Supreme Council meeting with ‘a better magazine and money to the good of the organization. During the year 1922 and 1923 report showed that seven new coun- cils had been instituted, making a totai at the close of the fiscal year of 578, this covering the last new council that was organized in Canada; and in the report of the Canadian Committee the statement was made that they expected to come to the convention in 1924 either with or asking for a Grand Council for Canada. Next followed the report of the Committee on Charters and _ Dis- pensatons, the Auditing Committee and a full report of the Press Com- mittee. Michigan was the best represented at this thirty-sixth annual session that it has been for several years having a complete delegation of nine dele- gates. Lew J. Bertsch, of Detroit, as ane of the members of the com- mitive on Eastern. Canada and A. G. MicEachron, of Detroit, member of the Jurisprudence Committee and E. B. Shoemaker, Secretary-Treasurer of Cadillac Council, Detroit, who w , there to attend the Secretary- Treasurer’s meeting, stayed over for the entire session and had a seat at the table of the Michigan dele- gation, though not entitled to a vote. The report of Past Supreme Coun- cilor T. J. Phillips, of Kentucky, on the Rivers and Harbors Congress meeting in Washington, showed con- siderable progress being done by that committee. : At the annual session one year ago, a resolution carried and a commit- tee appointed consisting of J. C. Lee, of Nebraska; J. D. Taylor, of Tennessee and F. R. Ball, of Utah, to submit at this session a revised ritual. In making this report, which took up considerable time, the dif- ferent changes did not meet with favor from the majority of the mem- bers assembled and at the close of their report a recommendation was made on the floor that these pro- posed changes be not adopted and the committee discharged and an ad- journment taken until 9 a. m., Wed- nesday morning. : At the opening session Wednesday morning, at the close of prayer of- fered by the Supreme Chaplin, all members remained standing and re- peated the Lord’s prayer. Then came the report of the Jurisprudence Committee on the proposed amendments’ which had beer voted on the day before and the cora.nittee discharged. The report on the decisions dur- ing the past year of Supreme Coun- cilor Roeser were in a large majority approved. The report of this com- mittee took up the time to the noon recess. Immediately on opening of the session 1:30 p. m. Wednesday, the Committee on Necrology reported ready to make their report and with H. J. Judelli of California, again chairman of thfs committee the re- port which they made showed a loss during the past year of twenty-five members of the Supreme Council, two of these being Past Supreme Councilors. Before the close of this report of the Necrology Committee a resolution was introduced to send telegrams of sympathy to Past Sup- reme Councilor Clarence W. Hodson, of Oregon, who was very sick and unable to attend this session. The State of the Order Committee then made their report, which show- ed a saving in the running expenses of the Supreme Council during the year just closing of $26,000. They also reported that Supreme Attorney John A. Millener would accept a re- taning fee of $3,000, with an allow- ance of $30 per day when he is called upon to leave Columbus to go out to take care of legal business per- taining to the organization. Supreme Attorney John A. Millener was called to the floor and made the statement that this would be satis- factory to him and, without a doubt, make a saving for the organzation. Supreme Surgeon Dr. ‘si Euango also appeared on the floor and made the statement that he would accept a retaining fee of $2,500 with an expense of $25 per day July 4, 1923 in case he was called away to look after matters pertaining to the order. It worked out during this meeting that there were four delegates, all having the name of Martin: M. J. Martin, Houston, Texas, chairman of the State of the Order Committee; John D. Martin, of Michigan, chair- man of the Supreme Hotel Commit- tee; H. T. Martin, of Roanoke, Vir- ginia, and Percy Martin, of Van- couver, British Columbia. One big surprise for the Michigan delegation was the meeting at the Michigan delegation of two former ‘Michigan men, one being Past Grand Councilor of Michigan, A. T. Lin- coln, formerly living in Hillsdale, Mich., but he was‘ at this Supreme Council meeting as a representative from California, which is now his home. The other Michigan man be- ing H, Hannon, of Hamilton, Ontario, formerly a member of Jackson Council, Michigan. ~- During the session of the Council many good stories were told and reminiscences offered between the former Michigan men and the Michi- gan delegation. Other resolutions were offered by the’ State of the Order Committee. One being making payments direct to Supreme Secretary Walter D. Murphy was disapproved. Another resolution, that of the Supreme Secretary acting as a gen- eral manager or head of the different departments and to decide on all questions, met with approval. Another resolution introduced was that all subordinate secretaries hold a meeting one day prior to the regu- lar meeting of their Grand Council. This resolution met with a_ great deal of favor and was unanamously adopted. The resolution offered of bonding the different ‘banks in which U. C. T money was deposited did not carry. The following salaries for the dif- ferent officers. were then adopted. In view of the fact that on the vote being taken of making the Supreme Secretary departmental manager or in reality the head of the organiza- tion, his salary was increased $1,000, making it now $8,000 per year; Supreme Treasurer, $2,100 per year; editor of the Sample Case, $5,200 per year; auditor, $5,000 per year; members of the Executive _commit- tee, $10 per day while in session and, as stated before, a retaining fee of $2,500 for the Supreme Surgeon and $3,000 for the Supreme Attorney. This committee’s report showed that the 1923 meeting of the Supreme Council wag held at a cost of mileage and per diem for approximately 240 delegates and Supreme officers of $27,892.67. The meeting thn ad- journed until Thursday morning at oa mM. Immediately at the opening of the session the Supreme Hotel Com- mittee, consisting of John D. Martin, W. G. George, of New York, and B. A. Honeycomb, of Wisconsin, made their report on the hotel situ- ation, showing improvements and the better feeling between the hotel people and the traveling man and offered a resolution that a committee of three be again appointed by the Supreme Councilor. This committee’s duties during the coming year to corres- pond with all Grand Jurisdictions urging upon them the appointment of hotel committees, not only in the Grand Councils, but in all subordi- nate councils and by trying to work on a co-operative plan bring about still better conditons in the hotel sit- uation. This committee to report at the next Supreme Council session, the only expense of this committee to be the furnishing by the Supreme Council of necessary stationery and postage. No mileage and per diem be allowed this committee. The reso- lution was adopted, but later another resolution was introduced and adopt- ed, suggesting that either this Hotel Committee or the Legislative Com- mittee work to the end that all hotels have posted in each room a weer eedpennepeamacinonae, 5 PO RICURmER July 4, 1923 card printed, showing the rate of that room per day, single, and the rate dobule. This resolution as introduc- ed was adopted. A beautiful talk was made on the. floor on the handling of our flag, especially pertaining to how it is used in Council Chambers. .In this talk considerable criticism was given in regard to hanging the American flag over the alter or over the station for the open bible, always placed during Council session. The sugges- tion in this talk was mighty good along the lines of always having the flag on a pole and this pole to stand at the right of the presiding officer and also at the installing stations in the center of the room. This thirty-sixth annual session of the Supreme Council was positively a session that will go down in history where there were no arguments on the floor pertaining to what some members were doing which they should not do and also trying to use the knife, so to speak on some of the Supreme officers. This talk and also the very fast working of Supicne Councilor Roeser brought this ses- sion up to the election of officers ai noon Thursday. The usual order of business—that of moving each of- ficer one sation higher—resulted as follows: Supreme Councilor—W. J. Sullivan, Chicago, IIl. fact of the Supreme Junior Councilor— Wm. D. ‘Murray, of Kansas. Supreme Past Councilor—Frank J. Roeser, of St. Louis, Missouri. Supreme Secretary—Walter D. Murphy, Columbus, Ohio. Supreme Treasurer—James C. Nes- bitt, Columbus, Ohio. Supreme Conductor — Fred L., Wright, of Wisconsin. All of shese officers were elected under instructions of the tellers cast- ing the unanamous ballot and then came the nominations for Supreme Sentinel and the following _ three names were placed in nomination by their different delegations. M. J. Martin, of Texas: P. A. Pat- terson, of Pennsylvania; Charles Waite, of Oklahoma. A motion was then made that a roll call of delegates be made to as- certain that all in the room were entitled to a vote. This roll call gave a total of 244 delegates, Grand oe Past Supreme, and Past Grand officers seated who were en- titled to a vote. The first ballot but 241 votes, gave a total of of which Martin, of Texas received 114; Paterson, of Pennsylvania, 106, and Waite, of Oklahoma, 21. There being no choice the low man was dropped with brother Charles E. Waite, of Okla- homa, and the ballot spread for the second time. The result of this bal- lot was 240 votes cast, Paterson, of Pennsylvania, receiving 122, Martin of Texas 118. Immediately on the announcement of the ballot Mr. Martin, of Texas, moved that the ballot be declared unanamous and Percy Paterson, of Pennsylvania, was declarea elected as Supreme Sentinel for the coming year. It was not within the memory of the delegates present that they ever attended a more amicable meet- ing of the Supreme Council and on this election for Supreme Sentinel, where the vote ran so very close the Paterson majority being but four, showed conclusively the high standing of both Martin and Paterson and many ‘remarks that passed around the room were that if Jim Martin, of Texas, comes up for Grand Sentinel in 1924, there will be no question of his election. Following this was the re-election to the Executive Committee of Charles A. Hubbard, of Columbus, Ohio, and D. P. McCartey, of Fos- toria, Ohio. Charles A. Hubbard then being elected Supreme Auditor. Following this came the election of John A. Millener, of Columbus, Ohio, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN and Dr. E. W. Euans, Ohio. Supreme Surgeon. A recess was then declared until 1:30, when the Council reconvened. All officers were installed by Past Supreme Councilor George E. Hunt, of Evart, Massachusetts, assisted by D. K. Klink, of Chicago, as Con- ductor Those who were fortunate enough to hear Past Supreme Coun- cilor George E. Hunt give the beauti- ful talk to each officer as he installed him in the duties of his office were certainly fortunate. George Hunt not only has a good voice, but he has a beautiful flow of language, which is all spontaneous. Nothing he says is of the stereotype order. C. V. Holderman, of Tennessee and Lewis Worth, of Ohio, were then called to the Supreme station and presented with Past Supreme Councilor badges, also with a beauti- ful talk from Past Supreme Councilor George E. Hunt. Both Holderman and ‘Worth came back with good talks. H. 'H. Hannan, of Hamilton, On- tario, who was formerly a member of Jackson Council, of Michigan, was 1:1 called to the Supreme Coun- cilors station and given the charter for the new Council just instituted in Canada. All officers being duly installed and in their respective stations, Supreme Councilor W. J. Sullivan, of Chicago, then appointed the following com- mittees for the ensuing year. Auditing—J. M. Dresser, sota; E. J. O’rea, Mississippi; Thorpe, Deleware. State of the Order—L. M. Graves, Rhode Island; H. A. Pritchard, In- diana; J. M. Dean, Missouri. Jurisprudence — M. $. Texas; H. H. Doran, Iowa; S. Lawton, Michigan. Rivers and Harbors—T. J. West Virginia. R. A. Tait, New York; L. G. Everson, Wisconsin. Eastern Canada—F. J. C. Cox, Winnipeg; F. W. St. Lawrence, Lon- don; H. H. Hannan, Hamilton, H. W. Hale, Toronto. At 3:30 Thursday afternoon the thirty-sixth annual session of the Supreme Council was closed and a precedent established for this ses- sion being the most amicable and the least time wasted of any session in a great many years. Columbus, Minne- Pi oe. Martin, Walter Philips, The meeting of the National Sec- retary-Treasurers Association was called to order at 10 o’clock, Mon- day, June 25, with a large attendance of the Secretary-Treasurers from the different Grand jurisdictions. This meeting was addressed by different officers, both of the Secretary-Treas- urers Association and the Supreme Council. The Association adopted a number of resolutions dealing with the busi- ness affairs of the organization which will go to the Supreme Council next year for approval and after listening to the addresses of the different Sup- reme officers and the transaction of much business, which is beneficial to Secretary-Treasurers of subordinate and Grand Councils, they proceeded to the election of officers, which re- sulted as follows: President—L. M. Graves, of Provi- dence, Rhode Island. Vice Chairman—H. A. Berleyette, Pittsburg, Pa. Secretary—L. M. Clare, Alton, II- linois. Page—J. B. Dansmore, Worcester, Massachusetts. Beautiful souvenirs which were in an envelope with an emblem of the order on were presented to all of the members attending the Secretary- Treasurers National Association meet- ing. _Tuesday evening in the beautiful dining room of Columbus Council, No. 1, the ladies auxiliary of Col- umbus Council, No. 1, served a chicken dinner to the Bagmen of Bagdad. This is an annual affair and is looked forward to by members of the Bagmen as part of the enter- tainment feature of the Supreme Council meeting; in fact, this dinner is the only entertainment that is put out. At the close of the dinner the Bagmen all repaired to the lodge room below and went into executive session of the Imperial Guild Bagmen of Bagdad. Imperial Ruler, Chan- ning E. Jone’, of Columbus, Ohio, presiding in the Great Ruler’s Sta- tion. The delegates from the different subordinate fields were called upon for reports which showed the order to be in a flourishing . condition, numerically and financially. But one new field was instituted during the past year. After the general routine of business proceeded to the election of officers, there being some vacan- cies declared during the past year. The members listened to the re- ports of Imperial Ruler Channing E. Jones; to the Imperial Clerk of Rec- ords and Revenue Lewis Worth. These reports showed that 375 were initiated during the past year and the Bagmen or Bagdad showed a total membership of 5,090 at the close of the fiscal year and a larger sur- plus _in the hands of the keeper of Records and Revenue Lewis Worth, of Cincinnatti, Ohio, than when he put in his report a year ago. A rising vote of thanks was given to the ladies committee of the auxi- fiary of Columbus Council, No. 1, Mrs. Wim. Vought, chairman, for the elegant dinner served and the way it was served. Proceeding to the election of of- ficers it was the pleasure of the deicgates from Michigan to nominate Walter S Lawton, of Grand Rapids, for Imperial Ruler. This nomination was made by Past Great Ruler John D. Martin, of Absal Guild, seconded by Past Great Ruler, Homer R. Bradfield, of Ab- sal Guild, as well as being seconded in unison by all Bagmen present. There being no contest for of- ficers, the following were elected by acclamation. Imperial Ruler—Walter S. Law- ton, of Michigan. Imperial Viceroy—W. J. Sullivan, of Illinois. Imperial Prime Minister—J. H. Dallaway, Wisconsin. Imperial Master of Ceremonies— L. J. Graves, of Rhode Island. Imperial Chief of Guides—L. J. Price, of Iowa. Impetial Captain of the Guards— A. H. Parker, Arkansas. Imperial Caliph—L. E. Wisbremer, Tr., of Pennsylvania. Imperial Inside Gate Keeper—J. Whitley Hyde, Tennessee. Imperial Clerk of Records and Revenue—Lewis Worth, of Ohio. H. J. Judell, of California, acting as installing officer, gave a very fine talk in installing these officers in their respective stations with the admonition “May peace, prosperity and brotherly love attend all their efforts.” John D. Martin. The wrong road never brings you to the right place. 7 Retailers Urged Not to Cut Prices. Suicidal merchandising” is how Al- fred G. Keeshan of the National Straw Hat Manufacturers’ Associat- tion describes the business methods of those retailers who, because of backward sales due to cold weather, are beginning to cut straw hat prices now. “This is the height of the straw hat season,” he said,“ and it is absolutely suicide for any merchant to begin cutting prices now, when he has a whole month before him of top-price business. “The manufacturers’ association for many years has campaigned a- mong the retailers for the purpose of abolishing the practice of price cut- -ting during the height of the straw hat season. This body now believes a majority of the country’s mer- chants are of the opinion that they formerly pursued the wrong tactics and have resolved that henceforth they will operate along diametrically opposite lines. “The straw hat manufacturers have conferred with a great number of retailers in both large and small cities this year, and have been in- strumental in forming in them ‘straw hat associations’ of retailers who make a gentlemen’s agreement not to cut prices before a certain date, which generally has been Aug. 1. Outside of New York there has been little op- position to the plan of the manu- facturers. “Straw hat manufacturers, as a whole, deplore the trend that has made itself apparent in New York especially among the department stores and in at least one large men’s store, but find that the metro- politan merchants lack the co-opera- tive spirit necessary to ‘put across’ the idea. It is felt that the in- dividual operators follow the lead of the chain store organizations too closely, in trying to compete with them on a price basis. Directly op- posite is the attitude of the Chicago retailers, who, it is said, pursuue their own methods, regardless of what the chain stores may offer in either quality or price.” a Details on the Farm. The newly-wed bride from the city went to a neighboring farmer to negotiate for a cow. “About what sort of cow did yau think you would like?” asked the stock raiser. “Well, I thought maybe a con- densed or malted cow would be all right—we often use those kinds of milk.” WE TAKE PLEASURE TELEPHONES: 150 Congress St., W. IN ANNOUNCING THAT MR. C. S. DORST iS NOW CONNECTED WITH US AS SALES REPRESENTATIVE IN CHARGE OF OUR GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE 519 Michigan Trust Building MAIN 4806, Harris, Small & Lawson CITIZENS 69425 DETROIT 3 ™ MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION. Notwithstanding the fact that in- dustrial workers are now being paid twice what they are worth and three times what they earn, numerous wage advances are now beng demanded by selfish organized workers, and the suggestion made to reluctant em- ployers is to “raise your prices and let the consumer pay.” From every present sign union labor is in power in the United States: its services are in demand, both its supply and its output are limited, and the consumer must Satisfy his requirements. Severe restriction of immigration, severe con- trol over trade apprenticeships, severe limitation of hours of work, and maintenance of the dead-level system which among unions establishes as a standard of work the output of the least effftient, have all contributed to place labor loafers in power. They may be expected to continue in power so long as the determining factor of the country’s business is the degree of imperativeness with which the public must buy labor’s output. The . question of wages touches not alone the wefare of a class of American people, but vitally con- cerns the well-being of all. It is important to keep before us the fun- damental principles involved, in view of the bearing that this question has on our National prosperity. No dis- tinction between the prosperity of the “capital classes,” is implied, nor is this an argument that men and wo- men who work with their hands should not have a living wage and should not be dealt with justly. In- deed, what. requires to be emphasized more than ever in the present situ- ation is justice in the relations not so much of employer and employe as in the relations of one class of labor with another. Highly organized labor is getting altogether too much out of the common production of wealth, getting it not at the expense of capital, but at the expense of other classes of labor. The difference, then, is. be- tween what might be termed two camps of workers; the “privileged” and the “‘unprivileged.” To put it another way, the difference is be- tween those who have utilized rising prices to force higher and _ higher wages for themselves, and those who have been left at the mercy of rising prices. It is the uneven distribution of wage benefits which contributes tc make this era of business prosperity an unbalanced one. Prosperity in any country cannot for any length of time be one-sided, nor can one class thrive permanently at the ex- pense of another. One class of labor, that which is organized, is pre-eminently thriving to-day, while others are languishing, or at best receiving only moderate returns fo their effort. Farmers have for sev- eral years sought unsuccessfully to solve the problem of matching rising prices of the things they buy with falling prices of the things they sell. Great numbers of them have given up the effort, abandoned their farms and joined the ranks of the wage earners. The exodus of negroes from the agricultural ‘communities of the South to the industrial centers of the East and Middle West has lately attracted much attention; it finds its’ cause in the condition referred to. Many farms in Michigan have been abandoned and farm dwellers here have been reduced 12,000 within a single year. Prosperity, if it is to continue in the United States, must spread far enough to be enjoyed by all classes. It must be enjoyed by the clerk, the farmer and all those others whose purchases in the long run help to support industry. Much of the buying which has brought such prosperous conditions to industrial workers during the past few years has ‘been of the imperative kind to make up the deficiency created by the war. But that kind of buying will not go on indefinitely unless it is encouraged by reasonable condi- tions. There are degrees even of imperative buying, especially in a country like the United States, where normally the production of goods runs beyond consumption, foreign countries being counted upon to ab- sorb the surplus. Just now, as al- ready shown, foreign countries are not buying heavily here; they are selling more than they buy. At some point, then, the uneven distribution of wage prosperity must begin to right itself, and it rests largely with the consuming public where that point is, and when it will be reached. An epidemic of fresh wage demands, like that which now seems to threaten among organized workers, will not help the situation. If buying of manufactured things falls away, and especially if high prices forced by high wages are re- sponsible for a breakdown in _ the buying demand, it will be seen that the employment of labor and _ the level of wages are governed in the long run by other laws than those of labor organizations, and are not always determined by agreements. Business is carried on for profit and can continue to be carried on only under conditions which permit profit. The cost of earning a dollar can never for any length of time be more than the dollar itself, hence, if presently instead of rising prices in industry we find that prices are falling, and if we find that the in- coming dollars of busness are fewer while the outgoing dollars are more, we shall discover 4 new element in the situation—one with which those who seek to maintain excessive wage scales for a favored class, at the ex- pense of a class which is less favor- ed, will have to cope. COMMERCIAL FRAUDS. How great the interest is in the effort to stop commercial frauds was shown by the presence of representa- tives of twenty-eight trade bodies at the conference on the subject held in the office of the U. S. District Attorney at New York one day last week. It is conceded that a great step in advance was taken with the establishment of a commercial frauds division of the -Magistrate’s Court, and all the conferees agreed that it should be continued. . Under the former practice, it was an almost hopeless thing to reach commercial crooks by criminal process, while civil remedies were generally futile -either as a punishment or a deter- rent. There has never been any lack of laws on the subject of the swind- lers, but even these have been made more stringent lately. Enforcement of the statutes was what was needed, and this is what the present move- ment is for. spectacular, usually, about offenses of the kind referred to. Forgery, con- cealment of assets, lying about financial standing in order to secure credit and similar actions do not loom up largely in the public eye. But the amount of money thus wrongfully obtained is greater than that gotten by the enterprising burg- ar and ordinary robber, and there is, therefore, the best of reasons for seeing to it that crimes of the char- acter mentioned shall not go un- punished. It is encouraging to find a healthy and active interest in the subject manifested by so many rep- resentative mercantile factors. This, of itself, will act as a preventive in checking the practices complained of. WOOLS AND WOOLENS. Whoever was responsible for it, the prediction some time ago of a weakening of wool prices at the London auction sales now in progress turned out to be a fairly good guess. These sales began on Tuesday and, amost at the outset, it was neces- sary to withdraw a number of the offerings because the bids were be- low the upset prices. It would ap- pear as though the peak of prices was past, especially as concerns merino wool. .A fairly good demand continues for crossbred wools, es- pecially on the part of British pur- chasers. In this country buyers are standing aloof from making further purchases of the domestic clip. Sel- lers are asking more than the buyers are willing to pay, and there does not seem to be any immediate demand for further supplies on the part of the mills. The latter, meanwhile, are finishing up on Fall orders. Some of them are likely to shut down for a while unless re-orders are forthcoming. Openings for Spring, it is now said, are not likely to occur until after the end of the month. There is much curiosity as to what the American Woolen Com- pany will do as to prices. Mr. Wood, its President, has reiterated that it will be necessary to make ad- vances because of added production costs, but there has been no intima- tion as yet as to the amount of such advances. If the company follows its usual practice, it will endeavor to get as large a quantity of initial orders as possible. But, just now, buyers show no disposition to plunge and, unless the first quotations are attractive, there will be much hold- ing back. In dress goods the situa- tion appears more favorable than in men’s wear fabrics. Roy A. Cheney, Secretary of the Knit Underwear Manufacturers As- sociation. of America, reports that Mr. Roger N. Kimball, of the Allen A. Co., has been madé a member of the advertising committee of the in- dustry. There is nothing of the into manufactures. PROBLEM OF RISING PRICES. Seasonal dullness is the feature in the primary markets and it promises to last for a few weeks, at the end of which period offerings are due for next Spring. altogether displeasing to many, who would be in a quandary were they called upon at the present to decide on a buying policy. Jobbers are get- ting rid of a lot_ of their . holdings bought at lower levels than now pre- vail and they bid fair to start the new season, when it does open, with small stocks. The calls on them are many, though individual orders are small, but the total is large enough to be encouraging. They are not urging any premature showing of offerings, but rather the reverse. They feel they can better afford to wait until the future is more clear, even at the possible risk of paying more in the end, than to start on a buying nolicy with nothing to guide them. The sales over the retail coun'zrs now in progress will be some indication to producers and jobbers as to what they may expect, and they will, at the same time, give to the retailers the funds ,with which to operate. The latter are rather en- couraged, by recent experiences, to continue making purchases on the hand-to-mouth basis. They have been getting what they wanted when they wanted it and without extra cost. In certain lines, notably those of Sum- mer dresses, they have been able to get concessions which have made it possible to stimulate trade with special bargain offerings. While many are convinced that nothing can prevent a rise in prices, there are those who insist that this proceeding will have to be done with much discrimination when _ it comes to the ultimate consumer, lest he balk and refuse to play the game. There will be some testing out to see how far sellers-can go, and this applies all along the line, beginning with the raw materials which enter And the question presents itsel{ which of two plans is the better policy. One of these is to start out with the highest price the seller hopes to get, and, if re- sponses are not ample, to come down from the perch. The other is to have a moderate opening price and subsequenty advance it if the cir- cumstances warrant. Of the two, the last mentioned has more to com- mend it. In the first instance, a drop in price is apt to be followed by demoralization, the buyer feeling never sure when the bottom will be couched and, therefore, making him more than ever determined to hold back his purchases to the last mo- ment. On the other hand shouid initial advances be moderate so as to afford some chance that they may be absorbed in a measure between producer and consumer, there will be less reluctance to venture, and a trade may be encouraged to grow to such an extent as to make pos- sible a gradual, if not too large, price advance. It does not pay to try and drive the consumer. Coax- ing is, by far, the better and more effective plan and, unless all signs fail, this is what will be attempted. The dullness is not. o | : £ 4 é a July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN - Seven Years Old We celebrated the seventh anni- versary of the founding of our house July 1. The past seven years have been marked by steady and _ consistent growth, for which we thank our friends and customers. We are in a position to serve you better than ever in the year to come. Write or tell us your needs. Grand Rapids Store Fixture Co. . EVERY MERCHANT SHOULD carry a reserve account outside of his business. MANY MERCHANTS DO carry such accounts in Build- ing and Loan Associations. WHY? Because these Associations REQUIRE a regular weekly payment, and being mutual, pay the highest return consistent with safety. $7.50 per week by our plan creates a CASH RESERVE of $5,000 in about nine and one-half years. Grand Rapids Mutual Building and Loan Association Resources $4,500,000.00 Chartered 1888 Second Floor Widdicomb Building Citizens Long Distance Service Reaches more people in Western Michigan than can be reached through any other tele- phone medium. 22,400 telephones in Grand Rapids. Connection with 150,000 telephones in Detroit. USE CITIZENS SERVICE CITIZENS TELEPHONE COMPANY Accidents will Happen--- Accidents are constantly increasing. You cannot control wild drivers. Your only protection is GOOD INSURANCE. We insure over 30,000 cars in Michigan. Our admitted assets are over $400,000 and w- do pay our claims promptly. Rates so reasonable that you cannot afford to be without protection. Call For Rates Maximum protection for the money, and adjustments are always made promptly Mary J. Field Company Grand Rapids Representative Auto Owners Insurance Company 514-515 Widdicomb Bldg. Bell Main 1155 Citz. 65440 The Mill Mutuals AGENCY /# Lansing, Michigan Representing Your Home Company, The Michigan Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. And 22 Associated Mutual Companies. $20,000,000.00 Assets Is Saving 25% Or More Insures All Classes of Property ROBERT HENKEL, Pres. A. D. BAKER, Sec.-Treas. 10 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 ny) ‘ | a) y © Prt ii LAS ay; \ Ran WAI \] i \\ a\\ A fv Wh y Vad i\ (eal ALLL, [\ oh X say UR A Nyy - = n oN Ai N VA, “eS. Is | Vacation Footwear for Everybody. Written for the Tradesman. Everybody doesn’t get a vacation, to be sure, but everybody can wear cool and comfortable footwear dur- _ng the hot weather period. Increasing numbers of young people are now looking forward to and planning for their annual vaca- tion. It is the one brightest spot in the whole calendar of the year. Its coming suggests the need of sandals, sport shoes and other types of vaca- tion footwear. In millions of thomes throughout the length and breadth of the land fathers, mothers and children are now discussing trips to the country, camp or mountains. And here again are innumerable needs for seasonable summer . footwear. It would be fine if everybody could have a vacation, but unfortu- nately our present-day social order is not letter-perfect; so there are a good many people who must forego the idea and stay on the job right on through the hot weather period. There are ambitious young people who are making their way through college, and there are other young people (and older ones as well) whose responsibilities are such that they cannot afford a vacation. And there are families who are not dis- cussing any trip to the country, the lakes, the mountains, or the camps. For all these summer means staying on in the village, town or city, endur- ing the heat and dust as best they may, with only an occasional week- end trip to break the monotony of life. But whether one takes a vacation or not, one ought to give his feet a vacation by wearing seasonable shoes. There are many solid argi- “ments for such a practice. Hot weather comfort had apart from suitable appareling; and among the items of such, does any single item figure more promin- ently than footwear? Can anybody be cool and comfortable whose feet are encased in hot, stuffy shoes? Certainly not. Therefore, even if one isn’t planning to go anywhere at all this summer, he ought to provide himself with the wherewithal of solid footwear comfort in the hot place where he proposes to tough it out. Isn’t that good reasoning? Is there any loop-hole in such a contention? Somebody may say, Well, these poor folk who cannot afford a vaca- tion cannot afford the expense of new and seasonable footwear. The cost of such footwear isn’t an expense, it’s an investment. In promoting vacation footwear put it on the ground of an investment, for such it is. Summer oxfords, for men. or cainot be will last more than a single season. A good pair of sport shoes will last for at least two seasons, and if the style-feature isn’t too pronounced to start with, they may be quite satisfactory the second summer. Of course, when it comes to san- dals and pumps for women and mis- ses—types of vacation footwear in which the style element is domin- ant—that is another proposition. But the kind of people we now have in mind are not the ones who are apt to be greatly concerned about style anyway. What they want is a relatively inexpensive summer shoe; something that will provide comfort for the feet during the hot weather period, and something that will sug- gest the sentiment and perpetuate the impression of a vacation to those who, perforce, must remain on in the old town. It is, as the writer has intimated, a regrettable fact that vacation, to a great host of people, doesn’t mean joy. To the young people and children of families it doesn’t mean a chance to build up physical and mental vitality and strength for the return to school in the fall and a future education. It means the same old hum-drum. Maybe it means that 14-year old Harry is starting in to become a wage-earner in order to supplement the scant family income; or maybe it means that 16-year old Fanny is going to serve as a waitress in the summer hotel four: miles out of town. This is not a treatise on economics, and the writer has no dis- cussing the rightness of the wrong- ness of this matter; but merely wants to call attention to the fact that vaca:.ou footwear is just as good for those who. s‘ay at home as it is for those who journey hither to yon. Footwear comfort is just as ard as impcrtant to’ the as to the and in both in- stances footwear comfort is condi- tioned largely upon suitable (i e. seasonable appropriate) foot- for women, many intention of real one class other; and wear. The workingman who is through the -day’s work at four, half-past four, or five o’clock, ought to go home and ease into a cool, comfort- able pair of shoes. The clerk who is on her feet eight or nine hours a day will find nothing so restful as a change of footwear. If ones feet are inclined to perspire freely such a change is of the greatest import- Your family physician will tell you this; and every orthopaedic expert in the country insists upon it. Pushing summer footwear by educa- tional propaganda with reference to the care of the feet and _ sensible tte ‘ Some Snappy Oxford Numbers On the floor for at once delivery KID LEATHERS 544—-Men’s Brown Kid Blucher Oxford Polo Comb Last Rubber Heel Welt 6-11 BC De $5.50 571—Men’s Black Surpass Kid Blucher Oxford Polo Last Rub- her tee Wet BOD G10 ee ee 4.50 CALF LEATHERS 33—Men’s Ruby Red Calf Blu. Ox. Quaker Last Solid Leather Welt Wingfoot Rubber Heel, 6-11 B C D ______--_-__---- 534—-Men’s Ruby Red Calf Saxon Last Oxford, Orange Stitch Folded Tip Solid Lea. Welt Wingfoot rub. heel, 6-11 BCD 4.25 535—Men’s Blk. Calf Saxon last Ox. four row stitched pink tip and Vp. solid Lea. Welt Wingfoot rubber heel, 6-11 BCD __ 4.25 536—Men’s Ruby Red calf Ox. four row stitched pinked tip and Vp. solid Lea. Welt Sole Wingfoot rub. heel 6-11 B C D_- 4.25 572—Men’s Blk. Calf Saxon Last four row stitched Scroll tip solid Lea. Welt sole Wingfoot rub. heel, 6-11 BCD --__--- 4.25 ORDERS FILLED SAME DAY RECEIVED HIRTH-KRAUSE CO. From Hide to you. Grand Rapids, Mich. MI acelelcstee RESORT Shoe Mfgs. and Tanners Scout! Light weight Here’s a Summer service shoe with plenty of wear for little money. Cool and roomy for hot Made of good leather throughout. You can retail at $3 to’ $3.50 with a good profit. Now. HEROLD-BERTSCH SHOE COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS weather. Boys’ sizes also. Order your Summer stock G4 seacoast a July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 footwear appareling for hot weather, is not merely a business enterprise, it is a humanitarian procedure. There is no foundation which hands out medals to the merchants who do it efficiently, and the dignitaries of the church do not laud and memorialize such practice: but they are worth while just the same. Nine-tenths of the vacation, after all, consists in the vacation attitude. It’s more in the mind than in the trees, the rivers, the hills, or the wide expanses of water. If one is fussed and flurried, impatient, over- anxious, self-centered, and quick to incur a peeve if everything doesn’t coincide with one’s wishes, no wealth and charm and variety of external environment can do one much last- ing good. That’s the reason some people come back from extensive and costly: vacation trips jaded and disgusted and no better off than they were before they started. If you can’t have the actual vacation, you can at least have the vacation spirit: and that means contentedness, elastic adjustment to inescapable surround- ings, resignment to the incidental dis- comforts of hot weather, and the disposition to find a silver lining to every cloud that looms. Suitable hot weather footwear will help you to get into what I have called the vacation mood. Personally, I have always felt that the ingredient of sentiment ought to be mixed in with the shoe dealer’s advertising of hot weather footwear. And the scope for it is immense. Take, for example, the type of shoes that people used to wear dur- ing the sweltering summer months —those heavy, cloddy, unwieldy, ill ventillated, insufferable shoes made from heavy calf and_ split leather. And think of the ungainly, clumsy, uncomfortable shoes little children used to wear, if they wore any sum- mer shoes at all. No wonder they went barefoot except on occasion when the must be dolled up and taken on a visit. But just consider the wide range of beautiful, stylish, and comfortable types of present-day footwear for little people! Consider these and other related human-inter- est elements connected with vacation footwear, and take advantage of them in your advertising and sales talks. And, for another thing, create a vacation atmosphere in your place of business. Start with a vacation mental attitude on your Own part. Foster a vacation spirit on the part of your employes. Then introduce Crex rugs, or some other suitable summer floor coverings, in soft green tones; have a few flowers, ice water and electric fan (or, in lieu of that, plenty of souvenir fans); advertise a cool store where people can shop with comfort (most any store is comfortable at certain hours of the day even in the hottest weather); trim your windows in a seasonable manner, and introduce the vacation spirit into your. advertising. Remember that there is vacation footwear for everybody, and remem- ber that it must be sold before the summer is spent. Cid McKay. ————~7.- 2 ____ We ail have money coming, but it seldom arrives on scheduled time, The Responsible Party. This happened out in California, but it could have happened in Michi- gan, Indiana, or Louisiana. The tank wagon of one of the large oil companies drove into John Doe’s garage for the purpose of delivering some gasoline that had been ordered. The driver of the tanker, after the manner of such drivers everywhere, spilled several gallons of gasoline on the floor of the garage; and again, after the manner of tank drivers, he left it there. Of course, if he had been a polite driver, he would have cleaned up the mess; but he didn’t. Instead, he rolled a cigarette and threw the lighted match on the floor right where he had spilled the gaso- line. The loss was total. The insurance company paid John Doe the amount due him under the policy he carried and then went after the oil company for the money. The Supreme Court held that when the oil company’s driver spilled the gasoline it was his duty to clean it up, and that the oil company was ‘liable for his failure to do so; and, therefore, the oil company must pay the amount of the loss. The principle involved here is one that should be thoroughly under- stood, especially by employers who send men into the property of others. We are so careless, as a rule, around our premises that we just naturally carry our bad ‘habits with us where- ever we go. This refers especially to smokers, who think nothing of dropping cigars, cigarettes and burn- ing matches where it suits their pleasure. Now this case clearly sets forth that we are responsible for injury to others where such injury is due to our carelessness; further- more, that we are responsible for the careless acts of our agents and em- ployes. Heretofore, the railroads were the only ones called to account in cases of this kind. Now we are getting after the oil companies. Sooner or later every one of us will be called to account for our care- less acts. And this is as it should be. If we insist that all men are equal before the law, then the careless match thrower or cigarette smoker must stand in the same position as_ the railroad that operates sparking loco- motives, or oil companies that spill gasoline. —_>--+____ Good Reason to Faint. On Irishman coming out of ether in the ward after an operation ex- claimed audibly: “Thank God! That’s over!” “Don’t be too sure,” said the man in the next bed, “They left a sponge in me, and had’ to cut me open again.” And the patient on the other side said, “They had to open me, too, tu find one of their instruments.” Just then the surgeon who had operated on the Irishman stuck his head in the door and yelled, “Has anybody seen my hat?” Pat fainted. ————~~ If fond lovers were to taJk their sweet nothings into a- phonograph how it would shock them to hear the reproduction ground out a few years hence, Retail Salesmen Wanted A Splendid Opportunity For The Right Men The J. C. Penney Company—a nation-wide institution—needs capable salesmen; young men between the ages of 25 and 35 years who have had thorough experience in one or more of our lines, and can give us the highest references. Our company, which started in 1902 with one store, now operates 371 retail stores in 29 states. ‘We sell dry goods, shoes, notions, clothing and furnishings for men, women and children. We do a strictly cash business. Our sales in 1922 were $49,035,729. We opened 115 stores in 1920, 59 stores in 1922, and will open 104 stores this Summer and Fall, making a total of 475 stores in 33 states in operation this year. By industry, study and determination your progress will be rapid in our organization. Under our experienced managers you are trained to become a manager. When you have qualified You are Promoted to be Manager of a Store in which you own a one-third interest, to be paid for out of the profits of the business. Experience has taught us that some of the greatest successes come from the ranks of average men. What we need are young, healthy and capable salesmen who have had thorough experience in a small or medium-size department store, or are experienced in general store work in special lines. The investment of money is not necessary for your success with us. The financial backing of our company is ample. 3riefly, this is our proposition—tested and proven over a period of 21 years: You come to us first as a salesman in one of our stores. During the period of proving your ability you learn the great- er possibilities of co-operative effort. Your progress de- pends upon your ability and effort. As our new stores are opened, managers are selected from our sales force, When you make a success of the management, you are sold a one-third interest in a new store and become its manager. You may afterward acquire a partnership in other stores which are the outgrowth of the one in which you first received a financial interest. If you do not possess the capi- tal to purchase a one-third interest in a new store, the money is loaned you by the J. C. Penney Company, and you repay it from subsequent profits-of the store. Write today for our booklet, “Your Opportunity,” which fully explains our plan. Give your age and number of years’ experience in our lines of merchandise in your first letter. We may arrange for a personal interview later. All correspondence strictly confidential. Address your letter to J. C. PENNEY COMPANY, Inc. Wm. M. Bushnell, Manager of Employment, Star Building, St. Louis, Mo. MUSKEGON MICHIGAN Makes Good hocolates 12 ~ CEU MICHIGAN TRADESMAN -INANCIA eppeaebea) cm Deby Cita rre reer venn Demand for our Foodstuffs. When the emergency tariff law im- posed a high duty on wheat it was predicted by members of the -grain trade that it would probably have the effect of diverting accustomed im- ports of Canadian wheat from the American to the European markets, where it ‘would again come _ into competition with American wheat and flour. This appears to be borne out by the investigation of the De- partment of Commerce, which is conducting a survey of the world trade in agricultural products. This investigation shows that since the pre-war years the exports of flour from Canada have been increasing at a rate twice as great as that for the United States. Since 1921, when the emergency tariff act became effective, Canada has increased her pre-war exports of flour to Great Britain 72 per cent., while exports from the United (States to that country have increased only 2 per cent. Canada now sends more flour to Great Britain than does the United States, and is increasing exports to other countries as well. The most irecent analysis of ex- ports of foodstuffs from the United States made by the Department of Commerce shows a _ tendency for meat products to hold their own anid in most cases to increase, while all the grains except oats and rye, which are not of primary importance as ex- port crops, are being shipped abroad in diminished volume. Thus, during the eleven months of the current fiscal year exports of wheat have de- clined in quantity 26 per ceni., as compared with the movement in the corresponding period of the preced- ing year; exports of corn 44 per cent., of rice 36 per cent., and of barley 19 per cent. Among other foodstuffs cottonseed oil showed a decline of 30 per cent. and condensed milk a decline of 45 per cent. The decline in grains is due in part to better crop elsewhere. Europe is more nearly able to feed itself than it was a year ago, and crops in other exporting countries are also Satis- factory. The fact that foreign coun- tries are taking more of our meats, especially pork products, is also en- couraging, as increasing exports may improve the depressed market for Jivestock in this country. —_——_—__.+— Retail Trade Holds Up. Despite reports that retail trade during the spring was not up to ex- pectations, statistics of sales by de- partment stores in the New York Federal Reserve district, compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank, indicate that business was fully as good and perhaps even a little better than a year ago. Total dollar sales in May were 9.4 per cent. above those in May, 1922. Part of this was due to higher prices. The average cus- tomer’s check was about 9 per cent. larger than in May of last year, but since there are indications that con- sumers have been demanding better quality of merchandise this season, it is probable that the entire gain in sales was not due to a rising price level. At any rate, there is nothing in the showing to justify the assump- tion that there has been a_ slump. There was, however, considerable ir- regularity in the movements of dif- ferent lines of goods. Substantial increases were shown in sales of silk and woolen goods, in women’s ready to wear,’ and in-house furnish- ings, while sales of men’s and boys’ wear and hosiery were much below the average. Another encouraging feature is that the May gain over 1922 is somewhat larger than the average for the first five months of the current year. : i oe Juggling With the Language. “Tt is all right,” said the learned professor of ultra-modern languages of Piffle University, “for people in other lines to speak of their co- workers, but in the dairy business the hyphen’ should be © slightly shifted.” CITIZENS 4267 A. E. KUSTERER & Co. INVESTMENT SECURITIES GOVERNMENT, MUNICIPAL, PUBLIC UTILITY, RAILROAD, 817-821 MICHIGAN TRUST BUILDING BELL, MAIN 2435 CORPORATION BONDS GRAND RAPIDS July 4, 1923 COMPETENT HANDS HE DIFFERENCE between putting your estate in the charge of a trust company or in the keeping of an in- dividual, is often the difference be- tween competent hands and incompetent hands. A trust company is trained in the handling of estates—in the requirements, the duties, in all the necessities of the work. Its continuity of service is not dependent on the life of any individual.- Friends and relatives may pass away, but the trust company—faithful, competent, trustworthy—lives on. Our officers can be consulted at any time on this important subject. [RAND RAPIDS [RUST [OMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Ottawa at Fountain Both Phones 4391 Merchants Life Insurance Company RANSOM E. OLDS Chairman of Board WILLIAM A. WATTS President Offices: 4th floor Michigar Trust Bldg.—Grand Rapids, Mich. GREEN & MORRISON—Michigan State Agents Grand Rapids National Bank The convenient bank for out of town people. Located at the very center of the city. Handy to the street cars—the interurbans—the hotels—the shopping district. On account of our location—our large transit facilities—our safe deposit vaults and our complete service covering the entire field of bank- ing, our institution must be the ultimate choice of out of town bankers and individuals. Combined Capital, Surplus and Undivided Profits over $1,450,000 GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL BANK GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. July 4, 1923 TRADE OF CREDITOR NATION The short-run effect when a coun- try passes from the status of a debtor to that of a creditor nation may be wholly different from the long-run results. The distinction is pointed out by the London City and Midland Bank in its recent review of foreign trade. When a country first’ begins to place large loans abroad there is a tendency for it to increase its exports, as what it lends will be taken in part in the form of goods. As _ foreign loans increase the effect for a certain period will be noted in an increased “favorable” trade balance. Eventually, however, the borrowing countries begin to make their interest payments also in the form of goods, and after the total loans have reached a substan- tial figure the interest payments will exceed the volume of new _ loans placed abroad. The foreign trade situation is then reversed; the ten- dency then is for imports to exceed exports, and for the trade balance to become “unfavorable.’ Such a trend appears to be under way in the United States. The largest favorable balances in our history have within the last three months given way to the largest monthly excess of imports ever recorded. It is believed that the excess of im- ports is due in part to the high rate of industrial activity in this country, but back of this is the fundamental fact that the United States is now the world’s great creditor nation. TRILLIONS OF MARKS. One can recall the financial circles. some when it was announced that the cir- culation of paper marks in Germany had increased a _ billion within a week. A short time thereafter the weekly billion was: multiplied many fold, and when the increase attained an average of a billion a day bankers and other financiers gave another gasp of surprise and wondered what would be the end. Last week brought another shock when the Reichsbank statement showed an increment in note circulation of slightly more than one and a half trillions. The ima- gination balks at such figures. The recent expansion, however, is’ merely a repetition on a larger scale of what has happened before whenever the mark took a new tumble. With every further step in depreciation surprise in months ago MICHIGAN TRADESMAN e money in Germany appears to be scarcer than before. This is because the depreciation brings a sharp ad- vance in prices, and this in turn calls for additional circulating me- dium to finance a given transaction, and Germany is caught in a vicious circle of soaring prices and inflated note circulation that apparently will have no end till the value of the mark touches the vanishing point. The efforts at “stabilization” during the spring were doomed to failure the moment it became evident that the printing presses showed no let- up i> their activity. Wholesale Business. Wholesale trade in the New York Reserve district, as reported by the same authority, was likewise greater than a year ago, but as compared with April and May, it showed some- what more than a seasonal decline. In dollar value sales in May were 18 per cent. greater than in the same month a year ago. The Reserve Bank has prepared an index, in which changes due to seasonal vari- ations and to price fluctuations have been eliminated, and in which the trade for each month is shown as a percentage of an estimated normal. During May the actual saes were 3 per cent above the theoretical normal, as compared with 5 per cent. in March. Perhaps from this calcula- tion the bulls and bears can both get material to their liking, the for- mer because wholesale business is still running above normal expecta- tions, and the latter because of the receding rate above the estimated normal. Altogether, the indexes of wholesale and retail prices for this district fail to reveal any pronounced downward trend or anything ap- proaching a so-called buyers’ strike. oo Is there a sublimer spectacle on this earth than that of a man who absolutely refuses to surrender when everything, apparently, has been swept away from him, when he stands stripped of property, of family, of reputation, still holding on, with nothing left but clear grit and his faith in himself? There is no conquering such a man. He fights when every other soldier has dropped in the field. He still presses on when everybody else turns back, persists when everybody else gives up. Citizens 64-101 Bell Main 2101 VanAken-Johnson Company INVESTMENT BONDS 303-305 Powers Theatre Bldg. Grand Rapids, Mich. Fenton Davis & Boyle BONDS EXCLUSIVELY G. R. NAT. BANK BLDG. Chicago GRAND RAPIDS Detroit First National Bank Bldg. Telephones{ Citizens 4212 Concresg Building 13 July Investment Recommendations We recommend the following select list of Bonds for July investment, believing that they offer the pur- chaser the highest yield commensurate with safety. Approximate Yield % 4.50 Los Angeles, Calif. High School and City School 434 Bonds 1923-1962 6.30 Western States Gas & Electric Co. (California) Price About 4.50 Basis 96.00 First and Unified Mortgage 6% Series ‘‘A”’ March 1, 1947 7.00 Thomas-Daggett Canning Co. 100.00 First Mortgage 7% Serial Gold Bonds 1926-1937 5.66 Republic of Finland 27 Liberty Loan 512% Bonds of 1918 1966 Due 7.00 Ozark Court Apartments (Detroit, Mich.) First Mortgage 7% Serial Bonds 1926 - 1936 7.20 Standard Gas & Electric 100.00 91.00 Convertible Secured 7% Goid Bonds March 1, 1937 4.70 : Dallas Joint Stock Land 5% Farm Loan Bonds 1952 5.20 Province of Saskatchewan, Bank 102.25 Canada 97.50 Twenty-year 5% Goid Bonds June 15, 1943 5.45 Illinois Central Railroad Co. 101.00 15 Year Secured 5!4% Bonds January 1, 1934 Circulars and further details regarding these upon request. issues will be furinshed CORRIGAN, HILLIKER & CORRIGAN Investment Bankers and Brokers Citizens 4480 GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN GROUND FLOOR MICHIGAN TRUST BLDG Bell Main 4900 “A strong Conservative Investment Banking Organization” Fourth National. Ba GRAND RAPIDS n MICHIGAN United States Depositary Capital Surplus 3% interest paid on © semi-annually, Wom.” Christian David H. Marshall J. Clinton Bishop $300,000 $300,000 Savings Deposits, payable I . interest paid on Certificates of Deposit 3 i, % if left one year. OFFICERS Anderson, President; Lavant Z. Caukin, Vice-President; ; J. Clinton Bishop, Cashier. Alva T. Edison, Ass’t Cashier; Harry C. Lundberg, Ass’t Cashier. DIRECTORS Wm.H. Anderson Lavant Z. Caukin Bertsch Sidney F. Stevens Brown’ Robert D. Graham M. Uhl Samuel G. Braudy Samuel D. Young James L. Hamilton 4 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 Personal Liability for Preventable Fires. “Tf fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or standing corn, or the field, be con- sumed therewith, he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.” This is the law of Moses, as set forth in Exodus XII, 6, and gives perhaps the greatest single remedy for materially reducing our great annual fire loss, that is the Per- sonal Liability Law for damage by fire. It is an accepted principle of the common law that a man is liable to his neighbor for injury to the lat- ter resulting from his carelessness or neglect. The reason that a man injured by fire through his neighbor’s carelessness has not been as quick to claim indemnity as he would have been if injured by his neighbor’s automobile, is because he has sel- dom thought of applying the com- mon law principle to such a case. The property is usually insured and the loss thereby distributed over a large number of people. But in the case of injury by fire, the principle has been obscured, and carelessness and irresponsibility thus condoned, if not entirely ignored. In America, for many years, the common assump- tion has been that every man who has a fire is an unfortunate and to be pitied. In Europe, a person hav- ing a fire is looked upon as a public offender and must make restitution according to the existing liability laws. This is without question one reason why fire losses average less than fifty cents per capita in Europ- ean countries, while in the United States and Canada they average more than $2.50 per capita. Why should not Americans adopt such laws as have been proved by experience and practice to be effective, and by one forceful stroke materially reduce the annual fire loss of nearly $500,000,000, almost 90 per cent. of which is pre- ventable? Since the average citizen’s indif- ference to the public welfare or care- lessness of his neighbor’s safety can- not be corrected by any ordinary method of polite education, he must be penalized through his purse. No matter how conscientious a man may be in observing precautions against fire, the adjoining property of another, who is neglectful in this respect, is a constant menace, not only to. the immediate neighborhood, but to the whole community. Each citizen should feel it his duty to take protective measures for the safety of himself and the community, and should be empowered by the law to do so. If a careless man knowingly har- bors a defective chimney, a rubbish filled basement, a trash-laden attic, defective electric wirimg, stoves in- ‘pockets of the people. stalled so as to endanger woodwork; if he is careless in the storage and use of gasoline and other oils, oily waste and rags, then he is indifferent to the safety of his own property and family, and of his neighbor’s proferty and family, and of the lives of the firemen. It is ‘his neighbor’s duty to warn him and to notify the proper authorities. Such a man needs discipline. He must be taught the lesson that ‘No man liveth to him- self alone.’ If everyone realized that the man who through carelessness permits a preventable fire, picks the pockets of the entire community, either through the fire insurance which he collects for. his losses, or through the use of- the fire apparatus which is maintained by his fellow citizens, his responsibility would be immedia- tely recognized. When such a person collects in- surance it does not come from the pocket of the fire underwriters, as many seem to believe, but from the How? The loss is paid from insurance prem- iums which are merged in the price of nearly every article of food we eat, of clothing we wear, or of equipment we use. A tax is paid on a new building in the course of construction for insurance premiums before a policy is ever placed to cover that individual property. How? Through the insurance premiums ESTABLISHED 1853 WLLL ddlliidddldsdslilsissiitisdidddsddddidsddd Through our Bond De- partment we offer only such bonds as are suitable for the funds of this bank. Buy Safe Bonds from The Old National N NY NY NY N NY S NY NY NY NY NY NY NY N NY NY NY NY N N S NY N N N N N NS N N NN N N NY N N N N N N NY Ny N NY NY Ny NY N N NN NY Ny NY NS N NY NY NY NY NY NY NY N NY NY N N N N N N N N N N N AN N NS N NN N N N N S N NN N x NS N Te SZZZZZE LLAMA Ads dsssssdhshsdhdhdtlstshdd CLL tsdsdattsdidide Orders promptly executed in all markets. Quotations gladly furnished. We invite you to use our statistical service. Will you be “The Average Widow?” OME day, not very far away, 100 of the wives From the ex- perience of over 20,000 cases surveyed, we will give who read this will be widows. you a horoscope: 16 of the 100 will be able to live on the income from 42, will have to work or be dependent. The remaining 42 will be wholly dependent. their estates. Has it not occurred to you that it is necessary to join your efforts with those of the bread-winner, in order to put by enough for a “Rainy Day?” This matter of cautious investment,—safeguarding the savings, is vitally important, and we stand ready at all times to render every assistance and encour- agement to people who desire to build up Funds and have them Safe. Consult our Trust Officers today. Call for our booklet: “What Happened to His Wife.” “Oldest Trust Company in Michigan” MICHIGAN TRUST COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Finnish Mutual Fire Insurance Co. ORGANIZED IN 1889. AMOUNT OF INSURANCE IN FORCE DECEMBER 3lst, 1922 ~---$6,033,803.00 TOTAL ADMITTED ASSETS DECEMBER 3lst, 1922 -_---.-------- 264,586.56 NET CASH SURPLUS OVER ALL LIABILITIES -_---------------- 212,718.32 DOUBLE DIVIDEND PAID IN 1922, Three and Four Year Periods ~. 49,113.47 DIVIDENDS PAID POLICY HOLDERS SINCE ORGANIZATION -. 453,374.50 FIRE LOSSES PAID POLICY HOLDERS SINCE ORGANIZATION 262,478.56 Assets per $1,000. of Risk ~-. $43.68 Surplus per $1,000. of Risk -.-_ $35.25 Loss Ratio to Premiums ------ 364% % Expense Ratio to Premiums -_ 18%% Loss Ratio to Income ---------- 33% Expense Ratio to Income ~----. 17% Average Loss Ratio of Stock Average Expense Ratio of Stock Camnanies 22 56% Companies 22... 42% DIVIDEND FOR 1923 507 MERCANTILE AND DWELLING RISKS SOLICIFED Are you saving 50% on your insurance costs? You should investigate. Write for further information to F. A. ROMBERG, Gen. Mgr. C. N. BRISTOL, Gen. Agt. FREMONT, MICHIGAN CALUMET, MICHIGAN 4% —¢ a July 4, 1923 paid by the retailer, wholesaler, and manufacturer of the materials used to construct the building, and these premiums are merged in the cost of those materials. : When it is necessary to call out a publicy-sustained service for the pur- pose of extinguishing a fire caused by negligence, it is just that the one at fault should be made to pay the cost incurred. Fire departments are not maintained to protect a man from the results of his own negligence, and when he calls upon the authori- ties in such a case, he should be made to pay for the service. The safety of ‘a whole community may be jeorardizd at a critical mo- ment by the diversion of the atten- tion of the fire department in the run to a fire which should never have occurred. The indifferent citi- zen who will not protect himself by proper housekeeping and causes con- stant inspection of his premises by the firemen, makes imperative a larger fire department, thus laying his neighbors under assessment to maintain it. Is it not, then, peculiarly just, when the Fire Marshal or other authorized department tssues an order and a fire results from its non-ob- servance, that the offenders should pay to the city the full value of the services of the fire department and any damage in person or _ property resulting thereto in extinguishing or attempting to extinguish such fire? Far-seeing citizens should legislation to this end. These cities and this State are, therefore, the leaders in a movement, the justice of which is irrefutable, and which is bound to exert a profound influence in correcting the defects of character which make for America so unfavor- able a showing among the more pru- dent nations of the world. ——~-->—____ Importance of Testing Extinguishers It has been remarked that the words of the old song, “You never find two alike at any one time and you never find one alike twice,’ may be applied to fire inspectors as well as to 'the fair sex. Certain it is that in few callings is there greater chance for each individual to develop along his own particular lines. Some inspectors are fiends on elec- tric defects, even going so far as to take out every plug fuse in order to see whether or not a coin has been inserted. Whether this is primarily in order to increase their bank ac- count or not we have. never learned, but in all our travels we have found few such “bugs” on fire extinguish- ers as ourselves. The majority of inspectors seem to feel that if an advocate MICHIGAN TRADESMAN extinguisher is tagged correctly, all is well, but in the last few years we have found the following defects in the soda and acid type: 1. Sodium bicarbonate solution frozen; in some cases hard enough to burst the tank. 2. Acid bottle frozen. 3. Nozzle plugged. 4. Cap screwed on so insecurely that on discharging, it blew off, barely missing the operator. 5. Tank soldered. In many cases this would have proved dangerous to operate. 6. Acid bottle broken. 7. Cage for acid bottle broken, dropping bottle into solution. 8. Stopple for acid bottle missing. 9. Gasket missing. 10. Iron ball, intended to break bottle when tank was upset, stuck in unmixed bicarbonate of soda at bottom of tank. 11. Empty. The intention was to keep it this way, and charge it after the fire was discovered. 12. Not re-charged after using. 13. Charges put into extinguisher unopened, and in some cases, water added. 14. Pasteboard collar which was put around neck of bottle when shipping had not been removed, thus making it impossible for sufficient acid, if any, to mix with the soda solution. 15. Hose broken through kinking. 16. Nozzle cut off. 17. Hidden in all sorts of out of the way places, particularly in clos- ets and behind curtains. While we have met with fewer of the calcium chloride type several of the above defects have been found as well as th following which are peculiar to the type: 1. Plunger frozen so that it could not be removed with a hammer. 2. Gas cartridge empty. 3. Gasket so thick that plunger could not pierce lead seal of gas cartridge. As to the one-quart carbon tetra- chloride type, these have been found in all sorts of conditions and places, some of the more frequent defects being the following: 1. Nozzle gummed. 2. Empty or nearly so. 3. Rod stuck. 4. Full of water. L. F. Wilcox. —_~+-.—__ Hinting It Gently. “T won’t tell you what I think you are,” stormed the florwalker to the new clerk who seemed balky and sullen, “but Tl tell you this: If I owned nineteen more just like you I'd hire out to haul borax!’ CHANDLER & VANDER MEY Citizens Phone 62425 LOCAL INVESTMENT SECURITIES 707 Commercial Bank Bldg. Grand Rapids, Mich. OUR FIRE INS. POLICIES ARE CONCURRENT with any standard stock policies that you are buying. The Net Cost is 3()% Less Michigan Bankers and Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Fremont, Mich. WM. N. SENF, Secretary-Treas. 18 The Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association advises its members to place their fire insurance with the GRAND RAPIDS MERCHANTS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY and save 30% on their premiums. Other merchants equally welcome. 319-20 Houseman Bidg. Grand Rapids, Mich. Michigan Shoe Dealers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Lansing, Michigan LEGAL RESERVE COMPANY Write L. H. BAKER, Secy-Treas. P. O. Box 549 LANSING, MICH. SAFETY SAVING SERVICE CLASS MUTUAL INSURANCE AGENCY “The Agency of Personal Service” C.N. BRISTOL, A.T. MONSON, H. G. BUNDY. FREMONT, MICHIGAN THE HARDWARE AND IMPLEMENT MUTUALS DIVIDE THEIR RISKS INTO THREE CLASSES CLASS A~HARDWARE AND IMPLEMENT STORES, DIVIDEND 50% to 55% CLASS B—GARAGES, FURNITURE AND DRUG STORES, DIVIDEND 40% CLASS C—GENERAL STORES AND OTHER MERCANTILE RISKS, 30% These Companies are recognized as the strongest and most reliable Mutuals in the United States, with Twenty Years of successful Underwriting Experience. No Hardware Mutual has ever failed, No Hardware Mutual has ever levied an assessment. Ask the Hardware Dealer of your town. 'f Interested, write for further particulars. 16 ‘ MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 IN THE REALM OF RASCALITY Cheats and Swindles Which Merchants Should Avoid. Written for the Tradesman. Business people of all kinds and calibre are constantly having put up to them various collection propo- sitions by collection agencies, bu- reaus, adjustment associations, com- panies and various other concerns, some of which are quite alluring. All require their subscribers, or vic- tims, as is usually the case, to sign lengthy contracts, first assuring the subscriber, however, that the contract is merely a memorandum and a mat- ter of form. Practically always the subscriber signs without carefully reading or considering the contract, and finds when he carefully reads it afterward, that it involves him in payments and obligations which he wouldn’t under any circumstances have assumed. I am constantly receiving letters from victims of collection schemes. Read the following from an Ohio firm of jobbers and manufacturing agents: On February 8 a man giving his name as Samples came to our place of business, representing himself as a solicitor for a collection company at Columbus, Ohio, and solicited our delinquent accounts for collection. He had a lengthy contract, which he asked us to sign, but we first read it, and as it was not very clear to us he read it so that it sounded like it would be a good thing. We did not sign it, as we knew nothing about his company or how it was rated. He then stated that he had done collecting work for Ohio North- ern University at Ada, Ohio. We phoned the secretary of the university to verify his statement, but were un- able to get any answer. However, being induced by this statement, we signed the contract, knowing that if he had done collecting work for the university that the company must be all right. Since the signing of the contract we have reread it, and find that if the contract is carried out that we will be the “goat.” We have also talked to the_ secretary of the university, Mr. Smull, and _ have learned that Samples has never done any collecting work for the univer- sity. Therefore Samples has by a misrepresentation of a past material fact induced us to sign the contract. We do not know whether Samples intended to deceive us by this false statement, but we do know that we relied on it when we signed the contract. We wish to know our rights in this case, whether we can rescind and set up ithe false state- ment as a defense if sued, or press a criminal charge against the com- pany or Samples. In case the con- tract is binding, can the company sue us if we default? The company was to receive $150 as fee. However, this money was to be paid to them only in event that they collected that much into our thands, that is, out of all the money collected the first $150 went to them, and the balance to us. They cannot be certain that they would have collected a _ cent, and therefore no money would be due them. On what basis can they prove damages? This is indeed a pretty mess, all due to the carelessness of this cor- respondent in failing to carefully read a contract before he signed it. The contract, by the way, was as follows: Memorandum of agreement between the Mercantile Guaranty Co., of . Columbus, Ohio, hereinafter called company, and the undersigned sub- scriber, hereinafter called subscriber. judgment, The subscriber promises to send to the company at Columbus, Ohio, within the next ten days, names of eighty or more persons owing sub- scriber the aggregate sum of $1,000 or more, for collection, with post ofhce address of each, and to send at periods of fifteen days or less for five times thereafter, the names of all said persons who have not paid the amount they _owe, _and two 2-cent stamps or their equivalent with each name on all the lists. The first amounts received on said claims not exceeding $150, which is the full amount of the subscriber’s five-year subscription fee, is to be sent to the company within fifteen days after said amounts are received by the sub- scriber. The subscriber is to have the further privilege of sending to the company, upon the aforesaid conditions, once each year hereafter for five years from this date, any number of claims for collection that may be desired and the aforesaid sum shall cover all expenses to the subscriber except 10 per cent. of claims collected by suit which the company is to receive as full com- pensation for attorney fees. The company hereby obligates itself to collect, within 100 days from date subscriber completes his part of this agreement, 75 per cent. of the ag- gregate of all the claims received from subscriber for collection, and if it should fail to do so, it agrees to either purchase, at that time all unpaid claims and pay for same the difference between the amount col- lected and 75 per cent. of the ag- gregate of said claims or refund to subscriber all commissions -that have been paid to company. If, for any reason, the subscriber should not send in the first list of claims, re- ports, stamps and Temittances of the company’s commission due _here- under, according to agreement, the subscription fee thereupon shall be- come due and collectible and the com- pany shall have the further right, at its option, to proceed with the col- lection of said claims and retain any commissions due it hereunder and remit balance to subscriber. It is mutually agreed that this memor- andum covers all terms, conditions and agreements pertaining hereto. First, let us see what the sub- scriber to this contract bound him- self to: 1. Send eighty names of delin- quent debtors aggregating $1,000 to the agency within ten days, including post office addresses. 2. To send in five times fifteen days, those of the people who haven’t paid. 3. To send’ two 2-cent stamps for every name on all the lists. 4. To allow the agency to keep the first $150 collected, if the col- lections go to the agency, or to send in this amount if they go to the subscriber. This may amount to 100 per cent. commission on all collections made. 5. To pay an additional 10 per cent. collection fee on claims col- lected by suit. 6. To pay the $150 fee anyway, if you fail to send in the first list of claims, reports, stamps and re- mittances. This sending in of lists, stamps, etc., every fifteen days involves a lot of work on the subscriber‘s part, and I believe I am right in asserting that 95 per cent. of the people fall down on this and that the collection con- cerns know they. fall down and count on it. The agreement of the company to collect 75 per cent. of the $1,000 worth of claims sent in is, in my highly suspicious. These every eighty per cent. claims are sure to be old and very difficult. Probably nothing less than a miracle worker could collect 75 of them, or even 25 per cent.- The company says it will do this, or failing it, will buy the un- collected claims, and pay for them an amount sufficient to make up 75 per cent. of the total claims sent in. Or it will refund all commissions collected. This looks plausible. at first glance, but the following points © are crucial. Consider “commis- stated “to a therefore they refund that, but which means the extra 10 per Important Points to 1. The $150 fee isn’t sions,” it is clearly “subscription — fee,” aren't offering to only to refund presumably commissions, cent. 2. Before the agency will do any- thing the subscriber must complete all of this laborious and complicated contract. Ninety-five per cent. will slip on this. 3. Who is the Mercantile Guar- anty Co. and who guarantees its honesty and responsibility.? I don’t think I need discuss the question whether this is a good or a bad contract. My experience with collection leads me to ad- vise business men to have nothing matter ‘what agencies to do with them, no their contracts, promises or _ repre- sentations. You can use every col- lection method they can use, and keep control of your accounts at the same time. Therefore I use the incident to This correspondent cannot set up as an offset the 'false statement about having collected for the university, because it says in the contract which he signed that it “covered all terms, conditions and agreements.” Elton J. Buckley. Tax Exempt in Michigan CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY 3% BONDS Due 1952 - Earnings 3.2 times interest charges. We have on hand and recommend these bonds at 89% and interest. Howe, Snow & Bertles, Inc. Investment Securities Grand Rapids point a moral as to signing papers New York Detroit without reading them. Multigraphing, Addressing, Form Letters, Mailing Lists WATKINS LETTER SHOP Citz. 64989 112 Pearl St. N. W. Bell M, 1433 We say little—Our work and service speak for us. , ‘ ’ ’ yoo! ' at a MITT LEU IIII a’ . as? .” aves POOR eaanaeet anne aseenncnensann sen deeee® [tt Lf The Welcome Sign Is Always Out WILLIAM ALDEN SMITH, President. GILBERT L. DAANE, Vice-Pres. & Cashier ARTHUR M. GODWIN, Vice-President EARL ALBERTSON, Vice-President EARL C. JOHNSON, Assistant Cashier ORRIN B. DAVENPORT, Assistant Cashier HARRY J. PROCTOR, Assistant Cashier DANA B. SHEDD, Assistant to President CHARLES W. GARFIELD, Chairman Noyes L. Avery Joseph H. Brewer Gilbert L. Daane William H. Gilbert Arthur M. Godwin Chas. M. Heald J. Hamton Hoult Chas. J Kindel 54,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS APIDS Gy AVINGS me) OFFICERS DIRECTORS Heber A. Knott Frank E. Leonard John B. Martin Geo. A. Rumsey William Alden Smith Tom Thoits A, H. Vandenberg Geo. G. Withworth Fred A. Wurzburg RESOURCES OVER $18,000,000 a THE BANK WHERE YOU FEEL AT HOME s 3 q ¥ a: } y July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Sell Semdac Mops in Warm Weather Summer brings added duties to the housewife because open windows allow much dust to collect on her floors and furniture. She wants to keep her home tidy, yet the heat makes hard work objectionable. ; That is why the Semdac Floor Mop and Semdac Liquid Gloss appeals to her. It provides the easiest way for her to get rid of dust and dirt. A Semdac dust cloth is easily made with a piece of cheese cloth moistened with Semdac. Run over furniture, it leaves a polish which rivals the original finish. It collects the dust in- stead of scattering it elsewhere to make more work. The Semdac Mop is a boon to her in summer because she need -not get down on her hands and knees to clean her floors. The flexible handle ‘reaches under all furniture without unneces- sary exertion. It is a pleasant task to run the mop over the floor leaving it spick and span. When dirty, the mop swab is easily removed for washing and as easily replaced. This offer will make money for you. It enables you to sell a large can of Semdac Liquid Gloss and a large size Semdac mop, with flexible handle and improved wire conduit swab, for the price of ordinary mops which sell regularly for $1.50 or $2.00. Free Advertising Over Your Name To bring this bargain to the atten- tion of your customers, we mail for you; absolutely free, an attractive four page, four color, sales-making letter. This is sent to a ‘list of 910 South Michigan Avenue A Special Offer from the Standard Oil Company (Indiana) customers which you furnished to us and thus the advertising reaches the very people whom you think are your best prospects. As an additional help, the new Semdac counter dis- play showing both the Semdac Mop and a can of Semdac is furnished you. If you install this display at the time your cus- tomers receive the letters, it will serve as a _ re- minder, and your sales will show results accord- ingly. Michigan Branches at Detroit, Saginaw, Grand Rapids Send your order at once to our nearest branch or write direct to STANDARD OIL COMPANY (Indiana) . Chicago, Illinois. 17 18 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 New Plans in the way of Special : Sales. Written for the Tradesman. The dry goods merchant and deal- ers handling larger or _ smaller stocks of dry goods aong with other lines of merchandise, will do well to put on from time to time various little special sales of commodities in certain specified lines; as, for in- stance, men’s and boys’ apparelings. And I am not here thinking of suits and raincoats. The ready-to-wear garment proposition is a horse of another color, and withal a horse of such intrinsic value and import- ance it should not be discussed in connection with the modest ideas here set forth apropos the less pre- tentious sales herein considered. The sale of men’s and boys’ clothing— meaning thereby suits, overcoats, raincoats, hats and caps—is_ en- titled to a separate and more detailed treatment; and inasmuch as the num- ber of dry goods dealers handling full lines of men’s and boys’ cloth- ing and furnishings is limited, it is doubtful if it belongs at all in the dry godds section. The idea the writer has in mind is that of the small intensive sale of specific and limited lines, or a single line—as, let us say, a shirt sale for men, a men’s and boys’ neckwear sale, a collar sale, men’s and boys’ underwear sale, a hat and cap sale, a glove and sock sale, etc. My contention is that the average dry goods merchant of the small town or city passes up many lus- cious opportunities: by having so few special sales: He seems to take it for granted that the general average of commodity demands for the year will justify his carrying on; that the special trade-luring sale is a sort of a flash-in-the-pan, worked up with not inconsiderable fuss and worry, involving more or less expense, and on the whole scarecly worth the bother of bringing it about. And therein he guesses wrong. The diry goods dealer’s business requires the application of trade stimulants from time to time. So does the business of every other retailer, no matter what his line. It’s a mistake to bank too much on the general average of sales The better plan is to bait ’em along, whoop ’em up, and make two cus- tomers come in to-day where one came in yesterday. Consider the ways of the enter- prising city department store man- agers and proprietors. Do they take a certain annual volume of business for granted and _ laze along contentedly? Indeed, they do not. They act upon the well-found- ed assumption that it’s strictly up to them to make folks want to buy. Hence they are always’ springing the new and the unexpected in the way of sales. Something is always doing. Nearly every day is a big day in some particular line or with some specified department. And then there are big, smashing occasions wherein all departments co-operate. They are always beating the tom- toms. Women are the principal shoppers both in the big cities and in the smaller communities, and women are peculiarly responsive to the big noises. The latent want for a com- modity doesn’t get you anywhere. The potential needs of the people in your trade zone put no cash into your cash register. It’s the active wants that count—the wants that express themselves in calls at your store and requests to see this, that or something else that you have to sell, Only when potential needs are somehow converted or grown into positive demands, does the merchant see the bright light of a possible profit gleaming down the way. Now scientific merchandising is the art of converting latent needs into active calls, of transforming potential re- quirements into kinetic (or active) demands. Of the half dozen special sales suggested above, let us take the shirt sale first and others in the order in which they come. A good, lively shirt sale once or twice a year is a good thing for most any store handling shirts, in any com- munity. A popular priced com- modity is essential to its success. Have separate bins for the several sizes. Such compartments can easily be made by putting temporary wood partitions at proper intervals on table tops—the size of these com- partments should be proportioned to your stock volume of such wares. A dozen or so 15% shirts in a bin large enough for six dozen shirts makes your supply look skimp to start with. Get a job lot of shirts in assorted patterns and of an _ inex- pensive quality, yet a good, wear- able shirt that you can sell with a good conscience. Supplement with whatever you have in the shirt line (from your regular stock) that you desire to move quickly. The values will not all be equal, nor the pat- terns of the same attractiveness, but you: can arrange it so as to have some bang up good bargains in every compartment. Twice yearly (and in some _ in- stances, quarterly) neckwear sales have become features of certain city department stores and big haber- dashery concerns. Like the shirt sales of the larger centers, the neckwear sale is deservedly popular. It gets ’em coming. Men and boys look forward to them. It is easy enough to get the stock, and every dealer who handles neckwear at all always has more or less that he can mix in with the new stuff bought es- pecially for quick selling at popular prices. The sale prices should be graduated, as you'll probably have three or four separate racks on which you'll assemble your total tie offerings. Put all ties sale priced at 50 cents on one, all ties for 75 cents on another, and so on. Have them well up towards the front of the store where, during the neckwear sale, ties are in the limelight. Possibly your trade isn’t large enough to justify a collar sale. And then maybe that is merely your opinion. If you haven’t ever put on a collar sale, how do you know. Many men nowadays buy collars by the half dozen or dozen lot. Laun- dries are notoriously hard on collars. It is surprising how far out into the outlying section a lusty collar sale will radiate its influence and bring in customers. As the season advances, it becomes increasingly desirable to dispose of stocks of men’s and boys’ underwear. Given market conditions will deter- mine how far the dry goods dealer should proceed in price-reduction for speedy clearance; but, in a general way, it may be said that there are excellent possibilities here, as _ wit- ness the big underwear sales of the department stores. The suggestion of a hat and cap sale, and of a glove and sock sale are given fro what they are worth and for those who may be in a posi- tion now or sometime to work up special selling activities in these lines. The stock range covered by the phrase dry goods is so elastic 7-1 incapable of exact standardiza- tion that it is almost guesswork to attempt an outline of possible sales. And anyhow this doesn’t profess to be even an outline. It is but a cluster of suggestions. And _ the major emphasis is not on the man- ner of the sale, but the wherefore of it. To keep customers coming into your store you must keep mak- ing it worth their while to come. And to get new customers, you must develop new schemes and plans in the way of special sales. The natur- al effect of such a policy on your part impresses the community that you are alert, enterprising, and right up to the latest development in scientific merchandising; and people natural like to deal with merchants of that sort. Frank Fenwick. ——_++2——— _ sed Is Doing Very Well. Although red, as a rule, is not looked upon with a great deal of favor by women for Summer wear, it is so popular this season from all appearances that it is running second to white in the list of best-selling colors in knitted sleeveless golf jack- ets for women. It is also strong in fabric coats of this kind. Next to red in the knitted jackets comes jade, with tan and gray also con- tenders for. high favor. In the ma- terials fibre silk continues to have the call, and in styles the three and four- button effects have everything their own way. The less expensive lines of knitted novelties for Fall will soon be ready for a _ general showing. Some of the higher priced goods of this character have already been out a few weeks. oO Good Demand for Fur Fabrics. Growing use for fur fabrics for Fall is indicated in the lines of gar- ment wholesalers. More models are being shown by those manufacturers who had them in their lines previous- ly and quite a few are showing them for the first time. The vogue of the jaquette, for which these weaves are particularly adaptable, has been a factor in promoting their popularity. The mills turning out the cloths have, besides, further developed and -added to the variety of them. While, at the moment, there is a period of quiet, leading sellers of these fab- rics say the business booked for Fall is excellent and, with early re- sults favorable, they expect a sizable duplicate business. Insulin Not a Cure in All Cases. John D Rockefeller, Jr., has given $10,000 to each of fifteen hospitals scattered through this country anid Canada, the money to be used in making more widely available to diabetics the pancreatic extract which is known as “insulin.” The gift is another evidence—for Rockefeller gifts never are made except after careful investigation by experts—of the wonderful speed with which the value of this curious substance has won recognition. Unlike most inno- vations in medical treatment, this one received almost instant recognition as fully justifying all the claims made for it, and if now, though only a year has elapsed since its discovery, there is a single doctor who does not believe in its efficiency he is main- taining silence as wise as it is cau- tious. The Rockefeller fund will be spent partly in increasing the supply of in- sulin—which as yet, unfortunately, is so scarce, and therefore so expen- sive, that it can be administered in few except the most desperate cases —and partly in teaching physicians the technique of its administration— in giving them the knowledge re- quired to avoid mistakes and mis- understandings the effect of which might be disastrous both to patients and to the reputation of the drug. Insulin has been patented, not to make money out of it, but in order that it may be controlled and kept out of the hands of charlatans and those who would exploit its large commercial possibilities. In spite of its wonderful powers, insulin is not a cure for all diabetics. What it does for the diabetic is to supply him with the substance which his own pancreas, through some functional failure or physical deter- ioration, has ceased to give him. By this failure or cessation the balance of metabolism is disturbed, seriously or fatally, just as it is when other glands ofthe sort called “endocrine” suffer either atrophy or hypertrophy. It ‘is easy enough to understand why insulin simply overcomes the effects of a pancreatic insufficency and why its administration must be con- tinued in the case of most patients. This is a characteristic which insulin shares with the extract of the thyroid gland, which saves from idiocy the victims of one form of goitre. In both cases the nature of the help giv- en is not that of a curative substance like quinine—curative as to a special malady by destroying its cause, that is—but like that which a one-legged man gets from a crutch, or one with astigmatism from properly adjusted glasses. The wise generosity of the younger Rockefeller will bring insulin within the reach of many for whom it now is unavailable, and by it many lives otherwise doomed to more or less speedy extinction will be saved. Dis- covered by Dr. F. G. Banting of the Toronto General Hospital, it entitles him to honor as one of the world’s benefactors, for he has placed it at the world’s disposal, making no se- cret either of its nature or of the method of its administration.. It will not make him rich, but it will make him famous, nrnencencsromamers < nrnencencsromamers < July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 19 ct Pa ~ This mark in the merchandise—on the boxes—letterheads or bill heads—display material or printed literature—or used in the advertisements of a manu- facturer of KNIT underwear, means that that manufacturer is cooperat- ing with the knit underwear industry to help you sell more merchandise —at a satisfactory profit. This ‘Wear KNIT Underwear’ mark identifies the knit underwear manufacturer who is contributing his time and money to promote every good interest of knit underwear and its sale through Wholesaler or Retailer. This National Merchandising and Advertising service of the industry, combined with the dollars spent by individual manufacturers of knit underwear, means a total cost of approximately TWO MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. Look for the industry mark and announcement of 1923-24 plans next month. ASSOCIATED KNIT UNDERWEAR MANUFACTURERS or AMERICA 65 Fifth Avenue, New York City, N. Y. An Association of Knit Underwear Manufacturers, representing 75 percent of the output of Knit Underwear in the United states. ag = @ Fe : é Report on Anti-Narcotic Conference at Pharmacy Convention. Mr. Mann: It is not my purpose to give a very extended report of the National Anti-Narcotic conven- tion which was held at Washington. I have not prepared a formal report, because I did not think it was necessary. In the first place, when the call for this conference went out, it was not very clear in the minds of most people as to just what it was for and as to by whom the conference was called. It apparently was called by a Mr. Holmes, of ‘Washington, D. C., and was really called more as a conference of laymen than a _ con- ference of the professional people interested in the handling of nar- cotics, and it was simply called, as near as I can gather, for the pur- pose of giving wider publicity to the terribleness of the narcotic habit and the consumption of narcotics; and also to give added impetus to the movement to make the restric- tion of the use of narcotics a world- wide affair. The President had already appoint- ed a committee to attend the inter- national opium conference at the meeting of the League of Nations at Geneva, and this conference hais in the meantime been held. When this call went out it evidently went to the various governors of the states of lthe United States and to medical organizations and to phar- maceutical organizations, but very few medical and pharmaceutical or- ganizations sent representatives to the conference, for the reason, I suppose, that nobody knew just how it came about. The personnel of the conference was made up most- ly of laymen from _ philanthropic organizations and that sort of thing, some representatives of institutions where addicts were treated, and there was no program mapped out covering a period of three days, at the sessions of which prominent people were given the opportunity to talk, and the talk, as is usual on occasions of that kind, became pret- ty broad and pretty general and a lot of extravagant statements were made about the per capita consump- tion of opium and cocaine and about the terrible increase of the ad- diction habit and one thing and an- other. A lot of statistics were given, which, I think in the main were bunk, because I do not think any- ~ body has any real authentic statis- tics concerning the consumption of narcotics. In the United States where we are operating under.a very stringent and specific law, we have, of course, complete statistics on the legitimate consumption, but we have absolutely no statistics on the illegi- timate consumption; and for that reason statistics vary, and they are of no. significancé.“anyway to us right now. The big problem, evidently in this narcotic legitimate trafficking ‘in narcotiés is an international question. We have, of course, what we believe is a wonderful law in this country, and we are the only country that has a really restrictive law, I guess, and consumption. and..the il-. _ narcotic... -conference samme MICHIGAN TRADESMAN nations interested in the same _ sort of thing, so as to restrict the growth of the opium poppy plant and the cocoa shrub to supply enough for medicinal and scientific use—to con- fine it as nearly as possible to the legitimate traffic. Now, opium is grown in only a few countries. England is largely interested in the opium question through India and it was brought out very pertinently at this conference that England really is trafficking in opium for profit. That is a pretty broad statement, but I think we all knew that before; it was not neces- sary to go to this conference to find that out. There is an immense amount of opium grown in India and the people of India are wonderful addicts, and I believe England tries to justify herself in believing that because of climatic conditions in India the people there need the stimulating effect of opium—which is all bunk, of course, and I be- lieve that a lot of the opium that is grown in India finds its way into China. Of course, China was the worst afflicted country on the map at one time, because of the terrible consumption of opium. We all know that the Chinese government tried to abolisk opium entirely and _ ha's made it illegal to grow the opium poppy plant. The burden of the whole thing then centers on the getting together in a world way to restrict the growth of opium and cocoa leaves to the very minimum and get perfect co- operation of all the countries. Our representatives at this Geneva con- ference carried a message from our Government along those lines, and this resolution was introduced, and I believe it is to be further taken up at a gathering that is to take place somewhere in France in the immediate future. I might go on and say a lot about what was done and who did it and all this sort of thing, but I think I have given you the gist of the whole thing in rather a condensed way, and I believe I have given it all the time that it deserves at this time. If anyone has any question to ask that I might be able to answer, IT would be very glad to do so. Mr. Riechel: I would like to ask if there is any prospect of anybody from the immediate vicinity going to the Geneva conference? Mr. Mann: That has to do with the League of Nations This confer- ence was held under the auspices— I guess I did not mention that— of the League of -Nations. While the United, States is not a part of the League of Nattons, it was asked to send delegates to this opium con- ference that was to be held in con- junction with the League of Nations. At a subsequent meeting of the League of -Nations, I think to be held in France, this matter will be taken up. Further, I might add this to--what I said: This’ National anti- narcotic conference has been made a permanent institution and _ officers were elected for the purpose of mak- ing it a permanent institution and a delegate body; so I would suppose for the time being the National anti- organized at Washington will be a permanent thing. Mr. Riechel: What I was trying to get at, would there be anyone from this Association—for instance, yourselfi—who would attend this con- ference? Mr. Mann: Oh, no. This is a dip- lomatic proposition that is handled by the Government, by the Presi- dent. The President will appoint delegates. ‘Mr. Riemenschneider: I would like to call attention to one of the things that took place ‘that I do not think ‘was touched upon; that is, the adoption of the resolution by this conference providing that there be no further unnecessary restrictions placed upon the druggist or medical profession. I think this was due to the fact that at the time a number of druggists were present who made themselves heard, and it simply goes to show the necessity of organization and being present at gatherings of this type in order to forestall any hostile legislation. I thing the reso- lution passed at that time was one of the best things that you men did who attended the conference. At meetings of this type, held by bodies of men who know nothing about the real need of narcotics, the easiest way out of it usually is to place more restrictions upon legitimate use. I think that resolution, Mr. Mann, was not only timely but I am sure it is appreciated by the druggists of the country and is valuable to our As- sociation. I wish to thank you per- sonally and others that were there to help put it across. Mr. Mann: I will say there were very few druggists at this confer- ence. Of course, the N. A. R. D. was represented and I think the Florida State Pharmaceutical As- sociation was represented; the Amer- ican Pharmaceutical Association was represented; there was a representa- tion from Pennsylvania, a represen- tation from’ some of the nearby states, Maryland, for instance. And the question Mr. ~ Riemenschneider has referred to is only incidental, but it does mean something. We tried to make it clear to tthis con- ference that we were perfectly satis- fied with our law, but we did find fault occasionally with the regula- tions that were made by the Com- missioner; and tthe delegates at the conference ‘were quite readily con- vinced that our position was right, and these resolutions were really introduced by laymen; they were framed up by pharmacists but they were introduced by the laymen and they went through without very much objection. Mr. Webster: I believe that our delegates are due a vote of thanks for the time and attention they gave this matter. They went to /Wash- ington at their own expense. I think it quite fitting that we should extend a vote of thanks to the gentlemen who thus voluntarily act- ed as our delegates. I make such a motion. Mr. Riechel: I support it. The President: All those in favor of the motion ‘will rise. A rising vote was taken and the motion was carried unanimously. July 4, 1923 Kraut as a Panacea For Many Iils.* I have chosen for my subject the most unromantic, the most surpris- ing, and certainly the most interest- ing on the ball of fare or in the entire realm of the cuisine—Sauer Kraut. Now, I beg you, don’t laugh at sauer kraut. If you must laugh, laugh at me, but remember that sauer kraut is a serious proposition, and a scientific proposition as well. Sauer kraut is the poor man’s dish and the rich man’s medicine. Sauer Pasteur declared that sauer kraut was the most useful and _ healthful vegetable dish on earth. It is part of the fighting ration of the armies of continental Europe. It is the greatest conditioner on the face of the earth. It keeps your little in- sides clean and prevents the poisons which make you sick. I have stud- ied this question from. stalk to stomach and I have the highest authorities in the world to prove that sauer kraut is actually and effec- tively a cure for human ills from colic to headache—and if you will listen to me you'll believe it. Before the first bean was born sauer kraut was the source of family happiness and bodily comfort. Be- fore bran biscuits and dog biscuits had dawned upon the food horizon, centuries in advance of horse pud- ding and rhinocros cake, sauer kraut was the great-great-grandfather of the wholesome diet. If you’re getting old and beginning to smack of the saltness of the relish of Time, if you are a trifle appre- hensive of hardening of the arteries, take the advice of the great authori- ties of Vienna and get busy with your sauer kraut diet that your days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God hath given thee. Those friends of yours who are fading ott on the disappearing screen of diabetes will thank you for the information that sauer kraut is now recognized absolutely and posi- tively as a direct cure and is given first place in no less an authority than Ander‘s Practice of Medicine. Just tell them from me that if they have diabetes and want to get well and keep well—sauer kraut - will turn the trick. An you can go further than this and still be on the safe side of the facts in the case. You can carry the message back to the ladies of your hearts and homes that if they want to become more beautiful than they are—sauer kraut will make them so. It is the most wonderful blood purifier we have, vastly more effec- tive than yeast as a benefit for the complexion. For those of you who revel in the good things of the table, you who lock upon life as a Feast Day and have never stinted your palates or your appetites—for you there is one sovereign remedy for indigestion and dyspepsia—one positive preventive of stomach trouble, and it isn’t pills or powders but just—sauer kraut. If your liver is out of whack, if you are waxing fat, in fair round ~ *Paper read at recent convention of International Stewards Association by John Bacon, Se a. ant a. ee en ee eee ee a. Oe July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Question GROCER: “How can I quicken my turnover on FAB?” Answer COLGATE & Co.: “Easily. By displaying it. Display Fab and you show your customers that you can supply them with the aris- tocrat of soap flakes. “Your high class trade will know of the superior quality of Fab — just the right amount of cocoanut oil.” VERY woman who reads mag- azines this year will know Fab through quality advertising. She will see Fab advertised in every standard woman’s publication. It is causing much favorable comment among women. This advertising is planned to appeal to your customers and give them confidence in the superior quality of Fab for washing children’s clothes and all fine fabrics. _ There will always be a nice, steady profit for the grocer in Fab, as there is in the Octagon Soap line. Superior quality bringsever-increasing sales so keep a good stock of Fabonhandtoholdyour trade. COLGATE & CO. NEW YORK America’s Leading Fine Soap Makers for 117 Years 21 belly with good capon lined—get you to the kraut keg as fast as you can trot, for sauer kraut is the panacea that will fix your clock in no time. If you want a tonic, if you are off your feed, if your kidneys are a bit suspicious or your joints have begun to creak with the dagger stabs of rheumatism—good old sauer kraut is the best doctor you can summon— and I now propose to prove what I have said and show you that this thing of sauer kraut is no joke, but a reality. Over in Russia the leading medical authority of that country says: “Sauer kraut juice is Nature’s own best medicine for disorders of the stomach and intestines. It is the greatest cleanser in the whole cate- gory of foods.” And here let me give you the ra- tion of the Russian soldier on mili- tary duty—the weekly ration: Black bread 7 pounds, meat 7 pounds, salt 10 ounces, beer 7 quarts, barley 120 ounces—sauer kraut 122 ounces. And the Russian soldier can pack a heavier burden and march longer over hard roads in snow and ice and mud than any other trooper on earth. A leading authority of Germany, has gone on record as_ follows: “Sauer kraut, especially the juice, is an invaluable food treatment for stomach, bowels and blood. There is nothing better for impure blood. The famous Dr. Brokaw of St. Louis said: “Spinach may be the broom of the stomach but sauer kraut is the vacuum cleaner.” Still another eminent authority tells us: “I have found the juice of common sauer kraut, in bulk or cans, to be a most depend- able remedy for disturbances of health arising from disordered stom- achs. It is a preventive of seasick- ness, dizziness and vertigo and a direct remedy for gasiritis. I doubt if there is anything equal to it for sour stomach or for ridding the system of uric acid.” Now let me tell you something else. You have heard of the famous Elie Metchnikoff of the Paris In- stitute. Metchnikoff discovered the good little bugs called lactic acid bacilli which thrive in buttermilk, kumiss, matzoon, Bulgarian clabber and yahourt. These are the germs which destroy the poisons in our systems, and the strongest and most energetic of these little friends are the kind that flourish in sauer kraut juice, the very same juice which our wives and our chefs so often throw away by pouring down the sink. These little germs in sauer- kraut are the fighters which attack and destroy the bad germs which cause disease. They are Demrseys of the human system, they don’t know when they’re licked, they keep on fighting till they win. They’re the best friends we’ve got today in the arena of life. And I ask you to remember that these germs of health literally teem in sauer kraut and sauer kraut juice. These are scientific facts, gentlemen. Old Metchinkoff tells a story of a weaver at Minsk, Russia, who was a hunchback and so deformed that he scracely ever ventured out upon the street. Children hooted him and the dogs barked, and so the unfortunate eet encemennemee et ete paper nner aoe ee MICHIGAN TRADESMAN man stayed indoors all day. He had no pleasures of life. He had neither chick nor child. But he did have one grand passion—and that was for sauer kraut. As he sat at his loom and worked far into the night, he had two bowls of cooked kraut, and on his right a bowl of raw kraut, atid he dipped alternately into one and then into the other eating as he worked—and he lived to be one hundred and three years old, which is going some, I think. Metchnikoff goes on to say that sauer kraut didn’t do it all perhaps, but he thinks there is no doubt that it helped materially in view of the fact that the longest lived people in the world —the Russians and the natives of the Balkan states—fairly live on sauer kraut, sauer milk and black bread. Sauer kraut is the greatest anti- scorbutic known. It prevents scurvy. Captain Cook discovered this fact in the year 1776, and it is still used on British vessels and others on long cruises to keep the sailors in condi- tion. And for this same reason it is an excellent curative for many dis- eases of the skin. I admit that I have been deeply interested in this subject of sauer kraut and I happen to be personally acquainted with the gentlemen who conducted the scientific research on sauer kraut. I might go on and tell you things about this old familiar dish that would open your eyes to the possibilities of featuring it as a genuine health food of the highest merit. For instance, on the food side alone let me tell you just this: Chicken soup iis considered nourish- ing, and it is, yet the average is only 90 cilories, whereas sauer kraut has nearly double the energy value—125 calories. : We think of beef soup with 120 calories as a tolerably substantial starter to a good solid meal but suer kraut with 125 calories has greater heat value by a considerable margin. Government reports go _ further than this and show conclusively the superiority of sauer kraut in food value as against tomatoes 45 calories, asparagus 80, okra 60, onions 115, string beans 95, vegetable soup 40, pumpkin pie 120, turnips “nix”— and sauer kraut 125. Over in Copenhagen, sauer kraut is regularly used as a cure for lum- bago, obesity and flatulency. An authority of the American Institute says the right dose for such pur- poses is about three tablespoonsful before meals, and the celebrated Dr. Arnold Lorand of Carlsbad, Ger- many, prescribes regularly a small wineglassful of sauer kraut juice half an hour before meals and before re- tiring, and says it is the best health medicine under the sun. Of course, gentlemen, this is not a medical association meeting and I myself am neither a doctor nor the son of a doctor, but the information I have gathered on sauerkraut seems to me so important and so useful that something ought to be done with it. It is one of the things that ought to be published to the world, and so I have taken it upon myself to bring these facts to your attention. I might continue See eteceteegereneteearee teat temrraemenree ner July 4, 1923 Let Brecht Refrigerating Engineers Serve You— Brecht Refrigerating Engineers, with years of experience in solving refrigeration problems, can serve you to ad- vantage and effect worth-while savings. . Back of them is seventy years of successful manufactur- ing experience—years of leadership in the industries which they are now serving. Famous for its uniformly low temperature and dry at- mosphere—its high sustained efficiency—great overall economy—exclusive features—simplicity of operation and absolute control—Brecht Mechanical Refrigeration warrants your close consideration. Let Brecht Engineers serve you. They will submit plans for Refrigerators, Display Cases, Coolers, Storage Rooms, Water Cooling Systems, etc., in fact for any refrigeration requirement without obligation. Write us at once. Address Dept. B 1233 sST-LOUIS St. Louis, U. S. A. NEW YORK, N. Y. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 174-176 Pearl Street Monadnock Building SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 67 Second Street ESTABLISHED 1855 1225 Cass Ave. Acting as a great supply depot and manufactory of machinery, equipment and supplies for the meat and allied industries, The Brecht Company has contributed largely to the present efficiency with which this part of the world’s food is now marketed. July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 23 at length and quote for you many eminent authorities of Europe and America, every one of them earnest- ly outspoken in their recomendations of sauer kraut. I am informed that Dr. Edward Ochner has given this proposition certain scientific tests at the Augustana Hospital as a dietic for diabetis, and humble as the rem- edy may seem now, this distinguish- ed gentleman is not alone in the matter. Another famous Chicago- an, Dr. Sadler, credits sauer kraut with excellent values as a most ser- viceable health food and_ health medicine. Dr. Hugo Friedstein, another not- ed specialist of Chicago, says: “I have repeatedly prescribed the juice of raw sauer kraut for diabetis and with very gratifying results. I have also noted good results in cases of indigestion, dyspepsia and derange- ments of the stomach.’ The “Scientific Revue” of France recommends a_ generous diet of sauer kraut for athletes, for soldiers, for workers generally and for keep- ing fit. Now, here is the big point. For some unaccountable reason people smile whenever sauer kraut is men- tioned. The average householder seems half ashamed to serve it on the table, yet nearly everybody has a secret liking for sauer kraut and I honestly «believe that if the facts about it were made known to the public, sauer kraut would come into its own as a standard world dish and achieve the favor and recogni- tion and ropularity to which it is entitled as one of the best gifts of Nature. How often you hear a man say, “by jove, I’m going to order some spare ribs and sauer kraut; we never have it at home, my wife des- pises it, but I’m plebeian enough to like it—and here goes.” You’ve heard this sort of remark a thousand times, and so have I, and my con- tention is that if the truth about sauer kraut were once realized, and if the general public were once in- formed of the truly scientific benefits of sauer kraut and _ especially of sauer kraut juice—it would do more for the health. of the people to keep them in condition, pink cheeked, bright-eyed and with keen apretite and increased capacity for other dishes on the menu card than any other one thing that I know of. At any rate, the time has_ passed when sauer kraut needs any apology from anybody. and you gentelmen, you who exercise the real stewardship concerning things to eat, I think vou are the natural heralds of legi- timate and truthful food propogan- da and that you might go far and do worse than feature some of the delicious sauer kraut dishes such as sauer kraut salad, sauer kraut dol-a- mah, escalloped of baked sauer kraut —and the, like. And now may I tell you a secret, a little word in whispered confidence? You can make for yourself a con- coction with a sting in it that will take you back to the good old days —a sauer kraut cocktail. Just take the juice in a shaker with some ice, you know, you remember, and serve very cold in one of those pre-his- toric little glasses—and believe me, you’ve got something. The alco- holic content in sauer kraut juice comes delightfully close to the Vol- stead deadline. Naturally, it may be the part of discretion to keep this feature dark—at least until every citizen has time to put down a bar- rel or two before they pass a law against sauer kraut. But seriously, it comes so close in appearance to a Bronx—and _ tastes so curiously like lemonade with a kick in it—that I’m going to take out a patent on it and call it “The Sauer Kraut Cocktail.”’ I take this opportunity of inviting your co- operation! It would be unfair to close this article without calling attention to the point that sauer kraut is high in vitamines; rich also in mineral salts and iron for the blood, in cal- cium also, which is the bone-build- ing substance. Well, this is my story and I want to say in conclusion that you may pin your faith to lettuce and celery ‘because they rest your nerves, you may be a strong missionary for on- ions, or believe that cucumbers cool the heated brain, but the quicker you desert those false gods and convert yourselves to the true religion of sauer kraut the better it will be for both your body and your soul. OO — A Test of Umbrellas. In a test recently conducted for a local firm of umbrella manufacturers, which was undertaken to determine how much more wind was required to turn their product inside out than that of one of thetr competitors, it was found that their umbrella with- stood nearly twice as much _ breeze as the competing umbrella of standard manufacture. Both were of the same diameter. The competing wmbrella collapsed under a wind velocity of 20 miles an hour, while the firm’s um- brella withstood a wind velocity of 34 miles an hour before giving up its ghost. Under the method used for determining wind loads, the first um- brella took a load of nearly three times that of the second one before collapsing. In other words, the firm’s umbrella proved to be three times as strong as the competing one. The test was made by one of the leading airplane companies by means of the wind tunnel system it uses to determine the strength of fabrics meant for airplane wings. ——_»-- Charge and Carry. Stranger—Where does that fellow live who just bought that broom? Merchant—About two miles from here. “There are lots of stores that sell brooms nearer to this home than this, aren’t there?” “Yep.” “Must be a mighty good friend of yours.” “Nope.” “How come?” “He sends out of town to a mail order thouse for nearly everything. But when he’s broke he comes here and has it charged.” —_—_~+-~> Once there was a poor man who attended strictly. to his own busi- ness—and to-day he is rich and happy. Recommend Quality Products Women who order Royal Bak- ing Powder are buyers of quality products. They are the kind of customers you like to see in your store. For they are potential pur- chasers of the best of your stock. You will attract more of this profitable trade if you recom- mend products of unquestioned quality such as ROWAL Baking Powder Absolutely Pare The best known—the best liked—sells itself Contains No Alum—Leaves No Bitter Taste FRANKLIN said:— “KEEP thy shop and thy shop will keep thee”. IN other words:—Be on the job. TURN sugar losses into profits with FRANKLIN SUGAR IN PACKAGES No waste, no bags, no twine. SAVE time, labor and overweight. The Franklin Sugar Refining Company PHILADELPHIA, PA. _“*A Franklin Cane Sugar for every use’’ July 4, 1923 24 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN F —— : oo “What words will you add?” garment. There are those who see i “ag ALAIN es eee “I shall ‘America first! . . , ‘the? rage for pleats so firmly en- he Eas "7 LS, 05 fg tl mecigecgy trenched that it will carry over into The Fourth of July and Something Added. Written for the Tradesman. “America first!” How many times we ‘have heard it in the years since the war. The tone in which I have heard some people say it reminded me a good deal of what we used to hear the Germans’ say—what no doubt they are still saying: “Duetsch- land uber Alles!” That old “my country, right or wrong” tone, which is just the tone we want to get out of the whole world, as we get, or try to get, weeds out of a garden. It’s a bad tone, and a bad thought. And yet, “America first!” is just the idea we want to encourage and emphasize on the Fourth of July. That is the birthday of the America that we want to put first and keep first, and it ought to be made much of in American homes. We have not been in the habit of making much of that idea on the Fourth of July, or of any idea, except that of making a lot of noise and having a good time. Most families come to the morning of the Fourth without having thought of it at all in advance; without any plan for making the day anything but a_ holiday. The Fourth of July ought to be a serious and impressive occasion in every American home; especially in -these days when the position of our country in the world is being so much and so heatedly discussed, in connection with the World Court, the League of Nations, and so on. This is not the place for political remarks, and I shall not make any; but I am sure that the Fourth of July is just the right time to plant ideas in your home about “America first!” which will help to decide aright those great political questions about the place and activities of this nation in the world. After alli, all these things haye their roots in the kind of homes a nation has, and the ideas that are bred in those homes in the hearts of the children. “America first!” First among what? That is a question you might ask and have answered at the break- fast table on the Fourth of July this year. You will have a flag hanging out in front of the house; so will the neighbors. If you live in the city you will see the 'Stars and Stripes flying from every flag pole. “America first among all nations.” a boy told me the other day in answer to that question. “Yes, but first in what?” “Oh, first in everything; athletics and—and business, and fighting war —ev ything, you know, what’s the. use of asking? Everybody knows what you mean when you’ szy ‘America first!’ ” “No, I don’t think everybody does. I don’t think that is what it means, at all. I don’t care much for that idea of ‘America first’ myself. It sounds too much like ‘Me first!’ ” “Yes, but ‘Me first!’ is selfish, and it isn’t selfish to want your country to be first and biggest and bravest and ev’ything.” “Perhaps it is.a little better, but not much,” I said. “Anyway, that isn’t what ‘America first!’ means to me. I don’t want my country to go blowing around the world about be- ing the biggest and the bravest and the richest, and all that sort of thing, any more than I would want my son to go around boasting. “Now, how would it be if every American, man and woman, boy and girl, should make a resolution this next Fourth of July, never again to say ‘America first’ out loud?” “How do you mean—whisper it? That wouldn’t be very patriotic. Patriotism has to be shouted!” cried the boy. “Does it? Are you sure of that? Sometimes I think Americans have got the idea that the most patriotic person is the one with the loudest voice. Yes, I do mean just that— whispering it. Whispering it to him- self, as a motto to live by. “The America that I love is a place, a great region of geography, to be sure; but all that land and mountains, lakes and rivers, was there before there was any. America. The thing that makes it America to us is a certain set of ideas, what we call an atmosphere, an ideal that we haven’t yet lived up to very well, about ways of living together; about liberty, and service, and help- ing the whole world to find better ways of making people useful and happy. “I dont believe Americans love their country any more than English, or French, or Swedes, or Germans love theirs. “But I do think more general we may have a idea of making our country useful to the whole world. Anyway, I’d like to believe that. But it can’t be really true if we make our patriotism only a_ bigger selfishness—a national selfishness shouting and boasting around the _ world.” “Still, I don’t see where the whis- ” pering comes in. “Tl tell you where it comes in. I'll make an agreement with you. On the morning of the Fourth of July, as soon as I am awake enough to think of it, I promise to whisper to myself the words: ‘America first!’ And then I shall add the rest of it, which will change the whole meaning of it.” First before myself!’ ” “That does make it sound different, doesn’t it?? said the boy. “If every boy would get that idea. . . ” Prudence Bradish. (Copyright, 1923.) —_—_>-.—____ Pleated Effects Favored. Wholesalers believe that the vogue for pleated garments will continue unabated during the Fall. Skirt lines for next season are being de- veloped on this basis, and many suit models will also have a pleated lower For Your best flour. pect the best baking. some breads. any flour you ever used. You are protected while Lily White ‘‘The Flour the Best Cooks Use” From the Finest Wheats From the finest wheat one has reason to expect the From the finest flour one may well ex- Lily White is milled from the finest wheat grown in this country and not surpassed anywhere. It is scrupulously cleaned, scoured and washed, and milled by the famous six-break system to a granu- lation that is perfect. Its volume, color and flavor are just right for the making of appetizing, whole- From Lily White you may expect the best baking. We guarantee it. You will pro- duce better baking and like it better than with Parker House Rolls made with Lily White Call your grocer now. VALLEY CITY MILLING COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN **Millers for Sixty Years” Ads like these are being run regularly and continuously in the principal papers throughout Michigan. by carrying Lily White Flour in stock at all times, thereby being placed in position to supply the demand we are help- ing to create for Lily White Flour. the Spring as strong as ever. Some of the dress goods mills are planning their Spring lines with this in view and, besides twills and reps, are de- voting much attention to wool crepes which have proved so popular this season. One selling agent said re- - cently that, if the demand for pleat- éd effects continued next Spring, it should mean the revival of marked interest in Panama cloths. These have not been in favor for a few seasons past, but may come back owing to their fine pleating qualities. Our Guarantee We Guarantee you will like Lily White Flour, the flour the best cooks use’’ better than any flour you ever used for every requirement of home baking. If for any reason what- soever you donot, your dealer will refund the purchase price. le is so instructed. trying out Lily White. You will profit 1882 - CHAS.A. LCHAS.A.COYE., WK ISS WN \ Wr Ql | aes | ae rannaaoccuei HA Set a ae Oe Naa SSeS ae CHAS. A. COYE, INC. AWNINGS AND TENTS - 1923 We make a specialty of Rope Pull Up and Roller Awnings with Cog Gear Fixtures. Our stock of White and Khaki Duck and Awning Stripes is very complete. Quality of materials and workman- ship, not cheapness, has always been our motto. Ask for our blanks giving full in- structions how to take measurements. Don’t buy until you get our prices and samples. Grand Rapids, Mich. July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 25 . What We Read When I Was a Boy. Grandville, July 3-—Dear reader, do you remember when you were a boy? I am speaking to the elderly read- er now. His boyhood reached way back to ante-bellum days, just after abolishment of the podaugur, yet in -that time when cattle and hogs were allowed. to run the streets, and fish were free plunder in any of our lakes and streams. Glorious old days, eh? ‘We think so, and yet the modern boy and girl would, doubtless, turn up his or her nose at the pleasure and pastimes of those old _ days. Scarcely a schoolboy over ten but could swim like a fish; could ride a sawlog anywhere, and delighted in the trapping of beaver and mink. To-day the stands are flooded with literature of a, questionable type, and one can scarcely find a publication fit to bring into the household. Eleanor Glynns predominate. Where now are the good old, wholesome publications like Bonner’s Ledger, Deacon and _ Peterson’s Saturday Evening Post, The Mercury and a few others none of which was dan- gerous along moral lines? Not great literature to be sure; and yet those old story-tellers did more to shape the morals and home life of the people than all the Sun- day schools in the land. To-day all sorts of filth and pro- fanity finds its way into our very best literature. Such disgusting, de- filing work would have been classed with the Police Gazette and kept strictly out of the home in the days of lang syne. A very prolific, and well balanced writer of ante-bellum days, was the son of a+*New England clergyman named Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. He was first met with in the columns of Gleason’s Boston Pictorial and was lured thence to the New York Led- ger by Robert Bonner, who started the most successful sensational pub- lication of that day. Among the contributors to the Ledger were Cobb, Mrs. Emma D. E. N. South- worth, Mrs. Sigourney, Fanny Fern, James Parton, P. Hamilton Myers, among the fiction writers, while of the more serious contributors might be mentioned. Horace’ Greeley, Henry Ward. Beecher and Ed- ward Everett whose Mount Vernon papers brought $10,000 to assist the women of America in purchasing and caring for the home of the l‘ather of his Country. There was nothing in the writings of any of these to offend the most delicate taste. Contrasted with pres- end day writers, those old fellows were as chaste as snow. The times have changed truly. Jacob Abbott’s Rollo Books min- istered to the needs of the juvenile mind, and so far as we call to mind Rollo was a most estimable lad. Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., was, of all the fiction writers of that day on the top rung of the ladder. His stories in the Ledger abounded in sound sense and good teachings. His hero was always a man to be trusted, his heroine one of the elect in the sphere of womanhood. No one could read a story penned by Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., and not be bene- ited and made better thereby. This cannot “be ‘said of many of our modern fiction writers. Although he has not been canon- ized by the critics, still the name of Syvanus Cobb, Jr.,-should stand be- side those of Fennimore Cooper, Hawthorne and Thoreau as among the best of America’s early writers. It is well known that the yellow- backed literature of long ago _ has been severly characterized as unfit reading for our young people, and vet the most of this so-called trashy fetion was as far above the moral s‘tandinfg of- the froth and filth that fet into our modern magazines as day is brighter than the darkest Light. The Nickel Library and Dime Lib- rary of ‘New York, were fair speci- mens of old time light fiction, and no word of profanity, no underworld characters, were ever admitted to one of these publications. Emma D. E. N. Southworth was admittedly the greatest light fiction writer of her day. She began on the Saturday Evening Post, after- ward shifting to Bonner’s Ledger. Her story entitled “The Hidden hand” was dramatized and played in theaters throughout the nation. The feminine readers of the ante- bellum days were ‘supplied with magazines such as Godey’s Lady’s Book, Peterson’s and Arthur’s maga- zines. These published only whole- some fiction, never pandering to the passions of the demi monde. Sylvanus Cobb, Jr’s. “Harry Mont- ford; or the Privateer’s Last Prize,” was one of his most successful his- torical novels, which ran serially in the Ledger. Others of his stories were “Alaric; or the Tyrant’s Vault,” “Orion, the Goldbeater,” “The Bay Queen,” “Wolfgang’ and a_ host more, all of which were thrilling and interesting without being in any sense debasing. The long roll has been called for all those early fiction venders. We have to-day to take their places men and women writers whose mental calibre is many degrees below that of the old timers. The newspapers were less flam- boyant and sensational then than now. The Tribune of New York became a little ruddy sometimes in its editor- lal utterances regarding “Bleeding Kansas,” but in the main it was sensible and careful to a degree. In my_ boyhood home the Semi- Weekly Tribune, edited by Horace Greeley, and Turner’s Grand Rapids Eagle held the place of honor on our reading table. In that day boys of ten kept as well posted on the news and politics of the time as do most grown men of the present era. Id Timer. ++ ____ New Metal and Wood Finish. After many years of experimenta- tion, it is announced by a large chemical products concern, a new finishing solution of pyroxylin for wood and metal surfaces has been de- veloped. The surface produced, it is claimed, is so durable, tough and hard that it will not readily chip, will resist high degrees of ‘heat, hot or cold liquids and hot plates or dishes. In addition, it is described as being thoroughly waterproof, so that it may be ‘washed with soap and water without detriment. The solution has also the advantage of air-drying very rapidly. It is said to have been tested out under extremely difficult conditions, even live steam having been turned on it with no bad re- suits. The product, being developed from cotton, is made of ingredients entirely different from the old style varnishes and is thought likely to make material changes in the art of wood and metal finishing. While particularly adaptable for furniture use, owing to the qualities described, it may also be used for producing a longer-lasting automobile finish. ———22.__ ___ Rounabout Remark. This conversation was heard on a diner between. the head chef and another chef who was sent on an errand. Being gone longer that the head chef liked, the latter said to his assistant on his return: “Well, nigger, you can go the fudderesit the quick- est, and stay the longest, and do the lessest of any nigger I ever saw.” Sd Ta STEAMSHIP LINES To Chicago Daily 8:05 P.M. Grand Rapids Time From Chicago Daily 7:45 P. M. Chicago Time FARE $3.95 Train Leaves Grand Haven Electric Station 8:05 P. M. 1 Block East of Hotel Pantlind Route Your Freight Shipments THE GOODRICH way “Operating Steamships Every Day in the Year,’’ and Grand Haven, Muskegon Electric Ry. OVER NIGHT SERVICE City Ticket Office Corner Pearl and Ottawa With Consolidated Railroad Ticket Offices Citz. Phone 64509, Bell Phone M. 554 W. S. NIXON, General Agent Freight and Passenger Department Electric Railway Station One Block East of Hotel Pantlind L. A. GOODRICH, Boat Traffic Mgr. R. & F. Brooms B. O. E. LINE Prices Special —~___.____ $ 8.00 No. 24 Good Value 8.75 No. 25, Velvet __ 10.00 No. 25, Special _. 9.50 No. 27, Quality. 11.00 No. 22 Miss Dandy 11.00 No. B-2 B. O. E. 10.50 Warehouse, 36 Ib. 11.00 B.O.E. W’house, eT 10.50 Freight allowed on shipments of five dozen or more. All Brooms Guaranteed Rich & France 607-9 W. 12th Place CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Why Risk Loss by being without sales books Without sales books you will lose time making and trans- fering memoranda of charges. And errors or omis- sions are quite likely to vccur—which means actual loss of money. Look and see how your sup- ply is now and order today. Write for samples on our 50 books for $3.75 printed with your name and ad. BATTLE CREEK SALES BOOK CO. R-4 Moon Journal BI. Battle Creek, Mich. e NATIONAL DETECTIVE BUREAU Investigators A progressive organization, managed and personally conducted, by two widely known investigators, that ren- ders invaluable service and informa- tion to individuals, stores, factories and business houses. Headquarters 333-4-5 Houseman Bldg. Phones Day, Citz. 68224 or Bell M. 800 Nights, Citz. 32225 or 63081 ALEXANDER MacDONALD STEPHEN G. EARDLEY Investigating & Adjustment Co. We Successfully Locate Debtors and Collect Past Due Accounts. ‘_ Special Reports Obtained. Collections and Adjustments Made Everywhere 5322 and 33 Michigan Trust Bldg. Citizens 64647; Bell M. 111 A y Y Plumbers’ Calking TOOLS H. T. BALDWIN 1028 Fairmount St., S. E. Citz. 26388 SCHOOL SUPPLIES Pencils Tablets Paints Ruled Papers, etc. WRITE US FOR SAMPLES The Dudley Paper Co. LANSING, MICH. ‘production has been reached. MICHIGAN Eliminating Price-Cutting Evil. More careful scanning of orders for tie silks by the mills will work wonders in lessening the growth of the price-cutting evil in the men’s neckwear trade. It is pointed out that very often the less scrupulous manufacturers, particularly in a ris- ing market, give orders to several mills, each commitment seeming within the firm’s credit rating, but when totaled greatly exceeding that amount. If the market goes up these orders are firm,but are valueless ‘if the contrary happens. These orders, a good portion of them accepted verbally by the mills, are said to prevent the legitimate manufacturers from getting enough of the silks they require. In this way an arti- ficial market is built up. When the goods are received from the mills the unscrupulous manufacturer, who of- ten has no knowledge of what his costs are, in order to swing the deals in the piece goods decides to move the merchandise through cut prices, to the general unsettlement of the trade. Refusal to accept verbal ord- ers on the part of the silk mills was declared particularly desirable. 2 Are Stimulating Shirt Sales. Retailers are buying men’s shirts for immediate sale at very attractive prices from some manufacturers and jobbers. It is said that in certain grades something very close to over- This combined with a slow season earlier has caused close prices to be named which retailers are now featuring strongly. The current situation has caused shirt manufacturers to go rather slow in their commitments for Spring. Several of the mills making shirtings have opened their lines for that season but, while buyers are looking, very little business is said to have been booked. Prices named on these lines by the mills are on- the same levels as prevailed for Fall, despite the advances in the cost of goods in the gray. Plain colors, with but comparatively few novelties, are again the feature of the new show- ings. It is thought that after the holiday next week more interest on the part of buyers will be shown. ————_+2> Toy Orders Have Been Good. Toy manufacturers will close the half-year period with a _ business booked that is much ahead of the same time last year. Buyers, ac- cording to a trade authority, have specified earlier shipping dates than in 1922. Reorders have come through for the variety of toys that have been suitable fo Spring and Summer sale. In certain instances, largely because of local labor shortages, some manu- facturers have found it necessary to work their plants overtime in order to meet their shipping dates. It is said that there is a greater tendency than ever to push toys as all-the- year-round items, and considerable success along these lines has been reported. Retailers are being urged to put a certain amount of their toys on display when they reach the store, on the theory that a larger volume of toy business can be done apart from what is considered the regular toy or holiday season. SS ES No Trousered Waitresses Here. There is little chance of any American store following the example of Selfridge’s in London by putting its waitresses in trousers, according to an executive of a prominent local store that includes a large restaurant among its various features. The Selfridge waitresses, according to a special cable from London, are garb- ed in a special costume, on _ the order of .a French art student’s get-up, of which white pegtop trous- ers with a broad black stripe are a prominent part. According to the executive in question, the thing was probably done by the English store more for publicity purposes than for speeding up service. He thought no American store would follow _ suit, for several reasons, one of the most important of which is that the wait- resses would refuse to wear the costume. ——_++->____ Sports Garments Affected Also. Along with the general slump in the volume of business done by re- tailers in men’s clothing this Spring, the buying of sports garments has also been lessened. This was said particularly to apply to those of the intermediate type which generally have their biggest selling periods during May and the early part of June. The cold weather during prac- tically this entire period caused buy- ing to be postponed, with the result that it was a case of a jump from cold to very hot weather. The four- piece type of sport suit was the one which proved rather disappointing for this reason. The outlook now, however, with really seasonable weather, is that the lighter-weight sports garments should sell very well. oo Black and White Favored. For many kinds of apparel, in- cluding certain Summer dresses, out- er garments and even bathing suits, the new black and white color motif is in vogue. This trend has been gaining headway during the last two weeks and is expected to grow con- siderably stronger. ‘White has been slow in coming forward, owing to the unseasonable weather conditions, TRADESMAN but it and the black and white com- bination are looked upon ‘to be the dominating color features of Sum- mer wear. Where solid white is utilized in one garment, high colors come into play for relief, and this has caused stimulation of buying of fancy blouses, some types of ribbons and other accessories. Printed ef- fects at the moment, in the very high and bizarre colorings and ef- fects, are not taking as expected to earlier in the season. —_+>>__ Offers New Embroidery Cloths. A striking departure in the pro- duction of fabrics is described by a representative of an embroidery house located in New Jersey. The newness lies in the fact that the cloths are practically entirely of em- Prices. a Big Success. Big Results. UE UO OEE EPO EB they were AnrAmrMtoriAmAmOAMOnAMOAMOAMAMAmAmOAmOAmAmAMAMAiOs FIRST—See our Salesman or visit us and buy some of the Good Merchandise which we are selling at Low SECOND—Put on a July Clearance Sale, not only increasing your Sales and Profits, Influence and Scope of your Trade. TAKE ADVANTAGE of our Special Offer, which is good until July 15th. merchandise bought by former buyers because we want to dispose of it Now and Not Replace It. If You Will Buy Before July 15th—$500 or more of This and Regular Merchandise, we will allow you 2% on amount bought to cover your Traveling Expenses. Rapids for a trip at our ex- pense. WE WILL HELP YOU WITHOUT CHARGE After buying the merchandise, we will furnish an expert to help you write your ad, show you how to decorate your store, and make your sale a Big Success. NOW IS THE TIME. to put on a July Clearance Sale. when you buy from us for a Sale, we will sell you a supply of Staple Merchandise at Low Prices to make Your Sale The Merchants Who are Get Busy and Get Your Share. GRAND RAPIDS DRY GOODS CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN The Largest Exclusively Wholesale Dry Goods House in Western Michigan DY DY Two Things To Do?!? |. e July 4, 1923 broidery which are placed on a very thin base fabric. It is asserted that this is the first time that this has been successfully done. ‘The fabrics are 38 inches wide and can be made up into entire garments by the cut- ters-up or sold as yard goods for similar purposes by retailers. In ~° addition to this the embroideries are said to ‘be absolutely original, de- riving their inspiration from a source hitherto untouched—that of the ani- mals, totems and other designs of the Swahili tribe of Africa. The patterns are worked out in a large variety of attractive contrasting color combinations. The same embroider- ies have been applied to silk goods, and they are described as particularly effective for border trimmings. but extending the WE ARE DUMPING Come to Grand And remember that Doing This are Reaping NO) N8)| PBA D July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 27 Are Operating Conservatively. Manufacturers of coats and_ suits continue to hold off active production of their Fall lines, which is now not expected to begin until about July 15. Both the manufacturers’ and the contractors’ associations have been advising their members that it would be unwise to start their operations on a big scale earlier. Back of this sug- gestion is the belief that there will not be any marked increase in the number of buyers in this market for Fall goods until about the date men- tioned. In addition, it is customary to ship merchandise later than that date, so that there is no need to hurry about starting now. The gen- eral attitude of the wholesaler as re- gards the next season, it is said, will be one of conservatism, basing cut- ting operations closely on the volume of orders booked. The stock houses, in view of this and because of the close buying tendencies of the re- tailer, appear to be headed for an- other season in which their position will be ‘strategic. —_>+._____ Infant’s Hosiery Lines Opened. Principal interest in ‘hosiery selling circles last week was centered in the opening of the new lines of in- fants’ goods, according to the cur- rent news letter of the National As- sociation of Hosiery and Underwear Manufacturers. Although three or four mills’ lines have been opened for a while, tomparatively little interest has been shown in the merchandise iby the jobbing trade heretofore. One mill. opened the Spring, 1924, line with a price range of from $1.55 to $4.50 a dozen, a slight decrease from opening prices for Spring, 1923. This line includes children’s all-mercerized hose, mercerized hose with fibre silk tops, fibre-plaited hose, etc. Some novelty numbers opened during the week and shown for the first - time ranged in price from $3.25 to $6.25 a dozen, the highest priced goods being pure Japanese silk goods. ——_>-2-o New Hat Demand a Surprise. For midsummer hats it is odd, ac- cording to a millinery trade authority, that the off-the-face model should gain so steadily in favor. This gain cannot be denied, however, not only as a style issue of the current season but as an indication of coming Fall modes. The double visor effect of the jockey pokes and small cloches that have flooded the market has taken a new angle. The visor re- mains, but the top lip has risen in a broad, almost cavalier flare. Trans- parent and wired high, or suavely fitted, this type of hat has taken on a long lease of life. The high crown is already appearing on the small shapes that are selling, and it is be- lieved that this will be a strong factor of Fall hat making. —— What New French Hats Show. A number of interesting points are seen in the early Fall hats now being received in this country from Paris by leading houses in the trade. Off- the-face shapes, for instance, broaden at the sides. The left sides of many crowns are high, with the right s'des elongated. High crowns show up strongly, with some shirred clear to the tips. Tire and pencil edge flanges are prominent. Turbans cater still to the Egyptian motif, with small hats creased into the desired effect, ‘rather than draped. On hats with narrow front brims, high back lines are seen. Large mushrooms are slashed to permit the introduc- tion of bows. Many of the cuff brims are fitted, and rise from- visor foundations. Double brims are re- tained by many models. — Folding Window To Sell Street Crowds. A new type of show window, which becomes a selling booth or counter by day, has been installed at the Fifty-ninth street store of Bloomingdale Brothers, New York City. At night the window is used for displays in the ordinary way, but the mechanical equipment permits its transformation for the business day into a separate little shop, with counter and shelves, which, open to the public gaze, may be used either in winter or summer. For. warm weather the idea is to raise the glass of the window and sell directly a- cross the counter to customers on the sidewalk. For winter use, there is provided a doorway into the little window shop. The counter is hing- ed, and folds away out of sight at night, and side panels drop, leaving and ordinary-looking display window with curtains. One of the uses con- templated for the window is the tak- ing of orders for quick delivery from customers who arrive after the regu- lar closing hour of the store. _———> + Sentence Sermons. A mule can not pull while he is kicking and he can not kick while he is pulling. Neither can you. God will not look you over for diplomas and medals but for scars. Some folks make their joys mere incidents and their sorrows great events. What we are not up on we are generally down on. The only motto some _ people seem to have is, “If something ain’t wrong, taint right.” If some sermons were as_ broad as they are long we would all be better off. You can’t own any more than you are worth. Some people grow with responsi- bility; others swell. Some people are absolutely punc- tual in being late. The more we possess the more -we are possessed by our possessions. —_—_—___o2o-_o__—_ Spring Prices of Bolivia. When pile fabric lines for Spring are opened, the prediction is made that they will be priced at about the same levels which now prevail on Fall goods. Quite a_few of the mills making bolivias and_ similar pile weaves made a small advance on Fall fabrics after the lines were originally opened, owing to the sub- sequent rise in wages, and, according to a well-known seller of these goods, this price will probably carry over for the Spring lines. Meanwhile, these cloths continue in good demand, and there is said to be nothing that seriously threatens their supremacy. for “dressy” wear this Fall. \MUTEeelle Human Hair Nets A Product of Unsurpassed Quality—with Greater Profit for You Full in size—Duro Knots, an exclusive feature make for durability and $1. ri more profit for you per gross than in the sale of any other advertised oes advertising and display helps including beautifully lithographed cabinets supplied free will create sales for you. Buy Duro Belle Human Hair Nets from your jobber. NATIONAL TRADING COMPANY KAITAIA TIAA IAAI ATA IAA AT TAIT IIR IAT ATT IT IRR RTT TRI I * \ CHICAGO, ILL. Ren longest wear. ne 630 SO. WABASH AVE, ww | on hand. Pants. Underwear and Hosiery. Straw Hats, Blankets. st VACATION SPECIALS Do not fail to have a good supply of Vacation Goods Draperies, Pillows, Etc., for the cottage. Bathing Suits, Children’s Play Suits, Khaki Suits and Send us your orders. Prompt shipments. PAUL STEKETEE & SONS WHOLESALE DRY GOODS GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. | Quality Merchandise—Right Prices—Prompt Service | We are manufacturers of Trimmed & Untrimmed HATS for Ladies, Misses and Children, especially adapted to the general store trade. Trial order solicited. CORL-KNOTT COMPANY, Corner Commerce Ave. and Island St. Grand Rapids, Mich. 139-2141 Monces St Ler De eo GRAND RAPIDS. SiiCH Chocolates Package Goods of Paramount Quality and Artistic Design rojas! STRAIGHT SIZE— The Johnson Original 1o*Cigar MANUFACTURED BY TUNIS JOHNSON CIGAR co. cou RAPIDS, MICHIGAN MICHIGAN TRADESMAN July 4, 1923 = = 4 G } Z Fancy Apricots to be Scarce. The growing crop of apricots un- doubtedly will run heavily to the small sizes, and the percentage of Fancy and Extra Fancy grades will be light. Some packers are restrict- ing the delivery of Fancy grade to as little as fifteen per cent. of con- tract assortments. The 1923 apricot crop hung so thickly on the trees that it had, in some instances, to be thinned two or three times, in order to permit the fruit to attain large size, and those who could not obtain labor to do the thinning will have large crops of small fruit. This will put up to the driers a large proportion of Stand- ard size. New crop of Standard apricots is being offered for prompt shipment from the Pacific Coast at 734 cents a pound in 25-lb. boxes, that being the lowest price so far quoted. The highest estimate made on the yield of California prunes for 1923 is 165,000,000 pounds. The Oregon and Washington yield is estimated at 40,- 000,000 pounds. The yield of prunes in California last year was 225,000,- 000 pounds and the yield of Oregon and Washington for 1922 was 72,- 000,000 pounds. The carry-over in Oregon and Washington probably is less than 15,000,000 pounds, while the carry-over of prunes in California does not exceed 50,000,000 pounds. The carry-over from the 1921 to the 1922 crop was about 10,000,000 pounds. These estimates are full and hardly will be reached. Figured on this liberal basis of estimates there will be about 40,000,000 pounds of prunes less as an available supply, than there were last year. The importation of Bosnian and Servian prunes is not worth consid- ering in the estimates, as they are so small and inferior that they only can be used for manufacturing. There were 10,000,000 pounds of them imported last year. Wherever sold, they displease consumers and lose the retail dealer this prune trade, as consumers do not know the difference in qualities until after they have tried them, and concluded that all prunes are alike and equally undesirable. John A. Lee. ———_>+~>—___ The Honey Situation. Woodhaven, N. Y., July 3-—The early graides of new crop honey, such as White Sage and White Orange, produced in California, and the early grades of Florida honey, such as Fancy Tupelo honey, are seriously short this season. In fact, some crops are only 20 per cent. to 30 per cent. while others are only 30 per cent. to 40 per cent. of normal. There are later honey crops, such -as the darker grades of Sage honey, produced in California, and _ the Eastern Clover honeys, which will - buying be ready for market about July, and, so far, informaton from the pro- duction sources states that nowhere near a normal crop can be expected. The last crops of the season, the Western Clovers and the Eastern Dark honeys bid fair to be a reason- - able crop, but these later grades are not very much in demand or of as fine a quality as is desired by the packers of the finest honeys. The trade can expect in their package honeys this year a_ very firm and advancing market in ad- dition to the advances some of the packers have maide in the past few months. It will not only be a ques- tien of shigher prices, but that the larger sellers of package honey in the country will be pressed for sufficient supplies for the trade. It is interest- ing from a packing standpoint that the consuming public has now taken to using honey in the larger sizes of glass and the 2%-pound and 5- pound cans, chiefly with a view of economy. Years ago the 5-ounce glass was the largest seller, but it curtailed the consumption of honey on account of the small package, and it was looked upon as a luxury or tid-bit. The public has now accepted honey as a staple and a number of wholesalers find it a very quick repeater when they handle it in the large sizes of glass and in the 2%- pound nd 5-pound cans, as when the large packages are in the house- hold honey is used every day, and in some cases at every meal, in cook- ing, baking, the preparation of sum- mer drinks and salads, etc. In some sections of the country honey sells as fast in the summer months as in the winter months. This is‘ getting away from the habitual cry of some retailers and wholesalers that honey is a winter food only, but as it has 101 and more uses, it is absolutely as well fitted for summer dishes as for winter, not considering the great- er food value of honey over any other natural sweet. Hoffman & Hauck, Inc. — +2. ___ Now that all stores have delivery service, about the only thing the average householder takes home is his grouch. . ————2e2s soo The door to the: temple of suc- cess is never left open. Watson-Higgins Milling Co. NEW PERFECTION The best all purpose flour. RED ARROW The best bread flour. Look for the Perfection label on Pancake flour, Graham flour, Gran- uated meal, Buckwheat flour and Poultry feeds. Western Michigan’s Largest Feed Distributors. L&S Food Products of Quality Pickles Condiments Preserves We give display bowls free Exclusively Distributed by LEWELLYN & CO. WHOLESALE GROCERS GRAND RAPIDS COOK’S DETROIT High Quality at Attractive Prices Makes a Line Worth Pushing. That’s why Cook’s Pork and Beans are handled by nearly all good grocers. . ——— ei tenet ase) Sd (evi ie-14 pede KENTSTORAGE COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS ~ BATTLE CREEK “Wholesale Distributors Order a bunch of GOLDEN KING BANANAS of ABE SCHEFMAN & CO. Wholesale Fruits and Vegetables 22-24-26 Ottawa Ave. Grand Rapids, Mich. WHEN YOU THINK OF FRUIT—THINK OF ABE. $945.00 C is e mited = The Highway Special With Complete Electric Write us for catalog showing its usefulness in YOUR business. SALES — SERVICE Eckberg Auto Company ; 310 Ionia Ave., NW. J Nene cere Lighting und Starting a pars eee 4 — TT We are making a special offer on Agricultural Hydrated Lime in less than car lots. A. B. KNOWLSON CO. Grand Repids Moseley Brothers ’ GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Jobbers of Farm Produce. July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 29 Claims Middle West Farmers Are Prosperous. The real farmer, who has_ con- sistently devoted his time and labor to cultivating the soil, is prosperous, while the land speculator, who sub- ordinated cultivation for the ap- parently more lucrative trading in land, has found that after land values had risen out of all pro- portion to earning possibilities the inevitable crash occurred, and it is these speculators who are making all the noise about terrible conditions in the farming districts. In the course of motor trips dur- ing which I covered more than a thousand miles of farming country I found the evidence of comparative prosperity truly startling on all sides, in country towns and on the farms. The majority of farms showed fields clean and well cultivated, with corn, the important money-making crop, developing splendidly even though in some sections it had a late start. Country roads, which surely reflect indifference or progress, were being kept up in fine shape. Much of the unrest and agitation in the farming country is due to land speculation. Most of the stories I heard concerning the terrible condi- tions of the farmer, when traced to their real source, were found to rise from an effort to- reap easy money from the speculative sale or purchase of land. No business under- taking in this country was ever more ruthlessly overcapitalized than many of the Midwestern farms during the. boom days. Land values rose out of all proportion to possible earnings. In addition to this the lamentable tendency among farmers to regard borrowed money as cash income to be spent with little thought of repayment, helped to make condi- tions worse. Men bought and sold farms on a shoe String. When prices’. broke, buyers could not pay, and a great many men who apparently had grown rich on vaper profits from specula- tive land transactions found them- selves with three or more farms, heavily mortgaged, on their hands. They lost not only all their profits, . but all of their initial capital as well. Thousands of farms are owned by absentee landlords, old farmers who have moved far away or retired to some near-by town or city to live on the interest from their farm holdings. Tenant farmers during the liquida- tion years were not able to pay out, but it is noteworthy that present day farm life differs extensively from living conditions of a few years ago. Farmers are no longer satis- fied with a living during periods of depression. They must have money for gasoline and store foods. They must go to town frequently to attend the movies. Former luxuries have become necessities. There is a tremendous wastage of machinery on farms. Everywhere ex- pensive equipment is seen standing unprotected in all weather, and much of this machinery is still represented by ‘unpaid, or partly paid, notes. Taking all of these various factors into consideration, it. is obvious that some of the loudest cries of dis- satisfaction are not at all justifiable. Most of the remedy for conditions . which appear to be wrong is in the hands of the farmer himself. No matter how loudly the calamity howlers may wail, sight of the actual farms and farmers discounts much of their story. When, in the course of a day’s drive, one sees literally thous- ands of little pigs, many well-kept herds of thoroughbred cattle, droves of feeders being driven from some near-by railroad station to be fatten- ed and sold at a profit, farm houses and barns glistening with fresh paint, it is easy to understand why any ° business setback in the Middle West- ern country can, at worst, be only temporary, and is most certainly not to be expected this Fall. Ae. —>~-e—_____ Wheat Prices and Politics. The decline of the price of July wheat in Chicago to a price around $1.01 per bushel means that the farmers west of the Missouri River will get only 80 to 85 cents for their product. This is bad for the Western States, and far from a happy situation for the East. It means a curtailment of farmers’ bnying power and that is not what the Eastern manufacturer, jobber, and transportation agency desire. But there is more to the situation than this. Low prices for farm products always mean agricultural discontent, and this in turn means radical politi- cal agitation. Such agitation may be counted on to take two forms; it is always faverab!le to cheap money or cheap credit legislation of some sort. and it nearly always develops into some kind of political attack on the Everybody who Allison. common carriers. is interested. in sound money and solvent railways has an interest in the price of wheat. a : Keeping Within the Law. Householder—I want a cake of yeast and.pound of raisins. Grocer—Say, I can sell you one or the other of ’em separately, but if you want ’em both together you gotta show me a prescriftion for raisin bread. We are looking for an exclusive dealer in your town. Write us about it. Blended, Roasted and Packed by CHRISTIAN COFFEE CoO. 337-339 Summer Ave. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. You Make Satisfied Customers when you sell ‘““SUNSHINE”’ FLOUR Blenced For Family Use The ony is Standard and the Price Reasonable Genuine Buckwheat Flour Graham and Corn Meal THE PROOF OF QUALITY is measured by NUCOA SALES Nucoa, by far, out-sells all others I. VAN WESTENBRUGGE DISTRIBUTOR Grand Rapids Muskegon J. F. Eesley Milling Co. The Sunshine Mills PLAINWELL, MICHIGAN M. J. DARK & SONS GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Receivers and Shippers of All Seasonable Fruits and Vegetables CANTALOUPES and NEW POTATOES Again this season, we will endeavor to maintain the good reputation we have earned by shipping only the best Brands and Packs of Cantaloupes and New Potatoes obtainable. The Vinkemulder Company GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. | MILLER MICHIGAN POTATO CoO. Wholesale Potatoes, Onions Correspondence Sokcited Frank T. Miller, Sec’y and Treas. We Soa tae — nen WA Hue ) Polar Bear Flour A MONEY MAKER Can Always be sold at a profit. Quality in the Bag Brings Repeat orders. “The NEW ERA MILLING J. W. HARVEY & SON, Central States Managers Marion, Ind. > Al bs Potar sear, {OU ‘4 arion, In MICHIGAN July 4, 1923 TRADESMAN ~— — — —_— = Michigan Retail Hardware Association. President—J. Charles Ross, Kalamazoo. Vice-President—A. J. Rankin, Shelby. Secretary—Arthur J. Scott, Marine City. Treasurer—William Moore, Detroit. Executive Committee—L. J. Cortenhof, Grand Rapids; Scott Kendrick, Ortonville; George W. McCabe, Petoskey; L. D. Puff, Fremont; Charles A. Sturmer, Port Hu- ron; Herman Digman, Owosso. — Hot Weather Hints for the Hard- ware Dealer. Written for the Tradesman. With the advent of real summer weather, there will be an enhanced demand for hot weather goods; and these should be featured in window display and throughout the store. It must be remembered that, after a certain stage in the season, the demand for these goods will lag. People who fight their way half through the summer without screen doors or garden hose are apt to de- cide that they can go the rest of the way; and only a drastic cutting of prices) will interest them in the immediate purchase of such lines. The time to capture this trade is when the hot weather first sets in. It is then that you can sell at top prices. Garden hose and hose attachments are good lines to play up. A little later, when the garden is a failure and the lawn is parched and brown for lack of water, it will be too late to push these lines effectively; but right now you can point to the fact that regular watering will keep the lawn green throughout the sum- mer and bring the garden stuff to perfection. Don’t just be satisfied to put the hose and other goods in the window; use show cards to em- phasize the idea. “Water now, and save the lawn” is a _ good slogan. “Sunshine and rain grow good gard- en stuff. Providence gives the sun- shine, we help you supply the rain.” Use your window to get the idea across to the customer of buying these goods now. Then, when you sell a length of garden hose, don’t neglect the in- cidental possibilities. For the ordin- ary lot, 50 feet is a usual length to buy. And as a rule it falls a little bit short of reaching some particular corner. Be sure your customer gets enough. He will, of course, get a good nozzle and at- tachments; but what about the other accessories? For instance, a lawn spray, which does the work better than he can do it while he reclines at ease in the hammock. You ought to sell that to every purchaser of garden hose. I venture too, that in the average community f-om fifty to seventy per cent of the feorle who use garden hese laboriously roll ‘it up and hang it on a nail or the back of a chair—when a few dollars spent for a hose reel would save a lot of time, a great deal of needless labor, and keep the hose in far better condition. Sell the hose reel while you're at it. Sales of screen doors, window screens and screen wire are usually made largely in June; but early in July is not too late to push these lines effectively. In most communities the late spring has retarded the fly nuisance; anid not till the flies make their presence abuntantly felt does the average householder awaken to the need of screens. Push these lines and push them hard; only a little later they will become a drug on the market, so it is up to you to sell while the selling is still good. Electrical goods are timely and can be pushed to excellent advant- age wherever current is available to the householders. In hardware stores where these lines are carried, they should be given adequate dis- play. Feature the newer lines. The summer is a good time to push the sale of electric ranges and cooking equipment, though June is a_ better time than July, since by the end of June a good many families go away to their summer cottages. The lat- ter will, however, be interested in camping equipment; so you get them coming and you get them going. While you are featuring the new- er electrical lines, do not neglect the sale of the old stand-bys. Elec- tric irons are an instance. It may seem as though every householder has an electric iron by this time. But a lot of the earlier electric irons in use are petering out; so now is a good time to feature an extra quality electric iron with a substant- ial guarantee back of it. You can sell a lot of them. Ironing and toaster cords, too, are always wear- ing out; and it might well pay a wide-awake dealer to feature a good, substantial cord—something, remem- ber, that will fit most of the equip- ment in use. The perfect cord has yet to be invented, but there are some good ones which it will pay the dealer to feature. The real hot weather article is the electric fan. As good a way to advertise the electric fan as any other is to install one in the store and keep it running on hot days. It will attract any amount of attention from perspiring individuals. Enfi- lade your fan in operation with a display of the article, and a show card or two calling attention to the fact that you sell them for household use. In extremely hot weather, the average individual will do most any- thing to get relief from the heat. One dealer reports that he received an order from one householder for Michigan Merchants WELCOME THE TOURISTS Their pleasure means our prosperity Sherwood Hall Co., Ltd. SIXTY YEARS SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS, 2: MICHIGAN THE TOLEDO PLATE & WINDOW GLASS COMPANY Mirrors—Art Glass—Dresser Tops—Automobile and Show Case Glass All kinds of Glass for Building Purposes 601-611 IONIA AVE., S. W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Foster, Stevens & Co. Wholesale Hardware ot 157-159 Monroe Ave. : 151 to 161 Louis N. W. Grand Rapids, Mich. Michigan Hardware Company 100-108 Ellsworth Ave., Corner Oakes GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - Exclusive Jobbers of Shelf Hardware, Sporting Goods and FISHING TACKLE There’s more FUN to the square inch at RAMONA PARK this season than ever before—the crowds are larger, happier, more con- tented and the variety of entertainment is greater at— RAMON Shows, rides and other amusements are more popular than ever before, and some say that seven days in a week is none too often to visit “Grand Rapids’ Coney Island’?——— PLAN A PICNIC AT RAMONA PARK t. July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 31 a fan for his dining room and. one for each bedroom in his house. The business is full of possibilities. Although the regular demand for refrigerators often reaches its peak in June, every extra hot spell will bring a certain recurrent demand. The weather may be too hot for the demand to make itself felt in actual buying unless you encourage it with. a good display or two. Keep these lines where people can see them; show them in the window now and again. One firm advertises: “Buy now . refrigerators ‘that breathe coolness -and save you ice.’ The present hot spell has emphasized the important part that refrigerators play during the summer months. Such heat as we are now having will tend to taint so many articles of diet unless kept in refrigerators of a strictly sanitary nature. Ours are proved and recommended by the medical profession in an emphatic manner. Let us demonstrate their merits at the store or in your home.” good lines to Most people Hammocks are feature in hot weather. —tnless the mosquitoes are bad— like to sleep out on _ hot nights. Tents are also in demand; and these can be made mosquito proof. Although not handled in all hard- ware stores, some dealers carry them, and find them a good line. One small town hardware dealer last year did a brisk business in renting tents by the week, with the option of buying. A lot of people availed themselves of the opportunity of “sleeping out” at relatively small cost and a fair proportion of them purchased outright. The real hot or real cold weather always seems to stimulate a demand for thermometers. People want to be in a position to tell just how miserable they really are, and to boast to their fellow sufferers about the extreme heat. If you handle thermometers, put them on dispiay in your hot weather window. In the latter part of July. of course comes the annual “Summer Clearing Sale.” A careful going- over the stock nearly always brings to light shelf-warmers, broken lots, odds and ends, and other slow-mov- ing goods which might just as well be converted into ready cash. _ It is not at all a bad idea to advertise these goods, adding a few “Specials” or “Leaders” if necessary to make the sale worth while and bring the people into the store. 3y all means go carefully through your stock, and bring to the front any and all merchandise which can be included in such a sale. There will be a certain proportion of hot weather lines to put out at reduced prices; but at the same time you will be able to gather quite an assort- ment of miscellaneous goods which have not proven rapid sellers. The Midsummer Sale is your opportunity to put a price on them which will move them out without fail. In the meantime, push the hot weather lines at the regular prices, feature them, put your best selling effort behind them, and endeavor by all means to reduce these lines to the minimum. Victor Lauriston, Generous Gift to Charlevoix County. Boyne City, July -3——The Charle- voix county Board of Supervisors last Wednesday by a unanimous vote accepted the gift of 190 acres of land on the South side of Pine Lake from Perry Whiting, of Los Angeles, Cal. To make sure that the county was not getting a pig in the poke the whole board accompanied the special committee Tuesday on an inspection of the premises. Twenty-two men and two women, piloted by a dele- gation from East Jordan and Boyne City, tramped all over the land and viewed it from every angle. They found a base ball ground, a camping park, a most desirable bathing beach, with a natural bath house and a dozen spring brooks. The park fronts to the East a half mile on the lake front, with a high, dry bluff covered with a dense growth of cedar between the Boyne City and Ironton country road and the lake. West of this road the ground rises to about two ‘hundred feet above the lake. All of the North and West boundary is covered with a heavy growth of maple, beech and hemlock, a large part of which is the original forest. The terms of the gift require that the county spend a minimum of $1,000 per year on improvements. The supervisors appointed a per- manent board of commissioners to supervise and control all county parks. The board of commissioners consist of five members, whose full term of office shall be five years, aoe so that one member is elected each year by the’ county Boned. The board appointed is F. ©. Barden, Boyne City; W. J. Pier- son, Boyne Falls; Frank Waugeman, Eveline township: .W. 2. Porter, East Jordan,. and Capt. John Rose, Charlevoix. F. B. Thompson, chairman of the board of county road commissioners and secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, obtained permission from the supervisors to use the $30,000 yet remaining of Boyne City’s alot- ment of the county road bond fund #O use im ‘Surfacing that. part off State Highway No. 57 between Boyne City and Walloon Lake, which was graded last year. This road, which has engaged the energies of the Chamber of Commerce for the past five years, was to have been all completed this year but for the failure of the Legislature to provide funds. This is particularly unfortun- ate, as the road that is in use at present hits all the high spots and is a succession of steep grades, blind curves and narrow corduroy swamp crossings, where vehicles cannot pass except at special turnouts. State Highway M 13 is closed between Boyne Falls and Clarion, compelling all travel on M 13 to and from Pet- oskey to go through Boyne City. and over this road. The new road cuts out all the hills and curves and is a fine piece of highway. Maxy. Roth Body Co. BUILDERS OF SPECIAL Motor Truck BODIES “Any style body for any make truck” 2048 DIVISION AVENUE, S. Citizens 31072 SIDNEY ELEVATORS Will reduce handling expense and speed up work— will make money for you. Easily installed. Plans and instructions sent with each elevator. Write stating requirements, giving kind of machine and size platform » wanted, as well as height. We will quote a money saving price. Sidney Elevator Mnfg. Co., Sidney, Ohlo * ° Keep Kool Hot Weather Drinks Glen Rock Lemon Root Beer JUDSON GROCER COMPANY DISTRIBUTORS GRAND RAPIDS, Ginger Ale Orange Sarsaparilla MICHIGAN REFRIGERATORS for ALL. PURPOSES Send for Catalogue No. 95 for Residences No. 53 for Hotels, Clubs, Hospitals, Etc. No. 72 for Grocery Stores No, 64 for Meat Markets No. 75 for Florist Shops _McCRAY REFRIGERATOR CO. 2344 Lake St., Kendallville, Ind. CHINNICK’S RESTAURANT 41 IONIA AVE. Just North of the Tradesman Office CYRUS W. RICE PATENT ATTORNEY 1208-1210 Grand Rapids Savings Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN References: Grand Rapids lawyers, banks and business houses generally. Signs of the Times CHICAGO $3.95 Graham & Morton Freight and Passenger Lin e MICHIGAN RAILROAD BOAT TRAIN 7 p. m.—G. R. Time Front and Fulton Freight Station 64241 Bell M 3116 Telephones—Citz. Leave Chicago DAILY—7 p. m. Standard Time For Information Tel. Citz. 4322 Bell M 4470 Are Electric Signs Progressive merchants and man- ufacturers now realize the value of Electric Advertising. We furnish you with sketches, prices and operating cost for the asking. THE POWER CO. Bell M 797 Citizens 4261 Sand Lime Brick Nothing as Durable Nothing as Ftreproof Makes Structures Beautiful No Painting No Cost for Repairs Fire Proof Weather Proof Warm in Winter Cool In Summer Brick is Everlasting Grande Brick Co. Grand Rapids Saginaw Brick Co., Saginaw Jackson-Lansing Brick Co., ‘unction Rives. J 32 THE CUSTOMER FIRST. Traveling Man’s Experience in Main- taining Right Relations. Written for the Tradesman. Who’s first in your consideration —you, as salesman, your house or your customer? “There was a time,” an unusually successful traveling man recently told the writer, “when I used to put my- self first, my house second, and the customer third. But that was long ago when I was young and inex- perienced. One day it came to me suddenly that this order is dead wrong, and should be reversed. The proper order is: The customer first —always and in every situation and by every consideration, my house second, and I last. Twenty years ago for the first time I saw it in that light, and ever since I have scrupulously maintained that attitude and made my service square with that principle.” “And you are right,” I interrupted. “Sure I am, and if I couldn’t work for a house that maintained the vali- dity of that principle and gave me a free hand in working with ref- erence. to it,” he added, “I’d quit the road immediately. “T had been with my present house two years,” he resumed, “when one day I got disgusted and decided to quit. I was then in Pittsburg—my territory being Western Pennsyl- -vania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. My firm’s branch head- quarters were in Philadelphia. In- stead of writing or wiring my resig- nation—I was too mad for that—I decided to go to Philadelphia and tell them face to. face how the branch manager had been meddling with affairs in my territory; how, instead of authorizing me to make all adjustments, he’d gotten the idea that he could iron these matters out by correspondence. And it got to a point where I couldn’t stand it, I could see that our customers weren’t: getting a fair deal. Headquarters didn’t know the situation as I, who was on the ground knew it. There were (and always will be) important details and phases that cannot be ap- prehended from a distance; and in- side stories that are not revealed by correspondence. So I stormed into the big office, bearded the boss in his den, sent for his trusted aids, and spilled the story of my pent-up wrath, and concluded by saying— “Now, I’m _ through—I’m not quitting, I’ve already quit. And I’ve come clear across the state to tell you why—to turn on the light so you can clear the field for the next man. Our customers out there (and everywhere else, for that matter) are first, this house is second, and we. the house representatives, are third.” Ne: to quote further, but to give the sequel in the briefest compass, that man stayed on with his firm. He had to. They wouldn’t let him go. The manager and his associates had a change of heart, as sudden and striking in effect as a religious ex- perience. The manager confessed that he was wrong and the salesman was right; and he furthermore ‘promised that if his salesman would reconsider and remain with the house MICHIGAN TRADESMAN he should have carte blanche in his territory to make all adjustments; and they furthermore promised to stand by and support him in his ef- fort to carry out the policy which he ‘had announced. As an illustration of how this ar- rangement works out in-practice, the salesman related this incident of an irate customer who was quickly and easily pacified. The house had writ- ten their representative to see such a customer when in that vicinity. The customer was decidedly up in the air, as could be seen by the en- closed copy of his letter, and the occasion of his pardonably natural anger was a delayed order. one of those unfortunate occurrences that now and then happen in spite of all efforts to prevent them. The traveling man’s house is a big establishment, and among other things they specialize in fine art calendars for dealers. This dealer’s calendars which should have been delivered the latter part of Novem- ber, did not arrive until the day after Christmas. Most of this dealer’s trade came from out-of-town people. Many of them lived quite a distance out. By Christmas Eve they were through shopping, and many of them would not be back in town for weeks The dealer was not accustomed to mailing out these calendars to his customers, the handed them out. Consequently he was bitterly disap- pointed by their failure to arrive. The tone of the letter to the house revealed that he was hopping mad. He had a right to be. The firm wrote their representa- tive to see this customer and make whatever adjustment he could. It was early in March when he walked in the customer’s place of business. He found the dealer frosty to a degree. Presently he said, “I’ve come to make peace between you and_ the house.” “You're too late!” the customer retorted. “I’m through with your house.” “Wait a minute,” said the sales- man, in even tones; “you haven’t heard me yet. We are going to settle this matter in a manner that will be perfectly satisfactory to you.” “How's that?” the other asked. “Well, it’s just this way: You are to be the judge and the jury all in one. What you say goes; and there’ll be no appeal.” “Do you mean that?” the customer asked, in a far more cordial manner. “I certainly do,” the salesman told him. “I know you have a_ just grievance, and my house does too, They sent me over here to make = ) Hotel =| Whitcomb Mineral Baths THE LEADING COMMERCIAL AND RESORT HOTEL OF SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN Open the Year Around Natural Saline-Suiphur Waters. Best for Rheumatism, Nervousness, Skin Diseases and Run Down Condition. J. T. Townsend, Mgr. July 4, 1923 It was” The Pantlind Hotel The center of Social and Business Activities. Strictly modern and _fire- proof. Dining, Cafeteria and Buffet Lunch Rooms in connection. 550 rooms Rates $2.50 and up with bath. New Hlotel Mertens Cs i i \ GRAND RAPIDS Vx fy Rooms without bath, FY b oe e Bec ty < 1.50- $2.00; with show. 6b . oe re | Union club ’ Breakfast 200 to b gf 7 oes sua Station — “turoteon fae” TE 6B 4 gE eM Pa gg Wire for Reservation one 66 8} (obs v in 4 ) _ 2 ee oe Ms a2 cd pgs ES c br ) a8 one rd 6 BE EG & ee = ae) pee perelsa ee ew ete be ei; Br A Feet 8 oes Eu EGE Be». Peed Aer Heke All ae 5 St eps Ps East Fire Proof IN THE HEART OF THE CITY Division and Fulton { $1.50 up without bath RATES } 95 50 up with bath CODY CAFETERIA IN CONNECTION ST. JOSEPH MICHIGAN Hotel Rowe SAFETY COMFORT ELEGANCE WITHOUT EXTRAVAGANCE. Cafe Service Par Excellence. Popular Priced Lunch and Grill Room. Club Breakfast and Luncheons 35c to 75c. Grand Rapids’ Newest Hotel. 350 Rooms - - 350 Servidors - - Circulating Iced Water. Rates $2 with Lavatory and Toilet. HOLDEN HOTEL CoO. 250 Baths $2.50 with Private Bath. C. L. HOLDEN, Manager. nserver vrs artnet anminr neem rt in ct neanreerinn tet seeaemremee — RES ER age July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 33 any arrangement that seems right and fair to you, and I wouldn't have had the nerve to come in here if I didn’t want to let you dictate the terms of the adjustment. When I go out of this store, I want to leave feeling that you are perfectly satisfied, and I want to leave you a friend of the house. “Now, if you feel you shouldn’t Pay us anything, say so; if you think we are entitled to twenty-five per cent of the amount twenty-five per cent it will be; if fifty per cent., then fifty it is.” By this time the customer was in a very friendly attititued. “T don’t want to say,” he demur- red, “You say.” “Not on your life,” declined the salesman, “I want you to be per- fectly satisfied. If you name the terms, I am sure you will be, won’t you?” And, of course, the cus- tomer had to admit that he would be satisfied with terms made by him- self. “Well, the upshot was,” stated the salesman, “he finally stated that fifty per cent seemed fair and reason- able to him, and he was perfectly willing to pay that amount and for- give the firm for this mistake. It would have taken forty letters to have adjusted that matter by cor- respondence. He is still a good cus- tomer of mine and buys calendars from me every year.” So I pass this little story along for what it is Worth. .The customer is first, your house is second, and you (the house representative) are third; and if you'll just bear that in mind it will be of value to you in maintain- ing right relations with the people to whom you sell. Frank Fenwick. ——_2-->—___ From the Cloverland of ‘Michigan. Sault Ste. Marie, Juy 3—This be- Items ing home-coming week at the Soo, most everything in business circles will be side-tracked. All but the soft drink parlors, refreshment stands and amusement places will stack up for the week. The Morris and Castle- shows will take many thousands of dollars out of the good old Soo, but because it is the event of a lifetime, it will be worth the price and will leave lasting pleasant memories with our many old timers, as well as the former Sooites who will have to get up and take notice of the old town and the community co-operation man- ifested by its citizens. The firm of Colwell & Burns, one of our enterprising clothing firms, celebrated their first birthday last Saturday with a special sale com- memorating the success they have achieved during their first year in business. They are both young men and members of the Booster club and are paving the way for a pros- perous future. Some men boast they can’t be fooled twice in the same way, but there are a lot of other ways. H. P. Hossack & Co., the enter- prising merchants of Cedarville, opened the Cedar Inn July 1. This is one of the best Summer hotels at the famous Les Cheneaux Islands and very popular with the tourists and the Sooites for Sunday dinners. Work on the road near Trout Lake is rapidly nearing completion and the small stretch of poor road which remains will be finished within a few days, making the outlet to the West complete. The local boat business on _ the beautiful Saint Marie river seems to be a thing of the past since the auto- mobile trade has come to take its place. The last of the river boats running between the Soo and Detour, the steamer Elva, made her last trip on Saturday for the season, on ac- count of the light travel and freight business that remains. This boat service will be greatly missed by the numerous cottagers at the Encamp- ment, Raber and other places along the river, which have for so many years enjoyed the daily boat to the Soo and Detour. Drinking to man’s health will not prolong his life. James Raefale, the hustling grocer, returned last week from a trip to Chicago, where he went to purchase several cars of fruit for home-coming week, Ham Hamilton, of the Pickford Creamery Co., Pickford, was a busi- ness visitor here last week. Mun MacLaughlan, of the Mac- Laughlin Brothers Co., is back on the job, after a three weeks’ stay at the 'Soo hospital, where he success- fully underwent an operation for ap- pendicitis. Don’t judge by outward appear- ances. The coat of an honest man and that of a grafter may be cut from the same pattern. Miss Leila Seaman, of Drummond Island, has opened a tea room on the delightful North end of the beautiful Island, where the tourists can rest and refresh themselves. A ferry is now in operation with the main land at Detour and a scow to take over automobies. Meals are also served. This affords an unusual treat for city folks who have not had an opportun- ity to visit one of the finest ~spots on the continent. William G. Tappert. ——_o-2 Three Prison Stores Opened at Jack- son. Jackson, July 3—A community grocery store for prison officials, em- ployes and inmates has just been opened by Warden Hulburt at 921 Cooper street, opposite the east prison gate, and is fast becoming one of the busiest places about the big institution. The new store has a $7,000 stock of groceries, meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, tobacco, aluminum ware, brushes and canned goods, and to which many articles are being added daily. It is in charge of E. E. Mel- ville, 936 Cooper street, manager, and E. R. Bennett, 1213 First street, and G. T. Stock, 111 Monroe street, assistants.” Branches have also been established at the North prison an- nex, in charge of D. C. Pettit, and at the Onondaga clay pits, in charge of Capt. Louis Blaney. The main store has more than 2,000 regular customers, including prison inmates, who are served by delivery; the North farm store, over 500 customers including prison of- ficials and guards and the Onondaga store, prison guards and 120 inmates. Profits from the three stores go into a fund for welfare work among the inmates and for entertainments. The stores are absolutely divorced from the prison and its industries, prison canned goods and other prison produced supplies being purchased the same as would be done by any other privately owned store. Livingston Hotel GRAND RAPIDS European Rates $1.25 to $2.50 per day Wurzburg's GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN We Are Responsible to You! Every Delion Cord Tire sold by us is backed by Wurzburg’s 50 years of storekeeping success: When you buy your automobile tires from a reliable house your tire troubles are over. We personally guarantee Delion Cord Tires for 10,000 miles. There are thousands of Delion Tire users getting all the way from 10,000 to 20,000 miles. You can save one-third of your tire costs—quality for quality on every Delion Cord Tire. Size Cord Tires 30 x 3IZCL. 13.95 30 x 34 SS. 15.95 32 x 314 SS. 19.95 40 = 4 SS. 23.95 32 x 4 SS. 24.95 33 x 4 SS. 25.95 34 x4 SS. 26.95 32 x 44 SS. 27.95 33 x 44 SS. 28.95 34 x 4, SS. 31.95 35 x 4Y4 SS. 33.95 36 x 414, SS. 34.95 33% 5 Ss 36.95 3352%5 $S§ 38.95 4x 5 SS. 39.95 36 x 6 SS. 72.95 Heavy duty Cord Tubes 2:25 2.25 Oo wm NUD DD PRED mh O ROSID Bp — AAWAAAa A OCCIDENTAL HOTEL FIRE PROOF CENTRALLY LOCATED Rates $1.50 and up EDWARD R. SWETT, Mgr. Muskegon Hee Michigan _Oppo 250 O Lansing’s New Fire Proof HOTEL ROOSEVELT site North Side State Capitol on Seymour Avenue utside Rooms, Rates $1.50 up, with Bath $2.50 up. Cafeteria in Connection. Western Hotel BIG RAPIDS, MICH. Hot and cold running water in all rooms. Several rooms with bath. All rooms well heated and well ventilated. A good place to stop. American plan. Rates reason- able. ‘ WILL F. JENKINS, Manager. Stop and see George, HOTEL MUSKEGON Muskegon, Mich. Rates $1.50 and up. GEO. W. WOODCOCK, Prop. CUSHMAN HOTEL PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN The best is none too good for a tired Commercial Traveler. Try the CUSHMAN on your next trip and you will feel right at home. Beli Phone 596 Citz. Phone 61866 JOHN L. LYNCH SALES CO. SPECIAL SALE EXPERTS Expert Advertising Expert Merchandising 209-210-211 Murray Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN HOTEL BROWNING 150 Fireproof Rooms GRAND RAPIDS Corner Sheldon and Oakes; Facing Union Depot; Three Biocks Away Rooms, duplex bath, $2 Private Bath, $2.50, $3 Never higher MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Mich. State Pharmaceutical Ass’n. President—George H. Grommet, De- troit. Secretary—L. V. Middleton, Grand Rapids. Treasurer—E. E. Faulkner, Middleville. Executive Committee—J. A. Skinner, D. D. Alton and A. J. Miller. Michigan Board of Pharmacy. President—James E. Way, Jackson. Vice - President — Jacob C. Dykema, Grand Rapids. Secretary—H. H. Hoffman, Lansing. J. A. Skinner, Cedar Springs. Oscar W. Gorenflo, Detroit. Claude C. Jones, Battle Creek. Director of Drugs and Drug Stores— H. H. Hoffman, Lansing. Next examination sessions—Detroit, June 19, 20 and 21; Sault Ste. Marie, Aug. 21 and 22; Grand Rapids, Nov. 20, 21 and 22. A Stepping Stone to Advancement. Written for the Tradesman. The clerk’s surest stepping stone to advancement is to render ‘himself more efficient; and an essential to greater efficiency is a thorough knowledge of the goods. Commercial pharmacy nowadays involves the handling of a large number of lines which do not come within the scope of the pharmacist’s professional training. The man who sells drugs would hardly care to do so in utter ignorance of their prob- able effect. His professional di- ploma is the key note to the buyer’s confidence in his knowledge. And an equal degree of knowledge is re- quired of the salesman even when, instead of drugs, he is selling any one of the numerous side lines which have come to hold so prominent a place in the average drug store. Whether it be cigars or cameras, ebony goods or proprietary medi- cines, confectionery or summer drinks, the salesman who wants to make a good record for himself and bring business to the store must learn all there is to know about them. There is always a fair proportion of cus- tomers who can pick out what they want; but by far the larger number want, not “this comb” but merely “a comb’—and so on down the entire line. Their demands are for the general article; the clerk must help them to select the specific article which will suit them best. This the clerk cannot do unless he knows the goods. To sell effec- tively, he must be well posted as to differences in quality, must ‘be able to elucidate the reasons why the 35- cent toothbrush is better value than the 19-cent brush, and must be able to carry the same practtical know- ledge into all the various details of selling. The clerk who knows. the difference between a quality article and a low-priced article can recom- mend the former with authority and confidence. He is able to back up his recommendation with good, sub- stantial reasons. And, in selling, it requires, not hesitant “I guess” and “I daresay,” but good, substantial reasons given without any hesitation whatever. To acquire practical knowledge of this sort is a big order. Yet for the clerk who is interested in the business it is not a hard task. Many clerks who find difficul- ty in interesting themselves in the picking-up-information process at the outset speedily discover that it be- comes second nature with them to store away information § regarding the goods. The beginner who finds time hanging heavy on his hands can fill in odd moments by perusing the labels and absorbing the information they contain; and then he can dig deeper and study the advertising literature which accompanies most shipments of the goods. This will help in mastering the strong selling points of the various lines in stock. If the stock includes semi-mechanical appliances, learn how to use them. A clerk can always sell safety razors more readily if he understands just to hold the razor and what sort of stroke to employ; and he can always sell cameras the better for knowing how to open and close them,’ load with films or plates, develop, print and handle all the details of amateur photography. At a later stage, it will pay to visit wholesale and manufacturing centers of the drug trade, and to study the processes there employed. The man who knows how an aarticle or preparation is manufactured may not unload all his information upon each and every customer; but his selling talks always seem to carry FOR ANTS AND COCKROACHES SS more conviction with them than do those of the clerk who has only a superficial knowledge of the goods, or no knowledge at all. Acquiring information of this so:t is a long and tedious process. Long it is, but not tedious for the man who is interested in his work and wants to advance. Inter- est makes the hardest work easy; enthusiasm makes any work joy. It may be hard to make a_ beginning at a new task, but persistence speedi- ly makes the burden light till finally it is borne unconsciously. Thorough knowledge of the stock isn’t to be picked up in a day, but little by little; and so acquired, it comes easily, is thoroughly assimilated, and all that is of value is retained in the memory, ready the instant it is re- quired. And such knowledge is essential to advancement. The beginner who wants to become a successful phar- macist or a successful salesman, the clerk who wants some day to have a store of his own, must invest a share of his time in the systematic acquiring of knowledge regarding the goods he is to handle. The mer- chant who doesn’t know his goods is handicapped in buying; the sales- man who doesn’t know his goods is handicapped in selling. In either department of retailing, thorough knowledge is a primary requisite of sucess. The merchant who has the best interests of his store at heart will render every assistance to the clerk who shows even the slightest in- clination to pick up information. A great difficulty of present day re- tailing is the lack of clerks who are enthusiastically interested in their work. The merchant can do a great deal to remedy this trouble by helping them along. He will find that a few minutes spent each day in discussing selling experiences and selling points with his clerks will do a great deal toward developing sales efficiency and stimulating inter- est. He will find, also, that the trade used to advantage —_7 papers can be July 4, 1923 both in furnishing information and in inculcating enthusiasm. Victor Lauriston. —_—_+. + 2 The Difference Between a Salesman and a Clerk. If we had the shaping of lang- uages, and the making of dictionaries in our hands, there is one word we would now obliterate from the vo- cabulary of man. It is the word “clerk.” Has ever a word become more useless? How many of us carry it about with us, tied to us, serving no earthly purpose, like an appendix, better off than on. Some- body once said: “There are three classes in modern business: the ‘works,’ the ‘shirks,’ and the ‘clerks.’” He was wrong; there are only two, and you know what they are. A long time ago, a “clerk’ ’was de- fined as any person who could read and write. To bea clerk was to be a man of learning. But under present conditions of wide-spread education and occupational specialization, to call a modern retail salesperson a clerk is to be flagrantly guilty of misnaming a profession. Even the dictionary, a somewhat dubious standby at times, does not completely sanction the use of the word “clerk” when it says, “sometimes colloquilly applied in the United States to in- clude salespeople or assistants.” “He was what they called a clerk, in what they called a store, up in the huckleberry district,” says Oliver Wendell Holmes in one of his little Satirics. He makes pretty plain, doesn’t he, the difference between being called a clerk, and being one. The difference between being that misnomer, a clerk, and being a salesman, is the difference between assuming apathy toward the job and liking it, between waiting for cus- tomers and making them, between leading a pointless existence and set- ting a goal, between having to be directed in every little thing and directing things, between a form of mental slavery and a complete mental liberty. ——_>--____ Even aewise man relishes the silly prattle of a pretty woman. EFOOT j TREO. CO. * a NONRMA tess A Sunday. TANGLEFOO use TANGLEFOOT themselves. TANGLEFOOT z A Valuable Impression pleasing impression upon customers is of value. You can create one and at the same time save your goods from damage by spreading sheets of TANGLEFOOT in your show windows, especially over will then be at work for you and will! not only catch the flies, but attract the attention of people who pass your store to your efforts to keep your stock clean and fresh, and create in them a desire to This means extra sales to you. You can now sell at the old price, two double sheets for 5 cents, and make a profit of 50 per cent. Remember TANGLEFOOT catches the germ as well as the fly, and that poisons, traps, or powders cannot do it. — TANGLEFOOT TANGLEFOOT ssa RRO NE EN RIED oe oF ee. SO are Sear oe AER R -rmmeeRNRRT een OIE July 4, 1923 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 35 A Business Quiz. 1. In selling goods on the road, what is known as the four rules for overcoming resistance? 2. In making a sales appeal, what element differs in men than women? 3. A customer tendered a“clerk a $1 bill and asked him to take out a purchase of five cents. The clerk stated he could not make change, but if the customer tendered a $5 bill he would be able to do so with the change in the till. How was it accomplished? 4. What are the four recognized most efficient methods of filing pap- ers, documents or letters? 5. What is the true relation be- tween par value and worth of a stock or bond issue? Answers 1. The four rules for overcoming resistance as practised and outlined by an eminent authority consist of: 1. Do not wait too long between calls. 2. Make a listing of all pos- sible objections and have a fitting answer on tap. 3. Don’t talk too much and what you do say be sure of. 4. Keep away from technical details; talk common-sense. 2 Accords to Dr. worth, of Columbia University, “Women respond more quickly to appeals to their dislikes; men more to appeals to their preferences.” 3. Fhe. clerk found in the till change which enabled him to take out of the’ five dollar bill the pur- chase of five cents. This consisted of a $2.50 goldpiece, a $2 bill and 45 cents in change. 4. The four most efficient meth- ods of filing are: 1. By series numb- er, giving each document a series number. 2. By subject matter, using the subject as the key. 3. By date, using each date in separate classific- ation. 4. By alphabetical order, the Hollings- latter being somewhat cumbersome. 5. There is a mistaken idea that the value stamped upon the face of a bond is the worth. As a matter of fact, the par value has nothing to do with the actual market value. When a concern issues a security of fixed returns such as a 6 per cent. bond or 7 per cent. accumulative preferred stock, what they really of- fer for sale is the right to receive $6 or $7 a year instead of yearly income as engraved on the surface of bond. —+.___ Work for the Trouble Clerk. An official of one of the telephone companies tells of a new use for the trouble department of a phone office discovered by a family on the west side. Now this family had not long en- joyed the use of a phone, and every one, therefore, took a deep and abid- ing interest in it. On the outside of the directory they had noted the words “Trouble, Call No. 7777.” It had been a hard morning, and everything had gone wrong in that household. Finally the lady of the house, in desperation, turned to the trusty phone and called 7777. “Trouble clerk?” she asked. “Yes, madam.” “Well, I only want to report that our cat got drowned in the cistern this morning; the baby is cutting a new tooth; the cook left without notice; we are out of sugar and starch; the stove- pipe fell down; the milkman left only a pint instead of a quart today; the bread won’t raise; my oldest child is down with the measles and the plumb- ing leaks. That’s all there is to-day, but if anything happens later I’ll call you up and tell you about it.” ——_2-+___ With no motive in life a man is like an automobile minus the _ steer- ing wheel. TOURIST RESORT ASSN Grand Rapids. friends. A New Soda Fountain AND Up-to-date Store Fixtures Help Build Up Your Tourist and Resort Trade E are state agents for the GUAR- ANTEE ICELESS SODA FOUN- TAINS of Grand Haven, and for the WILMARTH SHOW CASE CO. of They are the leaders, and their products will bear the closest scrutiny of your most exacting tourist and resort customers and Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan -2-o Wide Variety Shown in Imported Hat Models. Judging from the summary of colors made by the style reporters of the Retail Millinery Association of America from the early imports of French hats for Fall, the coming season will be almost as colorful as the current one. This is what the Association’s bulletin has to say about it: “The entire brown family will score again. Amethyst is. suggested by the leading modistes. Some bright yel- low is seen, but it is an open ques- tion as to whether it will remain very long. Bottle green is seen a good deal, and bright Egyption blue tones up the Autumn range. Indigo and navy are in the forefront of the blues. “The current red vogue promises to be toned down to wine shades for the next season, with coral and geranium. Dark seal and_ Titian brown promise very well. So does gray, but beige is doubtful. In the metallic colors silver has the call. A feature of the incoming hats is the exploitation of color in the fac- ings of mushroom and cloche shapes. “In the materials metal brocades show up very strongly, and the com- bination of panne velvet and _ felt is seen. Some use of long-nap_ hat- ters’ plush is noted. Wide ribbons of satin and velvet are used to make entire hats. In band effects hatters’ plush and Lyons velvet combine, but velvet of this type is easily the peer- less fabric for Fall.” ee Rules for Window Results. 1. The ‘store front should have character and make a good appear- ance. 2. Make the windows all dust-proof and _ frost-proof. 3. Have your windows well lighted. 4. Plan your windows to over- come reflections. 5. Change backgrounds frequently. 6. Have all merchandise thorough- ly cleaned before placing in the window. 7. See that throughout. 8. Do not let window ducomtons conflict with the merchandise. 9. Do not crowd the merchandise. 1. Pose the merchandise in a broken line so it won’t look like a row of ninepins. glass, window is cleaned 11. -Display accessories in the window. 12. A neat show card will ans- wer many a customer’s wnasked question—price tickets on certain goods will sell more goods than a high-priced clerk, BUSINESS WANTS DEPARTMENT Advertisements inserted under this head for five cents a word the first Insertion and four cents a word for each subsequent continuous insertion. If set in capital letters, double price. No charge less than cents. Small display advertisements in this department, $3 per inch. Payment with order is required, as amounts are too small to open accounts. Wanted—To hear from owner of good FOR SALE—By owner, grocery store, business for sale. State cash price, full stock and residence in Kalamo. Good particulars. D. F. Bush, Minneapolis, business, good reason for selling. O. R Minn. 233 Sanford, R. 4 Vermontville, Mich. FOR SALE—The Trumble Hotel, best hotel proposition in Central Michigan. For No competition. Doing good business and in good condition. A commercial and tourist hotel. A bargain if sold soon. Hasy terms. No agents. J. A. Harper, owner, Evart, Mich. 234 Park Hotel--17 rooms _ furnished Sale—Well established manufac- turing business, handling soaps, family remedies, perfumed, toilet articles, ex- tracts, tea, coffee, spices, and housenold needs. About $3,000 will handle the business. Standard Supply Co., Ine., 30 Bad Axe, Mich. 225 beds. Two or four lots. Fronts state WINDOW TRIMMER AND CARD road, St. Clair river. M. E. Dickinson, WRITER FOR high class ‘ry goods store Algonac, Mich. 235 - with ten modern show windows. Must HOR SGAlm One sixteen foot Sherer- be fully experienced and capable of pro- a : i ducing high class, Gillett grocery display counter: one a , refined, artistic dis- Burroughs adding machine: ‘Toledo Plays. Salary $150 a’ month to start. springless scales, 34 pounds capacity. Correspondence confidential. Address All like new. Write Joe’s Fruit Store, Hart-Albin Co., Billings, Montana. 226 Traverse City, Mich. 236 FOR SALE—At 804 South Marshall — > Gale=oBiehty acre farm. Or trade Ave., Marshall, Mich., six-room house, fo mean anak SHAK enLagiae. Harry Cc. all modern, and store with fixtures— Starr, Greenville,. Mich. 237 stock, also, if desired. Might sell, also, ees see brick store, fixtures and stock, FOR SALE—CONFECTIONERY NEXT yoom house (all modern), eleven two lots in TO only theater in a town of 3,700. Albion. Investigate. Harvey B. Snyder, Beautiful fixtures. A big money maker. 410 W. Chestnut St., Albion, Mich. Other business, must sell immediately. 229 aa. oie oo oe " WANTED—Salesmen with a following with the dry goods and furnishings trade OWNER of brick factory building, two jy Michigan, to sell hosiery and under- fioors, 8,000 feet eo ee wishes wear. Good opportunity for the right to get in touch with party having a men. Address No. 230, c-o Michigan good MANUFACTURING proposition. ‘Tradesman. : ae Address L. S. Quick, Monroe, a $6,900 equity elegant eighty-acre farm, WANTED—Salesmen calling on the hardware stores, with side line of popu- lar article used on every home: pocket exchange for hardware or general mer- gample: liberal commission. The Cam- chandise stock. Frank Reed, Carson- bridge Tile Mfg. Co., Covington, Ky. ville, Mich. 240 : : Se 231 For Sale—Grocery with meat depart- Good ment doing cash business about $50,000 live grocery business, doing an A No. 1 For Sale—Must be sold at once. Sate pesca ce ee credit business in town of 5,000. A fine eee: ee e Rags” a 341 9 ap farm trade also established. Total in- w 1a) ‘ f ess No. 241, - \ . ventory of stock and fixtures around $3,- Tradesman. ss wCt—“‘él 2441 400. +I you are interested, write at once, WANTED—Man with retail clothing or call and see us. A fine location and and shoe experience, in good_ store a nice store. Parr & Ridenour, St. town of over 2.000. Address No. 242, c-o Johns, Mich. 219 Michigan Tradesman. ~ 242 For Sale To Close An Estate—800 acres Wanted—A second-hand butcher’s ice of muck land adapted for hay or box. State size, make and price. Also pasture land, at the source of Maple other butchers tools wanted. Address river in Emmet county, Michigan, $5,000. No. 243, c-o Michigan Tradesman. 243 Liberal terms if desired. G. N. Gould, For Sale—One McCaskey fireproof Administrator, Harbor Springs, Mich. safe register account system which holds 143 325 accounts. -<——_____ Summer Caps in Demand. Coincident with the hot weather, cap makers have found repeat or- ders coming in on lightweight caps of linen, mohair and patent cloths. The new business is well distributed over the country, indicating that many retailers, with the picking up of their Summer suit business, have found their stocks of these particular caps inadequate to meet the demand. Those of linen are in most demand. as they match up with the linen knicker which is now becoming a leading item of sports wear. —_—_———_-2--o- The Creator did not place us in this world to be at the mercy of poverty or disease. We are not mere puppets tossed about by cruel fate, there is a divinity within us which can- drive out of our lives poverty, disease, hereditary taints, and all other unfortunate conditions, July 4, 1923 Do You Know the Mores? First there is Sleep More. He’s double-faced in a way. Much better company at night than in the day- time. Here comes Learn More. He is always on the lockout for something to stow away in that active brain of his. Somehing of a collector, too! His motto ‘is “Chisel and chip. Chisel and chip.” He says that even thoug he dosen’t strike gold in every one and everything, the exercise does him good. Then there is Do More. He’s at it all the time. A little tiresome if you see him consantly. He is hard to know well, but after you are once used to him, he really is easy to get along with. This quiet chap is Think More. If you shut yourself up with him for five minutes, or get him to walk with you to your car, the will cleverly show you how best to plan your day. Play More, the sister, is the most fun of them all. Only beware, she is a little wanton and apt to lead you astray if you give her her own way. But keep ther within bounds and she will lead you along the road to health. When you once know these four well, you will meet the flower of the family. Her name is Earn More. She knows the hiding place of real contentment and will gladly show you the way. Some folks make a specialty of constructing mountains out of mole hills. Your Investment Funds Should Be Invested In Safe. Securities A few are: Worden Realty Company First Mortgage 6% bonds due each year 1927-1933, Pantlind Building Company First Mortgage 6% bonds due 1933. Morton Building Company First Mortgage 6% bonds due each year 1927-1942. These bonds have the necessary qualities for ideal investments. Write for circular. Grand Rapids Trust Co. Phones 4391 FOUNTAIN AND OTTAWA a) >a ee: gia ai y Pi Se Pag rr THE STRONGEST SAFE IN THE WORLD Manufactured Exclusively by YORK SAFE AND LOCK CO. Sale in Western Michigan controlled exclusively by GRAND RAPIDS SAFE CO. Tradesman Building GRAND RAPIDS RS en TE IO NEW ISSUE | $300,000 Louis F. Dow Company ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA First Mortgage 6% % Serial Gold Bonds (Closed Mortgage) Dated May 1, 1923; Due Serially Denominations $1,000, $500, $100 STATE BANK OF CHICAGO, Trustee, Chicago, Illinois MATURITIES $20,000 May 1, 1925 $20,000 May 1, 1930 $20,000 May 1, 1934 20,000 May 1, 1926 20,000 May 1, 1931 25,000 May 1, 1935 20,000 May 1, 1927 20,000 May 1, 1932 25,000 May 1, 1936 20,000 May 1, 1928 20,000 May 1, 1933 25,000 May 1, 1937 20,000 May 1, 1929 25,000 May 1, 1938 PRICE 99 AND ACCRUED INTEREST, YIELDING OVER 63 PER CENT. The Louis F. Dow Company, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is the most complete bank and office supply house in the United States and is also one of the largest producers and me r-hancisers of calendars and leather advertising specialties. The business was established at St. Paul by the present management in 1899 and in no year since its inception has the Company failed to earn a profit—present capital and surplus of $673,866.76, having been built up entirely out of earnings from an original capital of only two hundred dollars. The Company’s business is national in scope and its products also enjoy an extensive foreign distribution. Branch sales offices are maintained in New York, Chicago, Cleve'and, St. Louis, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the Company's bank customers alone number over 20,000 city and country institutions in every state in the Union. Further particulars are summarized as follows from the letter of Mr. PURPOSE OF ISSUE: An amount in excess of proceeds of this bond issue will be expended in the construction of a new plant which will largely increase the earning capa- city of the business. Because of the Company's excellent financial condition none of the proceeds of this financing will be required for use in liquidating current indebtedness. SECURITY: A direct closed first mortgage on all of the fixed properties of the Company now owned or hereafter acquired. The sound depreciated value of these proper- ties, based on conservative appraisals, and including the cost of the new plant now under construction—to be paid for out of the proceeds of these bonds—is shown by the Company's certified balance sheet to be $595,155.55, or nearly twice the entire bonded indebtedness. ASSETS: Net current assets, after deducting all liabili- ties other than this bond issue, are $301,155.30 and net tangible assets aggregate $902,460.85, or respectively $1,005 and $3,008 for each $1,000 bond of this issue. These figures give no consideration to the Company's numerous patents nor to its valuable trade-marks and good-will. Louis F. Dow, President: EARNINGS: The Company's operations have shown a substantial profit in every year since the inception of the business in 1899. For the seven years and seven months from. July 31, 1916, to February 28, 1923, in- clusive, net earnings available for interest, depreciation and Federal Taxes were as follows: 1916, $49,095.62; 1917, $54,128.24; 1918, $43,273.62; 1919, $52,350.34; 1920, $66,288.63; 1921, $32,860.21; 1922, $37,775.67; seven months ending February 28, 1923, $31,883.32. These earnings were after charging off losses incident to inventory adjustments in 1920 and 1921] aggregating approximately $47,000. The largest annual interest charge on this bond issue is $19,500. Upon the completion of the new plant the Company’s departmental activities — now divided between five different locations in St. Paul and Minneapolis—will be completely centralized, thereby effecting a large saving in rentals and a material lower- ing of manufacturing costs and operating expenses. The management conservatively estimates that with these new facilities in operation the reduction in present man- ufacturing and operating expenses will aggregate more than $50,000 per annum. The outfitting of banks and offices is a stable and non-fluctuatinz business, free from the handicaps which affect many industries during periods of business depression. The Louis F. Dow Company is a pioneer in this field of operations and during a period of nearly twenty-five years has built up a clientele comprising thousands of permanent customers. e management of the Company will continue unchanged and is in the hands of men of experience and demonstrated ability who have been individually responsible for the continuing growth and success of the business. Descriptive circular upon request Hyney, Emerson & Company 120 Burdick Arcade, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN First Wisconsin National Bank Bldgz., MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 39 South La Salle Street, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS The statements and information contained in this advertisement. while not guaranteed, have been obtained from sources which we consider accurate and reliable and constitute the basis of our purchase of this issue of bonds. Vammmcmaiinia — pe ee USS aie MOT re aS iis =