ty-four Years gas eGe> O° 08 tig eet oe? oes see : ? eT nee Library, ftte Refere Publie CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST Dollars like chickens should stay near Home. The “Trade at Home”’ slogan applies to Life Insurance as well as to every other commodity. Michigan is the Home of the New Era Life Association. Over $40,000,000 insurance in force. Over $5,000,000 paid in claims. Has just completed its thirtieth year of history. All claims paid within 24 hours of filing of completed proofs. We issue complete protection for every member of the family. Business Protection a Specialty. oere Write for Rates NEW ERA LIFE ASSOCIATION. LEGAL RESERVE INSURANCE ode >? Grand Rapids Savings Bank Bldg., Grand Rapids, Michigan CANDLES? a WE CAN SHIPIMMEDIATELY |{- An approximate inventory of your candle stocks will indicate the styles needed for your holiday sales. To insure your receiving the desired styles at the earliest moment, your holiday candle ‘e order will receive preferred attention. If you have delayed ordering your holiday candles, we suggest that you communicate with us to-day and receive the benefit of our prompt service. Place your order with the Candle Shops and we will ship the desired styles at once. HE CANDLES illustrated will sell A quickly at a profit and increase your business. These candles justly may be called “Holiday Favorites.” DINETTE fF - + TAPER ; Your attention especially is directed to the Dinette Taper. This aristocrat of tapered candles meets with enthusiastic reception wherever it is shown. In struc- ture it resembles a four-shaft Gothic column. It is graceful as the slenderest, well proportioned pinnacle. And in craftsmanship and refinement, it is sug- gestive of Old World Cathedrals. The Dinette Taper is a pleasing departure from the ordinary tapered candle. SUPERLA WW DINNER The bright red Yuletide is greatly used for burning in the windows during the evenings from Christmas to New Years. YULETIDE Also, it may be used to add warmth and Fs 4 oh color to home decorations. ie J | a When you communicate with us or with 2 } our representative, ask about the attrac- ae ite tive Display Chest which is furnished RITE " upon request with full case orders for Ne ‘ ‘ h Dinette and Superla Dinner Tapers. i — oO : |? 4 th > STANDARD OIL COMPANY |-.? fh | (INDIANA) | | 910 South Michigan Avenue , Chieazo: Uakat: | ‘yt Forty-fifth Year MICHIGAN TRADESMAN E. A. Stowe, Editor PUBLISHED WEEKLY by Tradesman Company, from its office the Barnhart Building, Grand Rapids. UNLIKE ANY OTHER PAPER. Frank, free and fearless for the good that we can do. Each issue com- plete in itself. DEVOTED TO the best interests of business men, SUBSCRIPTION RATES areas follows: $3 per year, if paid strictly in advance. $4 per year if not paid in advance. Canadian subscription, $4.04 per year, payable invariably in advance. Sample copies 10 cents each. Extra copies of current issues, 10 cents; issues a month or more old, 15 cents; issues a year or more old, 25 cents; issues five years or more old 50 ceiits. Entered September 23, 1883, at the Postoffice of Grand Rapids as second class matter under Act of March 3, 1879. CANNED FOODS CONDITIONS. The dark horse in the canned food stable is the amount of carryover mer- distributed throughout the wholesale grocery trade. More or less definite statistics are available as to current production, and on that basis it is known that the quantity of canned food is much smaller than in the past Part of the deficit is made up by carryover. It is known that during the spring the market was combed to pick up 1926 packs which were cheap and were in buyer’s favor. A large quantity was taken from packers instead of booking futures, and this has been going into consumption. How rapidly it has been moved and how much remains is a mystery, and its effect as an actual factor in distri- bution cannot be determined for the industry as a whole, although the indi- vidual houses when they take their in- ventories will know how they stand. The consensus of opinion is that a large percentage of the carryover has been liquidated, since it was secured on a low cost basis and afforded an excellent chance to make a profit after the market hardened. Whatever volume remains, there is enough of the canned food staples on hand among wholesalers, counting in deliveries of new packs, to make buy- ers independent of the market at pri- mary points. Buyers are giving their attention to the seasonable products, and what capital is available for the canned food department is being util- ized in financing shipments as they are delivered. CREATE A WAR PSYCHOLOGY. Edward E. Spafford, National Com- mander of the American Legion, chose Armistice day as a suitable occasion for an alarmist address on the inevit- ability of another war. The American people, he declared, now realize that the war to end war did not accomplish its purpose and that, as a matter of fact, “only an armistice was signed.” With a defeatism which he would not tolerate if we were actually engaged in war, he disparages the whole cam- paign for peace and international un- chandise few years. Ss GRASS sat derstanding. His words tend to create a war psychology which is more dan- gerous to peace than anything else he could do. The history of pre-war Eu- rope shows how popular expectation of war tends to create the thing it fears. We shall never be free from that specter so long as responsible per- sons continue to think and speak in terms of war. Another war may be inevitable—that is beside the question —but we make it much more probable, we bring it nearer, by constantly harp- ing on it, stressing its imminence and talking of peace as a mere armistice between struggles. Certainly the Comj mander of the American Legion might show more respect for those who died in the last war by emphasizing the ideals for which they fell and pointing out what progress has been made to- ward reaching their goal than by prophesying that war will soon be up- on us again. THE GARFIELD SYMPOSIUM. The greatest surprise any reader of the Tradesman will receive in going over this week’s paper is reserved for Charles W. Garfield, some of whose friends take great delight in “saying things’ about him under the heading of The Glory of Grand Rapids. By special arrangement with each con- tributor to the Garleld symposium all knowledge of the matter has been kept from him until he shall have the pleas- ure of reading in cold type the record he has made in the estimation of his friends. Mr. Garfield has been a reg- ular contributor to the Tradesman for nearly forty years. His contributions have covered nearly every subject which relates to public improvement, civic betterment and moral uplift. Only on rare occasions has he been prevailed upon to write on personal matters. The utter unselfishness of the man stands out in bold relief in every ut- terance he has ever made. Therein lies the charm of the man and accounts for the determination of his friends to see justice done his name and fame while he is still in the flesh and in the complete enjoyment of every faculty. The Tradesman feels under no neces- sity to apologize to its readers for devoting so much space to a single individual. There has never been but one Charles Garfield. There may never be another. THE UNKNOWN ARMY. Canada and the United States stood together in Arlington Cemetery Armis- tice Day to mark by tribute not only to the Unknown Soldier but to an Un- known Army. Before America entered the kaiser’s war thousands upon thousands of her sons slipped across the border of our FEA, ee S > =u 4 iS rtuns & PAA IN he Fes st Mp - re ye Soyo yy, es = neighbor to the East and enlisted in her oversea forces. They sought to fight for the cause that was our own as much as it was England’s. They took the shortest way to do it. As Canadians they were enlisted, although recruiting seregants knew that most of them had never before seen the great Dominion whose name they took. And as Canadians they stood upon the rolls. Therefore. no man or government today knows who they were or how many they were. Canada’s soldiers believe there were 40,000 or 50,000 of them and that between 5,000 and 6,000 of them died in battle. Americans who went to France be- fore we came in, in 1917, joined the Foreign Legion, the American Ambu- lance or the Lafayette Escadrille and were celebrated in song and story. But the names of the Americans who went as Canadians were, and are still, lost in the shifting sands of khaki. They make up the World War's “Unknown Army.” It is fitting that Canada should raise a monument to them in their own Val- halla at Washington. Black Underwear Is Wanted. This is proving an unusually suc- cessful season for women’s black un- derwear, in popular-priced lines as well as in the more exepnsive merchandise. Types of this underwear include gar- ments of allover lace, of chiffon and lace, and of chiffon and net. Most models show a touch of color in trim- mings of ribbon flowers and waist rib- bons, a few being lined with rose- colored chiffon. At present the de- mand for black underwear is centering more in dance sets and chemises than in gowns. Holiday trade is held part- ly accountable for the increase of in- terest in black, but it is also agreed by manufacturers that black garments have lately made a definite impression on all seasons more than has previous- ly been the case. —_~+~-.____ Printed Silks Are Featured. Additional openings of lines of broad silks for Spring place stress up- on printed weaves. The _ originality displayed in the designs and color ef- fects of the new prints exceeds, if any- thing, efforts of a similar nature put forth during the past two seasons. The range of patterns runs the gamut from small and medium sized floral motifs to the most bizarre modernistic effects. Some manufacturers are giv- ing particular attention to printed silks for children. In these a series of new patterns designed to appeal to juveniles will be featured. —__¢¢ > _ Men’s Spring Shoe Outlook Good. All signs in the shoe trade point to wa A DESMAN GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1927 Number 2304 a big season in men’s lines for Spring. Men’s sports shoes in black and white, and two-tone tan com- binations, with rubber or leather soles, are especially well thought of. Styles for business and street wear promise tan and white, to show plenty of detail, such as wing tips, perforations and stitchings in both lace and Blucher oxfords. For early Spring is predicted a demand for ox- fords of light construction and smooth leathers. For Summer extremely light oxfords will probably be more popular than ever. a Men's Silk Shirts Sell Well. Orders placed for men’s shirts for pre-holiday selling stress silk merchan- dise in neat jacquard effects. The in- dications are that the retail turnover will compare favorably with that of the past two Christmas seasons. White leads in the color preference, but there is a fair amount of interest in colors, notably tan, blue and green. Broad- cloth numbers continue to have the bulk of the general demand. Both collar-attached collar-to-match Styles are in favor, the former type meeting with the widest and consumer approval. —_—~--___ A Good Display Idea. Ingenious indeed was a window ex- hibit recently featured by a Newark shoe retailer. The floor of his window, was covered with overlapping strips of alternating black and red paper, re- sembling a huge checkerboard. In used merchandise, which were placed on the black squares in place of checkers, however, he various items of much the same way as checkers would be lined up at the start of a game. A streamer spread clear across the face window screamed: “It’s Your Come In.” ———_e~+~»___ Pumpkin Exhibit Gets Shoe Sales. “Pumpkins are good shoe salesmen,” declares the manager of the S. B. thme & Co. Fort Wayne, Ind. Free pumpkin seed is given to the farmers each spring on of the Move. shoe store of condition they will bring their largest pumpkin to the pumpkin exhibit at the shoe store. More than 300 bumper pumpkins are entered in the exhibit in the fall. Fifteen valuable awards are offered for the prize-winners, The manager of the maintains that the pumpkin contest is one of the best store pieces of advertising and business- getting results the store has ever used. —_——_> ~~. ___ Uses Popular Sayings. L. Strauss & Co., of Indianapolis, Ind., made use of two popular sayings to advertise their footwear for “Jun- iors,” stating them to be “The Smart- est Shoes ‘Under the Son’ and also guaranteeing “Most Miles Per Dol- lar.” saa MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary FACTORY CANNED FOODS. Every Grocer Should Know. Canned foods have become to be such a large proportion of the volume of the grocery trade that it is no more than proper that the grocer, both wholesaler and retailer, should be thor- oughly acquainted with this product. It is not the purpose of this article to go into the various complexities of the canning and canned food industry, but to state a few facts which some gro- cers may know, but which many do not. There is no longer any doubt that commercially canned foods are more economical and of better quality than the home canned article, but many housewives are still prejudiced against the factory packed article. No less an authority than Dr. Harvey W. Wi- ley states that “the canned food in- dustry has been foremost among the food industries in its endeavor to im- prove their product by the selection of good material, by sanitary factory Some Things methods, the improvement of the qual- ity of the container and the abolition of the use of Some housewives still imagine that commer- cial canners use chemicals as preserva- tives. Heat and heat alone applied to a hermetically sealed can is the pre- servative. preservatives.” containers is still objected to by some and the canrers The use of tin themselves in some instances have as- sisted in this objection by placing on their labels the words “empty contents as soon as can is opened.” Without ex- plaining further, the average individual would imagine dire results if this ad- monition was not followed to the let- ter. There is nothing in the can, or in the tin on the can, that causes food to spoil any more quickly than does the glass or earthenware vessel or the enamel on an iron pot. It is not the container itself which causes spoilage, but the condition of the con- tainer. the care exercised in handling the foods, and food the exposure of the food to the air, flies, etc. On general principles, the storage of food in an open can is not good housekeeping. Within the last few years, we have heard considerable talk about vitamins. Practically all of our knowledge of them is based on feeding experiments with animals, such a pigeons and Vitamins supply the body with neither energy nor tissue-building substances. By some means, still un- known, the vitamins enable the body to utilize the energy-producing and components of our foods, which would be useless w'thout the vitamins. that ciably affect the vitamins. guinea pigs tissue-building have not appre- The pres- ence of oxygen during the cooking, as in home cooking, does affect Vita- min C, ally cooked out of contact with air, the destructive effect of heat is minimized. When ripe, fresh-harvested vegetables and fruits are promptly canned, their vitamin potency is largely conserved. The canning of foods, instead of being destructive of vitamins, provides under proper conditions a practical and ef- fective method of preserving these im. portant food constituents. Investigations shown canning does but as canned foods are usu- Many grocers have experienced de- terioration in canned foods which have been held for some time. Delicately colored fruits are very apt to deterior- ate if not properly stored. However, it has now been scientifically demon- strated that deterioration and spoilage are largely determined by the type of storage. Colored fruits will lose their color very rapidly in warm stor- age and, on the other hand, will ap- pear as fresh as when packed if stored for years in cool storage. The space next to the roof of a warehouse may become very warm in the summer months Canned foods should be placed in the coolest portion of the warehouse. Many persons who handle canned profession and newspapers right on this fallacy through the findings of their laboratories. Nearly all cases of food poisoning are due to infection of food with certain types of bacteria,- which under favorable conditions are able to multiply and produce acute illness. Canned foods, on account of being sterilized at high temperatures in tight containers, are very rarely the cause of such infection. Many eminent food authorities say that canned foods are among the safest foods which we eat. The sanitary conditions in commer- cial canneries in the United States rank well in comparison with conditions in any other food-producing industry. This is due, in part, to the excellent Harold K. Royal. foods ask about the effect of freezing. If canned foods are frozen sufficiently to strain the seams of the can, air will enter when the can is thawed and the naturally How- canned items have a suf- goods would spoil. ever, most ficient vacuum in the can to allow for considerable expansion of the contents. Most canned not be ma- terially injured by freezing, provided foods will the thawing out process is slow. In other words, place the frozen goods in a temperature just above freezing and allow them to thaw slowly. received much the past from The Na- tional Canners Association, with head- quarters at Washington. D. C., has done a great deal to set the medical Canned foods have unfavorable advertising in ptomaine poisoning. work accomplished by state and Fed- eral inspection, and to the adoption of a sanitary code for canneries by the National Canners Association, which has been incorporated into the laws of several states. Most canned fruits or vegetables are packed as expeditiously as possible af- ter harvesting and are “fresh” in con- trast to the so-called fresh fruits and vegetables shipped from distant points. Canning plants are located in close proximity to their raw products and quality and the use of fresh products go hand in hand. Harold K. Royal. Le ee More than forty-three million men, women, and children have savings ac- counts in the various banks in the United States, SIXTEEN CHARTER MEMBERS. Merchants Who Started With First Issue of Tradesman. The Tradesman possesses a most distinguished roll of honor, of which it is exceedingly proud. It comprises the names of business houses which have been on the subscription list of the Michigan Tradesman ever since the first issue, forty-four years ago. The Tradesman very much doubts whether any other trade publication can present such a collection of faith- ful followers as the following: Amberg & Murphy, Battle Creek Frederick C. Beard, Grand Rap‘ds Charles E. Belknap, Grand Rapids F. H. Bitely, Lawton Milo Bolender, Sparta William J. Clarke, Harbor Springs Charles H. Coy, Traverse City O. P. DeWitt, St. Johns D. Gale, Grand Haven J. L. Norris, Casnovia Charles G. Phelps, Alma Thompson Grocery, Newaygo Walsh Drug Co., Holland M. V. Wilson, Sand Lake O. A. Wolbrink & Sons, Ganges L. M. Wolf, Hudsonville —__o oo —__ Old Timer “Called” By Ano’her Old Timer. Old Timer writes interesting stuff. Occasionally he slips a cog, historical- ly, to employ a figure of speceh. In that respect he is not unlike others who write history. In a recent ‘ssue of the Michigan Tradesman Old Timer essumed responsibility for the state- ment that Horace Greeley was the candidate of the Democratic party for 1872. ft the contributor President in the year venerable and _ respected would consult the political h’s‘ory of that year he would be reminded that the Democratic National convention of 1872 did not nominate a candidate for President. Mr. Greeley had been nom- inated by a group of independents and sorehead Republicans for that office. It was expected the Democrats would endorse and support the candidacy of Mr. Greeley. They did not do so. A convention of Democrats opposed to Mr. Greeley nominated Charles O’- Connor, a brilliant lawyer of New York, for the office of Presdient and Blanton Dimean, of Kentucky, for Vice-President. Tickets for state offi- cers were nominated in most of the states by the independent Democrats. Their candidate for governor in the State of Michigan was William M. Ferry, a brother of former Senator Ferry. Had the Democrats accepted the candidacy of Mr. Greeley, Grant would have been defeated in the elec- tion for President in 1872. O’Connor was the only Roman Catholic to be nominated for the office of President of the United States. Arthur Scott White. —_++~+_____ Short dresses won’t keep up much longer. The end will soon be in sight. It’s a curious old world! You'll find that the same girl who used to titter and hesitate about accepting a $1.98 bracelet will later snatch your salary envelope before you get to the hall rack, Same girl, mind you! ew Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Increased Coffee Sales MORTON HOUSE COFFEE YOU ARE GIVING SATISFACTION WITH ONE OF THE KEY ITEMS OF YOUR STOCK Hotels, restaurants and cafes have found that “the crowd follows the coffee” just as surely as “the constitution follows the flag.” HEN you sell Morton House Coffee to a customer, your store will be judged by that standard and you well can afford to have it so. Morton House Coffee, in the Lock- Top, metal container, with the Inner- Seal, has more than doubled its sale since we announced the new package in September. Why not “‘cash-in”’ on this and sell this popular blend? You have to sell Morton House Coffee only once—It is a sure-fire and automatic ‘“‘repeater.”’ If you should happen to have a cus- tomer who can't like the full, rich aroma and real coffee taste of Morton House Coffee, take back the package and cheerfully refund the purchase price, for we guarantee every package | of Morton House Coffee. DISTRIBUTORS iCHIGA” oe ae Y ae SELL MORTON HOUSE COFFEE And Make Friends For Your Store Se WORDEN (GROCER COMPANY Wholesalers for’ Fifty-nine Years Ottawa at Weston The Michigan Trust7Company, Receiver Grand Rapids, Michigan 4 MOVEMENTS OF MERCHANTS ‘assar—E. E. Huggand has engaged boot and shoe business here. St. Johns—The State Bank of St. Johns has increased its capital stock f 50,000 to $75.900. Chebovgan—J. A. Dickinson, dealer ts and shoes, has made an as- is creditors. 1g — The Evenknit Hosiery has engaged in the retail hosiery business at 118 West Allegan street. 1aw—The Art Sample Furniture has engaged in the retail furniture business at 118-122 South Baum street. Sturgis—The John Tripp Clothing Co. has sold its branch store here to Dysert Pyle & Johnson Clothing Bs a signment to Q — Shop Battle Creek The Food City Bak- = Co., 11 West Hall street, has in- creased its capital stock from $30,000 » $80,000. Detroit—The Reid-House Drug Co., 11542 East Jefferson avenue, has in- creased its capital stock from $18,000 to $204,000. Store, Inc., il department osing out its stock and will Esca ~The Boston 12700 Laud 1 i ton street, ig igt store, 15s aQ s retire from trade. Lansing—John C. and James Blair have opened a “men only” shoe store at 237 South Washington avenue, un- der the stvle of Blair Bros. Lansing—Vern C Abbey, 5r., of Abbey & Walters, Inc., 321 South Washington avenue, boots and shoes, his home, following a short Jackson—The Jackson City Bank has changed its name to the Jackson nk & Trust Co. and increased its capitalization from $200,000 to S20U,UUU. Vicksburg — Lloyd R. Lawrence, partner and manager of the hardware store of Follmer & Lawrence, died at Nov. 12, following an illness » than a year. Detroit—The Robinson Cohen Co., ington Blvd., dealer in gen- at wholesale and re- 147 TAT } 1426 Washi eral m<¢ ndise ased its capital stock from $136,000 to $330,000. Drug Co., ith Washington street, has been incorporated with an authorized capital Royal Oak—The Davis stock of $5,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Detroit—The Eagle Drug Co., 2005 West Philade ia 3 corporated to a street has been in- retail drug n authorized capital stock of which has been sub- i and paid in in cash. Inc.. 4 South Sagi- naw street, has been incorporated to deal in men’s and boys’ clothing, with ps conduct a store, with a of $5,000, all a . . rontiac—bartz, ize stock of 100 re $40 pe , $4,000 being od and p in cash. I —Ingram-Sobe, Inc., 1502 Davi- S Road, has been incorporated to de groceries, meats, dry goods and shoes at wholesale and retail, with an capital stock of $15,000, all has been subscribed and $1,- Age ak —M. R. Street Studios, 2988 East Grand boulevard, has been in- corporated to deal in household furni- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ture, draperies, etc., and to do interior decorating, with an authorized capital stock of $50,000, $10,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—The United Packing Co., 1408 Michigan avenue, has merged its business into a stock company under the same style, with an authorized cap- ital stock of $25,000, of which amount $21,000 has been subscribed and paid in, $3,000 in cash and $18,000 in prop- erty. Hillsdale—George A. Schmitt, who has conducted a boot and shoe store here for the past twenty-seven years, is closing out his stock and will devote his entire attention to representing the Mishawaka Woolen Manufacturing Co., for whom he has traveled a num- ber of years. Detroit — The Detroit Motor Tire Co., 8900 Mack avenue, has been in- corporated to deal in tires, tubes and auto accessories at retail, with an au- thorized capital stock of $25,000, of which amount $22,000 has been sub- scribed and paid in, $6,159.28 in cash and $15,840.17 in property. Benton Harbor—The Benton Har- bor Baking Co., 203 Pipestone street, has merged its business into a stock company under the same style, with an authorized capital stock of $10,000 preferred and 25,000 shares at $1 per share, of which amount $1,200 and 13,300 shares has been subscribed and paid in, $4,500 in cash and $10,000 n property. Manufacturing Matters Pontiac—The new duco plant of the Fisher Body Corporation has been completed at cost of $125,000. Kalamazoo—The Bartlett Label Co, 312 North Park street, has increased its capital stock from $5,000 to $50,000. Deroit—The Detroit Wax Paper Co., 547 Harper avenue, has increased its capital stock from $100,000 to $500,000. Kalamazoo—The Reliable Signs Co. has engaged in the manufacturing and selling of its product, at 222 East Main street. Marcellus—The Sturdibilt Body Co, truck bodies and cabs is working to capacity, employing twenty- five men. builder of Detroit—The Commercial Tool Cor- poration, 6536 Livernoise avenue, has changed its name to the Commercial Steel Treating Corporation. Detroit—The F J. Barrett Lumber Co., Davison and Grand Trunk R. R, has changed its name to the Bartlett has changed its name to the Barrett & Quinlan Lumber Co. Detroit—The United Paper Coating Co., 323 West Fort street, has been incorporated with an authorized cap- ital stock of $10,000, $4,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Ionia—The Ionia Rubber Co., com- posed of Richard Cowan and Henry CALENDARS Forty-fourth Anniversary Walkers, of Chicago, has opened a raincoat factory here, employing fifty people. The company occupies the old Sorosis garment factory. Saginaw—The Herzog Furniture Co., Webber street and South Jefferson avenue, has been incorporated to man- ufacture and deal at wholesale and re- tail in furniture, woodenware, panels, metal and metal products, with an au- thorized capital stock of $200,000, of which amount $100,000 has been sub- scribed and $36,350 paid in in cash. If you have not ordered your 1928 supply “Do It Now” @ “Don’t Forget” The G. J. HAAN CALENDAR CO. For Advertising Novelties, Specialties, Calendars, Etc. 1229 Madison Avenue 106 Scribner Avenue Grand Rapids, Michigan Phone 31040 Cox Margarine Co. aS Grand Rapids, Michigan United Detective Agency, Inc. Michigan Trust Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN CIVIL CRIMINAL INDUSTRIAL WORK Only Bonafide and Legitimate Detective Work Accepted PHONE—6-8224 or 5-4528 If No Response Call 2-2588 or 8-6813 Dictagraph and Auto Service Associated With SARLES MERCHANTS’ POLICE Distributors of Cream of Nut and Blue Ribbon Margarine Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise The largest Selling Mayonnaise Today Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN > Essential Features of the Staples. Sugar—Jobbers hold cane granulated at 6.35 and beet granulated at 6.15. Tea—There was a good demand for all kinds of fermented tea, and prices held firm. The recent advance of about 2c on Java teas is due to higher cables, as many buyers are coming into the market now in anticipation of higher prices in the near future. Lon- don advices report a strong market and an active demand for all kinds of fer- mented tea. The market in Shanghai is stagnant, as good grades are getting scarce and the poorer ones could hard- ly pass the United ‘States standard. Canned Fruits—Fruits have remain- ed firm, with exception of California standard peaches which have eased off a trifle on the Coast where some of the canners have been converting their stocks into money. To do so they have been compelled to sell under the market. Apples remain firm and are one of the few fruits still to go into the cap. Canned Vegetables—Tomatoes are unchanged. Fancy corn is in demand and can readily be sold, but it is not on the open market in a big way and the jobbing buyer has to pay stiff prices when he gets the goods. Stand- ard peas in four and: five sieves are also being bought but there is not much attention to extra standards and fancy as they form a larger part of the Grocery pack. Canners have financed them- selves and are not pushing these grades which sustains the market. Most of the minor vegetables are firm, with beans tending higher, and spinach is in the same class. Dried Fruits—America does not come first when dried fruits are con- cerned ,as domestic products lack snap, while imported figs and dates have gone contrary to the rest of the mar- ket, as they have appreciated in value during the past few weeks. Thanks- giving and later holiday outlets have absorbed importations, and as import- ers were conservative in bringing in the products this year the market has had a chance to feel the effects of competition for existing supplies. Many a buyer refused to cover when lhe had the chance to do so, say at 7c. He tried to hammer the market down toward 6c but he failed to accomplish his purpose, and when he _ needed stocks he was compelled to pay the asking price. Both dates and figs have been examples of satisfactory distribu- tion for the importers, and the only regret is that more fruit has not been available. No change of consequence has occurred in domestic dried fruits. Stocks on the spot have increased as new crop deliveries are on the increase and the shortages which marked the situation are less acute or general. Oregon prunes and new crop peaches are still wanted and are not on hand, but there are larger supplies of prunes and raisins, and adequate new apri- cots. The Coast markets are quiet, but there is more optimistic talk about raisins, and predictions are being made that the market may swing gradually or suddenly upward. Retail sales are heavy, and in packages better than the average distribution for Thanksgiving is being recorded. Carton prunes are being nationally advertised in the big consuming centers and this publicity will be continued without interruption throughout the heavy consuming sea- son. Canned Fish—The situation has been without feature during the past week. Salmon is going at quotations in mod- erate volume, while Maine sardines are firm down East but are so sparing- ly offered that there is no heavy turn- over. The spot market is somewhat more active on California sardines. Salt Fish—Retail distribution of mackerel is good for the season, and as light stocks have been carried by wholesalers and retailers there is con- tinual buying. The shortage of Ameri- can shore fish is reflected in the de- mand for imported, and as quality is generally good and prices are reason- able repeat business is frequent. Do- mestic mackerel is in strong hands, and as primary markets have moved most of their catch it is difficult to buy from Down East salters Alaska sal- mon remains firm, based upon the strong statistical position of the mar- ket. Molasses—The demand _ continued good and prices held firm. Grinding of new crop molasses is well under way in the South, over half of the plantations being engaged in grinding. No new prices have been named and few are willing to make prophecies as to the probable prices. Rice—Retail sales are better than usual as prices over the retail counter are on a popular basis. 2-2 Review of the Produce Market. Apples—Shiawasse and Wolf River $1.75@2; Baldwins, $2.25@2.50; North- ern Spys, $2.50@3; Western Jonathans, $2.75 per bu. Bagas—Canadian, $1.75 per 100 Ib. sack. Bananas—7%@8c per Ib. Beets—$1.50 per bu. Butter—The market is 1c per lb. higher than a week ago. Jobbers hold June packed at 44c, fresh packed at 46c, p,rints at 48c. They pay 24c for No. 1 packing stock and 12c for No. 2. Cabbage—$2 per 100 lhs. Carrots—$1.25 per bu. Casaba Melons—$2.50 per crate. Cauliflower—$2.25 per doz. Celery—25@6Ce per bunch accord- ing to size. Celery Cabbage—75c per doz. Cocoanuts—$1 per doz. or $7.50 a bag. Cranberries—-Late Howes command $9 per % bbl. and $4.75 per % bbl. Cucumbers—Indiana hot house, $2.50 Dried Beans—Michigan jobbers are quoting as follows: C. oH. Peg Beans 2. $5.50 Doeht Red Kidney ..0 0 7.50 Dagk Red Midney 202 87 “25 Eggs—Local jobbers pay 52c for strictly fresh. Cold storage operators are playing out their supplies as fol- lows: Nori CESES oe 34c April seconds _--_-- ee 30¢ Checks) (oo) 27c Egg Plant—$2.25 per doz. Grapes—Calif. Emperors, $2.25 per crate. Grape Fruit — Florida commands $4.50@5 per crate, according to size and grade. Green Onions—Home grown silver skins, 20c per bunch; Chalotts, 90c per doz. Honey Dew Melons—$2.50 per crate. Lemons—Quotations are no was fol- lows: SOO Sunkist <9 0s $13.00 S60 Sunkist 20 13.00 S00 Red Ball 12.50 S00) Red Ball. 12.50 Lettuce—In good demand on_ the following basis: California Iceberg, 4s, per bu. ~-$5.00 Outdoor leat, per bu. _.______.__ 1.25 Onions—Spanish, $2.75 for 72s and $2.75 for 50s; home grown command $2 for white and $1.75 for yellow—both 100 Ib. sack. Oranges—Fancy Sunkist California Valencias are now on the following basis: oo $9.00 7 9.00 oe 9.00 We 9.00 fo LLL 9.00 7 a 9.00 ae. 8.50 eee 8.00 ae! 6.00 Red Ball, 75c cheaper. Pears—$2.50 per bu. for Bartletts. Peppers—Green, 40c per doz. Potatoes — The market is fairly strong on a basis of $1.25 per 100 lbs. all over the State. Poultry—Wilson & Company pay as follows this week: eavy fowls 222 19¢ Mohit fowls 6052s 13c Freavy Broilers =. 900 2le iehe W. E. Beoilers l6c (Matkeys (900 ee 35c Crees oo 18¢ Doge Se 18c Quinces—$2.50 per bu. Radishes—20c per doz. bunches for home grown. Spinach—$1.25 per bu. Squash—Hubbard, 3c per Ib. Sweet Potatoes—$3 per bbl. for Vir- ginia. Tomatoes—$2 for 10 lb. basket of hot house; $1 per 6 lb. basket from Calif. Veal Calves — Wilson & Company pay as follows: Bahey eee ie Ged 2 LS Medi - 14c POOR oe lic —_~22>____ Tomato Vine Rivals Jack’s Fabled Beanstalk. Oakland, Caht., Nov. 12—Commut- ers between San Francisco and Oak- land are ‘beginning to wonder if the fabled beanstalk that Jack climbed wasn’t, after all, a tomato vine. Far out on a railroad pier, where salt water breezes fan it continuously, is a to- mato plant which has reached a height of almost 11 feet, and is still growing. It stands beside a pump station. Soot and smoke from locomotives, carrying passenger trains out to their connec- tions with the ferry boats, blow on the vine day and night, but it is heavily hung with ripening tomatoes. To har- vest them, residents of the vicinity who like tomatoes have to climb a step ladder. The man who does not waste his property will not waste his talents or his time. Keep Flour Requirements Carefully Covered. The Canadian government report, re- cently issued, indicates a slight shrink- age from previous estimates of the outturn of the Canadian wheat crop, production figures now being placed at four hundred and forty-four million bushels, a really large crop. In the United States, we have ap- million bushels proximately ninety more wheat than last year, so taking everything into consideration the North American wheat crop as a whole provides ample supplies for domestic requirements, seeding requirements, and a good surplus. however, There are some factors which have a bullish influence. In the first place, our domestic crop of Durum wheat is placed at eighty-four million bushels, which is approximately one hundred and seventy per cent. greater than last year’s crop of this variety, and as this wheat is used more for the production of macaroni flour than high grade wheat flour, the supply of high grade milling wheat is not as large as total figures indicate. In the second place, the soft winter wheat crop of the United States is at least fifty million bushels short of a i ly choice vear ago, so that undoubte: varieties of soft wheat will continue to be sold at a considerable over the options. In addition to premium he th shorter crop, there is considerable quantity being ground for feed, par- ticularly in those sections which are not large corn producers. A number of elevators in Michigan have report- ed grinding rather heavily for farmers instead of selling them middlings, one fifteen car elevator reporting over loads of good milling soft wheat | ground so far on this crop. The general wheat market is some- what lower than a year ago, so that the larger total crop has been some- what discounted, and while it is prob- ably true that the option market will have difficulty advancing or even hold- . ‘ a 4 a : ing 1tS OWN With Iree Marketing, it 1 s also just as true that choice grades of soft wheat particularly will in all like- lihood hold firm, and the purchasers of choice grades of soft wheat flour will probably be acting wisely in cover- ing their requirements for sixty days. There is generally a soft spot in wheat during the holiday period, from the middle of December to the middle of January, yet buyers should not particular period this year to provide a favorable wholly depend upon this opportunity to cover soft wheat flour requirements, but cover on any ma- In fact, flour buying thus far has been done ona reasonably con- terial break. servative basis, vet wheat prices have held rather firmly. As there is about so much flour consumed each year come into the market from time to time, not having stocked buyers must heavily, and this condition wil! aid in stabilizing prices around present basis. Lloyd E. Smith. ~~» ___ N. Medalie & Co. “Words don’t express the unestimable Mancelona: worth of your paper to the merchants of Michigan. We want you to take ” good care of the man behind the gun. 6 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary Proceedings of the Grand The Brand You Know | ; by HART ‘e Look for the Red Heart ‘ _ a on the Can = LEE & CADY Distributor ; wg $8 ? : ¢ I. VanWestenbrugge c H + Grand Rapids - Muskegon ey - : i Truck Service ( H Central Western Michigan H ¢ a" E Nucoa Lee ie Cc “BEST FOODS” SALA. ‘“FANNING’S” Prvienies Hee ALPHA BUTTER pockets Saralee Horse Radish 2 wonder where money C saat a OTHER SPCIALTIES K 4. Gu a1 ¥ * Pa Kalamazoo _... 66. ——— | =” Ee. Kalamazoo __ 9. Ri falamazoo _. $3 : 16 ’- 19 > a 1 24. the v6 7 udication in ole, Bankrupt been referred - in bank- a sident of ‘ » occupation. of 12.61 of i lias €x- 5 The > a e of the creGitors Drew, Otsego i. ic Button, Clsceo _____ FE. H. Ingraham Est., Plainwell_- ari tomih, Piainwel Mrs. Jam=s Ross, Planwell -_--_- Jewell & Vaughan, Otsego —____-- 25.00) * Mrs. H. J. Dole, Bat Creek __ VISOTS O ft Pritive, Alamo 50.00 Krank Paimer, Otseso —... 19.60 : WwW WW Barber, Oteceo 5.00 ° ° ker Olsero __ \ \ ) 3 Clyde Scott, Otsego _____-- es UC U an S Te C. Eaton, Otsego — e ealey & Healey, Otsego _ ; ae | Mrs. Georgia Tubbs, Ots R a a i @ @ I ; Nov. + We to-day received the ? Henry Monteith, Otsego Lyle Abbot. Otsego ____-___ Tayer & Mooney. Otsego - whedules, reference and adiudication in Custom House Brokers i. . he matter of Wilbur Lev, Bankrupt No. "97% The matter has been referred to +7 ibert Linsey, Otsego Clarence Musser, Otsego ne Irs. Van Horn & Hudnut, Otsego Charles B. Blair as referee in bankruptcy. The 7 trnest Derhamer, Otsego -_------ : Hivan & Gilbert, Plainwell -__-_- 6.00 Swartz Garage, Otsego j nN > OY er : : Ernest Lindsey, Otsego . Zz Fred Russon, Otsezo -_--- Alma Townsend, Kalamazoo a oe +4 one ° ° 4 bankrupt is a resident of Grand 3 5 Kel B l tapids, and his occupatio nis that of a 4 s -6 sey ul ding e-gcer and butcher. The schedul’s show . —— x acsets of $22.585.81 of w f seh $659 ix claim- e ° e i cA as exempt. with liabilities of $15,578.48. = G nd R d M h sq The firs meeting will be ca'led prompt ra a 1 S, 1c 1 an ‘ n° » and note of the same made herein. The , fet of creditors of said bankrupt is as } follows: Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN DONT BLAME CONDITIONS IF YOUR BUSINESS IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE — BUT INVESTIGATE THIS NEW MERCHANDISING PLAN that can and will increase sales and profits in any retail store no matter where located — and regardless of your local conditions. Do it now! Why not plan now to make December the biggest month in your business life? The New Joseph P. Lynch Merchandising Plan has accomplished startling and sometimes al- most unbelievable results for hundreds of the leading retail stores of the United States and Canada. Wherever this plan has been used, without exception, it has immediately turned a large percentage of stock into cash at a profit, shown a surprising increase in future business, widened the selling radius, toned up the morale of the store organization and introduced many new and profitable merchandising ideas. Any merchant who has been puzzled by the mer- chandising conditions of today can find an answer to all his perplexities by investigating this new Joseph P. Lynch Plan. It isa plan that leaves no bad after effects—but rather builds up the confidence of your public in your store. Its cost is dependent upon the results it obtains for you, and is so planned that the profits of it are controlled by you. All we ask is that you write those who have used this plan and convince yourself that this service can make December a real month for sales and profits. Then write us —but do it now. It costs you nothing but the postage to investigate—so get busy and do it now. CoooceC0co JOSEPH P. LYNCH SALES CO. 320-22 Home State Bank Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN You will have further positive proof by writing the following merchants who have used the Joseph P. Lynch Pilan— A. May & Sons, Grand Rapids, Mich. Martin Stores Corp., Grand Rapids, Mich. Huas, McLean & Haskins, Binghamton, N.Y. C. F. Jackson Co., Norwalk, Ohio. L. N. Povuusy, Lrp., Ottawa, Ont. Buvuem’s Derr. Srore, Lima, Ohio. C. F. Rosexsury & Sons, Bay City, Mich. Dory & Sauissury, Flint, Mich. Wesrcate Furnrrure Co., Ann Arbor, Mich. Jarvis-Esrrs Co., Lansing, Mich. Brusuaser’s, Detroit, Mich. Winecar’s, Grand Rapids, Mich. KiLINGMAN’s, Grand Rapids, Mich. AvamMs Furn. Co., Toronto, Ont. Lowry & Gorser’s, Cininnati, Ohio. SmytuH Bros., Kitchener, Ont. TrESHAN Furn. Co., Windsor, Ont. Other Names will be furnished upon request. Write these merchants. Confidential INQUIRY BLANK Please furnish us with details of your New Merchandising Plan without obligation. Ce ee Cay .____.___-.-.--- Sie of Sick... Kind of Stock: ____.____.___--_..-------- Addeess renly to.____...-__..--...------ FORTY-FOUR YEARS OLD. The first anniversary edition of the Michigan Tradesman was published in 1908, celebrating the first twenty-five vears of its existence. This year’s an- niversary edition is therefore the nine- teenth which has been issued. The first edition was largely devoted to contributions by leaders in finance, industry and mercantile pursuits, chronicling the changes which had oc- curred in the quarter century from 1883 to 1908. This feature has been made paramount every five years since 1908. It will be the dominant feature of our forty-fifth anniversary edition, a year hence. Between these trade review issues we have aimed to assem- ble each year as much matter as poSsi- ble having a bearing on trade topics in general, presented as attractively as circumstances permitted. It is not un- usual to find Tradesman patrons who have carefully preserved every one of the anniversary issues, claiming they embody the finest compendium of mer- cantile and financial information to be obtained anywhere. It has been my custom to make a few very personal remarks on the oc- casion of our anniversary editions. I think I have already covered pretty nearly every topic germane to the oc- casion and our publication, but there are a few words I would like to say at this time on some of the burning questions of the day. I do not like to hear the expression so frequently used by some merchants relative to “fighting the chain stores.” In too many cases all the “fight” in- volves is denunciation, unjust accusa- tion and whining. If I were to start out to fight the chain store, I would use the same weapons the chain stores employ—brains, cleanliness, system and cash transactions. No independent merchant can expect to succeed in these days of fierce competition unless he keeps himself thoroughly posted on the trend of the markets, keeps his store clean and wholesome, employs the most approved systems of mer- chandising and confines his sales to cash customers or those who can be depended on to pay at certain stated periods without the expense of a col- lector or the employment of an attor- ney. These conditions involve the necessity of discounting every bill, no matter how small it may be. The greatest element of strength in a chain store is its purchasing power. With large financial resources it can take advantage of conditions and secure its supplies on most favorable terms. It also has the benefit of ex- perienced management and proper di- rection of store managers and clerks. Right there the advantages of the chain store cease. In every other respect the independent merchant has it all As a frule, he owns his own building and can, if he choose, make it just as attractive as he knows He make his interior so attractive that a visit to his place of business is a genuine pleasure. He is not restricted, as the chain store is, in the handling of different brands. The chain store manager, as a rule, must handle 60 per cent. of the private market over the chain store. how. can also MICHIGAN TRADESMAN brands put up by the owning company. The independent grocer is not ham- pered by any restriction of this char- acter. The world is his, so far as the purchase and sale of goods is con- cerned. He has what the chain store manager usually lacks—long and fav- orable acquaintance with his customers, as a result of which a personal rela- tionship can be developed which no cutting of pennies can ever dislodge or impair. If the merchant keeps him- self presentable, keeps his surround- ings clean and wholesome, keeps his stock in good shape and his store in order, confines his sales to cash or prompt paying customers, he can beat any chain store ever created, because the points in his favor offset a dozen times the advantage the chain store has in acquiring goods. I have no sympathy for the merchant who whines over the chain situation, be- cause it demonstrates that he is not a merchant, but a failure; that he has no business to embark in trade because he does not possess the essential con- comitants of a successful mercantile career. As it looks to me, the most dis- agreeable feature of the chain store problem, as vitally affecting the inde- pendent merchant, is the anxiety of some food manufacturers to seek an outlet for their products through the chain stores by according them quan- tity discounts which they refuse to accord independent merchants under identical conditions. The National Biscuit Co., for instance, accords 17% per cent. discount to any merchant who buys in the aggregate $1,000 worth of its products per month. It will make separate deliveries to the stores of a single chain company and permit the quantity discount on the aggregate purchases. If independent grocers form a buying organization and ask for identically the same treatment accord- ed the chain stores, the request is de- nied. This is so rank a discrimination that I have sometimes felt like ad- vising my friends in the grocery trade to decline to handle any goods pro- duced by houses which are so unfair in their methods. The injustice is so apparent to the independent grocer and is felt so keenly by him that in most cases just as few brands of these houses are handled as possible. This attitude has resulted in the creation and rapid growth of independent baking houses like the Hekman Biscuit Co., which refuse to be a party to such wretched and inexcusable discrimination. I think this prejudice and favoritism can be effectually met by resort to the law making power. Drastic legislation has smoothed out even more serious diffi- culties than this in other lines of busi- ness. I believe legislation can be ef- fected which will compel manufactur- ers to treat all classes of trade in an equitable manner and place them on an equal basis in purchasing goods un- der identical conditions, by prohibiting the granting of preferential prices to any special class. This done, the un- fair advantage the chain store now enjoys in the purchasing of goods will be completely abolished. This accom- plished, it will then be up to the inde- pendent merchant to make his store so inviting, to display his goods so at- tractively, to make his prices so reas- onable and deal so broadly and gen- erously with his customers, that he can distance his chain store competitor in the race for supremacy. Unless I am very much mistaken, this is the first time remedial legislation has ever been suggested in this connection. I have given this feature of the situation much thought and have discussed the matter with many thinking merchants and several able lawyers. In every case the suggestion has met with instant appreciation and ultimate approval. I shall be glad to hear from any of my readers as to any suggestion they may have to make in the premises. If there is a sufficient response to this proposition, I will undertake to em- body it in shape as to make it available to the law making power. I regret to note the growing dis- position to be unfair to the grocery trade by men who assume to represent the drug trade in an official capacity. I refer to the tendency which has de- veloped of late years to restrict the sale of such articles as olive oil, cod liver oil, saccharine and other staple products to druggists only. The mod- ern drug store is anything but a drug store. It handles tea, coffee, spices, laundry soap, washing compounds and powders, baking powder and many other articles which properly belong in the grocery line. The grocers make no very serious objections to this en- croachment on their legitimate lines, because they realize that, as a rule, the druggist will maintain a reasonable profit on these articles. In some cases I regret to note that the druggist cuts and slashes the prices of grocery sta- ples in order to attract customers to his regular lines, on which he aims to obtain full prices. Notwithstanding this attitude on the part of the drug- gist, the moment the grocer under- takes to handle anything which en- croaches in the least degree on the lines ordinarily included in a _ well- regulated drug store, an effort is made to secure the enactment of laws pro- hibiting the sale of such articles ex- cept by druggists. I do not think the rank and file of druggists approve of this exhibition of selfishness. I believe it is fundamentally due to the action of the walking delegates of the drug trade who assume they must make a showing of activity in this direction in order to enable them to retain their jobs as inspectors and police officers. I expect to see the work of these mud- dlers become so obnoxious in a short time that committees of conciliation will be created by the two organiza- tions representing these interests and an amicable understanding reached that will be fair to both these parties and all others concerned. The claim that olive oil should not be sold by a grocer because it is sometimes used as a medicine is too preposterous to re- ceive serious consideration at the hands of any thinking man. A_ thousand times more olive oil is used as a food than as a medicine. I wish to embrace this opportunity to express my hearty thanks to our Forty-fourth Anniversary contributors and advertisers, associates and employes, who have assisted in making this anniversary edition so comprehensive in scope. Without their co-operation the issue would not have achieved the success it has scored, E. A. Stowe. MOTORS AND PROSPERITY. The record dividend disbursement by General Motors brings from business a first acceptance as a vote of confidence in the future. The “stimulative’ imdustries in America today are headed by motors and building. General Motors has the most val- uable of all commercial essentials, good management. It is soundly run and soundly financed. No speculative con- sideration could influence its dividend action. Also there is every reason to believe that if the new ford car is up to expectations it will lead to high, if not new, peaks of automobile distribu- tion in the United States. There are remarkable evidences of strength for the year 1928 in these two industrial leaders. The “vote of confidence” interpretation may well be justified by the eventual result. John W. Gates used to advise us all not to bet against the future of the United States. How triumphant would he be could he witness the marvelous growth of the automobile. He would see to-day the surpassing of Steel, the young colossus of his heyday, by the earnings of a corporation representing an industry then unborn. It is not permitted mankind to see the future. Never has this saying been more flatly illustrated than by the in- ability of financiers, whether small or great, to foresee the course of the stock market in the past eighteen months. We do not want inflation. Yet we do not want to see a period put to our era of prosperity. We do not want a recession. But as we see new industrial giants like motors arise we want something of the spirit of the “Recessional.” A humble and a con- trite heart is still man’s greatest strength to meet prosperity as well as adversity. May it be prosperity, but may we meet it sanely. SAVING THE EYESIGHT. Just as the men in the trenches were reluctant to wear the steel helmets de- signed for their protection, so indus- trial workers refuse to wear the gog- gles which have been devised to save their eyes from injury in accidents. For a dozen years, Harry Guilbert, director of safety of the Pullman Com- pany, said in a recent address, he tried everything he could think of to induce employes to avail themselves of the protection which had been provided for what is ordinarily regarded as the most precious of the five senses, He used spectacular bulletins, horrible ex- amples, appeals, threats, with small re- sults, and sometimes none at all. So much higher do we rate convenience than safety. In the end he was driven to make the wearing of goggles man- datory. As a consequence, the eyes of about a thousand Pullman employes have already been saved from serious injury or loss. * ag: “eH barre os Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The United Light and Power Company Serves an aggregate population of Two Million People with either one or more of the Following Necessary Utilities: ELECTRIC POWER and LIGHT — GAS — CENTRAL STATION HEAT — TRANSPORTATION — ICE OR REFRIGERATION Gross Earnings of Subsidiary Companies for the 12 months ended September 30, 1927, were $44,808,745, as against $40,611,291 for the same period of the previous year. Net Earnings of The United Light & Power Co. for the same period were $20,117,278, an increase over the previ- ous year of $1,635,528. More than 85 per cent of the gross, and in excess of 91 per cent of the net earnings were derived from the sale of services of Electric Light and Power, Gas, Steam or Hot Water Heat, Refrigeration, Merchandising of Gas and Electric Appliances, and Miscellaneous sources. The United Light and Power Company General Offices, Tut1xois Mercuants’ BANK Bupc., Chicago Operating Headquarters, Uxnrren Licur Buipe., Davenport Kvecutive and Accounting Offices, Grand Rapids | | 10 WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST. Open Letter to Herbert E. Powell, Commissioner of Agriculture. Grand Rapids, Nov. 15—Careful consideration of the letter from your Department announcing the hearing at Lansing, Nov. 22, on white pine blister rust, brings me to the following conclusions: As an expression of my friendship for our white pines, it is enough for ak ty ask wou 46 eins de bed to U. S. Forester’s statements as to the superlative value of white pine and the essential need for that species in the forestry development throughout this © country. Furthermore, as a native of Michi- gan, striving for its all round develop- ment, welfare and general prosperity, I respectfully urge that the cultivated black currants be barred from all the Lower Peninsula. You must know that this region was famed for its great production of high quality white pine; that State forest tree nurseries have produced millions of seedling wi pines and they are largely growing in our State; that there are millions of acres not used for the growing of white pine now, po- tentially useful for that purpose as time goes on and as man guides and rroperly controls forestry operations on such land; that the superlative qualities of white pine, as noted by trained observers from ocean to ocean, will gradually and surely induce its re- growth in our State wherever man un- derstands the rules of forestry and heir application to economic advance- ment, provided disease such as the blister rust is kept under control. You must know that the white pines were the largest of Michigan pine growth.in the early days and that fea- ture will be with us to the end of time when adequately protected—because th t he white pine is built that way. It has the habit of sustained growth to a very great age and that, as a resort state, we are vitally concerned to see that as many as possible of the white pine on public parks, scenic trails and forests shall be immune from the blister rust, so they can attain the greatest age. You must know that such white pine now growing in our State will, as time priceless heritage, well worthy of man’s valiant efforts to keep them growing for still other genera- tions to see and enjoy. Our geographical location, in ad- dition to the resort feature and recrea- tional use of the white pine, places us advantageously for good easily ac- cess‘ble markets for all the white pine we choose to cut, and the longevity of ¢ BOGS Of, DE a white pine assures that it can be cut when the price is best, provided the blister rust is kept out. Reports from the Washington, Idaho and Oregon region show that the rust has been found at points 50 to 100 previous known points of infection. It is stated that climatic conditions and wind currents have much to do with that fact. I sub- mit that during some vears at unusual Seasons there may be conditions that will allow similar long iumps in Michi- gan wherever the cultivated black cur- rants are allowed to crow. I submit that the State of Michigan cannot take any chances. We all are interested if we but take the time to consider, and the weighty words of the U. S. exnerts should be heeded and prompt action taken to ban the black currants. ne s§ nues irom , q f la Those Northwestern states absolute- ly ban the black currants and full con- sideration of all the facts in our own State must lead to the conclusion that Michigan should also destroy them, and it is right and proper that you act accordingly. Frederick Wheeler. Vice-Pres. Mich. Forestry Ass’n. The U. S. Department of Agriculture MICHIGAN TRADESMAN has issued the following bulletin (No. 1398) on the above subject: The currant and gooseberry indus- try must be considered in connection with the preservation of our valuable white pine timber. The white pines are a great National asset, essential to forestry development in this country. White pine blister rust threatens to destroy these forests. This disease is caused by a destructive fungus of for- eign origin recently introduced here. It must first grow on the leaves of currant or gooseberry bushes before it can attack and kill the pines. The pines in an infected are can be pro- tected from further damage from the rust only by removing all currant and gooseberry bushes from the area. Be- cause of the blister rust, the culture of currants and gooseberries is restrict- ed or prohibited in regions where the Eastern and Western white pines, sugar pine, and other five-needle (white) pines are important. Cultivated black currants, sometimes called the European or English black currant (Ribes nigrum L.), are more susceptible to white-pine blister rust than any other type of currant or gooseberry. This species is the most active agent concerned in the long- distance spread and establishment of the disease. That is, cultivated black currant plants become heavily infected at great distances from diseased pines and because of their extreme suscep- tibility to the rust they establish cen- ters of infection from which the dis- ease spreads rapidly to other kinds of currants, gooseberries, and white pines. Compared to cultivated black cur- rants, other species of currants and gooseberries are relatively resistant to blister rust. However, in the course of a season, the disease may spread on any type of currant or gooseberry from the original black currant center. because of successive cycles of the summer stage of the rust. The Unted States Department of Agriculture recognizes the cultivated black currant as a distinct menace to the white pine timber supply of the country. It is a menace not only to the thousands of farm owners who grow white pine in their wood lots or in their shelter belts and dooryards but also to all citizens, since all use white pine lumber directly or indirect- ly. The common cultivated black cur- rant is so serious a danger to tthe pro- duction of white pine timber as to make this currant a public nuisance in all states where white (five needle) pines grow. The department is op- posed to the growing of this species of currant (Ribes nigrum) anywhere in the United States and recommends that State authorities, nurserymen and growers take active steps to ac- complish its elimination from the Pacific, Rocky Mountain, Atlantic, Appalachian, Ohio Valley, Upper Mississippi Valley, and Lake States. The growing of cultivated black currants, in home gardens as well as In nurseries and commercial plantings, should be entirely abandoned through- out these states, because of the great importance of the white pines and the relatively small value of the black cur- rants. —~+~--___ An Ideal Xmax Shopping Remnider. In Marion, Ohio, the merchants plan to erect in the center of the town a gigantic signboard. On this board will be painted a huge calendar of the month of December, to every date of which will be affixed an appropriate holiday slogan. On each day of the month, the preceding day will be painted out in order to emphasize the brevity of the shopping season that remains. At night, the sign will be flooded with light. Forty-fourth Anniversary A Treat... to sell, to buy, to eat ROCERS like to sell Beech-Nut Peanut Butter because it is a rapid-sale food item. Customers like to buy it because it is A-1 quality and cost. And everybody likes to eat it because of its delicious taste and its energizing value as a food. How is your stock of this popular food? When reordering figure on an extra quan- tity for a counter display. Beech-Nut Pack- ing Company, Canajoharie, N. Y. Beech-Nu Peanut Butter Suggest-- Mueller’s Spaghetti Mueller’s Elbow Macaroni Mueller’s Egg Noodles Mueller’s Alphabets Mueller’s Vermicelli Mueller’s Ready-to-serve Spaghetti They mean profit for the grocer and satisfaction for the customer. They are so good and so uniform, they sell quickly and easily, and satisfy the most exacting customer. In a Sauce of Luscious Ingredients Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 Has the Farmer-for-President Boom Collapsed? Grandville, Nov. 15—Disagreement on appropriate farm relief by three National organizations meeting at the capital of the country to try out the case must prove interesting as well as disappointing to those who seek the aid of the Federal Government to do something for the farmer. If tthe farmer will not help himself how can he expect the Government to take a hand in his behalf? The Na- tional grange, the American Farm Bu- reau federation and the Farmers’ union have failed to come to an agreement on the basis of aid to ‘the farmer throughout the Nation. Politicians who hope to butter their bread at the expense of the people will find food for reflection in this failure to meet the expectations of disgruntled agriculturists. It ought to begin to creep through the craniums of these agitators that Uncle Sam has no right to go out of his way to coddle one class of citiaens as against another. This Nation is bound to seek the greatest good for the greatest number, and this agita- tion for farm relief has been altogether uncalled for. Farm depression accompanies indus- trial depression in every line of busi- ness. It would be utterly impossible to cripple the farmer and at the same time build up other industries. We are all in the same boat and that which aids one necessarily aids the other. Were this not true these various formidable farm organizations lately assembled at Washington to look into the situation of farm troubles would have had no difficulty in arriving at an agreement as to what was proper to be done in the matter. They could not agree.upon any stated policy of procedure and adjourned without for- mulating any policy to be carried out in the immediate future. Farm candidates for President are numerous enough, but we do not read about factory candidates, blacksmith candidates, iron and steel candidates. Nothing of the kind. Why not if this country is going into a fight for the supremacy of any one class or set of men? This great outcry about the corn and cotton raisers being under the heel of Wall street is the veriest bosh. Those who promote such outcries are seek- ing personal gain at the expense of common horse sense. It will not work. When those three farm organ- izations above mentioned failed to come to any agreement it shows that there is nothing on which to build. Our Government is founded on the rights of the whole people and not on any small portion as ‘against the others. By the time the conventions assemble next year to make their nominations, this farm fiasco will have run its course and common sense will again be in the ascendancy. Let us hope so at any rate. The rush of large numbers of our rural population to the cities within the past year and more has had its effect in overrunning the mills and factories with help so that there has been a slight depression in the labor market. Those farmers who stuck to their calling will, no doubt, profit by this citv raiding by farm hands. Deserted farms are a natural con- sequence of this movement cityward, and it may in the end serve to increase the emoluments of those rural workers who stuck to the farm through it all. However, let us reason together, and not fall for the theories of men as to farm conditions who never wielded a hoe or guided a plow. Those who imagine all the ills which flesh is heir to can be remedied by Federal legislation are destined to a fall, and that, too, within a very short period. Presidential elections are not won on side issues such as this farm relief propaganda which has been worked to its full limit in the past. Senator Johnson, of California, says he is the only senator who hasn't hopes of being nominated for Presi- dent next year. Strangé hallucination is it not, haunting the brains of some of our supposed most intelligent men? So many people have wondered at Coolidge declining to accept another nomination for the presidency. People with human hearts can well understand the President’s attitude in this instance. When his term expires he will have had more than five years of Govern- ment overseeing, quite enough to satisfy any ordinary ambition, and our Mr. Coolidge has none of the char- acteristics of a Napoleon. He knows when he has had enough, as does his estimable better half, who has so well adorned ++be White House as the first ladv of the land. A farmer in the White House might not be a bad idea, but to expect the American people to elect one to that responsible place because he is a farmer is going bevond reason. No man was ever elected President because he was a lawyer, a judge or representative of some certain indus- try. Sectionalism or class distinction of any kind has no recommendation to the high office of President. From the failure of the three great farm organizations which lately met at Washington, to agree upon = plan of action the purpose of which was to elevate the farmer above all others in the Nation, is plainly an indication that the supposed irresistible farm movement to agrandise itself as against the welfare of the Nation at large, has proved a failure. It is well that this is so. No tears will be shed over the collapse of the farm boom which was calculated to give farmers the right of way as against every other business in this country. Old Timer. —_—_2 > >__ Corporations Wound Up. The following Michigan corpora- tions have recently filed notices of dis- solution with the Secretary of State: Sunshine Dairy Co., Bloomingdale. Degene Cement Floors, Inc., Detroit. E. R. Perkins & Co., Detroit. Lavoy Manufacturing Co., Detroit. Keystone & Mason's Threshing Co., Whittemore. Twin Stores Co., Lansing. Lane & Freeman, Inc., Detroit. Bagley-Grand River Corp., Detroit. Industrial Works, Bay City. 3reen Iron Co., Milwaukee, Wis. D. H. Goodwillie & Co., Detroit. Metropolitan Finance Corp., Detroit. Weiss-Kemnitz Co., Detroit. John S. Capper Investment Co., De- troit. E. J. Willard Co., Detroit. Peggy, Inc., Detroit. Brown City Oil & Gas Co., Brown City Reeman Mutual Lighting Co., Reeman Paper Specialties, Inc., Kalamazoo. —_+-+>____ A Tie-Up With Laundries. A: live merchant over in Brooklyn, N. Y., supplies several neighboring hand laundries with the pasteboards in which shirts are folded. He dis- tributes these free and in exchange is permitted to print advertisements of h's merchandise on the boards. A no- ticeable increase in business has al- ready been traced to this idea. ———_>-___ A Hornet’s Nest Used To Good Ad- vantage. Although it was a large hornet's nest in the window of Shrider’s, Buffalo, N. Y., that made people stop and look, it was a little sign placed directly be- low the nest that completed an em- phatic window story. “You won't get stung here,” read the sign. WHITE HOUSE COFFEE National Distribution for Over 40 Years When you sell White House Coffee, you profit from a reputation that has grown through nearly half a century. Yet the acid test is the serving of White House Coffee in your own home. Iry this test. Compare the aroma, the rich coffee taste, with any other brand of -offee. After drinking White House Coffee, yourself, you will push it all the harder among your trade. The Flavor Is Roasted In! J iL 2 } QD Al ? pes QZ qos ! yg Vs DWINELL-WRIGHT COMPANY Michigan Distributors—LEE & CADY Boston - Chicago Portsmouth, Va eee 9 It’s Pancake : ? Time! These * srnings there is noth- ing b- cold and young than a brea * delicious CRESCENT self ri: , pancakes. They furnish the energy for a big day’s work at factory, office or school. Made by the makers of all CRESCENT FLOUR PRODUCTS Also Mark Twain Spring Wheat Flour and American Family Turkey Kansas Wheat Flour. Voigt Milling Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan five POUNDS NEY weicnt|= cea Se _ a o SELF~-RISING LL aU d3 FLOUR VOIGT MILLING GRAND RAPIDS MICNIC AN.U.S.A, FINANCIAL Making a Friend of Your Banker. To many a business man, able and experienced in his own line, the ways and workings of his bank are a mys- ery. But there should be no mystery about a bank. In its fundamental re- two functions lations there are only of a bank—the deposit function and A bank receives the deposits of its customers and it loans . 1 . : “aoe aw nethon the loan function. these deposits out to other customers. The main duties of a bank are le, but the variety and detail of the operations performed are infinite in number and highly specialized in their departments. They do not, how- ever, interest the ordinary depositor. The thing that does interest him is the borrowing of funds for his needs and the methods of repaying these funds. There are a few main facts surround- ing this relationship that, when thor- oughly understood, would be conducive to a most happy relationship between banker and borrower. It is in the very nature of a bank loan that it shall be paid within a rea- sonable time. What constitutes a reasonable time depends on the par- ticular circumstances, but as a rule, this varies from thirty days to eight A line of credit is no perniission to borrow up ‘to : 1 or nine montns. limit at any time without dis- a certair cussing the particular transaction nec- +3 cessitating each loar 1, but even a line of credit uld be liqu d at least once } -4 los , a year and should remain clean for two or three months. The payment e 1 + c of a loan, terms according to the agreed upon, or according to good banking practice, demonstrates two things: First, that the business is well ee ee aos & loeied and +} managed and well budgeted and that second, 1d, pay- income is up to expectations; in case of reverses of any k stctanden lnaane her et outstanding loans shows that sound enough and -nough to liquidate its liabili- If a loan cannot be paid at maturity it is usually 10ut undue strain. “ ae aire c 2 Pe i se an evidence of something unsound, either in the management, or in the capital structure. If the borrower, in dealing with his hank ke ; 74 1 7 y So ~ bank, keeps in mind the above points he will find it much easier to under- s banker. In stand the be remembered that by the rapid with which it to have any surces tied up on gt od col- thy period of frozen,” we have so many of our mid-Western banks have found them- st few years. & Another point that borrowers some- times resent a little is the fact that their banker will ask so many ques- tions, some of them apparently trivial, and will make such a searching investi- gation for what may amount to a very small loan. It should be borne in mind t the science of banking has developed a number of fundamental rules, which may be applied to almost every prospective loan. By securing certain specified facts, the banker is MICHIGAN TRADESMAN enabled to apply a sort of mechanical measure to the average proposition which gauges roughly, so to speak, its size, weight and thickness. Other special information will enable him to make up his mind with a very consider- able degree of accuracy concerning the soundness and desirability of the loan. In addition to all this, the more familiar a man is with the details sur- rounding any given proposition, the more intelligently he can act, the more accurately he can fix his boundaries and, very often, the banker can give considerable more latitude to the bor- rower when he is thus certain in his knowledge. In this connection, I might tell the story of two large concerns of inter- national reputation, who did business before the war with one of our great financial institutions in New York. Both of these companies were very hard hit at the outbreak of hostilities. It had been the habit of the president of one of these concerns, located in the West, to drop, in at their New York bank three or four times a year and go over their situation with them. The company was very prosperous and borrowed in millions. Their bankers were thoroughly familiar with every phase of their situation and were ac- customed to being told of all develop- ments, both favorable and unfavorable. The other company, also located in the West, was equally prosperous, but the head of this concern, though he came to New York often, rarely went inside the doors of his bank and never at any time discussed with them the intimate affairs of his institution. Under war conditions, both com- panies simultaneously lost a great por- tion of their business and almost over- night were involved in a precarious financial situation. It became a ques- tion as to whether or not the bank should call their loans. In the case of the first company, the bank was in full possession of the facts and, be- cause of their frequent contacts with its presiding head, had developed a sincere respect for his ability, and a confidence in his judgment and in his policies. It was eventually decided to continue the loans to this concern. In the case of the second company, the bank had never been taken into the confidence of the management, knew the president only casually and had no first-hand knowledge of his policies or of the internal situation of his com- pany. Because of lack of information, it was deemed too precarious to con- tinue the bank loans to this company, which may have been equally deserv- ing of credit with the first company if its situation had been fully apparent. The one concern is now strong and even more prosperous than before the war, but the other one went to the wall within eight months, mainly because its management had refused to take its bank into their confidence. The average loaning officer in a bank if he be wide awake and on to his job, knows a little bit about a great many What he knows is general information, gathered from contacts with several houses in the same line. He could not step in and run such a business himself, but he can often give sound advice and hag different lines of business. Forty-fourth Anniversary Investment Securities E. H. Rollins & Sons Founded 1876 Dime Bank Building, Detroit Michigan Trust Building, Grand Rapids New York San Francisco Chicago Los Angeles Boston Denver Kent State Bank “The Home for Savings” 1 With Capital and Surplus of Two Million Dollars and resources exceeding 'Twenty-Three Million Dollars, invites your banking business in any of its departments, assuring you of Safety as well as courteous treatment. Banking by Mail Made Easy. The CENTRAL Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Company Assets $3,194,142.55 Surplus $1,552,912.80 Is one of the 15 Companies that we represent The best protection, the lowest rates on FIRE and AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE write THE CLASS MUTUALS AGENCY 305-06 Murray Bui ding Grand Rapids, Michigan OUR FIRE INSURANCE POLICIES ARE CONCURRENT with any standard stock policies that you are buying Tie Net Costs OO) Less Michigan Bankers and Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Fremont, Michigan WILLIAM N. SENF, SECRETARY-TREASURER . a 4 a rf F ¢ - » iy a Paso Sip scat aeeneissn seis" Niggas oe nae ” Forty-fourth Anniversary a bird’s eye perspective that may be of considerable benefit to the manage ment. Hugh M. Driscoll, Manager Credit Department Boule- vard Bridge Bank, Chicago. —_~+2>—_—_ Review of Business Conditions in Michigan. Lower temperatures have brought about a decided improvement in trade during the past fortnight after two months of dullness due largely to un- seasonable weather. Under the stimulus of Christmas buying and delayed pur- chases of fall merchandise this up- ward trend should gain momentum rapidly during the next few weeks. Industrial activity, which has been lacking in vigor for several months, is experiencing the usual tapering off preliminary to inventory-taking and year-end changes. As a whole the gen- eral business situation is moderately good. Those who think otherwise, with some exceptions, are comparing the current volume of business activity with that of 1926, the most outstand- ing year of prosperity in the Nation’s history. The year 1927 will be record- ed as a period of normally good. times. Indications are that business activity will remain at a fairly good level dur- ing the coming winter months, to be followed by increasing prosperity last- ing well into the Fall of 1928. Factors which support this conclusion are numerous. Industry, as a result of curtailed production during recent months, light inventories and an ab- sence of inflation of raw material prices, is in a good position to ex- pand. There is an abundance of money at attractive rates to facilitate the production and distribution of goods and to support a building pro- gram of large proportions. Another potent factor pointing towards a re- vival in business in 1928 is the return to production of that great industrial giant, the ford industries, the psycho- logical effect of which over the next few months will be quite as great as the far-reaching material results. Still another wholesome element in the veneral outlook is the return of farm prosperity and the broad and unim- paired purchasing power of the non- agricultural group. There are, of course, unfavorable elements in the present business situa- tion, one of which, inflation in the stock market, sticks up like a sort thumb. The volume of brokers’ loans is dangerously high. Commercial fail- ures continue to exceed those in 1926 both in number and in amount. The oil industry still suffers from over- production. Building construction, employment, steel and automobile pro- duction, railroad car loadings and cor- porate earnings are under the figures of a year ago. More serious considera- tion must be given to the subject of profits. In the drive for mass produc- tion and expanding markets, the tendency lately has been to give al- together too little thought to adequate profit margins, the primary purpose for which business is conducted. Manufacturing plants in Michigan by and large were moderately well oc- cupied during October. Eighty per- cent. of the reporting cities stated that MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 13 industrial activity was normal. The remaining cities, with two exceptions, reported operations below normal. Spottiness prevailed in the automobile and motor accessory factories, produc- tion in some plants running well above normal and in others at or below nor- mal. The fact that the ford industries have resumed production is of supreme importance to Detroit and the State of Michigan. The resumption of ac- tivities by this large company not only has removed the uncertainty surround- ing the bringing out of the company’s new model, which has had a deterring effect on the business of other manu- facturers of low-priced cars, but also has improved the employment situa- tion and has helped business generally. The Chevrolet Motor Company is mak- ing preparations to bring out a new model within the next month. During recent weeks several manufacturing companies have moved to Detroit. Automobile output for October, as estimated by the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, was 210,465 cars and trucks. Despite the fact that the ford production for 1927 is about a million and a quarter units below the number of vehicles produced in 1926, total production of all makes for this year is expected to exceed 3,600,000 cars and trucks as compared with 4,- 219,442 vehicles turned cut during 1926. Production in the majority of motor plants will taper off from now until the close of the year. Employment during recent weeks has decreased slightly. Six cities, how- ever, report an increase compared with a month ago. Sugar beet factories have been making additions to their payrolls. Favorable weather during October made possible a large volume of outdoor work, especially public im- provements, and furnished employment for a considerable number of workers. A gain in employment during the first week in November is reported by the Employers’ Association of Detroit. There are now as many men at work in Detroit as there were a month ago, whereas there was a decrease of over 12,000 in the same period last year. The total tonnage passing through the Sault canals up to October 31 amounted to 75,287,488, which was 834,985 net tons less than for the cor- responding period of 1926. Michigan wholesalers in practically all lines report improvement in distri- bution of merchandise, also in collec- tions. Trade at retail is also more brisk and merchants are optimistic over the outlook for holiday business. The banks throughout the State, with very few exceptions, are in an easy condition, the supply of loanable funds being sufficient to take care of local needs. Borrowings are reported fair to good. Mild, summerlike weather in Octo- ber was ideal for fall work on the farms. To quote one of our corre- spondents: “The fine weather which slowed up business for the merchant has saved the farmer.’ As a whole the agricultural situation is looking brighter than it has for several years. Wayne W. Putnam, Director Public Relations, Union Trust Co., Detroit. Responsibility Is First Consideration in Investment Advice To give reliable counsel, an invest- ment banking house must have many years of experience, for only through long experience can good judgment be attained. And it must have ample financial resources as well. A. E. Kusterer & Co. has made special study of investment prob- lems for nearly 20 years. Buying and selling securities is the sole business of the company. There are no other departments. Capital and financial resources are ample to carry on the basiness. And A. EK. Kusterer & Company is the oldest bond house in West- ern Michigan. A.E.KUSTERER & Co. INVESTMENT BANKERS AND BROKERS 205-217 MICHIGAN TRUST BUILDING DIAL 4267 MAIN 2435 SERVING OUR PATRONS Bank Service is pretty much the same. Most good institutions are equipped, mechanically, and physically to render any necessary service. The important difference as we see it is the spirit of co-operation which ex- ists here for — all our clients and patrons. We have found that it has paid us handsomely to “go out of our way — to help our customers on their way.” MAY WE SERVE YOU? GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK “The Bank Where You Feel At Home”’ 14 Reminiscent of Thomas D. Gilbert. An excellent bust of Thomas D. Gilbert, somewhat obscured in Fulton street park, serves to recall to the memory of many a man who served his city, State and Nation ably and Mr. Gilbert was a public spirited citizen. faithfully. In the capacity of a legislator he served the State during the terrible vears of the civil war. As a regent he devoted his best efforts to the upbuilding of the State University. In the city of his adoption he spent years of usefulness as a member of the Board of Education and Common Council. His private enterprises in- cluded the establishment of the city gas works, the erection of buildings for business purposes and many houses. He was one of the organizers of the City National (now Grand Rapids Na- Bank, and its President a decade of years. As a member of the Common Coun- cil he ranked much higher in ability than most of his associates. He was a dignified, forceful, considerate speak- er who exerted a powerful influence in his efforts to promote the welfare of the city. A pestiferous little Irishman, an ever sporting representative of the labor unions, elected by the voters of the old Fifth ward, usually raised his tional) voice in opposition to such measures of municipal legislation that Mr. Gilbert advocated. Mr. Gilbert, in private con- versation, occasionally recalled an in- cident during a session of the Con- gress of the United which greatly amused him. Two famous States statesmen of fifty years ago were Gen- eral Benj. F. Butler, of Massachusetts, and S. S. Cox (Sunshine), of Ohio. While Butler was delivering a speech in support of a bill he deemed of utmost importance one day, he was frequently interrupted by Cox with questions that Butler considered im- pertinent and resented his interference. In a moment of impatience Butler waived Cox aside and quoted a line of a popular song of that period, “Shoo Fly, Don’t Bodder Me.” Had Mr. Gilbert seen fit to apply that quota- tion to Tim Nestor, probably the pug- nacious littl eTim would have exclaim- ed, “It did not touch me.” Like an impudent little puppy, Nestor barked at a mastiff. The writer is disposed to drop Mr. Gilbert for a moment and give place to another incident in which Congress- man M. H. Ford participated. A bill to provide for the revision of a tariff taxation act was pending aciton by the National House of Representatives. Mr. Ford addressed the members in behalf of the manufacturers of furni- ture, urging a reduction of the rates imposed under the then existing law upon imported looking glass plates. John Dalziel, of Pittsburgh, an advo- cate of tariff protection as high as the heavens, interrupted Ford frequently. Finally the little congressman from Grand Rapids impatiently exclaimed, “If you are determined to deliver a speech to-day, go out and hire a hall.” Dalziel, who died a few weeks ago in California, good naturedly allowed Ford to proceed without further in- terruption. To accommodate a few impecunious, but ambitious individuals, Mr. Gilbert MICHIGAN TRADESMAN accepted the presidency of an insigni- ficant building and loan association and gave to its management as much care and attention as he would have devoted to an industry capitalized for one million. Mr. Gilbert was ultra conservative in the making of investments. An in- cident related by the late J .G. Beecher serves to illustrate Mr. Gilbert's un- breakable will to consider safety first. Judge John T. Holmes, Mr. Beech- er and a number of others organized the Tontine Life Insurance Co. Ef- forts were made to induce prominent citizens to purchase stock of the cor- poration. A considerable number did so. Mr. Gilbert was approached re- peatedly. His money was not needed by the corporation as much as the in- fluence of his name by the organizers. Finally the managers decided to em- ploy a high powered stock salesman to line up such individuals as Mr. Gil- bert. The salesman arrived from Chi- cago one day and went into conference with the managers. ‘‘Lead me to the hardest, most conservative business man of your city first,” the salesman confidently requested. “I will show you how easily such men can be won over.” Beecher and the hired pro- moter met Mr. Gilbert on the follow- ing day, to whom a description of the Tontine company was given. Its plans and purposes were explained. During the conversation Mr. Gilbert remarked: “I do not propose the in- vestment of a single dollar in your stock. I never place money where it will be beyond my control.” That ended the interview. Friends of Mr. Gilbert confidently expected that he would provide in his will for the erec- tion of a public library or an art gal- lery. He did not do so. The record of a well spent life is his monument. More than sixty years ago Mr. Gil- bert asked permission of the Common Council to make improvements in the Fulton street park without incurring any expense to the municipality. Con- sent was granted. Later he caused the park to be enclosed with a high picket fence. The ground was seeded with potatoes, corn, rye or wheat from year to year. The crops produced were harvested and sold under Mr. Gilbert's direction and the proceeds of such sales were used in the planting of trees. Finally the grounds were seeded. Those who now enjoy the pleasure and comfort those trees afford “in the good old summer time” are indebted to Mr. Gilber tfor the privilege. Arthur Scott White. ——___- + ____ Fire Prevention Week Biggest in History. National Fire Prevention Week, October 9 to 15, officially designated and proclaimed by President Coolidge for observance, proved a time when one of the greatest co-operative cam- paigns of its kind was inaugurated that the Nation has ever witnessed. The entire country seemed to recog- nize as never before the meaning and the importance of this event and gave to it zealous co-operation and liberal aid. Executives in every line of public service and every conceivable branch of commerce and industry as well as fire chiefs throughout the country and Forty-fourth Anniversary ‘ GRAND RAPIDS Fourth Floor a, GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK BLDG. New York Chicago | Detroit 5, Boston ! Philadelphia San Francisco Minneapolis Syracuse Rochester, N. Y. St. Louis @ , a { Forty-fourth Anniversary their departments; officers and mem- bers of every kind of club, lodge and other organization; newspapers, mag- azines, trade and_ social journals; schools, churches, civic leagues, com- munity centers, social groups, business ‘ssociations and other public bodies— all responded to the appeal of the head of the Nation in a degree which was not alone remarkably inspiring, but indicative of that unmistakable Ameri- can spirit that showed what it can do whe naroused by force of a great truth. The first efforts of the campaign which were largely fostered by the Na- tional Board of Fire Underwriters in New York under the direction of 'Gen- eral Manager W. E. Mallalieu, brought a flood of letters containing requests for, and assurances of co-operation from a broad variety of industries; the railroads, power companies, manufac- turers, fire chiefs, chambers of com- merce, municipal officials, luncheon clubs and business organizations of every description and in every section of the country. The National Board ef Fire Under- writers prepared and: distributed vast quantities of posters, display signs, pamphlets, leaflets, folders, motion pic- ture slides, stickers, cuts for printing purposes, matrices for advertisements, subjects and outlines for speeches, sug- gestions for individual and co-opera- tive campaigns, and various striking and effective material—most of which was purchased and put into many branches of broad national usefulness. This work could never have been handled so effectively by one or even a mere few active units, regardless of how much they did. It required the vision, earnest support, co-operation and immediate action of all combined forces demonstrating their efficient work collectively on this timely and imperative occasion when, on the threshold of winter, the danger of fire is more prevalent than any other time during the year. It is not remarkable that the whole country responded to this year’s fire prevention appeal. The Nation recog- nizes that the loss of over 10,000 lives and more than $560,000,000 in property losses which are mounting every year, is of no small concern. The problem must be met either sooner or later and it may well be now. It is, however, truly surprising how fast wide and sincere National sup- port can be obtained when it is urgent- ly needed as it was indicated during the process of the preparation of this campaign, as well as during times of sudden disaster. It has been made clear that those who co-operated this year to foster this important work, will give equal or even greater support in the future. The fight has only begun! An effort to prevent the disastrous fire losses suffered every day of the year will be- come the foremost duty of every busi- ness, of every home and of every in- dividual in the country. During Fire Prevention Week the railroads inaugurated campaigns which extended to the limits of their systems. Electric companies also planned ex- tensive campaigns and printed hun- dreds of thousands of pieces of fire prevention material which were dis- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN tributed throughout the country for display in warehouses, telephone ex- changes and branch service buildings. Many such prominent concerns as the New York Telephone Company, Con- solidated Coal Company, E. I. duPont Company, Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, New York Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, Erie Railroad, St. Louis, San Francisco Railroad Com- pany, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; many large department stores and chain stores, merchants, tradespeople and professional men—people in every walk of life and every branch of ser- vice assumed some responsible part and gave enthusiastic support to the advancement of this movement. In many towns and cities throughout the country reports reach us that the warning to keep fire fighting equip- ment at home, was observed. Fire de- parments wisely forbid fire fighting apparatus from appearing in fire pre- vention parade ranks. This attitude reveals the foresightedness of those who want their fire fighting apparatus to stay at home in order that it may be in constant readiness for its intend- ed purpose of combating a fire at a moment’s notice, if necessary. People who can impress the fire pre- vention idea without the need of tak- ing the fire machinery with them to do it, and without burdening themselves and their communities with dangers possible to avoid, are truly consider- ate and appreciative of what the fire evil means to their communities. It was this same spirit of wisdom which turned a noisy and dangerous Fourth of July celebration in which innumer- able injuries, deaths and firzs occurred into an annual civil festivity that has proved safe and beneficial to everyone. To what extent the public has been impressed concerning the weight of this great Fire Prevention Week cam- paign cannot be judged. Too many elements enter into the subject. How- ever, we know only too well that pub- lic interest will be sure to wane and carelessness again take hold like a con- tagion, unless the same effort and zest displayed: in this campaign can make its influence deeply grounded in the consciousness of the public until, im- pelled by the realization of individual responsibility it is forced to recognize fire-carelessness and fire-responsibility in its proper light all the time. What a price—$560,000,000 and more than 10,000 lives with an unlimited po- tential value! One-fiftieth of this great sum used in an appropriation for fire prevention could put the greatest part of 86 per cent. of the total or $481,600,- 000 a year, back into the pockets of the public. For it is the people who pay for these great fire losses—not the insurance companies—but the people who are unwittingly taxed on every article of service they buy, in order that business can afford to pay the price of financial protection. Fire Prevention is not an event for one week or one annual campaign. Fire Prevention is a work involving continuous effort on a broad scale in order to cope with ever-present fire dangers and in _ order to establish American progress on a safe basis. 15 “Over Fifty Years of Service” nsurance Policies and Parachutes When the crisis comes and the aviator must trust his fate to a parachute, he is vitally concerned as to whether that parachute is large enough to support his weight, whether it will open properly, whether it will bear him safely again to earth. Insurance policies are like parachutes. When the emergency comes, the policy holder wants to know that his insurance will function, that it is large enough to carry the load, that it will not split under the strain, that it will carry him to a safe landing. CENTRAL POLICIES Central Policies provide the soundest kind of insur- ance protection. Beginning with expert counsel in fire prevention, they safeguard the interest of the policy holder by fair adjustment of claims and prompt settlement for losses. Ample resources and the repu- tation of the company behind the policies give as- surance that they will not fail. PREMIUM COST Quality of protection assured, the final consideration is cost. Our careful selection of risks has so reduced our fire losses that we are returning to our policy holders a dividend of 30%, thus effecting a saving of nearly one-third in their insurance cost. The careful buyer is certain to be interested in both the quality and the cost of Central Insurance. Full information on request. A’ Friendly Organized Company 0 - \ ho CENTRAL Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Company of Van Wert. Ohio. FIRE AND AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE FOR SELECT RISKS ee | 16 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN cca aR SERS TT ; Forty-fourth Anniversary OUT ARGUND. Things Seen and Heard on a Week End Trip. The Consumers Power Co. is tearing up the pavement on both sides of the Tradesman office—we are located on a corner—for about the twentieth time during the twenty-five year period we have eccup-ed our present quarters in the Barnhart building. “hese period- ical upheavals, which fill the office full of dust whenever it is dry and be- smears everything with mud when- ever it is wet, occur so frequently that I sometimes wonder why the company does not look ahead a little further when it is forced to make such ex- changes in order to serve a power or pensive new customer for light, steam heat. We never go through an ordeal of this kind without several windows be- ing broken or cracked by flying rocks projected by the hard tires of passing trucks. This means a_ controversy every time with the contractor and if he happens to be a non-resident, the local representative of the alien house assures us he will O. K. our invoice for the damage done and send it on to That is he last we ever hear of the matter, so we charge our loss off and wait pa- his home office for payment. tiently for the next onslaught on our peace and happiness. imately, the city government these matters more justly. Not use cliy water before the lant was created and not ith success in driving a deep ided to install a home dis- aratus operated by gas. e that any contractor the water for temporary changes must first notify all the water users in the district af- fected. I have never known a con- ‘tractor to his rule. As a re- sult, I had six different stills melted observe t down on me, involving a loss of $25 ne. In all cases the city offi- cials notified me to have replacements made at once and invoices sent to the city therefor. The city, of course, de- sums paid from the con- tractors payments. I wish the Con- sumers Power Co. would adopt the e in aie with people who the misdeeds of its he street work above re- ing done by a contractor. foreigners, he employes are mostly 2 . 1 1s es Sica tke wdring Dy the 100KS on Ther faces. Nine-tenths of them smoke cigarettes incessantly and fully half their time de — to the abi In other the time ibe contractor ‘ . a during working hours 1s : . h I pays for is consumed in activity which brings no results—except whetting the etite for more cigarettes. This lost to the Consumers “ime iS passed on Power Co. and by that company pass- ed on the people who buy electricity or steam heat from the company fur- nishing same. This dead expense, for ich nobody renders an equivalent, ' on indefinitely to the end of time, which can creating a fictitious loss ever be extinguished. ke to compute the precious time which is consumed every day in the indulgence of the cigarette habit, I cannot help thinking how much permanent enjoyment and satisfaction could be secured by the purchase and possession of useful articles if the cig- arette had never been invented. Ed. Owen, the well-known con- tractor, used to tell me of an employe who smoked his pipe almost constant- ly, but never carried matches in his pocket. No matter how far up he might be at work, he always descend- ed the ladder to secure a match and light his pipe. If he was up in the eleventh story, he had to light his pipe two or three times an hour and fully three-quarters of his time was devoted to descending and ascending ladders. Of course, such a man was nota profitable person for any employer to retain on his payroll and sooner or later he found his level with the pick axe, shovel or wheel barrow. whether the laborer has not forgotten I sometimes wonder average day that there is such-a word as efficiency and if the frequently heard expression “honest day’s work for an is not an antiquated about an honest day’s pay” joke which has passed into oblivion. The man who does not render an equivalent in his dealings with others or who exacts an unfair percentage of profit in any transaction creates a fictitious indebtedness on the people of this world which will remain as long as time lasts. In the nature of things much of my time and effort during the past three months have been devoted to the preparation of the forty-fourth anni- versary edition, which is now in the hands of our readers. I hope perusal of this special issue will give my patrons as much pleasure as its plan- ning and execution have given me. Not all of the many topics herein presented may be welcomed by every reader, but I hope every reader may find some articles which will give him new thoughts, new ideas and new inspira- tions for the future. I invariably start on the work of planning another an- niversary edition as soon as the old one is off the press. If any reader of the Tradesman has any suggestion he would like to see worked out in our forty-fifth anniversary edition, I shall be glad to hear from him at an early date. The weather last Saturday was a little too ‘inclement to justify our usual call on Out Around customers. We heard much of the heavy wind which tore things loose the evening before. We counted twenty-one fallen trees and noted a collapsed house and barn in the fourteen mile trip from Lamont to the city Saturday morning and in S. 16 from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven during the afternoon covering U. we noted a long string of telephone Tales of collapsed and burned barns, with de- poles down near Dennison. struction of crops and live stock, were frequently reported. We found the cut-off on U. S. 31 at Ferrysburg, which has been under con- struction for the past year, open for travel. The viaduct over the P. M. Railroad is an excellent example of road engineering. The new improve- ment enables the traveler to avoid four | Many embarrassing predica- ments may be avoided by having an extension tele- phone, over which you can make or answer calls An Extension Telephone Costs Only a Few Cents a Day MICHIGAN BELL TELEPHONE CoO. ASK MR. STOWE He Knows What Our Collection Service Is Only one small service charge. ing fees or any other extras. Any Bank or Chamker of Commerce of Battle Creek, Mich., or No extra commissions, Attorney fees, List- References: this paper. Merchants’ Creditors Association of U. S. Suite 304 Ward Building, Battle Creek, Michigan For your protection we are bonded by the Fidelit few Yok Cie, y & Casualty Company of ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES Motors and Appliances of standard makes are carried Tr ‘ 7 A : by us. We have wholesale as well as retail departments. Our Prices are right on everything Electrical. ROSEBERRY - HENRY ELECTRIC CoO. 507-509 Monroe Ave., N. W. Grand Rapids, Mich. ¢ Y ° Ae “i * r < . i i ® yee { v © « _ » 7 - » a « ‘e w ~ s ” « * «<)> » oe a 4 “« » ¢ * é uF - ¢ gt > a “py Oh < b “> 4 ° ‘ A le * i * ¥ < * A . ~ éia « ‘> 4 y ¢ Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 17 very sharp corners and renders any further accidents in crossing the rail- We planned to cover the remainder of the Dune highway from the mouth of Muskegon Lake to Michilinda, but were told at Grand Haven that it would not be thrown open to the public until about Dec, 1. ed, but ample time is being given the way tracks unnecessary. The cement work is complet- pavement to season before traffic is permitted. It will be a proud day for Grand Haven when she completes another entrance into the city via Seventh street from the wonderful new bridge Grand River. The thoroughfare is so narrow that it gives the stranger an unpleasant impression across present of the entree to one of the finest and most progressive cities of Michigan. That impression is lessened when the traveler reaches the business district of the city. It is unfortunate that the narrow old highway should be the sole entrance to Grand Haven from the Kast and North for so many years. E.A. Stowe. —_+ ++. Statisticians See Long Decline About Over. The world’s fall in commodity prices begun three years ago now has reached its end, in the opinion of authorities who attended a recent meeting of the New York branch of the American Statistical Association, and gave their views on the probable future trend. The different economists present ex- pressed their belief that the downward movement is over with varying degrees of emphasis, but Colonel Leonard P. Ayres of the Cleveland Trust Com- pany was the only prophet who did not state directly or indirectly that the de- cline begun in 1923 is scraping bottom. Professor Wesley C. Mitchell of Co- lumbia University, author of “Business Cycles,” discussed the many ramifica- tions of the problem but said: “I have high hopes that world prices will not dectine.”’ Professor Edwin W. Kemmerer of Princeton University, who has in re- cent years kept closely in touch with financial affairs, expects “a fairly stable price level during the next foreign few years.” Dr. David Friday, recognized author- ity and writer on economic matters, doubts whether the decline in prices will continue next year, and even ven- tures the prediction that if the volume of output makes a new record in 1928 the flow of industrial profits may break all previous records. Carl Snyder, general statistician of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, brought out the very important fact in studying the world price move- ment that any analysis based entirely on commodity trends fails to take ac- count of everything. He has designed a general price index that represents a composite of living costs, transporta- tion costs, rents, wages, security values, retail prices, and realty values, among others, as well as wholesale commodity prices. It is significant that whereas the commodity price level during the last three years has sharply, no such decline has been registered by general price index. fallen Since Colonel Ayres was the only member of the American Statistical Association here mentioned who did not predict an immediate turn in the price movement, or at least who did not guess that the decline is over, it is interesting to note that even he ap- parently feels that the evidence favors rising prices by the autumn of 1928. If next year’s expansion in business ac- tivity is accompanied by a sharp up- turn in prices, this country may ex- perience, in his opinion, something of a boom before the end of 1928. Paul Willard Garrett. —_+_--+_____ Thirty-six Reasons For Business Fail- ures. 1. Inefficient buisness systems. 2. Indecision. 3. Poor location. 4. Too conservative. 5. Poor equipment. ¢ 6. Untrained clerks. 7. Self-consciousness. 8. Open cash drawer. 9. ‘No plans for future. 10. Too many mistakes. 11. No advertising. 12. Wastefulness with goods. 3. Carelessness of clerks. 14. Clerks run the business. 15. Slow service to customers. 16. Not enough help. 17. Creeds, not deeds. 18. Badly lighted store. 19. Purchases too heavy. 20. Dingy windows. 21. Dishonest employes. 22. Unsystematic deliveries. 23. Ignoring advice. 24. Too much attention to details. 25. Slow moving stock. 26. Too much credit on the books. 27. Lack of acquaintance with cus- tomers. 28. Unsalable stock on the back shelves. 29. Trying to follow advice. everybody's 30. Forgetting to charge goods sold on credit. 31. Show windows not used to ad- vantage. 32. Customers’ interests not borne in mind. 33. Failing to profit by own ex- perience. 34. Failing to carry what custom- ers want. 35. Antiquated systems unfit for increased business. 36. Belief in the worn-out proverb “leave well enough alone.” > Washing Air a Simplified Opertaion. It is becoming every year a simpler matter to wash and cool the air with- in banks, theaters and other buildings, including homes. There are now manufactured air conditioning units that can be installed almost anywhere and connected up to an electric light circuit. A single unit capable of wash- ing and cooling 30,000 cubic feet of air an hour measures three feet square on A mo- tor driven fan inside draws air through the ground and five feet high. a series of brick baffles over which Then the cooled and washed air is driven by the fan up through pipes to the rooms. A motor such as is used on washing machines does the work. water runs. Home Offices, Detroit 1200 General Necessities Bldg. Telephone Cadillac 9761 Annivergar From modest beginnings - a membership of only eleven firms and re- sources of $16,709-we have achieved ina brief fifteen years the proud position of Michigan’s largest mutual casualty insurance company, with assets of more than $3,000,000.00, surplus of more than $1,300,000.00 and dividends paid of $2,500,000.00. This result is largely due to the absolute DEPENDABILITY of our insurance coverage and the progressive, stable policies carried out by our di- rectors who have gained for themselves in the insurance world the well earned title of “Directors Who Direct.” MICHIGAN LIABILITY Resources ZaS Dividends More Than O=s President More Than $3,000,000.00 Bicaident $2,500,000.00 Branch Offices Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, Port Huron, Flint, Kalamazoo, Pontiac, Jackson Munising. Workman’s Compensation, Automobile, Group Health and Accident and other Casualty Lines MUTUAL COMPANY Mutual Hospital, Detroit 2730 East Jefferson Ave. Telephone Edgewood 4240 I stn ccneee DRY GOODS Michigan ReRtail Dry Goods Association President—A. K. Frandsen, Hastings. First Vice-President—J. H. Lourim, Jackson. Second Vice-President—F. H. Nissly, Ypsilanti. Secretary-Treasurer—D. W. Robinson, Alma. Manager—Jason E. Hammond, Lansing. Interesting Letter From Dry Goods Manager Hammond. Lansing, Nov. 15—On Monday, Nov. 7, was held the last of the Fall Series of Group Meetings at the Burdick Ho- tel in Kalamazoo. Forty-three per- sons sat down to the luncheon and with the exception of two or three guests and six wives of members and Mart Waalkes, of the Grand Rapids Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Co., all were store owners and members of our Association. The meeting was successful from the standpoint of a conference and con- tinued through the afternoon until nearly 4 o'clock. We have held six group meetings all told this Fall, the average attendance being about fifty persons. Some other zroup meetings may be held after the holidays and previous to the annual convention which will occur in Lansing, March 13, 14 and 15. As was previously an- nounced, a meeting of the directors was held following the conference and, as we had anticipated, a quorum of the directors was not present. This is on account of the distance of travel for our directors who are widely scattered over the State and for the further rea- son that it had already been announc- ed that another directors meeting will be held later. Those present, at the suggestion of the President resolved themselves into a program committee to discuss plans for the coming convention. There were present: President—A. K. Frandsen. Manager—J. E. Hammond. Ex-Presidents—J. C. Toeller and H. J. Mulrine. Ex-Secretary—W. O. Jones. Directors—G. E. Martin and Paul L. Proud. Member—Martin S. Smith. A letter from George A. Fern, the Merchandise Exposition engineer who installed the booths for our convention last year, was read and discussed. A few changes in the arrangement of booths were agreed upon after con- siderable discussion and the manager was instructed to secure an interview with Mr. Fern in the near future. Persons desirable for our general program were also discussed and those whose names are given below were agreed upon, the manager having previously had definite correspondence with them. Arthur H. Brayton, editor Dry Goods Merchants Trade Journal, Des Moines, Ja. Louis A. Le Claire, Jr., President Le Claire-King Co., Inc., Davenport, Iowa. Carl N. Schmalz, Assistant Director 3ureau of Business Research, Ann Arbor, Mich. T. K. Kelly, President T. K. Kelly Sales System, Minneapolis, Minn. It was suggested that the Manager ask our members for suggestions re- garding topics to be discussed at the convention and the recommendations of speakers. It was also decided that the price charged for the booths at our merchan- dise exposition should be uniform— $75 per booth—giving the selection of booths to exhibitors in the order of their contracting for the same. No formal, official business was transacted. The following information is sent out by the Merchants Credit & Ad- justment Co., of Toledo, Ohio: Lucille McGee, alias Jacqueline Courtney, alias Mrs. Arthur Davis, who claims to have lived in Los Angeles, California, at 3641 Wishire MICHIGAN TRADESMAN blvd., in Lansing, Mich., at 2404 South Logan street, and at some unknown address in Detroit, was arrested last Saturday and is now being held on the charge of obtaining goods under false pretense. This woman rented a room and used the name of the landlady when making purchases. Through the activities of the Bureau one merchant secured the return of merchandise valued at over $200 and another mer- chant obtained his goods valued at over $40. Description: Age 20-25 years, about 5 feet 4 inches tall; and weight 120 pounds. We were much saddened last week to learn of the death of our friend W. L. Thoms, of Centreville, a fine digni- fied gentleman and successful mer- chant; one on whom it was a pleasure to call. Telephoning to the merchants urging attendance at the Kalamazoo meeting brought this information. We w:sh his son the best of success in the continuance of the business. The Free Press of Nov. 11 makes the announcement that Daniel a Crowley, brother, and Danie] J. Crow- ley, son, of the late Joseph J. Crowley have become President and Vice- President respectively of Crowley- Milner & Co. The same account names James B. Jones, for nineteen years ac- tively interested in the company, as General Manager and Secretary and C. A. Guilford, also an old-time employe, as Treasurer. With this re-organiza- tion, W. P. Emery, former Vice- President and General Manager, re- tires from business. Best wishes to the new management. Several days ago a man went to the office of one of our members and pre- sented a statement which he claimed he had received from them and paid the statement. He stated that he was a dealer and came in to pay the ac- count. After he had done this, he pre- sented a certified check drawn on the Montrose Bank of Montrose, Mich. The printing on this ¢ heck was the same as those used by the Montrose Bank, but it was printed on a different kind of paper. The check was return- ed by the Montrose Bank as a forgery. This party is described as being about forty years of age, about five feet, seven inches tall, light complexion and weighing about 180 pounds. Evident- ly he had picked up this statement where it had probably been left care- lessly in some office. Going into this merchant's place of business, he paid this bill. Gaining confidence, he then presented the fraudulent check. The merchant was not suspicious and cash- ed it. The main lesson from this oc- currence is that it is a very careless habit to leave bills or blank checks lying carelessly about in the office. Jason E. Hammond, Mer. Mich. Retail Dry Goods Ass’n >... When opportunities come we must pass them by if we do not have ready cash. COLD WEATHER WILL soon be here — order your Polish now. Other remind- ers for your Fall trade. WATER-PROOF PASTE DRI-FOOT NORWEGIAN PASTE CROME LACES RAWHIDE LACES NOVELTY LACES FELT INSOLES SHEEP SOCK BOOT SOCKS BEN KRAUSE Co. 20 Ionia Avenue Forty-fourth Anniversary HOLIDAY MERCHANDISE We are showing the most beautiful line of holiday goods this year we have ever shown. Come early and make your selec- tions while the stock is complete. We urge our Out-of-Town Customers to use the Grand Rapids Garages, corner Fountain and Ionia Streets, opposite our building, for parking. A release at our office makes this parking FREE. PAUL STEKETEE & SONS WHOLESALE Dry Goops Grand Rapids Michigan ncle Jake says- - “‘Lets do all the business we can honestly, have all the fun we can reasonably, do all the £00d we can willingly and save our digestion by thinking pleas- antly,"’ We honestly believe that our KVP DELICATESSEN PAPER is the best made, and this without boasting. We get a lot of fun out of our paper busi- ness because we are doing good by making it, and our digestion is always in good work- ing order because we think well of every- body. KALAMAZOO VEGETABLE PARCHMENT CO., KALAMAZOO, MICH., U. S. A. GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. Affiliated with The Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association An Association of Leading Merchants in the State THE GRAND RAPIDS MERCHANTS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY 320 Houseman Bldg. Grand Rapids, Mich. er er Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 19 SHOE MARKET An Unusual Advertising Appeal. Ask the advertising men and they will tell you that the strongest kind of advertising is that which makes an ap- peal direct to the prospective purchas- er. After mulling this over for a while a merchant in South Bend, Ind., finally decided that he would select from his mailing list every day the name of some person whom he wanted very much to sell, and he would use it in the advertisement of that day. “Tf Miss Louise Bittner, of 317 Washington avenue,” ran an exem- plary piece of copy, “will call at our store any evening this week, we will show her a pair of the most charming shoes she ever laid her eyes on. We’ve put them aside just for you, Miss Bittner, for we are sure that they will not only fit your taste but also your personality and your feet.” a Nothing But the Truth in This Ad- vertisement. Depreciation of their own merchan- dise recently proved a profitable pro- cedure for Wheeler & Nott, of Mount Vernon, Washington. In newspaper advertising which featured a clearing- out sale, descriptions of the shoes of- fered were all negative in character, the store even going so far as to be- little their worth. The idea, of course, served to explain why the articles were all priced so absurdly low. Illustration: “Last year, these plaid slippers were highly desired by many women; but to-day, they are out of style. They still fit as comfortably as ever and are made of the same high grade of work- manship and materials for which we are noted. You can have them now for $1.73.” —_>-.____ For the Small Town Merchant. “How do you like me in my new Look great, don’t they? Just got them at Weinstein’s.” If a man who has just purchased a pair of shoes at Weinstein’s, Fort Smith, Ark., is amenable, he will be taken down the shoes? street to a photographer and there will he snapped by the camera in all the glory of his new purchase. When the pictures are ready, two of them, sepia tinted, will be given to him in exchange for his co-operation, and about ten others, postcard size, will be addressed to friends of his and mailed. Considering the publicity, the cost is negligible. —_+++____ For Best Sellers of the Week. There are best sellers in shoes as there are best sellers in books. Platt Brothers, of New Haven, realize this and devote a prominent corner of their window display to “The Five Best Sellers of the Week,” figuring that the average person is always interested in knowing what the remainder of the world most prefers. The shoes are presented in a modest little bookcase, containing five shelves, on each of which, together with a pair of shoes, is shown a book that is also meeting with popular approval at the time. ——_>-+—___ Institute a Novel Service. The Columbus WalkOver Co., managed by A. N. McDowell and Max Holmes has instituted an unique ser- vice in its men’s department by pro- viding cigarettes for men customers while they are being waited on. Two artistic smoking sets with cigarettes and matches are placed in the men’s department with thatches handy. Mr. Holmes reports the plan a good pub- licity stunt and he believes that men customers appreciate the little touch it affords. —_+~-.____ Makes Good Use of Calendar Leaves. Calendar leaves, it seems from cus- tom immemorial, are made to be thrown away. But Milt Johnson, a shoe retailer in Nashville, Tenn., does not believe in custom much; and so, whenever he issues a new calendar, he makes sure that the back of each leaf offers a tempting special in foot- wear, which may be obtained only during the month following that shown on the leaf. If the leaf itself is presented at the store, a discount of five per cent. is allowed. —_+2->—___ For Sidewalk Display Purposes. A closer-to-consumer display than the average window affords has been originated by a merchant in Wahoo, Nebraska. This consists of a_ tiny glass counter, mounted on wheels, which is wheeled out on the sidewalk every morning when the store opens. Under the glass is generally displayed no more than one or two pairs of shoes that the retailer happens to be interested in at the moment. These are always accompanied by descriptive tickets, which also mention the price. TWO NEW ONES: Style 949 — Men’s autumn Blucher Oxford, Monarch’s Calfskin, Last (Medium balloon), Nickel Dundee Eyeets, New pattern with popular short ramp, inside tap sole with fancy flange edge and heel seat trim. C and D widths in stock $3.45 Style 950 — Same in Mon- arehs black calf .. | $3.45 “Over night Service’ Herold-Bertsch Shoe Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. Manufacturers of Quality Foot- wear since 1892. C. E. LONG @& COMPANY Grand Rapids, Michigan Wholesalers of high grade men’s furnishings QUALITY MERCHANDISE The finest line of Christmas neckwear and mufflers in Michigan, now on the floor ready for delivery. S. A. MORMAN & CO. DEALERS IN BUILDING MATERIALS “ace Brick, Fire Brick, Metal Lath, Waterproofings and Flue Lining - Lime and Cement MAIN OFFICES: S. W. Corner Pearl St. and lonia Ave. Automatic 4647. YARDS: Corner lonia and Wealthy. Automatic 65304. 500 Lexington Ave., N. W., Automatic 65376. *RAND RAPIDS - - - MICHIGAN THE GOOD CANDY AGENTS FOR JOWNEYS NATIONAL CANDY CoO., INC. PUTNAM FACTORY “eet*LILY WHITE FLOUR “The Flour the best cooks use.” Also our high quality specialties Rowena Yes Ma’am Graham Rowena Pancake Flour Rowena Golden G. Meal Rowena Buckwheat Compound Rowena Whole Wheat Flour Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded. VALLEY CITY MILLING COMPANY Grand Rapids, Michigan 20 RETAIL GROCER Retail Grocers and General Merchants Association. President—Oria Bailey, Lansing. Vice-Pres.—Hans Johnson, Muskegon. Secretary—Paul Gezon, Wyoming Park. Treasurer—F. H. Albrecht, Detroit. Income Tax on Owned Busines; Block. A Michigan merchant writes: “Many authorities on retail accounting say rent should be added to your expense statement, even though the building is owned by the occupants. What we are in doubt about is this: In making out income returns, what would this item be entered under if the building is owned by you and you are taking rent and charging it to expense? The income tax return would show a de- duction that would not be legal.” As a business man you pay rent to yourself as a landlord. You should include rent in your expense account just as if you paid it to another. Such all of them—belong jn your expenses income tax as items deductible from your business profits. As a landlord you receive the income from your property. Such income in- cludes whatever rent you receive from yourself as a merchant. The portion of the income blank which sets forth your income from rents will properly include what you, as landlord, get from yourself as merchant. You will not escape the payment of income tax, but your business will be scientifically accounted for, and if your entries be clearly made any income tax collector will pass your return. There is a lot of verbiage about Government forms. I often wonder how fearfully and wonderfully they are concocted, but I have always disre- garded forms and technicalities if and when such have run counter to a plain statement I feel can be made in my own words. And my returns have al- ways got across. Keep in mind the intention. What is wanted to be revealed? Once you get that clear in your mind, make the return accordingly. No penalty is at- tached to the making of a faulty re- turn if it be made in time and in good faith. The only consequence is cor- rection and Uncle Sam will help you make correction any time he finds you have slipped on form or verbiage. The manager of the Frankford Gro- cery Co., the wholesale institution owned and operated by and for the retail grocers of Frankford, Pennsyl- vania, is known as “Tsar Edgar.” To look at him and meet him, you would never suspect him of domnieering ways or disposition. The simple fact is that long ago he thought out the logic of his job and he has hewn close to the line in keeping with such logic. But men who think out their tasks and, having thought to the end, go straight toward their goal, are so few and far between that when one appears who works logically, he is seldom under- stood. Occasionally this man who has the unusual record of managing a co- operative wholesale for many years, keeping the rank and file—pretty rank as a file, too, at times—of retail gro- cers in line, has to let off a little steam pressure. And perhaps it is because he MICHIGAN TRADESMAN speaks out from time to time that he gets the name of “Tsar.” Here is a recent one of his broadcastings: “A number of grocers get together and form an organization, put up their money, incorporate as wholesale gro- cers and proceed to do business. Repre- sentatives of wholesale grocers butt in, visit these stores, slam the whole- sale house owned by these grocers, get the prices these grocers are paying to their own company and beef to the manufacturers about low prices. “The manufacturers, in turn, chew the rag to the grocers’ company about how low it is selling and some demand that their prices be maintained, Un- fortunately, a great many of these gro- cers who own their own wholesale grocery company are without brains or common sense, and they hand over their price lists and bills to the poor stews who are collecting orders and money under the disguise of salesmen. These salesmen (?), in turn, carry the bad news to their bosses, who weep on the manufacturers’ bosoms. “The conundrum is, who has the least brains: “The grocer who betrays his own organization? “The salesman who takes advantage of the grocer? “The wholesale grocer who cries in- stead of meeting conditions? “The manufacturer who hasn’t the ability to recognize conditions? “What is the answer? While the manufacturer and jobber are worrying as to how to milk the independent (?) retail grocer, the chain stores go merrily on, getting the bulk of the business and laughing at the near wits. “There will always be room and business for wholesale grocers like the Barber & Perkins Co. “There will always be room for good retail grocers who have brains and common sense. “There will always be room for chain stores conducted as some of them are. “There will always be room for manufacturers managed by brainy men of broad vision. “There will always be room for gro- cers’ organizations which are conduct- ed as real business houses. “After all, what’s the use of chew- ing the rag? “We meet the conditions and do the best we can and know that, ultimately, it will be the survival of the fittest.” I quote from the Modern Merchant and Grocery World. The story needs no embellishment. Fred Anderson who has built a busi- ness of about $1,000 per day among 1,298 people, says many things which appeal to me as simple, straight com- mon sense, founded on clear insight into his environment. 3ut the keynote is that he has al- ways traded up. He says: “More and more the public is de- manding better merchandise and better service than ever before. We handle as much nationally known goods as possible, because they are easily sold. People readily recognize the store which handles well-known brands.” I let Anderson’s story stand with- out comment. A grocer’s letter is quoted in a re- (Continued on page $1) Forty-fourth Anniversary M.J. DARK & SONS INCORPORATED GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Direct carload receivers of UNIFRUIT BANANAS SUNKIST -- FANCY NAVEL ORANGES and all Seasonable Fruit and Vegetables KEEP THIS SALES AID WORKING ALL THE TIME. How many of your customers come into your store with a definite grocery list? Not so many. And this is the one opportunity that a good salesman never misses—he suggests everything he can think of. Fleischmann’s Yeast is one of your staples that is hidden away in the ice box, BUT it is not forgotten as long as you keep the package dis- play where the housewife can see it—it is a silent salesman that works and you know it is the sales you MAKE that count, after all. Thousands and thousands of people all over the country are adding Fleischmann’s Yeast to their diet—and they will come to your store for their supply of yast if you let them know you have it. FLEISCHMANN’S YEAST Service Don’t Say Bread — Say HOLSUM THE BEST THREE AMSTERDAM BROOMS =: PRIZE White Fwan GoldBond 7 Wy TERDAM BROOM COMPANY 41-55 Brookside Avenue, Amsterdam, N. Y. VINKEMULDER COMPANY Grand Rapids, Michigan Distributors Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Now Offering: Cranberries, Bagas, Sweet Potatoes, “VinkeBrand” Mich. Onions, Oranges, Bananas, etc. a Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 21 MEAT DEALER The Better the Meat the Better ee Dish. One of the fundamentals of meat cookery is that tender meat should be cooked by using dry heat and that tough meat should be cooked moist. It is because moist cooking tends to make meat tender that stews, pot roasts, meat pies, and similar dishes have found such general use in the home. We think that too little thought has been given, generally speaking, to the fact that tough meat is not the only kind that can be used to advantage for the dishes mentioned. If a stew or a pot roast is good when the meat is lacking in tenderness as bought, it will be even better when more tender cuts are used. The flavor of the higher quality will be better also. The con- ventional fowl is the backbone of fricassee. We wonder how many ever gave a thought to using a fancy young chicken for the same purpose. If it has never been tried in your home you will find it worth while to experiment with it. There is no reason why cuts from Choice beef chucks should not be used to dietary satisfaction in mak- ing beef stews, or a cut from the top round, for that matter. A great many people buy round steak for hamburger, but even tenderer cuts may be used without losing anything in value and gaining much in flavor and tenderness of the finished dish. ‘Corned beef hash has not enjoyed great popularity as an epicurean morsel, but if it is made from high quality corned beef there are few dishes to give greater satisfac- tion for a change. Corned beef may be from the navel and yet not carry too much fat. It is leaner from the round or rump, but liable to be no better. The plate has been often spoken of by meat writers as a tough cut. This is a little unfair to the cut, especially when from grain-fed steers. Some consider corned beef hash in- It it is too fat this is apt Corned beef hash should digestible. to be so. never be over-fat and should be well mixed with potatoes. Many people are partial to onions in hash, and when this is so quite a liberal amount can be added. Hash should never be a greasy mess, but should be served so that it is fairly dry and somewhat crumbly. It should be browned well and served with one or two vegetables besides the potatoes and onions it contains. String beans and cauliflower are good. In talking of higher quality meat in dish- es cooked by moist heat we are as- suming that the quality of the dish is of greater importance than maximum economy. ——__2>-+____ Good Creed For Merchants. I believe in the stuff I am handing out, in the firm I am working for and in my ability to get results. I believe that honest stuff can be passed out to honest men by honest methods. I believe in working, not weeping; in boosting, not knocking; and in the pleasure of my job. I believe that a man gets what he goes after, that one deed done to-day is worth two deeds ‘to-morrow and that no ma nis down and out until he ‘has lost faith in himself. I believe in to-day and the work I am doing; in to-morrow and the work I hope to do, and in the sure reward which the future holds. I believe in courtesy, in kindness, in generosity, in good-cheer, in friend- ship and in honest competition. I believe there is something doing, somewhere, for every man ready to do it. I believe I’m ready—right now. —_+~--____ Directors’ Meeting at Lansing. Wyoming Park, Nov. 15—The di- rectors and officers of the Retail Gro- cers and Meat Dealers Association will meet at Hotel Olds, Lansing, 3 p. m. (Eastern time) Wednesday, Nov. 30. The call is issued by President O. H. Bailey and is for the purpose of getting reports of past accomplish- ments and planning work for the com- ing year. In the evening the directors will be guests at a banquet given by the Lan- sing Grocers and Meat Dealers As- sociation, after which there will be dancing. The directors have been asked to bring their wives. Paul Gezon, Sec’y. ———_2>-~.—_____ Hides, Pelts and Furs. Green Noo foo 14 Careen, NO. 2 oe 13 Cured, NO. 15 Cured, NO) 200 14 Caliskin, Green, No. bf 2. 16 Caltskin, Green, No. 2... 14% Caliskin, Curea@. Noo 1 28 17 Caliskin, Cured. No. 2 2. 15% Horse, N6. boo 4.00 Etorse, Nooo ob ee 3.00 Pelts. Mamhe ooo 50@75 SHGQRI GS 10@25 Tallow. PRG 20 07 No, I oe 07 ING 06 Wool. Unwashed, nedium ..0 @30 Unwashed, Fejects -9 20 @25 washed, fme @25 COOKIE CAKES AND CRACKERS ARE MOST DELICIOUS AND WHOLESOME. YOU WILL FIND A HEKMAN FOR EVERY OCCASION AND TO SUIT YOUR TASTE. MASTERPIECES of the Bakers Ai an Biscuit (a Grand Rapids,Mich. FOULDS for FLAVOR! Everybody likes FOULDS’ MACARONI PRODUCTS Over 35 years’ experience plus Durum Semolina make kind housewives and over them the buy over again. A fixed consumer-habit created by years of intelligent, consistent advertising means steady turnover and quick profit in FYirre SHREDDED WHEAT HARDWARE Michigan Retail Hardware Association. President—C. L. Glasgow, Nashville. Vice-Pres.—Herman Dignan, Owosso. Secretary—A. J. Scott, Marine City. Treasurer—William Moore, Detroit. Catering To the Trade of Feminine Customers. Do hardware dealers always do everything they can to secure the wo- men’s trade? There has undoubtedly been an immense improvement in this respect in recent years. Yet it is a fair question to ask: “Have you ever stopped to figure out what percentage of the women’s trade in household hardware is coming to your store?” As a general rule, the present-day hardware store appeals to the women folk. It is bright, clean and attractive; and in this respect is in marked con- trast to the typical hardware store of thirty years ago. There is a definite appeal to feminine customers in the window displays and the interior store arrangements. But perhaps in most instances more could be done in this direction. A friend of mine said the other day: “T visited a big departmental store in the city last week. As I walked through the basement, I noticed a crowd of women around one of the display tables. Then I noticed the table was loaded with articles priced at 10 cents each. A large show card hanging above the table bore the legend: ‘Your choice of any article on this table for 10 cents.’ There were between 25 and 30 different lines of goods shown on the table, and with two or three exceptions they were lines carried in the average hardware store. One woman picked out six ar- ticles at 10 cents each. Other women selected even more, I should judge. I feel quite safe in saying the sales from that table should run around $10 an hour during the busy time. Now that table was selling the goods without the aid of the saleslady; the latter was simply wrapping up the goods and taking the money. Why couldn't the same plan be worked in a hardware store?” As a matter of fact, this plan is be- ing worked by a great many hardware dealers. Quite a few stores have their “bargain tables,’ or their tables show- ing goods at 10, 15 or 25 cents. There are of course other hardware stores that never attempt anything of the kind. Also, there are some hardware stores that attempt it in a half hearted fashion—put the goods on a table and fail to price them, or neglect to keep the table in order. In many stores there is not much room to spare for such tables, but very often by rearrangement of the stock extra display space may be obtained. These small household specialties usu- ally carry a good profit, even though the individual sales are small. But where salesmanship is needed to put across heaters, ranges, washing ma- chines and similar big items, it pays to help the small wares to sell them- selves. This can be done by display- ing such lines where customers can conveniently inspect them, with every- thing on the table plainly priced and show cards, if necessary, to help ex- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN plain the uses of the less common ar- ticles. Show cards and price tickets will often answer the questions that otherwise would have to be answered by salespeople. There are some lines appealing to women which the average hardware dealer is apt to neglect. The question suggests itself “Do hardware dealers always make the most of the potentieal demand for woodenware?” A number of aggressive hardware dealers have introduced departments in their stores devoted to this class of goods. The sale of woodenware was for many years sadly neglected by the hardware trade, until the large depart- mental stores took it up. Not so long ago if a lady entered a hardware store in the average community and asked for an ironing board, it was customary to advise her to get some local car- penter to make one. The same thing held good with curtain stretchers, quilting frames, clothes racks, etc. Now, the average woman does not enjoy running around arranging to have these articles made. She likes to buy them ready made. Hardware dealers are more and more comnig to realize that there is considerable busi- ness to be done in this line; and many hardware dealers now carry large as- sortments of woodenware. The field for its sale is an extensive one, as most articles of woodenware have a use in every home. A few of the more popu- lar items are plain and folding ironing boards, sleeve boards, bake boards, bread boards, curtain stretchers, wood- en bowls, wooden spoons, butter prints, ladles and spades, clothes racks, wall racks, wash tubs, wash boards, clothes baskets, and many similar lines. One large firm which has made a success of this department features a special article of woodenware’ each week in its advertising. This firm finds that woodenware sells easily if prop- erly displayed and advertised. More than that, it helps the sale of other goods. This firm makes it a point to have its salespeople show the line to wo- men customers, especially those who may enquire regarding any line of goods that may be associated with woodenware. As a rule, it is advis- able to quote prices in advertising and window display; since most people seem to think that articles of wooden- ware are much more costly than they really are. Window displays are helpful. A good display of woodenware with prices shown in clear figures will at- tract a lot of notice. Woodenware lines are readily sale- able in connection with the fall house- cleaning season. Their saleability continues, moreover, into the winter months. Folding clothes racks have a good winter sale, as many house- wives find it necessary to dry clothes indoors, and a rack which can be put into small space when not in use is very popular. Small goods as wooden spoons, roll- ing pins, ladles, spades, butter prints, etc., may be sold readily if displayed on a counter or table. Clothes baskets are always in fair demand. Some deal- ers have ttaken up the sale of clothes hampers. Market baskets and fancy Forty-fourth Anniversary Michigan Hardware Co. 100-108 Ellsworth Ave.,Corner Oakes GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN = Wholesalers of Shelf Hardware, Sporting Goods and Fishing Tackle We can give you service on Cel-O- Glass We carry a complete stock fostes Stevens&Co. Founded 1837 GRAND RAPIDS 61-63 Commerce Ave., S.W. MICHIGAN WHOLESALE HARDWARE TRUSTEE MORTGAGE SALE The stock of hardware and agricultural implements, owned by S. R. Nixon, doing business as the Nixon Implement Co., will be sold at public auction under trust mortgage given to me as trustee for creditors, on Tuesday, November 22, 1927, at 10 o’clock a. m. at the Nixon store, 213 South Mitchell St., Cadillac, Mich. Inventory shows stock and fixtures about $2,400, ac- counts about $1,000. Right reserved to reject any and all bids and to sell at private sale. Inventory open to inspection at my office. November 8, 1927 FRED C. WETMORE, Trustee CUMMER DIGGINS BLDG. CADILLAC, MICHIGAN Grand Rapids Store Fixture Co. 7 N. IONIA AVE. N. FREEMAN, Mer. STORE FIXTURES — NEW AND USED Show cases, wall cases, restaurant supplies, scales, cash registers, and office furniture. Call 67143 or write BROWN &SEHLER COMPANY Automobile Tires and Tubes Automobile Accessories Garage Equipment Radio Sets Radio Equipment Harness, Horse Collars Farm Machinery and Garden Tools Saddlery Hardware Blankets, Robes Sheep lined and Blanket - Lined Coats Leather Coats GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN wooden waste baskets, and wooden jardinieres, are also good sellers; the two latter lines fit nicely into the Christmas trade. When a washing ma- chine or wringer is sold, it is often possible to sell a clothes basket, iron- ing board, clothes rack or even a full line of these articles for the laundry room. In advertising curtain stretchers, good selling points to emphasize are their adjustability for various sized curtains, non-rusting pins, and other features. Aluminum ware is a line which has established itself very strongly in re- cent years. Yet it is a question if the average hardware dealer sells half, or even one-third, the aluminum ware he might sell. Of course, the hardware dealer can- not give to any one line all the atten- tion he would like to give. There are only twenty-four hours in the day, and he has to eat and sleep and secure some wholesome recreation. But the cultivation of systematic methods of looking after all departments, and or- derly methods of advertising, window display and selling, will usually elim- inate a lot of waste motion, save a lot of lost time, and sell a lot more goods. Aluminum ware runs into money. The turnover on this line may be made very substantial. The dealer who has not handled it largely or pushed it very aggressively, or ithe dealer who is taking it up for the first time, might be well advised to put some special effort into his advertising and _ selling of the line. As a starter, he might very well se- cure certain space for ten or twelve sisues of the local paper and let this be devoted entirely to the merits of the line; this apart from his regular advertising. By retaining the same position, day after day, week after week, and changing copy with every issue, you are bound, provided your ad- vertising is interesting, attractive and full of life, to attract favorable atten- tion to the line you are pushing. Your advertisement need not be large. A small space used continuous- ly is much more productive than a large space used at rare intervals. A big display advertisement attracts no- tice, to be sure; but to produce results, people must be reminded again and again. The first advertisement accomplish- es its purpose if it merely sets people to thinking; if it creates in the reader’s mind a germ of interest, which germ must then be firmly planted, nourish- ed and developed until it grows to a stage where it compels action. To bring it to this point, judicious and persistent advertising is necessary. Here is a suggestion for a practical advertisement of aluminum ware: ALUMINUM UTENSILS Give you infinite years of service— Are easy to keep clean—even the worst discoloration is readily remov- able— Cook fruits or other food without danger of burning or sticking to the vessel— Are economical to operate, because aluminum, with its wonderful heat- conducting power, makes them time, labor and fuel savers— Are everlasting—strong as steel— Let Aluminum Lighten Your Kitchen Labor This isn’t entirely felicituos; but it gives the idea for a straightforward ad- vertising talk, in few words, and which may, with a little effort, be reduced perhaps to still fewer words. One retail firm got very satisfactory results from running a series of such small advertisements. In this series no cuts whatever were used, thus al- lowing more room for working out good type effect. With a commodity such as aluminum, cuts do not as a rule add materially to the effectiveness of an advertisement, as the particular points of merit are not readily discern- ible. an occasional good cut. In advertising this line, it is an ex- cellent plan to devote one short adver- tising talk to each of the strong selling points of aluminum ware. Take one topic at a time. Then, at the end of the series, sum up. The merits of the line are better un- derstood now than a few years ago; and advertising should not be confined to explaining these merits. The idea of a “complete aluminum outfit” should be stressed! and to help out this idea, combination offers should be made, the combinations being more or less com- prehensive. Even if a customer buys only one article, try to get her think- ing along the line of some day making her outfit complete—even if she has to buy her aluminum one piece at a time. A stunt which is sometimes useful is to give with each sale a credit slip good for perhaps a few cents on the next item bought, if the purchase is made within a certain time. This, how- ever, is a matter of individual store policy. “T took up the sale of high grade aluminum utensils a few years ago,” Says one progressive hardware dealer, “and by vgiorous campaigning I work- ed up a very profitable trade in these goods. Aside from utilizing the local newspaper, circulars, etc., I made it a point, whenever possible, to show our line to every lady who came into the store, and endeavor to sell her at least one utensil. I kept a record of each sale; then, after waiting a reasonable time, I wrote each buyer a personz1 letter asking her opinion of the line, and calling attention to one certain other piece I was anxious for her to get next. In this way I supplied sev- eral families with an entire outfit of high grade utensils, selling one piece at a time. “While I have never deemed it ad- visable to attempt to tell a customer what he or she wants, yet often I have succeeded in selling the better quality utensils to customers whose original idea was to buy cheaper goods. In practically every instance the buyers have tbeen well pleased with results.” The idea of the complete outfit is one well worth inculcating; and the best results can usually be secured by personal salesmanship. Ask your buy- er of aluminum ware what satisfaction she is getting, and suggest other ar- ticles. That is the quickest way to get additional business. Victor Lauriston. It is, however, advisable to run . IR NACHTEGALL MANUFACTURING CO. 237-245 Front Avenue, S. W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Manufacturers of High Grade Bank, Store and Office Work. An Attractive Display of FRANKLIN GOLDEN SYRUP with a sign—‘‘For Hot Cakes and Waffles” will influence the sale of many products Franklin Sugar Refining Company PHILADELPHIA, PA. “A Franklin Cane Sugar for every use” 24 COMMERCIAL TRAVELER Interesting Incidents of a Trip To Monterey, California. Monterey, Calif.. Nov. 11—There does not seem to be such a thing as a touring season in California. The roads are always in first-class condi- tion, the weather usually ideal, and inclination only is the guiding element. Autumn seems to be about as desirable a time to make extensive journeys, so the other day when a friend of mine suggested that we make a little trip 350 miles away, I grabbed the hook and here I landed. There are several desirable routes by which Monterey Bay may be reached, but my chauffeur chose the main route to San Francisco—E1l Camino Real— each mile of which is crowded with sweeping landscape and clothed with historic vesture that has made this re- gion of the world so famous. It is, perhaps, the most prolific of the myriad roads leading out from Los Angeles from a standpoint of sheer scenic grandeur and romantic back- ground. Leaving Los Angeles we _ rolled along through Hollywood, over Ca- huenga Pass into, beautiful San Fernando Valley, where are located the crumbling adobe walls of the San Fernando Mission, founded in 1797 by Father Junipero Serra. Saugus, on the Western rim of the Mojave desert, is the next spot of his- torical interest. Long before Marshall made the discovery that precipitated the great gold rush of °49, nuggets were found in the hills back of this typical frontier town. Now the highway veers to the left, winding through the rich fruitlands of the Santa Clara valley, famous for its prunes. Adjacent to the town of Santa Paula is the celebrated Camulus Rancho, the setting of Helen Hunt Jackson’s immortal novel, Ramona. Ventura, famous for its oil produc- tion, harboring Mission San Beunaven- tura. is next encountered. The palm- sheltered mission structure contains church bells cast in Spain and trans- ported from Mexico on muleback. Between Ventura and Santa Barbara the highway skirts the mighty Pacific, right at the water’s edge, for twenty- eight miles. Offshore is the deep Santa Barbara channel. “playground of the Pacific fleet.” Here steel mon- sters of Uncle Sam’s Western marine defense hold winter maneuvers and target practice. The Channel Islands and Santa Cruz Island with its sea caves are plainly visible. Oil wells actually sunk in the ocean may be seen at Summerland. Santa Barbara abounds in romance. Ortego, soldier of Spain, established the Presido, or military headquarters, in 1782. Santa Barbara Mission was founded in 1786, by Father Lauseun, one of Serra’s lieutenants. This mis- sion is particularly important, for it houses a relic of the true cross from the Holy Land. Another noteworthy landmark jn Santa Barbara is De La Guerre House, where lived the sorrow- ing Conception de Auguello (heroine of Bret Harte’s poem), after the death of Rezanoff, her Russian lover. Gen- eral William Tecumseh Sherman, Gen- eral Fremont, the Pathfinder, General Halleck and Richard Henry Dana were among the notables who en- joyed the hospitality of this famous old hostelry in its stirring era. Leaving Santa Barbara, our route winds through Gaviota Pass—‘‘Pass of the Gulls.” Nearby is the Santa Ynez Mission, founded in 1804. The Fran- ciscan padres in this region had their life work dashed to pieces when the Indians revolted twenty vears later. At Pismo Beach the highway again skirts the Pacific Ocean. Huge Pismo clams are found here on the rockbound shore. San Luis Obispo, 212 miles from Los Angeles, is the next citv of importance, Because a mountain for- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN mation resembled a bishop’s miter Padres Serra and Cavalier named the Mission San Luis Obispo de Toluso, or Saint Luis, the Bishop of Toulouse. Founded in 1772, this mission was the fifth link in the pastoral chain that forms El Camino Real, California's premiere highway. Shortly after leaving San Luis Obis- po, the highway enters Santa Lucia mountains. It was here that Juaquin Murietta and his audacious bandits fought a pitched battle with a posse of Americans in 1852. Murietta was one of California’s most notorious brigands. Almost exactly half way to San Francisco is Atascadero. Seven thou- sand acres of orchards are divided into small tracts, built around a city the architecture of which is reminiscent of the Far East. Eleven miles beyond Atascadero lies Paso Robles. This city is noted both for its mineral springs and its immense almond orchards. Eight miles beyond Paso Robles is San Miguel, where in 1797 was found- ed the San Miguel Mission. Off the route, in the mountain village of Jolon, is Mission San Antonio De Padua., founded in 1771. At Soledad is La Soledad Mission which came into be- ing in 1791, but which is now only a heap of ruins. Back in the mountains lies the Pinnacles National Monument, a territory of jagged and wierd-formed enires discovered by Captain Van- couver more than 100 years ago. Past Salinas, with its hundreds of acres of sweet peas in full bloom, is San Juan, one of California’s oldest towns and home of Mission San Juan Bautista, founded in 1797. Jt was here that Captain John C. Fremont dared the might of the Mexican army by raising the American’ flag and fortify- in*> a mountain peak. Leaving the Pacific highway at Sa- linas the way again leads toward the coast. At Carmel-by-the-Sea, one of California’s art colonies, the ocean: is once more encountered. Junipero Serra, the Father of California, chose the Carmel country for his own. In 1771 he removed the Mission de Monterey from Monterey to its pres- ent site outside of Carmel, near which sacred altar he was _ subsequently buried. Many famous writers have sought the muse within the picturesque environs of Carmel, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ambrose Bierce, Jack London, George Sterling and others have made their abode here. It is small wonder when the unique appeals of Carmel’s indescribable scenic 17 mile drive, the snowy beach sands and the gnarled cypresses are considered. And this drive brings us to Mon- terevy, of which there is much to be told, though for reasons unknown to the writer its importance and attrac- tiveness has not been heralded to the world. Monterey has, undoubtedly, all the natural advantages for becoming one of the leading waterng places of all the states. Her natural beauty of scenery, the crescent shaped, pine fringed hills, sloping down through the pvark- like groves and flower swards, on to the quaint old Spanish town, nestling at their feet, and on again to the silvery sands and creamy ripple of the surge of the broad, beautiful, blue waters of Monterey Bay. The eye rests on the bold outlines of the lofty Santa Cruz mountains, towering to the sky. On the right we have Fremont’s Peak and the Gabilan range, breaking the long view over the rolling plains. The lights and shadows create a per- petual change, and the variety of CODY HOTEL GRAND RAPIDS RATES—$1.50 up without bath. $2.50 up with bath. CAFETERIA IN CONNECTION “We are always mindful of our responsibility to the pub- lic and are in full apprecia- tion of the esteem its generous patronage implies.” HOTEL ROWE Grand Rapids, Michigan. ERNEST W. NEIR, Manager. “A MAN IS KNOWN BY THE COMPANY HE KEEPS” That is why LEADERS of Business and Society make their head- quarters at the PANTLIND HOTEL “An entire city block of Hospitality” GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Rooms $2.25 and up. Cafeteria -i- Sandwich Shop MORTON HOTEL Grand Rapids’ Newest Hotel 400 Rooms -i- 400 Baths RATES $2.50 and up per day. Forty-fourth Anniversary Columbia Hotel KALAMAZOO Good Place To Tie To Four Flags Hotel Niles, Michigan 80 Rooms—50 Baths 30 Rooms with Private Toilets N. P. MOWATT, Mer. Occidental Hotel FIRE PROOF CENTRALLY LOCATED Rates $1.50 and up EDWART R. SWETT, Mgr. Muskegon ste Michigan GARY, IND. Holden operated 400 Rooms from $2. Everything modern. One of the best hotels in Indiana. Stop over night with us en route to Chicago. You will like it. Cc. L. HOLDEN, Mgr. Warm Friend Tavern Holland, Mich. 140 comfortable and clean rooms. Popular Dutch Grill with reasonable prices. Always a room for the Com- mercial traveler. E. L. LELAND, Mer. Facing Grand Circus Park, the heart of Detroit. 800 Cana rooms, $2.50 and up. ard B. James, Manager. DETROIT, MICH. HOTEL IULLER HOTEL KERNS LARGEST HOTEL IN LANSING 300 Rooms With or Without Bath Popular Priced Cafeteria in Con. nection. Rates $1.50 up. E. S. RICHARDSON, Proprietor WESTERN HOTEL BIG RAPIDS, MICH. Hot and cold running water in all rooms. Several rooms with bath. All rooms well heated and well ventl- r lated. A good place to stop. Amer- Ican plan. Rates reasonable. WILL F. JENKINS, Manager NEW BURDICK KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN "ae In the Very Heart of the City Fireproof Construction The on!y All New Hotel in the city. Representing a $1,000,000 Investment. 250 Rooms—150 Rooms with Private Bath. uropean $1.50 and up per Day. RESTAURANT AND GRILL— Cafeteria, Quick Service, Popular Prices. Entire Seventh Floor Devoted to Especially Equipped Sample Rooms WALTER J. HODGES, Pres. and Gen. Mgr. HOTEL OLDS LANSING 300 Rooms 300 Baths Absolutely Fireproof Moderate Rates Under the Direction of the Continental-Leland Corp. GrorcE L. Crocker, Manager. se Wolverine Hotel BOYNE CITY, MICHIGAN Fire Proof—60 rooms. THE LEAD. ING COMMERCIAL AND RESORT HOTEL. American Plan, $4.00 and up; European Plan, $1.50 and up. Open the year around. CUSHMAN HOTEL PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN The best is none too : 9g°od for a tir Commercial Traveler, - Try the CUSHMAN on your next trip and you will feel right at home Forty-fourth Anniversary scenes is such that the eye never tires in gazing at nature’s handiwork. The sands are without rival—one long, bold sweep of wide, gently sloping, clean white sand—the perfection of a bath-: ing beach. Around from the old wharf to the lighthouse there are nooks and alcoves such as poets love to sing of as the haunts of the mermaids. The great desideratum of a seaside resort is a beach upon which children can with safety play and bathe, and this is what Monterey provides. Sea mosses, shells and pebbles are there in great variety, which for the amateur naturalist, geologist and the several scientists, there are unrivaled opportunities for augmenting their information and col- lections. The salubrity of the climate appeals to all visitors, and while it should be a haven for invalids, they are by no means very much in evidence, but you do see throngs of brain-tired individ- uals who come here to recuperate and myriads of others who come here for pleasure. Tiring of Monterey, there are other near-by points, full of his- torical interest and beauty, such as Point Cypress, Point Pinos and the hot springs of Tassayara a short dis- tance away. Many facts in history concerning Monterey are of more than passing interest, but I will only attempt to cover a few in this article. This town was first occupied by the Americans on July 4, 1846, and_ be- came the capital of California, so re- maining until 1849 when it was re- moved to San Jose. Many old land- marks remain from pioneer days. For instance, there is one famous in his- tory where the first theatrical perform- ance in California was given. In 1847 a company of soldiers was sent from Santa Barbara to Monterey, and as a number of the memberes had been giving minstrel performances in the former town. Here they were housed in a long, narrow adobe building, which was built specially for the pur- pose and is to-day in a very good state of preservation. Jennie Lind sang here in concert in 1847. It was in Monterey that Robert Louis Stevenson gathered his data and produced his story of the “Treasure Island.” Frank S. Verbeck. —_+ 2+ +___ Items From the Cloverland of Michi- Sault Ste. Marie, Nov. 15—The mighty hunters are coming fast this week and most of them will be on their way before Sunday. If the deer are not all killed it will not be because of any shortage of hunters. The Fance- Supe hunting party will be at their camp near Strongs. This will be their twenty-seventh year since they organ- ized and it looks as if they are good for a number of years yet. They are about the oldest hunting party on rec- ord here; they have not met with any accidents in all those years and seldom fail to kill their quota of deer. The State car ferries have arranged to keep on the move just as soon as they get a load and will not run on any schedule, so they can accommodate the thous- ands of hunters from below the Straits. The many friends of Alex. Atkinson were shocked to hear of his death, which occurred at Flint Nov. 2, where he had made his home after leaving the Soo seven years ago. He was steward for the Le Sault Club for twenty-two years, during which time he made many friends. He leave- his widow, one son, William, of Flint, five grand- children, two brothers and two sisters. Mrs. Ledia Clairoux, who for a num- ber of years was engaged in the gro- cery business on Maple street, died at her home Nov. 7, after a short illness. She sold her business about two years ago to Thomas Dugoid and left for her old home at Montreal, but she stayed there only a short time, coming back to the Soo, where she remained MICHIGAN TRADESMAN She was born She left until she passed away. at Montreal Oct. 15, 1861. no immediate relatives. Two of our movie houses are having a hard time with the labor union on account of hiring non-union help. The union is putting pickets on the job to see that no union men patronize the places, but the good shows they have been putting on enable them to play to packed houses. We are ‘watching developments. Much controversy, pro and con, between the manager and the union is going on. Both sides seem to think they are in the right. Armistice day most all of the busi- ness houses were closed at 11 a. m. for the day. Navigation is drawing to a close. Many boats are making their last trip through the locks. No last minute rush for cargoes is expected and indi- cations are that this season’s tonnage will be below that of last year by sev- eral millions. Give a man enough rope and he'll smoke himself to death. Percy Bennett, who for the past two years has been traveling salesman for the Tapert Specialty Co., has resigned to accept a position as salesman for the Soo Hardware Co., at the Marquette branch, which will give him an oppor- tunitv to be nearer his home at Iron- wood, where his family resides. Mr. Bennett has made many friends while: on the road. Norman Hill, editor of the Evening News here, had a narrow escape with his life while returning from the foot ball game at Marquette last week when his car slipped off the road near Gladstone, turning completely over in the ditch. That was his lucky day, however, and he had no trouble in get- ting out of the car, his only injury be- ing a sprained wrist, a small bump on the head and a broken glass on the car. After getting the car back on the road right side up, he proceeded homeward, but did not hit over eightv miles the remainder of the way. Norman is somewhat modest, so made no mention of the incident in his paper. Wise words: The trouble nowadays is that the hand that ought to. rock the cradle won't let go of the steering wheel. Ben Musliak, one of Eckerman’s live wire merchants, called this week for a load of supplies for the hunters who are arriving in large numbers, making extra business for the merchants, as all of the hunters going to camp at Shelidrake, White Fish, Emerson and along the Tahquanamanan stop off at Eckerman, making the remainder of the trip via stage. The merchants at Hessel and Cedar- ville are considering a lighting system proposition by getting the Edison Co. here to exteend the line from Pickford, so that the summer resorts at the Les Cheneaux Islands may get this service, which will mean mych to the com- munity. Chester Crawford, the popular mer- chant at Stalwart, was a_ business visitor here last week. He reports a scarcity of fresh eggs for the past few weeks. It seems as if the hens are on a strike. Where they have usually been able to supply some of the stores, they are hardly getting enough for their own consumption. William G. Tapert. Notice of Purchase. Graffschap, Nov. 15—I have pur- chased the general stock of F. O. Peterson, the transaction including store building, stock and fixtures. Mr. Peterson assumes all debts incurred up to date of sale. Henry Ver H{ulst. a a Attention is called to the announce- ment of the American Brass Novelty Co., of Grand Haven, on page 139. The article advertised is one of the most novel features ever devised for the purpose. Bancroft Hotel Saginaw, Michigan fireproof, modern with 300 rooms RATE $2.00 to $6.00 PER DAY EUROPEAN Popular price Cafe and Coffee Shop Garage in Connection with Hotel Owned and Operated by the BANCROFT HOTEL COMPANY 25 ivig oD OS 8078 Dea ts Mohs S ap or Christmas of 1927 OU can make this Christmas the hap- piest of all, by proper selection of gifts for your loved ones. And of all the thousands of gifts you have to choose from, there is not one that has the appeal of a fine diamond exquisitely set in platinum. This Christmas we have assembled the largest and most artistic collection of dia- mond pieces ever shown in our shop. Most of the designs are exclusive — the prices reasonable. Readers of the Tradesman will find it to their advantage to consult us if contemplating the purchase of a Diamond. PRICED $25 TO $500 and upwards J. C. HERKNER JEWELRY COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN {Rp Ams SIR DRUGS Michigan Board of Pharmacy. President—James E. Way, Jackson. Vice-President—J. C. Dykema, Grand Rapids. Director—H. H. Hoffman, Lansing. Michigan State Pharmaceutical Association. President—J. Howard Hurd, Flint. Vice-President—J. M. Ciechanowski, Detroit. Secretary—R. A. Turrell, Croswell. Treasurer—L. V. Middleton, Grand Rapids. Remember Your Friends and Forget Your Enemies. President Houser: At this time it is my privilege to introduce a man whom you all know, a man who is doing a considerable lot in the interest of phar- macy in this country, Jerry McQuade. You have heard a lot about him, I am sure, and he will address you now. Mr. McQuade: It is indeed a great pleasure and a great privilege for me to have the opportunity to come up here and say a few words to you. The topic assigned me, I believe, is “Re- member your friends, but forget your enemies.” Now, that is a wonderiul subject on which to talk and it reminds me a good deal of the story told of a debate between two Irish women with respect to the individual merits of their husbands. Mrs. Murphy was raving about her husband and Mrs. McGuire was talking and praising her husband. Mrs. Murphy said, “You don’t know that fine man I got, that man Pat,” and Mrs. McGuire said, “Sure, and what makes Pat so fine?” Mrs. Murphy says, “Every Saturday night Pat brings his envelope and he lays it down in my lap.” “Sure, Mrs. Murphy,” asks Mrs McGuire, “and what’s in the envelope that he lays in your lap?’ Mrs. Murphy answered, “Begorah, there’s nothing in the enve- lope, but I like the principle of the thing.” Now a lot of us will agree in prin- ciple that the subject of my talk to-day is beautiful, but how many of us here live up to that principle of remember- ing our friends and forgetting our ene- mies. If we were living up to that prnciple a great many of the difficulties which now lie in our path would not exist. Our position, economically, would be vastly improved. We have an unfortunate habit of accepting things as they come as a special gift irom the Almighty and fail to realize that a man who gives evidence of friendship to us expects friendship in return. That is life—that law of life —we get what we give. Now a lot of us, instead of remembering our friends and doing anything for them commensurate with what they are doing for us, would rather let some- body else do it. We all realize there are many things needing correction in the retail drug trade and those of us who do any real earnest thinking know that if we would harness up the power we possess we could accomplish a great deal for our own benefit without recourse to outside agencies. But we have become accustomed to looking to others to do the things we might ef- fectively do ourselves. Just at this moment, for the first time in the his- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN tory of that organization, the Federal Trade Commission at Washington has taken official cognizance of the fact that there is unrest throughout this country, due to promiscuous, ruthless, malicious price cutting which is de- stroying the economic position of re- tailers in all fields, so last week, to the surprise of us all who have been stand- ing on the side line with our ear to the ground, the Federal Trade Com- mission announced it would begin to investigate to what extent price cutting was hurtful to the retail business of this country. Heretofore, as you all know, the Federal Trade Commission has taken the position it was an ad- ministrative body; that it had nothing whatever to do with the law; that it functioned to administer the law as placed on the statute books of this country by Congress. The fact that the independent retailer of this country was being injured by the operation of price cutting practices fell on deaf ears. The Commission has frequently made the statement, “We cannot enter into this subject of price cutting, so far as it hurts the independent retailer; we are only concerned with the enforce- ment of the law.” But now, pressed apparently from all sides by evidence that the price cutting evil is hurting the mercantile life of this country, the Commission has ordered an investiga- tion of that subject. Now some of us who have read of that announcement will feel inclined to go on letting George do the work we ourselves ought to do, instead of remembering our friends in some active physical way that will make them grateful to us and willing to give us some co-operation in return. A lot of us will be inclined to await the decision of the Federal Trade Commission on this most vital subject to the retail merchants of this country, but if we wait it will be a wait that will extend probably over one or two years. A lot of us also have been wait- ing for the Capper-Kelly bill, and previous to that the Stevens bill, to be enacted into legislation, and we have been waiting for them for twenty years and each year that bill is wisely put away on the ice in the committee rooms of Congress. At the opening of each session we are told we are going to get that bill through and we are urged to pass resolutions commending it and they are piled in the hugh tombs in Washington, which mean nothing whatever, and at the close of each ses- sion of Congress when we make en- quiry respecting the Capper-Kelly bill we are told that the administration has advised that it desired no further leg- islation this time on business subjects; that there is enough business unrest in the country and we will defer any action on the Capper-Kelly bill until the next session. The next session the process is repeated and all that time we have been waiting, instead of doing somtehing ourselves. We should have some legislation upon which we could lean, instead of standing on our own square feet and doing the job which is properly our job to do and it is with- in our power to do if we will ever organize properly in this country. [Concluded next week] Business Wants Department Advertisements inserted under this head for five cents a word the first insertion and four cents a word for each subse- quent continuous insertion. if set in capital letters, double price. No charge less than 50 cents. Small display adver- tisements in this department, $4 per inch. Payment with order is required, as amounts are too small to open accounts. TO TRADE —For, or in part payment of, a stock of general merchandise well and satisfactorily located; a_ sixty-acre farm well adapted to all kinds of farm- ing, valued at $2,500. A. Mulholland, Reed City, Mich. 720 Position Wanted — Window trimmer, ecard writer, good salesman with several years’ store experience. Dependable worker. Excellent references. Samples of work on request. Address No. 721, c/o Michigan Tradesman. 721 Good Location—For dry goods and shoe store in village of 500 in fruit and resort region. Address Douglas Chamber of Commerce, Douglas, Mich. 722 FOR RENT--EXCELLENT LOCATION for any line of business. 50 foot front by 100. Will rent twenty-five feet if preferred. Location formerly occupied by J. C. Penney Co., Reasonable rent. Im- mediate possession. Hexom & Sons, Mad- ison, So. Dakota. 723 WANT TO LEASE HOTEL—To lease a hotel in a good location, about thirty- five or forty rooms. In writing, send full particulars. Address No. 718, c/o Mich- igan Tradesman. 718 For Sale—Good clean stock of general hardware located in a good, growing community. Good school and churches. Inventory about $6,000. No trades con- sidered. Reason, old age. Address No. 719, c/o Michigan Tradesman. 719 FOR SALE—One good size safe, in A-1 condition; one set Dayton scales, A-1 condition; two common store counters. Must make room. Will sell cheap. Wie- ber Lumber Co., Fowler, Mich. 713 For Sale—House two lots, or one, near Tampa, Florida. Consider trade for re- sort property. Also cottage two lots Narrow Lake, Eaton county, nearly new. Bargain $1,500. Write for particulars. S. F. Brunk, Eaton Rapids, Mich. 701 CASH For Your Merchandise! Will buy your entire stock or part of stock of shoes, dry goods, clothing, fur- nishings, bazaar novelties, furniture, etc. LOUIS LEVINSOHN, Saginaw, Mich. Pay spot cash for clothing and furnish- ing goods stocks. L. Silberman, 1250 Burlingame Ave., Detroit, Michigan. 566 METROPOLITAN SERVICE Savings, checking, foreign, travel, in- vestments — these are only a few of the services the Old National of- fers you. It’s a metropolitan bank in a growing city — but with time for personal problems! The OLD NATIONAL BANK MONROE at PEARL A Bank for Everybody. Gall Stones—Bilious Colic Why neglect such a serious disease when the cause can be removed and further formation of Gall- Stones prevented. Send for free booklet. Dr. N. ST. GEORGE, 120 Boylston St., Boston, Mass. Holiday Goods Best Assortment Ever Shown BETTER COME AT ONCE And See This Wonderful Display THOUSANDS OF ITEMS Suitable For Your Trade—Now on Display In Our Own Enlarged Sample Room at Grand Rapids The Greatest and Best Line We Have Ever Displayed Real Values For Your Money Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Company Manistee MICHIGAN Grand Rapids ¥ A ih ae MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary » ‘ @

, we I. iii One of the South’s larghest Hales Bar hydro-electric plant and wi power developments navigation dam onthe Tennessee River on COMMONWEALTH POWER CORPORATION 1o8 Controlling utility properties operating in MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, OHIO and TENNESSEE serving 549 cities and towns with a population estimated in excess of 2,000,000 —Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Pontiac, Battle Creek, Bay City and Saginaw, Michigan; Springfield, Ohio; Evansville, Indiana; Peoria and Spring- HE. operated properties form one of the fae F largest groups of utilities in the United States, engaged principally in the production and sale of electricity for light and power, and a gas as fuel. Among the larger cities served are field, Ils.; Nashville and Chattanooga, Tenn. , Fike ELECTRIC GAS : . : 2,023 Miles of Gas Mains rN ‘ig ' 3,278 Miles of Transmission Lines 40,825,000 Cu. Ft. Daily Manufactur- a 28,192 Miles of Distribution Lines ing Capacity : 842,440 H. P. Generating Capacity 17,718,000 Cu. Ft. Storage Capacity RECORD OF GROWTH Gross Ilectric Sales lectric Gas Sales Gas Year Earnings* ink. W. H.* Customers* in Cubic Feet Customers 1927 + $52,408,357 1,529,178,955 457,545 6,448,233,400 182,906 1926 49,197,543 1,429,553,946 433,664 5,939,658,600 171,280 1925 44,174,864 1,277,370,522 391,960 5,310,973,900 158,745 1924 39,314,810 1,005,855,275 354,613 4,337,707,400 143,016 1923 37,442,596 979,681,098 317,116 4,249,271,600 119,103 1922 32,144,695 750,346,913 264,027 3,807,422,300 111,513 * These figures are prepared on basis of giving effect for the full period of the acquisition of the Tennessee Electric Power Company under Plan which became effective in July, 1925. + Twelve months ended September 30, 1927. Over 70% of the gross revenue of the properties is contributed by the Electric Department. The interesting fact about this phase of the business is the evenly balance character of service rendered. About one-half is utilized for lighting, being divided almost equally between residence and commercial lighting and the other half is taken principally by industrial power customers, a small part being delivered to other public utilities. There are more than 75,000 shareholders of Commonwealth Power Corporation and its subsidiary companies. 27 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary GROCERY PRICE CURRENT These quotations are carefully corrected weekly, within six hours of mail- ing and are intended to be correct at time of going to press. Prices, however, are liable to change at any time, and country mercharts will have their orders filled at market prices at date of purchase. ADVANCED Quaker Safety Matches DECLINED Canned Blueberries Quaker Catsup Mushrooms AMMONIA Arctic, 10 oz., 3 dz. cs. 3 75 Arctic, 16 oz., 2 dz. cs. 4 00 Arctic, 32 oz., 1 dz. cs. 3 00 Quaker, 36, 12 oz. case 3 85 J Se 4 35 ask UU 6 00 10 lb. pails, per doz. 8 50 15 lb. pails, per doz. 11 96 25 lb. pails, per doz. 19.15 BAKING POWDERS Arctic, 7 oz. tumbler 1 35 Queen Flake, 16 oz., dz 2 25 Royal, 10c, doz. _...._ Royal, 6 oz., do. _--. 2 70 Royal, 12 oz., doz. __. 5 20 Royal, 56 ib. 1 20 Rocket, 16 oz., doz... 1 25 K. C. Brand Per case 0c size, 4 doz. _.___. 3 70 ise size, 4 Gor. .___ 5 50 20c size, ‘aa, 7 20 25e size, 4 doz. _-__-- 9 20 50c size, 2 doz. ___.__ 8 80 Bec size, 1 dos. ___ 8 85 10 Ib. size, % doz. __-- 6 75 Freight prepaid to jobbing point on case goods. Terms: 30 days net or 2% cash discount if remittance reaches us within 10 days from date of invoice. Drop shipments from factory. BEECH-NUT BRANDS. BLUING The Original Condensed 4 dz. cs. 3 00 oo cs. 3 75 BREAKFAST FOODS Kellogg’s Brands. Corn Flakes, No. 136 2 86 Corn Flakes, No. 124 2 8& Corn Flakes, No. 102 2 00 No. 224 2 Krumbles, No. 424 --- 2 Bran Flakes, No. 624 2 25 Bran Flakes. No. 602 1 Post’s Brands. Grape-Nuts, 24s Grape-Nuts, 100s ---- Instant Postum, No. 8 Instant Postum, No. 9 Instant Postum, No. 10 Postum Cereal, No. 0 Postum Cereal, No, 1 Post Toasties, 36s -- Post Toasties, 24s —-- Naw Ww wr oon ow J a Post’s Bran, 24s -_-. 2 70 BROOMS Seven, doz. 5 25 Standard Parlor, 23 lb. 8 25 Fancy Parlor, 23 lb._- 9 25 Ex. Fancy Parlor 25 lb. 9 75 Ex. Fey. Parlor 26 lb. 7 = Oe 5 Wihex, No: 2 2 75 BRUSHES Scrub Solid Back, 8 in. __-. 1 50 Solid Back, 1 in. -... 1 75 Pointed Ends ------~- 1 25 Stove Shaker -.... Ee ENE 1 80 No. 60 2 ---- 2 00 Peerless - 2 60 hoe No. 4-9 2. 32 26 No: 0) oo -- 3 00 BUTTER COLOR Dandelion __-...... --— 3 85 CANDLES Electric Light, 40 Ibs. 13.1 Plumber, 40 Ibs. ..... 13.8 Paraffine, 68 -....... 14% Paraffine, 128 ..... —-- 14% Witkin — 40 Tudor, 6s, per box _. 30 CANNED FRUIT Apples, 3 lb. Standard 1 50 Apples, No. 10 _. 5 15@5 75 Apple Sauce, No. 10 8 0U Apricots, No. ; 1 — - Apricots, No. 2 Apricots, No. Apricots, No. 1 Blackberries, No. 10 8 & Blueber’s, No. 2 2 00@2 75 Blueberries, No. 10 __ 12 50 Cherries, No. 2 .... 3 76 Cherries, No. 2% -.-- 4 25 Cherries, No. 10 Loganberries, No. 2 .. Loganberries, -, 10 1 Peaches, No. 1 1 50@ Peaches, No. 1, sliced Peaches, No. 2 ~-.-- Peaches, No. 2% Mich Peaches, 2% Cal. 3 “ew Peaches, 10, Pineapple, Pineapple, 2 ali. P’apple, 2 br. sl. P’apple, 2%, sli. ----- P’apple, 2, cru. Pineapple, 10 cru. .. 14 3 tees oe 8 50@11 60 Lt eee | f ee sg Red, No. 10 1 1 o SSS SRESSRSSSSSsasrsanssss Rhubarb, No. 10 4 75 Strawberries, No. 10 CANNED FISH Clam Ch’der, 10% oz. 1 Clam Ch., No. 3 -.---- 3 Clams, Steamed, No. . 3 Clams, Minced, No. 1 3 Finnan Haddie, 10 oz. 3 Clam Bouillon, 7 -. 2 Chicken Haddie, No. 1 -; 1 3 5 te Cod Fish Cake, 10 os. Cove Oysters, 5 oz. Lobster, No. %, Star Shrimp, 1, wet ---... 2 Sard’s, % Oil, Key — 6 Sardines, % Oil, k’less Sardines, % Smoked 6 Salmon, Warrens, %s 2 80 Salmon, Red Alaska 3 75 Salmon, Med. Alaska 2 86 Salmon, Pink Alaska 1 85 Sardines, Im. %, ea. 10@28 Sardines, Im., % 35 Sardines, Cal. Tuna, %, Al Tuna, Tuna, %s, Curtis, dos. 3 50 Tuna, Curtis, doz. CANNED MEAT Bacon, Med. Beechnut 8 Bacon, Lge. Beechnut 6 Beef, No. 1, Corned __ 3 Beef, No. 1, a Beef, No. 2%, Qua. sil. sli. 1 Beef, 3% oz. Qua. sli : 4 3 1 Fish Flakes, small .. ou aSSRsanKnassensss Beef, 4 oz., Qua. sli. Beef, No. 1, B’nut, sli. Beefsteak & Onions, s Chili Con Ca., 1s 1 35 Deviled Ham, %s _.. 2 20 Deviled Ham, Ys _.. 3 60 Hamburg Steak & Onions, No, 1 __.-.. 3 16 Potted Beef, 4 oz. _.. 1 10 Potted Meat, % Libby 62% Potted Meat, % Libby 92% Potted Meat, % Qua. 90 Potted Ham, Gen. % 1 86 Vienna Saus., No. % 1 46 Vienna Sausage, Qua. 985 Veal Loaf, Medium .. 2-65 KASRSRSSSS Baked Beans Campbelis, lc free 5 _. 1 15 Quaker, 18 oz. Fremont, No. 2 -. Snider, No. 1 -.-... 95 Snider, No.. 2 —..... — 135 Van Camp, small _... 86 Van Camp, Med. -... 4 15 CANNED VEGETABLES. Asparagus. No. 1, Green tips .. 3 75 No. 2%, Large Green 4 60 W. Beans, cut 2 1 45@1 75 - W. Beans, 10 -....... 7 60 Green Beans, 28 1 45@32 26 Green Beans, 10s .. @7 60 L. Beans, 2 gr. 1 35@2 66 Lima Beans, 2s,Soaked 1 15 Red Kid, No. 2 --.... 1 26 Beets, No. 2, wh. 1 75@2 40 Beets, No. 2, cut 1 10@1 36 Beets, No. 3, cut -.. 1 60 Corn, No. 2, stam. — 1 10 Corn, Ex. stan. ae 1 35 Corn, No, 2, Fan. 1 80@2 36 Corn, No. i0 -- 8 00@10 75 Hominy, - -3 1 00@1 15 Okra, No. 2 :. whole _. 3 00 Okra, No. 2, cut -. 1 66 Dehydrated Veg. Soup 90 Dehydrated Potatoes, lb. 45 Mushrooms, Hotels -. 33 Mushrooms, Choice, 8 oz. 40 Mushrooms, Sur Extra 50 Peas, No. 2, E. J. 1 65 a a — No. 2, Ex. Sift. Peas, Ex. Fine, French 26 Pumpkin, 6 Pumpkin, No. 10 4 00@4 - Pimentos, %, each 12@14 Pimentoes, %, each _ 27 Sw’t Potatoes, No. 2% 2 26 Sauerkraut, No.3 1 35@1 5@ Succotash, No. : 1 65@3 60 aS i , glass : = = Tomatoes, No. 3 a: Tomatoes, No. ie CATSUP. B-nut, small —-.------- Lily of Valley, 14 oz.-- Lily of Vailey, % pint Paramount, 24, 88 --— Paramount, 24, 16s Paramount, Cal acl Sniders, 8 oz. ..-.---- 1 76 Sniders, 16 os. ..-.---- 2 55 Quaker, 8 oz. --.----. 1 25 Quaker, 10 oz. 1 40 Quaker, 14 oz. Quaker, Gallon Glass 12 50 ©3 BO bet 2 BO be Sasass Quaker, Gallon Tin -- 8 00 CHILI SAUCE Snider, 16 oz. ...-- - 3 30 Snider, 8 oz. -------. 2 30 Lilly Valley, 8 oz. -. 2 25 Lilly Valley. 14 os. .. 8 35 OYSTER COCKTAIL. Sniders, 16 oz. ......-. 3 30 Sniders, 8 os. ..----. 3 30 CHEESE. Roquefort ....-------. 65 Kraft, small items 1 65 Kraft, American -. Chili, small tins --. Pimento, smal] tins 1 65 Roquefort, sm. tins 2 25 Camembert. sm. tins 2 25 Wisconsin Daisies ---. 29 Longnorn ——_.______._ 29 Michigan Daisy ------ 29 Peanuts, Virginia Raw o CHEWING GUM. Adams Black Jack -.-- 65 Adams Bloodberry ---- Adams Dentyne __------ 65 Adams Calif. Fruit ---- 65 Adams Sen Sen ---_---- 65 Beeman’s Pepsin ------ 65 Beechnut Wintergreen_ 70 Beechnut Peppermint - 70 Beechnut Spearmint --- 70 Doublemint —----------- 65 Peppermint, Wrigleys -- 65 Spearmint, Wrgileys __ 65 auicy frat 65 Wrigley’s P-K —-_------ 65 ee 65 Teer: |. 65 COCOA. Droste’s Dutch, .1 Ib._- 8 50 Droste's Dutch, % Ib. 4 50 CIGARS G. J. Johnson’s Brand G. J. Johnson Cigar, 10c 15 Worden Grocer Co. Brands Master Piece, 50 Tin. 35 00 Masterp’ce, 10, Perf. 70 00 Masterp’ce, 10, Spec. 70 00 Mas’p., 2 for 25, Apollo95 00 In Betweens, 5 for 25 . 50 Canadian Club ------ 5 00 Little Tom 7 60 Tom Moore Monarch 75 00 Tom Moore Panetris 65 00 T. Moore Longfellow 95 00 Webster Cadillac _.__ 75 00 Droste's Dutch, % Ib. 2%5 wWenster Knickbocker 95 00 Droste’s Dutch. 5 Ib. | 6° Webster Belmont. 110 00 Chocolate Apples ---- 450 webster St. Reges 125 00 Pastelles, No. 1 ae 60 Bering Apollos ---. 95 00 Pastelles, % |b. ------ 3 60 Bering Palmitas -_ 116 00 Pains De Cafe ---——— Bering Delioses __-- 120 00 Droste’s Bars, 1 doz. 2 00 Bering Favorita 135 00 Delft Pastelles __---- 2 156 Boring Alban "7" 450 00 ih Rese Tin Gon 2-2 oS. lLlUU Honk 2 00 7 oz. Rose Tin Bon on CONFECTIONERY i 13 oz. Creme De Cara- Stick Candy Pails que --.-------------- 13.30 Standard —_____-__-_ 16 = i eee ------ ° - Pure Sugar Sticks 600s 4 » . ee 0 % tb. Pastelles _---- 3 40 Big Stick, 20 lb. case Langues De Chats -. 4 80 Mixed Candy CHOCOLATE. Kindergarten -—--------- 17 Leomger 14 Baker, Caracas, %8 ---- 37 cr Oo 2 2 Baker, Caracas, ws Sees French Creams ____---- 16 Paris Creams ---~---.--- 17 COCOANUT Grocers 222 i oo ee oo Fancy Chocolates . case, %s an 8 15 Ib. case, \%s 47 5 Ib. Boxes 15 Ib. case, %8 -------- 46 CLOTHES LINE. Hemp, 50 ft. ____ 2 00@2 25 — Cotton, : 3 s0@4 00 HUME GROCER CO. ROASTERS MUSKEGON, MICE COFFEE ROASTED 1 Ib. Package Meirose 2 33 sberty oo 25 COiaker 2. 39 Nearow, 37 Mor ag House: —.... 44 Rong 34 oval ind 38 McLaughlin’s Kept-Fresh Vaccum packed. Always fresh. Complete line of high-grade bulk _ coffees. W. F. McLaughlin & Co., Chicago. Maxwell House Coffee. i Gee 47 So ip: ties 2 1 39 Coffee Extracts M. Y., per 100 _.__.. 12 Frank’s 50 pkgs. _. 4 25 Hummel’s 60 1 Ib. 10% CONDENSED MILK Leader, 4 doz. ---.-- 7 00 Wagle, 4 doz. __-._.... 9 00 MILK COMPOUND Hebe, Tall, 4 doz, —. 4 50 Hebe, Baby, 8 do. _. 4 40 Carolene, Tall, 4 doz.3 80 Carolene, Baby -_---- 3 50 EVAPORATED MILK Quaker, Tall, 4 doz... 4 80 Quaker, Baby, 8 doz. 4 70 Quaker, Gallon, % doz. 4 70 Carnation, Tall, 4 doz. 5 15 Carnation, Baby, 8 dz. 5 05 Oatman’s Dundee, Tall 5 15 Oatman’s D’dee, Baby 5 00 Every Day, Tall -.-- 5 00 Every Day, Baby -.-- 4 90 Pe Tee ee 5 15 Pet, Baby, 8 oz. -_---- 5 05 Borden's Tall - ------ 5 15 Borden’s Baby ------- 5 05 Van Camp, Tall _---- 490 Van Camp, Baby ---- 3 75 Bittersweets, Ass’ted 1 75 Choc Marshmallow Dp 1 70 Milk Chocolate A A 1 80 Nibble Sticks 1 No. 12. Choc., Light — 1 65 Chocolate Nut Rolls — 1 85 Magnolia Choc --..-.. 1 25 Gum Drops Pails Anite 2 aw 16 Champion Gums -..-- an 26 Challenge Gums . Favorite Superior, Boxes __---..- 23 Lozenges Pails A. A. Pep. Lozenges 17 A. A, Pink Lozenges 16 A. A. Choc. Lozenges 16 Motto Hearts 19 Malted Milk Lozenges 21 Hard Goods Pails Lemon Drops ------.-- 18 O. F, Horehound dps. — 18 Anise Squares 18 Peanut Squares —_-..- a. a Horehound Tablets __-- 18 Cough Drops Bxs Putvams ......._..__ 1 35 Smith Bros. _.......... 1 50 Package Goods Creamery Marshmallows 4 oz. pkg., 12s, cart. 865 4 oz. pkg., 48s, case 3 40 Specialities Walnut Fudge -_--.-. 23 Pineapple Fudge ~--..-- 22 Italian Bon Bons -.... 17 Banquet Cream Mints_ 27 Silver King M.Mallows 1 36 Bar Goods Walnut Sundae, 24, 5¢ 75 Neapolitan, 24, 5c ~..-_. 75 Mich. Sugar Ca., 24, 5¢ 75 Pal O Mine, 24, 5c -... 75 Malty Milkies, 24, 5c -_ 75 Remon Hollis 75 COUPON BOOKS 50 Economic grade 38 60 100 Economic grade 4 50 500 Economic grade 20 00 1000 Economic grade 37 60 Where 1,000 books are ordered at a time, special- ly printed front cover is furnished without charge. CREAM OF TARTAR 6 lb. boxes DRIED FRUITS Apples N. Y. Fey., 50 lb. box 15% N. Y. Fey., 14 oz. pkg. 16 Apricots Evaporated, Choice -. 20 Evaporated, Fancy -.. 23 Evaporated, Slabs _____ 17 Citron 10: 1D. Ok oe es 40 Currants Packages, 14 oz. ~---_- 19 Greek, Bulk, Ib ------ 19 Dates Dromedary, 36s -_.. 6 76 Peaches Evap. Choice ~--..-.- 15 Evap. Ex. Fancy, P. P. 25 Peel Lemon, American -... 30 Orange, American ._... 30 Raisins Seeded, buik _..__...__ 9 Thompson’s s’dles blk 8 ‘Lhompson’s seediess, 10 O68, oo 10% Seeded, 15 oz. _____.___ 10% California Prunes 90@100, 25 lb. boxes-_@06 60@70, 25 lb. boxes__@08 0@ 60, 25 lb. boxes__@08% 40@50, 25 lb. boxes-__.@10 30@40, 25 lb. boxes__@10% 20@30, 25 lb. boxes-_@16 18@24, 25 lb. boxes__@20 FARINACEOUS GOODS Beans : Med. Hand Picked -. 07% Cal. Limas 09 Brown, Swedish ~--.-- 07 Red Kidney —.-------- 07% Farina 24 packages -.__.-. 2 5 Bulk, per 100 Ibs. ~.-- oe% Hominy 100 lb. sacks Macaroni Mueller’s Brands 9 oz. package, per doz. 1 30 9 oz. package, per case 2 60 Bulk Goods Pearl, 3 60 Hibow, 20 i. 08 Egg Noodle, 10 Ibs. —- 14 Pearl Barley er Sa ee 4 60 000) -_ 7 00 i Arte 2 5 00 Peas Scotch, Ib. ............ 08% Split, lb. yellow ----— 03 Split green -.------.. 08 Sage Past India ......0 10 Tapioca Pearl, 100 lb. sacks __ 09 Minute, 8 oz., 3 doz. 4 06 Dromedary Instant _. 3 50 FLAVORING EXTRACTS JENNINGS PURE FLAVORING EXTRACT Vanilla and Lemon 2% Ounce Taper Bottle 50 Years Standard. Jiffy Punch 3 doz. Carton ________ 2 26 Assorted flavors. FLOUR V. C. Milling Co. Brands ily White, 9 90 Harvest Queen ______ 9 80 Yes Ma’am Graham, 0s 2 3 40 FRUIT CANS F. O. B. Grand Rapids Mason Halt pint 7 60 One vint 7 76 One quart ...._._.. 8 Halt galion 0 12 15 Ideal Glass Top. Half pint One pint _____ One quart Half gallon Forty-fourth Anniversary GELATINE 26 oz., 1 doz. case -- 6 00 31%, oz., 4 doz. case__ 3 20 One doz. free with 5 cases, Jenu-O, 2 doz, —---... 85 Minute, 3 doz. __------ 4 05 Plymouth, White -_-- 1 55 Quaker, 3 doz. -_---- 2 55 JELLY AND PRESERVES Pure, 30 lb. pails ~---3 30 Tmitation, 30 lb. pails 1 75 Pure, 6 oz., Asst., doz. 95 Buckeye, 18 oz., doz. 2 00 JELLY GLASSES 8 oz., per doz. OLEOMARGARINE Van Westenbrugge Brands Carload Distributor Nuocoas, 1 Ib. _._.____- 21 Nucoa, 2 and 5 Ib. -_ 20% Wilson & Co.’s Brands Oleo Certified 24 Nat 18 Special Roll ~.-------- 19 MATCHES Swan, 144 ....... 4 75 Diamond, 144 box ---- 6 00 Searchlight, 144 box_. 6 00 Ohio Red Label, 144 bx 4 = Ohio Blue Tip, 144 box 6 00 Ohio Blue Tip, 720-1c 4 50 Blue Seal. 144 -_---- 5 60 Reliable, 144 - _------ 4 35 federal, 144 ___-..___- 5 8A Safety Matches Quaker, 5 gro. case._ 4 50 MOLASSES Molasses In Cans Dove, 36, 2 lb. Wh. L. Dove, 24, 244 lb Wh. L. Dove, 36, 2 Ib. Black Dove, 24, 2% lb. Black Dove, 6 10 Ib. Blue L. Palmetto, 24, 2% Ib. oP Oo Rm OO wo o NUTS—Whole Almonds, Tarragona__ 27 Braz New... - 27 Fancy Mixed -------- 23 Filberts, Sicily New York New 1926 __ 33 Peanuts, Vir. roasted Peanuts, Jumbo, rstd. 13 Peanuts, Jumbo, std. 14 Pecans, 3 star Pecans, Jumbo Pecans, Mammoth -- 50 Walnuts, California -. 38 Salted Peanuts Pancy, No. 1b 2... 16 Shelled Almonde 2.050. 70 Peanuts, Spanish, 125 ib. bags =... 12% Muperts 2.20. h 32 TeCans oo. 1 05 Woainvte 00.0 75 MINCE MEAT None Such, 4 doz. -_- 6 47 Quaker, 3 doz. case __ 3 50 Libby, Kegs, wet, lb. 22 OLIVES Bulk, 5 gal. keg ---. 10 00 Quart Jars, dozen -_ 6 50 Bulk, 2 gal. keg ---- 25 Pint, Jars, dozen ___- 4 oz. Jar, plain, doz. 5% oz. Jar, pl., doz. 8% oz. Jar, plain, doz. 2 35 20 oz. Jar, ~ €9.-. 4 25 3 oz. Jar, Stu., doz. 1 35 WH mpg eco ROO a o 6 oz. Jar, stuffed, dz. 9 oz. Jar, stuffed, doz. 12 oz. Jar, unre. doz. 4 50@ 20 oz. Jar, stuffed dz. 7 00 PARIS GREEN ES 31 a. 29 28 ANG Se 2 27 PEANUT BUTTER e = at Bel Car-Mo Brand 24 1 Ib Tins 2 8 oz., 2 do. in case__ 15 1D. pas 20°1D. Pats ooo PETROLEUM PRODUCTS. From Tank Wagon. Red Crown Gasoline __ 11 Red Crown Ethyl —--___ 14 ponte Gasoline .- 14 In tron Barrels Perfection Kerosine __ 13.6 Gas Machine Gasoline 37.1 V. M. & P. Naphtha 19.6 ISO-VIS MOTOR OILS In Iron Barrels ight 220 cen MeGgiuny: 20 is EIGAVY 2 ok mex, Pleavy (2 To. olarine Iron Barrels PACE 2 65.1 Medium (oo 65.1 Reavy oe 65.1 Special heavy ~~... _ 65.1 Extra heavy ._..___.__ 65.1 Folarineg “RK 65.1 Transmission Oil ____ 65.1 Finol, 4 oz. cans, doz. 1 50 Finol, 8 oz. cans, doz. 2 25 Parowax, 100 Ib __._ $.3 Parowax. 40, 1 lb. __ 9.5 Parowax, 20, 1 lb. .. 9.7 Semdac, 12 pt. cans 2_75 Semdac, 12 qt. cans 4_65 PICKLES Medium Sour 5 gallon, 400 count -_ 4 75 5 Sweet Small 16 Gallon, 3300 ~_-___ 28 75 5 Galion, 750 9 00 Dill Pickles Gal. 40 to Tin, doz. -. 8 25 PIPES Cob, 3 doz. in bx. 1 00@1 20 PLAYING CARDS Battle Axe, per doz. 2 75 Bieyvele 4 75 POTASH Babbitt’s, 2 doz. --__ 2 75 FRESH MEATS Beef Top Steers & Heif. __ 22 Good St’rs & H’f. 154%4@19 Med. Steers & Heif. 18 Com. Steers & Heif. 15@16 Veal Wop 22 21 Good. 23s 20 Medium .2...---.... 18 Lamb Sorine Lamb 25 GOOG 22 23 eredium (222000 22 Poor 20 Mutton Geo 2.8 18 Megiaim 23 16 Weer coe aa de MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Pork Eight hogs 2025. 15 Medium hogs -_-_____ 15 Peavy hoes 14 hom, Med. 22.0 | 22 Butts oo 19 Shoulders: 2030 16 Sparerips 2 lo Neck bones: 2000 06 ‘Erimmings (020 0s 45 PROVISIONS Barreled Pork Clear Back __ 25 00@28 00 Short Cut Clear26 00@29 00 Dry Sait Meats DS Bellies __ 18-20@18-19 Lard Pure in tierces 2. 14% 6U Ib. tubs ____advance %& 50 Ib, tubs _._--advance % 20 lb. pails ___-advance % 10 Ib. pails _.__.advance % 5 Ib. pails __.__advance 1 3 Ib. pails _.._.advance 1 Compound tierces ____ 14% Compound, tubs _____ 15 Sausages Bologna 16 iver 15 Prankfort 2G: 20 POR 220s 13@20 Meat ee 9 Tongue, Jellied ______ 35 Freadeheese 18 Smoked Meats Hams, Cer., 14-16 th. 23@24 Hams, Cert. ss Skinned | H6-85 1b. 22 Ham, dried beef Bmuekies 0 0 | @35 California Hams __ @17% Picnic Boiled Prams 20 20 @22 Boiled Hams @36 Minced Hams ____ @17 Bacon 4/6 Cert. __ 24 @26 Beef Boneless, rump 28 00@30 00 Rump, new __ 29 00@32 00 Liver meee 2 11 Car 45 OMe 2 8 RICE Fancy Blue Rose ____ 06% Nancy Head _ 09 Broken: 20. 03% ROLLED OATS Silver Flake, 12 New Process Quaker, 18 Regular __ 1 80 Quaker, 12s Family __ 2 70 Mothers, 12s, M’num 3 25 Nedrow, 12s, China __ 3 25 Sacks, 90 Ib. Jute — 23 95 RUSKS Holland Rusk Co. Brand 18 roll packages ___.._ 2 30 36 roll packages _____ 4 50 36 carton packages __ 5 20 18 carton packages __ 2 65 SALERATUS Arm and Hammer __ 3 75 SAL SODA Granulated, bbls. ____ 1 80 Granulated, 60 lbs. es. 1 60 Granulated, 36 2% Ib. packarés 2 40 COD FISH NMid@les 20 bo 16% oo % lb. Pure __ 19% ee eae 40 Wood boxes, Pure __ 29% Whole Cod 11% HERRING Holland Herring Mixed, Keys = 3.7. 1 00 Mixed, half bbls. _. 10 00 Mixed, bbls, 22 18 00 Milkers, Kees (2. 2. 110 Milkers, half bbls. _. 11 00 Milkers, bbls) .. | 20 00 K K K K, Norway __ 19 50 8 ib. pails 0 40 Cut Bonch 1 65 Boned. 10 th heyes __ 16 Lake Herring 76 BDL, 100 Ibs. 6 60 Mackerel Tubs, 100 lb. fncey fat 24 50 Tubs, 50 count 9 00 Pails, 10 lb. Fancy fat 2 00 White Fish Med. Fancy, 100 Ib. 13 00 SHOE BLACKENING 2 in 1, Paste, doz. __ 1 35 KE. Z. Combination, dz. 1 35 2 Dri-Foot, doz. _....._ 00 Bixbys, Dog 1 35 Shinola, doz. _..._ 90 STOVE POLISH Blackne, per doz. .___ 1 35 Black Silk Liquid, dz, 140 80 can cases, $4.80 per case Caper, 2 oz. Black Silk Paste, doz. 1 Enameline Paste, doz. 1 Enameline Liquid, dz. 1 BE. Z. Liquid, per doz. 1 Radium, per doz. -.-. 1 85 Rising Sun, per doz. 1 2 1 3 654 Stove Enamel, dz. 80 Vulcanol, No. 5, doz. 95 Vulcanol, No. 10, doz. 1 35 Stovoil, per doz. ____ 3 00 SALT Colonial, 24, 2 Ib. _... 95 Colonial, 36- re 2 1 25 Colonial, Iodized, 24-2 2 00 Med. No. 1 Bbls. a= 2 68 Med. No. 1, 100 Ib. bg. 865 Farmer Spec., 70 Ib. 95 Packers Meat, 50 lb. 57 Crushed Rock for ice cream, 100 Ib., each 175 Butter Salt, 280 lb. bbl. 4 24 Block, 50 Ib. _..... 40 Baker Salt, 280 lb. bbl. 4 10 24, 10 Ib., per bale ____ 2 45 35, 4 Ib., per bale -... 2 60 50, 3 Ib., per bale ... 2 85 28 Ib. bags, Table _. 42 Old Hickcory, Smoked, G-I01b, 4 20 Per case, 24, 2 Ibs. .. 3 40 Five case lots 2 SOAP Am. Family, 100 box : 30 Crystal White, 100 __ 4 05 Export, 100 box -__.__ 4 00 Big Jack, 60s __._____ 4 50 Fels Naptha, 100 box 5 50 Flake White, 10 box 4 05 Grdma White Na. 10s 4 00 Swift Classic, 100 box 4 40 20 Mule Borax, 100 bx 7 be Wool, 100 in 6 5 Jap Rose, 100 box .... es Rairy, 100 box —...._ Palm Olive, 144 box i 00 Lava, 100 bo 4 90 wee wwe Octagon, 120 -_....... 5 00 Pummo, 100 box ... 4 85 Sweetheart, 100 box — 3 70 Grandpa Tar, 50 sm. 2 10 Grandpa Tar, 50 Ige. 3 50 Quaker Hardwater Cocoa, 72s, box __.. 2 85 Fairbank Tar, 100 bx 4 00 Trilby Soap, 100, 10c 7 30 Williams Barber Bar, 9s 560 Williams Mug, per dos. 48 CLEANSERS ry) adie aoe Onn nie) ASAE Poot WASHING POWDERS Bon Ami Pd, 3 dz. bx 3 75 Bon Ami Cake, 3 dz. 3 25 Brillo 2 85 Climaline, 4 doz. -.-. 4 20 Grandma, 100, 5c ---. 4 00 Grandma, 24 Large -_ 3 80 Gold Dust, 100s __-_-_ 4 00 Gold Dust, 12 Large 3 20 Golden Rod, 24 ____.- 25 dine, 2 dow _2. 50 4 La France Laun., 4 dz. 3 60 Luster Box, 5 3 Old Dutch Clean. 4 dz 3 40 Octagon, 96s 3 Rinso, 40s _. 3 20 Rinso, 246 .. 25 Rub No More, 100, 10 OR 3 85 Rub No More, 20 Lg. 4 00 i gy Cleanser, 48, aan Flush, i doz. _. 2 Sapolio, 3 "doz. oo 3 Soapine, 100, 12 oz. — 6 40 4 4 Snowboy, 100, 10 oz. Snowboy, 24 Large -- . Speedee, 3 doz. __---- 20 Sunbrite, 72 doz. -... 4 00 Wyandotte, 48 -___-- 75 SPICES Whole Spices Allspice, Jamaica -.._ @26 Cloves, Zanzibar _.__. @36 Cassia, Canton -_-_-_ @22 Cassia, 5c pkg., doz. @40 Ginger, African __--__ @19 Ginger, Cochin -_-___ @25 Mace, Penang --_---- 1 20 Mixed, No. I _.....__ @32 Mixed, 5c pkgs., doz. @45 Nutmegs, 70@90 ooo: @59 Nutmegs, 105-110 _. @52 Pepper, ‘Black ae @46 Pure Ground in Bulk Allspice, Jamaica -_.. @30 Cloves, Zanzibar —~____ @46 Cassia, Canton —_____ @28 Ginger, Corkin _....__ @38 Mustard 22.0 @32 Mace, Penang __..___ 1 30 Pepper, Black - ..__- @50 Nutmegs ......__ @62 Pepper, White —-_____ @75 Pepper, Cayenne __.. @35 Paprika, Spanish ___. @52 Seasoning Chili Powder, 15c ____ 1 35 Celery Salt, 3-0z. __.. 95 Sage, 2 oz... is Onion Salt _..._______ 1 35 Garlie 22 1 35 Ponelty, 3% oz. -.-. 3 25 Kitchen Bouquet ____ 4 50 Laure] Leaves ______- 20 Marjoram, 1 oz. ____-- 90 Savery. i oz . 90 ‘Ehyme, 1 oz. ____.____ 90 Tumeric, 2% oz. ____ 90 STARCH Corn Kingsford, 40 lbs. _... 11% Powdered, bags __._ 4 50 Argo, 48, 1 lb. pkgs. 3 60 Créam, 48-] 80 Quaker, 40-1 _________ 07% Gloss Argo, 48, 1 lb. pkgs. 3 60 Argo, 12, 3 lb. pkgs. 2 96 Argo, 8, 5 Ib. pkgs. -_ 3 35 Silver Gloss, 48, ls __ Elastic, 64 pkgs. Tiger, 48-1 2). 3 50 Kiger, GC Ibs. _...._ 06 CORN SYRUP Corn Blue Karo, No. 1% _. 2 42 Blue Karo, No. 5, 1 dz. 3 33 Blue Karo, No. 10 -. 3 13 Red Karo, No. 1% _. 2 70 Red Karo, No. 5, 1 dz. 3 71 Red Karo, No. 10 -. 3 51 Imit. Maple Flavor Orange, No. 1%, 2 dz. 3 15 Orange, No. 5, 1 do. 4 41 Orange, No. 10 -_.... 4 2) Maple. Green Label Karo, Green Label Karo __ 5 19 Maple and Cane Mayflower, per gal. __ 1 55 Maple Michigan, per gal. .. 2 50 Welchs, per gal. __._ 3 10 TABLE SAUCES Lea & Perrin, large_. 6 00 Lea & Perrin, small__ 3 35 Pepper 2. 1 60 Royal Mint __......_. 2 40 Tobasco, 2 oz. ___... 4 25 Sho You, 9 oz., doz. 2 70 A-), laree 5 20 A-3. email SG eS 3 30 Zion Fig Bars Unequalled for Stimulating and Speeding Up Cooky Sales Obtainable from Your _ Wholesale Grocer Zion Institutions & Industries Baking Industry rar My TEA Japan Medium oo . 27@33 Choice 37@46 Raneg 2.0 2 54@59 ING. F Nibns: 54 } ID. pke. Sifting ___. 13 Gunpowder Cholee 40 BNaney 22 47 Ceylon Pekoe, medium ____.... 67 English Breakfast Congou, Medium ______ 2 Congou, Choice ____ 35@36 Congou, Fancy ____ 42@43 Oolong Medium 2.0000 39 @holee: 45 BaNey oS 50 TWINE Cotton, 3 ply cone _... 406 Cotton, 3 ply pails ____ 42 Wool G ply 18 VINEGAR Cider, 40 Grain 22 White Wine, 80 grain__ 26 White Wine, 40 grain __ 20 WICKING No. 0, per gress . 75 No. 1, per gross _ 1 95 No. 2, per gross 1 56 No. 3. per gross .._ 2 66 Peerless Rolls, per doz. 90 Rochester, No. 2, doz. 650 Rochester, No. 3, doz. 2 00 Rayo, per @oz _. 75 WOODENWARE Baskets Bushels, narrow band, wire handles ______ 1 7 Bushels, narrow band wood handles _____- 1 80 Market, drop handle_ 90 Market, single handle_ 95 Market, extra _._____ 1 60 Splint. laree 8 50 Splint, medium ___ i: 7 50 Splint, small: —. 6 56 Churns Barrel, 5 gal., each __ 2 40 Barrel, 10 gal., each_. 2 55 3 to 6 gal, per gal __ 16 Pails 10 qt. Galvanized ____ 2 50 12 qt. Galvanized ____ 2 75 14 qt. Galvanized ___. 3 25 12 qt. Flaring Gal. Ir. 5 00 10 qt. Tim Dairy _.. 4.66 Traps Mouse, Wood, 4 holes. 60 Mouse, wood, 6 holes. 70 Mouse, tin, 5 holes __ 65 Hat wood =e 1 00 Rat, sprme 1 00 Mouse, spring _______ 30 Tubs Large Galvanized ____ 8 75 Medium Galvanized __ 7 50 Small Galvanized ____ 6 175 Washboards Banner, Globe ._____ 5 50 Brass, single 6 00 Glass, siiele 6 00 Double Peerless _____ 8 50 Single Peerless ______ 7 50 Northern Queen _____ 5 50 Universal _ 7 2 Wood Bowls IS in. Hutter 00 io im, Hutter... «ss 9 00 I? in: Butter 18 00 1S in. Butter 25 00 WRAPPING PAPER Fibre, Manila, white. 05% No. 1 Bibra 03 Batchers DBD FL... 06% Krate 07% Kraft Stripe 09% YEAST CAKE Mazie, $ doa 2 70 Sunlieht, 3 doe —. | 2 70 Sunlight, 1% d@wz. __ 1 35 Yeast Foam, 3 doz. __ 2 70 Yeast Foam, 1% doz. 1 35 YEAST—COMPRFESSEP Fleischmann, per doz. 30 GONE TO HIS REWARD. Death of George R. Perry, Merchan- dise Broker. George R. Perry died at his late home, 326 East Fulton street, early Saturday morning. The funeral was held at the house Monday afternoon, Dean Jackson officiating. Interment was in Oak Hills. George R. Perry was born in Bridge- port, Conn., Jan. 30, 1849. His ante- cedents were English and Irish on his father’s side and English on_ his mother’s side. His mother’s maiden name was Dobbs. When he was 18 months old the family removed to Detroit, where George attended the public schools and a private school conducted by a man named Patterson. When 14 years of age he decided to learn the occupa- tion of druggist. With this idea in view his father paid H. Simoneau, a pioneer pharmacist of Detroit, $75 for the first year’s instruction. He com- pleted the term of his apprenticeship George R. Perry. in the same establishment, leaving his employer in 1868 to come to Grand Rapids, where he entered the employ of Charles N. Shepard, who then con- ducted a retail drug store on Monroe avenue. This store gained consider- able notoriety by the sale of Wahoo bitters, a remedy for fever and ague, which was very common in Western Michigan at that time. Mr. Perry compounded this remedy and assumed charge of the sales to other druggists at wholesale. After five years with the Shepard house Mr. Perry removed to Chicago, where he remained two years, return- ing to Grand Rapids to take a posi- tion in the wholesale grocery estab- lishment of L. H. Randall & Co. which was located at the foot of Lyon street. He continued with the house twenty-eight years, during which time it was known as Freeman, Hawkins & Co., Randall, Freeman & Hawkins, Freeman, Hawkins & Co. and Haw- kins & Perry. Mr. Perry handled the credits and the sales of goods in bulk quantities to lumbermen and other large buyers. On the sale of the house to the Worden Grocer Co., in 1892, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Mr. Perry engaged in the merchandise brokerage business, which he conduct- ed without interruption for the past thirty-four years. In the meantime Mr. Perry served the city four years as Treasurer, four years as Mayor, five years on the Board of Assessors and also as a mem- ber of the Charter Commission He was a close personal friend of the late M H. Ford and served him in the capacity of campaign manager both times the ran for Congress. Mr. Perry owned up to being a hide-bound Dem- ocrat, albeit his first vote in 1872 was cast for Grant, because he would not support Horace Greeley. He also voted for Roosevelt when he ran against Judge Parker. He was an alternate delegated to the National Democratic convention which nominated Cleveland in 1884. Mr. Perry was a charter member of Daisy Lodge, B. P. O. E., and served the local lodge two terms as Exalted Ruler. He was a 32d degree Mason. Mr. Perry was married Jan. 6, 1874, to Miss Jennie Blake, of Grand Rapids. They had five children, only one of whom lived to comfort them in old age, Miss Jennette. Two of the four children who passed away died on the same day of diphtheria. The family have resided at 326 East Fulton street for many years. In March, 1899, Mr. Perry partici- pated in a joint debate with the late William C. Sheppard in the Fountain Street Baptist church on the subject of prohibition, at which time he held that such a law could never be enforc- ed. He believed that the experience the country is now having with the Volstead law corroborated his state- ments on that occasion. Mr. Perry was a man who accumu- lated many friends who stayed by him through thick and thin and took sides with him on every great question which came up for the discussion and consideration of local voters. He never failed to reward a friend or punish an enemy if the opportunity presented itself. He was a vehement and effective public speaker, although he seldom remained on his feet more than a few minutes at a time. He faithfully served the interests of those who dealt with him in a_ brokerage capacity and was therefore able to re- tire from the active work connected with that occupation with an ample competence. oe. Can anybody explain why idle curiosity is always so very busy? Forty-fourth Anniversary Sand Lime Brick Nothing as Durable Nothing as Fireproof Makes Structure 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. RELIEVES CONSTIPATION ALL-BRAN READY TO EAT Help yourself 2 Matlogy * PANY Locc CoM KEL CREA. MICHIOAM ‘*_-and include a package of Kelloss’s ALL-BRAN” Grocers have heard that order millions of times. Consistent and intensive sales work throughout the country has made ALL-BRAN a_national staple. There is no “off-season” for Kellogg’s ALL-BRAN. A customer once, is a cus- tomer always, for Kellogg’s gives satis- faction. 100% satisfaction. IT’S 100% BRAN — THAT'S WHY! _-Newspapers throughout America are sarrying the Kellogg message of health, and this intensive advertising is supple- mented by the most intensive sales and promotion work ever placed back of a food product. Now is the time to recommend and sug- gest Kellogg’s ALL-BRAN to your cus- tomers. q 2 Forty-fourth Anniversary Income Tax on Owned Business Block. (Continued from page 20) cent trade paper which contains these words: “Since the re-sale price on coffee has been abolished, I am pushing a coffee on which I can make a living wage. At one time I was selling 250 pounds of one particular brand a month, but since that particular brand has caused all the trouble, I am now selling only ‘twenity-five pounds per month.” This is another example of how loyalty and consideration do not work among some grocers. For the brand which has “caused all the trouble” is the one behind which the manufactur- ers put their money, with prodigal liberality, and only ceased when it seemed they could go no further with- out being sent to jail. Yet grocers now reflect thus ion the goods. If we want our friends to stay with us, we must stand with them in foul weather as well as in fair. One reason why the chains get ahead while the ordinary grocer stands still—or worse—is that chains know what they offer their customers. Con- trast this story, which rings absolutely true: Grocer recommends a syrup to a customer, saying: “It’s very fine. In- gredients combined a little differently —one of the finest table syrups I’ve sold. ‘My wife thinks there’s nothing like it.’ But it developed later that the grocer had never tasted the syrup. He also sold peas with the state- ment that they were the best he had ever had in stock—and he had never tasted the peas. Another grocer, asked) how much of his stock he sampled before he put it on sale, said: “Very little. I buy goods from the best people I can find and it’s up to them. If my customers come back with it, I go back where I bought the stuff. They are not going to let a thing like that happen.” So long as grocers handle goods on that basis, they are not tradesmen at all. Paul Findlay. —_>____ Regional Meetings By the Michigan Wholesale Grocers’ Association. Saginaw, Nov. 14—The success of the Home-Owned Store campaign and the permanent success of Home-Own- ed Stores can be greatly enhanced through the proper co-operation of the merchant’s division of your local Chamber of Commerce. To illustrate, on Thursday of last week, a meeting was called at Cold- water, sponsored by the President of the Merchants’ group of their local Chamber of Commerce. Harry Milne is responsible for the success of this meeting, because it was through his interest and influence the way was paved for this meeting, and we all ap- preciate the fact that these things do not just happen, but are the result of time and effort. A noon day dinner was served at an inn about a mile out of town and this was attended by thirty-three repre- sentative merchants from Coldwater. The meeting was truly representative. I am told it included practically every line of business iy the town. After dinner another room was pro- vided and the meeting was called to order. After a few introductory re- marks by the chairman, the writer was asked to give an outline of the Home- Owned Store campaign, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN A vote was taken at the conclusion of the meeting and it was unanimous- ly in favor of the adoption of the Home Owned Store slogan, advertising ma- terial, etc. Every man in the room voted to make the plan a success in Coldwater and it is very evident the plan will go over well there, because with thirty- three merchants present from a town of about 6,000 people, you can see the meeting was well attended. Some of those present made some very complimentary remarks and _ it was a real pleasure to see the interest that was displayed. Within one hour after the meeting, many of the stores had the signs dis- played on their windows. This was made possible because we sold most of those present their material before they left the meeting. The editor of their local paper has asked us for plates, cuts, etc., and there will, no doubt, be plenty of follow-up work done. The success of this plan is in having all lines of business co-operate, and when you analyze the other fellow’s business, you find his problems and those of the grocer are very similar. This campaign is just as practical for the local jeweler as it is for the dry goods merchant and the retail grocer. We will be glad to help all we can in your market and if vou desire, we will explain the campaign to your Chamber of Commerce executive, and through him interest the dealers in all lines. We need about one week's ad- vance notice. We have received requisitions from about fifty per cent. of our members for the insert “Let the Public Know.” These inserts are furnished to you without charge and are just another link in the campaign. They should be used in your out-going mail and in- voices for the next few weeks. I have been asked to attend a meet- ing of newspaper editors representing twenty-one daily papers in the State and explain to them our plan. These papers are all in towns of 5,000 to 10,- 000 people. The scope of this cam- paign is growing all of the time and the benefits will become more ap- parent as time goes along. P. T. Green, Sec’y. 31 We are interested in the financial welfare of every man, woman and child who desires-to get ahead. Our management is always in close touch with the client's interest, giving personal at- tention. Michigan Bond & Investment Company Investment Securities 1020 Grand Rapids National Bank Building Grand Rapids Your Customers Know that the quality ot well-advertis- ed brands must be maintained. You don’t waste time telling them about unknown brands. You reduce selling expense in offer- ing your trade such a well-known brand as KC Baking Powder Same Price for over 3§ years . 25 ounces for 25c The price is established through our advertising and the consumer knows that is the correct price. Furthermore, you are not asking your customers to pay War Prices. Your profits are protected. Millions of Pounds Used by our Government 32 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary BIOGRAPHY OF KANTT B. DUNN The Story of a Heartless Mercantile Villain. Kantt B. Dunn is a proven genius. He has neither brains nor vision; but he possesses one gift which has made him a mighty ally of the forces of centralization in business. He talks in a convincing manner and makes his people believe him without asking him to prove it. To-day he is a ruling sov- ereign, with the dictatorial powers of a Mussolini in the affairs of of a mil- lion vassals. He holds the pursestring of a thousand thousand subjects and draws them tight at the first mention of a fighting idea against those whose cause he has espoused. Considering his achievement, it is only his due that he should be distinguished by a biog- raphy, although he isn’t dead yet, and his portrait should certainly be given a place in the hall of fame but for the fact that such a distinction would con- vert said hall into a rogues’ gallery. Kannt B. Dunn got his start away back there in the days when Grandpa was enoying the thrills of his first flirtations with hoop-skirts. There was a lovely lady whose name was Mayne Street, who was betrothed to a gallant hero who bore the title of General Public, but the fortunate lady had one weakness, common to the ladies of her day. She like to be haughty and many a time did she high-hat the General when he came to pay her court across the counter. Not that Mayne Street failed to en- joy his advances. On the contrary, every touch of General Public’s hand brought a thrill to her cash till; and every kiss sent an ecstatic tremor to the very heart of her bank account. But, considering the ruling conven- tions of that prim day, it didn’t suit her sense of the fitness of things to allow the General to see how she really delighted in his courtship. One day a traveling salesman paid a friendly call on Mayne Street and told her something startling, as sales- men often do. The General who was her betrothed had been caught in a flirtation with a lady in a far distant city. Mayne Street received the in- formation with a frown and a tighten- ing of the ruby lips. “Who is this woman, if I may ask?” she enquired, with a lift of her proud head. The salesman shrugged his shoul- ders. “T don’t know much about her,” he replied, “other than that her name is Cyndy Kate, and that she is reputed to be a clever woman. She powders and paints to beat Cleopatra and she dresses to kill. She is out to catch the eye, I’m telling you.” Before many hours had passed, the story had gone the rounds (these sales- men are such confiding fellows, you know); and Mayne Street was in an uproar of mixed feelings. But Old Kantt B. Dunn heard of it and quick- ly busied himself about the job he had been hired to fill. He immediately sought Mayne Street’s company. Sitting easily on the counter, nib- bling crackers and cheese from her stock, he awarded some cf his remark- ably fine sounding advice. “What are you so upset for?” he jeered, “That affair of the General’s is nothing. Just an innocent little fling; that’s all. Say, when he gets tired of looking at her kalsomine front, he'll be right back here, begging you to set the wedding day ahead That woman can’t fool the General. He’s too wise for her.” Mayne Street heaved a sigh of hope- ful relief, ‘Do you really thing so?” “Well, when he does, believe me, I'll him a lesson. To think that he would even look at her, the frizzle- headed, paint-faced little cat.” Then things began to happen. The General was reported to be receiving regular correspondence from the dis- tant city. One day, Mayne Street squinted through the glass door of his postoffice lockbox. What she saw there It was a let- she asked. give caused her to turn pale. ter, with Cyndy Kate’s return address in the upper-lefthand corner. Mayne Sireet watched the General’s mail closely for several days. There came a package. It was a book—an artistic album, filled with her pictures in vari- ous poses. She called it a “catalogue.” Mayne Street’s heart began to fail her, when she soon learned that the Gen- eral had actually sent the strange wom- an money, and received packages in return—some of them so heavy they must come by express—and one, even, by freight She was almost on the point of fly- ing to him and begging him to re- main loyal to his first love, but Old Kantt B. Dunn continued to prove his genius by stiffening her former resolve with his assurances. She had no cause for worry, he told her; the General was too wise to be fooled. One day, the General dropped in to see her and she gave him a piece of her mind. What she told him about his affair with the lady of the big town was enough to fill the Encyclo- pedia Britanica and a couple of dic- tionaries, but the General completely floored her with his retort. “Say,” he flared, “I’m not married to you, am I? Maybe we are en- gaged, but that isn’t all my fault. Remember, it was you who popped the question, not I. I am still a free man and if you don’t like what I do, you can do the other thing. One thing about her, she does not put on any airs, when I’m around, and _ that’s worth something!” Days, months and years passed. The General’s affair continued, while Mayne Street seemed to wither away. She developed a perpetual frown; her lips dropped at the corners of the mouth; and, in spite of all that the billboards said, she completely lost that school girl complexion. Even Old Kantt B. Dunn found it difficult to her resolution. Then the last straw descended, when some party unknown began to erect a fine new home in the town, and Mayne Street learned that it was to be the country home of the terrible Cyndy Kate. It was going to be called “The convincing maintain Chain.” Soon, she would be able to vamp her General right there on the home grounds. Mayne Street, quite properly and gracefully, swooned away. And Old Kantt B. Dunn was again on the job. When the unconscous lady first opened her eyes, she beheld him standing over her, watching her narrowly. “This thing has gone too far, al- ready,” she cried. “You have been deceiving me all these years with your false assurances; and, now, I stand to lose that which is my very life. Leave me, at once. I will have nothing more to do with you and your glib tongue. I am going out and fight for what is mine. No outside charmer is going to come between the General and me, without my lifting a finger to hinder. He is mine by every legitimate right and I am going to fight for what is mine!” But Old Kantt fastened her with his hypnotic gaze, meanwhile shaking his head, “You can’t do itl” he warned, “It is too late. The other woman has slipped it over on you and your cause is lost.” The very assurance which had stif- fened her resolve to do folly in the past had now been turned against her, for the purpose of breaking down a newer resolve. What could she do, now that her last friend had failed her? Meet us next week on this corner, and we shall see. WW. Bo Casiow. —_--->___ Call For Gloves Improves. The demand for women’s gloves has been spurred by lower temperatures and re-orders of late have been of good volume. Both kid and fabric mer- chandise is in favor. Supplies of the latter available in the market are not wholesalers say, particulraly in Slipon styles large, the saddle-sewn effects. led for a good part of the Fall season, but increased interest has lately been shown in gloves having novelty cuff effects. os UTICA KNIT of a UNDE EAR ALTHERE ALL UTICA KNIT UNDERWEAR Van Leeuwen Dry Goods Co. 237 and 239 Fulton St. ,W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. FOR ‘One originat para’ YOUR PROTECTION SARLES MERCHANTS’ POLICE and INSPECTION SERVICE The Original Patrol in Uniform. Under Police Supervision. 401 Michigan Trust Bldg. PHONES—5-4528, if no response 8-6813 Associated With UNITED DETECTIVE AGENCY Chicago First National Bank Building Fenton Davis & Boyle Investment Bankers GRAND RAPIDS Grand Rapids National Bank Building Phone 4212 Detroit 2056 Buhi Bullding etic 406 a Bldg. VIKING AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY Brrtasinie. 109 ae Ave. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN FIRE PREVENTION CONTRACTORS AND ENGINEERS ed 4c + < Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ‘+ 4 HOUSE WITH A HISTORY } j <7 . ; , ¢ : é ¢ \ »o \ 2 | 4 «Pye . ale : Wem _ 2 4 i : ee bn rss iS e 4 i - — od . } a RPC ees 3 WAS BUT tesa atte DRUG Co. esate eo 4 £ 4 | ‘ - i & iy . ; Corner of Oakes Street and Commerce Avenue. Three Hundred Feet from the Main Entrance of the Union Depot A 1873-1927--Fifty-four Years of Successful Service to the Drug Trade of Michigan ae We enjoy the courtesy of more visiting buyers than any other oo Drug house in this part of the country » HAZLETINE & PERKINS DRUG COMPANY 7 ‘Grand Rapids MICHIGAN Manistee +f 34 MIGHTY MEN OF DESTINY. Creators and Organizers and Disciples of Commercialism. Where commerce has gone, welath, power and progress have _ followed. Egypt's trade with India was the foun- dation for the progress which made her the most civilized nation of an- tiquity. When the fleets of the Phoe- nicians dotted every sea, planting col- onies on the shores of the Mediter- ranean, trading in Britain and the land about the Baltic, Tyre and Sidon rose to the height of wealth and power, and ancient civilization received its great- est impetus. Trade made Carthage great, and it was through her colonies that Greece was able to perfect her civilization. Upon the industry of conquered states, Rome rose to power, and with her fall the Dark Ages came, when commerce and civilization ceas- ed. At length the Italian Free States rose. Their caravans sought the East. Their traders pentrated the northern wilds. Ignorance and barbarism be- gan to disappear. In their place came knowledge, wealth and power. After the decline of the Free States, Spain, Portugal, France and the League Cities of Germany became powerful through trade. The fleets of the Netherlands discharged their rich cargoes, making Antwerp the wealthiest city in Europe. And England, growing slowly and steadily, became the mistress of the commercial world, only to lose her ascendency to the rising power across the sea. Such is the history of com- merce. What is its meaning? When Pisa laid the foundation of modern commerce the cloud of ignor- ance, degradation and oppression be- gan to fade away; the dawn of a new era shone from the Italian ports. Their merchants came in contact with strange peoples and their caravans brought a knowledge of the arts and customs of the East. They told of the civilization of ancient Greece, of the culture of the days gone by, of arts and never known to Western minds. Latent ambitions were industries created. Men awakened to a new conception of life. And the Crusades came. Religious zeal inspir- ed them, but they were made possible by the wealth, the knowledge and the fleets of the Italians. The Holy City fell and the merchant banner of the Genoese floated from the battlements of old Jerusalem. Defeated, the crusad- ing army melted away, but the mer- chant stayed. The flag of the Moslem again waved over the Holy Sepulchre, but the knowledge long treasured by the East and now transmitted by the trader was vitalizing Europe and rais- ing its people from barbarism to civil- sciences aroused; new Schools sprang up. ization. Commerce means wealth, wealth means leisure, and leisure knowledge. As long as man slaves for mere exist- ence, progress must be slow. With leisure comes advancement. The wealth of the commercial cities gave man the time to study; the generosity of their citizens gave him the opportunity to make his work immortal. Italian gold paid for Italian art and the results of trade made the Renaissance a possibil- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ity. It was a desire for commerce that sent De Gama around Africa, Colum- bus to America, Magellan around the Horn, explorers into every corner of the globe, and gave us our knowledge of the world. And in the wilds of Africa as the cities of England, on the shores of the Bosphorus as beside the Chesa- peake, missions, churches, universities, libraries and benevolent institutions of every kind stand as lasting monuments to commercial classes. The world owes a large part of her education, culture and enlightenment to the benevolence of our “Merchant Princes.” But trade makes for peace as well as culture. When commerce revived, all Europe was a hostile camp. Strang- er and enemy were synonymous terms. Tribe stood aloof from tribe, and ha- tred kept them so. But with the spirit of trade, came a softening of this hos- tile feeling, a liberalizing of the minds of men. Animosities became subdued and the barbarian was tamed by the power of industry. A cry arose for peace, for government, for law. Men saw that war hurt trade and forthwith the contest of arms began to lose its oldtime popularity. Nations began to see their inter-dependence, to realize that they belong to one great family. They began to see that peace was bet- ter than war, that love was better than hate. Thus what religion teaches in- dividuals, commerce teaches nations. Men may dream of universal peace. The pulpit may tell its glories, poets may sing its praises, the representatives of mighty military powers may meet to discuss it, yet all these avail as nothing when compared with the in- fluence of trade. Let war destroy the commerce of the seas and from Eu- rope would rise the wail of famine and the cry for wheat from the Dakotas, while from our cities and our plains would come the answering call for ships to take away the things we give, and bring the things we get in turn. This knowledge of mutual wants, the feeling of commercial dependence is the strongest argument the world will ever have for “Universal Peace.” The people, commerce, and liberty have always stood together. Through the Middle Ages, it was the trading towns that nursed the feeble sparks of freedom and from whose halls liberty first spoke. Against wrong, injustice, and oppression, they waged their stub- born fight. Their strength grew. Trade must be protected, and they leagued themselves together. They showed that men could rule without being of royal blood; that the lords were de- pendent upon the commons. Hand in hand with the barons, the traders of London met King John at Runnymede and national liberty began. People realized that the world was not made for kings and barons, but for free- born men; that humanity could be benefitted as well by industry and noble virtues as by idleness and noble blood. Through the influence of trade, viol- ence, ignorance, and superstitution be- gan to pass away, and feudalism tot- tered to its grave. New nations rose. A confederation of scattered colonies threw off the yoke of tyranny. Torn by dissession and strife, distrustful and jealous of one another, they stood on H. Van Eenenaam & Bro. Forty-fourth Anniversary cape Sole Manufacturers of Boston Strait 5¢ Cigar and Little Dutch | ZEELAND - MICHIGAN Have you ordered your CALENDARS for 1928 ? Don’t forget we carry all kinds of Advertising Specialties Samples and Prices on Request GRAND RAPIDS CALENDAR Co. 906-912 South Division Avenue Grand Rapids, Michigan Phone 31732 Forty-fourth Anniversary the verge of ruin. Were seven years of war to be in vain? Was all that suffering and all that misery to count for naught? It was the binding in- fluence of commerce and the necessity for commercial relations that kept the States together and produced the “Con- stitution and the Union.” And when- ever men Jook upon that document they must acknowledge their debt to com- mercialism, which alone made it pos- sible. For us, as a Nation, the last few years have marked a revolution. Our internal conquest is finished. Our for- ests have been transformed into busy factories; our public lands, free to who- ever wills, into private fields; our rug- ged mountains into constant streams of wealth. Bands of steel and whis- pering wires connect remotest parts. Time and space have been annihilated, sectional lines swept away, natural re- sources converted to practical ends, and as a compact industrial unit the United States has stepped into her place as the acknowledged leader of the commercial world. War has given us colonial possessions and changed the temper of our people. Prosperity has developed our resources until we can no longer consume our products. l‘oreign investments and external mar- kets are absolutely essential, and in the future we must associate with the world as assiduously as we have shun- ned her in the past. For decades we have looked towards Europe, now we must turn toward Asia. The Pacific is our future “lake of commerce.” The Orient beckons. wy China, throng- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ing with her millions, promises the market of the world. Her extent of territory, a mighty storehouse of treasure, calls for the railroad and the telegraph, while her vast unex- ploited fields mark her as the greatest conquest for the world of enterprise. Thoughtful men are everywhere de- manding that this Chinese trade be fostered and strengthened; that Amer- ica awaken to its possibilities and op- portunities; that she realize that the time is ripe to carry to China the bene- fits of modern civilization, through the strengthening, uplifting power of American Commerce. Our sister republics of South America await our trade. Forest and undeveloped re- sources promise rich returns to the touching them with a greatest ennobling, nation which, spirit of trade, and not of force, awak-. their Our colonies call to full realization of strength and power. ens them for help, for peace, for liberal treat- ment. They ask that we give to them the policy which has been the touch- In the trade of all these countries, lies the promise stone of our greatness. or our future. But in these alluring prospects, grave dangers lurk. The pathway of prog- ress is strewn with the wrecks of na- tions which grew strong in adversity, AS 2 precursor of civilization commercialism but succumbed to prosperity. has transformed the world; but in their zeal for commercial conquest nations have too often forgotten their ideals. Such dangers confront us. Ability, success, even character, are too often Our in- interpreted in terms of trade. tellectual, civil, and even our religious life is being controlled and distorted Shall wealth instead of worth become the prevailing standard? by commercial interests. Shall right and justice give way to expediency? Shall the glint of gold draw us from nobler aspira- tions and ambitions? Against such For if America is to succeed in the coming years, she must keep her old ideals of worth, of honor, and of justice; she must judge men for what they are, not for what things we must guard. they have. This drawing century is to mark the greatest conflict of the ages; a con- flict of industrial and commercial su- premacy, a conflict of intelligence and skill, a conflict of mighty nations. The bugles are sounding. Great statesmen are calling the nations to the field. The lines are forming, the industrial bat- talions are wheeling into their places. The East The center of trade, beginning in Asia, has trav- Our people hold the center. and the West unit in. us. eled westward until it has reached our further. The genius of our people is to unite the wealth of the Orient with the intellect and culture of the Occident. With her natural resources fully developed; with Shores. It can go no an intelligent and industrious people modern methods; and her industries centralized united and happy; with her and controlled by the greatest captains of the age, America steps forward like a strong man stripped to run a Face, to attain her greater end. And when, a hundred years hence, men look upon the past write our and sit down to 35 history, they will rule two pages. On the one will be the names of those who have made us what we are to-day. Of Washington, the Father: of Hamil- ton, the Organizer; of Jefferson and Jackson, of Clay and Webster, of Lee and Grant, of Lincoln and cf Roosevelt. And on the other will be the names of those who have raised her to her highest destiny; who have carried her language to every corner of the globe; who have made her principles and in- stitutions part of every people, until her ideals are bounded not by. seas, but only by the breath of man. These men are the Disciples of Commercial- S. Wells Utley. —_~++.—___ Sympathized With the Infinite. When Gladys Lee was a little girl, ism. she was given a half-dollar by a fond relative. Gladys greatly admired it be- cause her money gifts previous to this reat fortune had consisted of pennies. “What will asked. you do with it?’ she was “L think I will take it to Sunday school next Sunday,” was the unex- pected reply. “Why take it to Sunday school?” “I want to give it to God,” replied Gladys. “He never gets anything but pennies, either.” ——_+~-.—____ That’s Different. Head of the house, in angry tones: “Who told yo uto put that paper on the wall?” Decorator—“Your wife, sir.” “Pretty, ismt it.” CLIPPER BELT HOOKS [100% Staggered] 4,000,000 Sold Daily Ask for Circular No. 15 More than 225,000 CLIPPER BELT LACERS Giving Perfect Satisfaction in Every Important Industry All Over the World The New Clipper Speed Lacer No. 8 CLIPPER BELT LACER COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Standardize on CLIPPER LACERS, HOOKS and CLIPPER PINS for Increased Production, Economy and Satisfaction SOMETHING WRONG. Novelty Noyes Finds Out What “Something” Is. It was just half past ten. The store of James B. Noyes & Brother was empty, so far as custom- ers were concerned. True, Noyes him- self was there, as were also Joe Boyd Morgan, the clerks, and and Henry the faithful store cat. The goods were properly arranged on the shelves. and a fairly good win- dow display beamed out on the de- serted street. The advertisement for the Courier had been prepared and was ready for delivery. The floors were swept. Everything was ready for the cus- tomers. Everybody was waiting for a chance to serve. Even the tabby was arching her back as if in anticipa- tion of a friendly rubbing from some kindly visitor. The business scene was a good one. 3ut customers, to use a worn-out term that fits in better than anything else, “were conspicuous by their absence.” Novelty Noyes had been pacing the store for half an hour, stopping long enough on one occasion to sell a box of carpet tacks to Lawyer Fitzpatrick’s little boy. Suddenly he stopped in front of his office door, darted inside, and snatched a little book from one of the drawers of his private desk. He beckoned to his chief clerk. “Come here and listen, will you Joe!” he called. Obediently the young man walked over and sat on the edge of the coun- ter. ans decrease in book net just 15 per cent. from last October,” that the silverware is tells sales of httle me he remarked. “There's a decrease of 25 per cent. in canvas gloves — but There’s an per ranges, but that’s because the Ferguson Camps bought fifteen for Mehoopany Camp. There’s a Joe, there’s a decrease of something every- that’s due to the late winter. increase of 8 cent. in decrease of — why, where almost.” The “We cent. of young man nodded. 3.41 per 10.11 for for In are spending about our sales for rent; Liz delivery: .43 for advertising: .91 for heat and light. just about right on all salaries fact, the items according to those efficiency 3ut the store’s empty. There customers. What's the matter with Are we losing our pep?” Joe merely shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. But he was think- The proprietor knew his clerk we are experts. are no us? ing. thoroughly and paid no attention to his Joe was the kind of a man who said something only when he had to When that time came he would be of help. Novelty retreated office, slumped into his chair, ran his fingers through his rumpled haid, and thought. For half an hour he remained there without saying a word. Occsaionally, he would look up and grunt disgustedly, usually on oc- casions when Joe would be passing out a nickel’s worth of picture wire, or telling an inquisitive customer fo silence. something say. Noyes into his down MICHIGAN TRADESMAN the fourth time that Patterson’s ranges were now selling for $90 flat. He took advantage of a period when Joe and Henry actually became busy with real honest-to-goodness custom- ers, to telephone someone—somewhat When he hung the receiver up at smile on his face—the first he had worn for a week. Ten minutes later, he walked brisk- ly out into the store, tossed Joe’s hat the him, pushed laughlingly the door, at length. last. there was a across counter to Henry toward and exclaimed: “Let's get out of this morgue for a Let’s have a soda. This place gives me he creeps.” minute, men. Laughingly the clerks obeyed. taken Mr. Noyes,” called a voice from across the “Pictures cheap to-day, street. The local photographer stood there with his camera already focused on the doorway. Gee! He takes a lot for granted,” remarked Joe. “Business must be brisk up his way, too,” laughed the proprietor. “Let's If we can’t may give him some anyway. get help someone else.” Aa old he shouted across the street. ‘Le’s have one just Do your best and you'll any ourselves, we as_ well right, man,” as we are. ring in for a soda, too.” Three days later, James B. Noyes opened his morning mail, smiled in a satisfied way, and called Joe and Henry into the office. “What do you think of the photos?” he asked curiously. Joe Boyd looked at them first, then passed them across to Henry with z disgusted whistle. The junior clerk found himself flush- The pro- photographs oi ing as he looked at them. prietor had ordered liberal size. Every feature stood out on them. In fact, more than the feat- ures stood out, and both Joe and Henry noticed this immediately. “Some baggy knees,’ remarked Henry at last. Joe blushed as he fol- lowed the boy's glance and saw that it was his photo that was being com- mented upon. “Rather significantly. tousled hair,” he retorted Gues you've some some excelsior on your coat, Joe. Wonder if it’s there yet?” The older clerk brushed his right shoulder before the boy could raise his eves from the photo. “T'll bet your nails were off color,” he said, and as Henry lifted his eyes, the older clerk was glancing at his pudgy fingers. “How Noyes. about the boss?” broke in “What do you think of the hang of that vest, and the wrinkle in that sock?” “And here?” sis knees that some days before had come in contact with the gearings cf ail electric dish washer that was being repaired. Neither clerk ventured a comment. When it came to reprimanding the usually immaculate proprietor, consid- erably more nerve was required than how about this grease spot he added, pointing to one of they possessed just at this embarrass- ing moment. “Let’s look the windows and shelves continued the pro- prietor relentlessly. “Let's see if there is any untidiness there. Perhaps we have a neat looking window from across the street, and a mighty poor looking one from three feet away. Let's see if the store is as off color and stock over,” as we are.” Apparently it was, for in less than half an hour, they were all busy in a general house-cleaning. Mrs. Rogers, who helped them from time to time in an emergency, started to work with her mop and pail. Soon the delightful odor of cleansers filled the little store from front to back. When night came, not many cus- tomers had been served, but the force was thoroughly tired—and disgustingly dirty. When the doors were locked, James B. Noyes pulled down the blinds and beckoned to the younger men. They followed him into the office. “How many suits do you wear a year, Joe?” enquired. “I mean down here to the shop?” Joe paused a minute before he ans- he wered, “Two.” “Pretty hard to keep them up to snuff, isn’t it,” suggested the pro- prietor. “These times, it surely is.” “You're satished with your salary, aren't you?” “Certainly. fair.” “Well, I’m raising you three dollars a week, beginning ten weeks back,” “That's can’t You've always’ been said the proprietor suddenly. a clothing raise. 1 know get four suits a year these days, with- out stinting more than I want you to, but I’m willing to make a ‘clothing raise’ over that salary that you are getting and that suits you, so that you can get two extra suits and be dressed right up to snuff, every day —unless it’s stock-taking time, or an- other house-cleaning day like this.” He looked a the young man fixedly. “How's that sound?” he enquired. “What will I do with all the worn out clothes. Or rather, the half worn out the clerk. “1 cant finish a suit in three months.” “Keep if four or five months, if you can look right up to snuff,’ replied Noyes. “But no matter how long you keep it, it's up to you and Henry and me, too, to get back to the way we used to dress a few months ago. We’ve been getting slack. When your suits get off color, take a couple to the attic for fishing suits next spring, give next year’s to the Salvation Army; pass year's after next, or year after next’s it, to your brother do anything, but or don’t let every- you how ones,” said or however you say the farm; oh, let me you catch me thing’s O. K.” The same offer was made to Henry, except that his clothing allowance was less impressive. In less than a week, the proprietor and both clerks of the Noyes Hard- ware store were decked in their new on catch either, don't you, unless array. “Did you see young Henry Morgan Forty-fourth Anniversary this morning?” remarked more than one matron after Henry had left a circular at the door and she had time to get out on the stoop and exchange a few words with the woman next door. “All decked out in his Sunday clothes on Wednesday. They must be getting prosperous down at Noyes’ place.” The seemed to notice the change, not only in attire, but in the windows. And the number of favor- able comments passed over the coun- ter showed that they did notice and appreciate the shining paint of a light shade that beamed from the freshly town painted store. “Too much dark stuff around,” re- marked a salesman. “Glad to see you aren't afraid of a little soilable stuff on the outside. They’re using this same color in Milwaukee and St. Louis. I’ve been both places this month. It livens the whole Wish a few more would do it and make the place look jess like a morgue.” Someone said that “nothing succeeds like success.” He should have said that “Success follows the signs of suc- uttered an- section up. ces” and he would have other truth. Business picked up. Women, and even men—in spite of their flushing denial—like to shop in an atmosphere of cleanliness and prosperity. The Christmas stock of was gone over, and the most attractive Every silverware styles placed in the windows. piece was polished just a wee bit with a chamois before it was allowed to expose itself to the curious. Every box was dusted gently with a soft whether it needed it or not. Everything in the store was spick and birstle span—and business came in to bask, or I should say thrive, in such a con- genial atmosphere. And then Novelty down to direct something he always did when busi- Noyes some callvassing— ness was not what he wished it to be. Silverware was holding up too much of his capital. It be sold—and it was no use waiting until Chrstmas must to start the boxes on their way from the the The Courier was watched eagerly for wedding an- store to home. nouncements, birthday ainouncements, anniversary announcements, party an- nouncements — in fact wherever he of a coming event that means ‘gifts,’ there Noyes centered his fire. could learn the ideal gift,” he preached in his handbills, his letters, his advertisements. Two weeks before Henry B. Tilton, one of the leading men of the town, and his better half of course, were to celebrate their silver wedding, dozens of their friends, including all their relatives in the vicinity, had full in- formation about the silverware in James B. Noyes and Brother’s store— and furthermore, knew just what kinds of silverware were particularly applic- able for such an event. “Don’t get knives, Alice,” remarked Joe one afternoon, to a young lady “Silverware is who was looking over those utensils. “T know dozen and a half at least that will be on the table. Better get spoons. No one has purchased any yet. We're kind of keeping an eye of a buckled Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 37 Michigan Bankers and Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Company Fremont - Michigan Chartered August 14, 1916 ra Safe, Sound, Conservative Unsurpassed Record for Growth, Strength and Prompt Payment of Losses Correspondence Solicited rs If your store burns today---could you prove your loss? Would that loss represent the saving of a lifetime? Is your earning power decreasing? Would a fire loss ruin your credit? In figuring your overhead expense, do you realize that the item of fire insurance is most important? For net profit, which would you choose, to reduce your over-head 1%, or increase your volume 20%? Result would be the same. If you choose to do one or both, we can help you toa saving of from 30 to 50% on the item of fire insurance. For Rates and Terms on any WM. N. SENF, “2 Mercantile Risk in Michigan, write to ° ° 9 Treasurer 38 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary open so there won’t be any duplicates, or at least not more than there should be.” The girl was delighted. Spoons were purchased. Knowing his customers as he did, and knowing their likes and dislikes, Noyes was able to insruct his clerks so this kind of selling could be carried on. Had he been in a larger city, he could not have gone quite so far, but as it was, he acted as confi- dential advisor and friend for the next ten days. This was but one instarce. There were many others. In fact, a rush order was needed to make the Christ- mas supply a sufficiently full one to please the merchant. And in spite of the few extra dollars that he was paying out each week as a clothing allowance to his clerks, James B. Noyes winked joyously at his bank balance as he drew a check for the amount of the extra order. “The ‘Brother’ of this outfit of James B. Noyes & Bro. will be kind of sur- prised when he gets back from that little business jaunt of his,” he remark- ed to himself. “And our salary per- centage isn’t running over that ex- pert’s 10.11 either.” Richard S. Bond. —_——~>-2 Tail Wagged the Dog in My Store. One Saturday night, just before Christmas, a man was standing in my store looking at a phonograph. I step- ped up to him and asked if he were interested in one. He said, “No, I can’t afford one.” I said, “Pardon me, what is your name?” He said, “You know who I am.” “You have the best of me,” said I, “Perhaps I should know you, but I don’t.” “You were at my place a week ago, down at Arden,” he said, “My name is Robert Stewart.” “Now I have you,” said I, “but you were away from home when I was there. Mr. Stewart, I would be glad to take your note for a phonograph.” “Well,” said he, “if you are down our way again call in.” This conversation took place in my store at six o'clock the Saturday night before Christms. On Monday morning at 6:45 a. m. I left my store, with three phonographs on a light sleigh, behind a livery team. I started for Mr. Stewart's farm eleven miles away. The sun was nicely peeping over the horizon as I drove into his farmyard. The weather was very severe and the roads very poor, and I was almost frozen. Mr. Stewart put the horses in the barn while I got warmed up, then he helped me to carry in a phonograph. While I was unpacking it, he went to the barn and milked the cows. He chose forty records, and I made out the note and he signed it. Then he asked me if I would like some money on the note. I told him to suit himself about it, and he gave me a payment which I endorsed on the back of the note. After we had breakfast, I said, “How sbout your brother across the road?” said Mr. Stewart “you can’t sell him anything, he is as hard as nails.” I decided to go home. But when I got out on the road I noticed that his brother’s gate was open, so I thought I would go in for a few minutes, and then start for home, for it was begin- ning to storm. I drove up to the clothes-line post and by the time I had tied the horses to it and put the blankets on them, Mr. James Stewart came out of his house. He was chewing tobacco and there was a streak down each corner of his mouth. To open the conversation, I said, “Mr. Stewart, I am Santa Claus, and I have a box here I want you.to help me carry into the house.” He said, “This is a hell of a day to be out,” and helped me to carry the box into the house, not knowing what was in it. chewing tobacco, using the corner of He sat on the woodbox, the box for a cuspidor, while I un- packed the phonograph and told my little story. His wife picked out the records she wanted and put them to one side. I figured up the cost of the phonograph and records and told them the bad news. Mrs. Stewart said, “Jim, you'd better write a check for it.” Mr. Stewart said, “You seem to be doing the buying, so do it yourself.” She got a checkbook and I wrote out the check and gave it to him to sign, which he did, and in exactly half time I drove into his yard I was on my way to another brother, Hugh Stewart, and I had his check in hour for the third and last phonograph, an hour from the less than one I got home at three o’clock in the afternoon, without dinner. While my wife was getting lunch for me I sold another phonograph in the store, for I live over the store. After supper I got the livery team again and drove six miles out in the country to a Mr. McGilvary’s farm. They had just got over the “flu” and They were me and we had a very pleasant visit. About 9 o'clock Mrs. McGilvary brought in lunch so I thought that I had better state my mission. I was out to sell a piano. At 10 o'clock I had Mr. McGilvary’s signed order for a $600 piano. This closed a perfect day with $1,300 worth of phonographs, records, and a piano. And this is only a side line with me, for my main business is hardware. W. E. N. King. —— I was their first visitor. glad to see Every citizen ought to contribute to the solution of his city’s problems and the achievement of its possibilitise. The safety of the people is a controlling principle in all departments of a mod- ern city’s life. The citizen receives more from what his fellow citizens unitedly make possible than individu- ally he can contribute to the commun- ity’s life. The citizen of rightly appre- ciation will try to discharge his obli- gation not by trying to get all he can from his city for ‘ittle return, but by unselfishly trying to put himself and his best contributions into his city’s life and into the unselfish service of his fellow-men. This he will do best not merely by a material but a moral and spiritual service. POST & BRADY CoO. WHOLESALE Veal Grand Rapids, Michigan Eges - Poultry - 215-217 Oakes St. S. W. LA VALLA ROSA CIGARS a Made in four sizes Ever Increasing In Popularity o Made by THE VANDEN BERGE CIGAR CO. GRAND RAPIDS HOLLAND CRYSTAL CREAMERY HOLLAND oS - - MICHIGAN Manufacturers of Fancy Creamery Butter Vv Cash Buyers of Cream both individual shippers and on the station plan Write for further information HOLLAND CRYSTAL CREAMERY f | a, ‘ ; «< ~~ ow ' 4 4) s \e eo” { { so ° "4 o® : ~e i e } ! 4 4) s \e eo” { { so Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 39 ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. Better Than Poor Houses or Old Age Pensions. The poorhouse in the town of Mid- dleboro, Massachusetts, advertised last summer in the Boston papers for sum- mer boarders! People who wish to spend their vacations in New England at a moderate cost, please take notice! The advertisement stated that “The Middleboro Home” could “furnish board and room, with bath, hot and cold water, plenty of fresh eggs and vegetables and fruit, on the banks of the river, at the low price of $12 per week.” In Massachusetts every town main- tains its own Town Farm as the poor- house is usually called. Some years ago the house on the Middleboro Town Farm burned down and a new house with all modern conveniences, was erected. In recent years, due to the prosperity of the county, there have been but three “inmates” of the place. All the overhead goes on just the same and so the town thought to recoup it- self by turning the Town Farm, re- cently dubbed the “Middleboro Home,” into a summer boarding house. Friends of mine who tried out the advertising report that it is O. K. The story raises the question of the place of the poor- house in modern society and that is what is herein to be discussed. The other night I had a call from an old friend who came in for advice. He is a high grade workman who for several years has been earning from sixty to one hundred dollars a week. At fifty-five he finds himself laid on the shelf. He is without funds. He has lived the life. He has earned and spent to keep the wheels of indus- try going. All that he has earned has gone into consumer’s goods. He has had a car, a machine piano, a radio, a washing machine, an electric refrig- erator and all the things that are wish- ed onto the prosperous middle-class man these days and on some of them he still owes part of the time payments. He has accepted the current life phi- losophy of earning and spending and he finds himself at fifty-five, out of a job and with no funds. The man interested me because he represents what we are heading to if we accept this earn-and spend theory of life. The school in which I was brought up would hold that this man should have enough saved up to ease off the rest of his life. That is not the modern theory. To-day’s answer to the situa- tion is State Old Age Pensions! This man, they tell us, has made his con- tribution to the modern industrial sys- tem. It is up to the system to sup- port him, at least in part, now that he has been thrown onto the dump. The arguments for this theory are many. Beside the human argument just stated, they tell us that pensions are cheaper than poorhouses. They will reduce taxation. They save self respect. The well nigh universal Eu- ropean practice is pointed out. And so, in various ways, we are urged to the idea of State Pensions for the older people. In consequence we have State old age pension laws in Alaska, Wisconsin and Montana. Such laws have been declared unconstitutional after enact- ment in Arizona and Pennsylvania. The Nevada law was repealed and passed in amended form. California passed such a law to have it vetoed by the governor. Massachusetts has a legislative commission at work on a proposal to pass such a law. What do these laws propose to give to the dependent old? The usual figure is “Not to exceed a dollar a day,” after the age of sixty- five or seventy. Montana pays a maxi- mum of twenty-five dollars a week af- ter seventy. Roughly that means an annuity of three-hundred to three-hundred-and- fiity dollars a year. At 6 per cent. that means a capital of $5,000 which the old person must have in order to be as well off as he would be with the proposed old age pension. It means, also, that the state must carry along taxes based on five thousand capital for each dependent that it undertakes to help. Incidently, I hold that this system does not mean economy. I have seen many such plans introduced under the plea of economy. In the long run they all mean higher taxes and higher costs. The great need of to-day is lower taxes and lower costs for government. But even if it meant economy, I would be against it on principle. The state should do less for us instead of more. For the state to do for us what we can do as well for ourselves is bad economics and is distinctly un-Amer- ican. My contention is that it is possible for the great mass of our people, out of current earnings, to amass $5,000 by the time they each the age of pen- sions, if they will conscientiously try to do so. By “conscientiously trying to do so” I mean starting out early in life to save for old age; keeping away from money sharks and wild schemes for making a million over night. and doing with- out the luxuries they cannot afford during their productive years in order to achieve independence in old age. After all, there is no luxury in the world so luxurious as economic in- dependence. The fear of old age dependence is a wholesome fear. It is one of our most precious assets. If we allow it to be taken away, by the assurance that in old age the state will step in and as- sume responsibility, we shall be giving up a good thing for the sake of a very much less valuable thing. I would like to step up to every young man and woman, the day they set up housekeeping and say to them: “See here! You have embarked on a life enterprise. You are your own managers. It is up to you to take care of yourselves. If you fall down on it, you are the ones who are going to be bumped. There is nobody going to take the place of God Parents to you. It is sink or swim on your own efforts.” It strikes me that this is American- ism, in the best sense of the word. To my thought, “Americanism” (Continued on page 43) MANUFACTURER of national distribution takes this opportunity to say to the retailers of Michigan that the Michigan Tradesman and the policies for which it stands are unquestionably doing more to help the re- tailer solve his prob- lems than any other factors, and this same manufacturer sub- scribes wholeheartedly to this policy, urging retailers to co-operate to the fullest extent. 40 BRAINS PLUS WORK. Secret of Success in the Grocery Busi- ness. Suppose an independent grocer mov- ed into the same block with three chain groceries. Suppose there was a chain drug store on the corner. What would be the result if this should happen in an average suburban community of an American city of a half million or so? I know one who did just that. He chose a spot where competition was as keen as it could be, and he is mak- ing more money than the three chains put together. Just how does he merchandise his goods so successfully? What is his secret? And is it a private system, or would it hold true for the average retail food dealer throughout the coun- try? Do the same rules apply to all retailers? In response to these and other questions he talked about his business and outlined the problems that were in the back of his mind while we sat in the rear of his store, watching his clerks meet the trade. “The chain store is the real bugaboo to the independent, offerings eternal price competition,” he said. “Still, it is competition which can be met successfully. The chain sells on price. That is its first and last appeal. We sell service and quality as well as groceries, and those are two commodi- ties the public wants a lot of. We even give the chain a run on price in many instances. “We chose the site purposely. The chains had stamped the district on the minds of the buyers as a retail section.” He continued: “The best way we have found to take customers away from these chains is to keep a more attractive store. The more appealing you can keep food arti- cles, the more you are going to sell. This is particularly true of the perish- ables. They must have a fair chance. Then they help to sell themselves. “The chains are clean enough. We try to be just as neat, and to go a step beyond, and add attractiveness, and even beauty. “Most of our customers at some time or other use the telephone in ordering—some of them regularly. Yet before they begin ordering by phone, they have to be ‘sold’ to give us their business. and the best ‘selling talk’ I ever found is a fresh-looking, appeal- ing layout of goods. The whole aspect has to please. When a woman walks into a store for the first time, appear- ance makes an impression on her. “We watch the chains’ prices close- ly, in their advertising, and keep ours down very close to theirs. If you ever noticed, a chain store’s prices fluctuate widely. My neighbors may advertise a standard canned peach at just what it costs them. When a woman buys a can from them, that stamps it in her mind that they sell canned peaches very reasonably. The next day they may raise their price a few cents, but those who bought on the bargain day keep the impression that they bought cheaply. To meet that, we put the price on that same canned peach a cent MICHIGAN TRADESMAN higher than their lowest and keep it there all the time. “We can do that if we can buy that peach for a low enough price. Right there is where the independent gro- cer’s hardest problem comes in. His success is in direct ratio to his ability as a buyer. He has to ‘shop’ more carefully than any of his fastidious We go to market ourselves every morning, starting about customers ever do. four. Farmers, commission merchants, wholesalers and manufacturers are our sources of supply. “Of the two sides, buying and sell- ing, we find that it takes a lot more mental alertness to buy intelligently. There is a good bit of bargaining with the wholesaler on the subject of dis- count and free case lots. When the manufacturer of canned soups, we'll say, makes a big drive for production, following a plentiful harvest of toma- toes, he will make the wholesaler such attractive large-lot propositions that he becomes over-stocked. “Then the wholesaler will possibly offer me the usual discount per hun- dred cases and a free case with every ten, instead of with the usual twenty- five or fifty. By watching for just such instances, we can buy just about as well as the chains can, even though independents are not equipped to club together in their buying as the chains do. In some cases we buy from manu- facturers direct. We don’t do as much buying for future delivery as we did. “We are lucky to be in that position. I have a cousin in Philadelphia who In. September he buys underwear for spring and sum- runs a haberdashery. mer. He has to guess whether two- piece or union suit, web or broad- cloth, will be in demand. An element of chance enters in the fall fluctuations of cotton prices. Now when we buy prepared cereals, for instance, we don’t have that to contend with. What buy- ing we do in advance we are pretty sure of. Coffee stays in style despite the seasons. “Wholesalers are a httle more anx- ious to please us than they were five years ago. They willingly make any changes or adjustments in orders to- day, where they formerly did it grudg- ingly or not at all. “Hand-to-mouth buying by retailers has the manufacturer worried, or at least, anxious. The wholesaler feels it, too, for the manufacturer wants him to buy more, and the retailers wants to buy less. We don’t like to keep a cent more tied up on our shelves than is absolutely necessary. The chains have made it a lot harder for the wholesaler, they tell me. “To get back to the selling end of the business, we are fortunate in that we do not have a serious credit prob- lem with our customers. In one period recently we sent out bills amounting to $150,000 and lost $400, and $300 of that was to a man who was stricken with paralysis and had three kids to feed. When you think that some of the larg- est steel companies have a credit loss of % to 2 per cent., you can see how When we shut off a man’s credit, we know that we are going to lose him, so we get a good report on each individual before grant- remarkable that is. ing credit. The great majority of our credit customers own their homes, which is a happy condition for us. “We have a fine staff of clerks. That is no accident. You might think the in- centive would be greater to work for a chain, where a hustling clerk could work up to be manager of his own store, with the added bait of a com- mission on certain sales. “The answer to this, which seems a riddle to some, is that there is plenty of opportunity for the individual to rise financially with us. We pay more than the chian does, and that is pretty generally the case throughout the coun- try. Forty dollars a week is a fair wage for a clerk, and we have one at forty-five and one at fifty. The fifty- dollar man has been with us two years. He started at thirty-five, and we just signed him to a five-year contract, with a thousand-dollar bonus each Christ- mas, at fifty a week. He made himself so valuable in the two years he was with us that we felt that we did well to sew him up for the long period. It has been our experience that there is no such thing as a bargain in human labor. If the money and the chance for more isn’t there, neither is the work that the man should do. “The big incentive that drives every real grocery clerk ahead is the dream of owning his own store. The inde- pendent really has the advantage over the chain in this respect, for we can take a good clerk away from the chain at any time by giving him more money, and the desire to own his own store is stronger than the urge to be a man- ager for some one else. Again, we pay the average clerk more than the chain manager gets, and we believe this is true throughout the country gen- erally. “Sometimes we get a valuable tip from a customer on what to sell. One day when we had been here about four months, a woman said to me, ‘If your store was only more like the market, I'd do all my buying here.’ That start- ed me to thinking. If she felt that way, how many more did? I added eighty lines of perishables that month —June, I think—and tried a lot of new meat lines. I kept adding new fresh goods all summer, and have kept more to the market type of store ever since. That was one of the biggest changes in policy I ever made, and it certainly paid. A customer only asks for an article once, and we get it, if at all practical. “The community really determines what we carry, you see. We are more fortunate than some, for this commun- ity is right ‘solid’ in the sense that the floating population is small. “Some women welcome suggestions when ordering, especially if it is for some special occasion that they’re buy- ing. Getting variety into the menu is a problem to some women, and they seem glad when we tell them that we have something just in that is seasonal. “Some women, on the other hand, will resent being advised in their selec- tion. Taken all in all, people know what they want when looking for food. The women do, anyhow. “Knowing the people you are selling Forty-fourth Anniversary to is a great help. One of the good women of the community did her shop- ping in person the other Saturday, and she sort of hesitated in her ordering. She was planning a light supper for Sunday evening. I ventured to help out with a few suggestions, and it worked. Her husband likes oysters, so I mentioned the fact that we had some choice ones, just in. In the end I sold her about $3 worth of goods she hadn’t thought of when she came in. There is at least the possibility of that in every sale. “Women usually like cut prices. The department store is probably responsi- ble for establishing this preference as a buying habit. So we cater to their desires, in form at least, by marking an article on the odd cent when pos- sible. Twenty-six cents suggest a mark-down, although it may be the opposite. If the price drops, it drops to 23 or 24 cents, not to 25. “Advertising, good as it is at pulling the cans and bottles off the shelves, plays some odd tricks, too. One wom- an wanted a can of well-advertised to- mato soup the other day. We were out of that brand but had the soup in another slightly less advertised brand. She looked at the can; it didn’t seem familiar. She then took consomme in the brand she asked for first. And so it goes. “Then there is the case of the Eng- lish family who lived about four miles away. Having a regular customer that far from the grocery store is unsual. They are regular customers because they were so pleased to find that we carried a fine orange-pekoe of a highly specialized, perfumed sort. They had been to the Orient — Hong Kong -- when he was attached to the English army, and both had right educated tastes for tea when they came to this community. Funny, but we had that tea by accident. We got it by mistake from a jobber who went out of busi- ness before we could return it. They were so tickled to find that I kept that brand that we have had every dollar of their trade since, and that was They had stopped in with one of my regular customers, and asked what kind of tea we had. several years ago. “Popular products change with the times. Prohibition has had some odd results. Take the ginger ale popu- larity. It is probably the National drink now. Five years ago we sold possibly five cases a week in the mid- dle of the summer. Now we will sell fifty a week in the same period and probably a dozen cases a week the year round. That sounds as though the people around here consumed a lot of gin, but I don’t think that’s all that accounts for it. Advertising is a strong factor in its popularity. “You may have noticed that its hard to find a can of tuna fish nowadays. The source is disappearing. ‘There is a shortage of yellowfin tuna. One of the largest of the packers was reported as only making a 15 per cent. delivery. It became so popular in the last few years that the supply is almost ex- hausted. The price is more than dou- bled. The price of salmon also is going up. And just before the new ¢ * + 356 . « * « oP, Le ” a, +4 # # ° ~ ¢ ~ * € * x 4 A ‘ + ad ‘ a i ‘ é i ‘ @ é * » . i" ‘ 4 a ~o » “ ‘ ‘ te ~~ - - fy TUE NO aaa <= + | Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 41 OCEANA CANNING CO. Quality Packers of Michigan Fruits SHELBY MICHIGAN 42 catch comes in it is a hard article to find among the wholesalers. “A food article that delicatessens did much to popularize is mayonnaise. Its popularity, on the other hand, cut into the sale of the ingredients from which the housewife made her own mayon- naise a few years ago. “There are some peculiar ideas about the selling of certain articles. Take the case of sugar. There is no real reason why a grocer should expect to make no profit on sugar except that it is a habit, and it is a custom that the whole country expects. It is a service the grocer performs for his customers but the customer seldom appreciates. “On the other hand, a bargain in sugar, say twenty pounds for a dollar on an occasional sale, is a delight to some o: the good ladies of the neigh- borhood. And when you have them thinking in such large terms you can sometimes sell them a dozen or so assorted cans for their company shelves, or a bushel of spuds, or a gallon of syrup. “T like to wait on the youngsters who come into the store myself, even if they only want a loaf of bread. I try to make the experience a pleasant From a business viewpoint that’s a good idea. Habit is strong in chil- dren. If they recall the last experience at the store was not all drudgery, they will be willing to return without as much parental pressure. It takes a little longer to fill a child’s order some- times, particularly if he has no list, but most women are human enough not to mind waiting the second or two longer that a kid takes. “The weather doesn’t affect business particularly, except prolonged wet or dry spells. “Some women like to do their shop- ping in person and buy more conser- vatively over the phone. There is one woman who always buys at the chain store next door on good days, but when it rains she condescends to call us on the phone because we deliver. Still I don’t pray for rain when I go to church. “Now and then a woman will cause a little unpleasantness in her zeal to return some article and get her money back because she is dissatisfied. Last summer one brought a leg of lamb back and demanded her money because it had a government stamp on it. Words are wasted on such customers so it is quickest and best to return the money without argument. Another woman wanted to return a fruit cake after Christmas because she did not like the woman who had given it to her. “The man of the house takes the greatest interest in two articles of diet —his coffee in the morning must suit him and the steak and chops or other meat must hit the spot at his dinner.” As we walked toward the door, he called attention to the neat glass cases with frosted pipes inside, which gave an appealing setting to the contents and to the vegetables displayed on white tile. Turning around to view his store as a whole, it was easy to see that he had made.a real achieve- ment with an attractive, well arranged one. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN organization, and as I walked out the door my final impression was of a finished and inviting window display. The cards seemed stacked against him when he moved in, yet he is winning. Lciled down and summarized, his se- cret of success is an old one—brains plus said, grinning, “We've got to know our groceries.” William Boyd Craig. ee The D/-fficult Road To the Devil. My favorite doctrine is that the easiest way is the best way; that a man may most surely make a success of his life by practicing the simple virtues, and, while about it, live a more comfortable and pleasant life than the man of bad habits. If this is not a new philosophy, I at least know no other who teaches it, or has taught it in the past. The teachers I am familiar with declare it is the wrong road that is broad and pleasant, and that those who are useful and well-behaved have few pleasures. I have long contended (and am al- most alone in this, also) that those who have only good will and love for their fellows cannot equal in well- doing those who have success to their credit. Nearly every man who accumulates a surplus finally accumulates, also, a disposition to help the weak. The selfish man with money cannot avoid doing some good; he helps others in making money and in spending it. Say he employes a number of men, as most rich men do, in one way or another. These workers, with their unions, see that they get justice, and as high wages as the traffic will bear. Our rich men do not hoard their gold, and gloat over it; they are great spend- ers, and leave a trail of prosperity be- hind them. The disposition of the rich to help others is growing and it has always been so prominent a human charac- teristic that most of our great insti- tutions of charity and learning have been founded by gentlemen who, hav- ing feathered their nests, begin late in life to give. Long experience has convinced men that the best way to make money, and attain success, distinction and useful- ness, is to exceed the average in good conduct; in politeness, promptness, re- liability, industry, temperance. The ancients made many mistakes: the worst one was starting the story that the broad way leads to hell. The light of thousands of years has brought out the fact that the road to Heaven is so easy that there should be no travelers on the difficult road to hell. E. W. Howe. work, or as he —_»>2>—___. ‘A poor boy in America has a chance. There is no wall in America so high but can be scaled by character ability and industry. This satisfaction with things as they are, and the eternal restlessness, are the carriers of Amer- ica’s progress. The spirit of progress, of adventure, caused our fathers to sign the Constitution, and the same spirit will keep it alive. Let the best people take a new heart interest in politics, in government and in our Constitution, and anarchy will be im- possible. Forty-fourth Anniversary FRIGIDAIRE F.C. Matthews & Co. | 111 Pearl Srreet GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Phone 93249 mmumasne A-| BREAD IS BETTER 4axD FRESHER MICHIGAN POTATOES IN CAR LOTS Miller Michigan Potato Company Wm. Alden Smith Building Grand Rapids ‘ Michigan ROCKWOOD SPRINKLER COMPANY Automatic Fire Protection Estimates on complete installation, meeting insurance re- quirements, furnished without obligation. Have postive fire protection and reduce insurance premiums. 216 HOUSEMAN BUILDING GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN PHONE 62674 GRAND RAPIDS PAPER BOXCo. | . Manufacturers of SET UP and FOLDING PAPER BOXES G RAN D R A PtIoOD-:S Mte-™- tz G AN Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 43 ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. (Continued from page 39) means: “Every tub on its own bot- tom!” An equality of opportunity for all, to be sure; but the penalty for failing to take the opportunity and make the best of it rests on the heads of the ones who fail. Such a concept fits in with much that we have done and are doing. Over in England there is a shortage of houses for the workers. What do they do? Government housing plans. What do we do here? Economize on production costs. Do everything we can to make home building possible under private enterprise. Then, or- ganize and supervise building and loan associations and co-operative banks, to make it possible for the working man to own his home, without government aid. That is our way. It is not the Eu- ropean way. And we have gone as far as we should in adopting over here the ways of Europe. There is where this pension idea came from. Let us stand up in our boots and say boldly that the United States is not that kind of a country. Here wages and con- ditions are such that a working man— every working man—can, if he will, accumulate his own competency. There may be no other land in the entire world where this can be done. But it can be done here. And if it can, it should! In short, my ideal for the people of the United States—the working peo- ple of the United States—is complete economic indepedence. If the coun- try is going to spend money to avert economic incompetence, it may best be spent in encouraging thrift, in stimu- lating economy, in pounding into the minds of our people the great idea of taking care of themselves. If we could save the thousands of people who each year fall a prey to the gold brick agent, we would be doing good work. There are claimants on state or town or city charity to-day, who lost what they might have had by lending a ready ear to the man who persuaded them, when they were forty, to give him their sav- ings and wake up next week rich. Let’s get rid of that and let’s bring up a generation which knows how to save itself. We might as well admit, for it is so, that it is not what a family earns that determines its wealth. It is how they use what they earn. Ten families, with the same income—a small income— will show some families that come to the vear’s end ahead of the game, while the others will be in debt and will be ready for bolshevism and every wild scheme that offers. These last know that they haven’t had a fair chance. The others say nothing, keep plugging away and keep out of the poorhouse. I think the poorhouse is a very good thing to have around. It is a standing warning to all who see it that there is where they will land, if they don’t watch out. And I would be sorry to see a benevolent state step into the field and take away that wholesome fear. It is a good thing for young Amer- icans to Forge, Independence Square, visit Bunker Hill, Valley Fallen Timbers Battle Ground and other such places where the fires of National pride may be kindled. In the same way, I think that a youngster should be taken to see the jail and made to understand that that is where thieves and defaulters and murderers land. Ditto to the poorhouse! Take your young son by his little hand and show him the poorhouse and let him get the idea that that is the worst disgrace that can come to a citizen of this land and that that is the place that awaits those who fail to take care of them- selves. And I would not make the poorhouse too attractive either! This thing is like the fear of hell. We need hell to keep certain people in line. Just so, in the field of eco- nomics, we need the poorhouse to keep people working for economic in- dependence. Old age pensions? By all means let us have them. But let us have them as they are being arranged for, right now, in true American fashion. Let us have them by the action of em- ployers in arranging them for their own people. Let us have them by the workers and their employers get- ting together to provide for them. Let us have them by either side, or both sides, taking advantage of the funda- mentally sound plans which the various insurance companies have put forth. These things are all American. But let us not do anything more in the United States in the way of shift- ing onto the shoulders of the state the burdens that belong on our own shoulders. It is the successful bearing of these burdens which raises up stur- dy, self-respecting men and women. The democracy which we prize in the United States was erected for us by a generation of men who stood on their own individual feet and fought their fights to a finish. Democracy depends upon such men and women for its suc- cessful continuance. Geo. E. MaclIiwain. —_22>—_ It is often much help to a commun- ity to get an outside point of view of its activities, achievements and ways of doing things. Recently a number of visitors from overseas, mostly archi- tects and engineers, came to look us over, to learn if we had anything to teach them, and hey unconsciously taught us not a little, if only to see ourselves as others ¢°+ us. What im- pressed them most, .pparently, was the magnitude of the skyscraper as a peculiarly American development, with its simplicity of form and decoration. Thy found a certain impressive uni- formity in the great masses of stone and steel with which we fill our ciites. In these they saw an expression of the national spirit, an evidence of our wealth and power. A somewhat dif- ferent impression was left in the minds of German police officials, who won- dered why, with all our efficiency in other directions, the American police have made so little use of the radio in pursuit of criminals. Their descrip- tions of the German methods in this field were detailed and helpful, and we might very well take a leaf out of the German book on man-hunting. SHAW-WALKER Steel File Letter Size Four Drawers - $28.00 = | BrxeYOFric NS) C Y Seana GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Foil CARTONS AND FOLDING PAPER BOXES Special Designs and High Class Color Work Our Specialty WOLVERINE CARTON CO. Phone 33961 BURTON and BURLINGAME GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. LOOSE LEAF Duplicate Statement System FOR THE RETAIL MERCHANT The Duplicate Statement System provides an accurate, safe and sim- ple method for keeping the accounts of Grocers, Butchers, Garages, Druggists, Hardware Dealers, Department Stores, Fuel and Feed and all other dealers, where itemized weekly or monthly statements are required. At the end of the month, or at any time when. a statement is required, the total month’s debits with the old balance added, less the credits, give the exact balance to date. Largest Retail Stationers in’ Western Michigan f e e The Tisch-Hine Co. MILO SCHUITEMA, President. OFFICE OUTFITTERS PRINTERS Manufacturing Stationers Systematizers Pearl St., Near the Bridge Grand Rapids, Mich. TELEPHONE 4243, TRUE GREATNESS. Consists In the Desire To Be Helpful. To say that there are several kinds and degrees of greatness is but to state an obvious fact. Nevertheless, facts that are obvious are frequently such as are most apt to be forgotten. Nor is it always remembered that the great- It est work has always gone hand in hand with the most fervent moral purpose. Too many there are, in various sta- tions of life, who, because they are un- able to do great things, seem to re- gard that as a sufficient excuse for not doing anything at all; while others ap- pear to be so much afraid of doing anything wrong that they deliberately refrain from doing good. Hence, many who are anxious to do great things often waste their life in waiting for an opportunity that never comes. At a time such as this, while there is a special demand for great men to do great things, those of us who are not great men and may never be called upon to attempt great things accord- ing to the popular estimate of great- ness, might do well to reflect that, since there are many little things close at hand claiming our attention, it is our duty, as well as our privilege and joy, to do them as they come, from a great motive—for the sake of the world about us. ‘Men resemble the gods,” says Cicero, “in nothing so much as doing good to their fellow creatures.” That there is no true greatness with- out genuine goodness is the lesson of all history. Men may be great in the sense of being distinguished for some physical endowment—such as exceptional size or strength. Others are deemed great because of superior intellectual gifts and brilliant accomplishments. Because of great capacity to organize armies and lead them to victory, history as- cribes to a few men the quality of greatness. Generally, however, as Horace Bushnell has said, the great and successful men of history are made such by the great occasions they fill. They are the men who had cour- age to meet such occasions. The youth is but a shepherd, but he hears through his panic-stricken countrymen the sin- ister threats of the giant champion of their enemies. The fire of patriotism seizes him, and in the spirit of his ideal he goes down to the army with nothing but his sling and stone and heart of faith, to lay that champion in the dust. He becomes a great mili- tary leader, and eventually the ruler of his country. As with that shepherd boy of Israel, so with all the great mas- ter-spirits of history, the defenders of the rights of men in every age—they are all made by the same law. As the world advances in intelligence and moral perception, the criterion of greatness changes accordingly. Many who in ages past were called great would not to-day be assigned to that category. For into the standard of greatness newer and higher elements have been introduced. To be ranked as truly great one must now be pos- sessed of something much more than physical prowess; something more than even ability temporarily to sway a mul- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN itude or to arouse a nation at every recurring crisis in its history. Genius alone does not secure the highest form of greatness. In their day, Alexander, Hannibal, and Napoleon were regard- ed as great men, but the luster of their achievements diminishes with every successive century. There was some- thing lacking in their characters, their motives, their purposes, which the ad- vaneing and ascending thought of the world at this day regards as essential to true greatness. Since Jesus lived and thought and worked in an obscure corner of the human world, the ideal of true great- ness has been changed. As belief in the high ideals which he set before mankind widens and deepens among men, so is the world’s conception of greatness modified and improved. Thus Jesus stands well first among the world’s great souls in those qualities which constitute the highest type of human greatness. Nor is the secret of his greatness obscured in mystery. The explanation is found in the fact that spirituality permeated his daily life. Hence, on the intellectual side, his wonderful intuition, insight, dis- crimination; while on questions involv- ing moral principles his decisions were quick and conclsive. His greatness aso consisted ci righteousness, justice, and love. His unselfishness, his desire to help and bless others, his self-sacri- ficing devotion to the higher interests of mankind, all reveal the source of his true greatness. Hence, also, the grad- ually extending and brightening radi- ance of his teaching—despite the spas- modic checks and occasional lapses caused by the surviving forces of “pedantic barbarism” and_ criminal “culture’—as the lengthening centuries spread the true knowledge of his char- acter and service over the world. The prominent characters of pre- Christian times, of all nationalities and creeds, which are still living forces in the world by virtue of their talents and examples, are those, and only those, who stood for noble causes and un- selfishly espoused the highest and best interests of mankind. For their good works mainly does the world hold them in veneration and give them a place in the category of those whom it calls truly great. The same is true with regard to the conspicuously great men and women since the dawn of the Christian era. From all their exam- ples the chief lesson for the living is, that in every case a high degree of goodness imparts the quality of great- ness to the life. The man or woman, whether known to the few or many, who serves in the social community, from the one desire to help, to make other pathways smoother, other lives happier, the world a little better, is entitled to be ranked among the truly great lives of the earth. en ne Knew His Bermudas. “l’m a very busy man, sir. What is your proposition?” “T want to make you rich.” “Well, and I’ll look it over later. I’m engaged in closing up a deal by which I expect to make $7 in real money.” leave your recipe with me Just now Forty-fourth Anniversary Store Fixtures Our store fixtures are equipped with the latest appliances to help you render greater service to your customers. We handle only well known es- tablished makes to insure you a long time service on the fixtures you buy here. Our mcthod of sell- ing, service, and quality, with lower prices, will convince you. Needs Every Merchant Desks Chairs ‘Tables Counters Scales GRAND RAPIDS STORE FIXTURE CO. MISS N. FREEMAN, Mer. 7 IONIA AVE., N. W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. MARION RUBBER CO. GRAND RAPIDS MARION CHICAGO COLUMBUS DETROIT Glove Rubber Footwear Keds Kozy Kick’s Slipper Line QUICK SHIPMENTS NATIONAL CASH REGISTERS New and Rebuilt : New model 5c to $1.95. Price $60.00. New model for Garages Ic to $59.99. Price $2 With department keys and paid out. nn Easy monthly payments—No interest. A. J. CRON 66 Ottawa Grand Rapids, Mich. Tel. 5-1772 ie aaaaaeeaiaNNEEEEEnEenemnn cor ao a Forty-fourth Anniversary As the Banker Sees Construction Loans. The mortgage loan banker dealing in construction loans holds more than a nominal position in the real estate development and prosperity of our country. To him may be charged, in no small degree, an overproduction of buildings of all types, should such an occasion present itself. By careless use of commitments much havoc is wrought, both to the investing public and to the real estate market. The banker making commitments is charged with the duty of preventing overproduction of hotels, office build- ings, apartments, stores and homes. Buildings already erected will take care of themselves in due time, but the continuous erection of buildings that are not necessary only tends to create building depression and _ depreciates values. Overproduction in any commodity is more serious than underproduction. If we use precaution in making com- mitments for construction loans, mak- ing sure of the absolute necessity of such buildings as are under construc- tion, a real estate market will always have a sound footing. There is no question that the ex- perience of companies engaged in the mortgage loan field all over the coun- try has proven that increased business always follows the offer to advance funds during the course of construc- tion of improvements on mortgaged property. If the borrower can obtain a mortgage which not only takes care of him during the construction period, but is also his permanent mortgage, it lifts the double burden of cost which is invariably incident to getting a short-time construction loan and then refinancing and placing the permanent mortgage. It is, of course, the possi- bility of this increased volume of busi- ness which interests the mortgage loan investor and leads him to consider con- struction loans. The method of handling preliminaries to construction loans is as follows: Application is made in the usual way, setting up all details as if the building were actually erected, submitting with the application complete plans and specifications. These plans must be carefully checked as to the construc- tion, general floor plans, location of elevators, stairs, doors, windows, fire- escapes or other exists. The general type and character of the building must be suited to the location of the land, both as to the present and future use, and the possible income, taxes, and other expenditures, together with the ability of the borrower to meet the obligation. The use to which the property is to be put must be given careful consider- ation as to the general location, im- mediate surroundings, prospects for future, whether there will be an in- crease or decrease in values, accessi- bility to schools, churches, transporta- tion and improvements, such as paving, water, sewer, gas and electric light. Cheap and inferior materials are some- times used by builders as a saving to themselves, with a future loss to the real owner of the property. The amount of the loan is deter- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 45 mined by the reproduction value of the building as determined from plans and specifications or from buildings as de- termined from plans and specifications or from buildings under construction and plans, plus land value properly balanced, on the total of which we loan 50 per cent. as is the custom in Mich- igan, except in bond issues, in which case we are allowed to go up to 65 per cent. of value of land and buildings combined. The property as a whole is considered and an amount recommend- ed, and, if accepted by the applicant, the title is brought to date. It is becoming the custom to have title insurance from responsible com- panies engaged in that work. The title having been found = satisfactory, the mortgage papers are prepared for exe- cution. After the papers have been executed and recorded and a survey showing dimensions and location of lot, together with a sketch and meas- urements of the building located on the lot, and fire insurance policies with loss payable to the mortgagee with re- sponsible companies, to cover at least the amount of the loan, and in some cases tornado insurance, the borrower is then ready to draw upon the funds which have been placed in separate construction loan accounts. No money is disbursed unless the building has reached a point of construction from which the money in the construction loan account will complete the building and pay all bills of labor and material. Proper inspection must be made of the building, consulting with the contrac- tor, with the plans and specifications, and a sworn statement is taken from the contractor as to the condition of accounts paid or unpaid, or contracted for. First and foremost, of course, is the danger of mechanics’ liens being placed, which will be prior to the mortgage lien on the property and which result from_unpaid accounts for labor or material. It has been well said that the provisions of the me- chanics’ lien law in most of the states are such that the only real protection afforded a mortgagee is his own dili- gence and care. The laws of most states covering mechanics’ liens were apparently drawn with the idea of pro- tecting the unfortunate who furnishes material and labor and whose bill is unpaid. This is well enough and is as it should be, perhaps; but the possi- bility of loss to an owner of property who happens into the hands of an unscrupulous or dishonest builder does not seem to have been considered at all. In almost any of the states, liens may be filed which would exceed the cost of the improvements as called for by the original contract and the property be held liable therefore, leav- ing the owner only a_ civil action against the builder for his loss. As the mortgagee holds his interest in the property by virtue of conveyance from the title holder, his claim is affected by liens which are good as against the owner. Bart H. Manning. —_—_+->—____ Practice makes perfect, but mere repetition is not practice. 22 Big fish are not afraid of deep water. MORE MONEY IS LOANED on a building built of BRICK than on any other kind! Why? BECAUSKE, it is almost everlast- ing, has no depreciation or dete- rioration of any moment, and will not burn down. THEREFORE, the investment is always a good one, and because of no upkeep expense, such as re- pairs, painting and insurance, more is paid on the loan and it is reduced faster. SAND LIME BRICK is beauti- ful, economical and the safest and best material for all building pur- poses, whether it be “sky-scrapers,” factories, residences, garages, base- ments and foundations, porches, drives, walks, garden walls or any other construction. IDEAL WALL construction of Sand Lime Brick is most econom- ical type of Brickwork known, and as low in cost as frame. We will be peased to help in any of your building problems. GRAND RAPIDS | | GRANDE BRICK CO. 46 SOME WAYS TO AVOID LOSSES. Solution of Problems By a Hard Headed Merchant. In my judgment the most efficient and valuable servant of the hardware store is the one who keeps the closest tab on the stock. No statement made within my hearing so ruffles my good nature as “We are out of those to-day,” when made by a clerk in answer to a request from a customer we have spent valuable time and hundreds of dollars getting to come in and preparing to serve. To my mind it is the most inexcus- able blunder a retailer can make and smacks of carelessness, laziness or in- competency. It is a two-edged sword depriving us of a profit, destroying the customer’s confidence in the complete- ness of our stock and sending him or her to find what she store of a competitor. You know what the feeling is when wants in the you have received that reply a few times at any store where you have been accustomed to trade. I confess it is quite difficult to get employes to remember to make nota- tion in stock or want book when the last or nearly the last of any article has been sold and occasionally I find the proprietor guilty of the same over- sight. These conditions, with others of like character, cause me to ask myself if we proprietors are quite as thought- ful and earnest now as in the days gone by. Do clerks try as hard to make sales as they used to and when they fail to make the sale do they ask the customer to wait and let the head salesman, manager or proprietor talk with them? Or do they, through in- difference or jealousy, fearing someone else might make the sale, let the cus- tomer go out? When this occurs we all realize that loyalty and co-opera- tion are lacking. I wonder to what extent are we get- - ting away from old and out-of-date notice that others are more up-to-date in stock, assort- ment and arrangement, and if so do we profit by this discovery and permit it to find expression in an improved condition of our own business? Present day merchandising demands cutting loose from all old and out-of- date methods, in bringing ourselves as well as our stock up to the minute and we often find the former more difficult to accomplish. When complacency and satisfaction have control of our men- tal attic the business pace slackens! I believe one of the evidences of wakefulness is when we pay less at- tention to the sale of profitless staples and more to specialties and that class of goods where salesmanship counts and profits increase. In taking on new lines do we and our clerks really know the goods? Can we talk them intelligenly and in- terestingly? Have we made a study of them that will enable us to show wherein they are superior to others in the same class? To my mind this is salesmanship, not in a multiplicity of shallow and meaningless statements that befog the customers’ minds and prevent them methods. Do we MICHIGAN TRADESMAN from the exercise of their own judg- ment but rather such as assists them to reach a favorable conclusion. We all know how disgusted one gets when he falls into the hands of one of those perpetual motion windmill salesmen. He gets out as soon as possible and does not enter that store again until he has to. Know your goods and interest your customer by giving information of value. We complain of competition, but, gentlemen, is it not a fact that it is more in relation to staples than other goods? Is there not more profit in the sale of a sewing machine or power washer than in a ton of nails? Do we find the drug and department stores han- now relies on the magnetic influence of a blank stare. Many dealers conscientiously serve their business early and late, their store is well located and they appear to enjoy a good trade and yet at the close of the year they find they have not had that measure of success to which they believed themselves en- titled. Investigation usually discloses that one reason, and often a major one, was the failure to locate and stop what may properly be called invisible leaks, called that, because individually they are small and trifling, but in the ag- gregate they bulk large. I wonder how many dealers check over their freight bills as to rate, ex- tension and footing. If this is not Hon. C. L. Glasgow. dling nails, bar iron, horse shoes, barb wire or fencing? Certainly not; they have selected the easy selling, clean handling, stock turning and profit mak- ing goods and leave us to carry the bulky, dirty and heavy investment ar- ticles. We must carry these, ‘tis true, but I believe the only way to get and keep even with those trade pirates is for us to give more attention to the profit- paying lines and not so much to those where price is the only consideration. We cannot well indulge in a poetic effusion regarding the perfect form, fine polish and penetrating quality of the particular nail we carry, but many nice, interesting and illuminating state- ments can be made about much of our stock whose sale in too many instances deemed necessary or worth while why is it that freight auditors will, through your association, audit your freight blls on a fifty-fifty basis? Why should we lose all or even one- half of this amount for if they can maintain offices, pay experts and all the expense incident to the conduct of their business or this part of their business for one-half the overcharges they find, certainly we can afford to do what is necessary for all of it. True we are not experts but we can recover and save a greater portion of this loss by a very simple method. We buy the larger portion of our goods from a limited number of jobbers and manufacturers, therefore our shipments move over the same course and be- tween the same points many times a Forty-fourth Anniversary year. It takes but a short time to select a few freight bills from each of these points, note the classes and rates under which your shipments move, record these in a small book within easy reach in your office and refer to it when paying your freight bills, with the proper rate before you. If you find the weight correct it is a very simple matter to follow out the extension and footings. One hour will suffice in which to gather this informa- tion. Don’t simply ask some employe if a certain shipment has arrived and then pay the freight and throw the bill in the drawer. The same care should be exercised when checking invoices. The people who perform this clerical work are employed at so much per, with little if any interest in our welfare and their errors against us are an expense to us and not to them. Another leak we must watch is the excess use of the telegraph, telephone, parcel post and express. A customer calls for something we are out of, we do not want to lose the sale nor the customer so we offer to wire or phone for the article and have it come by express or parcel post if he will wait. The order and transporta- tion charge is in many instances 10 per cent. of the cost and in others more than the margin on the sale. You ask what would be the proper thing to do. Let the customer find it elsewhere? If not, how can this ex- pense be avoided? Very simply. Keep closer watch oi your stock and if the article asked for is regular you should have it on hand with a transportation expense not in excess of the freight charge and with- out any addition for telegraph or tele- phone. Every store should have a paper bal- er or similar receptable in which to place torn and worthless paper, string, etc. But it often proves a handy place in which to hide what might well be used to advantage. Many shipments are made up of packages securely wrapped, in a good quality of paper and well tied. If these wrappings are carefully removed, the paper and string can later be used with profit, but if hastily or carelessly re- moved, and torn and cut, into the baler they go to be sold for one-tenth their value. Carelessness on the part of employes results in material loss, especially in the handling of cutlery, saws, edge tools. etc. It is well known that the natural moisture of the hand causes rust spots on polished surfaces more quickly than anything else and yet clerks will thoughtlessly or carelessly, after handling and allowing the cus- tomer to handle such articles, return them to stock, forgetting to wipe them dry and restore the polish. If these same articles happen not to be handled again for a time rust spots appear which cannot be entirely re- moved and when these goods are eventually sold it must be at a discount, which represents a definite loss. Other articles of merchandise be- come injured or broken and are set (Continued on page 52) CI ¥ , * § te? 4 a « 4 ' » "< b>” 4 > <& *s . “7 é > Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 47 | Piles Cured Wirhour the Knife E CURE PILES, FISTULA AND | all other diseases of the rec- a tum (except cancer) by an original painless dissolvent method of our own, without Chloroform or Knife and with no danger whatever to the patient. Our treatment has ‘Ay | been so successful that we have built up the largest practice in the world in this line. Our treatment is no experiment but is the most successful method ever discovered for the treatment of diseases of the rectum. We have cured many cases where the knife failed and many desperate cases that had been given up to die. "<< 6 : 4 HU WE GUARANTEE A CURE FOR EVERY 7 By eirrrices CASE WE ACCEPT OR MAKE NO nee CHARGE FOR OUR SERVICES We have cured thousands and thousands from all parts of the United States and Canada. We are receiving letters every day from the grateful people whom we have cured, telling us how thankful they are for the wonderful relief. We have printed a bock explaining our treatment and containing several hundreds of these letters to show what those who have been cured by us think of our treatment. We would like to have you write us for this book as we know it will interest you and it may be the means of RELIEVING YOUR AFFLICTION also. You may find the names of your friends in this book. We are not extensive advertisers as we depend almost The Largest Institution in the World for the wholly upon the gratitude of the thousands we have cured , Treatment of Piles, Fistula and All Other for our advertising. You may never see our ad again, so you Diseases of the Rectum [Except Cancer] better write for our book to-day before you lose our address. MORTON HOTEL GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN ‘ fie ae ieee ea — — ———— 48 CONSTRUCTIVE CREDIT WORK Must Know How a Man Keeps His Books. “You have your choice. Either you show me an accurate profit and loss statement every month or you get no more credit here. Your business can be made to pay but with no adequate accounting system it will never meet expenses.” It was a bitter pill that Donald Jamieson, credit manager was admin- istering to Chrales Makepeace Simp- son. The fortune inherited from his uncle had led Simpson to strut around and boast that he would show others how a business ought to be conducted. Now, though he had a large volume of sales, his. capital was tied up or used up and this last stroke meant the excellent credit. end of his previous Other credit managers had left him no alternative but cash. “Most business men fail because they lack capital,” Simpson had said when he started in business. “I’ve enough capital so I don’t need to worry about that. not make a great success.” store he had sailor. There’s no reason why I should 3efore opening the spent money like a drunken Completely remodeled show windows, new floors, the very best equipment, and stock enough for a store twice its size were some of the directions in which the money went. His first advertising was in volume great enough to make other advertisers gasp and the advertising salesmen for smile. Good Lookers Are Frequently Good Listeners. I consider the following one of the best sales I ever made. A lady entered the store one day, apparently merely shopping, stating that she would soon be in the market for a stove and would like to see what we had. It happened that I was personally acquainted with the lady and knew that she was financially able to buy any priced stove that I might be able to sell her. Just a few weeks previous I had had a demonstration of our range from a factory representative and was all sold myself on its merits. I passed several small stoves and ranges and stopped in front of the best we had in the store. The lady im- mediately stated that she wouldn’t be interested in a range like that, for a smaller, cheaper stove was what she wanted. I asked her permission to demonstrate this range, and she laugh- ingly said that I would be wasting my efforts, but that if I had the time I might show it to her. I called her attention first to its con- struction, then to its unbreakable .qual- ities, its hot water capacity and last (the customer being a woman) to its beauty and the convenience and at- tractiveness of its different parts. Af- ter saying about all that I thought she would be interested in, I stated that it was the most remarkable range I had ever seen for the price. She stated that she really liked the range and thanked me for the demon- stration, saying that she would talk it over with her husband and let me know. The next morning her husband came in and laughingly said that I had gotten him into trouble; that his wife had told him to stop and see a range that we had and that he wanted to see it, stating that they had ex- pected to buy a nice stove for about $50. I asked him if he had a few minutes he could spare for a demonstration, and he said “Yes.” After giving him the same demonstration, I closed with the argument that at the price I had made, and supposing that they would want to buy a new one in eighteen or twenty years, they had paid only about $6.50 per year for service and satis- faction. The result was that right after noon that same day his wife telephoned me and asked that I send the range up that afternoon, saying that they had decided not to wait any longer. This lady who was “just looking” bought, and her satisfaction has been reflected several times through her recommen- dation of a range that she at first thought too high. I have found that a thorough knowledge of the article to be sold is the most essential part of the selling. A. E. Barlar. —_~22.____. Remorse for bad thinking doesn’t compensate for the damage done. ——_—_2-29___. Morale develops as fear vanishes. cast iron - < » a » i « oa ‘> i 4 ; “ S s a 9 hd Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 49 The House of Quality .. Rademaker-Dooge Grocer Company Grand Rapids, Michigan © Distributors of PETER PAN PEAS PETER PAN CORN LARABEE FLOUR AMERICAN BEAUTY OATS ELKS PRIDE CATSUP MORNING CUP COFFEE BREAKFAST CHEER COFFEE BOUQUET TEA RA-DO TEAS The House of ee 50 EASIER TO SELL GOODS When Properly Grouped and Arranged For Convenience. Not the least important of the many problems faced by the management of the modern department store is that of determining the manner of group- ing “forward stock” in the various sec- tions that will best suit the conveni- ence of customers, ensure the expendi- ture of a minimum of time and effort on the part of the clerks in making sales and increase volume generally. In the solution of this problem a cap- ably manned planning department is of great assistance to department man- agers. Just what can be done along this line by such a department, in ad- dition to its other activties, is shown by the experience of R. H. Macy & Co., Inc. To begin with, the “forward stock” problem must be considered by the Planning Department from the selling point of view as well as from the buy- ing, in order best to satisfy the needs of all concerned. Just what is meant by this may be shown by actual illus- trations of stock rearrangements that have been made in certain “size depart- ments” in the Macy store on the rec- ommendations of the Planning De- partment. One of these had to do with the arrangement of stock in the kid glove section of the glove depart- ment. The problem here was to take care of customers during the rush period with as much speed and as little At Christmas time, for instance, it was observed that confusion as possible. the gloves were allowed to lie on the counters because the clerks apparently found it difficult to put them away and also serve customers as fast as Obviously, when the stock was left on the counters, instead Was necessary. of being put in the proper drawers, confusion resulted. Some change of equipment was sug- gested, but it was thought advisable to attack the problem first from the Investi- gation showed that several plans of point of stock arrangement. arrangement were in use under each different factors of price, style number, color and size entering into the classification in a different order of importance. For example, “short kids” were classified by price, style, number, size and color: washable suedes by price, style num- general style division, the ber, color and size, and fancy gloves by price, style number, trimming, color and size. Studies showing the length of time required to make a sale and the pro- portion of that time used in opening drawers to get out stock and closing them to put it away were made. The conclusion was reached that too much time was spent in finding merchan- dise and putting it back. It was also determined that if one system of stock arrangement were adopted the hand- ling of the stock would be greatly sim- plified, especially for inexperienced clerks. The next point was the question which classification to adopt, with the idea that the least variable factor, from the customer’s point of view, should be first in importance. This factor MICHIGAN TRADESMAN was size, and a plan was drawn up showing size as the major classifica- tion under the general division of style. It was discarded on consultation with the clerks, however, due to the fact that certain sizes, especially 614, 6% and 634, were so popular that it would be inadvisable to concentrate them in one place, as the plan provided. Three other plans were worked out and rejected for various reasons, but the fifth one was adopted. This pro- vided for price as the first factor in the classification of stock then size— the same size being placed in the same position in each tier of drawers in the fixtures with the most popular sizes at the most convenient height for the clerks—color, and finally style num- ber. Briefly put, under the old classi- cation each drawer contained one style number and all sizes of that style. Under the new, each drawer contains one size and one major classification, with all styles of that classification. The result of the change has been a cutting down of selling time and effort and a corresponding increase in sales. Another example of the work of the Planning Department in assisting de- partment managers in increasing sales was that done in the section devoted to hand-made lingerie for women. The old arrangement of the stock showed various articles placed separately in certain price groups. The main dif- ficulty with this arrangement was that it did not take the customer into first consideration, as the new arrangement does. If she wanted a nightgown and step-ins, for instance, she found them at opposite ends of the counter. She had to select one article and then go to the other end of the counter for the second, or else the clerk had to take many extra steps. Besides inconveni- encing the customer this arrangement of stock slowed down sales. There was also the difficulty that the clerks tended to bunch in the nightgown sec- tion, where the sales were for greater amounts. Two new arrangements were sug- gested by the Planning Department, both of which emphasized the advan- tage of classifying the merchandise by size, rather than price and article. In placing stress on size these factors were borne in mind: 1. Size remains customer, even though her ideas on price, style and garment may change. 2. Suggestive selling is easy, because all garments of the customer’s size are grouped in She not only sees this other merchandise, but the clerk is enabled to show its fine points to her with a minimum of effort. 3. Mer- chandise distributed in the department by size places both expensive and in- expensive goods in one section. The clerks are therefore willing to stay in the section to which they are assigned, as their chances of making big sales are the same in all sections. constant for each one place. After the stock had been rearranged according to the suggestion of the Planning Department it was found that it was easier for the customer to buy when all garments of her size were in one section. It is also easier for the clerk to tell the customer whether she can give her a garment she wants Forty-fourth Anniversary STAR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER CO. ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS AUTOMATIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS Our Sprinklers are protecting millions of dollars worth of property in this vicinity - - - - : GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN John T. O’Brien Andy J. Egan Expert Chemical Service Products analyzed and duplicated Processes developed and improved All work by graduate chemists or chemical engineers INDUSTRIAL LABORATORIES, INC. Analytical, Consulting, Research Chemists and Chemical Engineers Walter K. Schmidt, B.Se. Pres. Elmer F, Way, B.Sc., Ch.E. Secy. & Treas. 127 Commerce Ave., S. W., Grand Rapids, Michigan. ODIN The recognized standard of value in 5c CIGARS OSCAR ORWANT Eggs at Wholesale 343 MT. VERNON AVENUE, N. W. GLASS CHURCH WINDOWS LEADED GLASS AUTOMOBILE WINDSHIELDS AND DOORS MIRROR Grand Rapids Art Glass and Mirror Works FRONT AND FULTON STREETS 4 < fe > ‘ . 4 igs 4 | 4 7 > s » " oe -; ‘ ‘ s 4 1 ) -} « : « é > x in ¢ ‘ ° ‘a . 4 *. / ' Fi ' ’ ia. i} * 9g ‘ , 2 ” e + a | & 4 < ae < > a j a ¢ ‘iM = a 4 Ay 4 ” i} FL i * ‘ ‘ . ’ Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 51 in her ‘size. The stock space is also used to greater advantage by produc- ing a better distribution of merchan- dise under each size and, therefore, it is more productive. _ A very important part of the Plan- ning Department’s work is to investi- gate the difficulties that department managers have because of lack of space in which to carry on additional busi- ness. A study of one such problem, that of the drug department, brought to light the fact that while a certain counter carried 700 items, forty arti- cles supplied the bulk of the business. By increasing tse space devoted to these articles and curtailing that given to the slower selling items it was found possible to increase the department’s sales very substantially without in- creasing the space devoted to it. Rearrangement of certain stock ig the hosiery department, following a study of the situation by the Planning Department, produced a similar result. —N. Y. Times. —_~+--+__ Age Has Actual Advantage Over Youth. What makes youth good is enjoying life as it is and seeing it new for oneself. The joys of youth are in the dreams of accomplishment. Advancing years deflate these dreams and bring one face to face with reality. And so as we get older we begin to look back wistfully at youth. AI! of which is nonsense. There seems to be no good reason why we cannot carry along into our later years the spirit of adventure. Youth's triumph is its atttude toward life. Youth is open-minded. Age can also be open-minded. Age has an ac- tual advantage over youth in that it enjoys experience, judgment and culti- vated powers of appreciation. We all knew men and women who have conquered the usual disabilities of age. They are superor at sixty to what they were at thirty. The notion that youth has a monop- oly on initiative and energy was given a good shaking by W. R. Hotchkin, a successful advertising man, in an ar- ticle in Advertising and Selling. Mr. Hotchkin resents the line which appears so often in “Help Wanted” advertising, “the applicant must not be over thirty-five.” Mr. Hotchkin believes that the real bargains are among men of fifty and sixty. “The greatest piece of merchandis- ing and promotion work ever done in the history of retailing was the resur- rection of that old wreck of a store at Tenth street and Broadway (in New York City) back in 1896.” says Mr. Hotchkin. “It had broken a series of successors to A. T. Stewart and all the wise ones had said that its loca- tion was absolutely dead for retailing. “But Robert C. Ogden, then past sixty years of age, was given the en- tire management, as resident partner, by John Wanamaker; and that store leaped to the front until it led them all in volume of sales, and even more definitely in volume of net profits, for which a store exists. And Mr . Ogden, with his own hand and pen, wrote most of the early advertising of the store; wrote those amazing editorials in the purest English, with impelling sales content; and also wrote much of the detailed merchandise copy besides. That in addition to managing and merchandising every division of the store!” Modern youth is weak on the profit side of a business, contends Mr. Hotchkin. With youth too often it is sales, sales, sales, and at the end of the year the books reveal no profit. “Why,” he exclaims, very few men know what profit means until they have passed forty years of age.” He tells of a survey he made of a certain large department store. The survey revealed that the five more profitable departments were managed by the oldest executives. First stood a woman past fifty; next a woman past sixty; third a man past fifty-five, and fourth a woman of seventy! Three of the managers had operated their de- partments for more than forty years. “They knew,” he comments, “exact- ly how to keep their stocks, get con- stantly increasing sales volume and make gratifying net profits. And many of the youthful managers were losing a lot of money that the elderly man- agers had made.” It is a long time since we have read such a vigorous exposition of the achievements of seasoned experience. Although under forty ourselves, we found refreshment in Mr. Hotchkin’s point of view.—Through the Meshes. ——_+-2-. Golden Rules cf Success. 1. Honor the Chief. There must be a head to everything. 2. Have confidence in yourself, and make yourself fit. 3. Harmonize your work. Let sun- shine radiate and penetrate. 4. Handle the hardest job first each day. Easy ones are pleasures. 5. Do not be afraid of criticism— criticize yourself often. 6. Be glad and rejoice in the other fellow’s success—study his methods. 7. Do not be misled by dislikes. Ac‘d ruins the finest fabric. 8. Be enthusiastic about your work —it is contagious. 9, Do not have the notion that suc- cess means simply money-making. 10. Be fair and do at least one de- cent act every day in the year. ——_2-2-. He Was Sharp. An old man heard of a famous sur- geon who could restore youth by per- forming a gland operation. Going to the physician, the old man said: “Could you make me seventeen years old?” “Certainly I can,’ the surgeon re- sponded, and the operation was_per- formed. Several months later the doctor sent a bill. “Nothing doing,” the patient re- sponded. “I am under age and you cannot sue me, and if you say I am not under age, I'll sue you for fraud.” ——».2+2—___ The first sandwich was said to have been made in the seventeenth century. Replicas of the original are exhibited in glass cases at all railway stations. " . ~ n {ne née co zc) fax goat ” oF mat OR results never before obtained in combating \ household insect pests, use fe Tanglefoot Spray. It gets \ them all, and kills forever. Tanglefoot Spray is the most powerful andeffective general insecticide that can safely be used indoors under all conditions. It harms nothing but insects. Tanglefoot quality costs no more than inferior substi- tutes. For killing flies, moths, mosquitoes, roaches, bedbugs, ants and fleas it is unsurpassed. Good dealers near you sell it. é ~ THE TANGLEFOOT COMPANY Ss Grand Rapids, Michigan em See ae eS , ~ 0-309 ee ™ 52 SOME WAYS TO AVOID LOSSES (Continued from page 46) aside for attention later. From time to time they are moved towards the rear and out of the way, possibly back to the shop and are overlooked where become dusty and unsightly and finally reach the dump. Such care- lessness results in waste that can and should be avoided. A clerk in doing up a small drinking cup often uses enough paper, string and gum tape to wrap up a dish. Just a small matter you say and that is true, but repeat it a thousand times and estimate the loss aside from the un- sightly appearance of the package. You may think these things small and in fact too small to notice but the increased competition and_ reduced margins in present day merchandising demand that all preventable losses be eliminated. You will be surprised at results if you carefully check up on these items for one busy month; you will also be surprised how easily these losses can be reduced once you try it. We also must make it more difficult to reach into the cash register for ten, twenty-five or fifty cents to meet some little expense that might have been avoided or met by some other method. I do not mean that we should be nig- gardly or stingy, but careful and thrifty: Competition may determine your selling price but never your ex- pense, 1f you keep your hand on the brake. No doubt we all take several trade journals; sometimes I believe more than necessary. I hope all of you at- tend your state conventions for from both of these sources you may receive many valuable suggestions, but I have often asked the question, how many of us have put into practice those sug- gestions made from the platform and which we so generously applauded or those made in many of the splendid articles appearing in our trade jour- nals. How many of us read carefully our trade journals and get our employes to read them? How many remove the wrapper and pile them on the office desk and still worse, how many pile them there and fail to open them ex- cept in search of market report or A pure waste of money aside from passing up a lot of valuable iniorma- tion. You might better take one good one and read it thoroughly and save the subscription price of the others. However, you will not be too well posted if you study them all. It is unfortunate that we spend so much valuable time and money placing our goods in the hands of people who do not pay. I believe we need a few lessons in parlor nerve, that is, the art of refusing credit in such a positive vet gracious manner as not to offend but retain the customer's cash trade. We must watch the credit side of our business more closely especially those who do a partial payment or instalment business. One lost account may equal the profit on several sales. There is to-day a wide difference of opinion on this subject in government as well as business circles, but personally I be- lieve the instalment method of selling MICHIGAN TRADESMAN up to the limit of the customer's earn- ing power (barring sickness) may prove an asset but beyond that a lia- bility and the fact that so many cus- tomers fail to notice that danger line is an argument against it. I believe in carrying nationally ad- vertised merchandise—it is. easier sold. I also believe in stocking uncondi- tionally guaranteed goods; however, some embarrassment may result if this guarantee is not properly used. I sug- gest not over-emphasizing the manu- facturer’s guaranty. Do not unduly stress it in making sales. It protects you all right but in selling guarantee the goods yourself. You are the one the customer looks to and as often as you make good the guaranty the cus- tomer gives vou full credit and it will prove much better advertising than posing as the agent of the manufac- turer. I am not a believer in over- working the manufacturer’s guaranty. It is often abused and in making ad- justment vou impose on the manufac- turer, or offend the customer and some- times both. I believe in the old adage, “The less said the easier mended.” C. L. Glasgow, President Michigan Retail Hardware Association. —_» +. How To Make Stcne Soup. The other day a Boston sales man- ager had a heart-to-heart talk with a memebr of his force who seemed to have all the “makings” of a salesman, but who turned in too many call cards marked: “Nothing at present.” Said the sales manager: “No does not always mean no. You must get what you go after, even if it becomes necessary to make stone soup.” Like most of us, the salesman had never heard of this particular brand, and his curiosity was aroused. The sales manager handed him a card on printed the following amusing and instructive fable: “A traveler asked for a bite at a lordly mansion, but was told by the servants they had nothing to give him. “*Sorry for it,’ said the good-natur- which vas ed man, ‘but perhaps you will allow me to boil a little water on your fire to make soup from this stone.’ “This wes so novel a request that the curiosity of the servants was awakened, and they readily supplied saucepan, water, a spoon and a place on the fire. The stone was added to the hot water, and then the traveler 1 asked if he might have a litile salt and pepper for seasoning. These were supplied. The water was stirred brisk- ly and then tasted. “Tf you have a few fragments of meat and vegetables and an_ onion,’ suggested the smiling stranger, ‘it will make my stone soup fit for a king.’ “These were readily forthcoming. ““Just a dash of catsup or any other Sauce, continued the soup-maker, and he was given his choice. “When the ingredients were fully boiled, the hungry traveler first asked each of the servants to take a taste. They declared in great surprise that the stone soup was excellent. He then proceeded to eat his fill.” Moral: Do not grab your hat and run when informed that they have nothing to giye you. Forty-fourth Anniversary is Brothers Company Grand Rapids take pleasure in announcing their New Location 300-308 ELLSWORTH AVENUE Phone 4253 e We are now moved into our New Building which gives us more facilities to render a par-excellence service of our fine quality fruit and vegetables. Prompt Deliveries on all orders Belding Basket Co. Belding, Michigan Manufacturers of Baskets We especially call attention to Our Line of Baskets Fig. 32 Common Drop Handle Diamond Markets Fig. 30 Extra Quality Diamond Market We also make canvas cases for laundry, factory and shipping purposes. Also full line of Canvas Products. No matter what your needs may be we can supply them. Send for illustrated catalogue and quota- tions by the dozen or the carload. © . j * bet | C 3 s < > « ¥ ‘- . (mee 4 i » mS « 4 » € » 1 « ue ‘ > ¢ , . eo * A s « ‘ . ‘ 7 1 ,; 2 7 ‘ tL ° ae ? <« , ¥ | « q L \ < ‘ » < « > i <«% > & h .) vie ~ a a } > < > or StU \ Forty-fourth Anniversary JUSTICE AND THE LAW. Changes Needed To Obtain Proper Administration. Attendance at the recent Institute of Politics at Williamstown, as a mem- ber of the Round Table on the main contrasts between the Anglo Saxon and Continental systems of law, has crystallized ideas on the subject of law reform which the writer has considered during twenty-one years of practice, supplemented by seven years of active commercial experience, Most of the present criticism of the law has been directed against legal procedure. My opinion is that the critics are attacking the branches and not the root of the difficulty. To secure an administration of law which will accomplish its avowed pur- pose there must be a system of sub- stantive law based on sound ideas. The common law system which obtains generally in this country consists of a highly complicated body of rules which have their source in customs reaching back to early beginnings. These cus- toms, as applied by judges to specific situations, were set forth in judicial decisions. These decisions are the law and under the principles of the com- mon law are binding precedents in similar circumstancs. In th meanwhile conditions of life have changed greatly. The rules good for primitive conditions became obso- lete. But stare decisis is the principle of the common law, and with few ex- ceptions the judges have not asked, “Ts it right?” but “Is there a decided case in point?” MICHIGAN TRADESMAN It seems to me, therefore, that there should be, first, a thorough re-exam- ination of cur whole body of law in the light of principles of justice, to the end that there shall be formulated a state- ment of the law in simple terms, in- telligible to layman and lawyer alike. Further, the principles of law them- selves should be the subject of con- stant and progressive consideration, so that the law should not lag so much behind pregress in social concepts. Referring first to civil cases, I be- lieve that our jury system has pretty well broken down. There may still be room for a jury in rural communities where the type of controversy is or- dinarily such as to be within the grasp of the average citizen. But in large cities, where competent jurors are difficult to get and dispu‘es frequently involve technical situations, the jury is not the way to complicated and obtain intelligent consideration for disputes. Under the civil law system Europe has created There is a better way. Commercial Courts, where commer- cial disputes are passed upon by three judges, who are business men and not lawyers, who dispose of matters com- ing before them without complicated rules of evidence or procedure and without a jury. These judges are se- lected by the merchants themselves for their probity and good judgment, and deal with each case in the spirit of a business transaction. In non-commercial cases there is likewise a court composed of three judges who pass on the facts and the law without a jury, after the facts themselves have been sifted by a single examining judge, skilled in such work. Juries should, in my opinion, be re- tained in criminal cases. But there should be a complete change in the attitude of the court and the lawyers as to the trial. As it is, there is, on one side, a prosecuting attorney whose aim is to convict. On the other side there is defending counsel seeking an acquittal. The judge sits as a neutral factor, seeing that the game is plaved in accordance with the rules and charges the law. The jury decides the facts. A criminal trial should be an effort to arrive at justice, in which the judge and counsel for both sides should par- ticipate. The rules of evidence which now exist for the protection of the accused have become a means of es- cape and a source of difficulty in ar- riving at the merits. The rule which prevents not only making the accused take the stand to answer the charge against him but prevents comment on his failure to do so should be abolished. The requirement that there must be a unanimous verdict of a jury should be altered so as to make a jury ef- fective if a substantial majority of the jurors are able to arrive at a verdict. There is no sound reason to-day for permitting one or two obstinate men to render abortive an expensive and long-drawn-out proceeding. A distinguished Swiss barrister who attended the growing out of the conduct of the + L recent criminal trials office of the Enemy Alien Property Custodian expressed his amazement to 53 he writer that it is possible under our procedure to ever obtain conviction. George Boochever. Cclor and Odor Draw Inszcts. Investigators for the Carnegie Insti- tution who have conducted tests at the Pike's Peak laboratory for nine years say that flowers attract insects both by color and odor, and markings such as scpes or dots also help to guide the visitors. Blue, they say, is the color most popular among bees and other ' insects, red, the least. Even when the } experimenters turned blue flowers up- side down, bees sought them unerring- t { ly, though many bumblebees were puzzled by the new position and found it hard to solve the problem of sipping nectar from the inverted blossoms. Bees have, of all the insects, the best meniories, recalling places, odors, shapes, and colors, as well as the time of day when the nectar flows. For in- stance, they never wasted time over orange lotus blossoms, realizing that when the flowers changed from yellow to orange, the nectar ceased to flow. While fragrance attracted many _ in- sects from a d'stance, color drew them only within a radius of about thirty feet. Artificial flowers, however skill- Illy disguised, could not fool bees, butterflies, nor many other insects as wise as they. North Dakota is the only state in the Union that cannot boast a millionaire resident. Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho and South Dakota have only one mil- lionaire each, Barclay, Ayers & Bertsch Co. 321-323 Bond Avenue Grand Rapids, Michigan JOBBERS IN PIPE, VALVES, PUMPS, SINKS, ROOFING, AND MILL SUPPLIES annem NEBR CUAE Tan eneaasasnem aaa MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary THE NEGRO CHURCHES. They Cannot Accomplish Inter-Race Co-operation Alone. A right understanding between rep- resentatives of the white and colored races is of slow growth, but unmistak- able progress is being made. We all remember what a furor was created when President Theodore Roosevelt entertained Dr. Booker T. Washington for dinner at the White House, but such outbreaks of indignation are be- A wholesome sentiment against the lynching. of Ne- gres is gradually forming in the South as well as in the North, and broad- coming less and less. minded men and women are coming to understand that the Negro is enti- tled to fundamental human rights by the constitution of the United States, as well as by every law of justice and fair play. There appeared recently in a New York City newspaper a statement that one-half of the 12,000,000 Negroes in the United States were not members of any church, and that almost two- thirds of the more than 2,000,000 Ne- groes in the North had no church con- nections. The announcement has caus- ed considerable discussion, and in some cases alarm for the Negro is generally regarded as the most religious group in America. I do not know the exact situation, but I venture to say that where the Negro has drifted away from the church it is because he has lost faith in the programme and purpose of the church, white and colored, to meet and solve his problems. He has failed to recognize that the church is the one and only constant influence which can and will solve his problems. In his impatience he has abandoned the church, become discouraged and given up trying or gone after some “ism” which mistakes noise for progress and thereby deceives himself. It must also be admitted that the Negro, like every person with freedom to choose his own life, is subjected to all the temptations of the world—love of money, ease, am- bition for power, and gratification of the senses. The Negro is not immune to evil influences, although by nature he is trustful, reverent, emotional, and hence inclined to worship and find joy in religion. The record of the Negro in the United States since emancipation has been marvelous. Many authorities as- sert no such progress has ever been made by any race in the history of the world in the same length of time. This is true in education in colleges, white and colored, in business, the profes- sions, and in skilled labor. Notable poets, artists, sculptors, musicians have been produced, and permanent and im- portant contributions have been made to American literature. A recent issue of the Crisis reports that 8,600 Negro students were enroll- ed last year in our colleges and uni- versities, 7,000 in Negro schools, and 1,600 in white institutions. During the year 1,300 Negro students received de- grees ranging from bachelor of arts to doctor of philosophy. A number of Negroes were elected to the honorary scholastic society, the Phi Beta Kappa, and 300 received degrees from North- ern colleges. In the early days of reconstruction after the adoption of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments the Negro attempted to enter into politics. He soon found, however, that the idealism expressed in the amendments had not been ac- cepted in heart by the American people as a whole. He was met by segrega- tion, lynching, and the Jim Crow prin- ciple on trains, in hotels, and every- where in social life. This finally com- pelied him to stay away from his white fellow citizens and to find within his own ranks the means of social, polit- ical, religious, and cultural progress. It was a severe blow to the Negro when he was cut off from contact with his more privileged fellow men, but his progress could not be stopped. While we believe firmly that the church has been the mightiest factor in the development of the Negro, it must also be remembered that the churches followed the drift of the times and excluded Negroes from equal priv- ileges, with the result the Negro was compelled to establish his own relig- ious institutions. In doing so he has reaped many benefits. In the church he has developed his social and intel- lectual life. For years every Negro leader was a minister. In the church the Negro learned the power of organ- ization and of co-operation. The churches have also devised social, polit- ical, and economic programmes, and from speakers lay as well as clerical he has learned of his duties and privi- leges as a citizen. The Young Men’s and the Young Women’s Christian as- sociations, which are the direct out- growth of the church, have taught the young Negro man and woman good health, cleanliness of living, and de- cency of behavior. The Y’s have also been a means for the establishment of cultural contacts with the best in our civilization, although the Negro is still regarded as one separate and apart. It is also within the churches the Negro has attained his musical de- veolpment. He has sung in the choirs and his spirituals, often called the most truly American music, have been wel- comed into many so-called exclusive circles. Over the radio the Negro has helped change the conception of his people as caricatured in cartoons and exhibited on the minstrel stage and in buffoon jokes to a race interested in hgih ideals and sincere and earnest in their life purposes. A change of men- tal attitude towards the Negro is the first step towards a change of action. Much work in inter-racial co-opera- tion has been accomplished in the col- leges and universities where the stu- dent body has shown a willingness to talk about the so-called Negro prob- lem and to get some first hand infor- mation about the Negro. When these young people learn the history of the Negro, his loyalty to the American flag in the hours of the Nation’s distress, leanr that he is not a menace and seeks nothing more than the rights of man- hood and citizenship, much of the old prejudice will pass away. Another expression of co-operation is the Urban league, a National organ- ization with local branches in most large cities, in which white and colored men and women having similar ideals work together. But the church more than any other organization has given the Negro the background for self-respect. No mat- ter how small his ventures in business, how meager his success in politics, how humiliated and scorned in social con- tacts, within the church the Negro has enjoyed a feeling of comfort and im- portance. The church remains to-day the cen- ter of Negro culture and leadership. Within its walls the Negro has learned the virtues of home life, honor and honesty which have equipped him against the handicaps of poverty and the vicious traps into which he would otherwise stumble because of ignor- ance. The equipment of the Negro church has been inadequate, beginning some- times in store fronts and back rooms. If the church seems to be losing, as some fear, it is to be observed that the Negro churches, large and small, are crowded on Sunday, and the people both desire and seek more adequate equipment. The Negro churches cannot by them- selves accomplish inter-race co-opera- tion. They must have the assistance of all the Christian churches in America. Albert B. George. —_+++—___ Starting To Earn a Living. Nobody ever forgets the first year he earned his own living. There is something about that new and strange experience that makes an indelible impression on the memory. Ours be- gan on an August 1 in a country store a striking contrast to college life. We owed the uncle who owned the store $200 borrowed because ill health had temporarily wiped out the pro- fessional income of our father. That uncle knew he had poor ma- terial to work on in a fellow whe knew nothing of really hard work, or of commodities or business habits; and that he had to shake him out of a con- ceit that grows in a youth surrounded by a white collar and_ tailor-made clothing in college, who considered it important to brush his teeth two or three times a day, and keep himself clean and tidy. We were assigned to the cellar after we had been directed to select a pair of jeans trousers (cost $1.50) and a blue shirt (cost sixty cents). It was an eight-foot hole in the ground some twenty-odd feet wide and ninety feet long, with heavy foundation stone walls and a stone floor. At the foot of the stairs were three molasses bar- rels containing sorghum, New Orleans and corn syrup. Next in the row were two vinegar barrels. Along the side were tubs of butter and eggs, brought in by the farmers. There was a pile of potatoes, thirty or forty bushels. In the main part of the cellar were empty barrels. It was damp and gloomy down there, with only two side exits to the street, and our job was to “clean it up.” Some job, what with dirty, sticky barrels, rancid and semi-rancid putter, stale broken eggs and debris. Two weeks of hard, dirty work in gloom and cobwebs, with much sweep- ing. We wondered what our bachelor of arts degree meant. The only gleam in the darkness was the knowledge that it brought bread and butter. For three months we handled po- tatoes, nearly 20,000 bushels of them, in and out of the cellar, sacked and sewed up and weighed and tagged for shipment, with 8,000 bushels sacked and stacked three tiers high awaiting shipment in February when prices would be much higher. This was all done by November, when we were pro- moted to the wareroom. It was a big two-story frame building at the side of the brick store. On its first floor was first the coal oil tank that held a barrel of oil pumped into it and then pumped out into the gallon cans of customers. Near it was the brine mackerel barrel, and next to it the pickled pork ‘barrel. Then came on a low platform some two tons of pork- hams, shoulders and side meat—packed and salted down from fresh hogs taken in and cut up. The rest of the first floor was given over to groceries—green coffee in sacks, barrels of sugar, tea caddies, soda kegs, plug tobacco boxes, kegs of nails of all sizes, sacks of flour, ropes of different sizes, and other packages, all to be opened and carried into the storeroom as stock grew low there. It kept us busy. Upstairs were tons of dried apples to be packed and ship- ped after the first of the year. It was a busy winter for us. We grew stout aud heavy, ate buckwheat cakes, saus- age, hominy, hot biscuits, roast pork, and fried potatoes by the peck, along with garden stuff and apples innumer- able. In the spring and summer we were allowed behind the grocery counter as a clerk, and in July got down into long sacks with our winter boots on and packed wool fleeces interminably, it seemed. There were some ninety of those ten-foot sacks a yard in diameter when packed. What a sweaty summer that was! But when August came we had paid our way with a small balance. left on a salary of $300 a year. And how many things we had learned, and how often we had been rebuked for negligence! W. G. Sibley. —_++.—____ Sunken Ships and Fisheries. A new use has been found for wrecked ships. Should the plans of the New Jersey Fish and Game Com- mission materialize, the coastal waters should become a paradise for fish. What angler does not know, and try to profit by the knowledge, that the trout lurks under the log? Apparently his distant ocean kindred have the same proclivity. The commission wants to get hold of some of the Government’s old ships that clutter up the harbors, tow them a distance out to sea and then blow them up with dynamite. Of course, it would have to be done discreetly, in waters deep enough so that the wreck- age would not interfere with naviga- tion. Gradually the timbers would rot, and fishes would weave in and out of the shadows, and there would form a sort of artificial Davy Jones’s Locker that even William Beebe could not tell from the real thing. “a Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 55 | MALTS MILKTES Sn ee eg “9 Pe ~ -He fe Nickel Seller - The Best One of Its Kind ae. GHE Putnam Factory of the National Candy Co. has been in business since 1865. Putnam goods have always been quality goods and have won for themselves an outstanding reputation for popularity. eo . This policy and experience have enabled them to develop Malty Milkies. There is no other chocolate flavored malted milk candy lozenge on the market equivalent in quality and repeating power. Malty Milkies sell all the year ’round, summer and winter, and sell at a profit. It has taken four years to develop Malty Milkies to its present standard of excellence. It’s a big value for 5c—17 pieces for a nickel. Get Malty Milkies in your line. a Malty Milkiescan be purchased from any of the following factories of the National Candy Co. Buffalo Dallas Louisville Minneapolis Chicago Duluth Detroit Nashville : Cincinnati Kansas City Mt. Clemens St. Louis { St. Paul - PUTNAM FACTORY NATIONAL CANDY CO. B& Grand Rapids, Mich. BURTON FARM. The Finest Farmstead Tributary ‘To Grand Rapids. In 1833 Barney Burton came to the rapids on Grand River and located 240 acres of land in township 6, North of Range 11 West, which afterward was named after the locality in New York from which he came—Paris township. He built the first log house outside of the trading post and went back to New York State, returning in the spring of 1834 with five yoke of cattle, a horse and a cow and and other impedimenta for establishing a home. On reaching Thornapple River, near what is now Cascade Springs, he camped on the East border. and the horse which was tethered out became loosened in the night and Mr. Burton set out to find him. He got lost in the woods and finally, when he was nearly in despair, followed a little creek which emptied into the Thornapple River, and he knew that by following this he would eventually strike the trading post. The other people attached to his caravan crossed the river and reported the loss of Mr. Burton. Indians were sent out in quest, but in a few hours after they had started, Mr. Burton appeared on the scene. In crossing the Thornapple River, the wagon became mired and great difficulty was landed on terra firma. The only record, so far as I know, of that cavalcade is a red cedar fence post now standing near my house. In rescuing the wagon from the mire, they cut down a small red cedar tree, using it as a lever, and after the episode put the lever on one of the wagons and brought it on. This was afterwards cut into two fence posts and the one which I have is in a perfect state of preservation. On April 13 Mr. Burton was joined in marriage to Harriet Guild, and this was the first white marriage celebrated in the Grand River Valley. The newly married couple moved immediately in- to the log home. Very soon thereafter the log with house and established a house was replaced by a frame struc- ture, the first frame house outside of the trading colony, and this was fol- lowed by the erection of a very sub- stantial barn. The history of these buildings may be somewhat interesting to an occasional reader of the Trades- man. In 1860 my father, S. M. Garfield, having acquired a portion of the orig- inal Burton tract and having built a new house, gave the old house to Justus Winchell, and during the win- ter, when there was plenty of snow on the ground, the house was put upon runners and the neighbors with horses and oxen drew it a half mile East and for many years it was used as a barn. Afterward it was purchased by Alvin Laraway, a son of one of the pioneers of Paris township, and moved to a farm which afterward became the Kent County Fair Grounds and is now our Airport. In the erection of fair build- ings, the timbers of the house were used and it became involved in the new structures upon the fair grounds. The barn was erected about twenty rods South of the house, and when our family came to Michigan in 1858, —————— MICHIGAN TRADESMAN father moved it so that it would be in proximity to the house and added a few feet to it. The structure re- mained there as a farm barn until 1912. No nails were framework. It was pegged together, and when it was taken down it was removed to the Southwest quarter of the Southeast quarter of Section 28 in Paris township, and now stands there used in the original as a relic of pioneer days. Mr. Burton’s farm was bounded on the North by the farm of Joel Guild and on the East by the farm Edward Guild. Houses were later built upon these farms, but Mrs. Burton said dur- ing the first year of her tenancy on Burton Farm her nearest neighbor on the South was at Gull Lake and on the East at Ionia, and she had no many of them have told me of the happy days they spent with Aunt Hattie during their childhood. In a recent visit here Jackson Dillenback told me of going to the Burton school from his father’s home in Wyoming township and enjoying the kindness of Aunt Hattie, who often treated him to cookies and apples and gave him joys that have remained with him to this day. My father bought the only portion of Burton iarm still remaining with the original owners in 1856, but our family did not move to Michigan until 1858. and in the meantime for one year the house was occupied by the James Cox family who afterward settled on the old Kalamazoo road. The second year it was occupied by the family of Charles W. Garfield. neighbors at the West, so the only people with whom she could neighbor were located at the trading post. The Burton Farm home was in many ways an ideal one. The Burton were very hospitable people and many of the early comers were housed for a Mrs. Burton was a model of kindliness and the In- time beneath this roof. dians were so well treated by her that she became a sort of saint to them. After our family moved to the farm and before we occupied the new house, often and were disappointed in not finding “Aunt Hattie.” After the neighborhood in- creased in numbers and as the Bur- Indians came there tons were blessed with no children of their own, they became father and mother to other people’s children and the Reverend Edwin Hoyt during the building of his own house on Burton road, near what is now known as East- ern avenue. There were two fire- places in the old house and the first work that I did as a lad of ten was to these fireplaces. had been half warmed by fireplaces as long as he cared to be and he had no use for that method of heating a house. The trees on the original farm have been interesting to me. Mrs. Burton, very soon after starting the home went to the Laraway tamarack swamp and pulled up three small tamarack trees, planted them near her home in a row alongside of the entrance drive. They all grew and one of them still remains as a living monument of those early assist in removing Father said that he Forty-fourth Anniversary days. The other two died during the year of that terrible drought preceding the Columbian Fair held in Chicago. An old-fashioned “worm fence” extend- ed from Division street to what is now Madison avenue and in the corners of the fence Mrs. Burton planted walnuts and most of these grew. A few of them still remain as monuments of her thoughtfulness, and the one standing at the South side of Burton, opposite the middle of Jefferson avenue, would make a splendid monument at the foot of which some of Aunt Hattie’s “‘chil- dren” might place a bronze plate in her memory. She started a flower garden at once, and the Ladies’ Delights, which were a primitive form of our modern Pan- sies, self-seeded until about ten years ago, when the last remnant disappear- ed. But the fleur-de-lis planted the first year of her marriage has descend- ants living to-day on the same ground. In front of the entrance drive, before Jefferson avenue was opened, and ex- actly in the center of what afterwards became that roadway, stood a white oak, and the wagon road passed around it on both sides and it could be seen for a long distance both East and West and was reckoned as the pioneer of the ancient forest. A pathmaster came in charge of the roads of this locality who said that people had gone around that tree long enough, and he was going to have the road bed in the center where it should be. The oak was taken out, and a short time there- after when Mrs. Burton visited us and sat upon our front porch, she said, “Where is my oak tree?” We told her that it had been removed recently by a highway officer, and she said, with tears in her eyes, “Why should he take that down without at least consulting me? That was my tree and my favor- ite birds nested there and upon a dead limb every year there came a crow and gave me greetings. Everybody respected that tree and was glad to Why should any of- ficer ruthlessly destroy a monarch that turn out for it. had given pleasure to so many people? I counted it as my own heritage, even if the land upon which it stood had other hands. I cannot forgive this vandalism.” There were three other oaks standing in a field of the old farm which have remained to this day, and are now the monarchs of the Garfield-Fletcher playground, giving shade and joy to thousands of children. On the Eastern line of Bur- ton Farm, bordering upon the farm of his brother-in-law, Mr. Burton had a row of native trees which had come up from seeds dropped along the boun- dary line, and it was one of the most attractive hedgerows of my boyhood. This beautiful border was made up of oaks of several species, elms, black cherries, with a foundation of rasp- berries and blackberries and wild strawberries and June berries, and I counted it one of the richest places in the neighborhood. When Madison avenue was opened between Burton and Alger streets, this fence row was in the middle of the street, and the main trees were left for years because of the solicitude of my father, and he said before he passed on, that some passed into wt Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN A . A NSO LOO eo TEU UCCCCCELCL LT {*.D3 Pyro » S& SS x \\ ‘ \ ‘: Mi lo} Oo! F / / pig 6 & i , e sa) | S| ~ » i NY Mature judgment, broad experience and complete facilities for special investigation and research are always at your command. Fenton ,Davis & Boyle CHICAGO GRAND RAPIDS DETROIT Russell J. Boyle, President ie | EEE Ee Sree ee coo o oreo ooo ooo eee ceo c ooo eee ec aaa ee arc ore eee reer ne ee rc UU LUCA TO Ee TT 58 day this would be considered the most beautiful highway bordering upon Grand Rapids. This was true and it was noted for its attractiveness and remained intact until the civilization of the city which had absorbed this area in putting in the various utlities injured this row of trees so that they are gradually dropping out of existence. This, from my own viewpoint, is a tragedy which was entirely unneces- sary if the engineers had given as much thought to its preservation as a landscape artist would have done. When I think of the Burtons, their hospitality and kindly spirit and the joy which they carried to so many hearts, I feel that they could say with Sam Foss, ‘Let me live in a house by the side of the road, and be a iriend to man.” The original deed to Burton Farm came from the United States -Govern- ment and was executed by Andrew Jackson as President. That portion known as Burton Farm Subdivision to-dey came into the possession of the Garfield family in the middle 50's, re- maining there until the lots were sold to the present owners whose residences face Jefferson drive. In 1876 my father gave me forty acres of second growth oak now occu- pied by Woodlawn and Garfield Park cemeteries, requesting that it be kept forever as a woodland park. I put.a meandering drive around it which was enjoyed by numbers of friends and neighbors. I was very proud of my heritage, but the D., L. & N. Railroad Corporation could see no other way of entering Grand Rapids except diag- onally across this domain. This in- vasion destroyed forever the original purpose for which it was established. In despair over the loss, I took six acres of Burton Farm and_ planted there the seeds of ten species of trees. This area, planted in 1892, is now a part of the park system of Grand Rapids and stands as an object lesson in reforestation. In 1911 a considerable portion of Burton Farm became the property of the city. It was the first playground dedicated to the recreation of the in- habitants of the city under the title of Garfield-Fletcher park. The last service of my father was the opening of Jefferson avenue from Hall street to Burton road. It was he who, with Justus Winchell and the aid of his small ten-year-old son, planted the row of sugar maples along the front of Burton Farm in 1858, which now is the distinguishing feat- ure of the playground. Later, when the city reached out and took in Bur- ton Farm and the great fear possessed me that Jefferson avenue might be extended farther to the South and com- plete the destruction of all the Burton landmarks, Mr. O. C. Simonds, whose ancestral home was on Burton Farm, suggested the solution of the problem and relieved my anxiety by designing - the subdivision which preserved all the livng monuments of the early days and permitted me to develop my own neigh- borhood and was associated with the honoring of a pioneer family. Burton Heights, Burton school, Bur- ton woods, Burton street and the Bur- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ton trees are the monuments to the people who carved out the first farm- stead tributary to Grand Rapids. As intimated earlier in this message, a symmetrical well-grown tree is an ideal memorial, especially when a hu- man lfe is attached to its birth and growth; its rings tell the story of its age and the vicissitudes of its develop- ment; its branches reach toward heaven and give it symmetry and character; its leaves are its crowning beauty and afford grateful shade to jaded hu- manity while harboring in kindly benevolence tiny creatures of the earth and sky. A well-developed tree stands for nobility, individuality, bounty and benediction; it appeals to the intellect and the emotion; it links humanity with deity. If the grateful children, not her own, whom Aunt Hattie Bur- ton took into the home, nourished, guarded, and guided toward lives of usefulness, or their descendants, would as a token of appreciative remembrance in a formal way dedicate the walnut tree at the old entrance of Burton Farm which she planted as a bride, placing at the base of its bole a bronze tablet with an appropriate and affec- tionate legend, a shrine would be es- tablished for a multitude of worshipful lovers of a noble woman who was everybody’s friend, a typical neighbor, a thoughtful and self-sacrificing bene- factress. Charles W. Garfield. —_—_.-.>——_ Collecting From a Tough One. “Can't be done,” sighed the young business man, “tried everything. He just won't pay until he gets ready and the more methods you try the harder he resists.” “Tried the psychological method?” enqured the senor partner. “The which? What sort of a bill collecting scheme is that?” “Making him use his imagination,” was the answer. “I have used it more than once. I had a chap on my books once who had owed me $42 for six months. He was perfectly able to pay it. He wasn’t a dead beat. I didn’t want to sue for any such amount. “So I sent him a bill—plain bill, in an ordinary envelope. Two days later I sent him another bill, in a plain en- velope. Two days later, I sent him a bill, special delivery. Two days later I sent him a bill by registered mail. He had to sign for the latter, of course. In other words, I made him know that I knew he had received the bills. Just that and nothing more. “The next day he paid it. I hadn’t threatened a thing. In fact, I had nothing with which to threaten him. And I don’t know to this day what his imagination suggested was going to happen next. But his course of reasoning was to the effect that if I had taken all that trouble to make sure that he received the bill, and to have unquestionable evidence that he received it, I was evidently going to take action of some kind. Whether he expected me to sue him with a lawyer or hold him up with a gun I don’t know. ‘Whatever it was he im- agined, it was effective. Maybe he couldn’t figure out anything and thought he’d rather pay the bill than face the unknown. Try it!” NEW CHAPTER FOR THE BIBLE Proposed Parable Against Persecution By Benjamin Franklin. Commentary. The substance of the story in “A Parable Against Persecution” is as old as the day of the Persian poet Saadi. Franklin came across this somewhere and rewrote it and improved it as a proposed new chapter in the Bible. He then committed it to memory. When in company where there was some fa- mous bishop or scripturian, he would take up a copy of the Bible, open it, and make believe he was reading the chapter out of the book before him. Then he would confound his hearers by asking what chapter it was in the Bible. Tne parabie was first published by Lord Kames, a friend and an admirer of Franklin. Lord Kames_ asked Franklin to send him a copy of the chapter, which Franklin did, but with- out knowing that Lord Kames intend- ed to publish it in his Sketches of the History of -Man. An absurd charge of plagiarism was laid against Franklin in England be- cause of this parable, published with- out his knowledge, and for which he never claimed originality. In a letter to Benjamin Vaughan, dated Nov. 2, 1789, Franklin wrote as follows regard- ing the charge: “The truth is, that I never published that Chapter, and never claimed more credit from it than what related to the style, and the addition of the con- cluding threatening and promise. The publishing of it by Lord Kames, with- out my consent, deprived me of a great deal of amusement, which I used to take in reading it by heart out of my Bible, and obtaining the remarks of the scripturians upon it, which were sometimes very diverting; not but that it is in itself, on account of the im- portance of its moral, well worth being made known to all mankind.” Genesis Chap. LI. 1. And it came to pass after these things, that Abraham sat in the door of his tent, about the going down of the sun: 2. And behold a man, bowed with age, came from the way of the wilder- ness, leaning on a staff. 3. And Abraham arose and met him, and said unto him, Turn in, I pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night, and thou shalt arise early on the morrow and go on thy way. 4. But the man said, Nay, for I will abide under this tree. 5. And Abraham pressed him great- ly, so he turned, and they went into the tent, and Abraham baked unleav- ened bread, and they did eat. 6. And when Abraham saw that the man blessed not God, he said unto him, Wherefore dost thou not worship the most high God, creator of heaven and earth? 7. And the man answered and said, I do not worship the God thou speak- est of, neither do I call upon his name; for I have made to myself a God, which abideth alway in mine house, and pro- videth me with all things. 8. And Abraham’s zeal was kindled Sennen nneceenese carne ea RT Forty-fourth Anniversary against the man, and he arose and drove him forth with blows into the ‘ wilderness. 9. And at midnight God called unto Abraham, saying, Abraham, where is the stranger? 10. And Abraham said, Lord, he would not worship thee, neither would he call upon thy name, therefore have I driven him out from before my face into the wilderness. 11. And God said, Have I not borne with him these hundred ninety and eight years, and nourished him, and cloathed him, notwithstanding his re- bellion against me; and couldst not thou, that art thy self a ‘sinner, beare with him one night! 12. And Abraham said, Let nct the anger of the Lord wax hot against his servant: lo, I have sinned, forgive me, I pray thee. 13. And Abraham arose, and went forth into the wilderness, and sought diligently jor the man, anid found him, and returned with him to the tent, and when he had entreated him kindly, he sent him away on the morrow with gifts. 14. And God spake again unto Abraham, saying, For this thy sin shall thy seed be afflicted four hundred years in a strange land: 15. But for they repentance will I deliver them, and they shall come forth with power and with gladness of heart, and with much substance. —_»+-+- Macaroni Consumption Five Pounds Per Capita. Enough semolina was produced in this country last year to manufacture 200,000 tons of macaroni, spaghetti. noodles and other products of this class, according to a survey just com- pleted by the Commerce Department’s Foodstuffs Division. Semolina is ob- tained from durum wheat, the hardest kind of wheat grown, and is used al- most exclusively in the manufacture of macaroni products. Last year a total of 13,851,000 bushels of durum wheat were ground in American mills in the production of semolina. The semolina produced totaled 2,216,065 barrels, a yield of about 71 per cent. Semolina consumption in this coun- try has been increasing steadily. In 1924, it amounted to 1,659,000 barrels; in 1925 to 1,681,000 barrels, while last year 2,058,000 barrels were consumed. Total production of macaroni products reached 500,000,000 pounds, about 80 per cent. of which was made from semolina, the remainder being made from farina and flour. The growth of the American maca- ‘ roni industry is reflected in our annual imports of macaroni products. In pre- war years we imported no less than 120,000,000 pounds a year while to-day our annual imports average only about 7,000,000 pounds. The per capita con- sumption of macaroni products in the United States is about 4% pounds per year, about one-twelfth that of Italy, the chief consumer of this class of food. ——_+2>—___ There is nothing in the Govern- ment’s pamphlets on the proper care of children which suggests waking them up to hear the bedtime story. answered and. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 59 No "PERE ore eer — Soni s - ij | rays | | ee : “Proud of your store, aren’t you?” “T sure am!” You are just the man this is aimed at. You will fully understand itt. a “VISITORS WELCOME” These two words appearing on the front of our plant have proven to be a star salesman, They have been on the Job for twenty years. This is not only an inspection service of the highest order, but it has been a source of great pleasure. We are proud of our plant and our products and feel sure that Fremont, Miss Michi- ean, and Bean State foods will aid you in taking still greater pride in your store. The Worden salesman will be happy to tell you about our— Pras PEACHES SPAGHETTI CHERRIES ' Lima BEANS RASPBERRIES SAUER Kraut (GOOSEBERRIES StTRINGLESS Wax BEANS STRAWBERRIES Fancy Pork AND BEANS Cutt Con CARNE STRINGLESS GREEN BEANS Fancy Rep Kipnry BrEans Boston Marrow SQUASH DistrRiBUTED IN GRAND Raprps By WorpdEN GROCER COMPANY FREMONT CANNING COMPANY , FREMONT, MICHIGAN NOT A GOOD PRACTICE. Huckstering Calculated To Alienate Customers. Although small stores of the neigh- borhood type in big cities may have some things in their favor—notably lower overhead —in competing with larger retailers for consumer business many of them labor under one very great handicap. This is the apparent willingness of those who own them to do almost anything to close a sale, regardless of whether the customer gets a square deal. The fact that this destroys good-will and_ militates against the successful future of the enterprise does not appear to matter much in such cases. The rule seems to be to get the immediate sale at any cost. This rule may sometimes be the result of stark necessity in the early days of the business, when every dol- lar that can be obtained must be got hold of. Sometimes it may be due to the short-sighted belief that in a large city there are enough prospective customers to keep the business going regardless of whether they ever come back for a second purchase. Small retailers who take this view seem to forget that their communities, in effect, are small towns, and that changes in population are not rapid enough to keep up a steady supply of transient customers. They go blithely along un- til some day an involuntary petition in bankruptcy is filed against them. Surprising as it may seem, many of the so-called neighborhood stores in this city are still conducted on the Oriental bazaar basis. In such cases the selling price is all the customer can be made to pay for the merchan- dise. It is not difficult to figure the chances of getting a square deal that a customer will have in such stores if he is used to buying on a one-price basis. If the article seems satisfac- tory, and the price asked for it is not too high, the purchase will be made. The next customer, more schooled in the catch-as-catch-can style of buy- ing, may buy a similar article from 10 to 25 per cent. more cheaply. It is not long before the first customer learns his lesson. He then runs over in his mind the retailers who “took him in,” and it is not hard to guess whether he goes back to them a second time. Along this line a young business man of this city cited recently an ex- perience he had with a small furniture concern here. Through an unusual set of circumstances he had to get a very quick delivery on a bedroom suite. None of the big stores could make the desired delivery, he said, due to the time required to get the suite out of the warehouse. The neighborhood store promised to deliver everything but the mattress at once. The mattress was to be deliveed the following day. The young man was used to the one-price system of doing business, and he accepted without question the price on the tags. He placed his or- der and was about to pay for the goods when one of the partners in the busi- ness voluntamly suggested that the customer be allowed a 2 per cent. dis- count for paying cash. The second MICHIGAN TRADESMAN partner gave the first a wink “on the quiet” and suggested that the discount be made 5 per cent., due to the size of the order. The customer saw the wink; and on the strength of it de- manded 10 per cent. the proprietors looked alarmed. Then they agreed so simultaneously that the For an instant young man is. still wondering how much bigger discount he might have got if he had been wise enough to de- mand it. That was only part of the matter, however. The mattress in the case could not be delivered with the rest of the furniture, according to the part- ners, because they did not have in stock the silk floss variety he de- manded. The partners guaranteed to have one made up special and delivered the next day. One of them said that his cousin was in the business and would make one up in a hurry. In fact, he called up the cousin and received the assurance that everything would be all right. The mattress was delivered accord- ing to the agreement. It came while the customer was away from the apart- ment and was put on the bed by the woman who did the cleaning. The young man did not employ a maid regularly, so, on turning the mattress for his wife several days afterward, he saw a label sewed to it. Examination of the label showed the mattress not to be a special-made silk floss proposi- tion, but a cotton and felt product of one of the big makers of this mer- chandise. The young man took the matter up at once with the store that sold the mattress, and was assured by the part- ner present at the time that some mis- take had been made. The cousin was called up again and, after a short con- versation in a foreign tongue, the cus- tomer was told the mattress was really made of floss but that, because of the rush nature of the order, the covering of another mattress had been used and the label had not been removed through an inadvertence. The customer accepted the explana- tion, with reservations, but on reaching home that night he slit one of the seams and found the mattress to be what the label said it was. The fol- lowing morning he went to the store again and demanded redress. All he got was information to the effect that the mattress could not be returned on sanitary grounds. When a refund was demanded he was told to sue for it if he wanted to. In another case in which a small furniture store was involved a rocking chair played the principal role. This chair, which had been purchased by a certain man as a birthday present for his wife, developed an annoying “chock, chock” noise after it had been used a few days. Examination showed that one of the legs had been broken at the point where it was inserted into the rocker, and had merely been glued at the point of the break and varnished over. The defect was made known to the furniture man, who promised to do the right thing. The chair was taken back to the store, ostensibly for replacement by a new one. After some delay an apparently new Forty-fourth Anniversary Daylight Home of the Famous Dutch Twins Dutch Twins America’s Quality Sugar Wafer Remain fresh and oven-crisp even in the dampest weather Made Exclusively by HOLLAND-AMERICAN WAFER Co. Grand Rapids - Phone 32393 - Michigan C. J. Litscher Electric 41-43 Market Ave.,S.W. Co e Grand Rapids, Michigan Branches Kalamazoo - Jackson General Electric Company Distributors RADIO LIGHTING FIXTURES 7 THE TOLEDO PLATE & WINDOW GLASS COMPANY MIRRORS—ART GLASS—DRESSER TOPS—AUTOMOBILE—SHOW CASE GLASS All Kinds of Glass for Building Purposes 501-511 Ionia Avenue., S. W. Grand Rapids, Michigan mins tie i. a Sage Svacsasieisgke a Forty-fourth Anniversary chair was returned to the purchaser, and the incident seemed closed. Within forty-eight hours, however, it began to “chock” like the first chair, which it really was. The dealer had merely glued it up again and returned it. The matter was taken up again by the customer, but all he got out of it was the rather questionable satisfaction of telling the retailer what he thought about him. A certain women’s’ ready-to-wear shop uptown had a sale recently in which dresses were apparently marked down substantially. The “special” gar- nents were well styled and on the face of things looked like real bargains. Seeing them, a young married woman went into the shop with the intention of buying one or two. The clerk who attended her said she could not take any of the dresses out of the window, as she had been requested by the cus- tomer after the latter had failed to find what she wanted, because the own- er did not want the display broken into. Instead, she suggested that the cus- tomer look at some other dresses, which were placed further back in_the store. Here the customer found what she wanted, but noticed that the prices on the tickets were substantially higher than that at which the bargains were offered. She queried the clerk on the point, but the latter, with a vague sweep of her arm, said that all the dresses were for sale. The customer thought the remark an odd one, but she chose two gar- ments and gave the clerk the money for them at the sale figure. The latter walked to the cashier’s desk, but re- turned almost at once and told the customer that her payment was about $9 short. When the customer explain- ed that she had given her the price of the two dresses at the sale figure the clerk informed her that the selected garments were “regular” merchandise. Then she pleaded with the customer to take the dresses to “help her out.” The customer, indignant at the game which had been attempted, demanded her money back and the clerk gave it to her with a sneering remark about the pikers who were coming in that day. On her complaint of the treat- ment received the owner of the shop calmly told the customer that she must have made some mistake as Miss W— was her best saleswoman. She seemed to ignore entirely the damage to her business that may result from the ill- will engendered by the incident—N. Y. Times. ——__-_» +. He Kept His Word. “T shall die,’ throbbed the suitor, “unless you consent to marry me.” “I’m sorry,” said the maiden kindly but firmly, “but I will not marry you.” So the fellow went out West, and after sixty-two years, three months and a day became suddenly ill and died. a - Two Have Breakers. “There are just two things that break up most of the happy homes nowadays.” “What are they?” “Woman's love for dry goods and man's love for wet goods,” MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The Big Asset in Business. A small-town merchant was chatting with the editor of the little town daily newspaper one very hot August after- noon, and complained that his business was at a standstill. “There haven't been half a dozen customers in the store all day,” he said. It was up to the editor to display his wisdom, so he asked his merchant friend how much he has on his books. “About $3,000,” was the reply. Thereupon he suggest- ed that the merchant go out and col- lect those accounts. “As business is measured not by credit sales but by daily cash receipts, get after cash dur- ing these dull days,” he said; adding that slow trade days should be utilized to detect and correct things overlooked when customers were demanding at- tention. That was easy for the editor. But when his visitor had gone, several things he ought to be doing himself occurred tg him. They were not so easy. He was putting them off during the hot spell. But it is overlooking things which should be done that puts a drag on many a business, along with failure to concentrate on the things of most vital importance in any under- taking. We had a great lesson in “understanding” when we were in col- lege, directly in line with the “getting” which is so vital in business, where a man wants to get trade, get public con- fidence, get credit, and get profits. A famous bit of advice runs thus: “With all thy getting, get understanding.” Our lesson in understanding what we were about came to us after three weeks’ hard work on a prize essay while in college, on the subject, “The Genius of Oliver Cromwell.’ We “read up” on the life of the redoubt- able Oliver for ten days—the history of his times, the striking incidents in his remarkable career, and _ critical comments on it. In the remaining days of the three weeks the essay was written—three weeks before it had to be given to the judges. Then we hand- ed it to our learned father to read. He looked it over, handed it back, and said (in substance): “This is an interesting essay on Cromwell; but you are directed to write on the subject of his genius. I suggest that you tear up what you have written, spend a week of study on the meaning of the word ‘genius,’ and then re-write your essay.” We had fallen down, lamentably, on the first thing essential to our essay, a thorough understanding of its vital point. How many there are who over- look, or neglect, or fail to get under- standing of the vital points in their business. The failures in business tell the story—too much credit granted, failure to keep up collections, lack of understanding market conditions, val- ues, expenses, and conservation of re- sources; along with periods of indo- lence and family extravagances. Un- derstanding is the big thing in business as in every other successful enterprise. When Solomon,, the greatest business man of ancient times, wrote, ‘with all thy getting, get understanding,” he struck the keynote of every successful business, 61 “WE MAKE GUN CUT Leather Palm Gloves for the jobbing trade only. Calf-skin palm sewed with heavy shoe thread; no seams in the back to rip; no seams in the front to wear out. Some are protected with tips and patches as cuts illustrate. Some are made plain. We also make Leather Palm Gun Cut Jerseys. Be sure to write us for catalog. PEERLESS GLOVE COMPANY Grand Haven Michigan Recommend with Confidence The Reliable Foley Line HONEY $? 1324, | COMPO! [roteys | J tema nrn newt MONFSY -“TAR| i {] Contains no oP | COMPOUND | OR OTRER RARMiURD Te ae} fe lll ne vp Chest FOLEY’S HONEY AND TAR Largest Selling Cough Medicine in the World FOLEY PILLS A Diuretic Stimulant for the Kidneys FOLEY CATHARTIC TABLETS A Wholesome Physic Millions of Satisfied Customers FOLEY & CO. Established 1875 2835-45 Shefield Ave. Chicago, Ilinois 62 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary WOEFUL WASTE AT LANSING. Wholly Unnecessary Expenses Incur- red By Every Legislature. Governor Green and his associates in the administration of the business of the State are entitled to much credit for the efforts made, and to be made, in the future, to curtail extravagant expenditures by the many departments of the State government. They have promised a reduction of taxes. It has been the policy of governors in the past to withhold criticism of the Leg- islature. It is one of the most extrava- gant branches of our State organiza- tion. Co-operation by the Governor with the lawmakers is an essential in the enactment of wise and judicious laws. While governors observe, in the course of a legislative session, many evils practiced by both branches of the lawmaking body, it has been their policy to stand silently aloof. The Legislature is elected by the people, in the month of November in even numbered years. It is composed of one hundred representatives and thirty-two senators. The Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer of the Senate. House members elect one of their number speaker and a speaker pro tem of that body. A few years ago a young man, in- experienced in parliamentary practice, elected a representative by the people of one of the Western counties of the State, announced himself as a candi- Usually men who had served one or more terms date for the office of speaker. in the House are chosen to occupy that important position. The young mem- ber met an old member of the minority party, soon after his election and asked: “What can I do to promote my candidacy for speaker?” The old member winked an eye and replied, “The speaker has a_ vast amount of patronage to bestow upon members who vote for him. For in- empowered to appoint hfty employes, clerks, janitors, pages, document and coatroom keepers, not to mention desirable positions on jun- like favors. The ataoincm stance, he is and for grafting ket commities opportunities pense of the State treasury are many.” The member returned the wink of the older man and replied, “I get yeh.” When the Legislature convened for the biennial session a few weeks later, the young aspirant for the office of speaker was elected and those of the representatives who voted for him duly “remembered.” The old man of the minority was not forgot- ten. The Legislature usually spends four months in regular session. In many states the activities of such bodies are limited by provisions of their consti- tutions. In Indiana, for instance, the legislature cannot operate more fifty days. The taxpayers of the State of Michigan would derive much substan- tial benefit if their legislatures were restrained from operating more than that number of days. The first months of its sessions are practically wasted. Journals of both senate and house show that little work is done and young were nothing worth while is accomplished. The junket committees go away on visits to State institutions and pick up perquisites, impolitely called graft. Years ago municipalities, especially those of the Upper Peninsula, voted liberal sums out of the public treas- uries to be paid to their representa- tives and senators, for use in securing the enactment of legislation desired by such communities. During recent years the legislatures have been composed almost entirely— and in a number of cases entirely—of members of the major political party. When the minority party is not strong- ly represented, numerically, the enact- ment of unwise inevitable. Minorities compose the challenging When a bill that is evidently laws is party. duced on any day, or within an hour of the close of the session. Much bad legislation is the result. Bills intro- duced during the last days of a session are not given the consideration their importance deserves. Quite frequently such bills are enacted unread and with- out a roll call. By many a seat in the Legislature is considered a_ desirable position. Farmers especially love to serve the dear pepole and pocket the emolu- ments of their office. The per diem and mileage is not so bad. The farm- er has but little to occupy his time during the winter months. His pay is $800 for a regular session, with mile- age going and coming computed at ten cents per mile. If he is a thrifty individual he saves a considerable part Arthur Scott White. crooked or injudicious in its import is presented for consideration, it is quick- ly challenged by the minority, if it has the strength needed to support a demand for the yeas and nays. That demand often prevents the enactment of bad bills. Majorities do not study bills consideration as closely as do members of the minority. Minorities busily engage in searching for loop holes or defects in the bills reported for action by committees from time to time. An ideal legislature would be composed of two-thirds of a and one-third of a minority presented for major party. Under the constitution of 1850 the time for the introduction of bills was limited to fifty days. Under the pres- ent constitution bills may be intro- of his salary. A representative from Kent, several years ago, saved most of his salary and allowance for mile- age. A widow lady, who owned a farm near the city of Lansing, furnish- ed his board and lodging in considera- tion of an hour or two the representa- tive spent each day doing chores. If cne is up to the tricks practiced by experienced legislators, he seeks ap- pointments on the travel committees and obtains a liberal allowance and mileage for his expenses while he may be so engaged. Occasionally a mem- ber may collect an account for ex- penses and mileage without going near the institution he was appointed to visit. A member from Kent county filed a bill for the expenses and mile- age he claimed as his due as a visitor to the State hatcheries. The bill was paid. Later the fact was made public that he had not inspected the hatch- eries; that he had not gone anywhere near there. There were threats of an arrest and prosecution of the grafter. A strong political pull saved him. A member from one of the East Shore districts secured an appointment on the fisheries committee—a very de- sirable appointment when the sum re- ceivable for services as a member of that committee is considered. He de- sired to multiply the emolument that would be his. A new man, an expert accountant, had been elected to occupy a seat in the Legislature by the voters of a Western county. Recognizing the worth of the young man, the presiding officer made him a member of a com- mittee to visit one of the public insti- tutions in the territory above the Straits. The member from the East shore approached the young man from the West and suggested that he ac- cept service on one of the travel com mittees appointed for service near Lansing. The young man had an ac- comodating disposition and agreed to do so and permitted the member from the East shore to take his place on the trip to the Upper Peninsula. The East shore man reaped a substantial sum as the result of his cupidity. Later the young man learned that he had ex- changed a good appointment for a poor one. Men engaged in small lines of busi- ness eagerly seek occupancy If they are able men they are not small in business. A seat once acquired by such men is never voluntarily surrendered. Ses- sion after session they are returned to their seats by their constituents. Men of prominence in the business world and the professions do. not care to en- gage in the legislative branch of ser- vice to the State. Special committees appointed from time to time are empowered to in- vestigate the State’s many—and a con- siderable number of unnecessary— State institutions. During the current year the soldiers’ home, the cement plant at Chelsea and the prison at Jackson were duly investigated by special committees. What did such investigations amount to? Nothing oi value to the State. Poor old Colone! McGurrin was bounced; “Doc” Dodgi and Bill Remus, a poor little chemist, were fired by the governing board. That’s all. The Legislature refused to consider the report of the investi- gating committee. Auditor General Fuller’s report con- tains interesting facts concerning the expenditures of the Legislature made during the regular and special sessions held in 1925 and 1926. His report for 1927 is now in the hands of the State printer. As salaries members were paid $900 each, $800 for the regular and $100 for their attendance upon a spec- ial session, at the rate of $5 per day. Liberal amounts were allowed for mile- age and expenses incurred while trav- eling as agents of the State. Twenty- five committees of the House visit State institutions. The word visit is used advisedly. Their service is of (Continued on page 71) of seats in the Legislature. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN TAR AGRA EIS NS NE SA SRMMR YR LA a OI EN OME D8 DNA FEET th LOCO ORSON tO siciacisednissiaibiasineasidibinniidnmiiiagiaeegenaamenmmna Thanking You or your Patronage and O-operation in 1. 1S 1927 Le Ta a ie Wishing You a Happy and Prosperous 1928 SSCA RHE ie 4, ‘a % f “ex Pay rep x NAAR HO te 63 64 RESOURCES OF RECREATION. Must Begin Progress Toward State Forest Reserve. We people of the North American Continent have the moving habit. We are constantly on the go, and no where we are We sooner do we reach going than we look around and ask: “Where do we go from here?” This wandering spirit may not be our exclusive property, but we have the means of gratifying our desire in a measure far greater than is found in any other country on the earth. It is stated that for the year 1926 the automobile registration records dis- closed that for every five and a frac- tion of our population there is one automobile licensed, not counting the commercial cars, used purely in busi- Nearly one pleasure automobile Small wonder, ness. for every single family. that we have become a nation of wan- derers. It is a splendid idea, this growing habit of visiting around. It makes neighbors of the whole Nation. We tuck the family into the flivver, pack a camp outfit on the running boards and set out, with no definite objective, to see the country. We may stick highways and catch a glimpse of the home life of Cleveland, Buffalo, AlI- bany, Boston and New York, and we may tarry in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus and our return trip. We have had a passing glance at that portion of the United States which is called home by one-half of million peo- close to the main Toledo on our hundred and fifteen ple. And, we need not have been away from home more than the regulation two weeks. Next gram. of civilization we may choose the wil- It does not matter. We find The road are paved year we may vary the pro- Instead of sticking to the paths derness. the going good. or gravelled and we bowl along at thirty, forty, fifty miles per hour for hours on end. If we like the wilder- ness and the solitude, the beauties of nature rather than the canyons of brick and stone fashioned by man, we of the State of have that tunity at our very door-step. We that more of Michigan might spend summer wandering days in the upper counties of the Lower Peninsula, and on the roads and through the woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Michigan oppor- our their could wish tourists Two weeks spent in becoming ac- quainted with the boundless resources of this State in its opportunities for healthful would bring a realization of the fact development of recreation that what we, the people of Michigan, have lacked is an appreciation of the real value of this great asset. We have been so very busy develop- ing our industries and building up our cities that we have lost sight of the fact that the summer tourist “crop” is the main source of revenue of pos- sibly one-third of the counties of this State. How many of us realize, for instance, that if for the summer tourist and the money they bring into the State each year the vol- ume of business which our wholesale it were not MICHIGAN TRADESMAN merchants enjoy would be lessened by some millions of dollars; the sales of automobiles would be curtailed; in fact, the channels of all trade and com- merce would dwindle appreciably, for it is estimated that the summer tourist business is worth to the people of this State a gross sum of at least one hun- dred million dollars, well- informed economists sum at double that figure. Whether it be one hundred are well assured that this is an indus- and place the some hundred million or two million or more we try well worth preserving and encour- aging. And we may as well be frank and face the facts. Our policies of conservation as prac- ticed in the past have not tended to either encourage or preserve the tangi- ble asset of recreational resource with which the State is so abundantly pos- sessed. Conservation, to most people, means more than opportunity for fishing and hunting. mitted that throughout our history the efforts of our State government in its conservation policies has been such as to foster that idea. Of late years there has been some evidence of an awak- ening to the true meaning of the term, nothing It must be ad- but we have not, as yet, originated or outlined any really constructive poli- In the six years during which had a Department of Con- there has been no proposal ef Con- cies. we have servation come from the Commission servation itself looking to the foun- dation of a building program—a pro- gram aimed not only to preserve what we have left of our once incomparable resources of nature, but to build up that asset. The adoption, in 1921, of the com- mission plan of administration of the State’s activities in behalf of the fisher- man and the hunter was a recognition of the fact that conservation means much more than merely the protection and preservation of fish and game. By that act of the legislature it was recog- nized that reforestation was a problem; that the increasing volume of aban- doned and waste lands was another problem; that forest fires were on the increase and that the cost of protect- ing against those fires was becoming a heavy burden. In general, it was an admission that the old were wrong and that there is a real meaning to the word conservation. But the old fish and game commis- with its force of politically-ap- ideas sion, pointed wardens, still lived in the Com- mission of Conservation. That branch of the State government had, since the organization of the department more than fifty years ago, been an active force in partisan politics. It remained unchanged when the change was made to the commission form of administra- tion. The activities of the Director of Conservation, of the Secretary of the Commissin, and of various members of the commission itself in behalf of a certain candidate for governor in the last campaign are matters of record. May we be permitted to hope that at last the old order has changed and that in this department, at least, we are to see a sincere effort made to make of this department of our State govern- ment a non-political organization, from commissioners all the way down to the least employe. For on this department devolves a duty second to no other in its demand constructive thinking and decisive action. In order for us to understand some- thing of the condition which confronts us it is necessary to refer briefly to the rise of Michigan as a state. When Michigan was admitted to the Union there were no large towns. Detroit then, as now, was the largest urban community and was then the frontier post whence the trappers and Indian traders departed on their trips of ex- ploration of an unknown wilderness. The principal industry was the trap- ping of fur animals. From Grand Rap- ids and Flint, Northward to the Straits of Mackinaw was an unbroken forest. A Jarge percentage of this forest was pine, with here and there hardwood areas. It was not until after the civil war that the pine became valuable. Not until the great emigration movement from the older settled states to the prairies West of the Missippi river brought an insistent demand for lum- for clear, ber. Then, and for thirty years, the sound of the saws was never stilled. The mills chewed and bit into the great white pine logs which had floated down the streams from every section of the pine belt, and presently the in- exhaustible supply of pine had dis- appeared. That which it had taken nature centuries to grow it had taken the lumbermen less than thirty years to destroy. Destroy is perhaps not the word, for while a great part of the lumbering operations of the early days was noth- ing less than destructon, it must be remembered that the pine trees of Michigan made possible the taming of the Wild West. The prairies were brought under cultivation and the rich- est agricultural storehouse in the world was made to bear fruit. The pine trees of Michigan built the farm homes of the West; they built the towns and the cities of that day. They served a most useful purpose and helped to spread civilization and prosperity across the continent. The foundations of many great for- tunes were laid in the pine woods of Michigan. And had disappeared there remained the hard- woods. Not until within the past twen- ty-five years had there been any con- for hardwood lum- when the pine siderable demand ber. But then, when the need arose, the destruction of the hardwood forests was accomplished in a much _ shorter space of time than it had taken to clear the land of pine. To-day there is in the whole of Michigan practically no virgin timber. There is absolutely no pine left. A few thousands of acres of hardwood in the Upper Peninsula. A few more years and that will all be gone. What is there left? Some millions of acres of abandoned lands, most of which have been swept time after time by fire until the eyes ache with the monotony of mile on mile of blackened stumps and skeleton brush. The land endeavored bravely to repopulate the slain forests, but when the lumberman Forty-fourth Anniversary finished with his cut he left such a tangle of brush and debris that a spark of fire flashed almost in an instant into a conflagration which swept all before it. It may be said that at one time or another fire has swept almost every acre of the cutover lands of both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. And now that the timber has been harvested the lumbermen have no further use for the land. They cease to pay taxes and, after five years of such delinquency, the land reverts to the State. That is to say, the law says that the State may take title to such lands, but we find that the law has not been enforced. We find that instead of the State having title to some five or six million acres of abandoned lands, we have actually taken title to a little more than eight hundred thou- sand The kink in the which has permitted abandoned lands acres. law to lie around for without an owner is that the auditor general must first make an examination of the rec- ords te see that certain acts have been complied with, before title may pass to the State. The law does not say that the audi- tor general shall make this examina- tion within any specified time. It leaves the time to that official’s own consequence the auditor general does not act. He has what he considers a valid excuse for It is his duty, as he years good judgment. In not so acting. sees it, to keep as much of the real property of the State on the current tax rolls as possible. So long as the State does not carry out the full in- tent of the law and take a deed to these abandoned lands, anyone who wishes make a bid lands and by payment of a may for such sum covering the amount of the taxes due, together with and from the auditor general a deed from the State. to the current tax roll and, until the tax-title owner sees fit to cease pay- interest penalties, receive Thereupon the land is restored ment of taxes, may remain a source of revenue to the State and the coun- ties and townships where such land is located. If all of the land bid in by the tax- title purchasers were permanently re- stored to the tax rolls we should per- haps not have so much reason for ob jection to a continuation of this prac- But the fact is that instead of the total of tax-delinquent and abandoned lands showing a decrease from year to year, the contrary is true. Within five years the total acreage of delin- quent tax lands in the State has risen from 5,308,087 acres delinquent in the tax year 1920, to 7,655,348 acres in 1925, a 2,347,261 more than 44 per cent. considerable acreage of this land being restored to the tax rolls we find inat tice. mere increase, or Instead of any the total bid in each year is far less than is being permanently abandoned by the owners. Who are the purchasers of tax lands? State Of late years, and more within the past three years, there have been many thousands of acres purchased and turned into club reserves—hunting and fishing clubs— which are held for the benefit of club members only. Such lands will no particularly at x ¢ » ’ . 4 s im. ¢ . . a / r d | 4 ' > 4 _F Fy 4 > 7 a Pr. e % _ = * * ' é 7 y if * i + ’ e » © $ - yo 4 « , . i « Hi 1 & ‘ ° < o a * - > “ . “ aT > x f ° ms » a , ‘ } } J < > » bh: “a “ ~ 4 io . - ? Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN i! ut HA ee, : apy i HEKMAN Crackers appetizing, fresh, 65 66 doubt be continued on the permanent tax rolls, and the State, the counties and townships will thereby benefit. But another class of purchasers is becom- ing more the second growth timber reaches a stage where it is of commercial value. These are the “timber scalpers,” men who make it their business to know every tax delinquent description in their terri- tory and who, when such lands have become five years’ delinquent for tax, bid them off, pay up the taxes and penalties, and then proceed to scalp every stick that will make stove wood. They leave behind them a mass of tangled brush, which constitutes the worst fire hazard possible, and then refuse to pay taxes and the land again becomes the property of the State. In the meantime, however, any tiniest spark of fire dropped in that tangle of brush in a dry time, and not only that forty or eighty, but adjoining sec- burned off clean to the ground. Every living thing, even the seeds of the grass, is destroyed and not only the vegetation, but most of the animals which made their homes in the growing woods. There, also, is the answer to the disappearing grouse, the noblest game bird that flies. More grouse, or partridge, if you prefer the common name, are de- stroved by fire than by the guns of all the hunters combined. Forest fires do more than destroy vegetation, animal and bird life. The soil which has been thus denuded dries out rapidly. The streams that were fed by a thousand tiny springs when the woods covered the land, dwindle and dry up. The waters become so warm that no game fish can live there- in. The trout disappear. There is left of all the abundant life of the woods and waters nothing but noxious weeds, and a few suckers in the streams. The wilderness becomes supreme. What has the State or the counties and townships gained by the present methods of handling these abandoned lands? The net result is that our lia- bility for forest fire protection is rap- idly increasing, with no prospect of being reduced. We know that our opportunities for fishing and hunting are fading away, year by year. Soon we shall have no fishing and no hunt- ing, except in those areas owned by clubs and associations, and there the general public will have no rights. That means, too, that the attractions of our State for tourists will wane, and instead of the millions of revenue which we now enjoy from this source that stream, too, will have dried up. It is well to bear in mind that the State is responsible for the protection from the forest fire not only of the eight hundred thousand acres now owned by the State, but of the millions of acres which pay no taxes and which the State might now have title to, if our policies were changed. Inasmuch as this bill for fire protection must be borne by the State, and the land which is protected pays no part of the cost of such protection, why should the State not take possession at once? We learn from the bienniel report of the Department of Conservation that the cost of forest fire protection numerous as tions are MICHIGAN TRADESMAN for the year 1924 was $236,721.61. We are informed by the Director of Con- servation that the cost of forest fire protection for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1926, was $393,470.86. The cost of protection has risen in two years more than 66 per cent. In dol- lars the increase was $156,749.25. Ap- propriations by the legislature from the general tax fund was for the year 1924 $225,000. The difference between the appropriation of $250,000 in 1926 and the expenditures of $393,470.86 was taken trom the license fees paid by fishermen and hunters. In the light of present conditions, can we say that it is right and just to tax the hunters and fishermen for the protection of lands which are thus handled? Continue the present policies for an- other decade or so and hunters and fishermen may lay the gun away, spread a rug before the open fire for the old dog to lie on and dream, a dream of golden days in the woods, now vanished. Let the windings on the beloved rod dry loose, the guides drop off, the flies moulder to dust, food for the moths. Your days are numbered unless we stand shoulder to shoulder, united in a_ spirit of self- sacrifice. We must accomplish much if our undertaking is to be of material benefit. We shall have to overcome the indifference of big business, which cares little whether or not there are birds to shoot or fish to catch. We shall have to carry the word to every school house and to every school child and so to every home. And we shall have to sink our differences of opin- ion as to bag limits, open seasons and all of the minor details which have seemed so important to us heretofore, and which truly mattered little. And we shall have to get in behind our State officials and impress them with our determination to back them to the limit in any policy of constructive con- servation. By that we do not mean to imply that we should tamely submit to rules which we may believe to be wrong. But we should obey the rules so long as they are the rules, and we should insist on their being obeyed by others. The rules may be changed, but not evaded. It is, of course, vitally necessary that that we have an administration of our department of conservation efficiently and intelligently directed. We may be able to learn much from the experi- ence of other states and the director of the department of conservation should be willing and eager to learn. It is evident to the average mind that we have not had such an administra- tion since the department was organ- ized. There have been no constructive policies originated by the Commission of Conservation since its inception. It was hoped that the change from the old-time method of political manage- ment to the commission form would bring about a betterment of conditions, but the hope was idle. Politics con- tinued to rule. There has been notable advancement in but one direction, and that in the establishment of State parks. Of State forests we have little to be proud of. Of State game refu- gees the less said the better. This has not been because of lack of interest or lack of ability on the part of the heads of departments, but because, underly- ing the whole fabric of the department the machinery of politics still operated. Take the State game farm as an il- lustration. This enterprise was estab- lished, at what cost we do not know. Nor do we know what it has cost to operate that farm. We do know, how- ever, that whatever the cost, it was much too much. What has been ac- complished on the State game farm is that a few thousand ring-neck pheas- ants have been reared, to be sprinkled over the farms of the Southern portion of the State, and just as soon as the farmers learned what a delicious table bird this ring-neck is, he hastened to make his farm a private game pre- serve, for the use of himself and his invited guests. A few thousand eggs have been distributed in the same quarter, and the sportsmen have paid their dollar and a quarter for the privi- lege of hanging on the farmer’s fence and watching the fabored few bag their birds. The sportsmen have paid for the game farm. They have paid for the costly experiments that have been car- ried on there, but few, very few have been privileged to participate in the kill. He must either become a tres- passer on the farmer’s land or march on until he finds a liberal farmer. Why maintain an expensive plant for the production of game, when we have no proper place to plant that game where the average sportsman may le- gally take his limit? . Unless and until the State establishes game reserves, with public shooting grounds convenient thereto, we should cease our game farm activities. If we are wasting a few paltry thou- sand in maintaining the game farm we are wasting up into the hundreds of thousands in the manner of con- ducting our fish planting operations. Take the rearing and planting of brook trout, for instance. The State secures the trout eggs by rearing adult fish in the hatchery ponds, and when the fish are “ripe” they are stripped of their eggs and milt and the eggs are hatched in the hatchery troughs. The State also buys large quantities of brook trout eggs every year and real money is paid for such eggs. The eggs go into the hatchery troughs in the fall and are hatched in late winter. As soon as the fry have eaten up all of the food contained in the egg from which they were hatched, they must be taken from the hatchery and dis- tributed. This happens in late Feb- ruary or early March, at a time when the country roads are choked with snow and the woods are impassible for any save a man on snow shoes. We are speaking now of the best natural territory for brook trout. The fry are distribute on requests from sportsmen all over the State, who are willing to do the hard work of plantng. That is to say,’this has been the practice in the past. To some extent this has been improved upon in the past few years, but the net result is almost the same. Without fear of successful contra- diction we can say that at least 75 per Forty-fourth Anniversary cent. of the hatch is wasted. That is to say, if ten million fry are hatched and distributed for planting, but two and one-half million live. Perhaps two million may grow to eatable size. That is one-half a trout almost, for each inhabitant of Michigan. There must be at least 100,000 trout fisher- men in Michigan, to say nothing of the tourists. The limit for a day’s catch is twenty-five trout. There go your two million plant and another half million for good measure in one day. And the open season for trout is four months long—124 days to be exact. What does it cost to maintain our fish hatcheries? A pretty penny, if we consider what we are getting for it. We spent for operation and mainte- nance of the fish hatcheries in the fis- cal year ended June 30, 1926, the sum - of $219,667.68, The general tax payer contributed $198,000 of this from the general funds of the State. The non- resident tourist fishermen paid $188,- 565.43 for the privilege of fishing in Michigan waters in the same period. Of course, the hatcheries produced other species than brook trout, and it is well to remember that, so far as the operation of these hatcheries is con-, cerned and the handling of the fry as well, they are well and economically administered. The trouble with our fish hatcheries is not that we cannot produce the fry at reasonable cost, but that we have no place to plant either fry or finger- lings after we have produced them. By that I mean that the open waters are becoming extinct along with cer- tain species of fish. While the adult cost of our fish may be high, we might still be content if it were not for the fact that the best of the trout streams and much of the best bass waters are being gobbled up by private fishing clubs, or destroyed by the _ hydro- electric developers who are damming our best bass streams and damning the fishing at the same time. ' An efficient, business-like adminis- tration of our Department of Conser- vation demands that we cease to spend our good money for the benefit of the private owners of the streams and that we ask that the hydro-electric dam- mers be a little more reasonable in their use of the waters of our streams. The decision of the Supreme Court in the Collins-Gearhardt case was a notable achievement in behalf of the general public. But that decision only affects those streams which fall with- in the interpretation of the term navi- gable. The best of our trout streams can by no stretch of the imagination be called navigable. : Is it not high time, then, for the fisherman and the hunter to take thought of the future, and as the first step in a policy which will preserve those rights, demand that these lands which lie outside of ownership be taken over by the State and a_ beginning made on the establishment of State forest areas, which shall also act as reservoirs for supply of fish and of game? It has been within the power of the Commission of Conservation since its organization, six years ago, to have } ' : Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 67 1. Standards I. to Succes: When we established the Michigan Hardware Co., 15 years ago, we Paice” laid down for our guidance the following iron clad rules: { 1. To sell goods to hardware dealers only. ° ¥ . 2. 'To handle only the best goods obtainable. \. 3. To make no special prices which would not be granted to every customer. ~ . . . ° ; ; 4. To insist on prompt payment of all invoices. 5. ‘To decline to assist in establishing a new merchant in a field is v already fully occupied by regular hardware dealers. 6. To keep our own stock so complete that we would be obliged to ‘ale back order goods as infrequently as possible. ? 7 { 7. 'To employ only the highest type of salesman and to stand back , of our road representatives in every way possible. i { These rules, firmly established and steadfastly adhered to, have given 4 + . our business great strength and enabled us to expand our sales and { enlarge our list of customers beyond our most sanguine expectations. { : We have constantly expanded our territory and now have eleven ’ salesmen, as follows: a W.L.GRAHAM - ~~ Kalamazoo EMERY M. JOHNSON - Detroit i a4 M. J. Kiley : - Grand Rapids A j. E. HEFFRON - Grand Rapids _ V. G SNYDER - - Cadillac : A. UPTON : ; - Petoskey L. ‘L. TAYLOR : : Lansing ‘4 TR H. E. DEWEY - - - Alma CHAS. WILL, Jr. - Grand Rap‘ds : LYMAN M. KATZ * Grand Rapids . CLYDE E.RICHARDS -__ Yale, Mich. > " . ‘ Michigan Hardware Company Largest Wholesale Hardware House in Western Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan 68 originated this movement. The mem- bers of that commissin had all of the information as to what was happening to the tax delinquent and abandoned lands. Instead of the beggarly 800,000 acres to which the State now has title, we might have had three or four or five million acres, merely by insisting that the law be enforced. It is not too late. The sun has not set on our opportunity. We have lost, it is true, some of the best of these lands for private clubs. Out-state sportsmen have been quick to see the way things were going and have seized the op- portunity to buy up this land while it was yet cheap. The Legislature al- so saw what was coming and in the session of 1923 attempted to curb the club idea by the enactment of the Lit- tle-Karcher act. This act attempted to limit the number of acres which might be owned by such a club or association to 15,000 The concensus of opinion among the legal fraternity is that about all that the act accomplish- ed is to give some constitutional law- acres. yers a job. However, so far as we know, there has been no effort made on the part of the Department of Con- servation to curb the purchasers of lands for this purpose, even though there are many instances of its viola- tion in the past two years. One Chi- cago club has, we understand, acquired 200,000 acres and announced the for- mation of a rich man’s club. Another of 40,000 acres was sold by the repre- sentative of one of the larger lumber companies for the same purpose. All of this to show you that it is time for all of us to open our eyes and our ears; to pull off our coats, and if necessary our vests, and to insist that something constructive be done. The very first thing we should in- that the State at once proceed to take title to every acre of abandoned lands now on the delinquent tax lists. No more dallying. No more hoping for the angel of redemption to appear and replace that land on the tax roll. We have seen that the re- demption angel, in the shape of the timber scalper, may be a destroying angel, so why take any more chances. sist upon is To take-over immediately such lands will not cost the State a penny. But if finally we are to secure any lasting benefit from such holdings, we shall face the necessity for raising a large sum of money. The question may arise, “Why, if the State can immedi- ately secure title to some four or five million acres of land without cost, will it be necessary to raise a large sum of money?” If we are to establish State forest areas, using these lands as a nucleus, it will be necessary to purchase a con- siderable acreage in order to consoli- date these Jands in a solid block. It would be iolly for the State to at- tempt any extensive program of re- forestation on scattered forties or eighties, or even on solid sections. Our forestry experts will tell us we should not experiment with less than ten, and preferably 100,000 acre blocks. There- fore, it will finally be necessary to purchase many thousand acres of lands on which the owners have paid the MICHIGAN TRADESMAN taxes, in order to make possible a con- solidated tract of sufficient size. First, however, the Department of Conservation must make a thorough investigation of the lands which will come to the State. The location of each and every parcel must be plotted on the map. Where there are adjoin- ing parcels privately owned, the names of the owners must be secured, the assessed value at which the land is taxed, and all other information neces- sary to the project. To secure all of the information needed will take a large force of investigators. The Leg- islature must be asked to make an appropriation shall have to take quick action if the tax title buyers are to be headed off this year. Later on the big job will come. After we have learned how much land we shall have to purchase, and what the cost, then we shall have to present a plan for raising the money. It may be five millions or twenty-five, but whatever the amount, it is clear that we shall have to use the credit of the State to procure the money. In other words, we shall have to prepare for a bond issue. That involves an amend- ment to the constitution and a sub- mission of the proposal to a vote of the whole people. There will be many to say immedi- ately: “No bond issue for such pur- pose can ever pass a vote of the peo- ple.” Of one thing we may be sure: A bond issue will never be approved by the people unless they know exactly what the proceeds of such an issue are to be used for and why. A bond issue will not be approved unless it is put before the people and then not unless the reasons are clear and clean. We shall never know until we have tried just what the intelligent voters of the State of Michigan will do with such a proposition. If an issue of bonds is the best method of .financing the proposition, then let’s not say in advance, “It can’t be done.” Rather let us pull off our coats and roll up our sleeves and begin to really do something. Let us make conservation something more than conversation. Are we willing to admit that we, the people of Michigan, are any less awake to the necessities of constructive poli- cies of conservation than are the peo- ple of Pennsylvania? And are we so faint-hearted that we should balk at the necessity for raising a considerable sum of meney to make such a policy operative? The people of the Keystone State have had practical experience of the value in dollars and cents of preser- vation of forest growth, of providing a home for wild life. Pennsylvania has purchased 1,100,000 acres of cut- over lands at an average cost of $2.28 per acre. They have no such situation in respect to abandoned tax lands as exists in Michigan. Where we have four or five millions of acres coming to the State without the expenditure of a penny they have had to purchase lands. Since the year 1919 an addi- tional 90,000 acres has been purchased by the department of conservation out for this purpose. We of funds contributed in license fees of hunters and fishermen, at an average cost of about $3 per acre. And now, by legislative action, a proposition is to be put before the people of Penn- sylvania to issue bonds in an amount of $25,000,000, for the purchase of not less than 3,500,000 acres additional. They propose to throw this aggregate of 4,690,000 acres into State forests, all of which may be available as fish- ing and hunting territory, but with reforestation as the tangible asset of greatest value. The total cost of the lands alone will be approximately $27,- 778,000. And the State of Michigan may take possession of as much or more acres merely by enforcing the law, and may transform what is waste and a lia- bility to the State into increasingly valuable growing forests, with all of the by-products of recreational oppor- tunity that go with it, merely by pur- chasing sufficient lands to consolidate the owned lands into solid areas. Of course it is a big program, and we shall need to concentrate our forces throughout the State if we are to suc- ceed. We should have the whole- hearted co-operation of the State ad- ministrative forces and of the big busi- ness men of the State at the inception of the movement. We may secure that support by evidencing our earnest belief in the possibility of accomplish- ing the work. There are other questions to con- sider in the adoption of a State forest reserve policy. We shall have to pro- vide: (1) For the payment of a tax to the counties and townships in which these lands are located. (2) For an increased income for the Department of Conservation, to meet increased cost of operation and maintenance of these large forest areas. (3) The interest on the bonds issued, and a sinking fund for retirement of the bonds will require more funds. (4) If these for- est reserves are to act as game refuges, with public hunting grounds in con- nection, the cost of game propagation and protection will be increased. How shall the needed funds be secured? 1. The need of a continuous reve- nue by the counties and townships where these forest areas lie, is impera- tive, and cannot be longer ignored. Because of the continuous increase in tax delinquency in these counties, they have been brought to the verge of bankruptcy. In order to provide the revenue whcih they must have to sus- tain their county and township gov- ernments, it has been necessary to raise valuations throughout these coun- ties until the producing lands are no longer able to bear the load, and farm- ers who might otherwise be able to eke out a living, if not attain pros- perity, will be compelled to abandon their farms because of inability to pay the increased taxes. That means sure bankruptcy, and it is not to be thought of for an instant, that a State so rich in resources and material wealth, should permit that to happen. This is a matter which concerns the people of the State as a whole. Therefore, upon whatever basis it is proposed to tax the lands converted to State own- ership and put into forest reserves, the Forty-fourth Anniversary tax should be paid by the general tax- payers of the State as a whole. 2. Inasmuch as the creation of these areas of forest reserves will, under proper handling by the Department of Conservation, tend to increase the sup- ply of both game and fish, it is equit- able, right and just that those who choose to engage in the sports of fish- in gand hunting should pay for the operation and maintenance of these areas. The revenues of the Depart- ment are insufficient for that purpose, as at present ordered. The hunters have for some years willingly paid a small annual fee for the privilege of hunting game. Visitors from other states are not only required to pay for the hunting privilege, but they also are required to pay a license fee for fish- ing—$2 for all fish other than trout and bass, and $5 if they fish for trout or bass. A reasonable fee for resident fishermen is not objectionable to the sportsmen. In fact, they it is who have endeavored for many years to impose such a tax upon themselves. A rod license, or fishing license, for all residents 17 years of age and over is, therefore, necessary. 3. It is estimated that a reasonable fishing license fee as proposed under (2) above, will provide sufficient funds to pay interest on the bonds it is pro- posed to issue, and to provide a reas- onable sinking fund for their retiral. 4. Game propagation and fish pro- duction can be carried on by the game and fish departments on a largely in- creased scale, if the Department of Conservation is relieved of the neces- sity for purchase of lands, which the department has been obliged to do in order to establish the few small game reiuges organized within the past year. And in these departments the com- mission will be compelled to stay with- in the limits of the revenues available. In order to accomplish any part of such a program there must be a rad- ical revision of the tax laws pertaining to abandoned lands. The Legislative program is, therefore, somewhat com- plicated and requires that the best talent existent be employed in the drafting of the necessary bills. The law as it now stands compels the State to offer any and all lands to which it may have secured title through tax deliquency, for homestead or sale. It is the conviction of most of those who have made a study of this question that the homestead laws should be repeal- ed; that land once acquired by the State, whether through tax title or oth- erwise, should not be offered for sale except under certain conditions, and that those certain conditions should be expressed clearly in the law. The question is most complicated and to stand the test of constitutionality, the bills must be drafted by one who has a thorough knowledge of our consti- tutional limitations. There will be some opposition to the State taking ownership of these abandoned lands without paying to the counties and townships that portion of the delinquent tax which would be theirs if an individual purchased the lands, and paid up the taxes, with in- terest and penalties due to date. It will also be claimed that all such State ’ P 4 s « , , x @ ¢ * ya « 4 , } 4 » ~~ . “ » é » ‘ * y - 4 ’ « ; , . x @ ¢ ’ 7 a « 4? ’ | 4 ’ - + a » «a » . Forty-fourth Anniversary lands should go on the tax rolls at a certain valuation, the amount of tax to be paid to depend upon the tax rate of that certain county. The first proposition is not to be considered as either feasible or equit- able. It is stated that the average of the counties and township equities in delinquent tax is approximately 78 per cent. of the total tax due on any cer- tain piece of land. It is also stated on authority that the average of delin- quent tax, with interest and penalties, will amount to between three and four dollars per acre. This is, of course, merely an estimate, but it is the judg- ment of the men best informed in the matter. On the above basis, taking Otsego county as an example, the following would be the case: Otsego county has a total area of 368,640 acres, of which 126,241 acres were delinquent in 1925. If, for instance, but 50 per cent. of the delinquent acreage were to be taken over by the State, as abandoned lands under the law, and if the acreage of the delinquent tax, interest and penal- ties on such lands was but $3 per acre, the State would have to pay to the county of Otsego the sum of $147,702 to clear the title ot the land, and then would be required to pay a current or annual tax thereafter. It will be seen, therefore, that if there is an amount of from four to six million acres to which the State might take title, and the average of dlinquent tax, interest and penalties were $3 per acre, and the average share of the counties and townships were 78 per cent. of this, that we should have to pay to the counties an amount of from $9,000,000 to $14,000,000 before the State might take title to the land. If to this is added the sums that will be needed for purchase of privately- owned lands we should have to raise anywhere from thirty to fifty millions. Such a proposition is not equitable. What it is proposed to do is not to enrich these poor counties, but to save them from certain bankruptcy. And if the present system of handling of these delinquent lands is continued, the bankruptcy of these counties is inevitable. It has been proposed that two or more county governments might be consolidated, where poor counties are adjacent. While the proposition is economically sound, it would raise a storm of protest and could not be accomplished save as a last resource. If, however, these counties can be assured of a future stable revenue for the maintenance of their county gov- ernments, it is entirely feasible to con- solidate one or two or more townships, with resultant saving of cost of main- taining the township governments. It will be asked: “Why, if the State can take over so many millions of acres of abandoned lands without cost, will it be necessary to raise millions for the purchase of additional lands?” If these abandoned lands were in solid blocks of thousands or tens of thousands of acres there would be no necessity for purchase of more land. But almost invariably the abandoned lands are in scattered tracts. Some- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN times it comes in units of sections or a number of sections. Again it may happen that in one section of 640 acres (which is 16 forties) half may be pri- vately owned. It is possible that none of the State-owned forties adjoin. Before a forest reserve may be created it be- comes necessary to purchase the eight privately-owned tracts. No forest reserve should be created by the State that is not a unit. That is to say, within the borders of which there is even one forty acre plot pri- vately-owned. Therefore, it becomes necessary to purchase enough lands to create a solid block, wherever a forest reserve is established. How much is a question that no one can answer at this time. 3ut we should know certainly within a comparatively short time, provided the State acts now to acquire title to all of the abandoned lands. When it becomes known that the State has at last adopted a forward- looking policy of dealing with this land question, it may be predicted that many thousands of acres will be of- fered free of all cost by the owners of record. We know that this is true for the reason that some large landowners have already signified their willing- ness to so act. It would, no doubt, be interesting to refer in detail to the activities of the Department of Conservation, particu- larly as regards the financial condition of that department. Such information is available, however, in the biennial report of the department for the years 1925-1926. It is a book of some 427 pages, profusely and interestingly il- lustrated, and goes into much detail as to the operations of the different de- partments. Broadly speaking, the De- partment of Conservation received a total of $834,000 in legislative appro- priations for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1926, and $685,649.50 from hunters’, fishers’ and all other license fees, etc., a total of $1,519,649.50. There can be no question but that the de- partment was operated in a very effi- cient manner during the past two years. Contrary to general expectancy, there was a surplus of funds at the close of the fiscal year instead of a deficit, as is usual in most govern- mental affirs. Whatever this favorable balance may be, however, it will not be wasted. The department has need of every dollar. We have but touched upon the more important matters demanding our im- mediate attention. The subject is so broad and the effects of action or non- action might be so liberally enlarged upon that no matter how deep your interest a discussion at greater length would but swerve to tire and confuse you. In closing let us stress again the vital importance of doing something, and doing it now. We have chased ourselves around the fire-blackened stumps of our Northern Michigan wil- derness for too many years. Now let us begin to hew a straight path through that wilderness to the open highway where we may begin to progress toward a real conservation of our resources of recreation. Fred K. George. Uncle Sam To Make Survey of Candy Industry. has appropriated $10,000 for a survey of the candy industry un- der the Department of Commerce and preliminary conferences have been held to discover a line of approach to the subject. Incidentally the industry it- self, principally the large manufactur- ers of confectionery, will co-operate with Uncle Sam in his survey and will spend much more in the work than the Federal Government is investing. What the candy industry wants to learn is just where are the centers of candy consumption and the type of candy consumed in these centers and in the scattered zones of consumption. It is hoped by surveying this situation, which it is felt can be done more ef- fectively by a disinterested government agency than by a trade association, to avoid waste in advertising the places where the sweet tooth is an unique exhibit and to stop shipping choco- lates into territories where hard candy gets the call nine times out of ten. By taking the statistics of distribu- tion and applying such known factors as racial characteristics, economic con- ditions and social habits, the candy men believe they will be able to chart their business affairs much more ac- curately than they are now able to do. Results: Better service to consumers: savings to the manufacturers, whole- salers and retailers; possibly, reduced prices to the candy eaters. Congress There are some perfectly obvious facts in connection with the candy business, but the industry as a whole cannot analyze them. One of them is that there is a tremendous consump- tion of candy in small quantities—the bar candy trade has reached astound- ing proporitions, for instance. The output of chocolate bars alone in 1925 was 316,860,000 with a factory value of $182,263,000. One of the mysteries of the candy business, speaking of the bar trade, is why one area will consume nothing but plain chocolate, while another area close by will not have its chocolate unless nuts are mixed with it. The impression prevails in many quarters that the fancy package of candy; that is, the candy which sells for a dollar or more a pound, is dom- inating the confectionery trade, but this is far from the fact. The census shows that even chocolates are sold in bulk in larger quantities than in fancy packages, although the quality is lower. Nor has hard candy disap- peared from the pick, for the record discloses that 190,000,000 pounds of this variety were produced by the re- porting establishments in 1925. Statistically minded also have been interested in the fact that the census bureau reports 28,000,000 pounds of salted nuts distributed in that year. Fudge and other so-called pan prod- ucts, sold over the country and not in packages, reached the rather as- tounding figures of 59,000,000 pounds. When it is considered that the cen- sus bureau takes account only of maj- or establishments and omits the thou- sands of small candy makers, it may be seen that the sweet tooth of the 69 American public is a rather costly arti- cle in the aggregate. The candy industry itself, in the manufacturing end, has a capital in- vestment of $250,000,000. The indus- try employes in production and in distribution 250,000 persons who are dependent upon it for their living. A development which has come with the automobile and good roads is the job- bing distributor who travels in a truck and delivers to retailers immediately when he takes an order and who has now reached 20,000 in number. —_++2>___ Words Weighed. Let us weigh what we call words. Words are phosphorescent. Long, long after words have been launched they leave a lingering light. Words sometimes are leaden bullets. These words cannot be recalled after they leave your mouth. If you want to shoot off your mouth, load the thing with sweet roses and leave your de- structive or deadly bullets for some other fighter to fire. When you feel you are chock full of nasty, mean words, walk over to the side of the ship, stick your forefinger far down your throat and feed the fishes with your bile. Almost all of ts cam trace our troubles to words. I talk too much and This subject of words Words are what we talk with, but the syllables in words are what we are measured by. Syllables in words give a slant to our real meaning. The same word said with a smile in a syllable pleases like syrup on a plate of wheats; but let a voice harshly hit a syllable of discord, and the syrup ferments—the plate of wheats becomes as acceptable as biscuits made of plaster of paris and buttered with axle grease. so do parrots. is a big one. There is much legerdemain language. The gossip juggles words until they have two meanings, and now I am getting to my point. A gossip will take well-meaning words and inject into some syllable a corruption that is contrary to the meaning of the author of the words. The gossip can so play with a block of words—with the original sentence that meant well—until it has a harm- ful meaning. When a person shoots a volley of words at me, my eyes train on the talker’s two eyes, my ears flap for- ward while I listen for the accent on each syllable. In this simple manner the words employed by my friend often waste their breath in the desert air, but the glint in the eyes and the sound of each syllable stick in my memory like a barnacle to the hull of a wood- bottom schooner. Compelling, convincing words de- pend more on the way you say them than on what you say with them. Frank Stowell. —_>~> Cheese Played Vital History Role. Even in early times cheese was an important item of trade in North Eu- ropean countries. In the thirteenth century cheese was used by the farm- ers in Finland for paying their church dues. In the fifteenth century they used it for paying their taxes, 70 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary The Mill Mutuals Agency Lansing, Michigan Representing the Michigan Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company (MICHIGAN’S LARGEST MUTUAL) and its associated companies COMBINED ASSETS OF GROUP $39,611,125.56 COMBINED SURPLUS OF GROUP $15,871,080.66 Fire Insurance—All Branches Tornado Automobile Plate Glass 20 to 40% SAVINGS MADE Since Organization Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 71 WOEFUL WASTE AT LANSING. (Continued from page 62) little or no value to the State. One committee recently spent a week en- joying the attractions of Washington. Their visit to the National capital cost the State $303.55. It was expected the committee would be able to enlighten members of Congress as to the dam- age done the State by the operation of the Chicago drainage canal—a sub- ject upon which the average member of Congress is more fully informed than were members of the junket com- mittee. Taxpayers paid in 1926 the sum of $4,663.51 on account of the ex- penses incurred by the travel com- mittees. The fish and fisheries com- mittee expended $1,125.25; the com- mittee on the State hospital at New- berry $361.64 and the committee on Northern Normal School got away with $414.12. For visits to the State house of correction and branch prison the State paid the standing committee on that institution $486.44. Fourteen standing committees of the Senate vis- ited State institutions at an expense to the taxpayers of $2,080.38. The figures quoted above are suf- ficient to prove that the Legislature elected by the people in 1924 was reck- lessly extravagant in the expenditure of the public money. Employes of the house number six- ty-five. One-half of that number would be sufficient to perform the service for which they are appointed by the speaker. Such employes were paid from $4 to $7 per day and a lib- eral allowance for mileage. Such em- ployes “wash the windows, scrub the floors and polish up the handles of the big front door.” The house of 1899 employed sixty-three. Evidently the thirty-two Senators needed more help in 1925 than did the same number of Senators in 1899. The latter employed forty; the former sixty-two persons. Each Senator had two employes at hand to do his bidding. The total operating expenditures of the Senate and house for the regular session of 1925 was $240,113.77. For the special session of 1926, $48,000 was expended. The time spent by members of the Legislature at Lansing averages about three days per week. A vast sum of money might be saved by the speaker and the Lieutenant Governor if they could be induced to defer the appointment of employes at the opening of the sessions or by making such appointments only as need. Under the present system of operation 115 employes have practical- ly nothing to do except to draw their salaries and their breaths during the opening weeks of a session. Arthur Scott White. —_->————_ Retailers Stand Behind Goods. There may have been a day when the average retailer or his clerks could hide behind the excuse that they did not exactly know the nature of the goods they had sold when the latter came back to them with the complaint of the purchasers that they did not give entirely satisfactory service; but not so to-day. There are few responsi- bilities in this world which can be successfully and satisfactorily shirked; nor is that one of them. The manu- facturer is ultimately responsible for the poor service of his goods, but ordi- narily that responsibility is first the retailer's. It is his burden. He carries it right on his back. It is from him that the consumers’ satisfaction should be and is sought and from him that it should come. oo A Modernism. The fact that the radio has been of- ficially recognized as a medium for ad- vertising, was borne in on publishers, advertising agencies and _ business houses in general, by the ruling of the Comptroller General of the United States, who declared that hereafter Congress must give specific authority to support expenditures of appropriated funds for radio advertising by Govern- ment officials. Radio communication was described by the Comptroller Gen- eral as a modernism, and he added that Congress had shown a disposit‘on to control the use of Federal funds far modernisms. —_——_~»+++>—__ Building Programs. The costs imposed by requirements of education in the building and equip- ping of schools in this country have increased 675 per cent. in the last quar- ter century. This means that building construction, a stabilizer of employ- ment and the largest consumer of some raw and finished products will continue to receive the support afforded by this branch of construction. This is made certain by the figures given by the De- partment of the Interior on the increase in the number of pupils which must be accommodated. — oo United States First in Fruit Produc- tion. With the exception of figs and dates the United States is by far the largest producer of dried fruits throughout the world, our output accounting for 50 per cent. of the raisins, 70 per cent. of the prunes and more than 90 per cent. of the dried apricots, peaches and apples consumed. Figs and dates are produced in prac- tically negligble quantities and each year we are importing larger quantities of these two items. ——_+ 2 A campaign to determine the pop- ularity with the public of “cane cream,” the new sugar cane product developed by the Bureau of Chemistry of the United States Department of Agricul- ture, is being carried on in Dallas, Texas, and vicinity. This product is made entirely of the juice of sugar cane and has the distinctive cane flavor. It was developed by the de- partment chemists in an effort to find a market for surplus sugar cane products in years of heavy sugar pro- duction and to extend the cane grow- ing industry. A Louisiana sugar com- pany was induced to make a test of the possibilities of this new product. If the first venture in putting cane cream on the market produces satis- factory results, it will be introduced in other territories. ——_>--2—____ Self-importance doesn’t help you to become important. Jix of the New Patented Features on the 1 This automatic meat hold- er stays right on the ma- chine and_ permits instant changing of meats—a touch of the fingers sets or releases it. 7 The new release lever per- mits instant removal of the meat table for cleaning and is as instantly replaced. The new enlarged receiv- ing tray is non-breakable and has enough increased sur- face to provide a large storage space for slices. This new patent end grip is quickly attached. It fits right on the meat table with- out removing the meat holder. No juices, grease, pieces of meat or dust can fall on this slide rail. Likewise the operator’s hands or cuffs can- not become soiled. NewModel 7 —e- 6 6 hUChe This new reversible plate has a toothed side for hold- ing hard substances and a smooth side for soft products. * * * * Now, a meat slicer that meets ALL requirements; permits instant changing of meats, in- suring quick, easy operation without sacrificing any re- quirements essential to a per- fect slicer or perfect service. It produces a uniform velvety slice that is unequalled. The price is unusually attractive. The machine must really be seen to be appreciated. Pre- pare to offer this new superior sliced meat service to your pa- trons at once by writing and asking for a free demonstra- tion. Such a request carries no obligation whatever. U. S. SLICING MACHINE CO., {a Porte, Indiana Se => eee § PSS =") ijuion Far ea he Te 1 clades Oe off use it mee emoonls® : Ya EH HID DE ears Wee ee TP hisshel sy ines ic) were the ‘ Paw an pO ine Oe = mae : ae neath Nant ime S x wot mal kes a tO apworrnn. a vas no wear or tree OTN hat § Me longet nore com ar TWO OF oe of te qui -** “other shoe- S os ccatine SECRET oS a , a ~ a ay s 4 ‘ 6 a * ’ . +m ae a 4 s 44 sf é - , . , * « @ we s o w - « é v ‘ > be a a 4 ‘ “A 4 ~~ * 9 a ¢ € + ’ a - ‘ ‘ < - + . é y * 6 a s A ¥ ~ BRINE Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 73 HORSEHIDE OES. tised in Gentlemen ing Guns of the Fall ating the story of 031 farm families decidedly worthwhile: Here's all we ask: The most important factor of success in 2 national advertising campaign in the way the dealer ties up with it. Advertising alone will create many sales, yes. But you ‘an create many times the demand in your locality by letting Country Gentleman readers — and others, too — know where they can buy Wolverines. The Wolverine story has proved that it excites interest and curiosity among work shoe wearers. And we have created the following local sales aids that will accomplish in your locality what they have accomplished for us throughout the nation. These sales aids are: 1. Complete local newspaper ad plates. We now have ready for you two ads, (7-inch double column) with space below for your name, for use in your local newspapers. 2. Window display material. 3. Direct-by-mail circular letters, all ready for mailing. 4. Circular letters, all ready for mailing. One letter (AA) is a general circular letter, explaining the merits of Wolverine Shoes and suggesting that the customer call at your store to see them. Another letter (AC) follows up customers months after they have bought Wolverine Shoes and brings them back for another pair. Use the Convenient Coupon Make up your mind now to get the maximum power out of this big sales campaign. Send for the above sales helps now and put on a drive on Wolverine shoes. ‘The October ad was out September 29th. ‘The November issue appeared October 27th. Have this advertising material on hand. Get your supply now with the coupon at the right. er . ; th; - 4VO an TOoF « adde : by kKnoy f shoe. d Cost Oe, Views {St yoy ore abou, this dealer : ohh and tei Local Ads FREE! Yes, I want to cash in on the Wolverine Fall | Advertising Campaign. Send me the advertising material listed below: | (a) Two seven-inch double column ads (com- plete plates). | (b) Large, attractive window display cut out. (If you already have one, scratch out | this line. ) And (c) Circular letters on a co-operative plan. aoe | ON a | OAe 3k Stale... | sans “precast N aC sea ate~ erin RSC NNR ADIN: On ABT CT EW AN 74 THE GLORY OF GRAND RAPIDS. Beautiful Tributes to Michigan’s Fore- ~ most Citizen. One of the greatest pleasures which has come into my life is the inclination and ability to pay tributes to men who are deserving of such recognition and commendation while they are still liv- ing. It has been my good fortune to be able to indulge in this ambition fre- quently, but in no case has the exer- cise of this prerogative given me more genuine pleasure and satisfaction than I will receive this week from the pub- lication of a symposium on Charles W. Garfield, contributed by some of his myriad friends. In pursuance of this plan, I recently sent the following let- ter to about twenty close personal friends of Mr. Garfield. The 44th anniversary edition of the Michigan Tradesman will be published Nov. 16. Mr. Garfield has already written a characteristic article for that issue on Burton Farm. Because Mr. Garfield has written dozens of helpful articles for our pa- per, it occurs to me that it would be a gracious act for me to request his friends to write something about him which I could publish as a symposium in our anniversary edition. I would like to have this come as a surprise to Mr. Garfield, so if you will kindly refrain from mentioning the subject to Mr. Garfield until after Nov. 16, I will appreciate it. I don’t care what side of Mr. Gar- field you discuss—he is good as gold on all sides—and I do not propose to limit you as to space. Write me what you think of him and why you love him and I will group the contributions together and undertake to make an acceptable presentation of the subject. The response was instantaneous and spontaneous and the result is herewith presented to the readers of the Trades- man in the belief that they will enjoy reading every word written about the wonderful man who has done so much to contribute to their edification and pleasure. E. A. Stowe. I have known Charles W. Garfield for nearly forty years. I know of his spirit of helpfulness to young men; of his wide range of interests; of his high ideals in personal life, in business and in civic affairs; of the astonishing list of his services to city and State and Nation. of his varied experience; of his great contribution through his membership on the State Board of Agriculture; and of his remarkable mental vitality. But there are two qualities in his makeup that to me are outstanding. Mr. Garfield is essentially a lover of humankind, not in the abstract but as persons. He likes individual contacts and interests himself in ndividual prob- lems. He has deep and understanding sympathy with individual people young and old, high and low, rich and poor. He is a good adviser of people not be- cause he likes to give advice but be- cause his own intelligent sympathy evokes confidence and trust. And then I have long regarded Mr. Garfield as exemplifying as nearly as I think it is humanly possible the spirit of the Man of Galilee. His love of people is not merely a personal liking for them. He has charitable thoughts, he sees the best in men, he believes MICHIGAN TRADESMAN in the dignity of the individual and the possibilities of every human being. He carries the idea of brotherhood into all the relationships of life, and he makes no exception. Kenyon L. Butterfield. East Lansing. I am pleased to hear that you in- tend to collect and publish some tri- butes of respect and regard for Charles W. Garfield from his many friends, and especially that you are doing this while he is living and can enjoy them. Among the prominent characteris- tics of Mr. Garfield which have ap- pealed to me are his love for the beau- tiful, the good and the true in nature and in life, and his devoted friendship for those he loves. The latter trait has appealed to me because for years I have felt his influence and helpful- ness in my ‘life. I first knew Mr. Gar- field fifty years ago and our acquaint- ance soon ripened into friendship. La- ter, in association in public work, we found a mutual agreement in matters under consideration that was very pleasant. His judgment is so accurate and his tolerance so unbounded, his opinions always command respect. I could say much more concerning Mr. Garfield’s lovable traits and of his value to the community, but others will mention them. I hope he may live many years longer to round out his life of usefulness. Ira A. Butterfield. East Lansing, Mich. It seems to me that Mr. Garfield’s life typifies the value of simplicity in living. His choice has always been for the natural. He loves flowers and shrubs and forests and farms; he wants them all to have a chance to develop and grow under the best conditions. This makes him wish for the like op- portunity for human beings. He thinks they too need sunshine and fresh air and plenty of nourishment. Hence he is interested not alone in parks and playground, but in city planning and zoning which may give residential quarters freedom from many of those disturbances and annoyances’ which pertain to business and industrial ac- tivities. It has prompted him to work earnestly for a city government which would assure such conditions for its citizens. The value of such ideals is fully demonstrated in his own char- acter which has strength, ruggedness and repose. Clay H. Hollister. Grand Rapids. Mr. Garfield’s many friends love him— Because he is lovable. Because he is winsome. Because he is clean and wholesome. Because he is a good citizen. Because he is public-spirited. Because he is Catholic-spirited. Because he is inspiring and helpful. Because he is neighborly and highly social. Because he is reverent and charit- able. Because he is intensely loyal. Because of his interest in children and youth. Forty-fourth Anniversary stevens Mayonaise I. Van Westenbrugge GRAND RAPIDS—MUSKEGON Distributors “BEST FOODS” Thousand Island “Fanning’s Bread and Butter Pickles” | — ee — Relish Spred delivery service. KRAFT( |X) CHEESE Alpha Butter — Horse Radish — Sar-a-Lee We cover Central-Western Michigan with weekly truck QUALITY -- CO-OPERATION -- SERVICE Buffalo Luggage “Well Known In Michigan” Our New 1928 Catalog is “‘Hot off the | Press’’ and a copy is yours for the asking. BUFFALO TRUNK MFG. CO. 127-139 Cherry St., Buffalo, N. Y. HUGO BOETTCHER | Michigan Representative 415 Genesee Ave., Saginaw, Mich. GRAND EA PID S, Phone 94370—94379 201-203 Ellsworth Ave., S. W. VAN EERDEN COMPANY WHOLESALE PRODUCE We Specialize in Greenhouse Products MICHIGAN FOR QUALITY, PRICE AND STYLE Weiner Cap Company Grand Rapids, ‘ : Michigan Grand Rapids, Mich, Forty-fourth Anniversary Because he is a lover of Nature. Because he seeks to preserve the beauty spots of Nature. Because he exemplifies true religion by gracious living. This is only a partial list of Mr. Garfield’s attributes and good qualities given by his friend. WC. jatta, Lafayette, Ind. Indeed it is a liberal education of high minded mandhood to be asso- ciated with such a man as Chares W. Garfield. His name is printed in the journals of Michigan without descrip- tive qualifications which will some day be called Fame. By length of service he has occu- pied a modest place in the history of Grand Rapids during his time. The country was always his ideal of home. There he saw the rising and setting of the sun; he became acquainted with the stars and clouds, the constellations were his friends. He heard the rain on the roof and listened to the rhyth- mic sighing of the winds. He was thrilled by the resurrection of the spring time, touched and saddened by the autumn, the grace and poetry of death. Every field was a picture to him, a landscape; every a tender thought, and every forest a fairyland. Words cannot contain love for him. There is no gentler, stronger, manlier man than he. M. L. Dean. 3oise, Idaho. flower our It is my great good fortune to have MICHIGAN TRADESMAN known Charles W. Garfield for twenty- three years. I learned to admire and to love him through working with him intimately on two important projects in the life of this city—one in connec- tion with the Municipal Affairs Com- mittee of the Old Board of Trade and the other the Campau Centennial Cele- bration of last year. The Municipal Affairs Committee helped to bring many things to pass, creating a public opinion for and play- grounds, for a pure water supply, for a tuberculosis sanitarium, the block system of house numbering, etc. more parks And these things are only a very few items in the catalogue of his for- ward looking work in this city. But in these two projects I had the op- portunity of observing his wonderful capacity for inspiring the active co- operation of a large number of the people of Grand Rapids. We are all always glad to work with him in any cause he undertakes to promote, sim- ply because of our confidence in his unselfish motives and the soundness of his judgment. We love him because we believe in him and trust him ab- solutely. I have heard many a man “T can never refuse when Mr. Garfield asks me to help.” say: One knows in a casual way many persons whom he meets in his daily routine; but most of these people one never really knows. It takes a camp- ing trip with a lot of discomforts to gct the real caliber and temper of a man. Such a trip will always bring out any yellow streaks in a man’s make-up, if he has them. Mr. Garfield passed that rigid test most brilliantly in the trip to the projects of the State Forestry Commission (of which he chairman) in Roscommon county in August, 1905. We left Grand Rapids on the evening train for Bay City, crawled into a sleeper there about 11 o’clock, got off the train about 4 a. m. and spent the remainder of the night in a hotel at Roscommon, where most of us could not sleep because of the bed bugs. Another night we slept in a barn at Higgins Lake, another in an abandon- ed logging camp near Pup Lake, an- other in a driving rain tenting in the mud on the banks of Wolf Creek, after traveling a whole day without passing a single house which was inhabited, and finally driving nearly all day was. the _ through a chilling snow storn to Har- rison in Clare county. In all that jour- ney with all its discomforts (which made some of the party ill) Mr. Gar- field was always the cheerful optimist we know here in Grand Rapids. What is the driving power, the im- pelling motive that dominates Mr. Garfield’s life? As I size him up his philosophy of life is something like this: “Our chief business in the world is to make it a better place for people to work in and to live in. People are the greatest economic asset of a city, of a State and of a Nation. A fire may destroy Chicago, but the spirit of its people makes it a greater city. An earthquake may shake down San Francisco, but the spirit of its people makes it a greater city. Parks, play- 75 grounds, boulevards, city plans, State and National forests, civic beauty, high moral standards, an appreciation of our historic background, all help to develop the community’s greatest eco- nomic asset—its people.” And for all of these things, and more, Mr. Garfield has been a tireless worker and _ leader. It is the glory of Grand Rapids to have as its first citizen a man whom we all love and respect, first of all for the personality of the man himself and second for what his leadership has ac- complished and is accomplishing for the people of the present and of the future. It is men—men like Mr. Gar- field—who make a city great, great not necessarily because of its size and its wealth, but great because of the quality of the souls of its citizens. Samuel H. Rank. Grand Rapids. Charles W. Garfield is one of the great men of Michigan. He has al- ways been a good influence. He has been foremost in promoting every pub- lic welfare movement. He _ has_ in- fluenced many young men to greater ambition, to higher achievement, and indeed to a higher life. The State of Michigan is indebted to Mr. Garfield in many ways. He has been one of the supporters of public education. He was one of the first men to have a vision of intelligent forest conservation. The example of his life and works has been an _ inspiration. (Continued on page 84) factory requirements. | A Typical Leitelt Freight Elevator Car. This car may also be furnished requirements. Standard designs have been developed for garage and large This service is available without cost or obligation to you. It with steel enclosure, steel floor or other equipment to meet particular Founded 1862 Is All Your Floor Space Accessible You may have a basement or an extra floor which you cannot use to advantage with only the stairway available for handling the material. That space may be made valuable to you by using an elevator which will meet your particular requirements. Why not call upon us to study your conditions? We have worked out similar problems to the advantage of many building owners. may result in making that extra floor space of real value to you. Elevators for Every Requirement LEITELT IRON WORKS Crand Rapids, Michigan 76 OUR HIGHEST SENSE OF DUTY. It Is To Sustain and Support Our President. i the United Staces 1e most responsible President « The ) occupies one of tl positions in the life of the world. It is not enough to say that it is the most exalted position in this country. Every- President of body knows that to be the United States is to reach the high- est pinnacle of fame in this country. It is just as true that the President of the United States is affecting our international relationships as it is true that he is affecting our National rela- tionships. Ines mu he aoes must De What he says and what he reckoned with in every capitol of the worid. There has been a great deal of Icose talk in recent years about foreign entanglements. ‘here is a very large element of our population who suppose that we can be kent free from so-called foreign entanglements. There is a sense, of J. Edward Kirbye. course, in which we can and we should We want our own Na- seli-determining. We ex- pect the people of the United States, even to the smallest hamlet, to learn the meaning of self-determination. It is the bed rock upon which our Gov- ernment is founded. We try to estab- lish lines, sometime ineffectually, be- tween our various political units. Amer- civilization is safest when even the rights of its smallest political unit To destroy completely the rights of the smallest political unit and keep that destruction moving up- ward would ultimately make us either a National bureaucracy or a National socialistic state—either of which would We try to preserve not only the entity of our smaller political unit, each succeeding unt in the pe kept Tec. tron to be ican are recognized. be bad. but of scale. We have defined National right and National duty in the terms of inter- state relations. We have defined the rights and duties of the state in the terms of relations within its bounda- ries. In a general way, therefore, we have developed a code of laws defin- ing our rights and duties, within these various political units. We do not ex- pect a citizen of the State of Illinois MICHIGAN TRADESMAN to have anything to say as to the determination of the affairs that strict- ly belong to the State of Michigan. We have taken our stand upon the principle of self-determination. Self- determination means the exaltation and recognition of the rights of the in- dividual within each unit. seek to self- determination in the various political units making up our National life, so we must seek self-determination for our Nation in its relation to the other nations of the earth. In other words, the things including both rights and duties which we can call distinctively Just as we preserve our own must always be preserved for us. Our domestic problems are our own. Our handling of the races which make up our body politic is our own. We must, therefore, define accurately and clearly the issues which are dis- tinctively domestic. We cannot allow any outside influence to determine our rights and duties on our purely Na- tional problems. 3ut we need to remember, also, that the modern world is constantly being brought closer together. Its interests are constantly interlocking. There was a time when the various states of the Union had a very much more inde- pendent life than they to-day. There was a time when each state was practically a complete sovereign unit; but when we began to build railroads and highways reaching from one end of the country to the other and when we began to exchange our products, inter-state relations developed and came into being as the chief factor in our relations as a people. That does not mean, however, that Virginia ceases to be a State with its rights and duties. It simply means that those rights and duties must now reckon with other influences which are as in- evitable as the sun which gives light and_ heat. There was a time in the early days of the Republic when our international relationships were entirely different from those of to-day. We were an isolated people. The expanse of two great oceans separated us from the dominant civilization of the world. Then came the steamship and the lay- ing of the Atlantic cable. Then came increasingly world intercourse. Every nation sought to extend its trade and sent the products of its factories and its farms wherever a market could be found. As these things developed methods of transit improved. I re- member when I was a boy of meeting people who came on a visit to Mich- igan from Central New York. They talked of the trip Out West. They had come a Jong distance. I remember a family that left our township and went to Kansas in the early days. Only two or three letters filtered back each year. It was a long distance. My old great grandfather was several days coming from the town of Detroit with an ox team to Shiawassee county. When I was a boy the county seat was nine miles away; it was a long distance; it took the stage all day to make the journey and return. The golf course for the people of that coun- ty seat town is now in that community and the trip is made in twenty to thir- have ty minutes. The same things have taken place and are taking place in the life of the world. London is nearer New York now than was Grand Rap- ids and Detroit seventy-five years ago. The most casual thinking will con- vince anyone of the changes which have gone on during the past years. We are no longer an isolated Nation. Hundreds of steamships carrying our population and products are leaving our ports every day going to other world centers or world marts of trade. Six years ago I was on a steamer in the Mediterranean when I listened to the results of the Dempsey-Carpentier prize fight. The things that are hap- pening in the United States to-day will be published in every great world center to-morrow. Isolation is ceasing to be a fact. It has ceased almost entirely to be a fact, so far as the United States is concerned. It would be utterly impossible to take the in- fluences of the United States and con- fine them entirely to our shores. If we attempted to practice isolation for a month, it would produce a_ panic such as we have never seen in the United States. We must remember, therefore, that the President of the United States must measure all of these influences. He tries to improve not only the con- ditions of a distinctively national im- port, but he is brought face to face with those of an international char- acter. As civilization has moved up- ward with its fundamental principle of self-determination, it has at the same time developed rules for orderly pro- cedure. You can see that an isolated community in Michigan a hundred years ago tried to develop rules for that community. When that isolated community became a part of the State of Michigan then it subscribed to the rules of the larger political unit; and when Michigan took its place in the sisterhood of states of the American Union it contributed its share in the making of rules for the Nation. We recognize that as the sensible thing; in fact, we would consider that iso- lated community a band of outlaws if it had not contributed its share in this orderly development. What is to be said, therefore, of a people who on finding itself with its trade and its people, its educational and religious in- fluences beyond its own geographical boundaries and then taking the posi- tion of a bandit or an outlaw? There are a lot of people in the United States who seem to think this should be the attitude of our great Government. We may talk a great deal about world war, but we need to remember that unless we can get the various peoples making up the world to agree to rules of orderly procedure and to carry on the business of the world ac- cording to these rules that cataclysms are bound to come. It seems to me that we are bound to recognize the necessity of some sort of a world ma- chinery which will endeavor to guard the interest of orderly procedure. It is perfectly absurd to argue the neces- sity of a supreme court for a state or a supreme court for a nation and then not realize the necessity of a supreme court dealing with international prob- Forty-fourth Anniversary lems. For the United States of Amer- ica not to give its adherance to an international tribunal of justice is to place itself on the lowest level of think- ing. We must not expect the machin- ery for international procedure to de- velop rapidly; it will take time. It took nearly a half century to develop the Supreme Court of the United States. Nor must we expect any inter- national court to guard us against all wars. It will probably settle hundreds of questions which would have been provocative of war, and in that sense it will make an important contribution to the maintenance of world peace. The adoption of a judiciary in the United States and bringing it to as high a state of perfection as we have done has not prevented local contro- versies and even some fighting. That it has made all life safer and more peaceiul no one can doubt. That it will make the life of the world safer and more orderly no one can doubt. But this machinery, the same as the ju- diciary of the United States, has no power to change prejudice, irrational hatreds or national enmities. It may exert a tremendous influence in holding them in check, but if the Frenchman insists on hating the German and the Turk insists on hating the Armenian and the Gerek insists on hating the Bulgar there is no judicial machinery which can change those facts. We may arouse our own prejudice against the Japanese or Negro. When once we can get the races of the world to recognize their rights and duties in relation to all others and it can become an established rule of order to which we must give consent, then we can hope for world peace. Our own atti- tude should be that of sympathetic co-operation. That co-operation does not necessarily mean that we are to dabble into the domestic affairs of other races or other nations, any more than we expect them to dabble into ours. It does mean that in all affairs affecting the international life we give our sympathetic as well as practical help. We should assume our share of the responsibility. To place ourselves outside that sphere of influence must be taken either as an exhibition of egotism or an exhibition of fear. It is not an easy job; it is the most com- plicated problem with which we have to deal. The lack of a body of international law, with the lack of an international legislature and the lack of rules, means that it will take a long time for custom to crystallize itself into law. It will take a long time for passion to as- suage and for trust to develop. We will be beset by fear. It is not more than 100 years ago that a lot of people were fearful of courts. The strong men of the tribe were as fearful as the weak men. As fine as courts have been, many mistakes have been made and fear has not been entirely elim- inated. Let us remember that the same things obtain to-day as we discuss the league of nations and the international court of justice. The problems are not easy to solve—they never will be en- tirely solved. There will be a great many mistakes; but, on the whole it is a step in the right direction and Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 77 - Best for Retailer and Consumer |. PERFECTION FLOUR a | Best Quality Blended Flour RED ARROW FLOUR The Finest Bread Flour he] THEY GET THE BUSINESS _.,. |. WATSON-HIGGINS MILLING CO. THE VINKEMULDER COMPANY 4 a GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN i ¢ , Founded in the year 1888 | meyer Receivers and Jobbers of Fruit and Vegetables Carlot Shippers “Vinke” Brand Michigan Onions and Potatoes ween AN OLD AND DEPENDABLE PRODUCE FIRM — NATIONALLY KNOWN 78 helps to guarantee security and peace for mankind. How easy it is for us to make judg- ments on international questions with- out knowing very much of the facts. Take, for illustration, the republic of Mexico. What is the situation there? Few of us know all the facts. The State Department, under the care of the President, probably has more of the facts than anyone else. There seems to be one thing upon which all agree. The government of Mexico is seeking to separate itself from reli- gion as well as from outside influence. Ii they were the people of any one state of this Union, we would probably sympathize with their aspirations. Why should there not be a complete sep- aration of religion from the state? Why should there not be a complete separa- tion of religion from the education of the children of the state? We take our stand on that. Why not appreciate the right of self-determination in Mex- ico as well as in Michigan? One of the difficulties is that our religious people go into other nations, consid- ered more or less backward, and then expect to have privileges which the government of that state are not will- ing to accord. Who is to determine what that government shall be, except- ing the people who make it? Take for instance the republic of Turkey under the presidency of Kemal Pasha. Re- ligion cannot be taught in the schools of the republic. That applies to Mo- hamedanism as well as to Christianity. The Congregational churches there have had religious schools in Turkey for a century. Are they to obey the law of the new state? The Govern- ment of the United States has its rep- resentative in Turkey. He looks after not only schools but business. The American Tobacco Co. has great in- terests at Sam Soun on the Black Sea. Those great tobacco fields, with thou- sands of employes, are within the re- public of Turkey. and so you can mul- tiply the problems of every natior with reference to every other nation until you have gone around the world. What is to be our attitude? Shall we not claim for every sovereign na- tion the same rights that we claim for ourselves? Shall we not impose upon ourselves the same duties which we expect them to perform? If you were President of the United States and were chiefly responsible for the ad- ministration of these complicated af- fairs, you would hold to principles sim- ilar to these: To do justly, to love mercy and behave humbly is a good policy for government; but to practice this is more difficult than it seems. Supposing you tried to apply this principle to the settlement of the debts of other nations to us. What seems to be justice to one becomes a seem- ing injustice to another. Our Govern- ment determined on capacity to pay as a general standard. A group of men representing the best brains of America spent months trying to de- termine a fair basis. .We settled with Italy on the basis of capacity to pay; but Great Britain has agreed to pay us a great deal more, proportionately, than Italy. Inasmuch as these debts are all interrelated you can see that MICHIGAN TRADESMAN many people in Great Britain feel that that country has not been treated just- ly. What is justice? What is right? It is a very difficult question to answer in the light of practical complications. It is such difficult problems as these that the President of the United States with his Secretary of State must face. I think it is quite safe to say that the majority of people of the United States would like to see the armaments of the world reduced to the mimimum. At heart we are a peace loving people; but when you come to the practical application of the things we want, it is very questionable indeed whether we would venture upon the enterprise. As it is now, each nation seeks to maintain an army and navy to guard its particular interests. It determines for itself what that army and navy should be; we must determine for our- selves what our army and our navy will be; notwithstanding hundreds of questions which are purely internation- al in character, there is no police force to see that the mandates of an inter- national court are followed. There is nothing but the organized opinion of mankind; that is very effectual in most instances, but there will come times when it will be necessary to enforce decrees. Who is to furnish this police force? Where is it to come from? Who is to say when it will be exer- cised? These are the questions which the President of the United States must face as he looks over the international arena. These are the questions which every other nation must face. How are you to produce machinery for an international order? Who is to be back of it? How are you going to have in- ternational order without some ma- chinery representing the opinions of mankind? Since the kaiser’s war there have been more attempts to get the international affairs of nations upon an orderly basis then ever before. No one seems to know whether the ma- jority of the people of the United States are sympathetic with these as- pirations or not; some journals claim that we are not. The primary in Ill- nois seems to indicate that the people of that State are unfavorable even to a world court, notwithstanding that it is a principle of both the major polit- ical parties of the country. If that represents the majority of sentiment in the United States then we might as well cease all efforts in the way of disarmament and talking peace for the world. for on our part it is very shallow pretense and hypocrisy of the lowest order. On the other hand, if we are sincerely desirous of peace for ourselves and peace for all the world then we will be sympathetic as well as co-operative with every common movement leading in that direction. The President of the United States has sought to do this. He has from time to time asserted our friendly interest toward the other nations. We have no need to fear; we are strong. We should not allow the shallow theories of politicians who play upon fear and prejudice to determine our judgments. We should meet our duties; we should face our responsibilities; we should re- fuse to interfere with the purely do- mestic affairs of any other nation, just as we do not expect them to interfere with ours. If civilization means any- thing it is an organized effort in the direction of law and peace. It is the establishment of rules by which we restrain ourselves, as well as determine for ourselves our rights and duties. In- ternational law and order are as es- sential in these days as National law and order. The President of the Unit- ed States sees these things more clearly than anyone else. The responsibility for direction of our ship of state in international waters is his. We must depend upon his wisdom, instead of taking the opinions of every politician who is playing a game, or other men who have selfish interests to serve; we should find out what the President is doing through his Department of State, and then form our judgments. We will probably find that the highest sense of duty toward all the interests involved is actuating him as he guides the ship of state in international wa- J. Edward Kirbye. —_+-.—___ Ten Pointers For Retailers. ters. A big recailer who has spent the. greater part of his advertising appro- priation in good newspaper copy, gave 10 points which had helped him to be- come a_ successful business man through advertising. The 10 points: 1, I advertise regularly. Every is- sue of the paper takes my story to its readers. 2. I make every advertisement look like mine. Years ago I adopted a dis- tinctive style, and have stuck to it. I use plenty of white space; my ad- vertisements are never hard to read. 3. I put into newspaper advertising a definite proportion of my gross sales. | fix this at the beginning of the year. My rule is to make it 3 per cent. of the previous year’s gross, with more if special conditions justify it. 4. I brighten my advertisements with frequent illustrations, either hu- morous or practical. This costs me little, for I subscribe to an advertising cut service and keep the cuts as I buy them, listed to use again some time. 5. I am careful never to over-prom- ise. When I make claims I back them up with reasons. Then, when I really have an unusual bargain, people be- lieve me when I “whoop ’er up a little.” 6. I think advertising all the time. I buy goods that will advertise well. Sometimes I buy goods just for their advertising value. 7. I get a good display for my ad- vertisements by seeing that the copy is in the newspaper office in plenty of time. 8. Whenever possible, I carry the Nationally advertised goods that are advertised in my own home paper. I feature them. Sometimes they give me a smaller margin than fly-by-night concerns, but I find that I sell faster and make more money in the end, be- sides pleasing more customers. 9. I always play my window and counter displays to link up with my newspaper advertising. Each helps the other. 10. My salespeople back up my ad- vertising. They often help with sug- Forty-fourth Anniversary gestion for it, and I see to it that they always read it. + +. ___- Uses Many Lemons and Oranges. The Canadian imports of oranges and lemons during the twelve months ended March 31, 1927, show an in- crease over those for the correspond- ing period of 1925-26, but imports of grapefruit declined, according to trade statistics just released by the Cana- dian Department of Trade and Com- merce. Imports of oranges amounted to 2,263,000 boxes, as compared with 1,730,000 boxes in 1925-26. Imports of lemons amounted to 386,000 boxes, as against 346,000 the year before, and grapefruit 2,545,000 boxes as against 2, 655,000 boxes the preceeding year. The United States is the principal source of supply for the Canadian citrus fruit imports, having furnished during the past year 95 per cent. of the grapefruit and oranges and 82 per cent. of the lemons. Canada imports small quantities of oranges from Japan, Mexico and Spain and considerable quantities of lemons from Sicily. The per capita consumption of citrus fruit in Canada is still considerably be- low that in the United States. Over three-fifths of the total population of Canada is concentrated in the highly industrialized areas extending along the Canada lower lakes and the St. Lawrence River. —_>+___ Make Sales Genuine Is Advise To Dealer. Conduct a special sale successfully: By determining definitely the goods offered and the reduction or special prices to be given, and the to be policy to be followed concerning ad- hering to such prices. By announcing the sale through the press, making everything clear, and avoiding any statement in any way which will mislead. By being as good as or a little better than all promises made. By seeing to it that sales people are thoroughly posted on the sale offer- ings, and prices and conditions. 3y providing sales people enough to take care of the extra business. By thanking the public when the sale is over for the volume enjoyed. By not having sales too often, and making them real events when they are arranged. —_+-+____ Both Young and Old Needed To-day. Chauncey M. Depew, that grand old American, recently said: “We used to be told that a man reaches the zenith of his powers around 40. Personally, I do not believe it is 40 or any other arbitrary age. I have seen men at the top of their stride at all different ages. It varies with the individual. The longer a man holds down a job the better he will be at it. “When I am hiring a man I never think of his age. What weighs with me is efficiency, adaptability and per- sonality. Will he be agreeable to have around? If asked with which I would rather surround myself, old age or youth, I would say both. Business needs our promising young men and our experienced older ones.” % oa F i io a4 > re « ’ * Yn te ae i- ¢ 28,3 4 > - "e ' ba > 4 } > * . 4 » « ~ o >» » « > « 4 r « > an @ » e > 79 = Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN PETOSKEY CEMENT Still Gaining in Popularity Uniform High Quality Plus Real Service MAKES NEW FRIENDS AND KEEPS OLD ONES Vv PETOSKEY PORTLAND CEMENT CO. PETOSKEY 80 MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO. Incidents of Two Visits to Grand River. Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard was born in Vermont in 1802. His ances- tors were men who filled high official positions in New England. He came West when a mere lad and engaged in the fur business as an employe of the American Fur Company. His con- nection frequently brought him to Grand River and Grand Rapids. He was one of the founders of Chicago, having been the first pork packer in that city. He died in Chicago in 1886. Before his death he wrote an auto- biography, which was published by the Lakeside The Tradesman is pleased to reproduce two chapters from this biography, describing visits he made to the Grand River country in 1820 and 1821 as follows: On a beautiful morning in April, about the 20th or 25th, we left Chi- cago and camped at the Grand Calu- met. We did not desire to reach the mouth of Grand River (Grand Haven) before the May full moon, for an- nually at that time the Indians assem- bled to fast and feast their dead, the ceremonies occupying eight or ten days. A noted burying ground was se- lected and the ground around the graves thoroughly cleaned, they being put in the best of order. Many of the graves were marked by small poles, to which were attached pieces of white cloth. These preparations having been completed, all except the young chil- dren blackened their faces with char- coal and fasted for two whole days, eating literally nothing during that time. Though many of them had no relatives buried there, all joined in the fast and ceremonies in memory of their dead, who were buried elsewhere, and the sounds of mourning and lamenta- tion were heard around the graves and in the wigwams. At the close of the two days fast they washed their faces, put on their commenced feasting Press. decorations and and visiting from one wigwam to an- other. They now placed wooden dish- es at the head of each grave, which were kept daily supplied with food and were protected from the dogs, wolves and other animals by sticks driven in- to the ground around and _ inclosing them. The feasting lasted several days and the ceremonies were concluded by their celebrated game of ball, which is intensely interesting, even the dogs becoming excited and adding to the commotion by mixing with the play- ers and barking and racing around the grounds. leisurely to the mouth of the St. Joseph River, where we encamped for several days, and were joined by the traders from that river. We reached Grand River early in May and sought a good camping place up the river some distance from the Indian camps. The “Feast of the Dead” had commenced and many In- dians had already arrived and for five We _ progressed or six days we were witnesses to their strange vet solemn ceremonies. One evening, at the close of the feast, we were informed that an Indian who, the fall previous in a drunken quarrel, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN had killed one of the sons of a chief of the Manistee band, would on the morrow deliver himself up to suffer the penalty of his crime according to the Indian custom. We gave but lit- tle credence to the rumor, although the Indians seemed much excited over it. On the following day, however, the rumor proved true and I witnessed the grandest and most thrilling incident of my life. The murderer was a Canadian Indian and had no blood relatives among the Manistees, but had by invitation re- turned with some of the tribe from Malden, where they received their an- nuities from the English government and, ialling in love with a Manistee maiden, had married her and settled among them, agreeing to become one of their tribe. As was customary, all his earnings from hunting and trap- ping belonged to his father-in-law un- til the birth of his first child, after which he commanded his time and could use his gains for the benefit of his family. At the time of the killing of the chief's son he had several chil- dren and was very poor, possessing nothing but his meager wearing ap- parel and a few traps. He was a fair hunter, but more proficient as a trap- per. Knowing that his life would be taken unless he could ransom it with furs and articles of value, after consulting with his wiie, he determined to depart at night in a canoe with his family and secretly make his way to the marshes at the headwaters of the Mus- kegon River, where he had before trap- ped successfully, and there endeavor to catch beaver, mink, marten and other fine furs, which were usually abundant, and return in the spring and _ satisfy the demands of the chief. According to the custom, if he failed to satisfy the chief and family of the murdered man, either by ransom or a sacrifice of his own life, they could demand of his wiie’s brothers what he had failed to give. He consulted with one of them and told him of his purpose and designated a particular location on the Muskegon where he could be found if it became necessary for him to return Having com- pleted his arrangements, he made his and deliver himself up. escape and arrived safely at the place of destination and, having but few traps and but a small supply of am- munition, he arranged dead-fall traps in a circuit around his camp, hoping with them and his few traps to have a successful winter, and by spring to secure enough to save his life. After the burial of his son the chief took counsel with his sons as to what they should do to revenge the dead, and as they knew the murderer was too poor to pay their demands, they upon his death and set about finding him. Being disappointed in this, they made a demand upon the brothers of his wife, who, knowing that they could not satisfy his claims, counselled together as to what course to pursue, all but one of them believing he had fled to Canada. The younger brother, knowing his whereabouts, sent word to the chief that he- would go in search of the mur- derer and if he failed to produce him determined would himself give his own life in his stead. This being acceptable, without divulging the secret of his brother-in- law’s hiding place, he started to find him. It was a long and difficult jour- ney, as he had no landmarks to go by and only knew that he should find his brother-in-law on the headwaters of the Muskegon, which he finally did. The winter had been one of unusu- ally deep snow and the spring one of great floods, which had inundated the country where he was. The bears had kept in their dens, and for some reason the marten, beavers and mink had not been found, so that when their brother- in-law reached them he and his family were almost perishing from starvation and his winter’s hunt had proved un- successful. They accordingly descend- ed together to the main river, where the brother left them for his return home, it being agreed between them that the murderer would himself re- port at the mouth of Grand River dur- ing the “Feast of the Dead,’ which promise he faithfully performed. Soon after sunrise the news spread through the camp that he was coming. The chief hastily selected a spot in a valley between the sand hills, in which he placed himself and family in readi- ness to receive him, while we traders, together with the Indians, sought the surrounding sand hills that we might have a good opportunity to witness all that should occur. Presently we heard the monotonous thump of the Indian drum and soon thereafter the mournful voice of the Indian, chanting his own death song, and then we beheld him, marching with his wife and children, slowly and in single file, to the place selected for his execution, still singing and beating the drum. When we reached a spot near where sat the chief, he placed. the drum on the ground, and his wife and children seated themselves on mats which had been prepared for them. He then ad- dressed the chief, saying: “I, in a drunken moment, stabbed your son, being provoked to it by his accusing me of being a coward and calling me an old woman. I fled to the marshes at the head of the Muskegon, hoping that the Great Spirit would favor me in the hunt, so that I could pay you for your lost son. I was not success- ful. Here is the knife with which I killed your son; by it I wish to die. Save my wife and children. I am done.” The chief received the knife and, handing it to his oldest son, said, “Kall him.” The son advanced and, placing his left hand upon the shoulder of the victim, made two or three feints with the knife and then plunged it into his breast to the handle and im- mediately withdrew it. Not a murmur was heard from the Indian of his wife and children. Not a word was spoken by those assem- bled to witness. All nature was silent, broken only by the singing of the birds. Every eye was turned upon the victim, who stood motionless with his eyes firmly fixed on his executioner and calmly received the blow without the appearance of the slightest tremor. For a few moments he stood erect, the blood gushing from the wound at every pulsation; then his knees began Forty-fourth Anniversary to quake; his eyes and face assumed an expression of death, and he sank upon the sand. During all this time the wife and children sat perfectly motionless, gaz- ing upon the husband and father. Not a sign or a murmur escaped their lips until life was extinct, when they threw themselves upon his dead body, lying in a pool of blood, in grief and lamen- tations, bringing tears to the eyes of the traders and causing a murmur of sympathy to run through the multiude of Indians. Turning to Mr. Deschamps, down whose cheeks the tears were trinckling, I said: ‘Why did you not save that noble Indian. A few blankets and shirts and a little cloth would have done it.” “Oh, my boy,” he replied, “we should have done it. It was wrong and thoughtless in us. What a scene we have witnessed.” Still the widowed wife and her chil- dren were clinging to the dead body in useless tears and grief. The chicf and his family sat motionless for fif- teen or twenty minutes, evidently re- gretting what had been done. Then he arose, approached the body, and in a trembling voice said: Woman, stop weeping. Your husband was a brave man and, like a brave, was not afraid to die as the rules of our nation de- manded. We adopt you and your children in the place of my son; our lodges are open to you; live with any of us; we will treat you like our own sons and daughters; you shall have our protection and love.” ‘Che-qui- ock” (that is right) was heard from the assembled Indians, and the tragedy was ended. That scene is indelibly stamped on my mind, never to be forgotten. I made a call on Rix Robinson, who was a trader on Grand River above Grand Rapids, also in the employ of the American Fur Company, and my nearest neighbor. It was in the month of January, a few days after a thaw which had flooded the river, and when I reached the South Branch of Grand River I found the bottoms flooded, but frozen hard enough to bear me up, the river very high and filled with floating ice, and no means of crossing, and I had either to return or swim tor it. | chose the latter, undressed, and hav- ing tied my clothing in as compact a bundle as possible, rested in on the back of my neck, holding it in place by a string between my teeth. I plung- ed in and soon landed on the opposite shore, and dressing myself as quickly as possible, I started on a run and soon became thoroughly warmed. It was growing late, but being on the trail leading to Robinson's I felt sure of reaching his house, and arrived on the bank of the main river opposite to it about nine o’clock. I halloed a number of times and began to despair of being heard and thought I should be compelled to camp for the night almost at the door of my friend. I gave my last and strongest yell, arous- ed a Frenchman, who came down to the shore and answered me, Saying, in Indian, “Can’t come over,” and ex- plaining that there was too much float: Though the day was very cold, Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 81 W@ OLD D NATIONAL BA cae aS & 1 ee ee ee ee ee ee me ee ee W Ue -_~ S Nee) Ws a Financial Ambassador In the far-flung mesh of world finance, Western Michigan and _ its & a wf ~TRY 1 ayn! frre ee ee _— people are represented by the Old National . . . ably and with influence. Attention to detail, helpful friendliness careful stability and progressiveness have brought this institution your confidence and your respect. These same qualities have brought the Old National the respect and confidence of the world’s great banking houses. As a result, this bank can offer to Western Michigan business men every service which a sound metro- politan bank can offer . . . plus the added security of 74 unin- terrupted years of ex- perience. eae ie Nese dy SC iam A JOS a. wo ue ii Ny 82 ing ice to cross. My answer, in French, telling who I was, brought from him the reply, “Wait, we will come over;” after a short time two men came for me in a boat, and I soon found myself beside a warm fire in my friend’s cab- in; supper was ordered, to which I did ample justice. Robinson was much surprised at the account of my crossing the river. ! spent a few days very pleasantly and before leaving arranged with my host to wait at the mouth of the river for me on his way back to Mackinaw, so that we might proceed from there in company, I promising to be at the meeting place at an appointed day, not later than the tenth of May. Leav- ing Robinson’s cabin at early dawn I reached my own post soon after dark, having traveled sixty miles. I had made a successful winter and disposed of all my goods except a few remnants, and about the twentieth of April aban- doned my post and descended the river, stopping for a day or two at the foot of the rapids (Grand Rapids), where a large number of Indians were assembled to catch sturgeon. In due time’I reached Grand Haven, where I found Mr. Robinson awaiting me, and aiter a rest of six or eight days we left for Mackinaw. We werc among the first to arrive, and after settling my accounts, I was again de- tailed to the fur-packing house for the season. I had received letters mother, telling of her loneliness and of her great desire to see me, and felt very badly over the news these had conveyed: and when Mr. Crooks told me I was again to return to my post on the Kalamazoo river, I asked to be discharged, giving as a reason that my mother was a widow and my brother and four sisters were all young- er than myself and needed my ser- vices and protection. I was then 18 years old and felt myself a man in all things. Mr. Crooks said the company could not spare me, and he thought I could serve my mother and family more acceptably by remaining; told me that he had corresponded with my mother, and when last at Montreal intended to have gone to Connecticut to see her, but had not the time, and by his arguments prevailed upon me to remain. I expressed my desire to again go out with the Illinois “brigade,” giving my reasons therefor; and there, aided by Mr. Deschamps’ solicitations (he claiming that he had only consented to part with me for a year, expecting me to return to take charge of the post on the Illinois River), induced Mr. Crooks — though reluctantly — to give his consent to my going out with my old friend and comrade. In due course of time our “brigade” started, the twelve boats led by Mr. Deschamps and the old familiar boat song. I was again with my old companions, all of whom gave me a cordial welcome. Day after day we pursued our voyage, the ever monotonous row, row, being va- ried by no incidents of interest, until we reached Chicago. We had made from my an unusually quick trip, having been delayed by adverse winds but two or three days on the entire journey. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Again I was rejoiced with a home in Mr. Kinzie’s family, and remained there for several days, until the “bri- gade” again moved for the Illinois River. —_++>___ Progressive Towns Go Forward; Un- progressive Ones Go Backward. Some years ago it was ten miles to the next town. Now it is less than twenty minutes. When the next town was ten miles instead of twenty minutes away the people of the home community wer4« willing to accept such merchandising methods as Jones and Brown and Smith offered them. People could not be too particular about the cleanliness of the local stores, about the quality or the variety of the merchandise car- ried, about the sales ability of Jones and Brown and Smith and their clerks. When the next town was ten miles away the only competitors of Jones, Brown and Smith were the mail-order houses. It was a case of buy in the home town or from the mail-order catalogue. That ten miles of soft mud road, and the slow, lumbering farm wagons of the period, protected the home trade of Jones, Brown and Smith. That ten miles of mud kept the people of the town at home, it kept their in- terest centered in the home com- munity. To-day the ten miles of distance has been changed to less than twenty minutes of time; the mud roads have been changed to concrete, the slow, lumbering wagon has given way to the automobile, and Black, Green anc White in the next town have become competitors of Jones, Brown and Smith. The next town is as near to- day as was Main street in the home town a few years ago. Good roads and the automobile have annihilated the fortifications that protected Jones, Brown and Smith but a few years ago. All of these things mean _ radica! changes in the social and commercial life of .the Nation. It means «the progressive communities are going forward, the unprogressive ones are going backward. It means that com- munities hust strive as never before if they are to live. The dead mer- chants, with dead people, have no place in the picture of the future. There is a distinct place for the newspaper in these changed condi- tions. It is the local community news- paper that must lead its community out of the darkness of the era of mud into the light of the present era of concrete. It must lead the way to progress that means a better town, better merchandising methods on the part of the merchants, co-operation between all elements of the commun- ‘ty working together for the benefit of all. It should lead in organizing so- cial activities that will attract people to the town. It should lead to the in- stallation of “movie” shows, and the oroduction of pictures. It should encourage and support the ac- tivities of the churches. The news- paper representative of the community that is to live in these days of fierce competition can no-.longer content itself with chronicling the things that happen, it must make things happen. —Publishers’ Auxiliary. good Forty-fourth Anniversary WE OFFER TO THE READERS OF THIS JOURNAL A LIST OF Conservative Stocks and Bonds FOR INVESTMENT MAY WE SEND YOU OUR Latest Offerings LINK, PETTER & COMPANY INVESTMENT BANKERS Seventh Floor Michigan Trust Building GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Butchers’ and Grocers’ Fixtures and Machinery Brunswick Ice Machine Refrigerators of All Descriptions Casings, Tools and Supplies BOOT @ CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN { Be » 4 > « CFs 4 » < ‘od P > } Forty-fourth Anniversary 83 Decadence of Great American Dish of Hash. I know not where the name origin- ated, but I do know that before the oldest living person was born we familiar with that celebrated and appetizing dish—hash. That it is distinctly American, there can be no doubt, as the potato is an American product and without the po- tato there can be no hash. Those who lived in the days when the palatial steamboat floated up and Mississippi River well re- hash was a permanent dish on the menu, placed before the passengers for breakfast, accompanied well-known and never-to-be- Mississippi biscuits, large, light and fit for a king’s table, made by a colored cook whose apprenticeship until he was a master Americans were down the member that by the forgotten never ended hash maker. But hash was not the only dish those could make. Their gumbo soup, the fried yams with strips of bacon, their pies, thick, fluffy and juicy, their roasts cooked to a nicety, brown on all sides and carved in front of you, vegetables that melted in youy mouth and with a flavor that would bring an appetite to a stone god—a flavor distinctly American, without the use of garlic or any of the modern im- ported tastes. The tomato was un- known, save as a “love apple’ and used as an ornament on the mantel- The chowder those days was therefore was made systematically, with a layer of bacon, a layer of potatoes and one of clams, colored cooks piece. tomatoless and alternating, all of which was topped off with a chunk of butter and nice rich cream. But, alas! what a change has come upon us, The once delicious hash has become a sort of “ollapodrida,”’ into which my countrymen! American everything belonging to the garbage can 1s dumped. It is claimed that a monkey was re- sponsible for the mince pie in the kitchen of a king’s palace by mixing the ingredients intended for other dishes while the cook’s back was turn- ed, but we know not where to place the responsibility for disrupting our American hash, unless it be the ten- dency of these days to jazz everything, thereby making us a Nation of crawl- ing, coughing, sour-faced dyspeptics, fit for a tasteless world and an early grave. It makes us feel that laws should be enacted compelling cooks to undergo training, such as physicians and lawyers are subjected to, before being perm:tted to follow their avoca- tion of preparing edibles for an eating Frank Stowell. —_—_+-+____ Give Purchaser an Insurance Policy. England, when you buy goods on the installment plan, you also buy, right along with the goods, a lfe insurance policy. The idea is that if you die before paying out on the dollar a month plan, the seller cancels the rest of the in- stallments, and the goods belong t« country. Over in your heirs. Of course the buyer has to pay a little more to cover the cost of the life insurance. In England they call it the ‘Hire- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN purchase plan.” It is said to be grow- ing rapidly. The English are hard up for ready cash, owing to the heavy taxes and slack business, and they are going in strong for installment buying. Commenting on recent developments in the “hire-purchase system,’ as in- stallment buying is termed abroad the Manchester Guardian has the fol- lowing to say: “A more recent improvement is the application of life insurance to the hire- purchase system. The cleverer firms in the business have realized that after they have overcome what remains of the old-fashioned prejudice against buying on anything but a cash bas:s, by giving a perfectly square deal, there still remains, in the back of a man’s mind, the fear that he may not survive to complete his contract. The risk may be small, but it is always there, and no man likes the idea of leaving others to finish paying for what he has bought. “At the same time the death of the purchaser puts the selling firm in e position they would rather avoid, since they profit by what is paid for and not by what is returned. To get over the difficulty, chiefly on behalf of the buy- er, many firms are now taking out life assurance policies on all their hire- purchase customers. “The policy is taken out for an amount equal to the full amount of the installments due, and remains in force until the end of the contract. It is an undertaking to pay to the seller, in the event of the death of his customer, the whole of the installments due after his death. The customer is given a con- tract in similar terms releasing his de- pendents from any liability and aban- doning any claim on the goods. “There is no medical examination and no elaborate procedure whatever. Everything is made subservient to the main business of selling the goods, and insurance does its part as unobtrusive- ly as possible.” ——__ 2. Humanize in Showing Goods. Make displays of merchandise in a “human” manner. Some displays are arranged so carefully that customers hesitate to disturb the prim and regular exhibits. In one large store the owner of the business makes a daily tour of the es- tablishment and actually disarranges the piles of goods displayed on the counters. He knows that if goods are too neatly arranged that customers will not handle them. Of course, this does not mean that goods should be jumbled in disorderly heaps on every counter and table, but that they should appear to be wanted merchandise and not a museum exhibit. A simple experiment will prove the value of showing goods. A store over- stocked in a certain article can show a sample of this merchandise on every counter, regardless of the number of such displays necessary. The speed with which the stock reduces itself to normal will be astonishing. ———_>+>—___ Plump girls are in style again, says Paris. Once more justifying the maxim that everything comes to those who weight. wees BROW AND SEHLE COMPANY AUTOMOBILE TIRES AND TUBES AUTOMOBILE ACCESSORIES GARAGE EQUIPMENT RADIO SETS RADIO EQUIPMENT HARNESS HORSE COLLARS FARM MACHINERY AND GARDEN TOOLS SADDLERY HARDWARE BLANKETS ROBES SHEEP LINED AND BLANKET-LINED COATS LEATHER COATS GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN | 84 THE GLORY OF GRAND RAPIDS. (Continued from page 75) His monument is already builded in the hearts of his friends. F. B. Mumford. Columbia, Mo. Thank you for the kindly chance you kindly give me to say something about our mutual and beloved friend, Chares Garfield. I have read and cherished many of the good things he has said in your interesting paper. All he says on any subject is always good. He is, indeed, a wonderful and many-sided man and, as you truly put it, “He is as good as gold on every side.” You are fortunate in knowing Charlie Garfield and in knowing him so well and for so long. I, too, have had that good fortune, for I have known him for over fifty years. It was in October, I think, of the year 1870 that I first met Charles Garfield. He came with my brother, Richard, to our old home in Dearborn. They were starting on their travels, two eager young graduates of the Agri- cultural College, going to witness the wonders of the Great Republic in the historic places where the Nation start- ed—New York, the metropolis, Boston, the “Hub,” Philadelphia, the birth- place, and the “Seats of the Mighty” in the Nation’s beautiful capital. They seemed very wonderful and very grand starting off like cavaliers or crusaders or pilgrims. Charlie fell ill on the way and his parents came to fetch him home. He wasn’t so strong then, physically, though even then he was the giant of good cheer that we have learned to love. But illness never fazed him. Indeed, nothing could blanch the smile nor dim the eye nor dampen the ardor of that strong warm heart. A fit of sick- ness was just a joy to Charley Garfield. Why? I have read right in your own paper words written by him from a bed of serious illness, under the pro- testing eye of a restraining nurse, that were so charming and so full of in- terest that one could really envy him and wish he might fall sick like that himself. But Charley Garfield was never sick at heart. And no man is really sick with a big generous heart so warm as his and full of such good will, sending forth such floods of kindly impulses that, like the twinkling stars of sum- mer night, cannot be counted, and that have found lodgment and bounteous growth in more responsive hearts than he may ever know. I well recall his coming back in bleak November of the following year to the alumni gathering of old M. A. C., where he was, as always, the center of his group. Standing around the red hot old stove in the chapel of Old College hall, turning first one side and then the other, like lamb chops frying on an old-time spit and getting broiled both sides (there was a fierce comfort in those old stoves), he held us charm- ed by his radiating cheer. And in his early days in that new school, set up on what seemed then to many only novel and experimental and maybe useless lines, I think his MICHIGAN TRADESMAN clearest vision saw more clearly than did the rest of us that we students of that crucial time— “ * * * in our daily round Of duty walked on holy ground.” More clearly than many of us of those fateful days he saw and felt and knew that we who were favored by the labor and companionship of that first great coterie of practical scientists that did their work so well were “mingling with the immortals” of their time. And from that day unto this Charles Garfield has been the steadfast, stal- wart, potent leader in the line of pro- gressive thought that would apply science to the service of the masses of mankind. Out there in your beautiful portion of our old Peninsula we all well knew we had Charles Garfield, standing, like some element of nature, staunch and dependable in all contingencies, always ready and always right. At our college gatherings through the years Garfield’s presence always made the meetings useful and signifi- cant. ie looked to for advice and leadership and he never failed. Of his life activities in your city and in the State and in the various lines of useful and priceless endeavor which have made his name revered, you well know and will, I trust, tell the tale. They told me that you call him your “Grand Old Man,” a title earned by a life of unselfish devotion. Well, he isn’t old, not yet, and never will be in that heart of his, but may he long re- main in loving phrase the Grand Old Man of all our loyal hearts. Henry A. Haigh. was Detroit, Mich. I have read joyfully the many beau- tiful articles written by Charlie Gar- field and desire to write a few appre- ciative words of a man whose good influence I have felt for more than a half century. Students in college choose their idea] instructors and are impressed by them. Dr. Beal and Charlie Garfield were my heroes. Charlie was foreman in horticulture from 1174 to 1877 at the M. A. C., now known as Michigan State College of Agriculture and Ap- plied Science. Because I was immune to the poison of ivy and sumac, Charlie chose me to go with him to dig cypripedium or ladyslipper plants in the woods border- ing a swamp where pitcher plants also grew. It was Charlie who explained to me the wonders of the Venetian sumac or smoke tree, its abortive flowers and diffusely branched and hairy pedicels. Once he chanced to come into the old college chappel where I was re- hearsing for freshman rhetoricals and recited for me this memory gem: ’'Tis better to weave in the web of life A bright and golden filling, *And to do God's will with a cheerful heart And hands that are ready and willing, Than to snap the delicate tender threads Of our curious life asunder, And then blame Heaven for the tangled ends And sit and grieve and wonder. Many times the spirit of cheer ex- pressed in these Jines has helped me over hard places and always with it comes the memory of the kind sym- pathetic smile of Charlie Garfield. To be sure we have followed with interest his career as farmer, legislator, banker, author and philanthropist, but it is the personal touch that endears. We had a hearty greeting and hand- shake at the M. S. C. alumni reunion last June and I hope to meet and greet again next June on the banks of the Red Cedar my kindly instructor of the olden time and again, and again, with each succeeding June, until we meet on the banks of the River of the Water of Life. William B. Jakway. New Carlisle, Indiana. Charles W. Garfield—a beloved ruler in the Kingdom of Kindness. Anna Cox Morris. Wateriord, New York. Choose ye a man in your old home town! Him give honor and worthy renown! Ask ye the citizens whom they delight Royally folow and gladly indite Loyalty, virtue. homage, respect, Each in his own way as each shall elect? So shall the chorus swell in aecclaim— Garfield our brother, Garfield’s the name And thus do we pause in the heat of the day, Reealling with pleasure his comradely way; For he still is in service, he lives with us yet Jn continuing counsel, heart and mind set Eastward, expectantly facing the dawn, Loving his city, his State, and his God. Downright blessings on the path he has trod! Edwin W. Bishop. Lansing. I have known Charlie Garfield since 1868, both became students of the Agricultural College. For up- wards of fifty vears letters, often deal- ing with the most intimate matters of our lives, have gone back and forth between us. In politics and religion (of which I have very little) we are in agreement and _ thus Charley has got a grip on my affec- tions which cannot be shaken in life. Withal I hesitate to write the letter you ask. “Good wine needs no bush” and I feel sure that if I should attempt anything laudatory of Charley Garfield I should make a mess of it. So I am going to ask you, Mr. Stowe, to excuse me from this task and give the work to younger men having more facile pens than mine. E. M. Shelton. Seattle, Washington. when we almost entire Your cordial letter regarding your forty-fourth anniversary edition and the symposium you desire to publish therein with reference to our good friend, Mr. Garfield, has just been re- ceived and read with much interest and pleasure. Indeed, I shall be very happy to co- operate with you in producing an arti- cle on what the friends of Mr. Garfield think of him, for this issue, and I con- gratulate you upon the idea, for I be- lieve he well deserves it. I have read many of the articles he has written for your publication with much interest. I have known Mr. Garfield for sev- eral years and my contacts and asso- ciation with him have caused me to have a very high regard and apprecia- tion for his sterling character and honesty of purpose. His friendly, com- passionate attitude and pleasant smile are indelibled in the hearts of those Forty-fourth Anniversary who have had the pleasure of meeting him, and because he always functions the work of his head and hands through the heart, he is what I like to term, “a constructive harmonizer”’, express- the true spirit of fellowship and Golden Rule. Clarence H. Howard. Granite City, Ills. ing the A short time ago I entered the studio of one of our many artists in Lyne, Connecticut. A painting of phlox was on the easel, another of zinnia was finished. After carefully surveying these beautiful pic- tures, 1 said: “Haven't you overdone the brightness in these colors?” My friend artist gave me a queer expres- sion and replied, “I have secured the very brightest colored paints obtain- able and still fail to bring out the intensity of the natural colors. Go home to your own flower garden and take another look at your phlox and zinnias, then compare my efforts with nature’s colors.” I went home and looked at my flow- ers as before and found that the artist was right, for I found my eyes being gradually overcome by tov long a gaze into their natural intensity. We sometimes wish to portray our best men and women in words and fall as far short in our description as the artist fails in his colors. When it comes to writing about Mr. Garfield I can find no words to properly ex- press my love and admiration for him. I simply want to take him in my em- brace and look into his kindly eyes and feel the elevating influence of a personal touch. We were comparatively never boys to gether; we sat side by side for seven consecutive years at the meetings of the Grand River Valley Horticultural Society, he as President, I as Secre- tary, and no happier seven years ever came into my life. On many other oc- casions we were together and I was always a little nervous when, as toast- master, he was leading his hearers up to my sure knowledge that I had some- thing to say to them. In these latter years a new thrill comes over me when we mect together in Florida. It is then that all the intervening years jump into a lump sum and we are back again as boys together. At such a time Mr. Garfield is liable to suddenly break out with a song of the old happy days, his voice and manner an exact replica of times, say, about forty years ago. Why do so many people love Charles W. Garfield? Well, those who first knew him and loved him never had any reason to change their desire to retain their love for him. This being the case there must be something about him so continuously fair and compel- ling that in time his friends are legion. The great dominating trait in his char- acter is a love for his fellow man and, coupled with this, is an inherent spring of love for all that is elevating in life. If his kind predominated millions spent to see a prize fight would find its way into channels where the money could do more good to humanity, not that he is without rich red blood himself and loves athletics; he would find a better way to spend that money. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 85 | AGAIN | We Have Moved IN LIVING UP TO OUR SLOGAN “The Agency of Personal Service” We have shown a tremendous increase in business, demanding additional Office Room and additional Service Men. Are You Taking Advantage of Our Plan? We represent some of the largest participating, legal reserve, Fire and Casualty Mutual Insurance Companies doing business in Michigan. SAVING 20% to 50% SAVING THE CLASS-MUTUALS AGENCY C. N. BRISTOL H. G. BUNDY A. T. MONSON New Location 308-309-310 Murray Bldg. Grand Rapids, Michigan } & tz . 4 it 86 It is not without a tinge of sadness that comes over me when I consider our present times. Possessed as we are of great wealth and in control of vast natural resources, in fact, almost all the material things to make a great nation possible, yet naturally lacking a spiritual side of life that would greatly enhance all we have and hold. Mr. Garfield's life is a living text for our study. way. He has always shown us the Fortunately for some of us com- ing under the direct influence of his thoughts and ways, we can partly see the light of passing through this world so as to be able to spread a part of his desire for good. There are so many people that need his direct influence that I have often wished that every community might have such a man in its midst. Somehow, civilization, the best things are always on the defensive and things made most of in our daily press not conducive to high attainment in all that is lovely in life, and while it has been impossible to keep Mr. Garfield's name out of “Who's Who,” no man of his type can at this stage of the world’s progress ever hope to be as popular as Tex Rickard or Babe Ruth. The world has not yet reached the first stages of love for the best in life. What the world really needs is a general desire for knowiedge of all that stands for the best, not only for this generation, but for those to come. At one time I was walking with Mr. Garfield through his own planted Said I, “You will never live to cut these down for lumber.” so far m our forest trees on Burton Farm. “No,” said he, “1 mdy not, but some one that follows me may. I don’t expect to see the full glory of these trees. I hope others may.” Now here you are; just compare such a spirit to the general order of things; I am sure that our own friend will be grieved to learn that by an agreement between Canada and New York paper users, the forest of spruce in Northern Ontario is to be slaughtered, that twelve thousand destroyers of the for- est are to slash away for years to come, all this for newspapers printing a whole lot of stuff better left unsaid. Now the reason Mr. Garfield will feel sorry for the loss of these trees is be- cause he knows or feels sure that it is not likely that a similar tract of land will be planted by the destroyers, who most seek direct profit and let the next generation. “go hang.” It is not Mr. Garfield’s plan to forget others, either near or remote. Two years ago there was a shortage of water in New York City and people were called upon to conserve the sup- ply. It turned out that only a very few people knew that a drought could af- fect the amount of water. It was easy to turn a tap and let the water run Searcely any had any idea of conserving the water supply. Is it any wonder? away. How much space do the New York papers give to general en- lightenment on our every day affairs? People living in the density of our large cities need elevating leaders. Pardon me if I relate an incident of Almost half a cen- tury ago I was courting the favor of a young lady with the object of asking my young days. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN her to become a life partner. We were visiting at Mr. Garfield’s home on Bur- ton avenue. After a delightful repast our host said, “Now, if you two would like to enjoy an hour at billiards, you will find a table upstairs.’ Here was an offer that found immediate accept- ance. I can’t remember how the score stood. Of course, we played the game, but we were really playing another game, and it mattered little who won. I think we both won. It was in that room that we planned a picnic, if we could but get Mr. Garfield to go along. And sure enough, he found the time. Pleasant reminiscences these. The very idea of our asking him to give his valuable time for a picnic just to furth- er our plans is something that a later consideration reveals as a selfish mo- tive on our part. But he could easily see the situation and found the time to contribute to our happiness. To the extent of his physical ability and in many cases his pocketbook, he has found time all through life to contri- bute for the pleasure and profit of others. At the present time we are witness- ing an era of great exploitation. In- dustry in mass production, farming to Market gardening already well along. The youth of our land are demanding a new freedom. In all these things we can see a big interroga- tion point for the future. Mussolini, at the advent of his fourth son, said, “It is not exactly the fourth. it is the first of a new series.” Oh, that we could say this when another new year comes around and say this is a year of a new series. This old world is to have a change of heart. Each one is to become his brother’s keeper, not his destroyer. If our dear Lord Jesus had never come among us and shown us the way we could never have had men of the type of our friend Charles W. Garfield. Let us hope that the days yet vouchsafed to him will con- tinue with increasing influence for all that stands for love and fairness to our fellow man until the world will throw off the shackles of sin and we live for the good of all. Thomas L. Brown. Black Hall, Conn. follow suit. It could have been no less than an inspiration that shaped the sentiment: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Occasionally, a rare soul exemplifies all the good in that pithy truth. None too often, though. If the friends of Charles W. Garfield are so classified because of a demon- stration of friendly attributes on his part; that is to say, if he had to be one, every time he acquired one, he must be and have been a very “being” sort of person. Why must he? Be- cause his acquisitions are legion. His friends are all over the lot. You bump into them every time you turn around. Ask anybody. “Do I know Charlie Garfield? Say, what are you giving us? I knew Charlie Garfield before you were ever heard of. I’m two or three years older than he is, but he taught me in the old school in Paris township, and way back there he was always talking about trees and flowers and birds and all that nature stuff.” “Know Charlie Garfield? Ill say I do. When my son wanted to go to college and to medical school, and I didn’t have a cent to send him, some- body told him to go round to the bank and talk with Mr. Garfield.” “Know Charlie Garfield? Say, don’t make me laugh. I met him the other day and asked him if he remembered me. When I was a kid, I swiped a lot of apples out at the old Burton Farm and he caught me at it. He didn’t get mad or anything like that, but he just gave me a quiet kind of talk that made me feel like I had pull- ed a feather out of an angel’s wing. -Then he told me to keep the apples. Somehow or other, darn it, I never had the heart to go back there for more.” “Know Charlie Garfield? Mr. Gar- field and I were close friends. I take comfort in the thought that once in a while he talked things over with me. When he and Mrs. Fletcher were working out the Garfield-Fletcher play- ground proposition, he honored me by I was not very strong jor it, but time has shown asking my opinion about it. he was right.” “Know Charlie Garfield? During all the years I have been shut in the house, never a week has gone by in the spring and summer that he has not brought me some fruit or vegeta- bles fresh from his own garden—a garden tilled with his own hands.” “Know Charlie Garfield? Say, look at that beautiful row of trees right out there, will you? How do you think they got there? Mr. Garfield is father, mother, aunt and uncle to every last one of them. And ain’t they beauties?” “Do I know Charlie Garfield? Do I? I was in the Legislature with him. Forty-nine per cent. of us thought he was crazy; 49 per cent. more thought he was just a little crazier. And all because he was talking about saving the forests. Wasn’t the State lousy with trees and wouldn’t they last in- definitely? Only 2 per cent. thought he was right. And what side was I on? Qh, I was one of the damn fools who thought he was crazy.” “Know Charlie Garfield? Sure. Who doesn’t? He taught me in Sunday School many a time. And it wasn’t so much what he said but the way he said it that got my goat. When he looked at me, he looked right through me and I could feel his eye on the back of the seat I was sitting in.” “Know Charlie Garfield? Righto, I know him. When we had a hard job to be done, we always tried to get Charlie to head up a special committee to do it, and we could always be sure that something would happen.” “Know Charles W. Garfield? My first impression of this town is hearing Mr. Garfield as he presided at a meet- ing called in the interests of clean and intelligent citizenship. He always had a way of being on the good side of everything.” “Know Mr. Garfield? Listen to this, will you? When I first moved to Grand Rapids, I was fortunate enough to find a house in his neighborhood, right next door, in fact. He heard we were arriving on Friday. After we Forty-fourth Anniversary walked through the house and opened the back door, there stood a dozen of eggs from his own little henhouse. The next day, we found some radishes from his garden. Again it was asparagus. Always something slipped in when nobody was looking. There is one thing harder than perpetual motion and that is to keep within striking dis- tance in retaliating the neighborly so- licitude and tenderness and courtesies of Mr. Garfield and his equally neigh- borly wiie.” “Ves, I know Mr. Garfield. I still have the letter he wrote me upon the death of my beloved daughter. It is full of such tenderness and warmth of feeling that I glow every time I| think or i” “Do I know him, and what do I know about him? When he was making himself poor and the community rich by donating chunks of land to the city, and when he was developing residen- tial sites from his farm, I told him about the rare commercial advantages maintaining in the many strata of high grade gravel underlying his land. His only reply was to the effect that he wanted to leave behind him a memory of something better than a hole in thi ground.” “Know Mr. Garfield? Wasn’t I a maid in his home for seven years: Even to-day, fifteen years since I lett to get married, he and Mrs. Garfield He has helped us He brings us some come out to see us. buy our home. flowers or vegetables from his garden. He has loaned us money when we needed it. He comes to see us if we are sick. He knows each one of our children and is as interested as we are in what they are doing and how they are getting along. He is our patron Ssaitit. “Know Charlie Garfield? Listen to this, brother. I went into the bank one day with my old clothes on—the clothes I use when I work in the gar- den. He was just coming out of a meeting—directors, or something or other. He received me like I was J. Pierpont Morgan and told me what I wanted to know. What do you think it was? How to fight beetles on sum- mer squash.” “The question is almost foolish. What neighbor of his does not know him? Every day in the spring and summer he is out in his garden early in the morning, always working, some- times singing, sometimes having a lit- tle chat with the robbins who make their breakfasts on the worms and bugs he turns from under the soil. I guess the birds must know him, for they get very close. I guess they un- derstand him, for they bob their heads up and down and shake a leg now and then just as if they were carrying on a conversation in the sign language.’ I know Charles W. Garfield myself. As I look at him, I see an open coun- tenance which matches an honest heart. I hear a unique chuckle that harmon- izes with his discriminating humor. I note a rapid glide (he never walks) which seems in keeping with his sprightly mind. I feel a hand clasp which, like a certain furnace, makes warm friends. Have you ever flashed a diamond 3 * es ee me “a * Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The HOME of KARO « MAZOLA » ARGO The Largest Single Covers 160 acres—has 50 acres of floor space— has 20 miles of railroad within the orounds — maximum orinding capacity 80,000 bushels of corn daily—uses ARGO PLANT at ARGO, ILLINOIS 20,000,000 gallons of water and 1,000 tons of coal per day— produces a million packages of grocery products per day —ships 75 carloads of finished products per day. Plant in the World Manu acturing Grocery Products ‘ cs - CORN PRODUCTS REFINING COMPANY 17 Battery Place New York City 88 in the sunshine and seen the facets coax out the colors? That’s Mr. Gar- field’s conversation. No matter what the occasion, he can find more inter- esting things to talk about than the number of grains a self-made White Leghorn can find on the floor of a granary. If this man has not honored you with that degree of intimacy indicated by his reading aloud to you—well, you have missed something, that’s all. It is pleasure (not “a” pleasure) to listen to him as the fire crackles in the fire- place, when he has run across a stimu- lating contribution in the Rural New Yorker, the Outlook, the Michigan Tradesman, or in some new volume he has just bought. Not only so, but he listens well. Who wouldn’t appreciate a friend like that? Profanity is not in his vocabuary. His education has been neglected along that line. The saving grace inherent in the explosive employment of over- secular expletives is foreign to his ex- emplary behavior. He has been known, however, to make judicious use of well- placed emphasis in skilfully condensed comments, given a combination of cir- cumstances smeared over with chi- canery or hypocrisy. Rarely does Mr. Garfield use a “damn’’; when he does, it is a rare “damn”; and it is a real treat to hear him say it—he does it so satisfactorily, considering the little practice he gets in such compensatory vocalization. He does, nevertheless, show what he will do if he ever cuts loose; and if he ever does cut loose, I hope there won’t be any ladies or fundamentalists around. I speak for a ringside seat for myself. The three anathemas of our good friend are tobacco,intoxicants and cats. Why he is opposed to the pleasurable taste and aroma of a good cigar, it is not in my province to enquire; if it is, I refuse to enquire. He is opposed to intoxicants for the same reason that any self-respecting man is opposed to them. He is “agin” cats, because cats are “agin” birds. Yes, I know the man. I love him. His qualities do not lend themselves to a one-two-three performance. He is not a seriatim sort of a fellow. He is an ensemble variety. He is a unit proposition. He goes together. You spoil him if you try to dissect him. Let him alone. He is all right just as he is. Charles C. Stillman. Grand Rapids. When the editor of the Tradesman asked me to write a word about Mr. Garfield and said, “Discuss any side of him, all sides are as good as gold.” I repied, “’tis true, ‘tis true.” I have known Mr. Garfield rather intimately for quite some years and it is the personal, loving, human side of him I know best. As a young girl, I remember him in the home as one of the most de- lightful of men, always gracious and thoughtful, never a frown or cross word. Neither the weather nor the cutworms in his garden had the power to dim his radiant smile or detract from his hearty “Good Morning” which al- ways started our day, and throughout the day it was the same. On the street, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN in the bank or driving through the country behind old Molly his kindly greeting fell on all who chanced his way. He used to say to me, “My dear, a gracious word costs so little and it may cheer a lonely heart.” Not so many years ago, on one of my visits home, we were driving along one of the poorer streets, but one rich in children, and it seemed to me that little hands waved and childish voices called from nearly every yard. “Hello, Mr. Garfield,” “Good morning Mr. Garfield.” And their faces beamed, so sure were they of their friend. And he never failed them. His de- lightful, “Good morning, laddie, hello, my dear,” or a wave of the hand to some tiny tot was as gracious and friendly as ever. And the whole day was made brighter for those children. I honestly believe he deplores the automobile, because it whizzes him along too fast for these wayside greet- ings. The other day I was reading the titles of some books and came to one called “The Understanding Heart.” I thought, how well that describes my father. I can look back over the years and see countless numbers, rich and poor, old and young who have brought their troubles to him and few, if any, ever left him without finding some comfort. His wonderful understand- ing of and faith in his neighbor have brought out the best there was in many a boy or girl. A few years ago a young man, a stranger to me, came to my door sell- ing some household commodity. On my wall I have a very fine picture of my father, at which the young man kept looking. Finally, he said, “My, that looks an awful lot like a man I know, who caught me stealing his ap- ples once when I was a boy. He talked to me awhile and then said, ‘I am going to let you go, for I don’t believe you will ever do this again,’ and I didn’t.” Then I asked the young man who his friend was and he replied, “Mr. Garfield, of Grand Rapids, one of the very best men | know.” The honesty of him, the graciousness of him, the sincerity of him, the un- derstanding heart of him is like no other man’ I know. Deborah Garfield Decker. Ann Arbor, Mich. I am glad you have in mind a lit- tle testimonial, or whatever it may be called, of our dear friend, Charley Garfield. I feel that any words I could command would very inadequately ex- press the high esteem I have for him. Among the half dozen men who stand first in my affection, Charles W. Gar- field ranks very near the head. I can- not see where I ever contributed a thing that could have amounted to the least thing to him, but when a poor unsophisticated freshman in college he treated me socially as though I was right in his class. He opened my eyes to the natural beauties of the world all about us. He introduced me to the things worth while in literature, so that I have never praticularly cared for second or third rate books. His fine religious sensibilities were of ines- timable value to me. I have read with great delight his recent articles along this line. Then, again, his radiant good nature, always beaming sunshine in dark places, making fearful souls confident of final triumph. While it is many years since I had the pleasure of his companionship, yet my love and respect have never faded. I know of few men who have lived more gen- erously and unselfishly and who would be more deeply missed. All this may poorly express my sincere feeling of affection for Charley Garfield. He will leave the world better for having lived in it. Arthur B. Peebles. National City, California. The citizens of Michigan will never have to acknowledge that the press of Michigan is all venal so long as the courageous editor of the Tradesman continues to call a spade a spade, with- out fear or favor. It was a gracious act on your part, Mr. Stowe, to give your readers, the friends and admirers of one who, dur- ing the years has graced and illuminat- ed the pages of your publication upon all sort of subjects, an opportunity to tell him through its pages just how much we all love him. An American historian has said that it is a comparatively easy matter to win the hurrahs and plaudits of men but few ever win the love. Charles Garfield has won the love. There must be something not ap- parent to the casual observer which has maintained such a warm mutual friendship during the years you have known each other; the one a matter of fact, persistent, honest preveyor of matters relative to the law of supply and demand and to the ups and downs of business life; the other, a poet, nat- uralist, civic reformer, philanthropist, rhetorician and historian. The genuine- ness of your friendship is a credit to both of you. The writer held a subordinate posi- tion in a State institution thirty-seven years ago, when he first met Mr. Gar- field. He was on the Board of Man- egement at the time and had a per- sonal acquaintance with every em- ployee in the institution. The Board at that time deferred largely to the judgment of one man. As a result, Garfield of Grand Rapids was the Board. He outlined all policies, wrote all of the resolutions, listened to all of the complaints and held the fate of everyone on the payroll in the hollow of his hand. We did not always agree with his judgment, but no one ever questioned the motives which lead to his decisions. It was a freak of fortune that in the exigencies of politics the same author- ity that failed to re-appoint him on the board was insistent that he should take a place on the new Commission of Forestry. His work on that Com- mission is known to every lover of trees in the State, for his was the voice which called attention to the ruthless waste of virgin forests then going on in all parts of the State and, with the aid of others, he suggested meth- ods of timber protection and renewal which formed the basis for all the Forty-fourth Anniversary legislation now in force to protect the flora and fauna of Michigan. His work on the Forest Commission will ever remain a monument to his mem- ory. I did not intend to write of the public services of this many sided use- ful man. What he has done for Mich- igan and Grand Rapids is well known to us all. It is with the human side of Charlie Garfield I love to dwell. His readiness to give of himself and his substance has to my mind been the dominant characteristic in his make- up. He has always been interested in young folks, as his magnificent gift of a public park will show, where neither roads nor vehicles are allowed, but where up-to-date swimming pools and other equipment for recreation for children are part of the parks utilities. The world has been made richer and better by his benign presence and in- fluence and the achievements of boys and girls, many now older grown, who hold him in reverent love and ever- lasting gratitude because of help, ma- terial or spiritual or both, rendered freely to them at a time of need. The home of the Garfields, known as “Restiul Roof”, Burton avenue, Grand Rapids, has for the past three score years been a Mecca to which horticulturists, scientists, educators, in fact, anyone, might go at any time for fresh inspiration and new hope. With his gentle and accomplished helpmate, the sage of Burton farm con- tinues to spread his cheery optimism and, like Phillips Brooks, brightens the path of everyone he meets because he has chanced to pass their way. Thomas Gunson. East Lansing, Mich. If my memory serves me right, it has been forty-four years since you started publishing the Michigan Tradesman; that being the year Mrs. Anderson and myself came to Grand Rapids to live. During all those years, I have, with very few exceptions, look- ed over and been interested in the dif- ferent articles that you have published irom time to time. The articles writ- ten by yourself have always been very interesting along the line of being helpful to business generally. The articles written by Charles W. Garfield I think, have been read by his friends and citizens generally with a great deal of interest. Mr. Gar- field having graduated at our Mich- igan Agricultural College, and having taught in that college for something like eight years, has given him a won- derful knowledge of horticulture, and along that line I think he has done perhaps more than any one else in urg- ing our citizens along the line of plant- ing trees and shrubs. Personally, I feel that our city is much richer and more beautiful on account of his gen- erosity and helpfulness, making our city a Good Place to Live. I have always appreciated his friendship, and can only think of him as one of our very foremost citizens. While your line of work has been different from his, at the same time you have both been striving for better business conditions and a better city to live in. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 89 To Our Friends and Customers We take this opportunity to thank our friends and customers for their interest during the past year and for the wonderful increase in business they have given us. We shall try to deserve the confidence. Sincerely a Postex:StevenstCo. Founded 1837 ————— GRAND RAPIDS 61-63 Commerce Ave., S.W. MICHIGAN fie WHOLESALE HARDWARE 90 I wish for both you and Mr. Garfield good health and many more years of usefulness. William H. Anderson. Grand Rapids. When I was a freshman at M. A. C. Charley Garfield, as we affectionately called him, came with his lovely bride. His unvarying kindness and_ ready smile quite captivated the hearts of the lonely freshman. I have watched with growing pride his ascent up the ladder of usefulness and rejoice to see him enjoying the fruits of a long, well-spent life in and comfort. May we long share the blessing of his gracious presence and cheery smile. His section of the world is certainly much better for his having lived in it. He surely merits the commendation of the “In- thee but to D. Brooks. peace asmuch “None knew love thee.” E. Kalamazoo, Mich. During the four years the class of ‘76 were spending their time at the Agricultural College, called students, but more often other names more appro- Michigan they -Were sometimes priate, but never were they known to be called book worms, which some of them now lament. They were a rest- ess, uneasy bunch, often acting upon the impulse as a class or in groups or as individuals, yet always, or most al- ways, standing together, with, perhaps, a false idea of class honor or loyalty. Durmg this time Charles W. Gar- field had charge of the garden, walks and drives and the extensive campus, with its numerous original forest trees, left as they stood in the original for- est. Charley, as we called him, took great pride in these big trees and, being a lover of birds, he had spent consider- able thought and effort in making the campus attractive and a home for the native birds. He carefully selected places and built bird houses every- where. Uniortunately, he built one of these beautiful homes or bird places on a big oak tree near the trail over which the students passed daily on their way to the chemical laboratory. One bright and sunny day in the °'76— rascals all, each and every one—pass- early springtime this class of ing along the trail on their way to the chemical laboratory, spied this beauti- ul bird home high up in the tree. Hap- pilv, the old birds were away and the children were at play or had not yet arrived, those measley unruly boys, this began throwing stones at this beautiful bird home which Gar- field had taken so much pains to build, demolishing it completely. Then quiet- ly and innocent looking, they walked gently into the laboratory apparently unconcerned. When Garfield discovered this ruth- less destruction of his handiwork by these reckless, unruly, untamed In- dians, he did not rave and storm as he was entitled to, but looked and pittied. The faculty—good and gracious men everyone—previously sorely tried, with patience nearly gone, chastised these gentlemen with a severe reprimand, de- manding they rebuild what they had so ruthlessly destroyed and had so class of /6, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN outrageously insulted so good a man as Mr. Garfield, who, with the faculty, had so patiently endured so much of and thoughtless de- their reckless meanor. The class called a meeting and de- * cided to replace the bird’s home, which they did the next Friday night by re- placing the bird house with an outrag- eously big hogshead or crockery cask with a stuffed dove sitting innocently in the opening. In the morning Mr. Garfield was amazed and disgusted, but he under- stood and led and trained the lads to do the work that destiny or fate had sent to the college. Nw there is no man so much hon- ored, so respected, so loved, not only by these boys, but by all the boys who were with him at the college and by every one who is so fortunate as to personally know Charles W. Garfield. Rk. EE. Caine. Battle Creek, Mich. The request to write a few words testifying to my personal appreciation and public esteem of Charles W. Gar- filed is one that cannot be denied. Any city should include among its - assets its factories, homes, schools, public buildings and all the visible things that make it the city-beautiful and the city-useful, but after all the greatest asset of any city is the char- acter and efficiency of its citizenship. People of financial, political, social or personal power possibly do not always realize what a tremendous influence they wield in shaping the ideals of suc- minds and hearts of the young people of the community. Mr. Garfield has been one of the leading laymen in the church I have served for nearly twelve years, and on the basis of that experience I nomi- nate him for the deserved title of The-Grand-Old-Man of Michigan. He has helped build many of the visible assets of Grand Rapids and elsewhere and no one has contributed more rich- ly to the invisible but vital asset of righteous citizenship. No young per- son ever reached the conclusion that success and character are antagonistic qualities by studying his career. Let others known him longer write of his varied contributions to parks, playgrounds, forestry, good citizenship and other things, but this shoe maker will stick to his last and speak of him as a churchman. We love him in Park church for his richly devotional Christian spirit. The unseen world has been very real and near to him and the feeding of the soul through worship has been as vital as any physical want. He has found that service in the name of brotherhood, if it is to retain the full beauty and pow- er of its spirit, calls for the replenish- ment of spritual strength from God, who alone can give it. We love him for his personal illustration of the fact that it is possible to succeed in this competitive world without compromis- ing Christian standards and, after all, that is much more potent than creeds and liturgies. We love him for his unbroken church loyalties. He has always been ready to do his part and more. His financial cess in the who have contributions have been generous, but he has never believed a check was any substitute for personal service. His loyalties have risen above his prejudices. No counsel of his has been set lightly aside, but if the majority of his church decided on something contrary to his wishes, he has always co-operated even then and perhaps that is the supreme test of loyalty which few are able to meet. We love him for his youthful spirit refuses to surrender to the years. He is still our most acceptable speaker to children and the charm of his personality is as evident to them as to their parents and grandparents. We love him for the radiancy of his friendliness and sympathy, which never fail. We love him for his progressive nature. Age has not made him static. Time may have hardened his arteries, but not his eager response to newer and better things. which It has been my privilege in this and other churches to have the backing of very splendid people, but among them all I also nominate him for the title of Ideal Layman. My personal in- debtedness is beyond words and what a delight it is to praise so unreservedly a city-wide friend without the slightest suggestion of exaggeration. He is a far better sermon than any minister can preach. Charles W. Merriam. Grand Rapids. The poet Holmes was wont to say the culture of a child should best begin a hundred years before his birth. Charles Garfield then was rightly bred. His parents were of worthy mold and worthily they molded him and trained his early youth His alma mater, too, was wisely sought and wisely, too, she guided him and taught, not with the classic tales of Greece and Rome, but with the nobler lore of Nature’s realm; the world we are in, the world beyond, of finite life and Infinite beyond. Our Charlie learned to love all forms of life, all plants which grow to beautify the earth or serve the needs of human kind. He loved them all and through them learned to love their Lord. He served his God by serving men. A lov- er of all mankind, his genial smile he wore for all Nature denied him one great gift—no child he had—but in- stead of this he had a gift to bless the children of all other men. He loved them all and labored long to add new joys to every walk of life. He knew mankind, their weakness and_ their worth, and ever aimed to right their wrongs and elevate their ideas. Daniel Strange. Grand Ledge, Mich. You ask me to tell why I love Mr. Garfield. For more than seventy years he has been to me, first, a delightful playmate, then an inspiring teacher, and always an intimate, faithful, stim- ulating friend When we were boys, he was much older than I, but that did not interfere with our being good playmates. Now we are about the same age and we still play together. His father, about whom he has written so delightfully for the Tradesman, was my mother’s brother. Like her broth- Forty-fourth Anniversary er, Samtel Marshall Garfield, she was a most worthy parent and neighbor. How glad I am that my Uncle Mar- shal, as we always called him, came to Grand Rapids to live and that Charlie has always made Burton Farm his home. Often, years ago, we would eat popcorn and apples at the Garfields and then join in singing old songs, which Charlie often led. Burton Farm, about which Charlie writes in this issue of the Tradesman, was my birthplace. One naturally loves the place where he was born and the people he knew as a boy. Among them all, none stands higher in my regard and affection than Charlie, and { hope he will live to be at least a hundred years old. Perhaps he will. He seems stronger and healthier now than he was fifty or sixty years ago. Ossian C. Simonds. Chicago. You ask for a brief survey of any one of the many outstanding qualities oi Charles W. Garfield. I gladly com- ply. To me, friendliness is his dominant characteristic, the ruling passion of his life. Few men retain as fully as he the friendships of their youth and col- lege days; the warm personal ties of their business associates and the affec- tion of a great host of men and women in all the walks of life. Old and young have advised and counciled with him. They have warm- ed their hands in his; their hearts, in the warmth of his own. Their prob- lems were his. No service is too great to render. No personal problem too small for his earnest consideration. And so, through the years, friendship has ripened into real affection for the man who has always given of himself in measure unstinted. Where is there a more friendly greeting than his? Where a clasp of the hand more hearty? Where a kind- lier bearing? Contact with Mr. Gar- field seems to disarm formality and restraint; the atmosphere is friendly and men are at ease. Well may the bank, with which he has been asso- ciated all these years, be called, “The Bank where you feel at home.” It could hardly be otherwise. His spirit of friendliness dominates his home, his business, his church, and his civic interests. Wherever men gather and Mr. Garfield is in the group, the spirit of friendliness prevails. John B. Martin. Grand Rapids. In commenting upon things of which we have great appreciation, there is a tendency to overdraw our prases. Without resort to this sort of flat- tery, there is enough that is common- place, yet sufficiently exalting, to place the subject of our sketch far above the mediocre average level. A man’s personality is one thing; his labors and productions another. In February, 1873, the writer was privileged, with others, to matriculate at the Michgan Agricultural College. I had never seen a college professor until then. (Let me say they were all good men, but just a little short of the stature of my expectations) and Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 91 Radiantfire Price $95.00 \ % Too Comfortable " M : No. 35 Radiantfire The glowing flames of the Radiantfire yield 90% of - ), bestia their heat into the room. Heat that is restful, sooth- ing; warmth that envelops you in its magic folds of sheer comfort. In any room with or without a fire- place, the Radiantfire gives you heat when and where you want it. You get hours of heat for the cost of a shovelful of coal. Think of it! Also, heat that is clean, odorless, dustless, smokeless and ashless. No labor on your part, simply strike a match and light it. Authen- No. 20 Radiantfire : . danced tic period models for the fireplace; portables for chilly . b . ee corners ~-prices range from $15.00 up. Sold and Serviced by 5 ~ GAS COMPANY | ’ & {7 DIVISION AVE., N. PHONE 8-1331 : It is when making use of appliances such as these, furnishing so much convenience at so little cost, that people have brought } home to them a realization of the comforts of the age in which we live. We are pleased to know that a great deal of credit for making these comforts available to everyone is due to our product, that great producer of superior heat...... GAS —-- FHE MAGIC OF MODERN CHEMISTRY 92 just outside the faculty environs was a halo of sub-faculty men quite as at- tractive as the real bewhiskered digni- taries of learning. Among this outside company of instructors was one who particularly distinguished himself by always being in a hurry. He walked fast—usually ran—talked rapidly, never seemed quite satisfied with the quality of his own productions, yet always praised the half done things that I did, which shamed me into better ef- forts without exactly knowing why. This fellow, (1 like the word fellow here because he was a fellow in all our boyish pranks and labor) laughed with us, played with us, studied with us and gave comforting advice when we were in sorrow. He was at this time, I presume, around twenty-six years of age. Most of us were in our teens. He was a graduate and typified the goal of our ambtions. What wonder that an attachment sprang up then that has lasted all the way down the fifty- four years during which time—and the reaper of time—has left only this one of our college instructors in life. All save this one have passed to the Great Beyond. May we cast some flowers upon Charles W. Garfield before he, too, is gone. Gone without knowing just how we appreciate the good, great life he has lived in fulfillment of the mis- sion God gave him. Others of my class will speak for themselves and me, as I do for them. Charlie. To have known you for more than half a cen- tury is one of the great privileges of our lives. J. E. Taylor. Greenville, Mich. God bless you, Soon after I entered the M. A. C., in the winter of 1872, I met Charlie Garfield, who had graduated in 1870 and was doing some important work at the College, for which he had been especially selected. He was something over four years my senior. Immediate- ly, we became fast friends and were together, generally, at least a few min- utes every day as I passed his room on the first floor. Our friendship has continued, unabated, to date. After my class graduated, in 1875, we did not meet very often, because we both had begun our life work and he lived in Grand Rapids and I lived in Detroit; but we have written letters, more or less constantly, through the intervening fifty-two years. I never claimed to have a monopoly of Charlie’s friendship, for I knew that he was the friend of every one who knew him, and I rejoiced that it was so, yet I also knew, too, that we were a little closer than the average. The good he did me I could never calculate. He never advised me unless I asked him to do so, and I never felt that he was trying to influence me or that he wished me to adopt his beliefs or principles. Before long I was as well acquainted with him as I ever became. To me he is the incarnation of the life which I felt I would like to live; he is the man I would wish to become. He is the kindest man I have ever known. If he is obliged to disagree with a friend in a matter of opinion MICHIGAN TRADESMAN concerning a vital matter, he does it tactfully, even deprecatingly, but he never compromises with wrong, one jot or one tittle. He is too much of a gentleman to be contentious, particu- larly in unessentials, but a thing is either right or wrong with him; there is no middle ground or substitute; he is just adamant. He never simulates anything, and you know just where to find him. He is never influenced by policy, and with all his extreme kindness and determina- tion never to give another any pain, when the least suspicion of wrong arises, he is the firmest man imagin- able. He never evidences the least resemblance to stubbornness, is never opinionated, but in the vernacular, he is a man to whom all the young men worth while wish to tie. I cannot remember any other man on the campus, who influenced so many of the students, and to the same de- gree, which Charlie Garfield always did, yet apparently, he made no direct effort to influence any one. It was the things for which he stood; it was the principles which he lived; it was his daily life; it was his incomparable, superlative personality. M. A. C. (now M. S. C.) has always been cautious and conservative about conferring any honorary degrees, but in 1917, the College honored itself by conferring upon our friend its highest honorary degree, namely Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his pre-emi- nently distinguished services in a stu- pendous work for the people of the State of Michigan—men, women and children—and to all those who shall come after them, for hundreds of years. Mr. Garfield has now reached prac- tically his four score years. He is evi- dently in good health, thanks to his perfect habits from the beginning. At all events, he is performing the daily responsible duties of a live business man with success and joyous alacrity. He is still the beloved and distinguish- ed citizen, standing in the forefront with the leaders in every good work of high emprise and civic duty; and if he has lost the virility of youth, it is not noticeable yet. The way he has lived, he can never live long enough, because he learned in boyhood, to “Do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly” with his God. O. G. Angstman. Detroit. My first acquaintance with Mr. Gar- field was fifty years ago, when he was foreman of the gardens of the Agri- cultural College and I was a student at that institution. The first thing that impressed me was his unbounded enthusiasm in his work and his person- al interest in the welfare of every stu- dent who worked under his direction. In the gardens, the class room or on the campus, he was always the same friendly companion, commanding the respect and esteem of all who knew him. He contributed much toward the development of true manhood and high character among the students and his influence has lasted all through the years. Since college days I have met Mr. Garfield ony occasionally at gath- erings at the College or at meetings of the State Horticultural Society, of which he was Secretary for many years. Beside horticulture, he was in- terested in many other things; in land- scape gardening and forestry, in any- thing that helped to make the world more beautiful and the people more appreciative of the works of nature. His love for children and his interest in the establishment of play grounds in connection with the public schools are well known to the people of Grand Rapids. Truly it may be said of Mr. Garfield that the world is better for his services and the example he has set before it of the art of right living. E. O. Ladd. Old Mission, Mich. I may say that I have known Mr. Garfield, principally, for many years through the columns of the Michigan Tradesman. For the many instructive and delightful articles which he has written from time to time and con- tributed to the Tradesman and from the reading of these I formed the im- pression that Mr. Garfield was a most sympathetic and observant student of Nature, with a vigorous mind, open always for the betterment and helpful- ness of his fellow citizens which, I think, has been largely realized by his activities in public affairs and bene- factions. All of which I am _ sure have endeared him to the people of Grand Rapids. Mr. Garfield exemplifies a picture I once saw in an artist’s house I had occasion to visit—a handsome three masted, full rigged ship, with all sails extended, bounding over the waves with a suggestion of purposeful energy and power. Encircling the picture was a motto in Latn, “I am carried by hope to better things.” I think that has been one dominating factor in Mr. Gar- field’s career. He has been carried by hope to endavor to make things better and happier for all whom he has come in contact with and for the welfare of the general community, which I feel sure the history of your city will con- firm. About three years ago I had the great pleasure (keenly looked forward to) of meeting Mr. Garfield on his visit to Scotland with Mrs. Garfield and cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Simonds. Then I realized fully the genial good nature and delightful charm of man- ner, radiating happiness all round. I could have wished to have seen a great deal more of him. He possesses that happy temperament which is neither proud nor humble, but that “sweet calm that is just between.” Mr. Garfield has now reached the evening of a long and useful life, and we all wish that he may now enjoy the safe haven of Restful Roof with his good wife among good ‘friends and neighbors and the kindly affection of all who know him. Alexander Cameron. Glasgow, Scotland. I am mighty glad to have the op- portunity of paying a tribute to an old friend. Charles W. Garfield and the Mershon family have been, first, acquaintances and, later, friends for half a century, for when Charlie Gar- field was a young man at the Agricul- Forty-fourth Anniversary tural College in Lansing, when Prof. Abbott was in charge, my sister was living in the Abbott family, along with several other Saginaw girls, who were getting a proper education through association with the Abbott family and its charming household. Later on I served with Mr. Garfield on the old Michigan Forestry Com- mission and we have continued writing back and forth for many years. I always get an inspiration from my old friend. He is so genial and rad- iates kindness and good nature so nat- urally that one is always warmed in heart by coming in contact with him. His life has been devoted to good work. There is no need of my telling this, for everyone knows that he would rather do something for someone else than for himself. He is one of those who always thinks of this world as a beautiful world and his life has helped make it beautiful. Wm. B. Mershon. Saginaw, Mich. My first meeting with Mr. Garfield was at Owosso in February, 1868. In those days we had to change at Owos- so from the Detroit & Milwaukee R. R. to the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw R. R., when going to Lansing. We were both waiting for the train and I soon found that he was on his way to the Michigan Agricultural College, where I had already been a student for two years. Having finished my sopho- more year I knew, of course, like all sophomores, more than I have ever known since. Garfield was rather a pale lad just nearing his 20th birth- day, and I was nearing my 21st. He had many questions to ask and ad- mitted that he must enter the junior class if possible, as he could not spend more than two years in college. I thought he was a little presumptuous, but on our way to Lansing he entered into a discussion with a Mr. Clark, a pompous old gentleman who was tak- ing a son to the M. A. C. for his en- trance examination. They were dis- cussing some matter connected with our country schools and I noticed that Mr. Garfield was quite at home anid able to hold his own even with the great man. So my estimate of the young man who was to be my future classmate was greatly enhanced. Gar- field had already taught several terms in district schools near Grand Rapids. On reaching Lansing we found our way out to the M. A. C. where Mr. Garfield spent his first night in college with me in my room at Saints Rest. I gave him his first lesson in college bed making. On the morrow, when he had passed his entrance examina- tions, he was assigned a room with Charley Bessey and Harry Reynolds, so there were three of the finest men who ever entered M. A. C. in the same room. Sometime during that year or the next, he overworked and because of illness had to drop back into the class of 1870, where he was associated with George Farr, W. K. Kedzie and other great men. After our graduation and for some years we were so busy with our farm- ing that we partially lost track of each other’s daily doings. About 1873, I think it was, he asked me to write — Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 93 -APPROVED! by Shrewd Merchants the Country Over Wise merchants know that periodic housewarmings — properly conducted special sales — are important factors in making possible that rapid turnover and small inventory which is so indispensable to highest profits. They realize that such sales are not only profit winners, but prestige builders — invaluable business assets. And they judge the worth of a special sales plan on these three points: Does it sell slow-moving and surplus stock quickly at a substantial profit? : i Does it build for the future of the business by making the 7 ‘ sale dignified, sane — constructive? | : Is its cost economically proportionate to the results obtained ? alg Because the John L. Lynch plan fully meets these requirements — because it has consistently produced capacity results at minimum cost, it is used by scores of sensibly precautious merchants throughout the United States and Canada, and it is the logical plan for you to employ. Remember that the John L. Lynch plan has back of it a quarter of a century | | of experience in sales promotion problems. It will meet your idea of safe, ye constructive, dignified and resultful merchandising. By all means get the | complete facts. Fill out the coupon and without obligation we will show you what we can do for you in your present circumstances — how we can revitalize your business — give you a permanent lease on the prosperity that is rightfully yours. JOHN L. LYNCH SALES COMPANY v GRAND RAPIDS Murray Building MICHIGAN ? John L. Lynch Sales Company EE See ‘ Murray Bldg., Grand Rapids, Mich. 4p Poe Cay ale... 5 a SEND DETAILS of your 25-year tested “John L. : Lynch”’ Special Sale Plan as applied to the kind of sale indicated here. Also be specific in giving cost Te ae ee ee 8 a of sale, methods to be employed, time required and volume to be sold. Give name and address of recent Date Business was Established__ ~~~ ~~ -~-~~--~-~------------ ( @e sales you have managed. | understand this does not obligate us in any way. What Type of Sale Interested in_.__..___.__.___--______- 94 a paper for the annual meeting of the State Pomological Society, which was to be held in Lansing that winter, and since that time, through his connection with the State Pomological Society, the State Horticultural Society and the Association, we have Our association with Mr. Lyon and other State Forestry been in touch with each other. horticulturists of the old school was a liberal education in itself. Mr. Gar- field’s activity as Secretary of the State Horticultural Society for ten vears marks the high tide of useful- ness and educational value for the So- ciety. The reports of those years are models of usefulness and easily avail- able information. Mr. to last at Burton Garfield's home life from first Farm has been ideal. Notwithstanding the loss of his pre- cious girl wife, Allie Rockwell, and his and the same time, he came back to physical own long serious illness at he2zlth and mental vigor and resumed his place in the business activities of his beloved city. In this he was help- ed by his friends, Harry Reynolds and Ossian Simonds, who took him on a long trip to England and the continent of Europe. After many years he re- established his home life by choosing as his helpmeet Miss Jessie Smith, of Grand Rapids, who is fully his equal in all the personal, social and intel- that make home _ so completely satisfying. Their home at Restiul Roof is a gem in its appoint- lectual charms ments and the spirit of quiet and cor- dial mosphere is a balm to all who have Mr. Garfield has always been such a lover hospitality that pervades its at- ever partaken of its blessings. of trees and flowers and all growing things that his home surroundings have been made a joy to all who pass that way. : You of the Tradesman family know the business more of his activities in affairs of your city and of his altruistic social uplift and in and helpfulness in its the beautification of its parks playgrounds than I do, so I do not need For many years we other, veek or oftener, intimate long to speak of these. have written each sometimes every has personal letters. JI am sure he been disappointed in my failure to come up to what he has expected of me, but no word of his would indicate I suppose that is He has deep and his disappointment. all love him. enoral why we convictions on religious questions, but no one could induce him to quarrel with any who might not agree with him. If he should outlive me, and I hope he may for many years, I can think that me than for Charley Garfield to say of no honor can come t a few words greater over my coffin on the meaning of a life long friendship. James Satterlee. Lansing, Mich. 2. Quality Lords Over Price Dealers. So long as retail grocers assume that customers want something cheap rath- er than something good, just so long is profit-devouring competition going to be a problem in selling food prod- ucts, Among MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Canned Foods Aid in Enlarging the ‘Human Frame. In the Tradesman recently there ap- peared an editorial in canned foods, not directly but by inference, were brought into question. For ex- ample, the editorial states: “As however, there have been too few satis- which yet, factory experiments on a large scale as to the effect on a community of an important dietary change like the sub- stitution of fresh for canned vegetables. From both the Philippines and Japan have come reports, unsupported by statist cs, of marked stature when these formerly rice-eat- increases in ing people have been induced to add to their diet a quantity of fresh vege- tables and meat.” On one thing all dieticians and nutri- that 1s, a more liberal consumption of vegetables and It is agreed that tionists are agreed: fruits is desirable. normally a certain quantity of vege- tables and fruits should be eaten raw, but it is also agreed that some vege- tables are practically inedible in the raw state and that most people can eat larger quantities of fruits and vegetables when cooked. Cooking makes available otherwise’ inedible vegetables and fruits, and permits a larger consumption of these foods. Scientific data are available to war- rant the general statement that, except as regards vitamins, all known con- stituents of vegetables and fruits are not really affected by cooking or can- ning. Certain vitamins, principally Vitamin C and one fraction of Vita- min B, are more or less affected by any form of cooking. A number of foods have been critically studied at Colum- bia University under the direction of Professor Walter H. Eddy of Teach- ers College, and it was found that the canned foods actually richer in Vitamin C than similar foods purchas- ed on New York and cooked in the home economics depart- ment of Teachers College according to the modern method. Such a com- parison revealed that canned spinach and canned cabbage are several times than the Canned peas are are the market in richer in Vitamin C same items home cooked. also richer than the home cooked, but the difference is not so marked. Can- ned peaches and tomatoes were found to be fully the equivalent of the raw products purchased on the market. In the case of canned apples, the reason for this was pointed out. Apples canned by the usual procedure that the housewife would use lost most of their Vitamin C, but apples canned by the procedure which generally pre- vails in commercial canning lose very little, af any, of their Vitamin ©. Apples of the same lot held in cold condition storage until the Spring of the year, as is customary with this variety of ap- ples, had lost half of their Vitamin C, and when fed raw were therefore in- ferior in this respect to the canned apples even later in the summer. The special procedure used in can- ning these apples was the elimination of the oxygen, which is necessary for several reasons in the commercial can- ning of apples. This demonstrated that the destruction of Vitamin C during, canning and cooking was really due not to the heat.itself, but to oxidation, which is intensified by the heat of cooking or canning. The other vitamin which apparently is appreciably affected by cooking and canning is one fraction of Vitamin B. It was brought out in a definite way only within the last year that Vitamin B consists of more than one fraction, although it was suspected for some time. Consequently, there are not sufficient data to make any general statements in regard to the effect of cooking or canning on this vitamin. We fe 1, therefore, that it would be quite as pertinent to raise the query as to what might be the effect of the use of vegetables and fruits carried for long distances and held for long per- iods before consumption. We do not wish to infer that the latter would be a pertinent question to raise. It has been amply demonstrated that a higher consumption of vegetables and fruits is desirable and that modern methods of supplying them, such as canning and distribution in other ways, are rapidly bringing the consumption of these products up to where our most ample needs will be satisfied. We likewise feel that it would have been just as possible to have raised the stature of the “formerly rice-eating people” of the Philippines and Japan by more liberal use of canned vegetables, fruits and whatever other items they found lacking in their diets. W. D. Bigelow. —_—_+~-+_____ Sugar Used By Ancients in Preparing Medicines. Humanity seems always to have had a “sweet tooth,’ and yet sugar—of which the yearly average per capita consumption in America is something like 118 pounds—has not enjoyed com- mon use for much more than a couple of centuries. The Pan American Union, in a recently issued document, makes the story of sugar read like a page of romance. “Sugar Making in Cuba,” this re- port is entitled; but although the ma- jor portion of the report treats of this outstanding food product as restricted to a particular locale, the preface con- jures Persians, Arabians, Egyptians, and even touches lightly upon ancient Chinese writings. It seems that “the sugar with which we sweeten our coffee and tea and which constitutes an important ingre- dient in so many articles of food to- day was recognized by the ancients only for its medicinal value, honey be- ing used in those times to answer the craving for something sweet.” One who seeks to trace the progress of sugar from its source, however, dis- covers that the origin is cloaked in un- According to the report: “Although sugar cane has been culti- vated from remote antiquity, its native country is not definitely known. Many authorities attribute its origin to India or to Eastern tropical Asia, whence its cultivation spread Westward to Persia, Arabia and Egypt and East- ward to China. It is claimed that as early as the eighth century B. C. cer- tain Chinese writings recorded the fact that had been brought from India. certainty. sugar “The art of boiling sugar also ap- pears to have originated in India and Forty-fourth Anniversary was introduced into China early in the seventh century A. D. But the devel- opment of the art of refining sugar is ctedited to the famous Arabian doctors of that era, who used sugar in com- pounding their medicines. “From those early times and _ intc the Middle Ages the use of sugar was confined mainly to medicinal prepara- tions and could only be afforded by the rich, as it was considered a costly luxury. Records go on to relate that early in the eighth century the Moors introduced sugar into Spain, and the Crusaders, having acquired a liking for it in the Holy Land, did much to promote its trade in Central Europe. “Coming down to the age of discov- ery, we find that under the leadership of the Spaniards and Portuguese the cultivation of sugar cane spread far and wide. The first cane was planted in Maderia in 1420 and in the year 1494 it was carried to Santo Domingo, from where its cultivation spread over the West Indies and to South America, being introduced into Cuba some time in the sixteenth century. But it was not until the more general use of tea and coffee in the eighteenth century that sugar came into prominence and took its place as a stable article of food. In Cuba the now follows methods. —_—__+---. Kitchens Now Blossom Forth in Riot of Color. Interior decorators have the kitchen, and it is regaining some of its vanishing prestige. It is unlikely that the family kitchen will come back to its old-time importance, but it i:! something for the room, which in thé city has seen itself often reduced to ——— Housewives Unfamiliar With Varieties In Buying Apples. Only 15 per cent. of the housewives in New York City designate brands when they order apples, generally rec- ognizing only two classifications, ‘“eat- ing” or “cooking” apples, according to a statement by the Department of Agriculture based on a recent survey of consumer demand by the New York Food Marketing Research Council and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Only eight of over 300 varieties grown are actually known and prefer- red by any number of persons, the statement says. Of the apples bought by 3,000 representative families, 57 per cent. are eaten raw. The full text of the statement fol- lows: Of the three hundred to four hun- dred varieties of apples grown in the United States, only fifteen varieties are preferred in any consequence by the New York public, and of those varieties only 8 are known and preferred by a considerable number of persons. The New York City consumer is unfamiliar with types and varieties of apples he eats, and buys on the basis of appearance and recommendation of the retail merchant. Few consumers know the differen between Eastern and Western apples, and the different trade and brand names. An apple to most housewives is eith- er an “eating” or “cooking” apple. Only 750 housewives out of 3,000 rep- resentative families in all parts of the metropolitan district declared they buy apples by variety names, and less than 15 per cent. declared they mention “brand” as a means of designating orders. The survey indicated that in most cases, in the selection of a retail me- dium, preferences and size of purchas- es, consumers are influenced by habit, racial custom and size of income. Most families patronize the fruit and vege- table store for apples; other retail out- lets in order of importance being the fruit stand, push cart, chain grocery and unit grocery. Families with small incomes patronize the fruit stand and push cart, mainly, whereas those in the middle and high income groups buy from the fruit and vegetable stores and grocers. The Jewish people were found to be more selective in their apple buy- ing than are other races, 58 per cent. of the Jewish families preferring Mc- Intosh as an eating apple. Preferences among other racial groups vary be- tween Baldwin, McIntosh, Delicious, Spitzenberg and Winesap. Forty-fourth Anniversary “Red,” “yellow” and “green” apples are characteristic of the replies of a large proportion of the Italian and colored American families, and also of families having small incomes, sig- nifying that apple buying by these groups is primarily on the basis of appearance. Varieties of apples preferred by families of medium purchasing power are McIntosh as first choice, followed by Baldwin, Delicious, Northern Spy and Winesap. The high income group prefer the Delicious, which is one of the fanciest apples reaching the mar- ket, other varieties meeting the demand of this class in order of importance being Baldwin, Spitzenberg, Winesap and McIntosh. The survey showed that 57 per cent. of the apples bought by the 3,000 fami- lies are eaten raw, 15 per cent. made into apple sauce, 13 per cent. baked, 11 per cent. in pies, and 3 per cent. in salads. Seventy-two per cent. of the apples bought by Italians are eaten raw. As the family income increases there is a tendency toward a decrease in raw consumption of apples, the families with large incomes preparing 56 per cent. of the apples they con- sume, while those with small incomes prepare only 40 per cent. of their fruit. Apples are bought to supply only immediate needs, buying by the bushel or barrel being evidently a thing of the past. Most families buy twelve ap- ples at a time, although many buy in units of half dozen or smaller. Cooking apples usually are bought by the pound, the usual quantity being three pounds. For cooking purposes the demand is for green apples among virtually all families, this need being supplied by the Greening variety, al- though not so stated by a large num- ber of housewives. The only other variety in demand for cooking is the Baldwin, about 15 per cent. of the high income group desiring this apple. Fifty-one per cent. of the housewives said they could not identify a single variety of apple at the dealer’s store. Most of those who claimed a knowl- edge of varieties said they could iden- tify but a single one. Among varieties named, the MclIn- tosh was the most popular, followed by the Greening, Baldwin, Snow, De- licious, Northern Spy, Winesap, Spit- zenberger, Newtown Pippin, Russet, Jonathan and Rome Beauty. Fev families could name a single brand of apple. There appears from the survey to be a general acceptance of the apple as a necessity in the diet of children. The chief reason for buying apples is “healthful qualities,” more than 50 per cent. of the housewives reporting this as the primary reason for eating ap- ples. The next reason is taste. A small number of housewives reported econ- omy as the principal reason for buying apples. ——_++ > The Long and Short of It. “Can you give me a good description of your absconding cashier?” suavely asked the detective. “We’ell,” answered the hotel pro- prietor, “I believe he’s about five feet five inches tall and about $7,000 short.” _— mene RR enema + « A a Ee: ae : s meer ne net em a = adit . > 4 ee ee ? a ~ + 4 a ° 2 ee «a 4 a * 4 Vv 2 A § 2 — tn Tw “ tin PIG Wem — en ee ec A a > te OE ‘ « e . »> ’ 4 ’ . a 4 . t ~~ s . > » - Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 99 ¢ ZS < ‘ > ; * « ss i _— aeeenena eennee é ‘ = x . . ¥ . d a . 4 *. ’ s * Pe od i ee eal Sa ee se ’ Z > rs : * ‘ « a COFFEE ~ Salesmanship may cause a Light House Coffee drinker to switch brands once— but never again. « a Hereis ablend that meets the taste of buy- ers who know good things and get them. 4 ~ 1 4 >~ + © : ° i i | ee < The one sure way of winning and hold- ing such patronage is to stock Light House Coffee and put it out in front! 4 * a Light House is the only advertised Coffee roasted in and distributed throughout Michigan. 4 NATIONAL GROCER COMPAN Y § 2 iN al a a ee CHRISTMAS SELLING. Timely Suggestions Appropriate To the Holiday Season. With the Christmas holiday only a few weeks ahead, many wide-awake merchants have their plans fully laid for catering to the holiday trade. No merchant needs to be told that intelli- gent advertising is a help to business, chat courteous attention to customers is essential, that the store should be clean and attractive or that honesty is the one safe policy. Every mer- chant knows these things. In addition to such fundamentals, the wide-awake merchant is constantly on the lookout for new ideas that will help in his Christmas selling. New ideas are not always easy to evolve. Christmas has its well-defined set- ting in the popular mind. The mer- chant who aims to appeal to the Christ- mas spirit must suggest Christmas and give his store a Christmassy aspect; and he can do so only (to a large ex- tent) in the terms with which the pub- lic is already familiar. The merchant who dares to be orig- inal to the extent of eliminating Santa Claus, the chimney, the fire place and the stockings, the Christmas tree and the red-berried holly, is treading on thin ice. So that the only safe avenue for ingenuity is by giving new varia- tions and twists to the old ideas. And, unfortunately, it is often easier to dis- cover an entirely new idea than to give a new and novel twist to an old one. To induce folks to buy early, you The problem of get- ting out the buyers early in the Christ- must sell early. mas season is for most merchants a Probably the public will never in our time be fully educated to the value and wisdom of early buying. diffcult one. The best the merchant can hope for is to get out a certain amount of trade early in December, and thereafter to handle things as efficiently as possible while the inevitable rush is in progress. At the same time, effort to induce buyers to make their Christmas pur- chases early is well worth while. In one community not many years ago the public had fallen into a habit of doing the largest part of their Christmas buying in the last week be- Now the Christmas buying gets under way a day or two after Thanksgiving. The “awful last week” is only a little less rushed than 1t was, but the first two weeks are far busier than they were. fore Christmas. This result has been accomplished by tacit co-operation of the merchants to encourage early buying. They got their results by advertising their Christmas lines earlier, displaying these lines earlier, and talking Christmas ear- fier. Instead of starting their Christ- mas selling the first or second Satur- day in December, they started with a rush the first Saturday after Thanks- giving. Their efforts were put forth through the familiar media of news- paper advertising, window and interior display of Christmas lines, and per- sonal solicitaton. In some instances circular letters were sent out by in- dividual merchants. If one merchant alone talked early Christmas buying with all his energies, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN he would have little effect on the gen- eral situation. But if all the mer- chants in the community preach the idea simultaneously the result is going to make itself evident. People will think seriously on the subject; and serious thinking is the prelude to ac- tion. Indivdual merchants can, however, do something with their own clientele. Thus one merchant renders his No- vember statements to credit customers promptly on December 1. Enclosed with these statements he sends a spec- ial Christmas greeting, “Here comes the Christmas month,” and circulars regarding Christmas lines. A small town hardware dealer got out a neat little cataogue, and late in November sent a copy to every house- holder in his district. An accompany- ing letter urged good reasons for early buying—more leisure for selection, more comprehensive stocks to pick trom, better attention from clerks and better service. More than that, this letter urged shopping early in the day —as soon as possible after 8 a. m. This is a point merchants often overlook. At the Christmas season, people are more likely to buy away from the stores they usually patronize than at any other time of the years. Hence, the merchant who has a regular mail- ing list all the year round, can for the Christmas season temporarily expand this list with excellent chances of se- curing returns. One merchant uses two lists. One is the regular mailing list of fairly steady customers. The other is a “Let's Get Acquainted” list. To each list he mails a Christmas booklet con- taining timely suggestions accompanied by a circular letter urging reasons for buying early and buying from him. But to the “Let’s Get Acquainted” list of people who have never dealt with him he encloses “Let's Get Acquaint- ed” coupons. The coupon is good for a nominal amount—one cent on a 50c purchase, 2c on a $1 purchase, and so on, up to 50c on a $25 purchase, if made before December 15. The cou- pon must in every case be turned in signed with the customer’s name and address. These amounts are small; but not too small to interest thrifty people in a small communty. A merchant giving coupon discounts of this sort must give something that will appeal. The ex- tent of the discount must be deter- mined by the sort of people the mer- chant aims to reach. If he is catering to a wealthy community, he must, as a rule, offer more. Although some very wealthy people have been known to take eager advantage of very small discounts. In any event, this merchant gives his discount; and in return he gets the names of a few hundred people who have been induced to buy at his store once and may be persuaded to buy again. These names are added to the merchant’s regular mailing list for the ensuing year. In busy seasons, quick and efficient store service is an immense help. One general merchant takes fairly elaborate precautions to secure such service for his customers. ~ He carefully drills his salespeople MILEAGE RIDING COMFORT GOOD LOOKS CORDUROY TIRE Co. GRAND RAPIDS, 2.3 22 MICHIGAN Cold Storage and General Merchandise Warehousing Always in the market to buy Strictly Fresh Eggs. Ask for Quotations. KENT STORAGE COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN A good seller A splendid repeater HOLLAND RUSK |} AMERICA’S FINEST TOAST Place your order today All jobbers HOLLAND RUSK CoO., Inc. Holland, Michigan Forty-fourth Anniversary beforehand regarding goods and prices. Particularly the temporary additions to his sales force. These he engages in November, trains in their spare time, and has ready for efficent work by the time the Christmas season starts. Bulk goods—such as currants, rai- sins, nuts, sugar, etc. in the grocery department—are done up in convenient parcels in advance. The store is carefully rearranged with a view to saving steps wherever possible. Show cards and price tags are pre- pared in advance and in liberal quan- tities. Such cards used in connection with displays answer questions which must otherwise be answered by busy salespeople. Finally, the merchant himself maps out on paper his newspaper advertis- ing, window displays and general sell- ing plans from December 1 to Decem- ber 25, and, indeed, until the end of the year. Before the season starts he is fully prepared for the necessary read- justments to follow the Christmas hol- iday. In one general store an information bureau for gifts givers is made a feat- ure. The merchant advertises his will- ingness to advise both customers and non-customers regarding suitable gifts. This service is entirely free. There is no obligation on anyone to buy in the store. This merchant’s information bureau, however, isn’t merely a talking point. It’s a trained department of store service. In November the merchant holds a series of staff confierences. The Christmas lines are discussed in de- tail. Particularly are efforts made to discover a “gift angle’ for ordinary items of stock. Many stores issue printed lists of articles suitable for mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, for the grown-up children, the little tots, hus- band and wife, him and her—in short, for every individual entitled to a gift. Others have suggestive lists of arti- cles at this, that or the other price, ranging all the way from 25c to $25, and even beyond. Often the price is the only point in regard to a gift upon which a customer has definite ideas. One store makes a strong feature of gift counters for mother, father, son, daughter, husband, wife—and so on. A series of windows of this sort are run early in the season, changing thrice a week. In this sort of advertising, it’s im- portant to price everything. A price ticket answers the one question which every customer asks. In compiling suggestive lists, the merchant should not restrict himself to purely gift articles. It is better to stress as well the “gift aspect” of ordinary lines of stock. A sale of Christmas utensils is as good as a sale of Christ- mas stockings. The demand for prac- tical gifts is growing, and it pays to cater to this demand. “Vour for the Asking” was the slo- gan on a big show-card prominently displayed above a pile of boxes, cases, cartons and containers inside one store last year. During the year the mer- chant, instead of discarding such items, had persistently collected boxes and containers of all sorts, from small MICHIGAN TRADESMAN paste-board boxes to big packing cases. The show-card explained that, as long as the supply lasted, these boxes were free for customers desiring to mail or express their Christmas gfits. For several days a pyramid of these boxes formed a prominent feature of a big window display of Christmas lines. In this display a show card asked the pertinent question: “How about friends out of town? What can I buy them?” Another store regularly features a counter where Christmas seals, stamps, cards, wrapping papers, tape and tags are sold. At this counter a clerk helps to tie and weigh parcels for customers. Here a customer can learn the parcel post rate to any point and what post- age is required, can secure the post- age, and can leave the parcel for mail- ing in time reach its destination. Some merchants furnish wrapping paper and string or Christmas tape to people who bring parcels not properly tied. This, regardless of whether or not they are customers. A large pro- porton of the non-customers are pretty sure to reciprocate by buying. A lot of people who never use the service are favorably impressed. Whoever else receives gifts at the Christmas season, the children will not be overlooked. So the merchant's most effective appeal is to and through them. To make your store the gift store of the community, there is nothing like featuring old Santa Claus himself. A real, live Santa is the most ef- fective kind. Start talking about him early, and give his arrival a new twist if you can. One dealer brought Santa Claus to town in a real aeroplane. An- other uses the traditional sleigh, but posts radio bulletins of his progress from the North Pole, detailing narrow escapes from glaciers, crevasses, polar bears and Eskimos. Santa starts the day after Thanksgiving, and arrives about December 3. He contrives to appear just as the children flock out of school, and distributes little souvenir cards. Thereafter he sits in the show window, struts about the store, or pa- rades the streets. One merchant who adopted a similar scheme added the stunt of offering a small prize to the boy or gir! who reached the store first with bona fide news of Santa’s arrival. The young- ster on seeing Santa in his sleigh is to hail and halt him, get a letter from him, and hurry to the store. All this is advertised beforehand. A boy usu- ally gets a pair of skates, a girl a doll, as prize. The contest idea can be worked out to appeal very strongly to the young- sters. Prizes are sometimes offered to the children collecting the greatest num- ber of sales checks—cash register re- ceipts being issued to all customers showing their purchases. A small town retailer varied the con- test idea by offering a handsome doll to the school child writing the best essay describing in 300 words or less any gift selected from the store. Chil- dren are eager for such prizes, take keen interest in the competitions, and incidentally give the store an immense amount of word-of-mouth advertising. A good idea is to hold an annual Bloomers Bandeaux suits Panel suits Costume slips N igh toowns Pajamas A new improved rayon that will build sales for any merchant this fall. Fleuray Undersheens — a nationally advertised product are finer in texture than other rayons—fashioned to fit. No artificial lustre—beautifully finished —yet no higher in price. When you sell Fleuray Undersheens to your customers you know that they will be. satisfied. It will pay you to investigate, this superior lines before, the big buying season is over. Ask the, Edson Moore. salesman to show you samples on his next trip or write, us and we. will have. him call immediately. Note the fineness of Fleuray fab- ric. Compare No. 1 (Fleuray) with No. 2 (ordinary rayon) as shown under magnifying glass. EDSON MOORE & CO. DETROIT Wholesale Distributors 101 102 “Christmas opening” to definitely start the season. One merchant held a “Holiday Gifts Opening Day” on De- cember 3. The event was announced through the newspapers, by handbills and by circular letters. A feature was the “Toyland” department, presided over by Santa Claus in person, who arrived early that morning to open the festivities. The advertising incidental to this stunt urged customers to come and in- spect the stock even if they weren't ready to buy. “Gift lists’ were dis- tributed to all comers, and personal suggestions made by the salespeople. Every lady who came received a cut flower as a souvenir. The details of such as “opening” can be modified to suit individual condi- tions. The stunt in any case is an excellent way of impressing on the public the fact that the Christmas buy- ing season is definitely under way. Merchants are far from being unani- mous in favor of the souvenir phase of the opening. “The souvenir valuable enough to please a worth while cus- tomer,” comments one merchant, “is too expensive for such a general dis- tribution.” Cut flowers or little silver pins, costing perhaps 10 cents each in large lots, may, however, meet the need. For children, a button with the school colors, a pretty card, or the like, will be ample. The Christmas opening is a good time, too, to distribute calendars for the coming year, if you use them at all. The incidentally serve to emphasize the near approach of the Most merchants dis- on Christmas calendar will end of the vear. tribute their calendars Eve. In one store a boy in uniform is de- tailed to open and close the door for customers. Such a service is particu- larly appreciated by ladies with bun- dles. A retailer who features Christmas candy has a novel scheme for cleaning out odds and ends of stock. A few days before Christmas he begins raf- fling the left-over boxes of gift confec- tionery. In some communities, how- ever, such schemes are illegal. Early in December a hardware re- tailer booms his stove department by urging customers to “Cook Christmas dinner with our —— range. Why spoil your holidays slaving over a hot and defective cook-stove? Our range is a gift mother will ap- your preciate now.” A dealer with limited floor space uses a large store room at the rear for bulky articles not ordinarily used as gifts, but which may be sold for that purpose. Heaters, ranges, wash- ing machines, vacuum cleaners, large articles of furniture, are here shown. One corner is set aside as a rest room for ladies. Throughout the store con- spicuous cards direct customers to this department. Catchy descriptive phrases help sell goods. Many retailers advertise mere- ly “currants,” “nuts”, “sugar,” etc. One grocery features “fine clean currants,” “finest mixed nuts’, “highest quality granulated sugar.” Such phrases create an appetite. With one business Christmas hamp- Hampers are ers are a feature. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN offered at $4.99, $6.49, $7.59, $10.50, and $12.75. A small hamper con- tains a fowl, plum pudding, mince meat, coffee, fancy biscuits, table rai- sins, mixed nuts and fruit, all in one- pound quantities except the fowl. A few fancy apples or oranges are add- ed. These hampers are shipped or delivered to any address, and appeal particularly to those generous folk who want to supply some needy family with a little Christmas cheer. Instead of calendars, one grocer sends a bunch of Christmas holly, with a neat little Christmas card, to each customier. A variation of the familiar slogan, “Only 20 More Shopping Days Till Christmas” is a large window card in the shape of a clock dial, only divided into thirty days. A single hand starts at “30” and works around to “1” on this dial. This dial is a sort of cen- terpiece for every window display throughout the Christmas season. Dis- plays are changed twice a week. Of course every merchant has his peculiar opportunities and limitations, and must adapt his methods accord- ingly. He should know, too, the limi- tations of his store, his stock and his public. An idea which will work well in one community may fall absolutely flat or even evoke hostility in another. Nevertheless, the idea which can’t be adopted may often be adapted; and the idea which a merchant adjudges not much good may often inspire him to evolve something a great deal better. Victor Lauriston. —_2»2>—_ Enable Farmers To More Acres. Changes follow in the wake of the power-driven farm tractor. The num- ber of farms using tractors is still small compared with the number of those still depending on horses, the United States Department of Agriculture re- ports. Dobbin has not been altogether displaced. His numbers, however, have been thinned. Because the tractor does more work than can be done with horses in a given time, the farmer with a machine accomplishes his work quickly and in some cases has even been enabled to dispense with hired help. Tests made by the department shows that where- Tractors Till ‘as thirty-seven days were required to plow a 100 acre tract by horse, the substitution of a two-plow tractor re- qured only sixteen days, and of a three plow tractor only twelve. The fifteen acres of grain cut in a day with horse power were increased to twenty-three by means of the tractor. Thus the saving of time resulting from the use of the tractor made it possible for many farmers to increase their acre- age without working more days in a year than they had done with horses. | Enlargement was accompanied by economy. The larger field involved fewer turns and consequently less loss of time at the ends of the rows. The cropping system, too, is altered by use of the tractor. The machine farmer can quit raising hay. What he needs for his fewer horses he is enabled to buy. —_—_*-2-. Be determined to succeed, and it is a ten to one shot you won’t fail. THE “SILENT SUFFERER” TYPE Retailers Find It Hard To Deal With Him. That many thousands of dollars are being lost annually by department stores and specialty shops throughout the United States because customers will not always complain when things go wrong was the contention advanced yesterday by a local store executive who did not desire to be quoted by name. Instead of giving the store or shop a chance to make good on any- thing that goes wrong in service or merchandise, he explained, these cus- tomers take their trade elsewhere. At the same time they harbor an ill-will against the establishment which, both directly and indirectly, does it a great deal of harm. “While it must be said that most customers of this type are men,” the executive went on, “there is a surpris- ingly large number of women who are prone to this fault. We regard it as a fault because it hurts the customer as well as ourselves. We lose patronage for some reason that is never brought to our attention, and the customer loses merchandise or service to which he or she is justly entitled. “About the most specific data I have ever seen regarding the proportion of women customers who do not com- plain when something goes wrong were collected by a concern which makes wash cottons for use in chil- dren’s garments. This concern, as part of its campaign to play up color fastness of its products, made enquiry of nearly 400 women if they returned merchandise that washed unsatisfac- torily. Forty-five of these women had no complaint in mind. Of the large re- mainder—actually 340—only 14 return- ed the goods and obtained a satisfac- tory adjustment. The remaining 326 gave the stores from which the goods were bought no chance to make things right and restore good-will. The feel- ings of the type of customer represent- ed by these women, and their attitude toward the offending store, are not to be taken lightly. “Two things came to my attention recently which make it possible for me to give illustrations of both sides of this matter of complaining, or fail- ing to, when things go wrong. In one instance a male customer put up a vigorous ‘kick’ because a pair of shoes he had bought from us at a substantial price started to wear through at the points where the big toes come, long before even a cheap shoe should have shown signs of distress. The man in- sisted on having his money back, so I signed the necessary form for a cash refund. “After I had done this, thus show- ing our good faith in the matter, the customer’s attitude changed. He was almost as curious as we were to know why shoes of the recognized quality of those which had failed him had start- ed to wear so soon and in that par- ticular place. He forestalled a ques- tion I might have asked him by telling me that his feet were regularly cared for by a chiropodist. That apparently put the entire blame on the shoes. “While I knew the store was _ per- Forty-fourth Anniversary fectly willing for him to have his money back, I also knew that I could not conscientiously let him leave with a bad impression of our merchandise in his mind. So I took up the ques- tion of fitting. In my selling days I spent some time in the shoe depart- ment, and I am still a pretty good judge of sizes. Further, I noticed that the last of the shoes which the cus- tomer was wearing was different from that of the pair returned as defective. “I asked him the size of the shoes he had on, and he told me they were 74%4C. Then I knew that either he or the clerk was wrong, rather than the shoes he had bought from us. In as tactful a way as I could I explained to him that the trouble probably came from wearing the shoes too short. I went on to tell him that, in the style last of the ‘defective’ shoes, he should have worn a size 8 in either B or C width. “The customer flushed a little at this, but he was honest enough to admit that he had been told so by the clerk. He further admitted telling the clerk that he knew the size he wanted, and that he had insisted on having 71%4C. He had felt some discomfort when wearing the shoes, but he did not associate it with their being too short. He thought it was merely part of the breaking-in process. “Even when the ‘breaking in’ seem- ed to take longer than usual he was patient, he said, but he gave up when the shoes began to show unmistakable signs of ‘punching through’ at the toes. The end of the matter was the pur- chase of a second pair of shoes, proper- ly fitted, with the money refunded on the first pair. As the purchase was vol- untary, I am sure the store has made a friend. “Now let us regard the other side of the picture. On Fifth avenue a few weeks ago I met a man I used to know very well. He was a regular customer of the store, and used to run up to see me nearly every time he came in. After the usual greeting I remarked that I had not seen him in the store for some time. He startled me with the reply that he had not been in for nearly two years, and that I would not see him there again in many times that period. “When pressed for a reason he said he had bought a golf suit from us the last time he was in the store and that, while driving in the course of his club’s early Spring tournament, the seams of the coat had burst under the v.gor he had put into his swing. The gallery, though friendly, had laughed, and he had felt so humiliated that he cut us off his shopping list then and there. “However, he gave us no sign that anything wrong had happened. Hg did not even make a claim. This astonished me, and when I asked the reason he replied, “What’s the use? All you would have done was laugh, too. I immediately tried to set him straight on this point, and promised, though nearly two years had elapsed since the time of the purchase, to see that he got either a full refund or an- other suit. He said he would come in and fix things up, but he did not.’— N. Y. Times. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 103 | ho Ultimate in Sumber Comfort |. is made in Gfrand Rapids ¢ : ¥ s 1 * * s » : x « The genuine Marshall is made with 810 Marshall shaped coil springs, each individually en- eased in pockets of first grade sheeting, nested, and tied top and bottom. They are then en- closed in = muslin. This con- struction comes right to the sep- arately quilted edge of the mat- tress. The top and bottom are 4 » then covered with layers of high grade cotton felt, and the entire construction is enclosed in a fine quality of sateen or woven tick- ing. It is finished with a hand made roll edge and a French seam. 1 Spring Center Mattress : For a score of years the genuine Marshall Spring Center Mattress has been a standard of sleeping comfort. Fundamentally correct in construction, the work- manship that goes into every genuine Marshall Mattress is a positive assurance of long life and service plus the healthful advantages and prime satisfaction of complete bodily rest and relaxation. The genuine Marshall is made in Grand Rapids. It is hand-tailored throughout. It is the mattress from which all other spring center types were developed. It was the pioneer in sleep luxury and is still the leader in service giving . qualities. The Marshall is especially liked by that growing class who appreciate the necessity of a more complete restoration of energy. D ] , The Marshall Company is making, in addition to the CALELS. genuine Marshall, a complete line of cotton felt mat- tresses, hair mattresses, bed springs and bedding. It will be to your The MARSHALL COIL SPRING advantage to let us tell you more about these products. Here quality and value are built into a spring r of long life and lasting satisfaction. It is made with 99 soft, resilient, close center double deck spirals, double tied through their center, while <5 a the 160 crossed helicals give additional comfort. he- ol y— : j The center border wire, a feature of this spring, . adds to its durability.and prevents sagging. It F is a good seller and stays sold. m jae ‘-: | of Gra papi ( DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL SPRING & WIRE Co., GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN secibidins —— 104 Ga LE IE dE dh Eh dE SEO SE DE NE he SEO SE MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary wg ' + we ce tY 4 > ” c ¢ { ¢ ; , % . |. 2 DOUGLAS MALLOCH & ; Forty-four Years . i Forty-four years is a long, long time! Forty-four years is a short, short while, eg ' Why, men grow old in forty-four years, If getting something besides your gold— & r Men who never read much of rhyme Such deeds to do and such smiles to smile ‘ Nor cared a lot about other men’s tears. There isn’t much time to grow so old. ¢ & But here is a thought that comes and cheers, Forty-four years—but a year could hold Sweet as a song by the angels sung: So many blessings, such busy days, & s a If our hopes are bright and our hearts are young, Such good to do in so many ways, & What is a matter of forty-four years? We never noticed the years that rolled. e a Forty-four years! There are men I know Forty-four years—but another burns & ' Who forty-four years have kept a store, Like a rising sun in a sky of blue. 2 ty And have watched men come and have watched them go Oh, a few grow old—but a wise man turns e Like the endless waves on an endless shore. To another year and its tasks to do, a a What is a year, and, yes, two-score, Forty-four years—we may all be alive, ’ With the world to serve and your work to do? But we’ve forgotten the year that’s gone, fy It all seems little enough to you And we’re looking up and we’re looking on e. 3 When you look on life from a merchant’s door. And we’re looking forward to forty-five! & Boe Pad SEM PE SE SE BEM SE I SE Sar dU » * - is < Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN etry 105 mi b LT mh UITS & VEGETABLES rm Sets GRAND RAPIDS,MICH e i TTT mar ee tSnccescaacmm aw == The Brand You Know By HART! Hart Brand canned foods are known throughout the nation for their natural flavor and uniformly fine quality, for nothing is left to chance in Hart Brand production. Constant supervision and inspection start the moment the seeds are selected and planted, and extend until the crop is properly prepared in Hart Brand cans and placed on the grocer’s shelves. Only by controlling all ot its produc- tion all of the time can Hart Brand make definitely sure of its quality! That is why, for more than a third of a century, Hart Brand has stood consistently for the utmost in canned vegetables and fruits. From coast to coast, everywhere in America, leading grocers sell HART BRAND PRODUCTS, the quality goods which bring greater profits. W.R. Roach & Company GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 106 LIVING ON BORROWED TIME. Seventieth Birthday Not Man’s Sad- dest Day. This happens to be my third day of “living on borrowed time,” and I have been thinking about it. It was hard to make me believe that I have ac- tually reached “the golden age ” There isn’t very much gold in my pocket or credited to my account in any bank. I do not feel very yellow or mellow, and most people do not appear. anxious to dig into me for treasure. But the family Bible! That’s about the only material legacy I ever inherited. It is a big volume bound in leather and printed in 1847. It states that Joseph W. Collingwood and Rebecca W. Richardson were married in 1848. They had five children, and there it is—the record of my own birth—April 21, 1857. I shall have to accept that as evidence that I am now “living on bor- rowed time.” Yet if I may judge from my feelings, nature is a kindly cred- itor, and will continue to be for some years if I keep up the interest in fair service. To me, this old book, the sure evidence of what might be disagreeable to one who tried to deceive nature, is a wonderfully interesting volume. I fear that I do not read it, as diligently as I should, but as a human volume what romance, what tragedy, what changing emotions come starting out of this book! At one place between these yellowing leaves, I find the re- mains of a little cluster of violets— wrapped in soft paper. They are faded a little, dried and brittle, and I found them next the page whereon my moth- er wrote that Captain J. W. Colling- wood died from wounds received at the battle of Fredericksburg. As I re- member my mother, she seldom spoke of father or of his loss. These New England women were like Spartan wives and mothers. They took their losses without great emotion or wild demonstration. Their men gave their lives that the Nation might live—that their children might have finer oppor- tunity and a better life. That was the great thought that cheered them in such times of trial. My father died in December. I can imagine my moth- er — perhaps walking through the woods in April—finding this little clus- ter of violets in some protected spot. Spring comes slowly and haltingly to the hills around Plymouth. Long, long before the women of the Pilgrims stood on these hills and watched the Mayflower slowly sailing out of Ply- mouth harbor—leaving a little handful of steadfast humans alone in the wil- derness. I can imagine those women picking violets and Mayflowers and walking slowly and silently back to their rude homes to face the duties which confronted them. And so I can imagine my own mother picking this bunch of first violets and walking slow- ly back home to put it in the family 3ible, where it has lain all these long years next to the war record of her man. There was no demonstration, no wild fit of weeping—if I understand the character of the woman—she just tucked these flowers away in the Bible and then faced the problem of provid- ing for her brood. We have nothing in the country to-day which approach- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN es the problem of the war widow and the war orphan of New England was obliged to face it sixty-five years ago. And this old Bible is full of human interest. Sometimes I try the plan of openng such a book at random and reading the first thing the eye falls upon. In my boyhood days I knew an old man who did this in “seeking for a sign.”” He would shut his eyes, turn over the leaves of the Bible and suddenly pause. Then he would read the verse which first came into vision when his eyes opened. As a boy I was impressed by this manner of “‘tak- ing counsel.” You know how these impressions of childhood persist, and so when I took up this old book the other day, I actually tried this “seeking for a sign.” My eyes opened at Psalm IX, verse 10: “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou Lord, has not forsaken them that seek thee.” Well, I think that was just about the spirit in which this family Bible was dedicated. Both father and mother were of good family, but like most young people of that age they worked hard and had little chance for an edu- cation. Father was a fisherman and cooper. Mother was a farmer’s daugh- ter and teacher. In those days the boys and girls who worked out brought their wages promptly home whenever they were paid and handed the money to father or mother. That was con- sidered the proper thing to do. When this family Bible was started I imagine this young couple had only what father could earn from day to day. Yet such was the power of New England de- mocracy at that period that a plain unlettered man like my father was made captain of the local military com- pany and one of the political leaders of the town. Mother seems to have been a leader among women in church and school matters. You should see the old bookmarks I find scattered through this volume. There is one with Old Abe in great black letters printed over it. My father stumped the town and country for Lincoln. I do not know how. much of an orator he was, but in those days whenever prose failed to impress the audience the speaker would break into some cam- paign song and sing his arguments. Father, too, seems to have been a mem- ber of the Sons of Temperance or the original Prohibitionists. He “made up” songs for temperance meetings. He and three of his brothers seem to have made a strong quartette. My uncle once sang me one verse of their most popular song. It seems to bring in most of the people in town: Brother Morton is known for his hatred of rum He says the rummies are nothing but scum, He says he thinks it would be well To push the rummies right into the dock! Strong for temperance I can tell you, yet where, hidden away in this family Bible, do you suppose I found this book-mark of “Old Abe?” It was right at the end of Second Maccabees and 39th verse: “For as it is harmful to drink wine or water alone, and as wine mingled with water is pleasant and delighteth the taste; even so speech finely framed delighteth the ears of them that read the story. And here shall be an end.” In the modern Bible the Apocrypha, from Esdras to Maccabees, has been left out, but here in this old book are all of them—the Wisdom of Solomon included. May it not be somehow characteristic of this modern age that Solomon’s Wisdom has been cut out and his Song retained? Well, every human life is more or less of a contradiction. I should think a dry orator might get a good text by taking the first eight words while the wet speaker might take the first ten and omit the eight and ninth. But what a life and what simple devotion and strength such an old family Bible brings to mind! If you are blessed with such a volume it will pay you to bring it out and hunt through it for relics and mementoes of a fine old time. What are the chances, I wonder, that there will be half an inch of dust over it when you find it tucked away some- where? The old family cradle, the tongs, spinning wheel and similar im- plements are treasured and valued far beyond their worth. Perhaps you can tell me why the old family Bible with its tender and holy values of memory would sell for less than a candlestick. I have an idea that if a confirmed atheist could be cast away on a desert island with nothing to read except one of these old family Bibles with these evidences of affection scattered through it, he would, in time, change his views. Well, what about this idea of living on borrowed time? I have been think- ing that out carefully to-day. It has been cold, with high winds. The cher- ry and peach buds are wide open and the apples are showing the pink. I fear for the cherries unless the mer- cury rises. Maybe the high wind will save things, but it does not look en- couraging as night starts in. I have been doing odds and ends, planting grapevines and a few peach trees, and trimming a block of peaches which are as far from the right shape as a group of boys who have had their own way too long. Sixty years ago you could have handled such boys with a strap and public sentiments would have ap- plauded. To-day public sentiment would put you in jail for using it. Maybe you have seen some of these old-time grandparents sit working their hands and fingers as they see the an- tics of these modern children. Their hands fairly itch to apply a slipper or a shingle properly, yet they know the child has won the election from public sentiment. But what about this borrowed time? G. Stanley Hall, a high authority, says a man’s seventieth birthday is the saddest day of his life. Browning stands at the other ex- treme: Grow old along with me The best is yet to be. I guess it’s a case of “you pay your money and there aint no choice.” There is no escaping time. The old scythe man will cut you down sooner or later. You may depend on that. I have found, however, that the old thing is a curious boss. He is kindly toward those who treat him well and respect his rules. They will often get Forty-fourth Anniversary a cool and shady place near the hay- field when they come to be veterans. Others who disregard old Time and his rules will fare hard. They end like the hired man I knew as a boy before mowing machines were in use. All grass was cut with scythes, and the boss mower led the procession around the field. It was the height of humili- ation when mower behind you could cut up so close that your heels were in danger and you had to get out of line. Old Bill Peterson was the boss mower in our neighborhood. He al- ways led off. This new hired man was foolish enough to challenge Bill and he insisted on leading the gang. Bill never said a word, but pulled his belt tighter and ran the whetstone over his blade. The hired man started off with a really beautiful swing and went ahead. Half around the field he was foolish enough to glance back at Bill and call out: “Come on, you old ox!” And Bill just then decided to “come on.” His scythe swung like a ma- chine. How that grass did fall! The hired man did his best, but within three minutes Bill was at his heels. Then the hired man felt the back of that razor-like blade rub his foot and terror seized him. He dropped his scythe and jumped into the standing grass just in time to save his foot. There he stood white and trembling as Bill kicked the fallen scythe out of the way and went calmly on. It has always seemed to me very foolish to think one can beat old Father Time at his old game of mowing. His final victory is the one absolutely sure thing in life. You may keep ahead of him for some years through brute strength and a disregard of moral and health laws, but sooner or later he gets you, and then indeed comes that “saddest day.” For I have found old Time a stern and hard master to those who defy him, and yet a kindly boss to those who accept his judgments fairly. Sure- ly and truly he can and will “pull down the mighty from their seats” much as the hired man was taken, while many of “low degree” may sit under the trees near the hayfield and enjoy the best of life. So my first thought is that this dic- tum of Hall’s about the saddest day is nonsense. As well say that the day an apple becomes mellow and ripe is its saddest day because the boys may now come and eat it—while the green hard fruit was safe. If I am right Hall had no belief in any future life and no belief in our usual conception of Christianity. That being so I do not wonder at his sadness. Nor am I sure that Browning is right. I am not quite old enough to answer that. At any rate I look ahead with great hope and curiosity to see what prom- ises to come in the future—H. W. Collingwood in Rural New-Yorker. +. —___ Foolish Question. A young lady entered a fur store and a polite salesman came forward. “T want to get a muff,” she said. “Yes’m,” said the salesman. “What fur?” The young lady looked surprised. “Why,” she said, “to keep my hands warm, of course.” Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 107 ; ij q , | Have you tried +] ODESSA - IONIA - RADIO || and LITTLE BOY BLUE i. ‘@ ; We pack Peas, Stringless Beans, Corn, Succotash, Red i Kidney Beans and Lima Beans. ‘a We invite your inspection of our Sanitary method of packing. Factory always open to visitors Our products are the best that science, experience and the latest improved machinery can produce. Sold Exclusively Through the Wholesale Grocery Trade. Since last season we have erected and installed new buildings. | Quality—better than ever. Lake Odessa Canning Company Lake Odessa, Michigan hs | OFFICERS a he Wanrrer A. Rerp, Pres. & Gen. Mgr. Strison V. MacLrop, Sec. & ‘Treas. Hy i ALEx Ropertson, Vice Pres. Kari F. Reep, Asst. Gen. Mer. DIRECTORS > s \ | Above Officers and Frep W. GREEN Howarp C. LAwreENCcE rep A. CHAPMAN 108 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary LIFE AND FIRE INSURANCE. Brief Diagnosis of Both By Leading Business Man. The above title in present day affairs carries with it a very large significance. Three or four decades ago, if a man spoke of insurance, he referred es- pecially and almost entirely to life in- surance and fire insurance. If space permitted, we would publish a list cf very many kinds of insurance which now are sold by the companies and bought by a very large percentage of men in these present times. A very large percentage of mercantile institu- tions as well as industrial institutions, carry several kinds of insurance and ali of these we might say without ex- ception have a direct bearing upon not only the present, but the future. In city conditions, especially, where there are many exigencies, the kinds of insurance sold and bought (and ‘t almost appears that they are neces- sary) make a very long list. The enum- eration of this list and a written treat- ment of the same is not the object of this. Life Insurance. The American people are learning every day to appreciate more and more what life insurance means, not only to the individual, but to the family. Rates are fixed, which prevail from youth until certain periods of mature life, and vast millions of money are realized every year upon life insurance policies. The item of interest, and the only one outside of the principle of good judgment in carrying life insur- ance and which we desire to pass on to our readers, is that in the settlement of the affairs of men in the United States after death, the records show that a little less than 84 per cent. of all the personal property left to the beneficiaries is made up of life insur- This figure seems stupendous and at arouses a condition of doubt, but the life insurance companies companies have deduced these figures and this result of between 81 per cent. and a little less than 84 per cent. has prevailed for a long time. Therefore, the money paid for life insurance prem- 1ums, not only protects the beneficiary, but continues and perpetuates property in one form or another after death. Fire Insurance. This is the time of year when we always introduce this subject, because it is the time, especially in small cities and towns, when stores and dwellings are heated by dry air furnaces and stoves in the large majority. This in- curs attendant risks and in many places ample fire protection is not provided by the town and city authorities. Of course, we realize that there are mer- chants who are so situated that they can afford to carry their own insurance, but the man who can afford to do this is in very small proportion to the greater number. In the cities there are many merchants and many indus- trial plants, which carry fire insurance to the point of 100 per cent. of their inventories, not only to protect the value of their property, but to protect creditors and anyone, whom the party may be owing. Fire insurance, as well as life insurance, is a safe investment ance. once and should not only be bought and sold, but we take the position that the buyer of fire insurance should study the subject as much as possible, so as to buy intelligently in every way. There are three outstanding principles in the buying of fire insurance. 1. To determine exactly what you want protected. 2. To determine the amount of in- surance desired. 3. Place the same in panies at the proper rate. Upon reierence to the first subject, this is somewhat a matter of detail, yet at the same time it is a matter of good judgment as to what should be protected. This involves many things, which run the gamut from the con- struction of property without protec- sound com- As to the third statement, the ques- tion of companies, is an open question. There are many mutuals which have done a prosperous and_ satisfactory business for many years and there are some which have failed. There are stock companies which have been em- inently satisfactory and there are also stock companies, which have not been satisfactory. Government _ statistics prove conclusively that 84 per cent. of the stock companies and 24 per cent. of the mutual companies organized in America have failed. We would not assume to differentiate, because while we may differ as to the principle upon which such companies are founded, yet we are not in a position to determine as one against the other as to their moral and financial worth. Lee M. Hutchins tion to the fact that it is an assurance of creditors and bankers, and also that it is a double assurance to the family of the man, who insures the property. In the case of the subject — the amount desired — there is a vast dif- ference of opinion. It is our belief that every man, who has real estate and merchandise to insure should so take care of its and protect it as far as he can, so that it is a desirable risk for the company itself and when it is de- sirable, a better rate can be obtained, and the better the rate, the more in- surance the merchant is able to buy. When this condition is established, we are of the opinion that nothing less than a 90 per cent. clause should pre- vail. In fact, there are a great many merchants and manufacturers who in- sure for 100 per cent. There is an item in connection with fire insurance, which is probably not of universal knowledge, and this par- ticular item, which we will mention, accounts for the vast amount of money, which is lost by fire in this country. The fire insurance companies figure that on the basis of a recent loss in twelve months of $560,000,000 that $200,000,000 of this amount was caused by incendiary fires. It is not univer- sally known, but it is a fact and is well known by the large insurance com- panies that there are organizations in this country which make it a business, as we might say, to produce fires. They have certain emissaries, who go about the country, and in one way and an- other find out whether a manufacturer or a merchant or householder is in financial difficulties and if in financial difficulties, will in a roundabout way approach that party with an offer, that for a certain amount of money paid in advance, they will see that their property is destroyed by fire, so that the insurance can be collected. The large insurance companies have formed an organization to detect, arrest and imprison such people. They, however, exist and there are probably more of such organizations in the country at the present time than ever before. The existence of such companies puts an extra tax upon every city and town, because it increases the necessity of additional investments and fire protec- tion. Lee M. Hutchins. _—_>--___ The Dealer’s Daily Dozen. 1. Arms outstretched to meet cus- tomers and make them feel that in your store they can get what they want. And at a fair price. 2. Bend leg muscles to show cus tomers foods they are interested in, for many times a satisfied eye springs the pocketbook open. And they return again—and again. 3. Hands behind back when weigh- ing food for many humans have eagle eyes. And heavy hands belong to the Dark Ages. 4. Rise lightly on tip-toes to hand out samples of ready-to-serve meats over counter to skeptical customer. Because summer housewives are not crazy to cook over hot stoves. 5. Hands on hips as vou listen pa- tiently to neighborhood gossip. Shrug shoulders as your answer, with mouth closed. 6. Inhale deeply as you breathe fresh, pure air of your store with all meats under refrigeration. And cheeses under glass. 7. Run lightly to open door for customer with many bundles leaving your store. For this saves a delivery expense. 8. Parry a grouch with a smile, for it causes the cleaver to descend oftener. And the packer salesman to make extra visits. 9. Buy right or you'll get left. For all losses are not over your counters. 10. Lay down rules for clerks. And live up to them yourself. 11. Raise right leg to angle of 45 degrees on dead-beat trade and thumbs down. For an imposter is more to be dread- ed than the shrinkage of meat. 12. Exhale your business success to your family. But keep your troubles to yourself. John. C Cutting. —_2->—___ Cashing In On His Customers. If you are a police officer in St. Paul you can expect any day to see your picture in the paper accompanied by a description of the shoes you prefer as well as ‘by a brief account of your rec- ord on the force. A local shop has taken an interest in the constables of the town and is writing them up ina series of advertisements issued at week- ly intervals. The idea not only at- tracts attention, but also gives a per- sonal touch to the store’s advertising. ee A my + 4 ‘ a 4 < . 9 _ ao «4 v » a 4 z j > J Ep 4 # Sf 4 ( q . she 4 * ~ + a i~ : ‘ o « ¥ & Pearson | AR . gas ~ a * aa et ” Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ee +m? s me pins aia ioe ‘ a rT ee seat Mis, - ~ a Con a * i ‘ ‘| a ’ a | + 109 Michigan Shoe Dealers Mutual Fire Insurance Company Cash Assets 1912 $460.29 1917 7,191.96 1921 66,719.94 1924 98,405.64 1926 130,029.88 Meanwhile, we have paid back to our policy holders, as unabsorbed premiums, $301,845.71 We write both Fire and Tornado Insurance For further information, address L.H. BAKER, Secretary- Treasurer Lansing, Michigan THE UNSEEN WORLD. Interesting Objects Revealed By Use of Microscope. There are thousands of kinds of plants and thousands of kinds of ani- mals. Most of these have been given long Latin names, but it is not neces- sary to have even a partial acquaint- ance with these names to realize the wide variety of species in the plant worlds. A walk through one’s garden reveals begonias and animal short and beets, butterflies and beetles. Some 250 years ago a merchant of Holland by the name of Van wenhoek (fahn lay’ ven hake) discov- ered that glass in certain shapes made observed through it appear larger, letters appear larger when observed through a read- Leeu- objects much just as ing glass. Thus he invented the micro- scope and with his homemade lenses he spent a great deal of time in study- ing small objects. The use of the microscope revealed a whole new world of tiny plants and animals that had never before been seen. In this realm of small plants we have molds of many kinds, algae of great beauty, and germs of many shapes and modes of living. In the Lilliputian animal kingdom there are tiny worms, and colorless single cells, some with whip-like tails by means of which they swim, and so on. Although most life in the microscopic world is useful or at least harmless, some of it may cause disease. And, although some molds, and some little animals, may cause diseases, perhaps the most important group is that other group of plants variously called germs, or bac- teria, or microbes. There are shades of meaning between these words, but, practically speaking, they may be con- sidered synonymous. Of the many hundreds of species of microbes, a great many, small as they are, are useful, or even necessary, to man. Did you ever stop to think how important it is that all organic matter discarded—unused food, dead insects, leaves, sewage, and all such things—be not only thrown away, but actually de- stroyved? Except for these myriads of microscopic lives, the earth would soon be cluttered up so much as to be unin- habitable. But as these organisms live and grow and multiply they break down organic matter to such a point that the elements of such matter are returned to the soil and are again a part of it. There are other ways in which bac- teria may be useful. Vinegar is made from cider by bacteria. Cheese when is tough and indigestible, but after aging, or ripening, as it is called, the cheese becomes by means of the harmless bacteria in it soft, digestible, and better flavored. Air is about four- fifths nitrogen, and some of our crops need nitrogen in the soil where they can get at it. Some bacteria can as- similate the nitrogen from the air and put it in the soil; in a good clover field there are myriads of such bacteria living in the soil. Good sweet milk contain as many as 5,000 living made may bacteria in every drop, which do no harm. And, if we wish clean healthful sour milk to make cottage cheese, some Roemer ap Seatmn om MICHIGAN TRADESMAN of these must be of a certain kind. Usually this kind is present in milk, but, if it is not, when we set aside a bottle of milk it will spoil, and will not get sour at all. Bacteria may grow under various conditions. As we have seen, some will grow in the soil, some in milk, some in vinegar. Bacteria may also be found in stagnant water, and almost anywhere where there is a little mois- ture and some organic matter. Bac- teria have even been found in hot springs where the water is too hot to hold one’s hand in it. In the laboratory they are often grown in meat broth. Unfortunately for us, some bacteria “seem to prefer the human body as a place to live. These are the disease- producing organisms. They are unable to select and reach their victim of their own will, but they can reach him by being carried to him in one way and another. Some attack through the mouth and nose—by water, milk, food, hands, or by someone coughing or sneezing in one’s face. Others attack only when they happen to find them- selves in a cut or wound, which has been improperly cleansed. Once entry is made into the body the small criminals grow in special places according to their preferences, pro- viding they can get there. Diphtheria organisms, for example, usually grow in the throat. Typhoid germs seem to prefer the intestines. The organ- ism causing tuberculosis seems to be able to set up house-keeping in almost any part of the body. Some like to travel, and ride around in the blood. Tiny worms, reaching the person through eating insufficiently cooked pork, like the musces, and cause serious aches and pains. Disease may be produced in several ways. The tiny organisms (if one is a ten-thousandth of an inch long it is considered quite a large one) may cause trouble merely by their num- bers, so rapidly do they multiply. Or, they may use the tissues surrounding them for food, thereby damaging the tissues. And some, perhaps causing little trouble by themselves, give off a poison called toxin which is deadly in its effect. How are we going to dodge these bacterial criminals, so small that we can not see them? Although some germs can move in liquids, the most energetic among them even in a liquid will travel neither fast nor far. In air, they can move about only with the wind as it picks up dust, and in air the lives of most bacteria are short. In avoiding them it is not necessary to cross the street when one has to pass a house placarded with a scarlet fever sign. They are unable to attack unless chance leads them to you. The most we can do, then, is to reduce to a minimum the opportunities for the disease-producing organisms to reach us, and put our bodies in such condition that, if such organisms do reach us, they will not find their new home a happy one. Accordingly the two best weapons in self-protection are knowledge and normal good health. Statistics show that people of good education, wher- ever and however secured, have less disease of bacterial origin than un- educated people; and that people in good health are better able to resist disease of bacterial origin than people in poor health. Knowledge may help in many ways. If we know that a milk supply is in- fected in most instances by a dairy- man who is ill or who has illness in his family, as good citizens we see that our milk supplies are carefully con- trolled. If we know that some dis- eases may reach us through drinking polluted water, we will drink only from water supplies that we know to be good, or, if this is imposisble, we will boil the water before drinking it. If we know that flies may carry dis- ease germs, we can eliminate the breed- ing places and screen the windows. If we know that articles handled by a sick person may carry disease germs, we can avoid handling them, or wash our hands very carefully before touch- ing anything else. If we realize that our hands, touching so many things daily, are sure to come in contact with disease germs once in a while, we can keep them scrubbed, and keep them away from our faces, and be very care- ful when handling food. If we realize that close association with a person with a cold is dangerous, we can keep our distance from such persons, or, if we have the cold, we can keep our distance from other people. If we know that soap is quite efficient in destroying germs, and that boiling al- ways kills them, and that direct sun- light (not through glass) is destruc- tive to bacterial life, we can use these means of self-protection. The disease-producing organisms can not always be avoided, but if we know their means of travel, always from a sick person by a direct or indirect route, we can do much to protect our- selves and those about us. Protecting our health by being healthy, so to speak, is of course ac- complished by good living. We have all heard much of the right amount of food of the right kind taken at the right time. of the advantages of fresh air and of exercise, and all that. With most of us it is not a matter of know- ing what is good for our health under normal conditions so much as it is a matter of acting in accordance with that knowledge. In four diseases, we may further in- crease our resistance to attack over and above that acquired in putting our- selves in good health. Your doctor can give you treatment with diphtheria toxin-antitoxin mixture, which will put your body in such condition that, even if a few diphtheria germs reach you, you will not have the disease. He can test you to see whether you are able to withstand an attack by scarlet fever organisms, anxious to live in your throat. If the test shows that the germs would find your body a good place to live in, he can treat you so that you will not get scarlet fever. He can give you typhoid vaccine, which will pro- tect you from typhoid fever. And he can vaccinate you against smallpox, so that you will not have this unsightly disease. Just as there are many kinds of large plants and animals, so are there many Forty-fourth Anniversary kinds of plants and animals in the unseen microscopic world. Most of these are useful, but some are capable of producing disease in man. The two weapons against these disease- producing organisms are knowledge, enabling us to ward off their attacks when they have not been avoided suc- cessfully. M. S. Marshall, Michigan Department of Health. +--+ Sweet Cream Butter Popularized by Navy. The keeping qualities and uniformity of sweet cream butter was first deter- mined and popularized by the United States Navy, the Department of Agri- culture sttaed Oct. 22. The full text of the statement follows: In an address before a_ sectional meeting of the American Dairy Science Association at Springfield, Mass., William White, of the Department of Agriculture, brought out the part the Navy played in popularizing sweet cream butter. For fifty years or more there have been individuals who preferred sweet cream butter, and early in the history of our State experiment stations some work was done to determine the stor- age qualities of the product. As the result of tests begun in the Depart- ment of Agriculture in 1905 it was proved that butter made from unrip- ened pasteurized sweet cream could be depended on to maintain its high qual- ity during at least eight months’ stor- age at zero Fahrenheit. In 1909, as a result of these tests, the Navy adopted the practice of buy- ing each year a quantity of sweet cream butter to be stored and used as needed. In 1918 the Navy purchased more than 9,000,000 pounds of sweet cream butter from more than 100 creameries. A New York butter dealer packed much of this butter for the Navy and was so favorably impressed by the remarkable uniformity in quality, even though it came from many scattered plants, and by its unequaled keeping quality, that he decided to sell it under his own brand. Other butter dealers followed his exemple. Dealers and consumers approved thi butter, and each year has seen an in- crease in the quantity manufactured. During the cold storage season in par- ticular buyers are eager to obtain the product. Last year one association of cream eries reports to have marketed 50,000,- 000 pounds of sweet cream butter and to have paid to its members one-half cent a pound more for it than for high- quality ripened-cream butter. —_-o-o-e Advertisements Should Reflect Store Itself. Make Christmas advertising individ- ual. Study to achieve that art which will enable people to recognize your publicity even if the name and busi- ness address were cut from it, just as they recognize you even although you do not carry a sign card or sandwich board announcing your name. Indi- vidualized publicity is the sort which arrests attention, focuses interest on the lines you are offering and attracts customers to your door. the »> > - wn 4 ! : . v v * ° < ¥ > ‘ i > Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 111 : Ae ie ar Pat 2. Jy eat ‘” HUNT’S SUPREME CANNED FRUITS Purity Quality Flavor * ' e e . ° . . . We are offering for-distribution this full line of Hunt’s Canned Fruits as follows: | APRICOTS PREPARED PRUNES STRAWBERRIES { | ROYAL ANNE CHERRIES BLACKBERRIES PINEAPPLE ‘ PEACHES LOGANBERRIES FRUITS FOR SALAD © ~ PEARS RED RASPBERRIES PLUMS ae This line embodies all the qualities served as it is packed where it is that the discriminating housewife = grown within a few hours after demands. Beautiful, luscious fruit, picking. heavy syrup, and packedunderthe Addedtothe fruit line we will also most sanitary conditions. The have to offer Hunt’s wonderful flavor of the fruit is entirely pre-. line of Asparagus and Spinach. LEE & CADY, Grand Rapids Branch Grand Rapids, Michigan % 4 | . BS ° « < v > > MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary WOMEN IN BUSINESS. Youth and Personal Appearance Are Tremendous Assets. Is it or is it not true that there are practically no office jobs for women who have left behind the bloom of youth? If true, with whom does the fault for this condition lie? Should the male employer be blamed for it? Or, as an anonymous officer of the newly established Co-operative Action Association recently asserted, is it the fault of those numerous attractive young blonds who guard the anteroom of offices and make it their business to head off older women who come in to apply for positions? Is it the fault of the older women themselves? The director of the American Voca- tional Exchange, an employment bu- reau with offices in both the uptown and downtown districts, was asked for her opinion on the problem of age in relation to the employment of women. The bureau has been in existence many years and those in charge of it have had ample opportunity to note any changing tendencies regarding the position of women in the employment field. “I think,” said the director, “that there has been a distinct downward tendency as a result of the war. I mean by this that the conservative woman, no longer quite young, but trained and experienced, stood a bet- ter chance of a job before the war than the same type of woman stands to- day. I believe the reason for this change is to be found in the fact that the war brought many men into execu- tive positions who otherwise would not have held them. These men were not so experienced or so well educated as the type of men hitherto holding the positions and the step downward has been duplicated in the choice of women selected by them for positions in their departments. I believe, however, that the really high grade employer has not been influenced by this trend, and that he is as ready as ever to give preference to the wo- man with the education, training and experience that the job demands. “At the same time, there is no good in shutting one’s eyes to the fact that youth and personal appearance are tremendous assets to the woman seek- ing a job. I do not quarrel with this attitude on the part of employers, for it is more or less natural; but it can occasionally be carried to an extreme. “For instance, I have actually had calls for a secretary with blue eyes or with dark hair. I have one client who happens to be short and his calls are always for the ‘petite’ type. On one occasion I was asked to supply a competent stenographer whose age should not be more than twenty-six. I sent an experienced girl who hap- pened to have had her twenty-seventh birthday the day before. She returned from the interview and told me that all had gone well, and she had believed herself safe for the job, up to the last moment. Then the employer put his final question. “*Your age?’ “‘T was twenty-seven yesterday.’ ““T cannot take anyone over twenty- six. I’m sorry.’ continent ent i ta ERT OB Nt RRR EA COE RENE LONER ANAT “I do not hesitate to say,” the di- rector continued, “that this question of age has been emphasized very much by employers in recent years. Many of my calls insist on girls not more than 30, and during the last few months I have noticed that many of the finest secretarial jobs are for girls not more than 26. The favorite age in the stenographic calls is from 23 to 25. “IT don’t think that I am exaggerat- ing in the least when I say that per- sonal appearance—including age and looks and correct grooming—consti- tutes almost 75 per cent. of the quali- fications necessary for securing jobs. In passing, I should point out that this stressing of youth on the part of the male employer often eliminates women of American ancestry, as so many very youthful applicants to-day come from alien homes where sound English speech is not spoken. “You ask what are the specific charges the male employer brings against the older women. In the first place, there is the familiar complaint of lack of adaptability. In the second place, the very young girls are cheaper. Again, there is, of course, the natural human element in favor of youth. “But in spite of these things, I feel very strongly that the older woman should not be barred at the outset. I mean by this that if she has the training and experience necessary, an employer should not refuse to see her merely because she has passed the exact age he asks for. At the present moment I know perfectly well that when I send out two applicants for an interview—one of them pretty. young, well-groomed, but not very ex- perienced, and the other older, less at- tractive, but far more experienced— it will be the pretty and relatively in- experienced girl who will get the job. “There is, however, another side to the question. After all, secretarial work is largely mechanical. It does not call for any creative ability or for any really unusual talent. Many wo- men with unusual ability get out of such work by the time they are 30. The older women who in the mid- thirties are still making the rounds of the employment agencies hunting for secretarial jobs are for the most part women who are not qualified for any- thing better. But secretarial jobs can be filled perfectly well by younger women. “The remedy for this state of af- fairs is, I think, the simple one of looking ahead. I mean by this that girls should do the same as boys when they start out in life. They should select their field and stick to it. If, for instance, a girl begins with a stenographic job in an advertising agency, she should stick to advertis- ing. If she starts out with a job in, let us say, an engineering firm, she should try to stick to the engineering business. In this way girls who do not marry will end by knowing some- thing thoroughly by the time that they reach 30. And if they know some- thing of the business they are in, there is always a chance that they may im- prove their position and rise out of the secretarial ranks. “As things are at present, the aver- age stenographic or secretarial worker does not dream of looking beyond the weekly pay envelope. She will jump from publishing to brokerage, from engineering to the movies, according to the immediate bait of the pay en- velope. By the time she has reached her thirties she has a smattering of many fields and is thoroughly familiar with none. Then the decline sets in, and the complaints concerning age dis- crimination become loud and insistent on the lips of the women who failed to look ahead. “IT am sorry to say that women have not the same pride of achieve- ment as have men, and it is this lack that makes so many of them flotsam and jetsam of business offices.” Mrs. Helen Winne Eldredge, the di- rector of the Central Branch Y. W. C. A. Employment Bureau, is strongly of the opinion that the personality of an applicant is a decisive factor in her success, no matter what her age. “Tt is the individual who counts,” said Mrs. Eldredge, “and youth is only one of a number of qualities that go to make up a desirable personality. Some women of 35 complain that they are eliminated from even a preliminary interview on account of their age. I consider such an attitude extremely unwise, and I may say that in this bu- reau we interview an applicant on the basis of general qualifications and spend considerable time in trying to bring to the surface other qualifica- tions or personal attributes that may offset the lack of youth. “This does not mean that we con- sider lack of youth to be an advantage. Naturally, neither the ‘Y’ nor any one else can find jobs for women who pos-| sess no qualifications at all to hold them; but we do say that lack of youth does not constitute an insuperable barrier to getting a job, provided that an applicant has other personal qualifi- cations. Indeed, I stress these person- al qualities so strongly that I am pre- pared to say that if an applicant pos- sesses them in a sufficient degree she will find that they sometimes count for more than training and experience. “And, after all, why should not em- ployers choose secretaries and steno- graphers who are personally agreeable to them? Why should they be expect- ed to act differently from other people? All of us, either consciously or un- consciously, are influenced by person- ality. Unsuccessful persons are apt to be depressing, and depressing person- alities are not wanted in offices. “Speaking broadly, the problem of ‘getting jobs is only another aspect of the survival of the fittest. The law is as inexorable here as elsewhere. It must be accepted. After all, the peo- ple who complain so loudly that they are not longer able to get jobs have enjoyed in their youth the same chanc- es that the younger generation is en- joying at this moment. If they have not made good, I do not see that they can justly blame any one but them- selves. “Of course, I am willing to admit that there are some women who ap- pear to be the persistent victims of circumstances and that failure to make good is not their own fault. But it is the average case we must consider, not the exceptional, “You ask what I consider the chief reasons for failing to make good while still fairly young. In the first place, I consider that women should be con- tent to do things within their capacity:' It is no good for them to waste their time in attempting to do things en- tirely beyond their abilities and to fight to be where they cannot possibly get. There are countless women who do not in the least realize their own limitations and who complain bitterly because they cannot obtain jobs for which, in reality, they are entirely in- competent. Let women learn their own limitations and concentrate their en- ergies on making good within them. “Another difficulty is the matter of temperament. There are certain wo- men who find the greatest difficulty in adjusting themselves to any job, no matter what it is. “Good employment see to it that young people are s placed that they do not reach an un- happy situation when in their md- thirties. In this bureau we make no attempt to create a large turnover of placements. We want applicants t take a job for which they are su'ted, and to stay in it and make good in it. The plight of the jobless middle-aged is the best argument to parents so to train and educate their children that this situation is not likely to arise.— N. Y. Times. agents should —_+->____ Sell Slow-Moving Goods by Display. Where do you keep slow-moving merchandise? Grocers have their slowest-moving stocks under counters, on high shelves, and almost every place but the front of the store, where customers might sec and buy. Grocers are urged to get the goods which are poor sellers into the sections of the store where they will be most in prominence. Too many merchants apparently believe they are selling klep- tomaniacs and hide or cover goods which should be placed openly so that they might be easily seen and exam- ined. Added business ganied by gen- erous display of merchandise more than recompenses for a few dollars annual loss in goods which may be destroyed or shoplifted. —_+->___ England Trains Men For Grocery Trade. Since the end of the war 20,000 young men have taken courses of study devised by the British Institute of Cer- tified Grocers. Of these over 10,000 have taken examinations on the cours- es and of that number half have been granted certificates by the institute. This is the sort of education work which that organization in England is carrying on to produce grocers and grocers’ clerks who know their busi- ness and are able to engage in it sat- isfactorily. The National Association of Retail Grocers of this country, through its educational bureau, is attempting to work out a somewhat similar system. —_———-o2ss____ There must be a short interval when a cantaloupe is no longer green and isn’t yet rotten. —_+~-~-__ No accident ever happened without somebody being to blame, * * OP ccemalltgy e * . = Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 113 Greetings to The Michigan Tradesman Champion of fair trade, exponent of sound merchandising, friend of the right -- on its 44th anniversary. A.R. WALKER CANDY CORPORATION OWOSSO, MICHIGAN 114 THE RULE OF DUE DILIGENCE. All Must Guard Their Own Bank Checks. Which stands the loss resulting from the alteration, forgery or fraudulent use of a check—the bank or the de- positor? This is a question that no amount of answering seems to affect. In most cases, the layman will unhes- itatingly reply that the bank is solely responsible in every case. It is this belief in one-sided responsibility, so generally held, that even leads the most conscientious of depositors to let down his guard in the making and handling of his check, secure in the conviction that in case of loss the re- sponsibility is not his. But the test in law of the responsi- bility for such loss is the determination of whose was the responsibility for the causes that made successful alteration, forgery or misuse of a check possible and who was derelict in the observance of that “due diligence” in writing and handling the check, without which the courts have ruled there can be no pro- tection from loss. This insistence by the courts on “due diligence”, is, in fact, a “rule of reason,” the justice of which becomes apparent on examina- tion. When the courts have been called upon to determine responsibility, they have recognized that the bank is only a depository for the depositors’ funds and will pay out certain of those funds on the depositors’ orders, and that in the discharge of this function the bank cannot reasonably be expected to as- sume responsibility for acts and acci- dents which it cannot control. Six billion checks are cleared an- nually in the United States and no bank can hold up payments on all of these checks until they have been veri- fied. To do so would halt business. The bank scrutinize checks for evidences of tampering and to com- pare the signatures with specimen sig- natures on their files. But the ma- jority of checks are deposited in some than that on which the checks are drawn. Hence it is easy to understard how uniust it would be to hold the depository bank responsible for all losses occurring, since the de- will bank other positorv bank’s only evidence of the amount to be naid out is that which appears on the face of the check. If this amount or the payee’s name has been altered in such a way as to leave no evidence of the alteration, the bank has certainly not shown negligence. The bank accepting a check for de- posit cannot be expected to know to whom the drawer of the check gave it, or for what amount, save as the check itself indicates, and if the bank suffers a loss through a check depos- ited with it, the chances are that the innocent maker of the check will be sued. Although there is no uniformity of law on the subject, since every case must be judged on the circumstances surrounding it, there exists a great body of court decisions in the various states, a digest of which gives a con- crete set of given cases of which losses may be incurred by a depositor and which have their causes, in a general MICHIGAN TRADESMAN way, from the depositor’s negligent acts. Grouped, these cases are: 1. Where the loss arises out of the negligent acts of the depositor com- mitted prior to the signing of the check. 2. Where the loss results from the depositor’s negligence with respect to his act of drawing and signing the check. 3. Where the loss arises from the depositor’s negligence with respect to his custody of the check after execu- tion, but prior to delivery by him to the first holder. 4. Where the loss results from the negligent acts of the depositor with respect to the act of delivery to the first holder. 5. Where the loss results from the negligent acts of the depositor with respect to his examination of his can- celed checks after their return to him. Under the second heading are cases involving in one way or anoth- er acts of negligent execution, as a re- sult the bank on which the instru- ment is drawn acquires a right to debit the depositor’s account upon a check or for a sum which the drawer did not intend. These cases may be classified into the following subdivisions: (a) Where the drawer’s negligence has resulted in his signing of a check which he did not intend to sign. (b) Where the signed and delivered a check, but left drawer knowingly formal blank spaces therein, such as for the amount names of the payee. (c) Where the signed a or for the drawer knowingly check, complete in all re- so executed that it could usually as regards the amount, by the insertion of words and figures therein, without erasing any- thing on the cheek as originally drawn. spects, but be altered, (d) Where the negligent execution has invited or has rendered a subse- quent alteration by erasures and sub- stitutions easier than it otherwise would have been. Three court decisions rendered in cases under Group 3, where loss arose from the depositor’s negligence with respect to his custody of the check after execution, but before delivery to the first maintain that the drawers of a check is under a duty to drawee bank to prevent the escape of the instrument. these decisions, even though the instrument is stolen from the possession of the drawer and completed without author- ity, the drawee bank is jujstified in debiting the drawer’s account, where- by the loss is borne by the drawer. holder, According to In cases under Group 4, where the loss results from the negligent acts of the depositor with respect to the act of delivery to the first holder, the loss usually falls upon the drawer, although a substantial change of the facts will relieve the drawer from liability. For instance, where the drawer by fraud is induced to draw and deliver his check to a person under the belief that the person with whom he is dealing is the whose name appears as the payee. The fraudulent party imper- sonates another, usuaJly some one of known financial standing, and_ the drawer is misled as to the identity person of the person with whom he deals. Decisions on cases coming under Group 5 are more numerous than on others embraced in any of the several groups. There are three sub-divisions of cases where the loss results from the negligent acts of the depositor with respect of his examination of his can- celed checks, after their return to him from the payee bank. These are: 1. Where the drawer’s name has been forged. 2. Where the body of the instru- ment has been materially altered. 3. Where there has been a forged endorsement. In cases in the first two sub-divi- sions the court seemed to be agreed that the failure on the part of the de- positor to discover the forgery or al- teration upon return of his canceled and promptly to notify the drawee bank constitutes such negli- gence as will throw the loss on the depositor. As regards the duty of a depositor to look for and report the finding of forged endorsements, the courts are not agreed. But most of them hold the depositor is under a duty to look for forged endorsements. : An analysis of the circumstances of the causes at action and the decisions rendered wherein the maker of a check is held responsible for a loss gives the summary of reasons for reaching decisions: The check was carelessly drawn. The maker, in handing his check to an unknown person, did not show “due diligence.” The maker signed his checks in blank and left them in charge of an employe. The maker did not observe “due diligence” in seeing that the check was sent to the proper person. The criminal who cashed the cneck had previously established his identity with the bank. The bank showed “due diligence” by telephoning the maker’s office to verify the check and an employe, a confed- erate of the criminal, answered the telephone cal! and verified it. The maker was negligent in not checking over his canceled vouchers immediately upon their return to him checks following from the bank. It is evident from the foregoing that in a great variety of circumstances banks are held not to be responsible for losses, that the maker of a check must assume responsibility where loss has been due to his failure to exercise “due diligence,” and that the courts’ construction of what constitutes “due diligence” is such as to make it incum- bent upon the depositor to employ every proved means of protection against loss due to frauds upon his checks. Jas. E. Ryan. ———2e2so_—_—_- New Trade Practices. The diet of the American family has been materially changed in late years. This fact has added importance to the conference of the edible oil industry which has been called by the Federal Trade Commission to bring about the elimination of unfair practices. The success of this conference should have a wide bearing on the retail and whoie- sale grocery trade. Forty-fourth Anniversary SURESET JELL in 9 pure fruit flavors that please. SURESET always sets and is clearer than others. Its fragrance, flavor, color and firm tender texture make it the best dessert you ever tasted. 4 doz to the case $3.60— One dozen free with 5 cases freight paid. SURESET—The Michigan Dessert SURESET JELLY PRODUCTS CoO. Grand Rapids, Michigan ey , * & o é > * ? » a | @ < ro @ » : 9 4: « > & 4 € wile F a o » eee ee * t — . } coer 2 rs rr ae yi HARRY MEYER Distributor 816-20 Logan St. Grand Rapids, Mich. If It’s PAPER Write us The DUDLEY PAPER Co. LANSING - MICHIGAN Distributors of Hammermill Bond a o » acts Aarne Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 115 ; A Much Talked of Man. He owns and runs a one-man cloth- ing store in Madison, Iowa, and has been selected by a magazine writer as the oft-mentioned “average man” whose opinions and characteristics and habits are representative of the citi- zenship of America. He is not a day laborer, or a mechanic. He has no trade, and is not skilled in the produc- tion of any manufactured article. Nor is he a professional man, a banker, a politician or a farmer. He is a business man with a com- mon education, is married and has four children, lives modestly, belongs to church but is not regular in attendance, likes the movies, is a party man, be- longs to fraternities and a_ business club, reads newspapers but cares noth- ing for foreign news. His home is his first interest and his business comes next because it provides for his home. This “average man” is Roy L. Gray. He lives in Fort Madison, a small town of 12,000 population in Iowa. There is much significance in his selection because Madison is the “average town” in the country in population, location and climate, and Mr. Gray was selected by its citizens as the “average man” of the community. We now have a clue to the true idea of what constitutes an average man in our country. He is, first of all, a family man. He is the proprietor of a btisiness—a small one he runs him- self. He has habits of industry, and is a saver, else he would not own his business. And he looks after his busi- ness and pays taxes. He owns an average-priced car, lives respectably but not fashionably, enjoys radio mu- sic and minds his own business. He is neither a disturber, an agitator nor a fanatic, and is non-committal on pro- hibition—just the average cautious, prudent, careful small business pro- prietor. Do not forget that he owns his business, and is therefore as a tax- payer more concerned in economical government than he is in his political party, at least in his home town’s local affairs. A good average, we would say, with whom the destiny of popular gov- ernment may safely be left as the bal- ance of power in elections. W. G. Sibley. —_—__++ > Nine Per Cent. of Retail Sales Made by Chains. It is estimated that $3,400,000,000 worth of various merchandise and food- stuffs is purchased each year by Amer- ican consumers through chain stores, according to a survey recently made public by the Chain Store Economic and Financial Research Bureau. This is an increase of $2,031,000,000 in vol- ume since 1921. Their report shows that 9 per cent. of the $37,000,000 constituting our total annual retail sales is done through chain store systems. The balance of this volume is distributed as follows: Independent stores, $25,000,000,000 or 68 per cent.; department stores $5,- (00,000,000 or 15 per cent.; mail order houses, $1,500,000,000 or 4 per cent. and house-to-house selling, $375,000,- 000 or 1 per cent. “The Bank on the Square’’ PARTNERS A big business is almost always a corporation, or a partnership. It is run by a board of directors, for many heads are wiser than one. Yet most men do their planning and deciding alone. The merchant, the farmer, the professional man, the man who works for a wage or a salary—these men too often hesitate to go to others for counsel. They have no partners; they work alone. The officers of the Grand Rapids National Bank—experienced, com- petent, helpful are here to be partners for all such men in the busi- ness of real, permanent progress. They are very much interested in you and in your work. For they know that this bank’s success is bound up in yours. They are here to help you. The Grand Rapids National Company is owned and con- trolled by the stockholders of the Grand Rapids National Bank, and is operated to give investment counsel, guided by the experience of the bank, to the public. GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL BANK Established 1860 — Cece wmuUNI YT Y NINE Incorporated 1865 BRANCHES Our bi-weekly “EXECUTIVES BULLETIN” will be sent free on request Se eee 116 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary -WORTH WHILE PUBLICATION. Old Timer Frees His Mind Once a Year. Forty-four years under one manage- ment is the record of the Michigan Tradesman, one of the greatest trade journals in the United States. In 1883 business had not reached the high water mark it occupies to-day, and Stowe’s little enterprise was look- ed upon as a very small affair, yet it has weathered the gale and stands to- day on the very high pinnacle of pros- prous trade publishing. It has catered to the wants of the tradesmen all these years and never failed the merchant in an emergency. Stowe’s line on cheats and frauds is worth to the honest dealer far more than the price of the journal. There is something within its covers for every member of the family and it might well be called the people’s paper. We are never disappointed in the publisher. Whenever any questionable transaction J. M. Merrill comes before the public all are inter- ested in reading what Stowe has to say on the subject, just as the political world once regarded the editorial ut- terances of Horace Greely, the mas- terful editor cf the New York Tribune. Greely graduated from his humble New Hampshire home into the great- In the world of business Stowe holds that est editor of the United States position to-day and no man dare ques- tion his motives when we all know him and his pronounced honesty so well. It is worth a lifetime of effort to win such a hold upon the public, the business public more especially, as Stowe has won in the forty-four years of stewardship behind the editorial columns of the Michigan Tradesman. editor of the Tradesman long ago adopted the motto of Davy Crockett, “Be sure you're right, then go ahead.” That has been the motto of the man from the begin- ning of his work on the Tradesman. He has refused to knuckle or com- promise, a fact which has made his name respected among business men everywhere. Such a record is far more worthy than a dozen elections to Con- gress or even to the Presidency. Stowe has never bowed before any It seems that the man or organization of men _ what- ever. For this alone he is worthy to stand among the finest in the land. The columns of the Tradesman cannot be bought. With so much corruption in the land it is a mark of the greatest respect that we speak thus of the Mich- igan Tradesman and its editor. This trade paper is a non-partisan publication and sees good in all par- ties, as well as corruption wherever it eccurs. Honesty and the reverse are not the exclusive prerogative of ary party. There are scoundrelly demo- crats, dishonest republicans and scaly prohibitionists and independents. Hon- esty bears no party or church name; it is simply a matter of personal moral- ity and must be upheld wherever found. Nobody dare undertake to impeach the honesty of Stowe’s Michigan Trades- man because it is unimpeachable. It is a good thing for the community that this is so. A little leaven leavens the whole lump, and the leaven of the Tradesman’s incorruptability has gone beyond the State line into the byways of the business world. It is worth while to have such a pub- lication as Stowe’s Tradesman. Had the editor seen fit to enter politics he might to-day be an ornament to con- gressional halls, but none of that for him. He chooses rather to serve the whole people on the editorial tripod than to bask in the favor of political life. It is good that this is so, else there would to-day be no Michigan Tradesman, which fills a great want in the business life of the State and Nation. The writer was at one time engaged in the mercantile business among the early lumbermen, at which time a gen- uine merchant's journal was unknown. The first paper of the kind whch I call to mind was known as the Gro- cer’s Criterion, which had a limited circulation among business men. It was published in Chicago and was merely the personal organ of a certain wholesale grocery house. Business men should not stint them- selves to any publicaton, but when figuring on what papers and magazines are necessary for home and office, there is not one so indispensable as the Michigan Tradesman. Most Michigan merchants have found this out and are acting accordingly. In fact, I know a number of people who are not in the mercantile business, yet are regular subscribers to Stowe’s Tradesman. There is so much between the covers of the magazine to interest the general public, even aside from store and store connections, that no- body should be without it. As for the merchant, he is certainly missing a lot and not doing his busi- ness justice who attempts to stagger along without the Tradesman. Printing a trade paper is very much like any other business, from farming to storekeeping. Success depends on the man and not the work he is doing. There are many persons doing busi- ness who just hang on the skirts of real merchandising, apparently content to live from hand to mouth. Such is not real business, however, any more than are the scratch farmers who are content to sit and smoke the pipe of Sherwood Hall Co.Ltd. GRAND RAPIDS WHOLESALE AUTOMOTIVE AND RADIO SUPPLIES Are these supplies being properly retailed in ‘your vicinity? If not, get in touch with us. 5 Over Sixty Years Service and Satisfaction in Western Michigan THE GUARANTEE BOND & MORTGAGE CO. of Grand Rapids Capital $2,500,000 Equipped to do everything in connection with the transfer of real estate Our Specialty Abstracts of Title and Title Guarantees A guaranteed title means peace of mind and safety Always at your service NORRIS BUILDING 107 LYON ST., N. W. 7% i Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 117 ease while their crops are going to the dogs. Successful farming, like successful merchandising, depends on following a right principle, to do which one must neglect no opportunities which offer aong the pathway of life. I imagine it wotld be hard to find a no-account business man, either on the soil or in the store, who has been a habitual reader of Stowe’s Michigan Trades- man. These successful traders know whereof their success springs from and are not among those who are constant- ly whining about hard times and no opportunities to make good. The merchant who has constantly on his desk the Michigan Tradesman is the man you can tie to in an emerg- ency. At one time “book farming” was a subject for jest among a certain class of land workers. Later years, however, go to show that a certain amount of book knowledge of soils is in no way to be despised. A man from a mercantile desk has been known to go onto a farm and. outgeneral the farmers long used to the sod in every branch of the work. Why? Because he availed himself of book knowledge to make his lands yield a profit, as so many of the general run had failed to do. It is best not to snub new re- cruits, no matter from what source they spring, but hold fast to that which is good and add new ideas as practice proves them worthy of acceptance. With it all they need a trade paper. To be sure, there are farm papers in plenty, but none that can compare with the Tradesman as a helper in time of need. It seems foolish to say, perhaps, but I am not sure that a page or two to farm interests would not be a wel- come addition to the mass of good things the Michigan Tradesman dishes up to its subscribers. I have known the Michigan Trades- man for several decades and have ever found it an interesting household pub- lication which, once introduced, will never be dropped from the business man’s table. Let the merchant reflect for a mo- ment on what would be the situation if this trade journal should suddenly go out of business. It would be like the going out of the sun at mid-day. There is no danger of this while our friend Stowe remains with us and even later it may be possible, perhaps, for some one trained under his tutelage to carry on. May that day, however, be a long distance in the future. I was reading the other day of a woman who had lived past the century mark and had never seen a sick day. Wonderful vitality! Let us hope and believe that the editor of the Michigan Tradesman may reach such a period of earth life before he drops the pen of editorship. J. M. Merrill. ——_—_—_» 2 —____ Two More Tributes To Mr. Garfield. To place a true estimate upon the value of a life, with its complexity of hopes, aims, ambitions, frustrations and defeats, is usually an impossible task, but in the life of Charles W. Garfield it may be attempted, if ever. I have known him nearly half a century, have watched his ideals of community and civic betterment from birth to matur- ity, with never a hint of ulterior mo- tive or self aggrandizement. It can be said of him truly that he “has lived by the side of the road and been a friend to man.” The city of Grand Rapids cannot be discussed without frequent recourse to the life and deeds of Charles W. Garfield. A visit with this man of kindly earnestness, granite integrity and lofty ideals is a soul re- freshing experience and I _ bespeak qualities of heart and soul which con- stitute the man we know as Char'es W. Garfield. Charles H. Bender. Grand Rapids. By sheer merit alone the forty-fourth anniversary issue of the Tradesman will attain commensurate attractive- ness and if you have invited comment on Mr. Garfield, you will be pyramid- ing superlatives. In fact, I know that you already have rare copy ready at hand. And so tar as I am concern- ed, Mr. Garfield defies human expres- We like him because he is lik- We love him because he is lov- Human expressicn sion, able. able, ad infinitum. is quite futile when the subject is so obviously far above mere tribute. Nor have I the poetic or romantic gift. So that’s that. What interests me most, as I have previously told you, is that some very practical and substantial expression of Mr. Garfield’s ideals and usefulness be made possible while he is still with us to counsel to that end, as well as enjoy the contemplation of good purpose projected well into the future. For a very long time I have felt that a well devised plan of generous endowment for the Park Playground and Boulevard idea would come as near as anything to perpetuating the com- munity uplift, which for years has been his dominating motive. I am not sure that this should be given publicity, but I do want to record this idea to you, my friend, and friend of my friend, to the end that something may be started before it is too late for apropos setting and impetus. J. Arthur Whitworth. Grand Rapids. tb - You've Got To Be Bigger. Bigger than your job if you ever ex- pect to be promoted. Bigger than your opportunities if you would get the most out of them. Do you do only what you are told to do? Then you'll never capture any of the prizes the world is always will- ing to bestow for initiative. Do you do only enough to get by? Then some day you'll be surprised when they hand you the go-by. It’s a strenuous, up-and-doing age in which we live. Progress tramples all over the fellow who stops to look back. Don’t look back. Look ahead. Have a goal. Keep your eye on it. Some- times the tears may blur the view, but the man worth while is not only the man who can smile, but he who can keep on even when he can’t see why. We must grow or stagnate. There is really no such thing as a middle ground. Unless you're digging you're likely to be covered up. Buck up or step down. ‘pancake Season is here! REPEAT BUSINESS right through the winter months when you sell Henkel’s Self- Rising Pancake flour ! Your customers will like the fluffy pancakes that it makes. They’re quickly made--delicious, too, with that good old fashioned flavor every- body likes. Get your customers to try Henkel’s once and they'll be back for more ! COMMERCIAL MILLING CoO. CLEVELAND DETROIT PITTSBURGH Millers of Henkel’s Velvet Cake and Pastry Flour and Henkel’s Best Fam - ily Flour. Laboratory and kitchen tested. Every sack g uaranteed. ‘Made Good” since 1855. COMMERCIAL MILLING CO DETROIT, MICH rime] DIAL 93569 G. B. READER WHOLESALE DEALER IN LAKE, OCEAN, SALT AND SMOKED PIOFI 1046-1048 OTTAWA AVE., N. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary SCHOOL TEACHERS. They Render Great Service To Our Nation. School teachers are in a position to render greater service to cur Nation than the members of any other pro- iession nearly every child in Nation is under the direct influence hools irom the age of six to most impressionable realization of the vastness of the — ibility of teach- I ose of the schools hood and to keep always ula them ! ard of citizenship and loy- Seria I believe the sc — are accomplishing this purpose i arge degree al I am glad to notice the general trend of educators to the importance of this should be open to -ed _—— of teaching. Not ccept every proposal nge, but an attitude of alert- ness to pe id a better way will help them to discriminate between the prac- tical and impractical. I am interested in the experiment being tested out by the Wisconsin State University by President Glenn Frank, in which 120 University freshmen and eleven facul- ty members are out an entirely new method of uction, new at least to our Vecatesay, although Dr. Frank tells us the plan is as old as These students will study how to meet ther than merely 1 certain = s. We cannot tell will prove to be, trying inst situations, ra how practical thi but at least it is worth finding out. Education is a continuing experience. just a workshop in which to handle tools. I know it means to be out these de means doing verything the hard way. Any boy or necessity to wy choo! is learn how experience what oo pn = . 3 1 toois. wf ~ Business Zones. Nearly every industrial city in the United States to-day has in operation or in prospect zoning regulations. For this reason the decision of the District Court of Minnesota upholding the municipal zoning ordinances of Minne- apolis will be of great import to real building constructors estate owners, Solomon Levitan. At such times they must consider the Situation very carefully. Is the superior officer wyjthin his rights in issuing such an order: Is it the teachers’ duty to obey his orders? If it is, then they should carry them out whether they consider them wise or not. It may not be a wise decree, but it is not with- in the jurisdiction of the teachers to pass upon its wisdom. Unwise rulings If they they will be changed for something better. destroy themselves eventually do not work out successfully, teachers to confer with the principal or superin- tendent in case they feel he has made But in the end the teach- submit gracefully to his vith him Such co- advance- It is the privilege of a mistake. ers should final decision and co-operate to the best of their ability. operation usually results in ment. If the teachers the spirit of co-operation, they instil the same spirit into their students, and by so doing, they teach a valuable lesson in citizen- ship. Many times teachers are the ideal of young people. It is not difficult for people to become like the ideal they have and operators of factories and indus- trial plants throughout the entire country. -—_—~+ +2 Losing a Customer. One of America’s leading fore gn customers in the shoe trade is likely to get away from the manufacturers of this country. This became ev.dent from the announcement of the Depart- ment of Commerce that boots the output of Canadian and shoes for the first half of this year totaled nearly 9,000,- 000 pairs. Canada recently has bought the larger part of her footwear from the United States. —_—_>2. > It takes a lifetime to get a good reputation, yet one may lose his in a day. Realizing that fact, we should all be a little careful how we treat it. TEACHING HONESTY. School Lessons Need Backing in Late~ Business Life. Public school iessons in honesty have quite rightly been urged for several years as a curb on crime and as a pre- vention of youthful dishonesty. ity Ullby, Vdtriny % (llr, yy . YY Vly Yyy Hy with Yy } “ee - — _ ; Y “fll “Wy Yy YY Wy Y | ee Y 7, Yj J ll Yy Y Yj lay Yj Yy DO ”Y" ff Y YY Yy ee _ : , lip y Uffyuyyy Yy fll] Yj YY 7/4 4 lh Yy Yy GH 7) YY x a. MOO MOON 7 Y” “YY Y ; —Yj y Y Y 7 Uj A i, Yj y Yy 4 EY YY yy Yj Yy _ —rmmnagylf ] as YY if Uy yy Yy Vj Vy y Z , ss yy / ] _ GY j Y WY y Yy Yj Y Yj Uy yyy j Yy G GY Yy Yyyy Yj Yi Yy y Y Y Yj, Z y q | Uy Y Yy Uy y Yy Yy Y Yy Uy g y Hy Z Y G y Z 129 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary THE NOBILITY OF SERVICE. Square Play in Business Ensures Reasonable Returns. Business men of to-day look upon service as the foundation of success, yet many though recognizing this fact, limit the operation of service and mis- construe its meaning to such an ex- tent that only one phase of service be- comes operative. As we go along the street we see signs advertising “free service,’ “crank case drained free of charge,” “save money by trading here” and a lot of other more or less mean- ingless phrases, for service does not alone apply to a physical or mechan- ical effort, but as well to the quality of merchandise distributed, the equality of value, the utility of the merchandise, its efficiency and satisfaction-rendering properties. Sound-headed men and women know better than to expect something for nothing; most of them are happy to obtain honest value for their perfectly good American dollar. They not only want a certain thing, possessing certain qualities, at a cer- tain time, but they want to know in advance that the honor and integrity of the man with whom they are deal- ing assures them of all these requisites of real service. An excellent value delivered at the wrong time is not ser- vice; prompt delivery of merchandise minus quality is not service; prompt delivery of quality merchandise at an exorbitant price is not service. The desired quality, delivered at the de- sired time, at a reasonable price is service, although worthless merchan- dise at any time or at any price no matter how cheap is unserviceable. Lack of service may have its incep- tion in the purchaser’s attitude. This condition is aptly illustrated by the following simple anectode: Prospective customer: I want fifty cents worth of alcohol. Drug Clerk: What do you want it for? Prospective customer: cents. This truly illustrates a trait many of us possess. Many times we, as prospective purchasers, overlook fun- damentals searching for price; seek cheapness instead of efficiency, when as a matter of fact we know price is only a barometer indicating degree of value as a general proposition. Com- petition takes care of this condition very nicely, at least from the stand- point that merchandise is seldom worth more than the price of it. When any of us produce, or sell, or deliver merchandise, or professional services, at a reasonable price, to any one, or the community at large in a general way, that adds to the pleasure, or the comfort, or the profit of that individual or community we are ren- dering a service, and the kind of ser- vice that builds men as well as busi- ness, but when we do less we are not rendering 100 per cent. service, and will ultimately suffer financially or morally, and the community will suf- Twenty-five fer with us. The next time you go to New Or- leans it will be decidedly werth your while to visit the corner of Camp and Prytania streets, for you will see at this location a monument erected to the memory of a woman, one of the very few erected to women in America. This monument portrays a woman dressed in calico, with a shawl over her shoul- ders, sitting in a chair with her arm about a little child, a position familiar to the people of her city, and her city is an appropriate expression, for she aided in the building of it. The statue bears the simple legend ‘ Margaret,” by which name she was known to near- ly all of the people of New Orleans. The building done by Margaret Haughery was not alone of stone and masonry, but of unselfish devotion to the many enterprises in which she was interested, and many worthy causes received her attention. He rown par- ents were immigrants and they died in Baltimore while she was a mere in civil war days an education was not as accessible as to-day; she could not write, but she could serve, and she did with all her heart, with all her might, and with all her soul. While her earnings were small, she gave, not 10 per cent., but one-half, to charity. She soon was able to enter business oa small scale and she prospered, and continued to donate a large por- tion of her profits to benevolent insti- tutions. She held no grudges and played no favorites; she gave alike to Protestant and Catholic institutions, for she used to say “did not a Baptist iamily bring me up in my mother’s faith, a Catholic?’ There were no Jews or Gentiles, nor Yankees or reb- els, to Margaret; they were all human beings, to be respected and treated as Lloyd E. Smith. babe. She was cared for by a Welsh family, who knew the circumstances of her existence, and while they were Baptists, they knew Margaret’s parents were Catholics, so brought her up in the Catholic faith. Margaret grew through childhood to womanhood and to motherhood, soon after which both her husband and baby died, and in the meantime she had moved to New Or- leans from Baltimore, so was alone in a strange city without money or friends, but she believed in herself and in humanity; she had been schooled in life’s severities; she had known the love of friends, of husband and chil- dren; she had suffered the pangs of sorrow and the inconvenience of pov- erty; she never had the opportunity to obtain even a simple education, for The people of New Orleans will tell you that every business enterprise in which Margaret engaged prospered. She was always known as Margaret to business men, politicians, bankers, newsboys, to black and white, rich and poor, alike. One day Margaret was missed from her accustomed place of business and the word was whispered that she had gone to her richly deserved reward; that temporal things with her had be- come eternal, and overnight a sub- scription was raised for the monument to this noble woman, and as one studies it, and listens to the story of her life it is impossible not to be impressed by the influence of even one good life and the power it wields. As was stat- ed at her funeral, which was attended such. by thousands, among them the of- ficials of the city, and the Governor of the state, “the substance of her lite was charity; the spirit of it, truth; the strength of it religion; the end, peace— and then fame and immortality.” We might truly say her life was service in every sense of the word. It is de- cidedly worth while studying; it’s an inspiration. People do appreciate quality in man or merchandise. It is a phase of ser- vice they will not overlook. Andrew Carnegie once made the statement, “I have never known a concern to make a decided success which did not do good, honest work, and even in these days of fiercest competition, when everything would seem to be a matter of price, there still lies at the root of great business success the very much more important factor of quality. The effect of attention to quality upon every man in the service, from the President of the concern down to the humblest laborer, cannot be overesti- mated.” And how about the quality of the man Carnegie? Why do we quote him? Surely he was human, like other men, possessed of blood; who ate and drank and slept and mingled with other men. You know the answer. try into the steel industry marked an epoch in that industry. This great business of turning iron ore into steel rails and other serviceable equipment was placed on a higher plane through this man’s efforts. He quality of performance. Carnegie was not great because of his wealth. There are a thousand men in the country to-day richer than he ever was in money. Carnegie was great because of the business he made; because of the men he built while he was creating a great business. Profit became an incident to his career. Strong character, high ideals, intelli- gent effort, unselfish devotion to the business, and thorough co-operation with every man in his organization from the chief assistant to day laborer, were the foundation of his Carnegie became great, not because of the money he made or the money he gave away, but ‘because of the sterling qualities of the man; because of the service he rendered. Why do musicians revere the name Paderewski? Are there not a million others who play the piano? Is he less human than the rest? Did some gen- erously inclined friend create, through the purchase of publicity, his reputa- tion? To all of which you will answer, it was the quality of his performance; the quality of the service he rendered. Only sterling quality endures; only sterling service builds permanently. Cheapness of quality or performance, of service, causes but passing notice; it is soon forgotten. Only those men, only those achievements, only that service possessing the highest qualities and benefitting the greatest number of people, become immortal and endure through centuries of time. That man whose works fade away and vanish as the darkness at the coming of the brightening rays of the morning’s sun may never experience the immortality of life, while he whose deeds are kind- flesh and You know his en- believed in success. m , < » < * “ 4 « « 9 se 4 4 > ¢ y bid + «4 < 4 ta « e es @ «¥ ¢ , far 4 os a “ - - ae? - ° ~ + we ia =" Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 121 $ @ 4 4 +h > we carry of the lines suitable for your business? May we ask you to tour through our convenient display rooms---compare our prices and note the irresistible bargains that will reap you a neat profit. Av you aware of the unusually large assortment and the very large stock It does not matter how large or how small your transactions with us may be, you will always receive benefits that are the results of long experience and pains- taking care. HOTEL and RESTAURANT SUPPLIES SILVER WARE “LEONARD” REFRIGERATORS DINNER WARE HOUSE FURNISHING GOODS PYREX WARE “COLEMAN” PRESSURE LAMPS TINWARE ELECTRIC LAMPS and APPLIANCES ALUMINUM GOODS IMPORTED FANCY CHINA NOVELTIES CLOCKS & WATCHES TOYS and DOLLS WHEEL GOODS SLEDS and SKIS PARTY FAVORS NOVELTIES FANCY GOODS UNUSUALLY LARGE SELECTION OF COLORED FANCY GIFT GLASSWARE AT POPULAR PRICES Come to Grand Rapids and to Leonards to make your Selection— We are in the best position to give you Attention Prompt Service Low Prices WRITE US FOR HOLIDAY CATALOG CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED H. LEONARD & SONS IMPORTERS AND WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 122 ly, founded upon the solid rock of integrity and unselfish service, the con- templation of a wise benevolence and reflecting the brightness of the noon- day sun to the souls of men, shall live forever in the heart of humanity, the eternal abiding place of God, and many are the men who qualify for such mention; pioneers, crusaders, teachers, inventors, artists, whose great sacri- fices and benevolent services have been most appreciated centuries aiter the completion of their tasks. Service, then, appears to be the ren- dering of the greatest good to the greatest number, only retaining a reas- onable margin of profit for oneself in the conduct of business, profession or any other kind of enterprise. You may say that sounds simple, and surely all we want is a reasonable profit, but we have difficulty in obtaining it, and we give service too. What are we to do? The answer may be, you are not ren- dering the right kind of service; or you may not be equipped for the busi- ness or profession you are following, either financially or mentally, or even possibly physically. Not every farmer is a good farmer; not every merchant merchant; not every is efficient. Many is a successful professional man honest men have gone broke in every line of endeavor, through inefficiency, as well as many, many times through the dishonesty of other men, but that does not alter the fact that those men who live on in the hearts of men aiter eternity has swallowed up the physical, have been men who have rendered great service. Look about you for en- during business enterprises, and you will find they have been founded on the integrity of servcie, which means equality of value; suitability of mer- chandise to buyers requirements; prompt and efficient distribution, at a legitimate profit. Then, too, we owe a service to our ancestry; probably it is better to say, we should liquidate our obligation to our ancestors by serving the present and future generations to the best of our ability in our respective fields of endeavor. We believe this is what the author of The Humanity of Man- kind meant to impress upon our minds when he recently wrote that quite un- usual book, which deals largely with the service idea. If you have not read it you should do so. It is rather so- cialistic in thought, yet capitalistic in practice, at least for the time being or until a better system may be developed, admitting the capitalistic, while imper- fect, is the most efficient yet devised. The suggestion is made that the present generation, and the one pre- ceding it, have taken a great deal of credit for the progress of the past fifty years; possibly too much credit in view of the fact that these years have been those of utilization as well as of invention. In other words, the discovery of the method of utilizing steam for power would have been valueless had not iron ore, and the other metals been not only discovered, but methods devised to reduce the ore to a strong, formative mass, centuries before. In other words, each genera- tion for centuries and centuries has contributed something to the comfort and convenience of mankind, and to- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN day, through the accomplishments of earlier generations by their discoveries and inventions, we have been able to utilize, and further invent to the point where life itself may be lengthened, made more enjoyable more comfort- able. and the knowledge of people greatly increased, again enhancing the value and joy of living. We certainly are under obligation to Ive up to our responsibilities as citizens, as merchants, as farmers, as professicral men, as laborers, by ren- dering honorable, efficient service in part payment for what we have re- ceived, as well as in anticipation of what we may reasonably expect in return for service rendered in procur- ing a livelihood. As stated, while the capitalistic system has proven efficient, much more than the socialistic, there is ample onportunity for improvement in view of the fact that only 25 per cent. of the people of the United States are really in comfortable and inde- pendent circumstances, as against 75 per cent who are largely dependent upon the day’s work, without reserve, in event of unemployment, to properly provided for self and family. Think what it would mean to the business interests of the United States if the case were reversed; if 75 per cent. were in comfortable circumstances with reasonable reserves for periods of un- employment, and only 25 per cent. de- pendent wholly upon the day-by-day pay envelope. New factories would have to be built, or the old ones en- larged, to provide for the increased volume of trade. Manufacturers al- ready recognize this fact and favor good wages; they know full well the purchasing power of the people is con- trolled by the pay envelope, and that the greater the purchasing power, the larger the volume of business. The employe, too must sense his responsi- bility and render commensurate ser- vice, else the whole plan fails. These are but instances of where fair, square play in business ensures a reasonable return on the investment and satisiaction in the conduct of one’s affairs. This is the thought and sug- gestion of the author of The Humanity of Mankind. He believes in ever in- creasing co-operation and service on the part of each for the good of all. We all recognize the fact this is as yet more of an ideal than a practice, never- the-less there is progress being made along idealistic lines that is tending more and more to make the ideal more practical through real, unadultered, un- selfish service both in business and the professions. May the good work go on, and let us remember that op- portunity is always seeking men and women of ambition and integrity; of character and ability; of energy and enthusiasm; of perserverence and fore- sight: of appreciation and benevolence, upon whom to bestow her favors. Too many of us feel we are some- how apart from the mass of humanity; that the community is one thing and we another. This is a wholly false conception of our position, for we are the community; we are the state; and the service we render is the service the community and the state renders, and the imprint of the handiwork of every man is ineffaceably engraven on the heart and mind of the community; therefore may we build wisely for the future and generations to come shall say of us, they were men of vision; may we build diligently, without stint or neglect, honorably, without selfish- ness, and it shall be written, theirs was the nobility of service; may we build upon the solid foundation of integrity, from those imperishable materials, friendship, love, truth, and our city shall know, and the state, that we were men of character; may we build kind- ly, humbly, in the spirit of the Master; may we build in harmony with the beauty of nature, for then the immor- tals shall declare’ our souls to be in harmony with God, the Creator of all things beautiful, the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and to God they Forty-fourth Anniversary shall return, for such building is ser- vice, the ultimate reward of which is immortality. Lloyd E. Smith. oo Only a Husband. Mrs. Smith, annoyed at the frequen- cy with which a certain man visited her cook, spoke to her about it. “Mary,” she said, ‘when I engaged you, you told me you had no men triends. But whenever I come into the kitchen I find a man there.” “Why, bless your soul, mum, that man ain’t no friend of mine, he’s only my husband.” ——__2-2 > The best credit a merchant can get is the credit given him by his cus- tomers for square dealing, service, and quality merchandise. KENT STORAGE COMPANY Grand Rapids, Mich. WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS BUTTER — EGGS — CHEESE Good Luck Margarine Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, etc. PACKERS OF Sunripe Brand Michigan Apples I-BEAMS H-COLUMNS, CHANNELS BAR ANGLES STRUCTURAL ANGLES ROUNDS SQUARES FLATS BANDS REINFORCING PIPE, CULVERTS GALV. SHEETS BLUE ANNEALED SHEETING GRAND RAPIDS STEEL & SUPPLY 21 SOUTH MARKET AVE. COMPANY Warehouse and Fabricators Ke ¥ . = €< «> 4 : a « « « > a 2 « oe < ’ 4 4 - < v @ s + ‘Eom > «€ 1 «+ Be 5 ¢ iy ¢ i> ce oT 6 y' } ¢ 4 a e » ” 4 . 2 ‘ g . - * 5 — . i a & * ¢ » ¢ 4 + 1 «+ Be ¢ » Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 123 Retail Store Education Is Popular. Growing popularity of retail store education in the public schools was reflected by a statement issued recently by Isabel Craig Bacon, the Federal Board of Vocational Education’s Spe- cialist in Retail Store Education, who said: “Retail training is doubtless here to stay. As long as it continues to fill a community need which intelligent store managers appreciate, it will not only remain, but it will develop and enter many new fields of retailing, as yet untouched. Keen competition and an educated public will demand it; pro- gressive mercha.ts are already enthu- siastic over the results; the selling of the idea of retail store training to some of the old school of merchants has yet to be accomplished; but gradually the work of the retail training instructor is becoming less pioneering in its na- ture. The amount and kind of co- operation between schools: and store executives has and will continue to determine to a large extent the future of retail training in the public schools. “In former years students of busi- ness were limited in their training to routine subjects of stenography and accountancy. To-day business schools and departments are turning out stu- dents more and more clever in the tricks of these mechanical operations. Such expert routine operation is neces- sary, but these same institutions realize that for the business men of the future there must be added courses from which they will obtain a broader vision and a deeper appreciation of the world in which they are to operate; they must be trained in subjects of wide enough scope to give them intelligent and hu- man insight into business at large. An elementary contribution, at least, for business study of a more extensive character is offered in the public school program through the courses of train- ing for retail store service.” —__2->—___ On a Convicts Return To Society. Perjury, lawyers tell us, is a crime very prevalent in the trial of civil as well as criminal cases. It pollutes the very source of justice in the courts, because it is on the evidence quite as much as the law that cases are decided. Judges acquire great skill in detecting liars on the witness stand, which is one reason men with bad civil cases usually want a jury. We saw a judge once, in a civil case tried before him instead of a jury, in which the evidence was overwhelming against one of the liti- gants, decide against the evidence be- cause, as he stated, “he had never heard so much brazen perjury in a case be- fore.” A man recently released from prison after conviction of perjury has spoken of the embarrassment with which he returns to society as an ex-convict. It is indeed a distressing thing to have a blot of that kind on a man’s career, because it is never forgotten. His enemies will urge it against him as long as he lives, and his friends are humiliated by it if they have any con- ception of what such disgrace means. But for all that, the ex-convict, if he is truly repentant, and shows by his conduct that he is, will be forgiven by society after his sincerity has been tested. But if he is not repentant, if he rails against courts and verdicts, he is likely to lose the sympathy of so- ciety—forever. o-oo A sandwich is a simple article of food but the amount of management required to provide it in quantity for “the busy business man’? and woman is not apparent until one looks behind the counters and the tiled walls of the that have transformed our noon-day routine. A _ generation lunch rooms ago executives dined richly and heav- ily in the downtown cafes. Now they subsist on a glass of milk, a frosted drink and for solid food—only a sand- wich. The fourth Earl of Sandwich, who first devised the arrangement of meat or cheese between two slices of bread so that he would not have to interrupt his card game, would hardly recognize the many-layered concoc- tions now served as “sandwiches.” A profitable nothing more substantial than rests on this. business A Good Time All Over. “T envy that fat woman when she laughs.” : “Why?” “There seems to be so much of her having a good time.” ea ee Apt Definition. “Pa, what does it mean when it says a man has arrived at years of dis- cretion?” “Tt means, sonny, that he’s too young to die and too old to have any fun.” FEES nse teat ct RH TALIA RAH —~ 38 has served. NOYES L. AVERY JOHN DUFFY THOMAS WM. CLARENCE S. DEXTER FREDERICK A. GORHAM HEFFERAN CONFIDENCE HERE ARE FEW, IF ANY, LINES OF BUSINESS where the public must rely so much on the ability and integrity of the management as is the case with clients of a Trust company. The first Trust company organized in Michigan, this company, through nearly forty years of increasing suc- cess, has endeavored to merit the confidence which has been extended to it so generously by the public which it OFFICERS JOHN DUFFY, Chairman of Board HENRY IDEMA_--_---- Senior Vice President Ae GEORGE C. THOMSON____--Vice President Cc. SOPHUS FREDERICK A. GORHAM___Vice President AREND V. JOHN H. SCHOUTEN. -_---- Vice President WILLIAM H. GUY ©. TAGLAR Vice President ALEXANDER S. ARTHUR C. SHARPE-_------ aS Treasurer o> DIRECTORS THOMAS H. HUME HENRY IDEMA MINER S. KEELER JAMES D. LACEY EDWARD LOWE THE MIcHIGAN [RUST COMPANY The first Trust Company in Michigan NOYES bL. AVERY, President DONALD MeCORMICK__-_Ass’t JOERNSON. 2. s DUBEE_- PERKINS _- PALMER_-_Ass’t Secretary HARRY B. WAGNER____.__Mgr. Bond Dept. CHARLES T. JOHN GEORGE C. DUDLEY E. AUGUST H. LANDWEHR OW. Treasurer __Secretary _..Assistant Secretary _._Ass’t Secretary MITCHELL H. SCHOUTEN THOMSON WATERS WURZBURG i a 6 FR Oe 6 OS OS PR 6 Ft 6 Os On 6 ts Pi 6 FR 6 Oa 6 BS PS Os Ps PS Fs PS PS Os Ps Os Ps Os FNS Ps Ps Ps OS Ps Os Os Fas Os Os Be 6 Os PS OS Os Os Os Ps Ps On 6 Os PS aS Os Ons OS Os Ps OS a 6 RS PG 9 6 a OS as Pa PS Os Os 8 6 Os Pe Ps BG OS OS Ps Os OS OS Ps BN Ss Od FS Fs OS OS OS os Oe 6 os Os Os Os FO eee eer ert tram armas emtmarm srt Ps Rs es Os Os Fn 6 Ps Os Fs ts Ps es Fs Pa 8 Ps Oe ss Bs Ps OS es Os Ws Os Os Os Os Oe 124 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary THE VILLAGE STORE. History of Retail Business 120 Years Old. The old “corner grocery” which I now operate with my sons, Bertram P. Perley and Charles N. Perley, Jr., on the square at Danvers, Mass., at the junction of Maple and High streets, has been run by a Perley for about 120 years. John Perley, who afterward made a fortune as a New York merchant, came down to Danvers from George- town soon after the opening of the Newburyport turnpike in 1806 and es- tablished a small general store. The original building is now incorporated in the modern store, which occupies seven or eight times the floor space. I have lived to see great changes in the grocery business as a whole ard have had a hand in making the peri- odic alterations necessary to keep pace with the growing trade in my own store. We have our chain stores here, as elsewhere, but the old Perley corner is doing more business than ever. I was born on the second floor of the present store building in 1851. And T have always made my home there. My boyhood recollections of the old store in the 50's are not sufficiently clear to enable me to speak under- standingly. I remember how the old place looked, with its miscellaneous as- sortment of goods, from boots and shoes to pins and needles on the dry goods side, and dried codfish to salt and sugar on the grocery side. It was what was sometimes called a “West Indies Goods” store and rum was part of the stock in trade. After graduating from the local high school in 1868 and completing a winter term in a Boston commercial school, I came into the store in the spring of 1869 to assist father, and I have been here ever since. I believe father had one clerk when I was a small boy, E. Warren Eaton. I think he had two when I was in the commercial school, but I cannot remember the name of the one that I displaced. The other was Hon. J. Frank Porter, afterward president of our savings bank. For some twelve years father and I, with a clerk or two to help us, ran the old corner along the same old lines. Father died in 1881, at the age of 79, and it was five years before I made any decided change. The dry goods dpartment had become a large one, and my uncle, Moses J. Currier, had charge of it in the last years of its existence. He and his family occupied one tenement and we lived in the sec- ond in the store building. In 1886, Mr. Currier having died, I closed out his department and added meats and provisions, enlarging and completely renovating the quarters to suit them for a modern store. Pack- age goods had then made some in- roads on bulk goods. But we still weighed out almost everything from bins or barrels. I believe it was about the time of the civil war that the first piece of package goods found a place on our shelves. It was called “Hayward’s French Breakfast Coffee,” and the con- tainer was heavy brown paper with a bright red front. I remember one old farmer from Boxford who always spoke of it as “Napoleon’s Boots.” Like other tillers of the soil in the back country he used to drive down through Danvers to Salem and buy his rum right at the distillery. He left his order for groceries to be put up while he was completing the Salem end cf his journey. “Five pounds of ‘Napoleon's standing requisition of his as long as the brand was on the market. I believe it was over twenty years before we had another piece ot pack- age goods on cur shelves. I think it was Quaker oats. Oatmeal was the only breakfast food I knew as a boy. It came in barrels, and we used to weigh it out by the pound. We didn’t even have paper bags to put it in. We wrapped up each weighing in brown poper, folding in the sides and ends caretully so as to prevent sifting. Havana brown sugar was the first sugar I remember putting up. It came in 500 pound boxes. out into a grinder, turned the crank by hand and put the pulveried product away in a dry place, to be afterward weighed out in amounts to suit the purchaser. I have that grinder yet. I never personally sold any whale oil, but I have seen the barrels in which it used to come, and I know it was drawn off by the gallon. I have sold candles and gallon upon gallon of kerosene. We handle the latter lighting fluid in much the same old way. The oil companies pump it into a tank now, in our yard, instead of shipping it by the barrel. But we draw it off into the customers’ con- tainers. We have handled some of the square gallon cans that some of the companies pack in a wooden case, a dozen to the case. But our customers seemed to prefer the old way, and so we go on filling their cans, with their convenient nozzles for conveying the oil to the lamp or lantern. Gas and electric have not driven the lantern entirely out of use. And many lamps are still to be seen in living rooms in our territory. We are 300 years old as a community, and tradition dies hard with us. We have no barter, as such, to-day in our store. In the old days farmers brought butter to us in pound lumps and larger packages, also eggs. They took goods from the store in payment therefor. Now all of our butter comes from a creamery and few of the local farmers keep more hens than sufficient to supply their own tables. Our green vegetables come from local market gardeners, who are paid in cash for each purchase. There were no preseves in glass jars when I started in as a grocery clerk. Neither were there any pickled goods. Every farmer pickled his own small cuc..mbers, with perhaps a few green peppers and onions occasionally. Now we display the “57 varieties” of pickles and preserves on our shelves in just as enticing manner as we can, as like all other storekeepers, we find that their attractiveness often makes a sale with- out the aid of a human salesman. I have seen the common butter cracker of our daddies grow to nearly 100 varieties. I remember the first pilot crackers. Now we have “saltines” 3cots’”’ was a We shoveled it: and “educators.” No grocer can keep them aJl. They, too, like the pickles and preserves, are nicely put up. Red and gold and every other conceivable color is lavishly used by the lithograph- er to make each brand stand out over its competitor. I know, from my ex- perience, that trade marked brands, generally advertised, sell themselves. A customer often walks to the cracker shelves and comes to the counter where I am taking his order, with a package to be added thereto. I am at the gro- cery counter every day, although 76 years old. I think our store delivered its first goods just after the civil war. We had one horse. The center of our town had grown to quite a village by that time, although our particular village was then only forty years old. While Danvers is as old as Salem, her moth- er, the center of population changed with the coming of the railroad, and we are in the newest section. We never sent a team out for orders until well into the ’80’s. I should say it was aout the time I sold out the stock of dry goods in 1886 and devoted all my time to other lines. The delivery system has been a grad- ual evolution with us. As first, occa- sionally, customers would come to the store ard give an order and ask to have it sent. Then we began to take orders while delivering and finally installed a system of an early call for orders and then a delivery later. The tele- phone has revolutionized this system, however. I should say that over half of our orders come to us by telephone in time for delivery before lunch or dinner. The earliest bit of tangible evidence which I ever came across as going to prove the age of the store was a bill made out by John Perley to one Wil- liam Hubbard, dated August 6, 1814. I gave it to the Danvers Historical Society for preservation. This old document, yellow with age and tattered and torn, but with the brown ink still legible, shows the following items: J ats molasses 220 $1.67 . to) Bones 25 oats Cm 55 ib pepper .10 Ooo Stiwar 58 1 ih candles 18 A Ok. Gath 2 22 i tb. ten 2 37 3.92 Ce oy OG tate 1.19 2.73 OR cee 22 $2.94 “Perley’s Store” was the nightly gathering place of the leading men of the town in my father’s day, while their horses pawed the dust in the long open shed. Local tradition connects his name and that of the town orators with many amusing incidents. My father always wore a tall white beaver hat about the store, as was the custom of the times. And I presume that he was the leading spirit in the warm de- bates which were held around the old stove which stood in the center of the room. It was surrounded, or framed in, by a railing of 2x3 studding, nailed to the floor, and the space thus en- closed was filled with white beach sand. Here the fiercely battling foren- sic warriers spat their tobacco juice between sentences, for the dry sand to absorb, when the rich brown expecto- ration did not unintentionally hit the red-hot stove and sizzle thereon. We were the only store in town for years which kept the authorized edi- tion of school text-books, by arrange- ment with the local school committee, and I have sold many a young student, now grown to manhood or woman- hood, the books that he or she studied "at the old brick district school houses that were then scattered about town. Danvers is not only famed for. its “Danvers onion,” but for its bricks. And in the early days of my father’s business life the town built most of its schools of brick. All have either dis- appeared or have been converted to other uses. The brick school that I attended in the lower grades is now the police station, but we are building a new and up-to-date junior high school of Danvers brick, and the class- es will soon take up their studies there. 3ut the pupils won’t come up Conant street to Perley’s corner to buy their books. fe * « o A wie . r > + t > > ~b » g -¢ 9 * i © a . ~ te y il > ce 2 2 ce ‘a » ¢@ 4 ¥ > ‘ e t ° e q @F b& ? 7-7. @ ; 4 \" > " ‘ lee, is » “Te 4 i ~ > ’ * ° ‘ é sm z > Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 125 ——--— —_———_— —_——~ —— * ous ¥ American Light & Traction Company (Organized in 1901) + Controlling, through its ownership of stock, Public Utility Properties - | Serves a population of . 2,850,000 with Gas 310,000 with Electricity 295,000 with Street Railway Service | In 1926 Gas Sales increased 12.6% Electric Sales increased 21.6% Passengers carried by Street Railways increased 5.6% American Light & Traction Company 120 Broadway New York City 126 i I am from my distant cousins of the John Perley line. My store has been “Perley’s Corner” for nearly a century and a quarter, and, as I have two sons in the business with me, both married, there is a chance that-it may bear the name for another century or more. But big business is hemming us in on all sides, and the corner may become too valuable for a grocery store. We have the National bank on one side and the savings bank on the other and the post office is moving into new quarters on the opposite side of Co- nant street from my sitting room, where I write these lines——Charles N. Perley in N. Y. Journal of Commerce. een mene Coffee Trailed From Tropics To All Civilized Countries. 3razil produces about two-thirds of the world’s coffee crop and the United States takes fully 60 per cent. of the shipments from that country, accord- ing to comparatively recent statistics. The United States imports coffee from more than 100 different sources and leads the world in volume of consump- tion. Our imports, valued at $249,000,- 000 in a recent year, are only the be- ginning of a great business within the borders of the United States. Com- paratively few people have not suc- cumbed to the aroma of the steaming beverage made from the coffee bean, hence few will read without some per- sonal emotion that Brazil is this year celebrating the second centenary . of the introduction of coffee into that country. In this South American country, we are told, is the main commercial cof- fee-growing region that embraces an area larger than the section of the United States east of the Mississippi and the State of Texas added thereto. The coffee tree is grown to some ex- tent in every state of Brazil, but Sao Paulo is the great grower, with some- thing like 764,000,000 trees, yet this is only one-tenth of the area under cul- tivation. The importation of the major part of the output from this great coffee country is only the first step in a tremendous business in the United States. For there are roasting, grind- ing, blending, selling at wholesale and retail. brewing in hotels, restaurants and elsewhere, and advertising, after the importing. This country has some- thing like 1,500 coffee roasters and 4,000 wholesale grocers selling coffee, to mention only one phase of activity. Such are some of the prosaic and purely economic circumstances con- nected with the subject of coffee. It is perhaps more interesting that cof- fee was the leading item of all our im- ports in 1923. Undoubtedly more in- teresting and intimate are the statis- tics of coffee drinking, as well as facts on the price, which naturally come home to the individual with force. A quarter of a century ago a pound of coffee was imported for 6 to 7 cents, but in 1926 the average price was over 20 cents. Yet the coffee habit is so ingrained that the per capita consump- tion has increased approximately 50 per cent since about 1897, and we are drinking better coffee now. The Amer- ican people are said to average 500 cups a year or four times as much as a century ago. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Coffee, like every other product of commerce and possibly more than most, has a history and even a ro- mance. We cannot do better than call attention to an encyclopedic work pub- lished a few years ago by William H. Ukers to support this statement. Sousa has written a march on “King Cotton,” but coffee inspired Bach to write a cantata—‘‘Coffee Cantata’”— in which we find the lyric lines, “Ah, how sweet coffee tastes—lovelier than Muscatel wine.” The early history of coffee drinking is full of fascinating fact. Mr. Ukers traces the history al- most from the first bean of the middle ages to the latest cup of “the perfect- ed beverage.” The history goes back to 900 as the approximate date of the beginning of coffee, when it is men- tioned by Rhhazes, famous Arabian physician. The antiquarian would revel in the facts and illustrations of the evo- luton of apparatus used in the handling of coffee. “Seldom does the coffee drinker realize how the ends of the earth are drawn upon to bring the perfected beverage to his lips,” says Mr. Ukers. “The trail that ends in his breakfast cup, if followed back, would be found to go a devious and winding way, soon splitting up into half a dozen or more straggling branches that would lead to as many widely scattered regions If he could mount to a point where he could enjoy a bird's-eye view of these and a hundred kindred trails, he would find an intricate criss-cross of streamlets and rivers of coffee form- ing a tangled pattern over the tropics, reaching North and South to all civil- ized countries. This would be a pic- ture of the coffee trade of the world.” Coffee was introduced to North America before the tree was cultivated in Brazil, for Captain John Smith, who had become familiar with the beverage while traveling in Turkey, brought a knowledge of it with him when the colony of Virginia was founded ir 1607. When it became popular as an American beverage is uncertain, but coffee was being drunk in 1668, for that is the year of the earliest knowr reference to coffee in America. Coffee appears in the official records of the New England colony in 1670. Not many years later all the colonies had coffee houses after the European fashion, However, the colonies, still might have developed into another great tea-drinking nation, like the mother country, but for the tax meas- ures and the antagonism which these fomented. It is interesting to note that Mocha coffee is the latest addition to the list of California agricultural products. I‘ is claimed experiments in the torrid Imperial Valley have been successful ————~+->___ One For All. Modern business is showing a dis- tinct trend toward co-operation in sim- plified practice. This trend was mark- ed especially in the furniture and lum- ber industries by the announcement that decision in one test case involved the order of the Federal Trade Com- mission against the use of the term “Philippine Mahogany.” It would be binding on six of the larger manu- facturers, Forty-fourth Anniversary Guaranteed 6% First Mortgage Securities Tax Exempt in Michigan Secured by double the amount of real values Legal investments for Savings Banks in Michigan Both interest and principal guaran- teed by the Guaranty Trust Company of Detroit. We Specialize in Underwriting and Distributing sound securities CHAS. E. NORTON Investment Banker and Broker 521-22-23 Michigan Trust Building, Grand Rapids 210 Kalamazoo National Bank Building, Kalamazoo C. W. Mills Paper Co. 204-206 Ellsworth Ave. 1 Block South and | Block West of Union Station GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN DISTRIBUTORS FOR Certainteed and S. P. Co.’s Roofing, Ohio Blue Tip Matches, Mansfield Cord Tires, Coleman Lamps, Magic Ice Cream Dishes, Burts Drinking Cups, Reach Sporting Goods. JOBBERS OF Wrapping Paper, Paper Containers, Crepe Paper, Toilet Paper, Paper Napkins and Towels, Woodenware, Cordage, Clothes Lines, Brooms and Brushes. Printed Sales Books, Gloves and Mittens, Hosiery, Pipes, Purses, and many other specialties. OUR AIM Is To Serve and Help the Retailer To Succeed. Unless We Succeed In This—We Will Not Be Successful. (4 ox A a i ‘ a us a a Me a ee « ° « e . > e v | ? a x ; « < - <¢ & ‘ as by o > s ¢ *8e |r € ( Y s ¢ (se « j oe er t ‘ é s ¢ « -— i. rt , ale > A, * ¥ A a ‘ : a » ¢ a a . a ee ¢ ’ f « ge . » e v | ? e x ; « < o <¢ & ‘ * a fy ° » « ¢ ‘8s | : 1 * Bi -« ‘ ¢« » ‘ « > ¢ oo at ty § Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 127 PERSONALITY AND LOYALTY. They Are the Keynotes To Success in Business. In our store, located in a town of 6,200 people, we did a business last year in excess of $1,050,000. Our busi- ness for the month of December amounted to $137,653.07. The seven cents was the profit we made. We have done business there in one day amounting to $24,240 cash and we had every dollar of it in the till when we closed business at night. Personality is the personal element which by the use of cheerfulness, cour- tesy, enthusiasm and _ self-confidence, greatly increases the value of one’s usefulness in relation to the position you occupy. What is business? If we were to take the definitions of some people, I am afraid that we might get a mis- conception of that word, but you and I as merchants know what business is and what the word means. To you and I it means .the conversion and distribution of merchandise. If I were to stop there some of you might say, “You didn’t finish the sentence.” Yes, that is business, but to make it more pleasant to us we will add to it the few words, “at a profit.” To remain in business, a man must be a business man. He must have the qualifications that make him a man worth while to deal with, to listen to. When his advertisements appear in the paper they must represent the man who has written them. I am sorry to state (and I know I am right when I make the statement) that about two- thirds of the advertisements that are written by men or women are wasted efforts. They contain nothing of value to the reading public. One-third are really worth while. Now I do not mean to say by that that you should not spend the amount of money you are spending on your advertisements, but I do mean to im- ply that you must be more wise and more discreet in the things you say in your advertisements than you have been in the past. Co-operation. I would not retain in my employ, now understand me, one person who is not loyal first of all to the store where he is working. I do not permit my co-workers to go out- side to do their trading as long as I have the merchandise. But you will say, “How can you restrict them?” I don’t restrict them; they don’t have to work for me. They can work some place else. But they can’t work for me and do that kind of thing. I know you believe the same as I do. We have put it in practice and we find it works. Loyalty to the owner of the store is the second essential. A co-worker. (You notice my term “co-worker.”) I don’t use the term “employe.” An em- ploye is simply a person who works for you. There is a vast difference. The interests of the man who works only for you are self-centered. The interests of the man who works with you are for your benefit as well as his own. There is a great difference. We call our people co-workers because we want them to be in the strictest sense of the word co-workers with us in the upbuilding of a business that will prove of benefit to the whole community where we reside. I am now going to make a statement that has been challenged before and I expect it to be challenged again. Determine to be successful. Deter- mination cannot be learned out of Yooks or by mail order courses. De- termination is within you. Bring it out. Use it. And you will find that it grows with you and as it grows you will be successful. Determine within yourself to be successful. Don’t let the old devil tell you you can’t make good. Don’t you believe him. Have confi- dence in yourself and then by having confidence, do not let anything get you away from yourself. Determine with- in yourself to make good and you will. Have confidence in the goods you handle. I don’t need to tell you about that. Have initiative and energy. Re- member that you yourself are responsi- ble for every stop sign on the way to success. Friends, success depends entirely on proper supervision. Your success in your business, if you have been suc- cessful, and I trust you all have, is due to the fact that you have given it proper supervision. You have worked hard at it. You have succeeded in a measure. Greater success will be yours if you continue to pay as close atten- tion in the years still before you that you have in the years gone by. In relation to that, let me say that it will be necessary for you to be more alert, more on the job than you have ever been before. Competition is get- ting stronger all the time, but one of the things by which you can overcome that very thing we have heard about is by your personality in your own business. Make your business so im- portant in your own community that the people will come to you because you are in it. You are your business. No one can be what you are. W. E. Schmalfuss, Manager Institutions and Industries, Zion, Illinois. —_ ++ >___ How Our Foreign Trade Helps. A hopeful fact about our internation- al commerce is that it keeps on grow- ing year in and year out. The final figures always disclose growth. It is obvious, therefore, that some great and constant force, or some com- bination of such forces, is at work de- veloping American foreign trade. We see its effects all the time. We observe not only a gratifying increase in the volume of exports in lines long sold in foreign markets, but a steady addi- tion to the number of American prod- ucts finding their way into the service of foreign purchasers. Our producers are making steadily larger contributions to the supply of other peoples in every land, in their housing, their clothing and their food, and especially in their means of occu- pation and transportation as well as of amusement and entertainment. Our products are helping to improve the standard of living, the comfort, the convenience and the labor of practically all of the hundred-odd territorial divi- sions of the world. James A. Farrell. THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS AROUSED AGAINST FIRE LOSS Automatic Sprinklers solve the question and provide a suitable and efficient remedy. Get in touch with us. Ne HR Phoenix Sprinkler & Heating Co. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Detroit Office, 432 Woodbridge Street, Indianapolis Office, 1001 Chamber of Commerce Bldg. — Retail Lumber Dealers not (Application Roofers ) - SELL REYNOLDS SHINGLES and Roofings ROOFING BUILDERS /or 60 °YEARS aw 5 i £ a cht rs a ain fs Pi Jere i e. ph Fe Sealed Maret a es 2 ‘ f aS H-M-REYNOLDS SHINGLE CO. Grand Rapids, Michigan. | 128 CONSERVATION OF ANIMALS. Our Zoological Resources Must Re- ceive Immediate Attention. I have called this informal argument Michigan’s Conservation Fallacy. I intend to support the thesis that our policy in regard to the conservation of the native animals involves, if it is not based upon, a fallacy, with the re- sult that great and unnecessary harm has been done. This fallacy, as re- vealed by our practice, is that conser- vation is largely a matter of restricting direct slaughter and that sufficient re- striction of slaughter can be secured by specific legislation. Unless our policy is built upon a different and more sound foundation, incalculable injury will be done to the resource and to its owners -—the general public. Animals belong to that class of nat- ural assets which has been defined as “resources that are reproduced in crops, renewing themselves regularly and permanently if not exterminated.” (Science LXI, p. 191). The fact that animals reproduce rapidly accounts in large part for the belief, common among the settlers of a new country, that the native species cannot easily be depleted. This belief has started many species on the road to extinction, and the journey has often been hasten- ed to completion by a correlated opin- ion, widely held even after depletion is noticeable, that increased numbers will be the inevitable result of decreased slaughter by hunters. We have now had sufficient experience to be sure that animals can easly be exterminated and that success has not attended our efforts to conserve our species by laws limiting the size of bag, fixing closed seasons, and otherwise limiting direct killing. There are several reasons for the failure of restrictive measures, one of them being the fact that the regula- tions have not been uniformly well considered; but the most fundamental reason is that conservation of a fauna, or even a considerable part of a fauna, is a far too complex problem to be solved by such a simple method. I do not need to insist to an audience of zoologists that the control of de- pletion and the numerical increase of species involves two of the most com- plex phenomena of life; the relations of animals to the environment, and the differences between species. These are at once the most evident and the least comprehended phenomena which the zoologist has to consider, from either the scientific or the economic stand- point. Every normal being knows that if a pond is drained the aquatic forms are killed; the casual students of nature will note the disappearance of many forest forms when the trees are re- moved; but the delicate adjustment between species and environment is known only to scientists, and by them mostly in its broader aspects. Again, different species, even those living in the same general environment, require different conditions and react different- ly to changes in the environment; in fact, probably no two species have ex- actly the same requirements. There is, in other words, a balance in nature which is expressed in the numbers of individuals which are produced and survive in any environment, and any MICHIGAN TRADESMAN modification of the natural conditions makes necessary a new adjustment of the fauna and flora by modifying the distribution or abundance, or both. The zoologist who considers conser- vation will admit without argument that when man enters an environment he disturbs the balance of nature. Both directly and indirectly he depletes many elements in the fauna, and the destruction brought about indirectly by his activities in setlling an area is quite as great as that caused by deliberate slaughter. He may deliberately exter- minate the passenger pigeon by un- restricted slaughter, but he destroys it quite as certainly by cutting off the beech woods. He may overfish the streams, but the pollution of the streams reduces the fish fauna as fast or faster than the fishing. Owing to the havoc resulting incidentally from his activities, he must use something more than arithmetic and common sense to preserve the native animals. Obviously, he needs to know the ex- tent of unavoidable depletion and the rate of reproduction to determine the amount of killing, if any, which any species will stand; but this entails a knowledge of the abundance, the geog- raphic distribution, the habitat distri- bution, the life history, the physiolog- ical requirements, and the habits of the forms. Only with the fullest knowl- edge of the ecology of the entire fau- na can he determine with any degree of accuracy the extent to which he can consciously slaughter animals and not deplete the stock. Conservation to be successful must employ ecological methods and when successful may be termed applied ecology. While it can never be sufficient, no one can doubt that restriction of slaughter is necessary. With improved methods of hunting and our increas- ing population, unrestricted killing can- not be permitted. It should be ob- vious that sufficient restrictions have not been secured through specific leg- islative action—and for several reasons. Legislators have not, as a rule, been anxious to limit hunting and fishing until the need was very evident. And when depletion has become evident it has frequently been too late to save the species. The classic report of a select committee of the senate of Ohio, in 1857, on a bill proposed to protect the passenger pigeon, may be quoted: “The passenger pigeon needs no pro- tection. Wonderfully prolific, having the vast forests of the north as its breeding grounds, traveling hundreds of miles in search of food, it is here to-day and elsewhere to-morrow, and no ordinary destruction can lessen them, or be missed from the myriads that are yearly produced.” Again, leg- islative action can be secured but once in two years, and it is frequenty neces- sary to act quickly to save forms in partcular regions. Finally, laws have not been infrequently passed by legis- lators who did not fully understand them; often through the efforts of a noisy minority interested in exploita- tion. We have then, as the result of this method, good, bad, indifferent, and tardily enacted laws, and will probably continue to have them. Adequate and timely regulations of direct slaughter by legislation would seem to be im- possible under our present laws if not under our form of government. Not only have our methods failed to sufficiently restrict direct slaughter, but they have, as well, failed to guard against indirect depletion. It is perti- nent to our argument to note this fail- ure, for the non-success of our methods to check indirect depletion is largely attributable to the same cause as is our failure to control direct slaughter. Measures aimed at the preservation of animals from extinction as the indi- rect result as well as the direct conse- quence of man’s activities, such as the killing of predatory animals, the breed- ing of captive stock and game pre- serves, are falling short of complete success both because they have not been sufficiently developed and because they are not based upon exact knowl- edf of the needs of of the species. We have every reason to believe that now, as in the past, avoidable extinction is going forward, in many ways indirect- ly the result of our civilization. In- deed, we can scarcely expect that the average law maker will understand the nature and importance of unconscious destruction. To him a fish is a fish, and a frog may be anything; it is next to impossible for him to understand that food, shelter, enemies, breeding places, temperatures, and particular combinations of chemical and physical conditions are all factors controlling the numbers of individuals, and that different conditions are required by different species. Until this is recog- nized and provision made for a study of the problem in its entirety, no com- prehensive policy of conservation can be adopted. If we are to continue to confine our efforts to conserve our fauna largely to enacting specific leg- islation to restrict direct depletion and to blind adoption of general methods to prevent indirect depletion, the out- look for the future is depressing. The conservation of wild animals constitutes a problem in the solution of which we need scientific data. Al- though it seems to be the popular no- tion, scientific problems cannot be set- tled by vote, even by the vote of a representative body. The student of conservation must have a keen sense of humor if he can read the discussions in the legislature, on hognosed bears, on whether terns eat fish, and on how sad it would be to deprive the country boy of his fish spear, without acquiring the vapours. Our present laws are doing some good because they are largely restrictive and there is no other check on direct slaughter. But they are not adequate and probably cannot be made so. A sound policy can be had by recognizing the complexity of the problem and the necessity of con- sidering the fauna and flora as a whole, by providing for expert advice and investigation, and by giving the De- partment of Conservation discretionary powers to regulate direct slaughter and to control indirect depletion, not only by establishing preserves but by pro- hibiting such unnecessary destruction as that caused by the pollution of streams. There is evidence that the validity of these conclusions is becoming rec- ognized. The Department of Conser- vation is employing expert advice in Forty-fourth Anniversary. its fish problems; each biennium the department calls conferences of con- servationists, not only to allow them to blow off steam but to get intelli- gent support and advice for proposed legislation; and the National Sports- men’s association has adopted a plat- form which contains the following planks: The maintenance and increase of game in this country depends upon intelligent game administration. If this is not developed by state and Federal action, public game and public shooting opportunities will cease to exist. Private game management has demonstrated this. There must be trained men in administrative positions, capable of putting into effect sound and successful methods, which must include: 1. Effective law enforcement. 2. Game inventories. (a) Through licensed hunters’ re- ports of game taken. (b) Through estimates of breeding stock left after the shooting season. 3. Greater authority to game of- ficials to adapt seasons and bag limits to the requirements of the game. 4. Increase in number of game sanctuaries and public shooting, fish- ing and camping grounds. 5. Utilization to the fullest extent of scientific knowledge for the increase of birds, animals, fish and forests, for combatting disease and natural ene- mies, for preventing pollution, for pro- viding food on barren areas, and for propagation and stocking. 6. The encouragement of schools for training specialists and of scien- tific investigation leading to a better knowledge of the life histories and status of fish and game. These are hopeful signs, but pro- gress is slow and we may well be pessimistic, for the phrase “better late than never” does not apply to the conservation of animals. Alexander G. Ruthven. —_+--—___ Tenting On An Iceberg. John B. Simpson, British scientist, has left his comfortable English home, and will live for three months, with his dog for companion, on an ice floe. “My purpose,” says he, “is to gather material for a book on ice fields. I expect to be very comfortable on some drifting iceberg. I shall erect a fur- lined tent, and warm it with an oil stove. I have plenty of reading matter and a phonograph.” Mr. Simpson has no idea where his frigid tenting ground may drift, but he has a collapsibler rubber boat which he trusts will, in an emergency, keep him and his dog afloat. ——— +2. A New Fuel. The movement of 12,000 gallons of shale oil from Colorado to the League Island Navy Yard where this product will be tested as a fuel by naval en- gineers marks the arrival commercially of a new liquid fuel. The development of this type of fuel will be watched. anxiously by petroleum producers and distributors, coal men and_ electric power concerns. —_—__>->____ The more you see of some people the more you believe in birth control. 4 * Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 129 ad a“ Zo NE afte Th yy “hee ae ay . at.) & RSH eee - | ic i AK eSiete | REP “4, Sh hw s ee elk 8 Sei Meh, TS Zs Ey aa HY) a ? etry r JOSEPH 4. BREWER, presioenr : i BE | paRty tr MEMNAY GC WORFEL. tacasune LEE M HUTCHINS vice: presipent ’ gE $e | Re eiaytt ARTHUR E WELLS, secrerar ALEX W. HOMPE .vice- PRESIDENT ik sep f ain JOSEPH B WARE as scCRETaRy PAUL FREDERICK STEKETEE.vice pres 1OENT * 5 RSE Bree TRUST OFFICER . . ‘ JAMES R HOOPER, vice-Prest.a rRUST OFFICER bee t ‘pf erpcelt > TRE acre FRANK G. DEANE ,vice-presivenr i: bene eed Cheer be a ELMER F. BIROSALL ,vice-eresiveNnr _ _e pa, fp lit LEE W FINCH,mcGeR BOND CEPT Te te. ee. fF 1 ™ sheer t ie ty , ee Sd ow —— GRAND RAPIDS TRUST COMPANY CAPITAL AND SURPLUS $1,200,000 GRAND RAPIDS,MICHIGAN Dear Sir: As a successful executive, you organize your business so as to be relieved of burdensome de- tails - to keep your mind clear and your time free for other things. Why not organize your personal financial affairs in the same way? The Grand Rapids Trust Company is ready to assume as much or as little of the care of your property as you wish to place in its hands. Our ser- vice is very flexible - ranging from secretarial care of securities, to special services as agent or complete trusteeship of funds set aside to assure income for yourself and your family, whatever may happen in a busi- ness way. Thus you can be relieved of the details 2f looking after securities, managing real estate, and collecting and accounting for income to any extent that you desire, with the assurance that these tasks are in absolutely responsible hands. The cost in any case is very moderate. Let us explain how these various services may be adapted to your individual wishes. Sincerely, PRESIDENT r GRAND RAPIDS TRUST COMPANY 130 SHRINE OF A LOST CAUSE. Museum in White House of the Con- federacy. Around the corner from the busy, thriving Richmond of to-day stands what served as the Executive Mansion, the White House of the Confederacy, principal shrine of a lost cause. Withn the four walls and three floors of this house a collection of Civil War relics has been assembled wthout equal. North or South. Even a casual glimpse evokes the days of ’61 to ’65 in a color- ful panorama. Here President Jeffer- son Davis lived from the first period of the struggle until the evacuation of Richmond on April 2, 1865. In this house Confederate leaders gathered around the President; echoes of every event of four trying years resounded there. The Davis house of other days to which Davis referred as “my resi- dence,’ or “my office,” is now the Confederate Museum. Among its treas- ured possessions is a newly acquired Lee, presented by the painter, Ellis M. Silvette of New York. Mr. Silvette made a study of every obtainble photograph or paint- ing and talked with many persons who knew the commander of the Southern armies. In this way he has been en- abled to paint what is pronounced to be a most impressive likeness. The portrait was presented on the recent anniversary of General Lee’s birthday. portrait of Robert E. Few institutions contain more inter- esting Americana than does this mu- Behind its Colonial doorway lies a variety of historical material. The articles collected, reflecting daily life during the war, in the field and in the homes, make up a unique contribution toward illustrating one of the graphic phases of America’s story. The house stands a little apart from the busy Richmond of the present. The streeet is shaded and quiet. At one side a wide declivity falls away, giving the house a sightly position. It was erected in the square, high-porti- coed Southern style prevalent when Virginia ranked as the first State of the Union in wealth and power. The days of Washington were not long passed and the fame of Jefferson was at its height when Dr. John Brocken- brough built the house. He went there to live in 1818. has been danced in the big rooms and seum. Many a stately minuet many a story of the old times to'd around its fireplaces. Dr. Brocken- brough’s home was Virginia and the South in miniature. Then came the dark days of ’61, secession and strife. President Davis removed to Richmond when the Con- federate capital was transferred thence from Montgomery, Ala., and not long afterward he went to live in the Brockenbrough house, which served both as his residence and as his execu- tive office. The several rooms now bear the names of the Southern states, and each contains its own collection. The Mississippi room was Davis’s study. It is a large chamber, lighted by big windows. As the war went on Davis met in this room every one of the men who MICHIGAN TRADESMAN had so large a part in directing the Confederacy. Lee entered here often, to talk over plans and weigh decisions. Stonewall Jackson and many other commanders came through the Presi- dent’s doorway to debate upon the for- tunes of the Confederate league. Davis, having been a graduate of West Point, went deep into matters of tactics. At times the walls were covered with maps of the battle lines. Desks, tables and chairs bore a heavy weight of war records. A few steps lead from the outer street to the entrance, where a touch on the bell serves to open a doorway to yesterday. It would take but a lit- tle imagination to conjure up a black servant in knee breeches opening the portal. But no servant appears. One’s eye turns to the flags upon the walls— home-made flags, once belonging to regiments that long since passed over to the phantom shore. Even the names of those regiments are now unknown. The museum has a score of flags that cannot be identified. Nearly every. one of them is home made, the red ground cut in four triangular pieces, with a blue cross section formed like an X, and white stars sewed upon the blue. A number of the flags have eleven stars; some show thirteen—two stars for the states that failed officially to join the cause, Maryland and Ken- tucky. Most of the flags are tattered: and shell-torn and many of them had no better flagstaffs than the limbs of trees or saplings cut from young growth in the forest. Most of the flags are of cotton, and their colors are still fresh. Two flags found here were fashioned from the wedding gowns of Southern women. The visitor who has left a matter- of-fact world in the street outside looks at those tokens and begins to com- prehend something of the hope that beat so high in this Richmond of ’61. A glance in any direction reveals other evidences of what was borne. One can trace the beginnings of the ex- haustion. In one case is a wooden sole shod with iron. Shoes and leather had given out. Men at home and men in the field wore sabots tipped with iron of a kind never before known in America. Here is a newspaper printed on wallpaper, the very smallest of news- papers. On the front page there is news of war and victory. Always vic- tory. How that hope endured, even when the rest of the world saw that victory was lost beyond repair. Here are homespun pants, dyed a light blue, reaching not much lower than the knee. Soldiers in the field wore this fabric, in this style, when ordinary garments could no longer be had. The cloth was spun at home and the warp and woof are plainly visible Cloth like this was so scarce that the women spinners economically changed the fashion in trousers to approximately knee length. The women themselves dressed no better. One case contains a_ calico dress worn by Mrs. Davis, wife of the Confederate President. It cest $1,000 in bold squares. «but in Confederate money, Forty-fourth Anniversary DIAMOND BRAND CARTON CLOTHES PINS Made of New England White Birch Selected- Polished CARTONS OF 24 PERFECT PINS~ TRADE MARKED QUALITY OF THE DIAMOND MATCH Co Sold and Recommended by AILL LEADING DEALERS Alfred J. Brown Seed Co. 25 CAMPAU AVE., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. CO _O_=99 Growers and Importers of PEAS, BEANS and GARDEN SEEDS Distributors of DICKINSON’S “PINE TREE” SEEDS SWIFT'S “VIGORO” PLANT FOOD FANCY LAWN and GOLF COURSE GRASSES s,; | << ¢. . ci, 3 v , S & * % : k e “ae a « : > ™ ct. & ? ry . . 'y o 4 > e é i ' e i | Ci. 7 Key v 9 % wv . - a ~~ « » > oo ? & so we ¥ 4 > a ; & ofr Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 131 On every side are evidences of how stern a struggle was waged across the Virginia battlefields. Here and there an artful touch appears, such as a whole case of dolls, true daughters of war. Every one of them. had been smuggled through the Union lines or had run the blockade, its dainty body packed with drugs for Confederate soldiers. That was before the day of anesthetics, of course; but the dolls brought quinine and needed medical supplies into Confederate hospitals. These things came largely from abroad in the early stages of the conflict. Later, when the Union blockade was almost impassable, such merciful agents had to be smuggled from enemy territory. One looking for signs of sentiment would find many. For instance, here is the print of a baby’s foot, roughly drawn on a piece of paper and sent to the father at the front. The father was found dead, the footprint in his haversack. Here is the daguerreotype of a girl, about 16, also found in a haversack—but this time in that of a slain Federal soldier. Her wistful glance still appeals. The museum has a wealth of por- traits. Almost every one of the Souht- ern chieftains is represented. Assured- ly. it was a war fought by boys. Their pictures look down from the museum walls, where a grim line or two records their death in battle—killed at 17, 18 or 20. Portraits of the great Southern leaders are numerous and well done. In one corner of the Virginia room hangs a likeness of J. E. B. Stuart, the cavalry leader with sc many hair- breadth deeds to his credit. It is a challenging face that looks from the Stuart frame. The hair is dark, almost black, and the beard tends to red. In the midst of this beard appears a long, commanding nose and above it a pair of gray, al- most blue, eves. The museum preserves his famous plumed hat, and a pair of big cavalry boots he once wore. His portrait shows him wearing the plumed hat, the brim turned up on one side where the plume might romantically wave. Once it was shot from his hat, much to the General’s chagrin; but to- day it is in place. This man who gained so much celebrity was but 31 when killed. The Virginia room includes the uni- form and sword worn by Lee at Ap- pomattox. There is Stonewall Jack- son’s cap as well—a poor cap made of black cloth; not at all the sort of head- gear one would imagine him to have worn. And here is the hat of A. P. Hill, so pierced by bulle tholes as to arouse wonder how the head beneath ever escaped. The uniforms of many officers give a new comprehension of how fine a show the Confederate leaders made. There are gray, knee-length coats, hav- ing a touch of red on the collars and sometimes on the cuffs, and not a lit- tle gold lace. It is a bit startling to see that many of the coats bear brass buttons showing the United States coat of arms. Buttons of the Confed- eracy had been stamped in Europe to some extent during the first year or two of strife, but these soan gave out —and men and leaders turned to the garments of fallen Union soldiers. War in ’61 still had about it some aspect of gallantry Several gray coats have attached to them the red sashes worn by their owners This blending of gold cord, gray coat and red sash calls up something of the picturesque- ness that was. Bravest of all the brave coats was that worn by Morgan, the raider, of Kentucky fame. In the Ken- tucky room one may see his christen- ing robe, of embroidered silk, and near by is the silver-mounted saddle he rode on many excursions into Ohio. His uniform is of a fine fabric, unlike the common stuff of neighboring coats. His pair of pistols may have belonged to some princely duelist; his white gloves with long guantlets suggest nothing less than medieval romance. He, too, wore a red sash, and ithe picture on the wall shows his ‘hat brim turned up at the side. Beneath the brim appears a fine, poetic face, with a black, well- trimmed beard. James C. Young. >> _____ Selling To Those We Don’t Like. A very successful salesman said re- cently, in discussing salesmanship, that he had sold goods to many people who might not particularly like him— his line of merchandising overcoming their objection to him—but that he was never successful in selling a bill of goods to a man he did not hike. This is only another way of saying that we must be interested in the other fellow’s proposition, that we must ac- tually be in a mood to serve him and that we are really anxious to serve on- ly those we like. We may try to sell others, but there is not the same spirit of helpfulness and interest in their success as there would be if we had a friendly interest in them. This means that we should culti- vate the habit of finding the good points in the other fellow and acquire the habit of liking people rather than picking out some minor weakness, find- ing some objection to his personal ap- pearance or habits and taking a dis- like to him rather than having a liking for him. above’ has stated a very helpful truth, for there is something likable in every person if we have a real desire to find it. It is difficult to greet with a smile and a cordial word a person we do do not like or who does not “appeal to us,” but with the thought clearly in mind that we are going to like him, it can be done. This is because a sincere smile and a word “fitly spoken” have a warming influence on him, and al- most before we know it, the formation of a bond of fellowship has been es- tablished which, if properly nourish- ed, will grow into liking and mutual esteem. Most of us can remember in- stances of such results if we will, as does the writer, carefully recall our own experiences. It is well to bear in mind that “hu- man nature is a looking glass, in which we see others, and the way they look to us is a true picture of the way we look to them.” 2-2 A snob is one who tries to appear above his known superiors. The salesman quoted Dick’s New “Blizzard” Ensilage Cutters “The Gears Run in Oil” 1927 shows large increase in sales. We are contracting with dealers now for 1928. Attractive proposition. The most popular machines on the market. Sold through best dealers everywhere. Dick’s “Famous” Fodder Cutters for Hand or Power Enormous demand this fall for these popular machines on account of the short hay crop. Made in four sizes— cut one-eighth inch to one and one-half inches. Kvery poultryman needs a “Famous” cutter. Get our prices The Joseph Dick Mfg. Co. Since 1874 J. H. Gingrich, Pres. and Gen’l Mgr. Canton, Ohio Michigan Branch—737 Bond Av., Grand Rapids, Mich. 132 MUTUAL INSURANCE. The Principle Is Thoroughly and Com- pletely Established. Life is beset with hazards and un- certainties. Among the hazards which are, in a measure, unavoidable is the destruction of property by fire—a ca- lamity which, in the course of a year, affects but few of us—about one in one hundred we are told. Neverthe- less, when it does strike, the conse- quences serious that not only is the individual wiped out as a business factor, but the whole business structure of the community may be materially weakened unless provision is made to indemnify the sufferer so that he may resume his place in the manu- facturing or merchandising life of the Therefore, the misfor- tunes of the few become the legitimate concern of the many, and insurance companies have been organ- ized to distribute fire losses over large may be so community. may groups of fellow property owners. Thus the blow is softened and the community, having already adjusted itself to carry the slight insurance as ” ‘tax”, the property is replaced, and business goes on as usual. The burning of uninsured property has another effect which, though not its immediate result, is nevertheless a real one. Governor Green, in his recent proclamation desig- nating Fire Prevention Week, has pointed out this broader consequence of the destruction of property by fire. He said: “More than seventeen mil- lion dollars worth of property was de- stroved by fire in this State last year. The removal of much of that vast sum from the assessment rolls shifted the taxing of millions of values to the purses of others, many of whom them- selves were energetic in preventing the spread of fire on their premises. Com- petent investigators that 76 per cent. of these disasters would have been prevented had diligence and care been The effect of fire waste is State-wide, although the task of overwhelming the evil lies al- most wholly with the individual, with the farmer. the villager and the city dweller.” As the Governor points out, the duty of the individual to eliminate so far as he can, the entirely unneces- so apparent in counsel us exercised. sary waste caused by careless fires, is paramount. after all precautions are taken, there are bound to be a certain number of unavoidable fires which, without the indemnity fur- nished by insurance companies, would be most serious in their consequences. Fire insurance is therefore an economic true that insurance cannot restore destroyed property. That is gone forever; but they may replace it with other similar property, or pay to the owners suf- ficient funds to permit them to con- Nevertheless, necessity. It is companies tinue in business. The ance is, therefore, mutual benefit. In fundamental purpose of insur- this sense all insurance is mutual in its character and it is a fact that the oldest insurance companies in this country, both life and fire, were and are thor- oughly mutual; that is to say, they have no stockholdres. All of their earn- ings over and above their losses, ex- penses and necessary reserves, are re- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN turned to their policy holders in the form of unabsorbed premiums or divi- dends. A glance at the early life in- surance companies will be of interest in this connection. Wiht a single minor exception the oldest New England life insurance companies are mutual. The New Eng- land Mutual Life of Boston, com- menced business Dec. 1, 1843, with a small guaranty capital stock which, under a provision of its charter, was retired in 1854. The company has since then operated on a purely mutual plan. This history was repeated in all essen- tial points by five other New England mutual life companies. The New York Life Insurance Co., chartered in 1841, although permitted to issue $200,000 1922. There is, of course, a powerful group of life insurance companies which have been mutual from their in- ception. Examples of these are the Northwestern Mutual of Milwaukee, and the Massachusetts Mutual of Bos- ton. It is estimated that from 80 to 85 per cent. of the total volume of life insurance in the United States at the present time is written by mutual com- panies. We find in the fire insurance field that the earliest companies were also mutual. Take the case of The Phila- delphia Contributionship for the In- surance of Houses From Loss by Fire. According to the insurance reports of the Alfred M. Best Co., a recognized authority on insurance, it is the oldest Luther H. Baker. of guaranty capital stock, never sold any and has always operated purely as a mutual. Many life insurance com- panies organized originally on the stock plan converted to mutual companies, among them the Phoenix Mutual Life, which began its existence were soon as the American Temperance Life. Its mutualization was not completed until 1891. The scandals arising in connec- tion with the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States in 1905 gave a fresh impetus to the mutualiza- tion of the life insurance business. The Equitable was converted in 1917. The Prudential Insurance Co., of Newark, N. J., voluntarily mutualized in 1913. The Metropolitan was reincorporated as a mutual in 1915; the Home Life in 1916, and the Provident Life and Trust Co. of Philadelphia, as late as America and It has accumulated very large resources. It was organ- ized March 25, 1752, and claims among its first directors such illustrious men as Benjamin Franklin, John Morton and Robert Morris, three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as many other prominent men of The Philadelphia Contribu- tionship has never had any capital stock. It began with nothing and, ac- cording to Best, it had on Dec. 31, 1926, admitted cash assets of $9,750,000, of which $8,600,000 is pure surplus. It writes a relatively small volume of business and its income from interest and rents in 1926 was nearly five times its losses and expenses. The Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia, located in Richmond, was organized in 1794. insurance company in very successful. the time. Forty-fourth Anniversary It has total cash assets of $4,625,000, nearly all of which is pure surplus, and its income from interest and rentals is several times its combined losses and expenses. There are several other examples of the wonderful develop- ment of the older mutual fire insurance companies of this country in which the interest on the companies’ investments is more than enough to pay all losses and expenses, making it necessary for the policy holders to pay any premiums at all. One such company, located in Washington, D. C., renews ail of its policies on Jan. 1 of each year. The policy holders, I am told, form a line several blocks long on that date and as they file by the cashier’s window are given a memorandum of the renewal of their policies for the ensuing year and a check for their share of the com- pany’s surplus income. Needless to say, that company’s policies are highly prized and there are still in existence one or two which date back to the organization of the company in 1855. The mutual plan of fire insurance, while highly successful in favored lo- cations, has, however, never been seri- ously urged by its advocates as a uni- versal answer to the need for fire in- surance on all classes of property, good and bad. The requirements set up by mutual companies for member- ship have always been very exacting. Risks should be of superior character, well safeguarded against the known fire hazards, and of a high grade of ownership in order to qualify for mu- tual insurance. While these require- ments have seriously restricted the field open to mutual insurance, they have, by the same token, meant sound- ness and stability to the companies operating along these lines. While only about one-tenth of the total vol- ume of fire insurance is now written in mutual fire companies, those companies have, as a group, a larger margin of financial safety than stock companies as a group. I refer especially to the mutual companies taking an advance premium. Stock companies, aside from their reserves (which are, by the way, com- puted on the same basis as those of the mutual companies), and aside from their surpluses which, as a whole, are not as large in comparison to their liabilities as those of the mutuals, have, of course, a capital fund. This is urg- ed by advocates of the stock plan as an added guaranty for the safety of stock insurance. However, it is a fact that the capital of the insurance com- pany differs from that of another cor- poration in that it cannot be used in the business. The moment the surplus is consumed and a dollar of the capital used for the payment of losses or ex- penses, the company is impaired and must cease to do business until the capital is fully restored. According to Claris Adams, a prominent insurance attorney of Indianapolis, the “capital” of an insurance company, “from an economic sense, is not capital at all.” It is not my purpose in this article to attack the institution of stock fire insurance. It is a necessary institution and is performing a real service for those who cannot qualify for mutual fire insurance. For those who can qualify, stock company insurance is inion ile = Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 133 ‘i Now in Our New Home on Campau Square in the Heart of the City 4 ¢ | 3 > . a LAS aa SUPERVISION + “or 4 The historic Tower Clock building has long been a landmark on Campau Square. This building was bought outright and is owned completely by the bank. For many years to come it will be known as the Home State Bank building and the 4% corner. | | a; BANA N | | DIREcTORS Seventeen prominent business and_ profes- sional men who meet regularly to counsel { . 4 and supervise. H. N. BATTJES, Secretary, Grand Rapids Grav- | ; el Company. i WILLIAM J. BREEN, President, Grand Rapids _ «7 Gravel Company. @ JOHN G. EMERY, Realtor. 3 an S In our P t rm | JAMES C EVERETT, Vice President, Perkins, a O | ; Everett & Co., Investment Bankers. | é Wes Pp. J. HAAN, Druggist, Secretary, G. J. Haan i “¥ Calendar Company. @ ‘ FRANK A. HARVEY, Leonard Refrigerator O ervice | Company. . | LEON W. HARRINGTON, Attorney, Norris, MePherson, Harrington & Waer, Cc. G. JOHNSON, President, Johnson Furniture Co.; President, Johnson, Handley, Johnson > ter { Oe. 4% interest | 7 Pi 2 TY 7 <3 y: iy . I fs I Ist sp 2 E. BERKEY JONES, President, Wm. A. Ber- Ewti a safety because of NO UNSEL ured loans key Furniture Company. 1 CHARLES B. KELSEY, President. Later closing hours FRED H. LOCKE, City Manager. i | DR. SIMEON LEROY, Physician. } nO eS McDONALD, Justice State Su- These are the principles on which this 4% state bank has grown in less than A. LINN MURRAY, President, Auburn Rubber six years to assets of over $6,000,000.00. Here in our spacious new home we will Co., Auburn, Ind. MILO SCHUITEMA, President, Tisch-Hine Co. be better able than ever to render service to our large growing circle of cus- NEAL VAN OSTENBURG, Cashier. tomers. You will find the same cordial welcome and democratic spirit as of : MARTIN D. VERDIER, Executive Vice Pres- old. Come in and visit us. ident. HOME STATE BANK forSAVINGS | No branches Open till 5:30 daily A State Bank Member Federal Reserve System Assets over $6,000,000.00 MEMBER FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 134 needlessly expensive. The competition between these two groups of insurance companies is always keen and has, on the stock company side, at times been bitter. Several years ago a concerted attack upon mutual insurance was launched by executives of a group of stock casualty insurance companies operating under the name of the Cas- ualty Information Clearing House. Re- ferring to this attack, Alfred M. Best, in an address delivered in 1923, said: “The hullabaloo about mutuals is largely bunk, engineered to satisfy the thirst for publicity and hunger for busi- ness of its sponsors. The socialism argument is baseless. The retaurant men do not accuse us of socialistic leanings when we eat at a luncheon club maintained for the daily advan- tage of economy and convenience, nor do I see any menace to the initiative of individuals in co-operative market- ing of Hood River apples and similar activities.” Mr. Best’s reference to socialism in connection with mutual insurance is in answer to the charge made by Edison S. Lott, President of the United States Casualty Co., that mutual insurance is essentially social- istic and deprives the individual of an opportunity of earning a living. Just how baseless this silly statement is will be appreciated by referring to Webster’s definition of socialism which is in part as follows: “A political and economic theory of social reorganiza- tion, the essential feature of which is governmental control of economic ac- tivities, to the end that competition shall give way to co-operation and that the opportunities of wealth and the rewards of labor shall be equitably ap- portioned.” Mutuality in insurance is, as a matter of fact, opposed to social- ism. It is a combination of individ- uals, through private corporations—not through governmental agencies—for the distribution of the calamities of the few over the many, and the relief furnished by the mutuals from ex- cessive rates of stock companies has indefinitely postponed a resort to State insurance which, of course, is pure socialism. It has thus saved the busi- ness of fire insurance for individual enterprise, subject to the wholesome and invigorating effects of competition. Mutual insurance received its first real impetus during the rapid develop- ment of the cotton and woolen mills in New England in the period previous to the civil war. The fire hazards in these mills were difficult to control and their burning rate was high. The stock fire insurance companies met this situ- ation in their usual manner, by advanc- ing their rates until they became al- most prohibitive and the mill owners were practically forced to organize their own mutual companies. This development is referred to in a recent address before a convention of New Jersey agencies at Newark by C. W. Pierce, then with the Henry Evans or Continental group of stock fire insur- ance companies. Bear in mind that he is speaking as a representative of the old line fire insurance companies. He said: “Stock companies are re- sponsible to a degree for mutual com- petition getting the big start it did. Stock companies were not studying fire prevention and protection at that MICHIGAN TRADESMAN time. As a result large manufacturers in New England banded themselves to- gether in mutual associations to study the situation with a view to reducing insurance costs. The only way to do this was to study fire hazards and the causes responsible for fire loss. The mutual companies were largely re- sponsible for the development of the automatic sprinkler system. Their ef- forts reduced losses and insurance costs as well.” This is a candid and fearless statement by a stock company man, of the service rendered by the New England mutuals. Contrast it with an utterance of O. B. Ryon in 1920, then General Counsel for the National Board of Fire Underwriters. He said “the reduction of fire waste in this country is not a problem for the fire insurance companies. Their business is to take the conditions as they find them and charge accordingly, and certainly they owe no direct duty to the public in the matter of reducing fire losses.” The group of mutuals which Mr. Pierce refers to is known as the As- sociated Factory Mutuals of New Eng- land. Many of them were organized prior to 1850 and fifteen out of the entire group of twenty-eight have ac- cumulated cash surpluses in excess of a million dollars. The Boston Manu- facturers Mutual has a surplus of near- ly nine million, the Arkwright of seven million, and the Firemens of nearly six million. They insure almost ex- clusively so-called sprinkled risks and return to the policy holder a large part, frequently above 90 per cent., of the initial cash premium as “unab- sorbed.” The Western Factory Asso- ciation and the Western Sprinklered Risk Association were organized by the stock companies to compete with the New England mutuals, in which effort they have been moderately successful. It must be said, however, that their methods are frankly copied from those of the New England mutuals and that the mutuals in both cases have shown the way to the stock companies. The past forty years have seen an- other strong movement of property owners toward mutual insurance. Dur- ing that period have developed a strong group of companies making a specialty of flour mill and grain elevator risks, and another specializing on lumber business. Many mercantile mutuals have also been established, such as the hardware group and other general mercantile mutuals. There is still an- other group of mutual fire insurance companies, organized to write-a gen- eral business not confined to any one industry; and as a still more recent development, most of the so-called special hazard groups above referred to are broadening their scope and are now writing a better sort of risks in all lines of business. Fourteen of these companies have recently combined their forces into what is known as the Improved Risk Mutuals, whose head- quarters are in New York City. The Improved Risk Mutuals are under able and aggressive management and al- though it has been operating but five years, it has firmly established itself as a factor in the Eastern and Middle states. Aside from its home office in New York City, it is operating through thirty branch offices, and comprises within its ranks most of the strong special hazard groups, such as the flour mill group, the hardware group and the lumber group. Among the most ac- tive of its branch offices is the one located in our own State, known as the Mill Mutuals Agency at Lansing. Close students of business conditions agree that we are now in the midst of a period when economy of operation is of paramount importance. The volume of trade in nearly every line is cur- tailed and the reduction of overhead must follow if a reasonable profit is maintained. The cost of insurance is an item of no little importance in overhead expense and insurance costs and methods are therefore being scan- ned by merchants and manufacturers more closely and more _ intelligently than ever before. As a result, the mutual companies which maintain an efficient fire prevention service for the benefit of their policy holders and which, by reason of economy in man- agement and the elimination of ques- tionable losses and needless fire haz- ards, are able to return a considerable part of the insurance premium to the policy holder as unabsorbed, enjoy the rapidly increasing support of prop- erty owners of all classes. In the face of these economies and savings to pol- icy holders, the fact that these mutual companies have been able to pile up impressive surplusses and to maintain in full the reserves required of stock companies doing a similar business, is incontrovertible proof that in fire in- surance as in life insurance, the mutual principle intelligently applied is thor- oughly and completely established. Luther H. Baker. —_22>—__ A Perfectly Contented Man. Men are likely to minimize the value of what they possess, not only when making a tax return but on o‘her oc- casions. Things which are added to a man’s possessions immediately are appraised by him on a “second-hand” schedule. Things they want are valued too highly, and things they have, too low. Not that they ever are willing to sell what they have at their person- al valuation of it, but because of some- thing that cheapens, in their estimation a thing they possess and enhances the value of what another has and they have not. A $10,000 increase in the property of a man who already has $20,000 is highly prized as a prospect, but when it is secured he is likely to value more than what he already has, a prospect of increasing his property another $20,000. Perhaps this comes from a false belief that each addition to a man’s fortune will bring him content- ment. It does not, and so he concludes that he estimated property content- ment too low, and at once goes after more. There lingers in our memory one exception to this rule, a fat farmer who owned a fertile river bottom farm worth perhaps $10,000. He had a com- fortable home in the village and an in- come which seemed larger than he needed. He was in his fifties, always in good humor, and a perfect picture of contentment. After working thirty years he became an accomplished loaf- er, loitering at community gatherings Forty-fourth Anniversary on shady spots during the summer, and near some hot stove in the village stores or shoe shops in the winter. He always had a black, shiny calfskin pocketbook stuffed with paper money, but seldom spent any of it except to replenish his stock of chewing tobacco. He talked wisely of crops and village politics, and was listened to with re- spect, because he was, in the estimation of the villagers, a rich and successful man. He had earned his “prop-ity,” sat on the top of his little world and enjoyed himself doing nothing. But while this hale and hearty farm- er knew enough to place a high valua- ‘ion on his money, there was another possession of his that he minimized. It was his body. He ate rich foods heartily, and the waist band of his jeans trousers grew larger and larger. Along in his sixties fatty degeneration set in, and he died. With proper at- tention to his body he might have lived to entoy his income well into the seventies. It is remarkable that so many men successful in so many directions, minimize the value of their bodies while winning wealth or distinction, and give so little attention to the warnings which come to them from time to time, to protect them from de- terioration. He is a wise man who places a wise valuation not only on his property, but on his body, his mind, his morals, his habits and his social opportunities, to say nothing of his diet. Remember. W. G. Sibley. —_—__--->—_—_ That Little If. If is the biggest word in our lan- guage. If is a mountain which many never try to climb or go around. If is a great strong door beyond which are treasures, but which can be un- locked only with the keys of courage, knowledge, skill, determination and patience. It is often only a cloud of mist which vanishes as it is approach- ed. If is an easily turned gate which only seems to block the way. If is an excuse behind which many try to hide from duty. If is a pretext to deceive the ignor- ant and turn them aside from right. If is the first obstacle placed in the way of advancement; the first enemy which appears to block enterprise. If is the tormentor which mocks failure; which flays conscience; which gives the sting to regret. If is a wise prophet who forbids rash projects, reckless ventures, un- warranted risks. If is the kind mentor which advises caution, prudence, pa- tience. If holds forth valuable induce- ments to those who will labor and strive. If promises sure rewards for wise endeavor. If reveals all the ad- vantages and all the disadvantages in every case and allows the beholder to weigh every factor for good or ill. If is a pivot upon which tremendous issues turn. If is the point where de- cisions must be made. If is eternal; it Can never cease to exist. E. E. Whitney. —_>+.—____ Rival Go-Getters. Flub: What caused that collision to-day? Dub: Two motorists after the same pedestrian. 4 © { - | \ . & e s i A, if a i) » , fe 4 ‘ 7 “°° t » td a - e * } ¥ A » | . {. * Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 135 Our busy Portland Plant is at your Service ( Merchants have full confidence in this Mill |" Customers have full confidence in its popular product oo Ay LILY WHITE FLOUR “The Flour the Best Cooks Use” | . When you sell “LILY WHITE” Flour to your trade you open up a | ‘‘repeat business account” that is both pleasant and profitable. ‘‘Once \ a ‘LILY WHITE’ customer, always one.” Thousands of housewives | say “LILY WHITE” is the best flour made. Its guaranteed baking “lan results is invaluable help to dealers looking for customer satisfaction and ever-increasing Profit. “LILY WHITE” Flour is so high and ‘| uniform in Quality, we refund its Full Purchase Price if for any rea- i? son it is not 100% SATISFACTOORY. SPECIFY “LILY WHITE” the next time you place a FLOUR order. ‘\s VALLEY CITY MILLING COMPANY GRAND Rapips, MIcHIGAN High Class Millers for 43 years 136 Nn MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary HAS ROUNDED THE BEND. Career of Tradesman Compared With Railway Train. Forty-four years of continuous trav- el. When started, the roadbed was rough and uneven. Many times you were forced to climb out of your cab and remove obstructions. Many times you wondered if you had not made a mistake and taken the wrong road. Because you did not have the money to hire assistants, you were forced to act as your own conductor, engineer and fireman. For the first few years of your forty-four-year journey you hauled but few passengers and these few, as they boarded your train, re- luctantly paid their one dollar round trip fare. You made weekly trips then, as now, and many when you came in from a run tired to the bone, discour- aged and disheartened, you felt like banking the fires, closing up the ticket office and admitting that you had start- ed in the wrong direction. What was it that compelled you to go on, overcoming obstacles, making Well, you may not agree with me and; if so, you times mistakes and correcting them? it will merely prove again that one of us is wrong about it. : My notion is that the Almighty im- plants in every human being an urge to do the thing that he can do best; that something which will assist Him in working out the human problem. With your aggressiveness, with the hard work you would have applied to any task, you would undoubtedly have made a financial success along any line to which you might have given over your talents and ability, but in that case and no matter the wealth, measured by dollars and cents, that you might have accumulated, when you rounded the forty-four curve of your journey, you would have felt that your life had been more or less of a failure. Any man who for forty-four con- secutive years engages in active busi- ness is bound to make enemies, as well as friends, and so as the shadows lengthen; as you look back over the road you have traveled; as you con- template these two groups, you un- doubtedly take a pardonable pride in both of them. In your unusually long career as a trade magazine editor and publisher, you have by your counsel and your advice aided an army of men. Many of them have one by one folded their earthly tents and passed on, and so, in the twilight of your life, there must come to you a certain feeling of satis- faction that, in spite of any mistakes made, which are common to human- ity, you have done your best and made a better than average life record. William L. Brownell. —_~+2+2>—___ Nearly Twenty-Five Years With the Tradesman. I received your letter sometime ago, asking me if I would like to write an article on the “Early Days of the Tradesman” for the forty-fourth anni- versary edition, Nov. 16. If the Tradesman is celebrating its forty-fourth anniversary this year it must have been started in 1883 and, as my connection with the Tradesman dates back to 1894, the paper was then eleven years old. So you can see that by the time my association began with you the early struggles were over. I was told by one of your former employes that a position was open in your institution and he kindly consent- ed to introduce me to you. After I had accepted the position I had asked for, this same man told me he did not think I would stay there more than a month, because it would be hard work to get along peacefully with you. I stayed with you continuously twenty- four years and six months. There must have been something wrong with that man’s deductions. I went to work on the Tradesman, Feb. 14, 1894, Valentine day, when the office was located at 100 Louis street, a three-story building heated by coal Blodgett building, where everything was on one floor, except the stock room which was on second floor above. In those days there were not as many paper jobbing houses as there are now and we aways kept a tremendous stock of paper on hand, not only for the paper, but for job printing as well. At that tme the coupon books for merchants were in great demand and, aside from the stock used in printing the paper, the next largest stock on hand was for these I don’t understand yet why the floors didn’t cave in with the load of stock we car- ried, because every time you would hear of a bargain in that particular kind of stock you would take the whole lot—sometimes amounting to carloads. We stayed in the Blodgett building eight years and then moved to the present location. The second moving books. William L. stoves on the second and third floors. As the composing room for the paper was located on the third floor it was my duty to see that the coal stove was kept going on this floor. I used to go down to the office every Sunday in the winter time to fix that fire. We stayed in this building just a year after I went to work and then moved to the fifth floor of the Blod- gett building on the corner of Ottawa and Louis streets, a half block away. Nobody who hasn’t been through it, what a job it is to move a remember we knows printing office. I can worked for over a week until midnight every night during this moving and IT know you were the first one there in the morning and prepared the copy for the paper after we were gone. It seemed good to get settled in the Brownell. did not seem as hard as the first, al- though there was a great deal more to move. Perhaps we had learned from experience. When I first went to work for you the office force consisted of yourself, Miss Rowley, the book-keeper and Miss Frances Smith, the stenographer —bless her soul, she is still Miss Smith —one of the grandest girls I ever met. What a world of recollections the writing of this brings back. In those days we worked ten hours a day and six days a week and came down to the office for two or three hours every Sunday to look over and sort out the mail. Those Sundays were always looked forward to by me, because we used to sit and visit after the mail was taken care of and you would tell me of the trials and tribulations you had in starting the Tradesman. On those Sundays and during those visits I be- lieve I learned more about Grand Rap- ids and Michigan business interests in general from you than I could have acquired in any other way. These Sunday visits continued for a number of years; in fact, until the post- office stopped giving out mail on Sun- day. Maybe they might have other- wise continued until now—who knows? Roy H. Randall. —_—_ ++ >—__—_ Season Presents Vivid Fabrics. A variety of new fabrics have made their appearance among the latest crea- tions for evening. One is a lame, which is usually of silver in a small figured pattern. A Callot model in this supple, glittering fabric is very successful. Another novelty introduced in evening models at the opening of the season is cire, which is used in a charming dance frock done by Premet in a combination tulle. Both materials in this frock are black, the bodice and a side sash drapery being made of the cire over a skirt of tulle flounces. Cire is a trifle garish in effect and is an evident effort for novelty. It has met but a limited response, al- though most of the Paris houses are with using it in some manner. Black and black and white grow in importance as the season advances. Black velvet with silver tissue and with brilliants made into a trimming with jet—which is being generally used than heretofore—satisfies the de- mands of the mode for dignity and elegance. The beaded gown is much in evi- dence, but in a new version, which is delicate and fine in detail. Few colors except in the palest shades are The beads used are, almost more shown. without rhinestones, al- though sometimes they are seen in combination with dainty floss and light-colored glass beads. Pearls are used with rhinestones on some of the most elaborate This is a combination that makes always for elegance. exception, white growns. Black satin crepe is used by most of the houses for both evening and afternoon gowns, but velvet and tulle are most fashionable. The black tulle dance frock of many frills is shown by all of the best couturiers, for no smartly dressed young woman now considers her winter wardobe to be complete without at least one of these chic and very serviceable little dresses. The latest models avoid monotony and are made exceedingly bouffant. They are seen in a variety of styles with different arrangements of flouncing and varying hem lines. A few of the black tulle frocks have a touch of brillant color in flowers or sashes, wide velvet ribbon—blue, green, scar- let or orange. Others are thought to be more chic with unrelieved black as a background for. jewels. Some of Lanvin’s black evening gowns in vari- ants of her own distinctive robe de style are made of black taffeta and ornamented with rhinestones in the form of medallions, with which the bouffant drapery is caught in an ar- rangement of large loops.—N. Y. Times. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 137 a NEW FIREPROOF WAREHOUSE We built for ’ GREAT ATLANTIC AND | ti PACIFIC TEA COMPANY ‘8 y | OWEN-AMES-KIMBALL CO. | ea ie bane AECECAN | 138 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary sees it an unproductive charge against himself. Then every piece of material not in mot.on will mean to the man who sees it an unproductive charge against himself. Then we shall have zest in labor, provided the leadership is competent and the division fair. Then we shall dispose, once and for all, of the charge that in industry or- gan.zations are autocratic and not democratic. Then we shall have all the opportunities for a cultural wage which the business can provide. Most men yet prefer a fixed income without risk to a share in the profits of the enterprise with the responsibil- ity whch that involves. Gradually, however, we are making our advance. Men are becoming both wage earners und investors. As workers, they seek the most for their labor. As investors, they seek the largest returns from their capital. The ownership of great concerns, under the impetus of our present prosperity, is being widely spread, and in some _nstances is large- ly held by the workers. The world does not owe men a liv- ing, but business, if it is to fulfill its ideal, owes men an opportunity to earn a living. I can see a picture of these adven- turers jin pure science mov-ng out into unknown fields as the great geograph- ical explorers set sail for unknown Following them are the applied scientists learning how to use the new forces just as the early settlers follow- ed the old adventurers. Finally, busi- ness organizes itself to harness these forces and put them to work. Never did unexplored areas seem so vast. Never was there a more responsible trusteesh p needed for the discovery of new opportunities or for the adminis- tration of the existing powers. We need to-day more than ever before men to administer this trust, who are not only highly skilled in the technique of business—men who have not only a broad outlook in history, policies, and economics—but men who have also that moral and religious training which tends to develop character. Owen D. Young. —_—__* +. Gasoline a Deadly Poison. After selling gasoline for thirty- three years and always on guard against fire, whether it be in a lamp, lantern, stove, cigar, pipe or cigarette, and always aware that an open can, tank, measure or pail gives off vapor which will travel many feet before it becomes too weak to catch fire, I have learned that it is very risky to taste of gasoline, that a small swallow will make one desperately ill and that a drink of it will cause death. In our own neighborhood this past summer a little boy drank some gaso- line. A doctor was called and in a week the boy was able t> ride about. A man of my acquaintance ctarted to drain the tank of his auto by sy,hon- ing it out, starting the flow by suckirg on one end of a tube. Unexpectedly he coughed and swallowed a little. He went about his work until afternoon, then took to bed. Next morning a doctor was called and pronounced his case tonsilitis. He recovered in a week and then, meeting his former physi- cian, told him all about his illness, sore lands. throat, headache, rheumatic pains, etc. The doctor very promptly informed him that it was all caused by that swallow of gasoline. Further, he told him that manufacturers of gasoline now adda deadly poison, namely, analdehyde, to bring the gasoline up to the standard of specific gravity de- manded by Government regulations. He told of a little five year old girl who drank a cup of gasoline, suppos- ing it to be water. She was hurried to a hospital, but the doctors could not save her. For the children’s sake, gasoline should be so kept and handled so that no one can drink any by mistake. E. E. Whitney. —_——_ o-oo How the Money Rolls In. This age is likely to be remembered in history not only for its marvelous inventions and the utilities, public and private, it enjoys as a result of the prodigious advances of science in the line of manufacture, transportation and portable power, but for the huge sums paid by a prosperous people for en- tertainment. With prizefighting making millions for champions; moving picture stars like Mary Pickford, Douglas Fair- banks, Charley Chaplin and even a little boy like Jacky Coogan, amassing from one to three millions; profession- al baseball enriching popular players; and colleges erecting huge stadiums and making money cn football games, this may well be’ regarded as an amusement era. Publicity pays, whether won by a Lindbergh solitary flight from Amer- ica to Paris, or by a woman who swims across the English Channel. A great change this for adventurous men and women since the latter 1800's. Then big money was won only by manufacture, mining, or business. Many fortunes were made with new inventions by men of business talent. The sewing machine and other labor- saving machinery, the vending of patent medicines, the lotteries, en- riched many. Great opera singers reaped a golden harvest. Now sports have edged into the big money, and we see schools and col- leges paying for their sports and erect- ing huge structures with the cash pro- ceeds of college games. To-day an acre of newspaper space is given to college sports where a column is grudgingly yielded to the true purpose of higher education. The world chang- es. There’s no denying that. And the money rolls in. — +++ The character and qualifications of the leader are reflected in the men he selects, develops and gathers around him. Show me the leader and I will know his men. Show me the men and I will know their leader. Therefore, to have loyal, efficient employes—be a loyal and efficient employer.—Arthur W. Newcomb. —~+++___ “T am not going to be a clerk all my life,” says a young man. “Why should I waste a lot of time learning the game?” Unless you spend time learn- ing the game you will be a clerk all your life for you will never be fitted for anything better. FAVORITE TEA in % Ib. lead packages is a strictly lst May Picking and is one of the very highest grades sold in the U. S. if this Tea is not sold in your city, exclusive sale may be ar- ranged by addressing DELBERT F. HELMER 337-39 Summer Ave., N. W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Henry Smith FLORALCo. Inc. 52 Monroe Avenue GRAND RAPIDS Phone 9-3281 Phone 61366 JOHN L. LYNCH SALES CO. SPECIAL SALE EXPERTS Expert Advertising Expert Mrechandising 209-210-211 Murray Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Link, Petter & Company Cacorporated) Investment Bankers th FLOOR, MICHIGAN TRUST BLDG. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Expert Chemical Service Products Analyzed and Duplicated Process Developed and Improved Consultation and Research The Industrial Laboratories, Inc. 127 Commerce Ave. Phone 65497 Grand Rapids, Mich. MR. MERCHANT Be sure to carry a stock of Smith’s Flavoring. The flavoring that your customerslike. The flavoring that is sold with a pos- itive Money Back Guarantee. A Grand Rapids Product. Smith Flavoring Extract Co. Phone 61343 Prompt Service Smith’ Flav oring VITAMINE FOODS MAKE VIGOROUS DOGS Imperial Cod Liver Oil Foods for Dogs & Foxes are a balanced ration supplying the necessary Vitamins so essential to healthy growth and freedom from dis- ease. Imperial Dog & Fox Bis- cuits are not hard. It is not necessary to soak them in liquids as they are readily broken up by small Dogs and Puppies. All Dogs and Foxes relish and thrive on these crisp tasty Biscuits. A trial will convince you. You can Buy them at Van Driele & Co. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Distributors SELL Ge Bott’s Kream FrydKakKes DECIDEDLY BETTER Grand Rapids Cream Fried Cake Co Grand Rapids, Mich. TER MOLEN & HART SPRINGS; Office Chair, Coil, Baby Jumper, General Assortment. Successors to Foster Stevens Tin Shop, Commerce Ave. 59 GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Ship By Associated Truck GRAND RAPIDS, LANSING and DETROIT. Every Load Insured. Phone 55505 COCOA DROSTE’S CHOCOLATE Imported Canned Vegetables Brussel Sprouts and French Beans HARRY MEYER, Distributor 816-820 Logan St., S. E. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN BIXBY OFFICE SUPPLY COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN PERSONAL SERVICE Gives you better results. Our mov- ing and storage rates are very reasonable. Every load insured. BOMERS and WOLTJER 1041 Sherman and 1019 Baxter Sts. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Est. 1912 15 YEARS OF SERVICE QUAKER RESTAURANT THE HOME OF PURE FOOD 318 Monroe Ave. Grand Rapids Michigan J. CLAUDE YOUDAN ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR Special attention given creditors proceed- ings, compositions, receiverships, bank- ruptcy and corporate matters. Business Address: 433 Kelsey Office Building, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 139 BUSINESS IS A PROFESSION. Scholars Now Find Their Way To Market Place. A seller and a buyer have come out of the darkness of barbarism into the advane:ng light of civilization. The seller must now elect which article he will take. If it be not his own, a trade has been made, and the advance of human relations has begun. Trust has been substituted for suspicion; self- restraint has taken the place of un- controlled acquisitiveness; a code of morals and of law will emerge; and last, but not least, a sportsmanship, recognizing with a sense of honor the rules of the game, will come into being. “Every man knoweth,” said Gerard Malynes in his ‘Lex Mercatoria,’ pub- lished in 1622, “that for manners and prescriptions there is a great diversity among all nations; but for customs ob- served in the course of traffic and com- merce there is that sympathy, concord- ance and agreement which may be said to be of like condition to all people, diffused and spread by right reason and instinct of nature consisting perpetual- ly. And these customs are properly those observations which merchants maintain between themselves, and if these be separated from the law of na- tions the remainder of the said law will consist of but few points.” John Cotton said that the true rules for trading were these: 1. A man may not sell above the current price, i. e., such a price as is usual in the time and place and as another (who knows the worth of the commodity) would give for it, if he had occasion to use it. 2. When a man loses on a commod- ity for want of skill he must look at it as his own fault or cross and there- fore must not lay it upon another. 3. Where a man loses by casualty at sea it is a loss cast upon him by Providence and he may not ease him- self of it by casting it upon another; for so a man should seem to provide against all providences, that he should never lose; but where there is a scarc- ity of a commodity, there men may ra‘'se their price; for now it is a hand of God upon the commodity and not the person.” They began to form trade associa- tions first, merely to promote acquaint- ance and to create morale in the or- ganization which would, in a sense, be a substitute for the public opinion of the local community in the earlier days. Gradually through these organizations codes of conduct are being developed, ‘and rules are emerging to enforce standards both as to character of goods and methods of trading, which are designed to afford proper protec- tion and for the better service of so- ciety. It is these self-imposed rules designed to enforce standards on the entire group engaged in similar busi- ness that are the distingushng mark of the new profession. In fact, products have become so highly technical and the rules of bus’ness so complicated, that it is difficult, if not impossible, for anyone other than business men, and for the most part only those in the same line of business, to sit in judg- ment on unfair practices which the law cannot well reach and which the church cannot well understand. Let me say, however, that so far as the public is concerned, organized business has been quick to take the advantages of group action, but has been slow to assume group responsi- bilities. Too frequently business men have acquiesced, even if they did not participate, in objectionable practices until an outraged society compelled amateurs to interfere. The amateurs were frequently in the legislature, and unwise laws were enacted. Legisla- tures reached out for abuses they could readily observe, but the causes of which they did not fully understand. Frequently the laws overreached them- selves, and from the standpoint of so- ciety did more harm than the evils they were intended to correct. It is to be hoped that within these walls re- search in these fields will not only in- spire business men to adopt standards acceptable to the public conscience, but will also furnish the information on which wise laws may be drafted and wise decisions made. Many business associations need the benefit of such research to-day. Many are doing their best, not only to discipline their own members, but to set up standards which will be helpful to all. No one has recognized the benefit of trade as- sociations or done more to develop them in proper lines than the present Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Herbert Hoover. Here in America we have raised the standard of political equality. Shall we be able to add to that, full equality in economic opportunity? No man is wholly free until he is both politically and economically free. No man with an uneconomic and failing business is free. He is unable to meet his obliga- tions to his family, to society and to himself. No man with an inadequate wage is free. He is unable to meet his obligations to his family, to society and to ‘himself. No man is free who can provide only for physical needs. He must also be in a position ‘to take ad- vantage of cultural opportunities. Busi- ness, as the process of co-ordinating men’s capital and effort in all fields of activ.ty, will not have accomplished its full service until it shall have provided the opportunity for all men to be economically free. Is it any wonder that in this land of political freedom men resented the no- tion of being servant to a master? Perhaps some day we may be able to organ ze the human beings engaged in a particular undertaking, so that they truly will be the employer buying capi- tal as a commodity in the market at the lowest price. It will be necessary for them to provide an adequate guar- atity fund in order to buy their capital at all. If that is realized the human beings will then be entitled to all the profits over the cost of capital. I hope the day may come when those great business organizations will truly belong to the men who are giving their lives and their efforts to them, I care not in what capacity. Then they will use capital truly as a tool and they will be all interested in working it to the highest economic ad- vantage. Then an idle machine will mean to every man in the plant who SMO-KIT The latest convenience for lovers of the fragrant weed! Great for the home—for the office desk—for the bed side table—or to place beside guests at dinner or when playing ecards. Holds 8 to 10 cigars, pack- age of 20 cigarettes, box of safety matches. Large, deep ash recept- acle—removable! Prevents spilling ashes. Compact—occupies only 6% x3% in. space. Both sides close. Fireproof—made entirely of metal handsome black, green or maroon erystalline enamel finish with sil- very bands. Makes a novel, much appreciated gift. Delights every smoker. Price $3.50. If not at your dealer’s, write direct to American Brass Novelty Co. 000 Smo-Kit Division, GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN When in need of High Grade Detective Service Call Halloran’s National Detective Agency Phone 6-5626 or 3-2193 Grand Rapids, Michigan Special November Sale on TARPAULIN All Sizes. Se @ sq. ft. and up. Write for samples and_ price. No. obligation. G. R. Awning & Tent Co. 500-508. Monroe Ave. Hodenpyl Hardy Securities Corporation Getting the most out of your investments requires a broad know- ledge of securities and how to use them best for your own purposes. Our service, based on long experience, is yours for the asking. We handle only the best in investments. g 231 So. La Salle Street Chicago New York Jackson Grand Rapids Willett - Chulski & Company Investment Bankers and Brokers Listed and Unlisted Securities. 933-934 Michigan Trust Bldg. GRAND Rapips, MicH. We will buy and sell following Stocks and Bonds. Agricultural Life Ins. Automatic Musical Inst. Units. Automatic Musical Inst. Par. Pfd. Alabastine Co. Pfd. & Common American States Securities Belmont Sand & Gravel Co. Central West Cas. Company Corduroy Tire Co. units. Columbia Nat’l Fire Ins. Cont’! Sugar Co. Common Dayton Rubber units. Detroit Fidelity & Surety. Detroit Life Insurance. Durant Motors Michigan. Detroit Mortgage oC. Preferred. Federal Discount 50% Units. Foulds Co. Preferred and Common, Flint Motors. Frischkorn Real Estate Units. General Cas. & Surety Co. Detroit. G. R. Brass Co. Preferred & Com. G. R. Store & Equipment Pfd. & Co. Globe Knitting Works Pfd. & Com. Guarantee Bond & Mort., Pfd.& Co. Harmil Divide. Mining Co. Haskelite Mfg. Co. Pfd. & Common Holland St. Louis Sugar Com.&Pfd. Kalamazoo Title Bond & Mtge. Co. units. Liberty National Bank (Durant) Michigan Investment Pfd. & Com. Michigan Mtge. & Investment Units Michigan Finance units. Michigan Guaranty Corp’n, Metropolitan 5-50e Store Pfd.&Com, Muskegon Finance units. Muskegno Motor Spec. Common. National Brass Pfd. & Common. National Piano Mfg. Co. Common. Noble Oil Co. Preferred & Common, Peerless Portland Cement Co. Petoskey Portland Cement Co. & Tpn. Richards Storage Co. Pfd. & Com. Star Motors. Shifflet Cumber Pfd. & Common. Title & Trust Co. units Frischkorn, Union Mortgage Co. Pfd. & Com. Valley City Milling Co. Preferred Wolverine Portland Cement Wolverine Fire Ins. Woodley Petroleum Walker Candy units. Owosso. Washington Bldg. Co. Units. American Bond & Mtge. Bonds. S. W. Strauss & Co. Bristol & Company. Geo. M. Forman & Co. Federal Bond & Mtge. Federal Warehouse Co. 1’s Milton Srauss Bonds ronan a nee RS SLR east ae ie aD Stee ARE atc apa ana nie aoa estentoaet onan 140 MEN WORTH WHILE. Contributors to the Forty-fourth An- niversary Edition. Arthur Scott White is one of the oldest and most respected newspaper men in Michigan. For many years he was engaged in daily newspaper work as reporter, editor and owner. About fifty years ago he established the Mich- igan Artisan, the first furniture journal published ir this State. He continued in sole control of the monthly until about ten years ago, when he sold it to the Furniture Journal Co. Mr. White has always taken a keen interest in city, county and State affairs. He was an unusually efficient member of the Legislature several years ago and his name is associated with several meritorious measures which are now embodied in the law of the land. Mr. White has been an appreciated con- tributor to the Tradesman for many His articles cover every sub- jejct in which he has a direct personal years. interest. Lee M. Hutchins is the only con- tributor in this year’s anniversary edi- tion whose name and portrait have been in evidence in every one of the nine- editions gotten out When the Trades- man was established in 1883 he was connected with the Taylor & Cutler drug house in Ionia. After fourteen years (1873-1887) with this house, he connected himself with the Michigan Drug Co., Detroit, where he remained lives until next year (and there is no indication that he will not round out 100 years) he will have devoted thirty consecutive years to the Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co., which he has guided all that time with great care and_ thoroughness. Next to ex-Governor Ferris, he has probably made more public speeches in Michigan than any other citizen. Whatever he undertakes to do he in- variably does well. For a year or two he has been a dominant factor on the local board of education, giving the work a virile force which will be re- membered and from which the educa- tional interests of the city will profit long after he has gone to his reward. Grand Rapids would be very much better off it had more citizens of the Hutchins type. teen anniversary by the Tradesman. eleven years. If he Hon. Cassius L. Glasgow resides in the town of Nashville, but his activities in many different directions have given hima world wide reputation. He hasheld many positions of trust and responsibil- ity. He has been a State Senator and was for many years State Railroad Commissioner. In both positions he did the people of Michigan yeoman service. He has been President of the National Retail Implement Dealers Association and is now serving the hardware trade as President of the Michigan Retail Hardware Association. His hardware store at Nashville is an outstanding success. He is a straight thinker, a sharp shooter and one of the best plat- form orators connected with the re- tail trade of Michigan. Charles E. Belknap is known to every citizen of Grand Rapids as the ee ee MICHIGAN TRADESMAN man who refuses to grow old. Past 80, as age is counted by the calendar, he has no use for gray hair and his step is as elastic and his enthusiasm as buoyant as they were forty years ago. As alderman, mayor, chief of the fire department or congressman, he acquitted himself creditably, serving his constituents well and faithfully. Re- tired from active business, he is devot- ing practically all his time to the Boy Scout which owes much of its impetus in this locality to his erergy, foresight and unselfish devo- tion. Herbert W. Collingwood edited and published the Rural New-Yorker, the most reliable and practical agricultural journal in the world, for more than forty years. Born in New England, his father was killed in the early days of the war and he was forced at an early age to make a place for himself in the world. He devoted several years to lumbering and farming occupations in Northern Michigan, subsequently working on a ranch in Colorado. He understood the farmer as few men do and wrote on agricultural topics with rare tact, commanding ability and re- markable results. He owned and per- sonally conducted an experimental farm in New Jersey, from which many of his illustrations were drawn. This close contact with actual conditions made his observations and accomplish- ments in the agricultural field of pecu- liar interest and practical value to his readers. He was a brother of Judge Collingwood, of the Ingham County Circuit Court. Mr. Collingwood died Oct. 21, passing away without a strug- gle. He was ill only about a week. movenient, Rev. J. Edward Kirbye was for many years pastor the leading Congrega- tional church of Des Moines, Iowa. He has a brilliant mind and is a pow- erful expounder of the Bible and lib- eral religion. A few years ago he re- tired from regular pulpit work to en- gage in the exploitation of financial institutions from which people in mod- est circumstances can make loans on easy terms and small payments, in which he has been remarkably suc- cessful. Fred K. George is a newspaper man of long and varied experience. For some years he has been connected with the publicity department of the United Light & Power Co. as chief executive. Although he lives in Grand Rapids he owns and conducts a farm and has made a careful study of con- servation matters, on which he is an acknowledged expert. His discussion of the subject in this week’s edition of the Tradesman is very complete and comprehensive. Charles W. Garfield is so well known to the readers of the Tradesman that he needs no introduction. Some of his many virtues are set forth in detail in the remarkable symposium contributed by some of his many friends published elsewhere in this week’s edition. Mr. Garfield is a many-sided man—and good on all sides. No one has ever lived a more useful life or exerted a wider influence among those who know him or know of him. Forty-fourth Anniversary 1 Year After Year Month After Month Week After Week JAP ROSE ADVERTISING goes on and on. forCOMPLEXION HAIR and BATH ee Instead of playing fast and loose, JAP ROSE advertising continues the year around — steadily, faithfully. Because no other soap is like it, JAP ROSE does not compete with any other and no other competes with it. A distinctively individual product, JAP ROSE has a market all its own, the most particular people everywhere. The aim of JAP ROSE ad- vertising is to bring this fine trade to your store. Test the power of this advertising to win new trade for your store—the patronage of those discriminat- ing people who want the best—free spending cus- tomers. Feature JAP ROSE in your advertising, in your windows and on your counter. Write today for attractive business-getting cutouts, display cards, sales strips, and other helps which will be sent free of charge. JAMES S. KIRK & COMPANY CHICAGO, ILL. There are as many different kinds of AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE as there are fish in the sea. Be Sure The Contract or Policy You Have 1. Pays any loss you may have before you pay it—not afterwards. 2. Pays judgements rendered against you by a jury. 3. Places no limit on the length of time which elapses between the accident and the filing of the claim or starting of the suit. 4. Does not require you to render sworn state- ments to the far distant Home Office of the Insurance Company. The PREFERRED Policy has all desirable character- istics mentioned above—and more. write or call Preferred Automobile Underwriters Company 824-828 Grand Rapids Natl. Bank Bldg., Grand Rapids, Michigan « o @ * eo < te ¥ v * w & e * ” i « » Li 4 a “a « ¢ s wie é » ¢ wa >@ Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 141 ¢ Le Lloyd E. Smith was for many years and is regarded as one of the most men connected with the canning busi- the morning and does not imperil the sales manager for the Valley City influential citizens of that college city. ness of the country. lives of others in an attempt to be j ‘ Milling Co. For some years he has’ He is Manager of the Michigan Shoe James M. Merrill is better known first off the job at night. been manager of the J. F. Eesley Mill- Dealers Mutual Fire Insurance Co., of | to Tradesman readers as Old Timer, A man who is neat in appearance ing Co., of Plainwell, in which he is Lansing, and is generally conceded to under which name he has written an and does not sulk for an hour's over- financially interest. He is a man of be one of the best posted men on mu-_ average of two articles a week for the time in emergencies. es ive wide observation and deep penetra- tual insurance in this country. Under past dozen years. Mr. Merrill lived A man who listens carefully when tion. He sees things as they are and’ his administration the company he on the Muskegon River in the early he is spoken to and asks only enough 2 aims to talk and write in a language controls has made a remarkable rec- lumbering days and his knowledge of uestions to ensure the accurate car- @ that all can understand. He does not ord of progress and stability. the events which happened in those ‘y!ng out of instructions. prescribe one standard of living for ‘ : oe as stirring times is both comprehensiv A man who moves quickly and makes : : 8 Solomon Levitan is State Treasurer ~ aaa te Ss little noise as possible al i others and deviate from that standard = WTte : : : and accurate. He has been a farmer, 45 !Ittle noise as possible about It. J oe : : : of Wisconsin. He started his business : : ~ in his own practice. He is a prac- : : ae a store clerk, a merchant and a news- A man who looks you straight in ie ‘ career as a pack peddler, soliciting or- . : He : ag tical Christian and works on the job fe paper man and has acquitted himself the eye and tells the truth every time. he k ders from door to door. Later he en- : : oa . ; J seve week. : : : : re g S rle is liv ‘ I . ity himself f ‘wa oe iB i ‘ f gaged in the clothing business on his mr me a Imes, He oat cacy A man who does not pity himself for “s ham L. Brownell is a writer o ie in Grandville in companionship with aving ‘ork sebvewtael it] Py : own account, achieving remarkable oe | cr ee having to work. advertising with remarkable pulling success. He is a man of broad experi- a_ sister. A man who is cheerful, courteous to power. He has lived in Kalamazo : u Roy . Randz mas a Tradesmz “veryone an “termine “mak ~->—____ “You have acted very wrongly.” Thus Horace’s father, in the presenc« of Horace’s mother, to Horace, dis- covered in the act of stealing jam. “It may seem a small offense, Horace,” he continue, “but it has for its founda- tions one of the prime causes of the world’s unhappiness — disobedience. I am more than angry. I am grieved. I want my son to grow up a fine, strong, honorable man. I want him—’ Here he paused for breath. Little Horace turned enthusiastically to his mother: “Mamma,” he cried, “isn’t papa inter- esting?” —_+- > Go forth into the busy world and love it, mingle kindly with its joys and sorrows, try what you can do for men rather than what you can make them do for you, and you will know what it is to have men yours, better than if you were king or master.—Brook Herford. Forty-fourth Anniversary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 143 We Salute + The MICHIGAN TRADESMAN a On Your Anniversary hes success bears tribute to your interest in and vigilance for the merchants and business people | of Michigan. It is particularly fitting that we greet you on this ‘> occasion—for we have much in common. Your de- ; a votion to the principles of merchandising progress rs is paralleled by Consumers Power Company’s in- if terest in the progress of its great Michigan terri- t tory — in the development of the Light, Heat and «(Po Power resources necessary to community and in- dustrial progress — in the never-ending work to rhe assure reliable, economical service — and in “ry opening the way to a popular, profitable public partnership. | \ So do we greet you — as co-workers in serving ' Michigan. , ' . \s Serving 286 Michigan Communities \ 40,000 Share-owning Partners | CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY 144 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Forty-fourth Anniversary THE DEPARTMENT STORE. Trend in Selling Is Away From Arti- ficial Solution. Probably no greater change has taken place in the commercial world in the last twenty-five years than the transition of the department store from its past to its present methods of operation. A few days ago Sidney R. Baer, of Stix, Baer & Fuller, St. Louis, discussed the matter in con- siderable detail. “The retail business is changing greatly,” Mr. Baer said, “both in its character and in its method of opera- tion. It is fast becoming a profession structure is passing soon will whole through a transition that justify this assertion. A new vision and its of management and a different type of executive have come upon the scene. “Most of the great institutions of to-day were small stores a quarter ot a century ago. As such they were conducted in a haphazard way typi- fied by the small country store. The owners of these stores were, in the great majority of instances, the buyers, sellers and financiers. All initiative emanated from the office of the owner or manager, who dominated every ac- tivity. “Organization and system were hard- ly known. What little system the store had was simply a gradual de- velopment to safeguard it against the natural leaks of expansion. Any great amount of system, however, was con- sidered red tape and unnecessary ex- pense. The functioning of any execu- tives or employes not engaged in buy- ing or selling was minimized in im- portance, for the non-selling division was not considered to be of construct- ive benefit in increasing profits or the volume of business. “When an advantageous purchase of merchandise could be made from a jobber or manufacturer patrons of the store making the purchase were usu- ally given the benefit. A big day in business was the result. The natural conclusion of these owner-buyers, therefore, was that the more these so- called advantageous purchases could be made the greater the volume of business the store would do over a given period and the larger the profit would be. What became of the mer- chandise left over after these sales were concluded was given little or no consideration. The loss that had to be taken in order to dispose of this surplus stock was unknown. “There came a time, however, when these great institutions found it was not so easy to procure for the daily stimulation of the business quantities of merchandise that could be offered at price concessions to the public. By this time, though, their customers had been educated to expect to fill their needs at continual savings and were regular prices. Consequently it became necessary to offer, from regular stock, merchandise purchased at full prices. These goods had to be offered at prices low enough to make them interesting to the ulti- mate purchaser. unwilling to buy at “No business can thrive long unless W hither? Pray men, if praying men ye be, And all do supplicate some deity, Whether ye will or no, there comes an hour When frantically we seek a higher power— Pray then, that in this day of gears, Of levers, cogs and wheels, When all of life wherever life is seen Partakes of one great pitiless machine— Humanity may pause and stem this spate Of ruthless driving ere it 1s too late, That God may grant us calm and poise To hear a still small voice above the noise Of clashing parts, of steel on steel, Of plunging pistons, wheel on wheel, The work of head and hand to reach a goal Without the counsel of the soul. For what avails this orgy, what the gain Of cunning hand and master brain, If shrinks the soul a shriveled thing, And Power, no longer slave, becomes the King? Harry Gass. ae ec it makes a legitimate ‘profit, and this method of building up%sales soon be- came something of realgconcern. The percentage of gross a | representing the difference between the cost of the merchandise and the sale price, dimin- ished. This was due not only to the iact that ‘regular’ merchandise con- tinually had to be sacrificed in the sell- ing but also because under the policy of purchasing ‘jobs’ or large lots of merchandise at price concessions large losses had to be taken in the form of mark downs on the less desirable goods included in them. “It is true that under this method of doing business volume developed greatly, until the small stores became great establishments. With this rapid growth, however, — selling mounted out of all proportion, because, due to the artificial stimulation of sales, volume fluctuated greatly from day to day. This meant that the sales staff had to be augmented temporarily to a corresponding degree by untrain- ed, inefficient help whose selling cost Other promotional costs of this type of business also mounted out of proportion to the in- crease of volume. “Then the reaction began to come. It was evident to the management of leading stores that the fundamental structure of their business was not sound. It was further evident that the policy of continually appealing to the public through price alone was un- sound and could not persist forever. They saw clearly that, if the future of their business was to be assured, a more constructive merchandising pol- icy must be developed. expenses was prohibitive. “Consequently, the great retail es- tablishments of to-day are placing less emphasis on the daily price appeal and more stress on the completeness of stocks, new and desirable style and merchandise, refined and liberal service and an atmosphere, in so far as the physical surroundings are concerned, that makes shopping attrac- tive to the public.” quality of Mr. Baer went on to say that hand in hand with this change of policy in merchandising developed the realiza- tion on the part of store managements that organization must be intensified and responsibilities widely distributed from the executive offices, in well-de- fined channels, upon specialists. “These specialists,” he concluded, “were given full responsibility for their particular activity. The organization became a great scientific mechanism, wherein the manifold problems that presented themselves continually, both in mer- chandising and store operation, could be thoroughly analyzed. In the ac- counting division a unit known as the research department was developed. In it, through scientific statistics, many heretofore unknown store’s phases of the activities were brought: to light."—-N. Y. Times. ——_2.—-._ There is hardly anything in this world that some men cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.—John Ruskin. ie tb e e <= oe a) v hs S b. ‘ e pe ~~ of , * ue s A a - » A & m ¥ ce ot * >