INES PILZ COS Fe aor 9 , Ce Ss hic SNE 55 Sort ai, ! e ¢ a he a Y J NOY, , ae BE GA . Xi at a eu 5 x EN a is Ss BY ey Gi H =P Ly ie r R [as > | a yas RS aa elles GNA Les 2 eo == be Za ZENG SAP eH INEZ IIS 4 @3PUBLISHED WEEKLY Cs Qe ST GTRADESMAN COMPANY, PUBLISHERS} ___ Henry Relegated To the Background. General Motors seems to have ex- perienced less difficulty than ford in changing the style of the car which it turns out in largest numbers, indicat- ing that quick shifts are becoming a more easily surmountable obstacle to mass production that must keep up with new popular tastes. Adding cyl- inders is less of a job, to be sure, than substituting entirely new models, but hardly so much so as the difference between weeks and months as a meas- ure of periods of suspension pending But the incident suggests interesting developments than solution of factory problems. The mammoths of the motor vehicle indus- try have been at pains to discounte- nance every intimation that they are alterations. still more fighting each other for supremacy in the low-price field, although the mar- gin between what the public pays for their respective products is not wide. But whatever view be taken of their purposes, it is obvious that in the Spiritual Force When our spirits shall leave this old mansion of clay, When the form that you knew, shall have long passed away, The spirit will live in the same force and sphere That it held when it lived in that mansion while here. The form that we see is far from the plan Of the type of creation that makes up the man. The life that we live while we’re passing this way Has its spiritual force as long as there’s day. The heroes in life are those who defy All the evils that nature would gladly supply, Whose lives ever guide us like a beautiful star With a spiritual force that is seen from afar. Then why should we fear to enter death’s door? Our spirit lives on and will evermore With the same force or value, what e’er it be worth, When it acted as guide while we walked on the earth. L. E. Clintsman. December 19, 1928 consumer markets there has been clash between fords and Chevrolets. Thus far, however, demand for cars in these classes has not been sated, if we may judge . from Chevrolet production in the face of ford’s resumption at close to maximum pace, another illustration of how much larger buying power in particular lines often is than estimates of its strength. It is apparent, never- theless, that General Motors, always far-seeing, has detected signs that make advisable a change of base. Its admir- able system of keeping close to the consumer may have apprised it of a pressing desire for more power and control behind the wheels of the light- est bodies. To the outside observer it looks as though the strategy of com- petiticn had pointed to removal to an arena occupied by a less formidable figure than ford. But however that may be, it is plain that the general staff of Big Business are prepared for every contingency, including hostilities. We have seen in the case of the to- bacco companies hiats of what keen competition among the giants of indus- try may come to. The big fellows, as long as they fight the armies of the Lilliputians, seem to get along with little trouble. If they begin to tackle rivals of their own size the shindig may create conditions in which the little fellows will have a better chance to hold their own. —_+-.___ Death of Veteran Clothier of Ishpem- ing. Ishpeming lost one of its finest citi- zens, Thursday forenocn, when John L. Bradford, head of the clothing firm which bears his name, passed from life. Mr. Bradford suffered long with an incurable ailment, keeping to his bed almost all of the past year. He ac- cepted his lot without complaint and friends marveled at the courage which was always so evident. Few local residents took a keener interest in civic affairs than did John L. Bradford. For years he served on almost every committee that had for its object some city betterment or something that would bring entertain- ment of the proper nature to the peo- ple of the community. A loyal friend having the respect of a great host of friends, he will be missed in Ishpem- ing. Mr. Bradford was a past master of Ishpeming lodge, No. 314, F. & A. M., with which he affiliated in 1892, and for which had been treasurer for the past thirty-four years. He was instru- mental in the organization of Ishpem- ing chapter, No. 152, R. A. M., and was its first high priest. He was also a member of the Knights Templar, the Mystic Shrine and the Consistory, hav- ing held prominent offices in each of these branches. He was a life member of all of these. Mr. Bradford is survived by his wid- ow and one daughter, Mrs. R. C. Whitmore, of Tri Mountain. The funeral was held at 2:30 Satur- day afternoon from the home. Rev. McKay, of the Presbyterian church. officited—_Ishpeming Iron Ore. . ei i 4 . oo cs 7 i df a 4 | December 19, 1928 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 3 What Constitutes Acceptance of Check By Bank. The question of what amounts to a valid acceptance of a check by a bank is one of great importance in the com- mercial world, and has been the sub- ject of much litigation. And, while without doubt the majority of retail merchants have a working knowledge of this point, a brief review of its salient points may not come amiss to even the best informed. In the first place, by the express provisions of the Negotiable Instru- ments Law, it is provided that the ac- ceptance of a check must be in writing to bind the bank. In other words, word of mouth acceptances don’t go, and a bank cannot be held liable there- on even though one relying upon such an acceptance has suffered loss thereby. Now, under this rule, a valid accept- ance may be made by letter, telegram, or other written message if the words employed by the bank imply an = ac- ceptance. On the other hand, the holder of a check is not justified in relying upon acceptance by telephone or other verbal means, and the possible danger in overlooking this point is il- lustrated in a great number of cases. For example. In one case of this kind a merchant was tendered a check in the sum of $325 in the course of a business trans- action. This check was drawn on a bank about fifty miles from where the merchant was located, and he had some doubt about it being good. In this s'tuation the merchant called the bank by long distance telephone, and asked if the check would be cashed when presented. In answer to this, the bank stated that the check was good, and would be honored. Acting upon this promise, the merchant accepted the check but when it was presented to the bank in the course of business the latter re- fused to pay it. The merchant there- upon brought suit against the bank for The bank pointed to the Negotiable Instrument Law, which re- his loss. quired an acceptance to be in writing, and contended that it could not be held liable on its oral acceptance. The case reached the higher court on appeal, and here in reviewing the record the court said: “It is clear to us that the complaint is based on an alleged accepted check. The acceptance relied upon, however, is alleged to have been made in a con- versation over the telephone, and hence rests in parol. This being true, no hiability against appellee (the bank) is shown, by reason of the Negotiable Instrument Act, which reads as_ fol- lows: ““The acceptance must be in writing and signed by the drawee.’ “The provisions are so clear, and their application to the facts alleged are so apparent, as to render argument unnecessary.” However, the merchant contended that the lawsuit was not based on the acceptance of the check by the bank, but upon the latter’s promise to pay the check. It was thereby sought to avoid the condition of the statute that required acceptances to be in writing, In disposing of this contention the court reasoned as follows: “We are unable to recognize and give effect to any such distinction. To give a parol promise to pay a check the same effect as the written accept- ance thereof, by construing the trans- action to be something different from what it really is, would be a mere de- vice to avoid a positive statute, and thereby defeat the ends which the Leg- islature designed to effect by its en- actment, since all the mischiefs of a parole acceptance would attach to all promises like the one under considera- tion.” In conclusion the court affirmed the judgment of the lower court against the merchant. Holding, as outlined in the opinion, that since the bank had not accepted the check in writing its promise over the telephone to pay the check was not enforceable, in the face of the statute that such acceptance should be positive requirement of the in writing. The foregoing case constitutes a striking illustration of the application of the law to the point under discus- sion i, e., what amounts to the accept- ance of a check by a bank. the holding announced, taken with the language of the court in its reasoning, indicates the trend of judicial author- Further, ity in construing the “acceptance” pro- vision of the Negotiable Instruments Law. Truly, in the light of this case, a merchant should have a bank’s promise to pay a check in writing and signed, before he will be justified in treating such a promise as an acceptance. Such writing may be delivered by telegraph, mail or messenger, but writing it must be in order to meet the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Law, and constitute a contract which will bind the bank. Leslie Childs. —_2+.___ Value of Clerks’ Services. Some drug clerks cannot see why the boss will not pay higher wages. They think they-are giving him full time and adequate selling a fair amount of merchandise and they ought service and to have more pay. Let’s figure on it and see what the boss gets out of the clerk's services. Perhaps the total cost of doing busi- ness in that store is 27 per cent. The actual selling expense represented by clerks’ wages may amount to 10 per cent. out of that 27 per cent. Suppose the clerk sells merchandise to the amount of $400 a week, merchandise on which the gross profit averages 30 per cent. That means a gross profit of $120, of which the clerk gets $40; other expenses use up $68, leaving $12 Let the average gross profit drop to 25 per cent. and the boss’ return drops to a minus $8. for the boss—if he gets it. It looks as if the store must be operating on a pretty narrow margin, and paying the clerk more—unless it would result in bigger sales or more profitable sales by him—means_ that it would be better to dispose with his services and the receipts from his sales. If the boss can’t make any money on what his clerk is doing for him. to what end does he continue to hire him? Cities Service SECURITIES Enquire about the latest developments in Cities Service Co. Henry L.Doherty @Co. GRAND RAPIDS OFFICE 811 Michigan Trust Bldg. — Telephone 94336 HOME OFFICE 60 Wall St., New York City. BRANCHES IN PRINCIPAL CITIES. WHITE HOUSE COFFEE — And Hard Cash for You! Of course, you’re in business to make money. With a good margin of profit assured, you can make the MOST money by giving your customers the best values for THEIR money. In the coffee line, this means selling White House Coffee with the flavor - “roasted in.” It means more satisfac- tion on the table, steady repeats, grow- ing good-will for your store. Try White House Coffee in your own home. You'll be eager, then, to send it into other homes—and you can do it at a good profit. Chhe Flavor is Roasted In DWINELL-WRIGHT CO., Boston, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Portsmouth, Va. 4 MOVEMENTS OF MERCHANTS: Albion—M. A. Magnolla succeeds Nick Salm in the grocery business. Flint—The Genesee Garage, Inc., has changed its name to the Genesee Tire Co., Inc. Maple Rapids — Clarence Gregory succeeds J. F. Frisbie in the grocery business. Norway—L. the Fitwell Clothing Store, has made Charash, proprietor ot an assignment. Croswell—The State Bank of Cros- well has increased its capital stock from $60,000 to $90,000. Lumber stock Girard capital Menominee—The Co. has decreased its fram $300,000 to $150,000. Johnson, dealer in 3026 Detroit—Earl C. shoes. at filed a petition in bank- boots and Hastings street, has ruptcy. Detroit—The H. B. Clifford Roofing Co., 2730 Lawton avenue, has increased its capital stock from $200,000 to $275,000. Detroit—The United Tile & Fire- place Co., 5431 Wabash avenue, has in- creased its capital stock from $10,000 to $150,600. Detroit— The Hutt (o., 7366 14th street, has changed its name Equipment Plummer to the Plummer Spray Corporation Detroit—Ben Z. Schneider has sold his stock of shoes, furnishings, etc., to Arthur H. Davis, who will continue the business at the same location, 9838 Wyoming avenue. Harold steen has engaged in the millinery, Kalamazoo—Mrs. Sharp- lingerie. and novelties business at 113 West Lovell street under the style of the Tackaberry Hat Shop. Detroit — The Concrete Materials Co.. 600 Union Trust building, has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of 10,000 shares a $1 per share, $1,000 being subscribed and paid in in cash, Grand Rapids—The Michigan Retail Clothiers and Furnishers Association will hold its next annual convention in March i2, 13 and 14. Sessions will be held in the convention hall of the Pantlind Hotel. Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo—!. Charles Ross, Secre- tary of the Edwards & Chamberlain Hairdware Co., denies the report that his house has sold its stock te Sears, Roebuck & Co. The Tradesman cheer- fully gives place to the denial. Dertoit—The Producers Sales Cor- poration, 41 Harper avenue, has been incorporated to deal in merchandise as manufacturers’ agent, with an author- stock of $10,000. all of which has been subscribed and $1,000 paid in in cash. ized capital Reeman—-Paul Parent, of Chicago, who recently took over the Holton creamery, has purchased the plant, equipment and real estate of the Ree- man Creamery Co. and will continue the business under its present manager, Clarence Fostveldt. Detroit—The Maiden Lane Jawelry Co., Metropolitan building, has been incorporated to deal in jewelry at wholesale and retail, with an author- ized capital stock of $1,000 common and 24,000 shares at $10 per share, *the Campbell MICHIGAN TRADESMAN $1,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Manufacturing Matters. Sparta—The Sparta Foundry Co. has increased its capital stock from $150,000 to $300,000. Detroit—The Headlight Kilglare Co., 5544 Dickerson avenue, has been incor- porated to manufacture headlight re- flectors, with an authorized capital of $1,000, $250 of which ‘has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—The Universal Wheel Co., 1501 Twelfth street, has been incor- porated with an authorized capital stock of 10,000 shares at $1 per share, $10,000 being subscribed and paid in, $200 in cash and $9,800 in property. Detroit — The Michigan Copper & 3rass Co., 5851 West Jefferson avenue, has changed its name to the M. C. 3B. Stockholders, Inc., and increased its capital stock from 600,000 shares no par value to 1,200,000 shares no par value. Detroit—The Michigan Mineral Felt Sales Co., 3971 Cass avenue, has been incorporated to manufacture and deal in mineral felt, with an authorized cap- ial stock of $6,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in, $2,485 in cash and $1,515 in property. Ann Arbor — The Auto-Parts Co., Inc., North Ashley street, has been incorporated to manufacture and deal in auto parts, garage equipment and tools, with an authorized capital stock of $75,000, $50,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Monroe — The Hamilton Carhartt Co., of Detroit, will begin work this winter upon a factory building which will afford some 60,000 feet of floor space and by next July the entire or- ganization will be operating in Monroe with about 400 employes and an an- nual payroll of more than $350,000. Detroit—The Best Store Fixture Co.. 1219 Beaubien street, has merged its business into a stock company under Best Store Manufacturing Co.. with an authorized capital stock of $24,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in in the stvle of the Fixture cash. The company manufactures and deals in restaurant and store fixtures. Kalamazoo—Negotiations are pend- ing that will probably result in the sale of the Metal Window Corporation of Kalamazoo to Sheet Metal Corporation. The latter concern is controlled by the Mellon interests and is said to be the largest metal window plant in the United States. In this stockholders in Voigtmann Sheet Window connection preferred the Voigtmann Co. are being offered $10.25 a share for their holdings and the stock is being rapidly signed off. It is expected to complete the trans- fer before 30 days. The Voigtmann Metal Window Corporation will prob- ably continue to operate under its old Kalamazoo. Robert Voigtmann, Fred H. Walterman and QO. H. Iman will continue with the company in their present managerial name and in The Kalamazoo plant will be used as the Western manufacturing and distributing point for the concern. It is reported that many expansions will be made here. capacities. Two Grand Rapids Companies Enlarge Their Usefulness. Chicago, Dec. 19—The Nachman Spring-Filled Corporation, Chicago, has purchased the National Spring & Wire Company and the Marshall Com- manufacturers, of It is understood that pany, mattress Grand Rapids. a new corporation will be organized under the name of the National-Mar- shall Spring Corporation, which will take over the business of the two Grand Rapids companies and will be operated at Grand Rapids as_hereto- fore. The Grand Rapids unit will take over all of the automobile business now being done by the parent company at Chicago, in addition to manufacturing | the Nachman cushions and mattress centers. The mattress manufacturing will be discontinued in the near future, inasmuch as the Nachman Company sells spring centers to practically all mattress manufacturers in the country, and it is not their intention to manu- facture the completed mattress. The Nachman Company will also sell the Marshall spring centers and other con- ventional types of springs now manu- Grand Rapids, but not heretofore manufactured by them. factured at Company has been It has made a tremendous amount of money in the The Nachman extremely successful. Its stock, which was Mitchell-Hutchins Company early last summer at $28.50 nast few years. brought out by per share and put on the Chicago ex- change, is selling to-day around $60— and has been as high as $79. They have an excellent credit standing. They have factories at Chicago and Los Angeles, and it is their intention to other units at New York, High Point and other strategic posi- take on tions. The consolidation of their com- pany and the two Grand Rapids units, makes them the second largest manu- facturer of springs in the world, and the largest user of fine spring wire. While Mr. McInerney personally controls and owns several important patents, they also have excellent ones, and the consolidation of these patents will be advantageous to both com- panies. On being shown the above statement from our Chicago correspondent, Mr. McInerney refused to either confirm or deny the truth of the report. He stated that negotiations had been in progress for some weeks and that the matter would probably be closed definitely before the end of the present week. Under the circumstances he did not wish to be quoted as authorizing the official publication of the report, be- cause such action by him or his new associates could not be taken until all the papers have been signed and property transfers effected. Mr. McInerney and an associate in New they have been operating two years ago. Mr. McInerney has had no assistance York purchased the properties from his associate except in a financial way. He has shown great ability in taking hold of a business which was at low ebb and building it up with great rapidity. His sale of springs to automobile manufacturers this year will approximate $1,000,000. December 19, 1928 Under the new arrangement the vol- ume of business at the Grand Rapids plants will be greatly augmented, ren- dering necessary the employment of many more men than in the past. Mr. McInerney came to Grand Rap- ids with wide experience as a manu- facturer in his line of business, which gave him a great advantage in the work of rehabilitation and advancement. He soon established himself in the estima- tion of the community as an expert manufacturer, genial companion, good citizen and a Christian gentleman. He is to be congratulated on having ef- fected an alliance with men of large experience in the same line of business and ample capital to give the business even more impetus than it has en- joved in the past. —_+++____ Mayonnaise Defined in a Standard Formula. The Secretary of Agriculture adopted a definition and standard for mayon- salad which has not heretofore been officially defined. It naise dressing, was announced November 15 by the Food, Drug and Insecticide Adminis- Agriculture. The announcement follows in full text: tration, Department of The new definition was adopted upou Food com- the recommendation of the Standards Committee, a joint mittee including representatives of the Association of Dairy, Food and Drug Officials of the United States, Associa- tion of Official Agricultural Chemists and the United States Department of Agriculture. The standards and definitions recom- mended by this committee are not only adopted by the Department of Agri- culture for the guidance of its officials in enforcing the Federal food and drugs act but by many states in the enforcement of state laws. In some standards and definitions adopted by the Department of Agricul- ture automatically become standards and definitions for those states. states the The text of the new definition and standard is as follows: “Mayonnaise, or mayonnaise dress- ing, or mayonnaise salad dressing is the clean, sound, semisolid emulsion of edible vegetable oil and egg volk or whole egg, with vinegar and-or lemon juice, and with one or more of. the following: Salt, sugar. The finished product contains not less than 50 per cent. of edible vegetable oil, and the sum of the percentages of oil and egg yolk is not less than 78.” —_22>____ Pickle Crop Reduced. A number of pickle manufacturers have complained that the Government report of 5,000,000 bushels and over for this season’s cucumber crop, being read by buyers throughout the coun- try, was having an injurious effect: when a buyer was told that the re- ceipts were about 4,000,000 bushels, he became skeptical and maintained that surely the Government report was cor- rect. The National Pickle Packers’ Association estimates the crop for the whole country at from 4,000,000 to 4,- 500,000 bushels, or an average of 59 bushels to the acre, explaining that fewer pickles were harvested than an- ticipated. spice, ee cae Mook aa a | | i ER TSC een December 19, 1928 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 5 Essential Features of the Grocery Staples. Sugar—Jobbers hold cane granulated at 5.85 and beet granulated at 5.75. Canned Fruits—Although there is a lull now in trading of canned fruits, all markets continue very strong and steady. California canned fruits are especially firm. On the Coast apricots and pears have been advancing in price and buyers are findnig it difficult to obtain just what they want. Coast supplies of peaches are being diminish- ed more rapidly than was expected and buyers are mostly ordering for im- Hawaiian apple has been well sold up on the Coast for some time, and what with a pack somewhat smaller than was estimated it is very firmly quoted. Canned Vegetables—Spot peas are in fair demand considering the general dullness of the market at this time of the year. Certain grades are very scarce, No. 2 sieve sweets and fancy mediate shipment. pine- Standard No. 4 sieve Alaskas are also limited in supply. Canned Fish—The market for all grades of salmon is quiet and while some of the Alaska grades show easi- ness Columbia River grades rule at strong prices. Fancy Chinook salmon is cleaned out of first hands and spot stocks are very light. Dried Fruits—A little buying now and then keeps the market from being altogether lifeless and contributes to the general clean-up of shelves, which is perhaps the outstanding feature of conditions existing in the market this season. Every item in the list remains firm and without radical change quot- ably. Warehouse stocks in California of regular limas are approximately 385,000 bags. From this quantity all seed for the coming season and _ all cleaning loss must be deducted. In addition a large quantity of limas have been sold for December shipment. Factors here doubt as to whether there will be enough to satisfy the demands of the consuming trade even at the higher price levels which are expected. Figures have not been received on storages of baby limas but November shipments were heavy and December 1 stocks were 175,000 bags, which are small when it is held in view that no more stock is due until next September. There is no pressure to sell in any of the dried fruits. Buy- ers will have soon to make commit- ments for January, February and March deliveries. The statistical posi- tion of nearly every article is such that any concerted buying will force prices up, and that is what the trade is look- ing to shortly after the turn of the express year. Molasses—A normal, regular de- mand characterized the local market in molasses this week. Grocery molasses is now to be had in new crop, prompt shipment and in all grades. The present market in this is being maintained with prices very firm, but quotably unchanged. An advance in local quotations is expected in the near future. Nuts—If it could be said that there are any outstanding features to the nut market perhaps it is the weakness which appeared in almonds of certain grades and sizes. There was no ap- parent reason for the easiness of these grades, notably Nonpariels, since Coast Other nuts cleaned up as well as could be expected supplies are not overlarge. and prices are maintained on a basis without fluctuation. New crop pecans are meeting a fairly good demand and in a retail way are selling in moderate volume. Pickles—Demand for all pickles has been slow recently because of the holi- day season and continued mild weather, which always has a tendency to damp- en the sales of condiments. Many blocks of dill pickles have been offered but few actual sales have eventuated. The large sizes—6s, 8s and 10s—are quite scarce, while medium and small sizes are in plentiful supply. A num- ber of rejections were again reported. Salt Fish—Offerings are very scarce, so that few quotations can possibly be made on anything like an accurate basis. Stocks are exceptionally low here. Vinegar—A small volume of. busi- ness is being transacted but prices are steady and firm at primary points. —_22.>__ Review of the Produce Market. Apples — Wolf River, $1.25@1.50; Northern Spy, $1.75 for No. 1 and $1.50 for No. 2; Baldwins, $1.25@1.50; Tallman Sweets, $1@1.25. Hubbards- ton, $1.75; Snow, $1.75; Idaho Delici- ous, $2.75 per bu. basket. Bagas—Canadian, $1.40 per 100 Ib. bag. 3ananas—7'44@8c per Ib. Beets—$1.25 per bu. Brussel Sprouts—30c per qt. Butter—The market is steady and unchanged. Jobbers hold prints at 5lc; fresh packed in 65 Ib. tubs, 50c; fresh packed in 33 Ib. tubs, 50%c; June packed in tubs, 46c. Butter Florida. Carrots—Home grown, $1.25 per bu.; 3eans—$5 per hamper for new from Calif., $3.75 per crate of 5 doz. Cabbage—Home grown, $1.20 per bu. Cauliflower—$2 per doz. Celery—40@60c per bunch accord- ing to size. Cocoanuts—90c¢ per doz. or $7 per bag. Cranberries—Late Howe, $5 per % bbl. box. $9.50 per % bbl. box. Cucumbers—$1.40 per doz. for Illhi- nois hot house. Dried Beans—Michigan jobbers are quoting as follows: Glin Bea Beans 9 $9.10 Pyght Red Kidney 22:00 8.90 Dark Red Kidney 8.90 Eggs—Fresh continue to decline. Local jobbers pay 40c for strictly fresh. Cold storage supplies are now being offered on the following basis: WOU Standards 0 35¢ Mm Standaras No 3le OGG) Se ee 29c Garlick—23c per Ib. Grapes—Calif. Emperor, $2 per lug. Grape Fruit — Florida, $4.50@4.75 per crate. Green Onions — Chalotts, 50c per doz. Green Peppers—90c per doz. Lemons—The market has advanced enormously, due to the sudden demand created by the flu. Ruling prices this week are as follows: J00 cumist 20 $11.00 OU smmktst 0 11.00 MOO wea Bale 2 3100 O00 Red Ball = 11.00 Lettuce—In good demand on_ the following basis: Arizona Iceberg, per crate ______$4.75 Flot heuse leaf, per Ib. ___. 12¢ Limes—$1.25 per box. Mushrooms—65e per Ib. Oranges—Fancy Sunkist California Navels are now on the following basis: De s5 25 10 ee 5.75 VO 6.00 ON) ee 6.00 Oe _. 6.00 Oye 6.0! Florida, $5 per crate for all sizes. Onions — Spanish, $2.25 per crate; home grown, $4.50 per 100 Ib. bag. Pears—$2.50 per bu. for Anjou. Potatoes—40@60c per bu., according to quality. Poultry—Wilson & Company pay as follows: Freavy fowls 2 25c Pere fowlo| 00 l6c Fleavy Roaster 9 27¢ We ES Brotless 9 oe 18¢ Radishes—40c per doz. bunches. Spinach—$1.75 per bu. Sweet Potatoes—$2.75 per hamper for Jerseys. Tangarines—$3.75 per box. 1 Tomatoes — $1.25 for 6 lb. basket from California. Veal Calves — Wilson & Company pay as follows: Pagey 20 19¢ Good = — I/7e Neectom l4c POGOe 2 lle ———_»~-~.____ Airmail Boon To Modern Business in Michigan. Twenty-four million dollars of cap- ital and negotiable securities wings its way daily into Wall street by air mail, ringing these interest-bearing papers ene to three days ahead of train mail. The capital arriving in New York via air mail this year will exceed eight billion dollars, and the interest on this money for one to three days represents savings of millions of dollars. Twelve Michigan cities are served directly by air mail, and many others are in a posi- tion to benefit by the service it renders. ' Practically the whole State is one day nearer to New York City. Although air mail is not 100 per cent. efficient, it is rapidly improving, and many local banking institutions are finding it to their financial advantage to use the service. One Grand Rapids bank has reported a saving of over $200 in one letter to New York City. Day by commodities is going through the air day a wider diversity of in mail planes. In one month, ship- ments have included bread, ice cream, pawn tickets and jewelry. Some of the larger users of air mail are film banks, bond houses, jewelers, advertising agencies, etc. Alert buyers scour the New York market for the latest in fashions, and each night the planes carry models of hats, gowns and lingerie. companies, There are spare parts for a machine in Nebraska to save the payroll dur- ing idleness, the crew weuld otherwise receive; a present from a forgetful hus- band who delayed purchase of his wife’s gift until too late for regular mail; a belated package for a traveler about to board a ship for foreign ports: photographs of important news events: and so on through a wide range of shipments. Air transport already has been a boon to advertisers. A Chicago agency received a wire from its Western client that it was advisable to change copy for the first of a series of advertise- ments, but the first insertion date must be as scheduled. By working all day new copy was prepared, was put on the mail plane that night, and twenty hours later was in San Francisco, Los \ngeles and the Coast cities. Another agency blocked out a series of advertisements and left blank spaces for copy which was sent later by air mail, thus saving the firm heavy tele- graph tolls. Often cuts, which have been delaved, are sent via air mail and get to their destination before the regu- lar copy arrives by train mail. With the low rate now in effect, Various companies are using air mail in direct-mail campaigns. Air mail gets:not only fast and_ preferential handling, but also preferential reading. Under the old rate it required 20 cents postage for a letter and an enclosure. This same material can now be sent for five cents. Retail stores throughout Michigan and the whole country are using air mail and transport regularly to re- plenish stock of light weight articles. A printer in Illinois broke an essential part on the press he was running for twenty-four hours a day. He tele- graphed to a Connecticut manufactur- er for a spare part which had a value of three dollars, and in twelve hours air mail had delivered the part and he was saved $300 a shut-down would have cost. Publishers are now send- ing newspapers, magazines and photo- graphs by air. Advertising men can save money by the use of air mai] service. In these days of keen competition it behooves the alert man to use the fastest mail communication. Personal and business matters of importance can now. be explained in detail to distant corre- spondents and be delivered in a sur- prisingly short time. Air mail has be- come the new tool of American busi- ness in its constant fight against time and space. Michigan is well located on the airways of the United States. Let the people of this State continue to use this great Government. service to convince themselves further of its many advantages. —_+-.__ Animals fed upon a chemically pure food devised in scientific laboratories in a_ recent experiment suddenly stopped growing and natural food had to be resorted to. Dr. H. M. Evans of the University of California, look- ing into the reason, found that a sixth vitamin, F, was necessary, and that lettuce and liver “almost contain it. certainly” 6 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 19, 1928 IN THE REALM OF RASCALITY. Questionable Schemes Which Are Under Suspicion. In the ranks of business men are tens of thousands of pirates and Get-rich-quick are thick on every side. A great deal of advertising still contains statements So-called bargain sales rake in a lot of easy money. Tipster sheets and fake ad- visory services afford a fat living for a small army of people who lack all plunderers. schemes that are highly questionable. sense of responsibility. This does not mean that conditions throughout the field of commerce and industry. The are growing worse truth is that honesty in business is on The way of the trans- gressor is becoming a more difficult National associations, federal commissions and various busi- the increase. road to travel. ness bureaus are doing effective work Nevertheless, hun- dreds of millions of dollars are still in exposing frauds. wasted each year by people who fall tor fakes. When I was a young fellow just out of college, a certain swindler became famous for his shrewdness in the suc- cessful promotion of fraudulent enter- prises. He is still doing business in the same old line and right now is em- ploying a number of celebrated lawyers to fight indictments that charge him with the criminal use of Federal the mails. To those who believe that we finally succeed in putting away all malefactors, it may be well to point out that this man has carried on crooked conspiracies for a quarter of a century and is still out of jail. The stories now being told about huge fortunes made in the stock mar- ket have merely whetted the specula- tive appetites of millions of people who ar inclined to take a chance. Un- scrupulous dealers in questionable se- curities have been quick to take ad- vantage of this situation. They are grabbing millions of dollars of the public's money by employing the seemingly plausible but fallacious in- stallment plan in the selling of stocks. A recent investigation showed that many of these dealers do not keep the Their methods of doing business closely re- securities they have for sale. semble the schemes formerly used by “bucket shops.” A majority of the transactions are conducted entirely on paper, and although these fly by night brokerage firms have rendered no ser- vice whatever, they not only send a bill to the customer for a commission and a service charge, but also ask for interest on the unpaid purchase price. The investor after making his initial payment has only the promise of the So far as the broker is concerned, it is a case of dealer as his protection. “Heads I win and tails you lose.” The vending of securities has been carried on recently in many places by means of “tipster sheets” having fancy names. By means of such fake ad- visory services many concerns are suc- ceeding in selling obscure issues of stocks in struggling or defunct com- price panies. The over-the-counter quotations of such securities are pure- ly fictitious. One may execute buying orders at these prices but never a sale. Although the “tipster sheets” gotten out by these unreliable concerns pur- port to give unbiased stock-market in- formation, they are edited by mere behind whom the dishon- est principals carry on their fraudulent practices. Unfortunately, it is still possible for crooked gamblers to get the artificial prices of stocks of flimsy ventures published in the columns of reputable newspapers. But heaven help the fellow who needs money and tries to get it by selling his certificates in the open market at the prices listed. ’ “dummies’ Under the new methods now em- ployed by crooks it is clear that swin- dling has been established on a mass- production Almost daily we read of concerns thrown into the hands of receivers because of fraudulent prac- tices carried on by the managements. But even when the dishonest prin- cipals are caught, the disclosure comes too late to save the money of their un- fortunate dupes. Millions were lost in a securities company that was organ- ized in New Jersey for the ostensible purpose of acquiring control of a num- ber of banks. More than 150,000 peo- ple were caught in the failure of a con- struction corporation that proposed to build the world’s largest hotel in New York City. An immense amount of basis. money was obtained from women with small savings by a crook who pro- moted a venture to make gasoline from garbage. It is a very fine line that now divides legitimate practices from those Notwithstanding earnest efforts to eliminate dishonesty in advertising, it is estimated that fraudulent selling copy still costs the American public more than a half bil- lfon dollars annually. Let anyone look about him and ask how many state- ments that appear on every side could be verified. Dozens of different kinds of medicines are sold at many times that are fraudulent. their true value on the basis of claims that the proprietors are unable to sub- stantiate. Certain kinds of oils with fancy names are no better than ordin- ary mineral oil. Many varieties of soap, toothpaste and hair tonic are sold on the strength of misleading names or slogans that no one will guarantee. Wildly fantastic exaggerations con- tinue to be made respecting the merits of automobiles, cosmetics, tobacco products, mechanical devices and food preparations. Certain varieties of wearing apparel are advertised as “exclusive patterns” although identical garments are on sale in other stores. Many of the ad- vertisements which say “your money back if not satisfied” are only sources of disappointment to those who act in good faith on such promises. In al- most every city are some stores that try to build success on a policy of mis- leading window displays and high- pressure salesmanship. Frequently the articles offered inside are not the same as those displayed in the windows. Some ask first-class prices for “sec- onds;” others pass off goods as having been imported when they are not; imitation furs are sold as genuine; the statement “direct from the mills” is untrue; famous trade-marks are mis- used. Recently an advertisement told of a phonograph that was for sale for $2 down and $2 per week. Investigation showed that the machine was a cheap grade of the kind advertised. The cabinet was a rank imitation. The name plate had been removed from the machine and placed on the outside of the cabinet. A customer trying to buy the outfit found that $2 down meant only that the machine would be held for him. He was told that he must pay $10 before securing possession. Player pianos of discontinued de- signs were offered for $95—regular price $650. The enquiring customer found that the instruments were in bad mechanical condition and more than 25 years old. The advertisement was merely a bait to get customers into the store and sell them other instru- ments at higher prices. This same in- vestigator found ‘‘camel’s hair” blan- kets that contained a large percentage of wool; leather belts stamped “Gen- uine Cowhide on Calf’ that were lined with sheep; and various kinds of sales that contained only a few articles of the grade advertised, while all the rest were taken from regular stock and be- ing sold without any reduction at all. Price juggling is generally as bad for trade as money juggling is for sound banking. It is for this reason that many people now avoid stores where Experi- enced shoppers have come to under- stand that there is a great deal of bunk They know that when the retailer takes a loss on one article, he must balance this by an exceess profit on another. The wise customer understands that when the sole purpose of a cut in price is to win price bargaining is possible. in cut-price sales. a confidence that later is to be betray- ed, a condition arises that tends to transform retailing from a legitimate business to a game of chance. 3ut let us not run away with the idea that the percentage of fraudulent practices is any greater in retailing than in dozens of other lines of busi- ness. The majority of shopkeepers are entirely honest and are _ heartily ashamed of those of their contempo- raries who bring undeserved censure to the merchant who is fair and con- scientious. The truth is that the pro- fessional ‘‘easy-money sharks” are now active in hundreds of fields. Their glib tongues are devoted wholly to the single purpose of obtaining money un- der false pretenses. Their activities range from peddling tickets for fake banquets and balls to selling member- ship cards in detective associations that promise high-salaried positions in the secret service. It is amazing how many people fall for schemes that seem utterly absurd the next day after the high-pressure salesman has passed out of the picture. Tricky automobile venders sell used cars to unsophisticated purchasers who cannot see a multitude of weaknesses through a single coat of new paint. Articles of merchandise are sent through the mails with pathetic ap- peals from people who are crippled or blind. Back of these unfortunates are clever swindlers who pocket the re- mittances. One faker working this game with two blind men pulled in more than $5,000 in three months for neckties that were worth only a frac- tion of that amount. A puzzle contest that was staged in a number of leading newspapers of- fered a prize of $500 to the one who would send in the correct solution. The puzzle was easy and thousands of pecple answered correctly. All of these folks received a letter from the company congratulating them on their success in solving the puzzle, but were told that the first prize had been changed to a closed automobile of well-known manufacture. Each was in- formed that his answer was ready for submission to the final judges for con- sideration of neatness, style, hand- writing, etc. In the meantime, the “special gift bond” with a value of $10 to apply to the purchase of a pearl necklace worth $13.50. Thousands of people sent the bond back with $3.50 and received a necklace that cost the company less than a dollar. Thousands of company enclosed a would-be scenario writers are striving to share in the fame and wealth created by the amaz- ing growth of the film industry. This situation has been capitalized by clever crooks who make a business of assur- ing success in motion-picture writing to anybody who has money to spend. The alluring advertisements of self- styled ‘ bring in thousands of dollars from untrained men and women who are led to believe that a so-called “staff of experts” can serve them satisfactorily in lieu of ex- perience and literary ability. For this “constructive advice” the hopeful author must pay a charge varying from $25 to $150. He does not know that the aspiring scenarist has only one chance out of 25,000 of suc- ceeding.—Flovd W. Parsons in Shoe Retailer. ‘scenario experts” Merrill, Dec. 15—Here is something that may belong to the Realm of Ras- cality. On Novy. 10 a person calling himself R. Q. Rodgers solicited advertising from the local merchants for a_ther- mometer, barometer and clock unit, to be placed on a building here. The order enclosed will explain the proposition. In some cases he col- lected part of the amount. We took a space also, but did not pay anything. He promised to deliver the outfit with- in the next week, but to date we have not seen or heard from him. Mail sent to his address in Detroit is returned, marked, “Left no address.” This party showed letters from banks in different places, speakin~ very high- ly of these units. We remember one of the letters was from a bank in Frankenmuth. Nov. 10 being Saturday we did not have much time to give him and did not give him the advertising we want- ed in our space. He promised to re- turn later for it, but did n-* do so. All things considered, this looks very much like a fraud and would be a warning to other merchants if men- tioned in your Realm of Rascality. We have taken the Tradesman for quite a few years and find a lot of valuable reading in same and would not be without it. Schaefer-MicKinnon Co. The scheme is evidently a swindle. sae ene ig aphasia sear Po 2, A mares BNR, caine ated a See mares BNR, December 19, 1928 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Rodgers purported to do business un- der the name of the Jumbo Advertising Service and to be located at 2049 La Salle Gardens, South, Detroit. We are glad no reader of the Tradesman in Merrill got caught on the cheat. We have always warned our readers to pay no money to strangers under any circumstances. This rule should never be deviated from by any merchant. If merchants would all adhere to the rule, we would soon be able to put out of business the swindlers who resort to this expedient. St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 15—I have re- ceived a communication from E. A. Stowe, editor of the Michigan Trades- man, in connection with your account amounting to $29.84. Mr. Stowe seems to be of the opinion that the action of my client, in sending you this mer- chandise without previous order is a violation of the postal laws. My client, however, has taken this matter up with the postal authorities and the postal law itself, as Mr. Stowe just sent me a copy of same, will in- dicate that there is no law against a concern sending out merchandise for acceptance or rejection. It is your right to reject the merchandise when it is first delivered. If you take it into your place, you are subject to paying fo rit through suit or otherwise. We have secured a number of petitions on cases of this nature in several states and a judgment has always been rendered for the plain- tiff. However, my client is willing to ac- cept the return of the merchandise in settlement of their account. If you will therefore arrange to send it back freight collect or express collect, it will enable us to close this matter up. Adolph M. Schwarz. The above letter, which was sent to a Realm of Rascality reader, contains so much falsehood that it seems well to refer to it in detail. This department has never held that the sending out of merchandise un- ordered is illegal. We hope to see the next Congress make it illegal through the enactment of a law sponsored by Representative Watson, of Pennsyl- vania, prohibiting such acts. Until tha tlaw is enacted anyone can ship anything he wishes to another without any uathority. Schwartz deliberately lies when he says: “If you take it into your place, you are subject to paying for it.” There is no law or ruling on which to base this arrant falsehood. The Solicitor of the Post Office De- partment wrote the writer under date of July 15, 1928: “Persons are under no obligation to receive or account for merchandise sent to them through the mails un- ordered.” Rulings by departmnet heads of the Government are, of course, subject to review by the courts, but no one has had the nerve to take this ruling into court, because it is based on common law, common decency and common sense, Schwartz further lies when he writes that “judgments have always been rendered for the plaintiff” in such cases. Neither he nor any other alleged col- lector has ever obtained judgment against any merchant because he took unordered goods into his store. ‘While the shipping out of goods in this manner is not illegal, it is dis- honest, pernicious and pestiferous and no merchant of any standing will re- sort to such a questionable method in marketing his products. John Lovett, manager of the Mich- igan Manufacturers’ Association, has sent a bulletin to his members saying: An organization calling itself the Mich- igan Sheriffs’ Association, is seeking money from business executives, alleg- ing that the funds are to go toward ob- taining some needed legislation at Lan- sing. It is not made clear by the can- vassers just what the money is to be spent for. It is not necessary to raise funds to secure any needed legislation at the hands of the Legislature. Any worthy cause can be put through by voluntary effort on the part of those interested. In nine cases out of ten the money thus secured gets no further than the itching palm of the solicitor. ee eee Interesting Incidents From Michigan’s Metropolis. Detroit, Dec. 18—Detroit came in for some vigorous advertising in the lower house of Congress in connection with the recent debate over the Treas- ury appropriation bill which included $34,000,000 for prohibition enforcement. The New York representatives storm- ed and fumed and seemed to be in a particularly envious mood, because De- troit, they said, was the funnel through which bootleg liquor is poured into the United States. A dreary picture—that is, dreary for the rest of the country—was drawn of Detroit. Thousands of gallons were portrayed as pouring through the hos- pitable Detroit gateways into an other- wise arid country. Representative Louis Cramton, standing forth as the chanypion of the drys, was put on the defensive in connection with the al- leged wetness of the leading city of his home state, but he stood by his guns. Prohibition Commissioner, J. F. Doran, had said in the hearings pre- ceding the reporting of the appropria- tion bill that it would cost the United States Government $300,000,000 to po- lice the country into dryness and in addition establish a string of special courts all over the United States. He said Congress, by its appropriation policy, had never voted such complete aridity. The New York wets took this up and Representative LaGuardia propos- ed to amend the prohibition feature of the bill by appropriating something like this amount of money, instead of the $34,000,000 actually adopted for pro- hibition, including the coast guard and customs adjuncts. It was intended as a gesture and so accepted. The coun- trv will have to struggle along with the thirty-four million degree of dry- ness. Testifying before the House appro- priations committee last week, Col. L. G. Nutt, deputy prohibition commis- sioner in charge of narcotics, made some statements which clash with widely-held views as to the effect of prohibition on the using of drugs. A survey made by him in all territory West of the Mississippi, in which he interviewed state attorneys, police offi- cers, field prohibition agents, Federal judges, and others, convinced him, he said, that the drug habit is becoming less and less common. Col. Nutt denied emphatically that prohibition of alcoholic liquor was in- creasing the number of narcotic addicts in this country. “It is not true,” he said. “The two don’t go together. A man addicted to narcotic drugs will rarely turn to liquor, or vice versa. We have made a careful study of that through the public health service. You will occasionally find a man who will take morphine and cocaine, but not one who takes morphine and cocaine and whiskey.” Nutt estimates that there are 25 big drug syndicates engaged in the traffic in the United States. He said that the cost of morphine in Boston was $22.50 per ounce, when purchased wholesale in hundred-ounce lots. By the single ounce it costs $35 an ounce. To the trade, a dollar for one to four grains in cube form. The price in New York, he stated, was $12 to $16 an ounce, wholesale, and $30 to $35 an ounce in single ounces. With the new Big Six Pontiac just around the corner and the unveiling of the new Roosevelt car set for Dec. 19, public interest will have little chance to cool off. The mysterious White Prince, too, is in the offing, and other surprises are in store for the motoring public. With many of the important lines out and prices for next year announced, a pretty fight for business is. seen. Manufacturers and dealers are prepared for a struggle. Resumption of manufacturing activ- itv in plants closed down for inventory, rearrangement or expansion has had a heartening effect on the general em- ployment situation, though in Detroit proper another weekly reduction in pavrolls was reported by the Emplov- ers’ Association. This amounted to 2,294, bringing the total down to 272,- 103, which is. still 73,451 above the figures for the same week in last vear. Out in the State, Olds Motor Works and the Fisher Body Corporation at Lansing have resumed operations, giv- ing renewed employment to about 6,500 workers. One of the most active steps toward curbing the present plague of fake solicitors and racketeers, was taken last week by the American Legion when the Commander of the Wayne County Council of the Legion issued a formal statement warning the public against a number of rackets being operated in which the name of the Legion is being used. Members of the Board of Commerce and business men generally should be deeply interested in this effort because, in a large meas- ure, the business men are the heavy contributors to unworthy causes. The formal statement of the Legion is as follows: Public solicitation of donations of money or merchandise, the sale of blocks of tickets, merchandise or so- licitation of advertising of any kind, for or in the name of the American Legion in Wayne County, are abso- lutely unauthorized by the Legion. Regardless of alleged credentials pre- sented by such solicitors, all persons or firms so approached are urged to absolutely refuse to contribute and to report_ immediately_ to. Department Headquarters, Cadillac 8487, or to Wayne County Council, Cadillac 1632, giving as complete information as pos- sible to assist the Legion in arresting and prosecuting these “racketeers.” In this effort the Legion has the en- dorsement of the Board of Commerce, the Retail Merchants’ Assn., and the Better Business Bureau. The County Council Commander further assures the business men of Detroit that all re- lief work and assistance to veterans of all wars and the administration work of the Council are handled through the Servicemen’s Bureau, in the Commun- ity Fund Building. This work is un- der the direction of John Ballenger. Through this arrangement the Ameri- can Legion in Detroit is not in need of financial support for any purpose, the Commagder declares, and matters of that kind are handled without duplica- tion of effort and under proper super- vision and economical management. —_—__>2>—____ Our actions and words reflect accu- rately the kind of soul we have in us, Niles—The Mid-West Metal Prod- ucts Co., has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $50,000 common, $15,000 preferred and 20,000 shares at $1 per share, $51,500 of which has been subscribed, $3,000 paid in in cash and $48,500 in property. Battle Creek—James Neon Inc., Elm street, has been incorporaied Lights, to manufacture and sell electric signs, etc., with an authorized capital stock of $500,000 preferred and 75,000 shares at $5 a share, of which amount $10,010 has been subscribed and $1,010 paid im im cash, Business Wants Department Advertisements inserted under this head tor five cents a word the first insertion and four cents a word fer each subse- quent continuous insertion. if set in vapitai letters, double price. No charge less than 50 cents. Smail display adver- tisements in this department, $4 per inch. Payment with order is required, as amounts are too smail to open accounts. FOR SALE—Stock of dry goods and men’s furnishings, underwear, etc. Wii cacrifice for quick sale. Owner has good reasons for selling. Address No. 958, e/o Michigan Tradesman. YSS FOR SALI—Furniture Store.- Popula- tion 1600, big drawing area. Best town -n Michigan. Only exclusive furniture store here. Mstablished over ten years. wood, clean stock, good building. Steam neat. Low rent. Owner going into under- taking business wishes to dispose of quickly. $2,000 will handle. Investigat quick. You can make money on this deal. Address No. 989 care Michigan Trades- man. 9S For Sale—Meat market, in Holland neighborhood. Doing from $500-$600 casn business weekly. Good fixtures, new ice machine. Can be bought right. Address NO. 935, c/o Michigan Tradesman. 985 FUR SALE OR LHASE—A store build- ing and fixtures at Boyne City, Mich gan. Best location. With or without some dry goods. Very reasonable. Could be used for any kind of store. I. Nurko, Boyne City, Mich. 987 FUR sALE—190 acres game and fish ranch, two trout streams, timber and zame cover. Clare county. “Hunt on your own land.” Frice, $2,500. Wit. Cooper, Mt. Pleasant, M.ch. 983 WAREHOUSE FOR RENT Down Town Grand Rapids 10000 sq. ft. Private Siding $125.00 Address No. 1500, care Michigan Tradesman. RANCH WANTED—We have buyers for cattle or sheep ranches from 300 aeres up; must be accessible to highways; give inll description in frst er. Myers, Cooper & Watson. Mt. Pleasant Mich. 9S4 Proprietor’s Death Necessitates Sale— Of hardware business conducted at pres- ent location for thirty-two years. Clean, up-to-date stock, carefully selected for rich agricultural district and prosperous city of 6,000. Will sell at sacrifice of actual stock value. Buyer will benefit from extraordinary good will. Mrs. A. D. Osborn, Administratrix, Woodstock, IIL. 978 CASH FOR MERCHANDISE Will Buy Stocks or Parts of Stocks of Merchandise, of Groceries, Dry Goods, Shoes, Rubbers, Furniture, etc. N. D. GOVER, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 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. Consult someone that knows Merchandise Value. GET YOUR BEST OFFER FIRST. Then wire, write or phone me and I will guarantee you in good American Dollars to get you more for your store or plant of any description. ABE DEMBINSKY Auctioneer and Liquidator 734 So. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw, Mich. Phone Federal 1944. Buyers inquiring everyday— A aE TS a TO MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 19, 1928 EFFECT OF MARKET SLUMP. If the stock market’s precipitous break threatened to check the flow of Christmas trade that fear has been dis- pelled by the conservative tone that has come into the market. The 22 point drop in industrial stocks between Nov. 30 and Dec. 8 was the sharpest decline recorded in recent history, and immediately aroused the Their fear was that if continued this slump in the concern of retail dealers. market might cut seriously into the holiday purchases—a bear market nev- er stimulates buying at the Christmas That is why the department store executives view the outlook in holiday trade more complacently than they did ten days ago. They still see a record 1928 holi- day volume as a probability. season as does a bull market. Nor when we look further into the future does the effect of the recent stock along there has been a belief on the slump seem portentous. All part of bankers that the market and industry might find themselves early next year in competition for funds. The prospect was not a pleasant one. It meant that if the market continued itself money in increasing sums, and_ ulti- unabated it would draw unto mately by tightening the credit struc- ture discourage expansion programs. Whether the market’s smart down- ward adjustment has corrected fully the condition that was feared is a ques- tion not easy to answer. Certainly the reduction in brokers’ loans has not yet reduced outstanding speculative credits to the level desired by Reserve of- ficials. That the -situation has been greatly improved nobody doubts. And that is why from the standpoint of early 1929 business the recent cor- rective movement in stocks and the present reduced pace of trading activ- ity plainly presents a firmer foundation for the future industrially than prevail- ed at the end of November. In mar- kets such as followed Hoover’s elec- tion the temptation. of the speculative public is to anticipate prosperity for in- dividual companies too far into the future. In the financial district the recent setback is strongly regarded as a de- velopment favorable not only to 1929 trade conditions but to the more dis- tant future of the market itself. On what the market will do during the remainder of the month opinions differ widely. There is nevertheless a hope on the part of conservative bankers that the necessary adjustments may be made through a relaxation in specula- tive activity in the weeks of 1928 that remain as a suitable preparation for the new year. PUNY MAN. Time will elapse before the Vestris disaster is clearly under- stood. Human factors which were at if ever— play are susceptible to interpretation, Zut already the broader, cosmic aspect of the tragedy to opinion, to change. is as clear as it will ever be, and it is this: There will be occasions when, pitted against the unfathomable and often unrelenting forces of nature, the man-made apparatus will collapse and men will perish. Such is the basic, 1i disconcerting, fact of life. Now as never before the human mind is creating wonders in the field of me- chanical invention, electricity, naviga- tion. We may at times bewail the lack of progress in the social and economic sense. But no one whose eyes are open can bewail it from the engineering or, say, medical point of view. In engi- neering, as in medicine, aniazing strides kave been made in the last twenty-five years—so amazing that in taking full cognizance: of them one must stand in awe and admiration at the ingenuity and discernment of the human mind. But although we build bridges which will carry unanticipated loads a score of years hence; although we protect ourselves with lightning arresters of although we withstand colossal! marvelous perfection; build houses to winds; although we build vessels with almost impregnable features for safety, yet there will be instances when bridg- es will collapse, lightning arresters will fail, house will tumble in the pathway of typhoons, vessels will falter and sink, battered by the seas. For the human mind with all its marvelous per- spicacity will never be able to cope with absolute safety with the sea, the typhoon, the bolt of lightning, when these are on a rampage. Not alone our remote ancestors but those who lived only fifty years ago were compelled to face the outbursts of nature with, in our present eyes, But total In the immutable plan of the world the tran- astonishing defenselessness. immunity there will never be. scendental fcrces of nature will always look down on puny man and his in- genious contraptions with a mocking, if also sympathetic smile. For to them these contraptions will never be too formidable. NEW CHAIN WATCHED. After some vears of conjecture and discussion an ambitious chain of de- launched last partment stores was week. It comprises twenty-two stores with annual sales of sornaewhat over $100,000,060 at present and plans are entertained to expand the system until volume reaches the billion mark. A start has been made, therefore, on the project advocated by one of the leading merchants of the country as the salvation of the department store business. However, he has been con- tent to leave action to others until only recently when his institution acquired ancther interest. Several of the com- panies operating small chains in the department store field have also been slow to act. They are, in the main, conducting their stores as individual enterprises and not along real chain Several associations of stores undertake Their group buying. how- lines. exchange information and research. ever, has never expanded to sizable proportions. For these and other reasons, the new undertaking will be watched with great interest. As composed at present certain difficulties are seen, such as the marked variation in the size of the units and the breadth of territory taken in. Little doubt is entertained over what a high type of management may accomplish in the department field or what intensive research may uncover; but there is some uncertainty store voiced with respect to the full applica- tion of mass buying and centralized management to stores that will strive at the same time to preserve their in- dividuality. binations and Perhaps the older com- chains of individual have methods had they stores would introduced such considered them practical from every standpoint. THE URGE TO UPLIFT. This country is filled almost to over- flowing with people who sit up at night to worry about its morals, its future and the possible fate of its high-step- ping newer generation. So it was ir- evitable that with the opening of Con- gress the forces of organized uplift should converge on Washington as they never converged before. All these fervid self-appointed assist- ants to the Government bear down on Congress with the conviction that if you will only make your laws harsh enough you can frighten almost any With an act of Congress, as they see it, all the old one into being good. simplicities of life, the old restraints, the old graces and the old decencies can be legislated back from the limbo into which they were driven in the chaotic days of the kaiser’s war. Congress is apparently going to feel steadily increasing pressure from peo- ple who cannot reconcile themselves to the new freedom which youth has gay- ly and grimly seized for itse!f or to the new fashions in dancing, movies, plays and fiction. The Maker of Popu!ar Movements is a power in the land. The professionals in this field are basically responsible for many of the odd phenomena in re- cent reform legislation. These professionals are now ready to capitalize a whole new crop of popular concerns which hinge on the failure of prohibition enforcement, the wayward- ness of oversophisticated youth and the audacities of current plays, current movies and current literature. They have vast voting armies behind them. A bill to outlaw the thing called companionate marriage is in prepara- tion for the consideration of the House. A resolution for the investigation of Wall street loans has just been ignored by the Senate. In the House and the Senate there are stirrings toward legislation intend- ed to purify fiction and to submit the stage and the movies alike to the super- vision of a Federal Board of Censors. Nothing is being said of the matter of the Nation’s diet. Yet before long we may hear Congressional orations on the Curse of Tea. FRIENDLY ANIMALS. The essential friendliness of most animals, even those classified as excep- tionally dangerous, is suggested by the case of the gorilla that has just reached the National Zoo at Washington. This three-year-old animal, one of two goril- las now in the United States, was pining with homesickness. However, when the man who had captured it in Spanish Guinea appeared at the zoo it instantly stopped sobbing, jumped into its captor’s arms and covered his face with kisses. Or so the story goes. Many writers have insisted that the gorilla is naturally a dangerous animal and regards man as its mortal enemy. The experience of several recent hunt- ers in the haunts of the gorilla refute They have found that gorillas, even very old ones, that theory completely. invariably respond to kind treatment That most of them cannot stand cap- tivity and soon die after being taken away from their native jungles ap- parently is no indication of their an- tipathy to human beings. Even when they are dying of homesickness most of them show remarkable affection for their keepers. Martin Johnson and his wife feel that every animal would be friendly with man if it could be made to overcome its fear of him. That a lion will not harm a human being except in self- defense has been demonstrated again and again by the Johnsons, Stewart Edward White and A few months ago Johnson drove an automo- others. bile over the African veldt to within three feet of a lioness. It was not un- til he had taken moving pictures of her from every angle that she finally walk- ed off into a near-by thicket. The modern hunters are rapidly exploding the traditional belief in the ferocity of wild animals. natural INDUSTRIAL SITUATION. As in the summer, the trend in in- dustry appears to be toward less of the usual slackening that takes place at this time of the year. In fact there was a slight advance in steel operations last week. The setback in speculation so far has not proved dis- security turbing to business and the recovery in prices acted to allay anxiety. Noth- ing that Congress has so far broached or undertaken seems to have hurt trade sentiment. All in all the industrial situation is moving on comforably to the period of reviews and forecasts. The contrast between conditions now and a= year ago is marked enough to indicate that optimism and plenty of it will appear in these statements. It will be well worth bearing in mind, however, that the recovery pictured in such glowing terms only recently caught up with last year’s business movement. Another angle also to be considered when the leaders of business are heard from is that the progress they report may vary considerably from what less. skilfully managed concerns have been able to make. Scientific management has been making tremendous strides and_ the average state of business can no long- er be accurately judged on the basis of the success attained through skilled guidance. Last year there was a welcome change noted in the character of these year-end statements. Quite a few rose from the general to the specific and contained comment of prime interest along with reasonable predictions bas- ed upon known conditions and tenden- cies. It is to be hoped that the practice may gather new converts. Ereeeeenenenie a: es: See ee pe December 19, 1928 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 9 OUT AROUND. Things Seen and Heard on a Week End Trip. Saturday was not a good time to call on customers and friends remote from A disagreeable mist was much in evidence. With the prevalence of the flu, it seemed to be the part of wisdom to avoid taking any chances. While meditating on what subjects I could discuss in this week’s Out Around, I listened in on Preston Brad- ley, the great Unitarian clergyman of Chicago, Sunday morning, and the problem was solved. He said that when someone asked Dickens how he could write such wonderful books without having traveled extensively, he replied: “There are enough subjects in one single block in London to keep me busy as long as I live.” I think Dickens was right, because the man who chases all around the world to find things to write about is pretty apt to write superficially, while the man who discusses the affairs of everyday life speaks from actual knowledge, instead of observation or imagination. Speaking of the radio, I opposed the introduction of a radio in my home until this year, because I could not see how I could spare the time to give it any attention. My time was already well occupied with routine home. pretty duties, which included my evenings at home; but I found that by devoting a little less time to other things I have to accomplish, I could crowd in a half hour each evening with great pleasure and satisfaction. Some of my friends tell me that they approach the Sabbath with many misgivings, but with me I can hardly wait for Sunday to come. Early in the morning I listen in on the popular Baptist preacher at Pontiac. At 11:30 I get Preston Bradley, the Unitarian clergyman of Chicago. At 4:30 Harry Emerson Fosdick, of New York, thunders his great appeal ap- propriate to men of all religions from the pulpit of a Presbyterian church, and at 7:30 the Sunday Evening Club of Chicago furnishes wonderful music and a remarkable sermon by leading clergymen of this country and Europe. T was amused to note the way a Bap- tist clergyman of Pittsburg recently “sot back at’ Clifford Barnes, Presi- dent of the Sunday Evening Club. Mr. Barnes introduced the speaker as hail- ing from the dirtiest city in America. The Baptist divine admitted the truth of the charge, but said: “Our dirt can be washed off. You cannot wash off the political dirt of some other cities I might mention.” Each Sunday I en- joy listening to very interesting talks by a Catholic priest in Detroit and the wonderful music furnished by the cathedral choir of St. Johns the Divine in New York. I hope all my readers are as fortunate as I am in getting these remarkable results over the radio. They enable me to enter upon the work of each week with new ideas, fresh thoughts and well-defined conclusions. I cannot go to church and listen to a sermon with any degree of satisfaction on account of my increas- ing deafness, but I can get most of the messages which come over the radio with pleasure and understanding. Henry ford made a fool of himself— a very easy thing for him to do, by the way—by stating in Washington the other day that a young man should not undertake to save any money; that he should use his surplus earnings in purchasing articles for his own comfort, enjoyment and entertain- ment. No one but a plain fool would make such a statement. It is false teaching of that character which has brought a Grand Rapids young man close to prison walls by the defalca- tion of $62,000, obtained from his cus- tomers to re-invest (in his capacity as a stock broker) in other securities. Instead of doing as was expected, he squandered this sum in riotous living, expensive entertainment of friends and other ways in line with Henry ford’s fool advice. The young man now ex- pects the friends he has entertained in the past to make up his stealings, but they do not appear to be anxious to help him out of his trouble. Henry ford tells his friends he is making $250,000 per day in the manu- facture of automobiles. My thought is he had better confine his attention to making his already out-of-date four cylinder vehicle (made so by the ad- vent of the new Chevrolet) and refrain from giving bad advice to young men who frequently find themselves headed for the poorhouse or the prison if they act on ford’s suggestion. I am exceedingly sorry to learn of the misfortune which has overtaken my friend, Fred Mason. When I started the Tradesman, Mr. Mason was Secretary of the Minneapolis Re- tail Grocers Association. He _ subse- quently became Secretary of the Na- tional Retail Grocers Association, which he served well and faithfully. During his term of office, the organ- ization reached a higher plain than it ever had reached before—or ever has since. His next promotion was to the management of the Shredded Wheat Co., at Niagara Falls. Later he became Vice-President and General Manager of the American Sugar Refining Co. On his retirement from that position he started a campaign to obtain money from his friends ostensibly to capital- ize an undertaking which was obvious- ly intended from the start to be a swindle. The most charitable thing is to believe that Fred Mason was in the beginning led astray because of his infatuous devotion to an unworthy son. In the end he became as deeply im- bedded in the mire as his son, and now both of them are facing Federal prison, because of the use of the mails in a wholly fraudulent stock selling As a life-long friend of Mr. Mason, I hope to see him exonerated in this transaction, because I would be willing to wager all I have in the world that he wronged any human being. scheme. intentionally He has always been the soul of honor and no shadow has ever before crossed his threshold. I shall watch the outcome of this matter with much interest. Mr. Mason has made occasional addresses to Michigan merchants. ‘On the oc- casion of his last visit to Grand Rap- ids I gave him a complimentary din- ner at the Peninsular Club. never My heart also goes out to the father of the young man referred to in a previous paragraph as a defaulter to the amount of $62,000. The father was a resident of Grand Rapids all his life until about a half dozen years ago. He is now a resident of a Southern city, where he holds a highly responsible position with a large house. He is completely crushed over the disgrace the son has brought upon himself, his friends and the family name, which heretofore stood for probity and soundness. has always Many years ago a man named Strong conducted a hotel and livery at River- dale. He had several children, one of whom, Fred J. Strong, drove the trav- eling men to the surrounding towns to call on their customers. In_ this way he became acquainted with the tireless traveler of the Tradesman, the late C. D. Crittenden. When the latter retired from the Tradesman to engage in business for himself, I asked him He said without a moment’s hesitation, “Fred Strong is your man. Mr. Strong to recommend his successor. came to us without previous experience as a salesman, but he did excellent work for some time. I always recall his asseciation with us with much He is now a very rich man and lives in a big house at Waukesha, Wis., employing many servants. He owns several pea canneries and the Niana Pure Food Co., of Waukesha, and is the dominant factor in the Waukesha Mineral Water Co., which produces and markets large quantities of mineral water, ginger ale and fizz. pleasure. The Tradesman has sent out many boys who have made high places for themselves in the world of business. They all stand high in my estimation, because I realize that few people at- tain success in this world unless they deserve it. Perhaps the careful train- ing we gave these young men assisted them in reaching the pinnacle some of them have attained. One of the most prosperous manu- facturing institutions in this city is the Wolverine Carton Co., which is located at the suburb of Beverly. This cor- poration lost its sales manager by It has made a ten strike by securing John F. death about two months ago. Byrne, of Kalamazoo, to serve as di- rector, secretary and sales manager. Mr. Byrne has been sales manager for the Standard Paper Co., of Kalamazoo, for the past ten years. Prior to that time he occupied a similar position with the Michigan Carton Co., at Battle Creek. His record with both institutions was notable for remarkable achievement. In fact, he is universally conceded to be the strongest man in his line in the United States. Mr. Byrne will assume the duties of his new position Jan. 1. He has purchased a substantial interest in the corpora- tion and will take up his residence in Grand Rapids as soon as his removal from Kalamazoo to this city can be The local institution is to be congratulated on being able to remarkable a_ business getter and to induce him to join the fortunes of the corporation through the purchase of a strong financial in- terest. accomplished. interest so German people are just now gloat- ing over a play which has been pre- sented in one of the leading theaters of Berlin, depicting the character of God, who struttingly appears on the stage, lights a cigar, shakes a cocktail for St. Peter and sits on a sofa with Mary During the play the char- acter who represents God accepts a highball from Mary Magdalene and, Magdalene. becoming confidential, confesses to her: “You know I never did create the world. Queer how the idea started! I get tired sometimes being blamed for all that happens.” One-quarter of the blood which courses through my veins is Germanic. I am glad it is so tempered with the blood of other races that I do not feel called upon to endorse and applaud such blashphemy. E. A. Stowe. —_—+-—___ Five and Ten Grocery Chain Reaches Chicago. Chicago for the first time receives 5 and 10 cent grocery stores with the introduction of the Kitchen Gro- ceterias, which have started operations with the two stores, one on the North Side of Chicago and another on the South Side. They are operated on the self-service plan, with regular counters so that women may pick out their wants undisturbed and have their pur- chases tabulated at the entrance in similar style to other self-service stores. The Kitchen Groceterias at the present time have been confining most of their purchases to the jobber. The private label merchandise of R. C. Williams of New York and None- Such brand of Durand, McNeill & Horner, Chicago, are carried. Besides a complete line of nationally advertised goods such as soaps, soups and general line of groceries are on hand. For the convenience of kitchenette apartments with small families, the store dealing in but 5 and 10 cent merchandise offers a solution to the housewives where kitchen and pantry space is limited. >>> Nellie, a small English girl, had been so naughty at the dinner table that she had been banished to her Her indulgent mother subse- quently sent word to her by the maid that if she were repentant and would promise to be a good girl she might come down for the pudding. The maid returned without Nellie. “Did you tell Miss Nellie what I said?” enquir- ed Miss Nellie’s mamma. room. “Ves’m,” said the maid. “Well, what did she say?” “She said, ‘What sort of pudding iS it? —_++2____ Guest Returns the Compliment. At an Indiana Hotel this sign is on the stationery and in every room: “This hotel is fully equipped with automatic sprinklers. Statistics show that loss of life has never occurred in a sprinklered building. In case of fire, you may get wet, but not burned.” A witty guest composed the follow- ing prayer to fit the circumstances: Now I lay me down to sleep, Statistics guard my slumber deep; If I should die, I’m not conéerned, I may get wet but I won't get burned! 10 TAKING RISK OUT OF BUYING. Production and Distribution Better Balanced When Controlled. The generally declining level of com- modity prices and the ability of our agricultural districts quickly to speed up production have combined during the last three years to make the mar- ket operations of the grocery trade ex- ceedingly difficult and generally un- profitable. Until this period the larger distributors have been able each year to make a considerable percentage of their annual profits out of favorable operations of the market. They have bought most commodities at the low season and have been able generally to sell at advances that have paid the costs of carrying. Recently this condition has been re- Rises have been too few, and falls have been too many. The busi- ness problems of the grocery trade versed. have been seriously increased by sub- stantial losses incurred in handling staples. A portion of this trouble is because the food business is too in- timately related with the problems of the farmer, and we know that the farmer has most of the economic ills abroad in the land. Another large portion may be charg- ed to the arrival of the general theory of hand-to-mouth buying. Most of our commodities are produced in one month and must be merchandised over Our market situation has been especially aggravated by the changes that are taking place in our distributing machinery. The _ estab- lished wholesaler, who assumed the responsibility of negotiating a supply to carry his trade for twelve months, is becoming each year less inclined to perform that function, and the vari- ous distributing factors that are de- veloping to take his place are not functioning together in an orderly way. . penne : twelve months. » af offeire cans j of affairs cannot continue indefinitely. If we are to maintain our present food supply. we must have an orderly merchandising plan _ that takes the raw material from the farmer during his short producing sea- son and, after paying him a price that will enable him to live, carries that material and distributes it during the other eleven months at a measure of profit to itself that will enable it to continue to discharge this function. To assume the responsibility of tak- ing the food supply of a nation and carrying it for eleven months means that somehow there must be made available capital for this service at a low rate of interest. To get money at a low cost we must have the security that comes from markets in which all have confidence. The future of our food business as a whole and. incidentally, the future of most of the men in the food busi- = 1ess depend upon our bringing to our food producing and food distributing an exact knowledge that will stop the hysterical overproduction and the seri- ous money losses of the last three That is no mean task. The food supply includes close to 150 more or less important commodities, each capable of wide variations in annual years. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN: output, and that means wide variations in annual consumption. To deal with these commodities in a stable way where the distributors can make money and where we will have dependable markets that will command capital at reasonable cost, we must have accurate week to week informa- tion regarding each of these commodi- ties. This information must include not only really accurate figures as to outlook for production, but also actual process of production and the record of the movement of that production into distributing channels. Of course no market information can stabilize the weather or control the run of fish, but immediate market in- formation can control the human ele- ment and can prevent disastrous fluc- tuations except in times of crop dis- aster. We have plenty of facilities to get this information. The Federal de- partments are performing a real ser- vice on some of these commodities and will co-operate on others as rapidly as a definite trade program can be de- veloped. It is impossible to gather figures that will give all of the stocks each week in each part of distribution. That has not been found necessary in other trades. The record of unsold and un- shipped stocks, taken in connection with the orders received each week, make a pretty accurate market barom- eter. We have those figures on bath- tubs and band instruments. Why not have them on corn and peaches? We will get stabilized markets just to the extent that we create facilities for accurate knowledge. Then take that knowledge and put it on the desks of all of the more important market operators in the trade. In that way the average man will be reason- ably equipped to do the right thing. Such a state of affairs will take most of the speculation out of both manu- facturing and distributing, but we must get away from speculation and the hope of wide speculative profits if we are to go to the banks with legiti- mate demand for capital at a low cost. The average groceryman likes to think about the profits that he can make out of speculation, but there are few gro- cerymen who would not be delighted to be free from the type of speculation that we have had during the last three years. Gordon C. Corbaley. ~~ Plain Talk on Investing Christmas Funds. At this season a large amount of money is distributed as salary bonuses or gifts. A great many people thus find them- selves with extra money in their pos- session and the natural question that arises is, ‘What shall I do with it?” Some will use it to pay debts, some to buy necessary commodities; some will spend it on pleasure, and some will squander it. There are some, however, who will not spend it at all, but who will put it to work to earn more money. To those we wish to offer a bit of advice and caution. There are plenty of good, sound in- vestments available to all, but there also are many hazardous speculations and out-and-out swindles being offered to the public in most ingenious guises and convincing manner. We have published a number of articles in recent issues warning our readers against certain so-called news- papers and alleged financial services which are published solely to promote the sale of certain wild cat oil or min- ing stocks. In these articles we exposed just a few of the very many publications of this sort that are flooding the mails. Listed stocks do not have to be sold that way. Good stocks, whether listed or un- listed, do not have to be sold that way. It is not what a bombastic promoter predicts for the future that gives a stock worth. It is what the company has done and is doing—its earnings, past and pres- ent, its financial structure and strength and its demonstrated ability to succeed that really ‘counts. These dopesters carefully avoid giv- ing official financial reports. They deal in broad generalities, painting a flowery picture of the company’s pos- sibilities and predicting—usually with no justification or foundation in fact— the wonderful profits to be quickly realized by those who buy at once. We wish to warn our readers again against all promotion organs or ser- vices of this nature, for they are very busy at this season. If you want to invest your money in stocks, do not put it into some un- There are plenty of seasoned, dividend paying stocks of established companies. known or untried issue. Full financial reports on these com- panies can be obtained and one can know, at least, that he is not buying a pig in a poke. Furthermore, such stocks can be purchased through reputable invest- ment houses or brokerage firms of es- tablished reputation, so that the in- vestor is also assured of honest deal- ing. For the average investor of limited means, where safety of principal and assurance o a steady return in essen- tial, good, high grade bonds are recom- mended, as, in their very nature, bonds possess a greater element of safety than stocks. With so many high grade, bona fide investments available, we urge our readers not to throw their money away on wild cat schemes. There is no such thing as a safe get- rich-quick investment. The promoter may get rich, but the investors gen- erally stand the loss. o-oo _____—_ Literal Information. A traveler in the tropics came to a charming little creek, and, wanting a swim, asked a native: “Is it safe here? Are there any sharks?” “None, I assure you.” The tourist undressed and went into the water. Suddenly he became afraid again, and asked the stranger: “You are sure there are no sharks?” The other shook his head impatient- ly. “No, there are no sharks. The crocodiles have driven them all away.” December 19, 1928 A CASH | CHRISTMAS Join our Christmas Club and make this come true next year! No bills to pay — no worry A Cash Christmas is truly a Merry Christmas! f tHe OLD NATIONAL BANK MONROE AT PEARL SINCE 1853 Phone 61366 JOHN L. LYNCH SALES CO. SPECIAL SALE EXPERTS Expert Advertising Expert Mrechandising 209-210-211 Murray Bidg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Here’s a dainty that will des light you. Crisp, flavory rounds of delicious toast made with fresh eggs, whole milk and finest wheat. High in energy and tissue building food values. Rich in flavor. Splendid for infants and grow- ing children. At your grocer's. DUTCH TEA RUSK CO. NOLLAND MICHIGAN PRA cise AP sarac = caairamAe IRE SNS La DNASNRETR IEE ten ee Ra PE RETRO December 19, 1928 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 United States as an Example for the World. Grandville, Dec. 18—When President Coolidge gave certain European na- tions to understand that they could not build big navies while we remained in- active, he started something. France and England took notice and have re- ceded from their former plot to put something over on America. The demand of our President for a larger navy sent a thrill of fear to some European governments. But to those who are really our friends it was as a beacon light illuminating the sky and received accordingly. Mussolini, the great Italian, recog- nizes in President Coolidge’s out- spoken demand for equal power on sea and land with any other nation on earth the part of a statesman, one wholly in the right. It may be said that to-day Italy is one of the ereat powers of Europe. At one time Austria dominated Southern Europe. Not so to-day. The kaiser’s war laid the once powerful Austrian empire low in the dust, while Italy profited by that war and is looming large as a coming great power across the sea. The United States is by odds the greatest nation in the world and is sO recognized by all enlightened countries. To have the friendship of America is something to be desired, and it is not likely that there will ever be a com- bination of world powers which will ever try conclusions with this country in war. Intelligent people in South America realize the benefit to be derived from having the world’s greatest republic as their friend. Bolivia and Paraguay may spat and snarl a little, but it is all on the surface and will not cut any figure in the government of the world. At one time in our history a prom- inent Michigan statesman remarked that the Union would not be worth a rush without a little blood-letting. Perhaps these combative Latin nations feel in the same humor and will not be satisfied until blood is shed. At any rate it will do no good for our President-elect to endanger his life by trving to act the pacificator. Regarding the war fever which burns briskly in some parts of the earth to-day the warning finger of Uncle Sam ought to be sufficient to squelch that. There can be no doubt about the position this Nation occupies in the world to-day. We are the observed of all observers and when we demand that peace be kept there are few other governments which will care to excite the anger of the Great Republic. An example. to all nations of earth. That is the position the United States occupies to-day and few will dispute the fact. With considerably more than a hundred million people, united, rich and fearless, what nation or com- bination of nations will care, much less dare start war with us? America certainly occupies an en- viable place in the world of nations, and while the memory of past victories for the eternal right animates all our people there need be no fears for the future. Manifest destiny points the way. Given time, the whole North Ameri- can continent will be known as the United States, under one government, concentrated at Washington, D. C. Not by war will this consummation ‘ brought about. The Canadian peo- ple will, in time, be brought to see the many advantages which will accrue by becoming a part of the American Union. Mexico, and. perhaps Central America, will follow. The stripes and stars will then wave over the biggest nation on earth. From the Arctic to the Isthmus one great, free republic, the home of a contented and happy people. This is not an impossible outcome, nor is it undesirable. America is fortunate in having such an all round practical man as Herbert Hoover for President. We predict for him one of the most successful admin- istrations in the history of this country. The outlook for our people is most flattering. At the head and front of the most intelligent people in the world, what shall prevent us from making good in such a manner as will astonish the world. That foreigners appreciate the great- ness and advantages of America might be easily demonstrated by cutting down all immigration barriers, in which case there would be such a flood of immigration as was never before wit- nessed in the history of the known world. To be known as an American is far greater honor than was that of a citi- zen of ancient Rome. Old Timer. ——__» o> Three Flowing Oil Wells Near Mt. Pleasant. Mt. Pleasant, Dec. connec- tion with developments of Michigan’s natural wealth, I would like space to tell about the Mt. Pleasant oil field. About three years back, one of the Dow Chemical -Co. brine wells near Mt. Pleasant, in course of drilling, gushed forth such a volume of oil, that the knowledge became public property, and several enterprising individuals, the pioneer of whom was Fred Sias, were convinced that this was the cen- ter of an extensive oil deposit and be- gan writing up a block of leases. He sought by every means to interest out- side oil capital, which, after many set- backs, and disappointments, he suc- ceeded in doing. The result to-day is three wells in the first three drilled and no dry holes. The first well bored into the Dundee, after getting several oil showings in the upper sands last February. This well has flowed ever since and in an increased amount. Several thousand barrels, estimated variously from 12,- 000 to 20,000 have flowed out since its Start. This, of course, was the dis- covery well. Shortly after this two more wells were started by the same company. The first of these came in about six weeks ago with a much larger flow, generally reported at from 150 to 225 barrels per day, free flow- ing. A little later the third was drilled in also to the Dundee. The value of this well has not been definitely re- ported, but it is conceded to be a large producer. Other companies are now drilling, there being ten other wells now being drilled, with many others projected. One of the former will be into the Dundee this week, with showings in the other shallower sands. This oil territory or field is located in pine stump ‘territory, with none of the embarrassments of small holdings and is located on M 20, eight miles East of Mt. Pleasant. There is no railroad nearer than Mt. Pleasant, which will be the clearing point, so the Pure Oil Co. built a pipe line to Mt. Pleasant, from where this oil is being shipped in carloads weekly. What adds great interest to this de- velopment is that it is purely wild cat territory, except for the Dow Chemical Co. wells at much higher levels, and that a chance hole drilled in the ground by a certain pine stump, on land which normally would not be worth $5 per acre, should produce many thousand barrels of the highest prade oil in ten months, and then be duplicated by two more, with even greater flows, giving promise of an oil field perhaps the greatest in the State. A curious fact about this field is the comparative secrecy of the find and the little publicity given, in comparison with its promise. Anybody in any way interested in this development can easily reach this oil field in a two hour drive from Grand Rapids and see for themselves what Isabella and West Midland has to offer in “black gold.” H. J. Cooper. Write It on Water— Say it with flowers, Say it with sweets, Say it with kisses, Say it with eats, Say it with jewelry, Say it with drink, But always be careful Not to say it with ink. ee Chain Orders Versus Others. Manufacturers in more than a few lines are said to be running up against the problem of refusal of some stores to buy items which are also sold to chain or mail order concerns. The basis of the former’s objection is said to be the fact that the chain or mail order firms retail these items at lower prices. The manufacturers’ action, ac- cording to one suggested solution, should be can do the most profitable business, 1 to determine with whom he whether with the chain or the depart- ment store and govern himself accord- ingly. Link. ee & Coinieas ( Incorporated } Investment Bankers 7th FLOOR, MICHIGAN TRUST BUILDING GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN MOST DELIGHTFUL PLACE TO SPEND THE WINTER SUNSET HILLS HOTEL TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA The Sunset Hills Hotel is a fireproof building with all outside rooms over-looking either the Gulf of Mexico or the enchanting Anclote River where its guests may enjoy the full benefit of the soft salt breezes so invigorating and beneficial to the human system. Fishing in and about Tarpon Springs holds every joy to an Angler’s heart. Every variety of the finny tribes of both fresh and salt water are in abundance here. The most ardent devotee of the great open air game will find the Sunset Hills eighteen hole go’f course unusually sporty. Its rolling upland and low hills lying btween the Gulf of Mexico, the Anclote River and Lake Avoca, gives it a very picturesque setting. Here every day is “Golf Day.” The long and successful experiences in operation of clubs and hotels by the Holden Brothers is your guarantee of genuine comfort and com- plete satisfaction. Col. Ho'den managed the University Club of Chicago for over five years. He also served as manager of the South Shore Country Club and is at the present time manager of the Olympia Fields Country Club. During all this time C. L. Holden has been active in the hotel business in the middle-west and has been closely associated with the Colonel. Correspondence Solicited. COLONEL C. G. HOLDEN and C. L. HOLDEN Tarpon Springs, Florida office furniture. 7 N. IONIA AVE. NEW AND USED STORE FIXTURES Show cases, wall cases, restaurant supplies, scales, cash registers, and Grand Rapids Store Fixture Co. Call 67143 or write N. FREEMAN, Mgr. GUARANTEED oY “THE PUMP SUPREME” PHONE 64989 PRODUCTS—Power Pumps That Pump. Water Systems That Furnish Water. Water Softeners. Septic Tanks. Cellar Drainers. MICHIGAN SALES CORPORATION, 4 Jefferson Avenue GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN ___ FINANCIAL | Review of Business Conditions in Michigan. Generally speaking, the year 1928 has been a period of accomplishment It will be remembered and and prosperity. that considerable unemployment dullness in trade marked the opening weeks of the year and that there was some apprehension Spirited activity, in the steel, automobile and economic outlook. however, building industries in the spring ac- celerated the movement of the busi- ness pendulum. Unemployment soon began to disappear and the tone of business improved steadily as the year Phe the summer wore Of. customary recession during months was con- -picuously absent and business entered the fall with considerable vigor, which was well maintained throughout the autumn. There has been some ‘slow- ing up in industry during the last two but not to the this season. On the hand, trade, quickened by purchases same extent as VW eek me usual at other for the holidavs, has been making an The vear, accord- brilliantly than it opened, with evidence of new hi excellent showing. ingly, closes much more igh records being established in numerous lines. Much ' 1 tae thought is being given sober course that business will likely take in the new year. During the next few weeks industry will be occupied with inventory taking and year-end changes which will result in some quietness. Trade will probably relax for a short time after the holidays. But | this bevond what are the If business prospects. were to pursue a down- ward course after the turn of the year, we would expect to find in the wind a majority of the following straws: labor strikes for inefficiency, numerous higher wages, over-production, heavy borrowing, mounting prices, rising costs and excessive inventories. Labor has never been more efficient nor have real wages been as high as at the pres- ent time. Furthermore, the relation- ship between emplover and entploye has never been more friendly and peaceful. There is some overproduc- tion, none of recent origin, however, but intelligent co-operation is pointing out paths leading toward a solution of the problems involved. Corporations for the most part are not borrowing heavily. the majority of them being in Earnest a good cash position. con- sideration is being given to volume, is being paid to order to but more attention overhead in insure an ade- quate profit. There is no evidence of price have learned in Business firms inflation. iot forgotten the lesson 1920 with respect to excessive inven- tories. = little to ir ment in the business cycle. On the here is, accordingly, very : . idicate a downward move- other hand there are sufficient fac- tors of a stimulating character to in- dicate that trade and industry during the first 1929 will hold to a level close to that which has prevailed during the past six months. The for the continuance of prosperity in 1928 would be further half of prospects concerning the’ MICHIGAN heightened by easier credit conditions. If the recent break in the stock mar- ket should continue until security prices are forced to a lower level, the the credit situation and interest rates would be more favorable to business present strain on would be relieved expansion. There is nothing to in- dicate, however, that credit will not be ample for all legitimate requirements at rates which, although firm, will not piace a serious restraint on business enterprise. Business as a whole in Michigan continues in large volume and shows this Manuacturing through- a marked) vain compared with time last year. out the State is holding up remarkably well. Some seasonal slackening is in evidence, but the curtailment is less than usual. Production schedules in most lines for the new year are quite heavy. Automobile factories are busy with preparations for the new models. The whole automotive looking forward to a large volume of 1929. Furniture factories at Grand Rapids industry is business in are operating slightly under normal. Radio plants are running night and Showcase and store fixture fac- Ac- tivity in agricultural implement plants day. tories are curtailing production. is at a high level. Numerous pattern, tool and machine shops are working Paper mills at Kalamazoo Forty per cent. overtime. are running full time. of the Jackson factories are working overtime. Muskegon and Benton Har- bor report 10 and 15 per cent. over- The copper mining situation continues healthy. time, respectively. Lumber- ing operations are practically at a standstill on account of a lack of snow. November output of cars and trucks United States estimated at 276,000 units. Canada is The total production for the first eleven months in the and of this year amounted to approximate- Iv 4,363,090 vehicles. Output for the entire year is expected to exceed the high record established in 1926 by 150.000 units. Industrial consumption of electric November to- taled 190,322,779 kilowatt hours, a de- crease of 814 power in Michigan in per cent., compared with October, but a gain of 40 per cent. over November last year. The continues good. general employment. situation Forty-three cities re- ported no change in industrial em- ployment in November, as compared with the preceding month. Increases were reported by fifteen cities and de- creases by seven. Factory workers in Detroit, according to the December 14 report of the Employers’ Association, whose members employ two-thirds of the city’s working population, now to- tal 268,630, as compared with 197,879 a year ago and 202,800 two years ago. An active building program in Mich- igan during the winter is indicated by reports received from twenty-one Michigan cities, which issued permits in November aggregating $15,069,680, as compared with $11,423,367 for the same month in 1927. Bank debits to individual accounts in Detroit, Flint, Adrian, Bay City, Muskegon, Grand Rapids and Kalama- zoo for November totaled $1,886,478,- TRADESMAN December 19, 1928 EIFERT, GEISTERT & CO. Investment Securities GRAND RAPIDS « MICHIGAN 506-511 GRAND RAPIDS TRUST BUILDING Telephone 9-3395 Fenton Davis & Boyle Investment Bankers GRAND RAPIDS Grand Rapids National Bank Buliding Phone 4212 Detroit 2086 Buhi Buliding Chicago First National Bank Building ODIN CIGAR COMPANY Common Stock The stock of this company earned $3.12 a share in 1927 and has been placed on a dividend basis equal to $1.40 a share annually to yield 7.35% on the present selling price. CIRCULAR ON REQUEST A. G. GHYSELS & CO. INVESTMENT SECURITIES Buh! Building, Detroit Peninsular Club Bldg., Grand Rapids Kent State Bank 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 Home for Savings” A Investment Securities E. H. Rollins & Sons Founded 1876 _ _ Dime Bank Building, Detroit Michigan Trust Building, Grand Rapids New York San Francisco Boston Chi Denver — Los Angeles seine Retr a nn SM ta Ne esc conan ARERR sisi Gea kia ‘ December 19, 1928 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 13 000, as against $1,420,525,000 for the same month a year ago. Trade, wholesale and retail, in re- cent weeks has been good to excellent in manufacturing cities, but only fair in most of the rural communities. Col- lections are fair to good. Lower tem- peratures and holiday purchases are proving effective stimulants and a large volume of retail trade is indi- cated for December. Wayne W. Putnam, Director Public Relations, Union Trust Co., Detroit. —_—__~++.___ World Financing Benefits the United States. When America began to finance world enterprises on a gigantic scale subsequent to the war that movement was viewed here and abroad as a high- ly constructive development for this country but more recently its implica- tions have been studied from a differ- ent point of view. Critics lately have raised the sugges- tion that this large investment abroad might ultimately do injury to Ameri- can business prosperity. That it will sooner or later cut down production here, lower wages, tighten money and depress commodity prices, each in turn has been the recent suggestion of those who do not retain their former faith in this country’s new position of finan- cial leadership in the world. George W. Edwards, economist for Stone & Webster and Blodget, Inc., in a new book entitled “American Dollars Abroad,” takes up these ob- jections one by one, and emerges with the conclusion that our world relation- ships will work out for the best inter- ests of this country. Specifically, he concludes: (1) The foreign investment of American funds has so far been beneficial to American business and labor; (2) Indications are that, if other factors, such as banking and Governmental policy warrant it, production will increase, wages rise, money remain plentiful, and commod- ity prices maintain their level, not- withstanding an even greater move- ment of American funds overseas; (3) The probable trend of investment of American funds abroad is away from Europe and toward the nations of Latin America, where greater benefits are in prospect for the American busi- ness and working man. If the greater diversification of American investments abroad intensi- fies the hazards to investors here, this economist points out that the growing knowledge of our investment houses “should further serve to protect the buyer of foreign securities.” Perhaps the most often expressed argument against the country’s foreign policy is that by strengthening the hands of foreign competitors we will weaken the position of industry here. On this point Dr. Edwards says: “Tt goes without saying that when a loan is made to a foreign company, which uses it to sell goods in opposi- tion to an American company, the lat- ter must be injured. But such cases are few and are becoming less. Europe has fulfilled most of its needs for new capital and the tendency of our present export capital is toward South Amer- ica. Since South America can hardly be regarded as a manufacturing coun- try, the argument has little weight when applied to it.” Shifting currents of international finance already are turning the flow of United States funds from European to neighboring republics of North and South America, and, in the opinion of Dr. Edwards: “For the next decade we may well confine our investment attention almost exclusively to that area.” Paul Willard Garrett. [Copyrighted, 1928.] —_>--—____ Business Philosophy. H. W. Overstreet, professor of philosophy at New York University, who seems to have a sympathetic un- derstanding of business problems, says the business man will stand higher in public esteem when he places money making self-respecting craftsmanship. second to He admits that modern business men are doing this in increasing numbers. “The business man is beginning to learn the joy of the artist in his work,” he says. I observe countless examples of this spirit in business—for more, in fact, than Professor Overstreet seems to realize. Crookedness and irresponsibility are becoming increasingly rare. The busi- ness man is now conscious that, with- in the range of his special activity, he is a public servant, with a responsi- bility to his employes, his customers and his community. The discharge of this responsibility may sometimes occasion a real personal sacrifice, but the greatness of men is measured by the willingness to forget oneself and one’s personal fortune when much is at stake. This is the quality that commends teachers, doctors, nurses, statesmen and scientists to the public. Identical opportunities for genuine public ser- vice are afforded business men, and it is to their credit, as Professor Over- street points out, that they are accept- ing them. William Feather. ——_2->___ The State of the Law. On the trial of a case before Judge Luther Z. Rosser in the municipal court of Atlanta, Morris Macks, able and tireless attorney for the defendant, was making every possible objection to the evidence for the plaintiff in an effort to prevent a judgment against his client. His honor grew slightly weary, and said: “Mr. Macks, this court is of the opinion that you are to the law what static is to the radio.” BANK FIXTURES FOR SALE On account of the enlargement of our bank, we offer our present fixtures for sale. They are sold oak, 22 feet in length, with a right angle corner and equipped with metal gates at each end, which makes the space covered about 29 feet. The fixtures are also well equipped with cupboard space and drawers. Thev will be sold at a big bargain. State Bank of Carson City CARSON CITY, MICH. dead dollars cannot even raise a whisper. Our new method of collection gets results MONEY BUT TALKS - at a surprisingly low cost. You assign no claims. Ask us for details. Endorsed by users, this paper, any Bank or Chamber of Commerce in Battle Creek, Michigan, and Retail Dry Goods Association of Michigan. Merchants’ Creditors Association of U. S. Suite 304 Ward Building, Battle Creek, Michigan For your protection we are bonded by the Fidelity & Casnalty Company of New York City. GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL BANK Established 1860—Incorporated 1865 NINE COMMUNITY BRANCHES GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL COMPANY Investment Securities Affiliated with Grand Rapids National Bank “The Bank on th Square” “AUDITS - SYSTEMS -TAX SERVICE” LAWRENCE SCUDDER & CO. ACCOUNTANTS AND AUDITORS 924-927 GRAND RAPIDS NAT’L BANK BUILDING, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 313 PECK BUILDING, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN 452 W. WESTERN AVE., MUSKEGON, MICH. New York - Chicago - Detroit - Washington - Hammond -_ Boston The Toledo Plate & Window Glass Company Glass and Metal Store Fronts GRAND RAPIDS “te wie MICHIGAN Only When Helpful THE “GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK” feels it is “SERVING” only when the things it does for its customers are helpful to them in their financial affairs -- business or personal. Rendering banking service along broad and constructive lines for 56 years has established this institution in the confi- dence and esteem of business houses and individuals throughout all Grand Rapids. GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK “The Bank Where You Feel At Home”’ 14 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 19, 1928 MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE Establishing the Taxation of Virgin Forests. Here, as with the building of good timber forests on cut over lands, the first requisite of any conclusion re- garding any particular tract of land is the willingness of the owner to put the land into a class or division devoted to continuous production of timber. When it is clearly determined by the owner that the land shall be so used, then the State should be ready to place the land on record under a system of forest land taxation which will assure justly definite treatment in its assess- ment, so that it will continue to pro- duce good timber under the necessary rules of forestry. It may be that for many years very few owners will be so situated as to use their land freely in that way. Where investments in sawmills have been made and for economical opera- tion of the mills, a rapid, continuous supply of logs is necessary, there may be great difficulty in readjusting the exploitation. And perhaps we may not reasonably expect any change to be made under such circumstances. The surest approach to this problem is to study for the most rational procedure and establish proper rules in accord- ance therewith and if a few find it pos- sible to register under such a law, then the actual experience and tryout may lead to better procedure in the light of the consequent developments. The benefit to the public welfare from continuously producing forest areas is of such great importance that this subject is entitled to compre- hensive study and careful determina- tion of a feasible law which will be worth a thorough trial. When a tract is proposed for regis- try under such a law the first step should be an inventory or stocktaking duly recorded to show the status of all forest growth. It should determine the amount of mature timber—if anvy—which should be immediately removed, subject to one and one-half per cent. or up to two per cent. stumpage tax; and a count and calipered estimate of the re- mainder which will be the growing stock. The owner should then decide whether the growing stock should be maintained substantially at that amount and, if so, should then decide the cut- ting system to be followed for the purpose of maintaining that chosen amount of growing stock to best ad- vantage. If the condition of the trees is such that one per cent. by volume can be cut the following year and the cubical contents or volume of the one per cent. equals the annual volume growth or increment of the entire stand, then the rotation period can be set at 100 years—tentatively, at least —and the forest managed with that idea for ten years. At the end of ten years an inventory of the growing stock should be made in order to know whether the annual cut of one per cent. of volume is leav- ing the volume of growing stock un- impaired. This is a rough sketch of the prin- ciple controlling the development of a continuously producing forest. To have the most complete conception of the natural ensemble of such a forest we must need to bear in mind the vari- ous age classes of the species chosen to become dominant and the incidental intruding weed species which must be eliminated; the secondary species that must be controlled so as not to limit the best development of the highest grade timber: the diseased and crippled trees which must be taken out and superfluous branches which experience may show it wise to prune to increase the quality of the final stand. What we see is the competitive ac- tion of a multitude of trees comprising a forest growth which man is capable of developing, controlling and regulat- ting under good forestry rules to bring on a final stand of timber of far better grade and much greater volume than would be the case if left to natural forces of unregulated competition. It is evident that work must be done to attain the most desirable final stand of timber and the costs of such upkeep thoroughly carried on will need to be deducted from the gross income in order to determine the amount legiti- mately ‘subject to a forest tax. Common sense would seem to show that a tax of not more than 8 per cent. of the net annual income from the forest would be satisfactory. Frederick Wheeler, President Mich. Forestry Ass'n. ——__>2> > ___ Annual Meeting Michigan Forestry Association. The Michigan Forestry Association announces an annual election of offi- cers and directors, as follows: President—Frederick Wheeler, Grand Rapids. Vice-President—George D. Blair, Jackson. Secretarv—J. C. De Camp, East Lansing. Treasurer—Robert Craig, Jr., Ann Arbor. Directors (for three years) —Wm. B. Mershon, Saginaw: Henry Knowlton, Cadillac. For two years (in place of Mrs. Frances King, resigned)—John W. S. Pierson, Stanton. W. Millard Palmer, Charles W. Gar- field and President Wheeler attended the meeting in an advisory capacity. The object and purposes of the As- sociation were discussed at length. In the olden davs when forest preserva- tion and reforestation were not so popular as at the present day, there was much need for concerted action on the part of the members to bring about a better understanding of our forestry needs and induce legislation for forest preservation. Althoug the public senti- ment is swinging our way, there still exists great need to enlighten the pub- lic and influence public officials in this direction. We need to add to our membership and to this end it was deemed advisable that our secretary should be reimbursed for actual time devoted to the interest of this Associa- tion. ——_>+>—____ You create your own limitations, therefore you can enlarge them. Affiliated with The Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association Insuring Mercantile property and duellings Present rate of dividend to policy holders 30% THE GRAND RAPIDS MERCHANTS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY 320 Houseman Bldg. Grand Rapids, Mich. STRENGTH ECONOMY THE MILL MUTUALS AGENCY Representing the MICHIGAN MILLERS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY (MICHIGANS LARGEST MUTUAL) AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES Lansing Michigan Combined Assets of Group 20% to 40% Savings Made Since Organization FIRE INSURANCE—ALL BRANCHES Tornado — Automobile— Plate Glass OUR FIRE INSURANCE POLICIES ARE CONCURRENT with any standard stock policies that you are buying me Net Cots OC Less Michigan Bankers and Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Fremont, Michigan WILLIAM N. SENF, SECRETARY-TREASURER Selena Re or pres Ea am kere ee ee ec eneen December 19, 1928 Chain Store Can Never Destroy Inde- pendent Grocer. The neighborhood _ store found springing up across the street a chain store competitor whose methods were systematized and whose manager was syndicated, and who was selling bulk goods like sugar, or advertised brands at prices below the store own- owner er’s wholesale cost. The wholesaler who supplied the in- dependent found his position threaten- ed by the new order. It looked for a time as if the mail order house, the chain store, the department store had no need of him. They went direct to the manufacturer or, worse than that, they manufactured themselves. While the neighborhood grocer was blinking at these changes, he saw his banker blinking at the branch of the big city bank which was opening across the way. No wonder the little fellow felt that he was doomed. And he is doomed if he sees no farther than the nose on his face and tries to beat the big fellow at his own game. He is doomed if he depends on sentimental appeals “to patronize your old-time merchant friend who helped build the hitching rack,’ and to demand of Legislature and city council that laws be passed penalizing chain stores and house-to- house canvassing. It is not surprising that the small business man should have become ex- cited. Daily he could read his impend- ing doom in statements of economists and business leaders; it was no pleas- ant after dinner reading to learn of a new chain and to note the earnings of the old chains on the financial page. It was no tonic to his jumpy nerves to note from Government figures that the business of the chains had in- creased 30 per cent. last year while the independents had stood still. Herein lies the beginning of the strategy of the small manufacturer and merchant in meeting the economic pressure of the mass producers and distributors. He has a decided edge on marketing commodities that are “different,” whether that difference lies in the packaging or in the prepara- tion. But he has also an advantage in the quality of service. I have watched with unusual inter- est the career of a young man who set up a small grocery right in the middle of three chain groceries and a chain drug store. Wiseacres said he was very foolish. But he knew his onions. In the face of eternal price competition he is probably making more money to- day after seven years than his chain store neighbors. His formula is simple. He says, “We sell service and quality, as well as groceries, and the public to-day wants a lot of these two things. We even give the chains a run on price in many instances because I give as much attention to buying as I do to selling.” As to methods, he explains that, “the best way we have found to take customers away from the chains — is to keep a more attractive store. The more appealing you can keep food ar- ticles, the more you are going to sell. We've got to know our groceries.” The bogy which seems to affright MICHIGAN the souls of the independent is that the large units can under-buy them. Even where this is possible on certain staples the item is so small a part of the whole operation that it is insignificant. But here again the independents can use the strategy of shelf-help. A fine ex- ample of what co-operation of this kind can do is that of the United Re- tail Grocers’ Association of Brooklyn. Under the direction of Henry Loh- mann it presents a daily demonstra- tion of the effectiveness of intelligent group purchasing and the reduction of overhead under a mass attack. A bright future for the independent dealer, as Mr. Cunningham reads it, “rests on the assumption that the aver- age independent merchant will learn to do things without which there is no hope of salvation for him; namely :— 1. Cut out the slackness, which is the distinguishing mark of most retail stores to-day. 2. Use his eyes and his head. 3. Be willing to work with some- thing like the intensity which is the rule in the chain and department store organization. Which seems to go to the root of the whole matter. Merle Thorpe, Editor Nation’s Ee Country Life. “Get thee—unto a land that I will shew thee’ (Gen. 12-1) A country life is life complete It neededth neither more nor less, With it none other can compete Nor offer greater happiness; For it is fraught with beauty such As only nature can provide And any man obtaineth much When she is round on every side. A year is her Kaleidoscope To show her seasons in their turns And after passing, leaves a hope In memory’s light: which brightly With fire enkindled every year As fast as seasons reappear. A country life was meant for man. “God said let the earth bring forth The L:ving creature, cattle, beast, After his kind and it was so. And in our likeness man be made To have dominion over all The fish of sea the fowl of air, And over cattle on the earth And every creeping thing on earth. Be fruitful, multiply said God Replenish and subdue the earth. Behold I give you every herb Wh'ch beareth seed, and every tree Whose fruit and seed shall be for meat And God saw everything he made And it, behold, was very good” How clear was the creation plan To make the country home for man. From early time the greatest good In country life apart from health Was educational. Behold The shepard lad on Judah's hills As he exclains: ‘‘Oh bless the Lord.” “Oh Lord My God, how great thou art With honor clothed and majesty. With light thou coverest thyself As garments do; the heayens also Thou stretchest out like curtains do; His chambers’ beans in waters laid Who maketh clouds his chariots Who walketh on the wings of wina And layeth earth’s foundations so They should forever be unmoved The waters stood above the hills. His handiwork were firmaments The springs he sends into the vales And they give drink to every beast He causeth grass to grow; and herbs For service unto man that he May bring forth good upon the earth Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor till the night. He looketh on the earth it trembleth He toucheth mountains and they smoke Oh sing I will, unto the Lord, Long as I live. Yea I will sing His praise, while God shall give me life. Business. burns The hearthstone in a country town Has that inspiring faculty Which taught the psalmists long ago. Charles A. Heath. The unlearned lesson does. the student no good. ———_2- =a Do as you're told until you know a better way. —_+++>—__ Being unfair to-day makes it hard to be fair to-morrow. TRADESMAN 15 mulation of years of ceaseless on his part. it through changing conditions of your Will. Sincerity Alone is not Sufficient A man’s estate usually represents an accu- Prudence is required in protecting it, skill in making it profitable, discretion in guarding in meeting the responsibilities in management. Sincerity without the above is not sufficient. Appoint this company as executor and trustee GRAND RAPIDS TRUST CO. Grand Rapids, Michigan toil and denial and experience WILLIAM A. WATTS President Merchants Life Insurance Company © RANSOM E. OLDS Chairman of Board Offices: 3rd floor Michigan Trust Bldg.—Grand Rapids, Mich. GREEN & MORRISON—Michigan State Agents MICHIGAN SHOE Write L. H. BAKER, Secy-Treas. P. O. Box 549 MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY LANSING, MICHIGAN Prompt Adjustments DEALERS LANSING, MICH 16 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 19, 1928 GONE TO HIS REWARD. Tribute To the Memory of John B. Barlow. John Bechtel Barlow was born in Rockton, Ontario, July 3, 1854, and died Dec. 11, 1928. He was the son of William Wilson Barlow and Mary Barlow, both born in Canada. Both of his grandfathers, however, were born in the United States and John became an American citizen. The early teachings of his grand- mother remained with him all through life. There was more or less of the Puritan in her make-up, yet she was the welcome friend of everyone and especially of the children and young people. The distinction between right and wrong was strongly impressed upon him and an abhorrence of mean- ness and deceit which never left him was engendered in his mind. Ours was a family brought up in rather the old fashioned way, in which children were taught that work was not only necessary, but a big factor in the successful pursuit of happiness, and something to be looked up to and admired. On the other hand, our mother made the home so pleasant that her children preferred it to any other place and both of our parents were the chums of their children. These things and a reverence for God give to children about as good a start in life as anything I can think of. At the age of ten, John moved with the family to Grand Rapids where he attended the public schools until about fifteen years old, when he went to work for J. C. Wenham, who was then engaged in the hat, cap and fur busi- ness. Many are the buffalo robes which covered him with dust as he beat out the alkali of the plains. He worked fo: Mr. Wenham _ be- tween two and three years and the ex- perience, advice and training he re- ceived at his hands was very beneficial and useful in his later business career. I remember an instance which John told me of, in which a man purchased from Mr. Wenham an article for which the price was 50c. He did not pay for it at the time; in fact, he never paid for it. A year or more later this same man came into the store and wanted to rent another store from Mr. Wenham, in which he proposed to start a meat market. He was quite excited and wanted the store on the following day, Mr. Wenham, however, would not let him have it at all and, after he had left, turned to John and said, “Johnny, do you know why I refused that man the rental of the store?” “Yes, replied John, “it was because he never paid you the 50c he owes you,” and so it was. When he left Mr. Wenham’s employ to serve his apprenticeship at book- binding, because he thought he should learn a trade, the latter said to him, “Johnny, if you were ten years older I would erase from my sign the name Wenham, and put in place of it Bar- low, but it would be an injustice to you, for you are too young to start in business for yourself.” He served his apprenticeship with the firm of Dygert Bros., which later was changed to Dygert, Buff & Rice. They were at that time the leading printing and bookbinding concern of the city. In order to learn the finish- ing of books he worked after hours— and at that time a working day was ten hours—and paid for the material he used in this work. In an article which he wrote for the Tradesman a few years ago he described the details of this apprenticeship and alluded to the wonderful hunting which this sec- tion then afforded, and which the pro- prietors of this firm, who were all true sportsmen, indulged in. Later he worked for J. Chilver and in 1877 he and my oldest brother, Heman G. Barlow, who passed away in 1916, founded the firm of Barlow binders, Grand Rapids, Mich.” Need- less to say, Mr. Champlin continued to send his binding to Barlow Bros. In the early days of the firm, John sometimes brought home folding which the family would do at night, I among the rest, and I remember mak- ing this statement, “I'll never be a bookbinder.” However, I have been at it for over forty-six years.” Later Heman, who was in the wholesale grocery business said to John, “I wish we had a bill of lading which was faster than the one every- body is using.” Then John got busy and worked out the Barlow manifold bill of lading. Millions of these were made and sold and it was one of the greatest factors in the upward march The Late John B. Barlow. Bros., who did general binding and ruling and made blank books. Along with other work they bound quite a number of Law books and one of their customers was Judge John W. Champlin. One day, when John Bar- low was in his office, Mr. Champlin told him that hereafter he was going to send his binding East. He took down a volume from the shelf and, holding it in front of John said, “you see this book has a solidity which you cannot give to them. You haven’t the heavy presses they have in the East.” He talked on for two or three minutes without interruption, for John knew as soon as he saw it where the book was bound, and then, opening it at the back, he displayed, without comment, the label of the binder which read “Bound by Barlow Brothers, Book- of the firm. He also invented the Barlock binder, used principally for taking inventory. Numerous other mechanical devices were worked out by him which were used in the business, and when en- gaged in anything of this description he worked with determination, over- coming each obstacle as it loomed in his pathway until his efforts were finally crowned with success. He was an indefatigable worker and accomplished more than most men in a given time. Always insisting on using the best of material and work- manship in everything turned out by his firm, he built up a business of the highest reputation. Although of rather a serious turn of mind, he had a keen sense of humor and relished a good story. He liked to work with his hands as well as his head and was a fine, as well as prac- tical workman, working and enjoying his work up to the last. He loved the people who worked for him and was, in turn, loved by them. Of a retiring disposition he did - not care to be in the lime light, but those who knew him learned his true worth and always remained his friends. Upright, steadfast and strong for the right, lovable, kind and gentle, he has been gathered in by the Grim Reaper, but has left behind him the record of a man, a worker and a gentleman. W. H. Barlow. —_»>+ > ___ Why Sell Investment Stocks on Mar- ket Slump? If you have bought a dividend pay- ing stock for the purpose of holding an income producing security, do not be stampeded into selling simply be- cause the market takes a drop. Many investors write in to us every time there is a slump in the market to know if they ought not to sell at once in order not to take a greater loss. They seem to think that they have lost money and are likely to lose a lot more if they do not immediately get rid of their stock. This may be true if they are holding it on a margin and are forced to sell. But if they have bought the stock outright the fact that stock has ex- perienced a decline on the market is not, in itself a reason to sell. If you have purchased a stock out- right for investment, presumably you bought it with the intention of having a steady source of income. The divi- dend it was paying and future divi- dends which you expected were the reason for your purchase. Under should not be greatly concerned, if at these circumstances you all, by its reactions on the market or its current price. These things should interest you only as possible indica- tions of inherent weakness in your stock and should cause you to in- vestigate the reason for the decline. Frequently, in the case of a season- ed stock, it will be found that there is nothing in the condition or earnings of the company itself to warrant a de- cline in the stock and that the divi- dend is as safe as ever. Many a good stock is carried down by a general market slump where, as an individual stock, it is just as good as it was before. If the dividend is safe, what matters it whether the market price is low or high, providing you bought to hold? If you own the stock you have not sustained a loss until you sell. If investigation shows no weakness in conditions underlying your stock there is no reason to sell. If you are holding stocks for the in- come they produce in the shape of dividends they may answer your pur- pose as well whether the prices are down or up. Ascertain the condition of the com- pany and, if the dividend appears as safe as ever, forget about its temporary market price and do not take a loss when you don’t have to, © alm | 2. 0 Pure i oe Packers : | Ib. 95 ctagon, 96 z 3 40 OLEOMAKGARINE Dae 60 Ib. i Sa 14 Crushed aoe 50 Ib. 57 oe 40s a 3 TEA PETROLEU 50 lb. tubs ---.advance % cream, 100 or ice isa Ma Van Westenbrugge Brand eg M PRODUCTS. - Kh. pails re % pee Salt, a. o 75 ae No More, 100, 10 Medium — Carload Disri * 2 m Tank W b. pails ____ aa & ooo. an. Che 35@ 35 sributor ed Crown G agen. 5 Ib ~---advance Baker Salt, 280 Ib. bb 24 Rub No More, 20 Leg. 3 85 i “Freee oo Red Crow asoline Sik pails ____ad *% 2 alt, 280 Ib. bbl. e sg © More, 20 Fancy : _ 37@52 a n Et -il lb. pai vance 1 4, 10 Ib., bl. 4.19 Spotless : Lg. 400 N° =} Bee Solite PSs nly liiehes 14 Compound ones guages 1 35, 4 Ib., ae on 2S S ca. ae. 48, it Sika. : -- 5G 61 a 14 Compound, tubs ______ a 6 - ib.. per bale __.. : 60 Sani Flush agg 3 85 tee 7 4 Pert a a 13% Ola bags, Table 85 Sapolio, 3 da oz. ... 2 26 Choi unpowder ection Ker Sausa iio. Soapine z. ------ = tn Gas, Machine on __ 13.6 Bologna - ges $16 ih moked, Fate 100, 12 on. _.6 40 i. “ M. & P. a 37.1 plas oe. ee 18 i & 50 Suavehar, 7 Le a? phtha 19.6 esuetere 2h aRE 18 Speedee, 3 oe _. 4 80 Pekoe, wane ¥ 1SO-VIS MO wor Se Ue nee #1 Sunbrite, 50 da: Teeeree 7 20 & um ---—.... 67 Karon. 1 is. np uk oo her 31 Wyandotte a. 216 6 nglish Breakf Mame tana 5 DL. 31 Li n Iron Barrel H ngue, Jellied __--__ a” Lee ie Go ann sae TD tty Meight —--_----- s wie 35 Congou, Choice -_.. 366 28 Wilson & Hove ee 77.1 a - en Fancy —— i —. Brands Ex. Mean Le Hams ae Meats oe oO oe eee a 17.1 Hams, Cort. Mar lb. @27 Whole Spices Feo kala “— as 6-18 i ‘ nned_ Allspi dica Se 2 bh oo — ee es Ham, dried beet @27 Cloves, ee ---- @25 ee 45 RE Se ESS _ Knuckles Cassia, Can Se... 50 aie 19 Geiletnie Hans. @44 Cassia ton -... California Hams -- @ Soe, i ee. ae 340 T _ ce Boiled -- 17% aa African oz. @40 Cott Witt MATCHES pe 0 @ a Cochin — | @19 Cotton, 3 ply cone S oiled Hams _-___ @25 ace, Penang .._____- a we = ee 144 42 65.1 Minced Hams —_ — @45 Mixed, No oo 1_39 oe oe shee ae * 65.1 Bacon 4/6 Cert. _. 2 @21 ee Be pkgs., doz. ae le ” Searchlight, 144 box-- 5 00 Special hea 65.1 -- 24 @32 Per ca Nutmegs, 70@90 - io Red Label Ext vy -- ge, 24, 2 I Nutm q. VIN Ohi abel, 144 bx 4 20 ca heavy 0. 65.1 B Beef Five , 2 Ibs. 340 P egs, 105-110 __ @59 Ci SGAn oe Blue Tip, 144 box 5 00 Polarine epee a 86.1 - net ge rumen 38 i ga lots ___- 30 Pepper, Black 10 _. @59 Cider, 40 Grai ee Tip. 720-1¢ 4 00 Transmission Oil _.- TO sae a eis lhmmmUm @se white wine oe = eo a a ae Finol, 4 oz — ms - 29 00@32 00 re White Wine, = grain.. 25 ahaa ia ee 4 00 Psaavae oz. bisuiesy — : 50 Beef oo Liver Pure Ground in Bulk : grain. 19 ’ Cg oe ax, 100 Ib. . Pe 2 Allspic “1 F : 525 Pa lb. _ alf ---.-,---- 0 \llspice, Jamai Ww oe Parowax. 40, 1 Ib. _- a 65 Clover: pjamaica __ @35 No; Per she iy * 20, 1 Ib eS Cassia. Cant a @se = Ne: 1 TOSS __ | 9.7 je RICE Ginge anton —-___ 28 +, per gro ----, 80 Safety Matches Fancy Blue Rose a nan a 7. ie oe tae Peay ustard = -.__- 6 «NO. 3, Der poe Quaker, 5 gro. case__ 4 50 eee ee . Pees Penang. ______. et Peerie'ss Rolls, pe ~=-= 2 20 ‘ z e Binge 3s , ae Peenone RO Nutmegs ri Bechester, No. 3 i = ere in ae ster, No. 3, don 2 08 a epper, Cay — -. @s ae oz. : Molasses in Cans wu 5 - 12 New Paprika ee es —— 3 ic ne 25 : Spanish os Dove, 36, 2 lb. Wh. L. 5 60 Quaker, ———— 1 80 ~ @45 WOODENWARE 7 7 i e or ee ca © ve, 36, 2 lb. Black 4 30 —— para 12s, China eo Chill Powder, 1 Bushels, narrow b Dove, 24, 2% Ib. Black : ' s, 90 Ib. Jute -_ 2 8% Celery Salt, 3 a) ke he, ba — Dove, 6 1 . Black 3 90 Se ee a6 sa 06h Ue ushels, narrow band, 76 , 6 10 lb. Blue L. 4 mdac, 12 pt RUSKS Guten Sak wood ‘handles band Palmetto, 24, 2% Ib i - Semdac, 12 ie cans 2.75 Dutch Tea Rusk C Garlic TA 1 = Market "ae So "1 80 , : 6 , . cans 4.65 3 Brand oO. Garlic —-———-----__ Market, si 1andle_ -65 36 rolls, ind. Se K elty. $1 of. 135 ##Mark , single handle_ 90 nNUTe—Whole ee 18 rolls, inh pve Ja O86 Iodized, per ca yi acai uo 8 45 ae extra ___ le. Brazil N ragona_. 25 Mediu 2 cartons a TS m ion. 2 Spli ' um aise , New ---- ; 5 m Sour 18 cz . per case _- avory, 1 ra 90 a ome = Fancy Mixed oo 24 gallon, 400 count —_ 4 75 36 meebo ar Loi case __ ; n BORAX baa en 1 pi ree 90 oa 6 50 , Sicily pee: , per case — Wiaric’ 386 ca 99 Ba urns Pean ee os 22 7-500 ., Twent » 24 02. rrel, 5 Penta Vir. Roasted 11% 16 Gz Sweet Small SALERA is Mule Team — «6 ee. oe each __ 2 40 its, Jumb : 6 Gallon, 225 TUS packa 3 eet aes mbo, std. 1 a m 2250 _.. Arm 48. 10 ages .. 3 25 to 6 » each... 2 ecans, 3 star 64 5G as a. 2400 and Ha 5 oz. pack : nee Ne "4 ee oo 22 ee 9 75 SA oe in Oe os s __ *% Pecans, mbo ------ 40 To" (Gra L SODA - packages _. 4 00 TARCH 10 __, Pails Pecans, Mammoth | -- 50 Dill Pickles Gane oe 1S SOA a br er Hi a Cay 30@ Gal. 40 m: G ated, 60 Ibs a A P Corn qt. Galvani oo fan ickory ---- es No. 214 to Tin, doz “5 tranulated, 36 2% cs. 169 “™- Family, 100 Ki 14 qt. Galv: ized ... 2 76 oe fa so g.tin den pg omens ay engi eon tm it Sa fc oe ee 49 export. ones 4 10 e bags» Teas 0 qt. Ti al. Ir. Salted P ow Se ae ae Argo, 48, 1 Ib. pkgs. .° Tin Dairy. € 00 F Peanuts Cob IPES bar ee Fels Nasthe, - eto Gui 48-1 _ pkgs. 3 60 M Tra ’ ancy, No. 1 __- “4 re + ae ablets, % Ib. Pure -- ae ran Sehite, 40 bor 405 uaker, 40-1 7 ao Cy ‘t holes ------- doz. ~-.------ -- qrdme BCG ey Ome 4 05 -------- 07 ; se, wo : - 6 PLAYING CA Wood boxes, Pure . 1 40 Jap tel ee Na. 10s 3 oF Mouse, tee 6 holes_ 70 Shelled Battle A nre vue ae ae Fairy, 10 00 box’... 7 8 - a ie ne Bicycl Axe, per ee 11%, Palm : 0 box -.. Argo, 48, 1 Rat. spring 1 Almonds ae. . 2 65 Olive, 14 --- 400 Argo, 12, Ib. pk. ee = -->3 Dement eos es oe 475 HERRING Lava, 100 : 4 box 11 00 reo, 82, 3°01 pkgs. 3 60 Mouse, spring _______ 1 00 = i Spanish, Holland Octag bo --~----- (a oe oe » Das. 2 62 —— 3 Yb. bags . P Mi Herrin gon, 120 ___ Silver ». pkgs. _2 97 C ° Se a OTASH Mixed. Keys Q Pummo,’ 100 box ——-- (a. ~~“i14, atge | — <=. . - e¢ { : , eos sarge Galv ; stesiat 18 nannnnnn-—2-—- 32 waa te Me hait bbls. — 8 og - Suectneert, 100 hox -485 Tiger om ES eo 8 ns Salted & . bbls. 3 9 randpa Tar _5 70 Tiger, ce e Ss n Galvaniz 75 oe 80 Meer. Kees 14650 Grandpa Ta , 50 sm. 2 10 ger, 50 lbs. _______ 336 mall i 7 a6 ~----------- 67 FRESH MEATS vt half bbls es — oa SS 3 50 oe Washb oa ck E bbls. a San ocoa, 72 coe — Mi Beef | Kk K K Norway sg 18 50 Fairbank re box 2 & co 3rass r _Globe eg . NCE MEAT Top Steers & Heit. a pails - es Trilby ea bx 4 00 RN SYRUP Glass, Bah as a a me G a ‘ut Lunel 0 W Soap, 100, 10c 7 25 , ae es el eee el es Wills Bains bat” 98 8 wise Karo, no Boule eericss———- 8&8 ibby, , ; se __ 3 60 Gon. Ss ; a 4 22 Lak ; oa 7 » per doz. lue Ka N eerless _____- . tan ont oO teers e Heit 16@13 * PPE a ee Z ‘8 Blue poe Ne 14. 2 Northern Queen —___- 7 ue b= 50 LEANSER ae tae dz. 3 67 a ™ Veal a Mackerel $ ted eo No. 10 a 7 25 : OLIVES See ea rubs, 60 Count, f Raa aca No. 1% ~ 3 z 13 Wood Bow 5 oz. Jar, Plai nt ee 22 Paiis. 10 Ib. Bz , fy. fat 5 75 Red aro, No. 5, 1 d 22 3 in. Butter Is i) ao tae Srp doz. 1 40 ae 21 was on fat 7b oe ted Karo, No. 10 . : a is i. Battee 14 oF. fac ¥ ain, eS. 20 M Ish i i oo i in. Butt ase i Jar, Pl: : : ed. { imit. 19 i Ce bos Jars, Plain. elo 4 50 oa Lamb Fancy, 100 Ib. 13 00 E Orange Thiago Flavor Sin. Butter ___. Ss oe don. 5 60 Spring Lamb -- o4 SHOE BLACKEN 5 Orange. No ee oe oe : lass Jugs, Pk ee : ae a > ; ING ie doz. 4 75 WwW i. one each - : . ot ee ae a os aii doz 1 36 ] Mapl . ashes PAPER ar, 5 oe ee ee er mbi acer 1 e es ; } Page Jar, ey -~ “et a ea Ce 21 Dri-Foot, — dz. 1 35 j Kanuck, pe nad Gand No. 1 “a white_ 05% \% oz. Jar. Stuff.. pn 2 25 Bixbys, Doz i 2 00 HE eek ta gal. 1 60 Butchers D. F. _---— 07 1 Gal. Jugs, Stuf ae 1 Gena Mutton oe aa 1 35 ; 5 gal. can __ 6 50 ae - F. ----- 6% _ 3 aa oe te 90 : ceatt Strina 0 : oe alee 18 STOVE Michig ante sitesi ace nc 09% PARIS GREEN ie 16 Blackne, per bag ga | LL ner gal . 2 7% Pen eee une 13 ne Silk Liquid = 1 36 S$ per eal 3 - YEAST CAKE as Cer ea 34. Light hog _ aac ie Paste, doz 135 zx “i Sunite +o - a Po 1 eine Paste, “ais COOKING OIL see. 7 [oe - Heavy bees... 16 E. Z. Liquid iquid, dz. 1 36 : Mazola Yeast 7 aoz. _. 1 36 ree 15 Radium or ae doz. 1 40 Pints, 2 doz Yeast Foam 3 dom. —. 3 9 : oz. _... 1 35 80 can cases, $4 ae ed 1 doz. . oc ‘aot , $4.80 per case re aes iy 1 doz. ul 75 YE 6 doz. 2 41 30 AST-—COMPRE = Bigiect mann SSED : » per doz. 30 SORE a RL ANE et December 19, 1928 MASON, =D FRE MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 30 er $ ee: ww Se emo 4 December 19, 1928 Do Not Copy the Faults of Any Other Merchant. (Continued from page 20) are successful. This rule, if followed, makes it certain that your inventory will always be safe and sane. You will have no inflated values. Your statement will be inside instead of out- side the facts. Accounts outstanding must be figur- ed individually down to a basis where you are certain they will make good. This means that you take each account, stand on the outside of your business mentally, honestly pass on it at the price for which you would buy it in money. It also means that a doubtful account should not be taken in at all. Those that incline to be slow should be discounted 25 Those that are strictly gilt-edged and prompt pay should be taken in at 100 per cent. or over. per cent. Now add all the accounts together to make a total thus discounted and depreciated; and from that total de- duct a blanket 10 per cent. Then you can feel that this resource is figured down to the bone—that the resulting figure is, in fact, a resource and not a questionable quantity that may turn out to be more nearly a liability. Inside furniture and fixtures should always be discounted 10 per cent. each and every year. Exceptions to this rule are special machinery like meat slicer, electric coffee roasters and motors. Those should be discounted cent. All delivery equipment discount 20 per cent. The reasons for such heavy discount- ing of things which may outlast their Owner is that not merely wear and tear but advancement of science works against them. Nobody can tell the minute new device, package, scheme or plan may reduce a perfect- ly good machine to the value of little better than scrap iron. 20) per annually. some Of all inside mercantile sports none is more prevalent than the good old We all do it. We do it often with our eyes wide open, knowing we are doing it. But we also allow our imaginations to play when we should get down to hard pan. We are more apt to take loose esti- mates for facts at inventory time than at any other time—why, it is hard to say. But that is why we must be es- pecially prepared to face actualities at the beginning of any year. Whatever other folly we indulge in, let us cut out the self-fooling! game of fooling ourselves. Paul Findlay. —_~++>___ Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Bankruptcy Court. Grand Rapids, Dec. 8—We have to-day received the schedules, referenc and ad- jJudication in the matter of James Carris, Bankrupt No. 3613. The matter has been referred to Charles B. Blair as referee in bankruptcy. The bankrunt is a resident of Grand Rapids, and his occupation is that of a merchant. The schedules show assets of $500 of which $250 is claimed as exempt, with liabilities of $3,202.57. The first meeting will be called promptly and note of same made _ herein. The list of ereditors of said bankrupt is as follows: Addie Ross, Grand Rapids oe Gee Fern Henneffey, Grand Rapids _._ 7.00 Rose Dougherty, Grand Rapids ___ 5.00 Heyman Co., Grand Rapids ______- 60.00 Claude Piper. Grand Ranids ____1,700.00 Nick Tsoronakis, Grand Rapids __ 000.00 Arctic Ice Cream Co., Grand Rapids 215.00 P. 1D. Mohrhardt, Grand Rapids 40.00 E. B. Gallagher, Grand Rapids 15.00 G R. Store Fixture Co.. Grand R. 20.00 Hill Plumbing Co., Grand Rapids 38,66 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Miller Candy Co., Grand Rapids _. 73.86 Hoekstra Ice Cream Co., Grand R. 91.55 G. R. Creamery Co., Grand Rapids 45.00 Modern Laundry Co., Grand R._ 30.00 H. Leonard & Sons, Grand Rapids 15.00 Joe Hertz, Grand Rapids _________ 35.00 Gladys Zysko, Grand Rapids _____ 45.51 Model Bakery, Grand Rapids —___ 100.00 St. Mary’s Hospital, Grand Rapids 8.00 Dec. 8. We have to-day received the schedules, reference and adjudication in the matter of George E. F. Vennard and Edward T. Vennard, a copartnership, doing business as Vennard’s Pharmacy. and individually, Bankrupt No. 3617. The matter has been referred to Charles B. Blair as referee in bankruptcy. The bank- rupts are residents of Grand Rapids, and occupation is that of a drug store pro- prietors. The schedules show assets of $8,564.52 with liabilities of $9.081.71. The first meeting will be called promptly and note of same made herein. The list of creditors of said bankrupt is as follows: City of Grand Rapids _..-_..____ $ 21.36 Hazeltine & Perkins, Grand Rap. 2,678.00 Kent State Bank, Grand Rapids__ 505.00 Hoekstra Ice Cream Co., Grand R. 1,144.00 Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., New York City 415.00 Industrial Discount Co., Grand R. 50.00 Industrial Mtge. and Inv. Co., Grand Rapids 2... 300.00 Kkent State Bank, Grand Rapids __ 60.00 American Druggists Syn., Chicago 53.72 A. E Brooks & Co., Grand Rapids 290.00 Bauer & Black, Chicago _ =. ==. —i(‘sé«éG; —_—___—_ Our hardest fight is against our own shiftlessness, not against our jobs. eienenenapam—enree 32 Side Glances or Early Days in Grand Rapids. The American Railway Express Co. owned by railroad corporations, is a consolidation of several organizations which managed the business of trans- porting small packages between com- mercial communities throughout the United States and Canada. Previous to the outbreak of the war, four of such companies—Adams, American, United States and National, operated in Grand Rapids. Since the railroads took over the ser- vice, expense of operation has been greatly reduced. Offices and_ store- rooms in the business districts have been vacated and packages are now delivered from the railway stations. Employes have been reduced in num- ber. It is presumed that the baggage and express departments of the rail- ways will be consolidated eventually. During the fifth decade of the past century, the American Express Co. ex- tended its service from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids. Transportation of small packages was by stage. Grand Rapids did not possess railroad facili- ties at that period. Crawford Angell, the messenger and agent at Grand Rapids, traveled back and forth between the two small cities named, hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, in the conduct of the business. At times the roads were muddy and almost impassable. Later when the roadway had been covered with planks, the service was quite regular and less tedious.. When trains began operation on the Detroit and Milwaukee Rail- road in 1858 the transferred its service from the stage express company to the rails. With the development of its busi- ness the express company advanced Mr. Angell to positions of greater than local responsibility. His .last years were spent in its service as its super- intendent for the State of Michigan. Mr. Angell was elected and served one term as Mayor of Grand Rapids. He was prominent in the activities of fraternal organizations and local pol- itics. On one occasion, when he was the presiding officer of a certain lodge, a gavel composed of wood of great value on account of the history of the ma- terial from which it was constructed, was presented to the lodge. With the new emblem of authority in his hand, Angell struck the pedestal at his side a vigorous blow. The mem- ber who presented the gavel, quite surprised with the force of Crawford’s blow, warned him that the gavel might be broken—that it was not as strong as a blacksmith’s hammer. “Qh, it is a toy, eh?” Angell en- quired. “Take it away. Give me the old gavel.” Mr. Angell was the father of Harry C. Angell and the grandfather of Charles R. Angell, of Grand Rapids. John Hellen spent many years in the service of the Grand Rapids Gas Co. as its superintendent. John was prudent and economical in his expendi- tures for his family and on his own behalf. John invested his savings judiciously. He accumulated a sizable MICHIGAN TRADESMAN bunch of American Light and Traction stock, which he = subsequently sold, realizing five for one. Then John re- signed his position with the Gas Co. He is spending his declining years in the enjoyment of the rewards of a life well spent. Pioneers of Grand Rapids occasion- ally indulged in a game of draw poker. Money was scarce and gambling debts were frequently paid through transfers of real estate. Lots which are now worth hundreds of thousands of dol- lars were deeded to winners of a few dollars. David Miller was one of a group which played the game. One of his winnings was a lot and store build- ing on Monroe avenue. Its exact loca- tion to-day would be the center of Campau Square. The property was eventually acquired by the city and the building razed when the square was opened. Miller sold groceries in the building for a few years. Silas Durham purchased the property of Miller, painted the front of the building alternate red and white squares, and named the place “Checkered Store.” When the city took possession of the property, Durham scld his stock of goods to Alfred and Frank Crawford, who moved it to a store on Pearl street and continued the business. One of the first stores opened for business on Plainfield avenue was a grocery owned by C. H. Saunders, a veteran of the civil war and a retired policeman. The first man Saunders was sent out to bring in resisted arrest and drew a gun. Before he could ex- plode his weapon, Saunders’ gun bark- ed loudly and the offender felt a sting in his shoulder, after which he sub- mitted to an arrest. The gun shot wound he received was not serious. By the way, how many readers of the Tradesman could recall the names of the six patrolmen who composed the police force of Grand Rapids in 1872? Here is the list: William Ormand, Thomas McLean, Charles H. Saun- ders, Sanford Tucker, Putnam Stinson and William Whalen. Tucker resigned a few months after he had entered the service and was succeeded by Jacob Hoch—a civil war veteran. Arthur Scott White. ee Items From the Cloverland of Michi- gan. Saut Ste. Marie, Dec. 18—It won't be long now. The merchants are ready for the last rush and the line at the postoffice window is increasing each day. Snow almost all gone and, comparatively speaking, there is very little flu. This is going to seem like a short winter and many who were going South for the winter have de- cided to remain at home, as the flu enidemic does not ‘look good in the South. The Sharr & Son candy factory, at Trout Lake, was destroved by fire last week. We are told they carried no insurance. Whether or not the fac- tory will be rebuilt has not vet been announced. Fire destroyed the store of J. H. Holbrook, at McMillan, last Monday. Mrs. Holbrook was sleeping in the building when a pet dog roused his niistress by licking her face until she awoke just in time to escape. The Holbrook family moved to McMillan from the Soo last fall and purchased the store. Mr. Holbrook was a former owner of the Belvidere Hotel and the Merchants soft drink parlor. It has not as yet been announced what they will do in the future. Wm. McEver, the well-known mer- chant at Charles, was a_ business caller last week, doing his Christmas shopping. He has just added a nifty new roadster to his equipment which he will use on his hurry up trips. Bigger & Co., formerly from Es- canaba, have moved to Kenneth, where they are opening camps to take out wood for the Charcoal Iron Co., at Newberry. The Government advises people to drink sauer kraut juice and help the cabbage industry. Is this the farm relief we have been hearing so much about? E. S. Royce, well-known auctioneer, has opened a temporary office in the Cowan & Hunt building, where he will wind up the Rothwell Co. furniture stock. With weather more suited to open- ing of navigation than closing, the 1928 season at the locks came to a close Saturday. The Canadian locks are still open, waiting for the last boat, a steamer which will pass through for the upper lakes. A peaceful close in contrast with 1926 and 1927 seasons, unmarred by ice blockades or wrecks. Last vear several steamers were wrecked and an_ ice blockade held twenty-three steamers here. This vear the river is open from Iroquois to De Tour and no sign of ice. The car ferry of the Mackinac Transportation Co. is now handling the automobile business, making five trips daily. First trip at 3 a. m. and the last trap at 11:45 at night. The rates are the same as charged by the State ferrys. The State will compen- sate the transportation company for the difference in fares. This arrange- ment will make much more business and many will spend Christmas in Lower Michigan if the warm weather continues. Paul Litzner, of the firm of Litzner Bros., general merchants at Moran, paid the Soo a visit last week on busi- ness. The Dodge & Chandler Co., has opened a garage and is now ready for service. Among the most valuable tips of the day of stock speculation is the advice furnished by Isaac Newton. The farmers in Chippewa county are going into sheep raising more each year. Rov Eagle has now one of the finest herds of Oxford sheep in the county, having recently added the forty purchased from James York, who purchased his flock at Muir, near Ionia. William G. Tapert. —_—_2>2»—____ Corporations Wound Up. The following Michigan corpora- tions have recently filed notices of dis- solution with the Secretary of State: Motors Finance Corp., Ann Arbor. Russel Woods Co., Detroit. Standard Appliance Corp., Detroit. Lamb & Co., Inc., Adrian. Fred Whincap & Associates, Inc., Grand Rapids. Lawyer's Realty Co., Detroit. Ferndale Building Co., Detroit. Bay O11 Co., Bay City. Nicholson Transit Co., Detroit. E. Edwards Co., Inc., Traverse City. H. A. Hoxie Co., Grand Rapids. Lumber Service & Credit Corp., De- troit. Co-operative Threshers Association of West Kinderhook, Coldwater. States Clay Products Co., Holland. VanWulfen Construction Corp., De- troit. Edwards Electrical Construction Co., Detroit. Imperial Elkhorn Coal Co., Detroit. State Savings Bank, St. Clair. Guardian Land Contract Co., Inc., De- troit. Meadowdale Estates, Inc., Jackson. Detroit Jewish Herald, Detroit. General Store Fixture Co., Detroit. Cadillac Pattern Works, Detroit. December 19, 1928 Central Sheet Metal & Roofing Co., Detroit. Detroit Cold Storage & Terminal Co., Detroit. Summer Bungalow Corp., Lansing. Brighton Inn, Inc., Brighton. Mount Clemens Maytag Corp., Mt. Clemens. Nicholson-Erie-Dover Ferry Line, De- troit. Winona Copper Co., Houghton. Jaxon Steel Products Co., Jackson. South Range Copper Co., South Range. —_—_~-> > The Candy-Cigarette War. The advertising world is an inter- ested spectator in the candy-cigarette war. The slogan “Pass me a Lucky—lI pass up the sweets’ has brought a storm of protest from the candy and numerous allied trades which accuse the American Tobacco Co. of riding roughshod over the interests of other industries in order to sell a few more cigarettes. Whether or not one happens to be particularly interested in sweets or to- bacco is of littlhe moment. The poini is that similar and even more far- reaching controversies may be expected as competition grows’ keener ard whenever one industry feels that it can better itself by slipping over the boun- dary line into the apple orchard of its neighbor. It will be interesting to observe whatever action will be taken by th: sweet foods industry, for it may affe’ in large measure other contrcwersic 3 over advertising ethics which may arise. —_—_»+»—_____ Just because vou don’t know the reason is no proof there is no reason. GRAND RAPIDS STORE EQUIPMENT CO. PREFERRED COMMON LISTED, UNLISTED, LOCAL AND BANK SECURITIES Trading Department Telephone 4745 HOWE SNOW & CO. INCORPORATED 60 Monroe Avenue GRAND RAPIDS NEW YORK DETROIT SAN FRANCISCO PHILADELPHIA MINNEAPOLIS CHICAGO 4 ae * Ctiieilimnn CO Oe Pa ee See: ‘ * Rasa + u , b | 1 i oe wer > aren wee - Cool, Snappy, Invigorating WINTER DAYS are Business Stimulators With larger values in merchandise involved and dangers of loss by fire multiplied it is time now to check up on Fire Insurance The heating plant is one year older and unseen defects may have developed which later on might spell disaster. It is better to be safe first than sorry afterwards. For Safety, Service and Saving let the Mutual Companies protect you this fall and winter. MUTUAL Insurance is Better Protection at Lower Cost An investigation will prove it messtneatannapnapnapmnt “Straws Show the Way the Wind Blows” “Perhaps what follows doesn’t amount to much, coming as it does from a small retail grocer. However, I would like to say that I find a great deal of satisfaction in handling your coffee and tea. They are good sellers. Our customers never complain of quality. There is no wrangle over price. I think that Chase & Sanborn’s coffees and teas are a line which independent grocers, so called, should push to the limit. You certainly de- serve their cooperation.” There is evidence to show that the rank and file of retail grocers the country over is push- ing the sale of SEAL BRAND COFFEE as never before. At a time when so many com- petitive brands are being sold at retail prices that show a profit only to the manufacturer, independent merchants in _ ever-increasing numbers are getting behind the coffee every pound of which spells satisfaction to the trade and shows a living profit to the dealer. Chase € Sanborn Importers SEAL BRAND COFFEE AND TEA Boston Chicago Grocers Supplied by Chase & Sanborn, 327 N. Wells St., Chicago At Ever Meal at ASTERPIECES SS Q F THE BAKERS ART | Bi ff dD. = — rT — +. Bie a sei rh D a at Wp ae i ie ) 7 a ( rn i. Al ail nut ST mann’ Te Or every o ati YOUR Selling Cost is less when you stock goods of known value. Especially when the price has been established by the manufacturer and you realize your full profit as you do on KC Baking Powder Same Price for over 38 years 25 ounces for 25c A fair price to the consumer and good profit for you. Why ask your customers to pay War Prices? It will pay you to feature K C Millions of Pounds Used by Our Government