eNO OSDIR SE DOS CVO eB AIIZ INR ee FLERE CAEN DES GI RSE SETI GB MOO SAS AG ROO Se os etme SF 5 SAW YASS SEN CY WA ve SN Sau ie CENA SOM OTe S Sa AO Ae~<9 ey MOON? SOS HH — BC ( DoF YAP BP Oe OMG a RCA Re AN aA \< D3 los a4) oY ofa) *S ; KR aR SE ES AGG HEEI(C DOIN CS VEE) BK) eS y Se) EN SO (A ERE Reema FAG DOES) ve ney : WJ Wd OAS B ppp se [a eiatae ed FSSA SS EN WSO ZZ SNe SSNS PUBLISHED WEEKLY (Gani TRADESMAN COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 222) DUA 1883 = SITES SNOW ESS SIE STOR SSS SSIS SISSIES Forty-seventh Year GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1929 Number 2398 Without work no amount of talent, no amount of influence, will carry a man very far in this world. I am amazed at the point of view of some modern young men. They look at the successful men of the day as if they sup- posed success to be an easy matter—giving rich gifts and requiring little in return. I wonder what they would think if they could see the average day’s program of one of the men they envy. Theodore Roosevelt left a correspond- ence that of itself involved more work than the average man does in his active life. Yet it represented only a small part of his activities. SUCCESS NO EASY MASTER | The higher men climb, the longer their working day. And any young man with a streak of idleness in him might better make up his mind at the beginning that mediocrity is to be his lot. Without immense, sustained effort he will not climb high. And even though fortune or chance were to lift him high he would not stay there. For to keep at the top is harder, almost, than to get there. There are no office hours for leaders. CARDINAL GIBBONS You will not only be safe when you sell MUELLER PRODUCTS but your customers will be satisfied when they buy them. C. F. MUELLER CO. JERSEY CITY NEW JERSEY STRENGTH ECONOMY THE MILL MUTUALS Lansing AGENCY Michigan - MICHIGAN MILLERS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY (MICHIGANS LARGEST MUTUAL) AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES ¥ Consbined Assets of Group $45,267,808.24 20% to 40% Savings Made Since Organization FIRE INSURANCE—ALL BRANCHES Tornado— Automobile— Plate Giass since1878. Anation-wide fame and distribution for fifty years SS ENE athe 2 NE aN 4 CHASE & SANBORNS SEAL BRAND COFFEE Grocers supplied by Chase & Sanborn, 327 North Wells St., Chicago WorbDEN Grocer COMPANY The Prompt Shippers You Can Guarantee Morton House COFFEE We Stand Back of Every Package — WORDEN (;ROCER COMPANY Wholesalers for Sixty-one Years OTTAWA AT WESTON - GRAND RAPIDS THE MICHIGAN TRUST COMPANY, Receiver. Gs GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1929 Number 2398 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN E. A. Stowe, Editor PUBLISHED WEEKLY by Tradesman Company, from its office the Barnhart Building, Grand Rapids. UNLIKE ANY OTHER PAPER. Frank, free and fearless for the good that we can do. Each issue com- plete in itself. DEVOTED TO the best interests of business men, SUBSCRIPTION RATES areas follows: $3 per year, if paid strictly in advance. $4 per year if not paid in advance. Canadian subscription, $4.04 per year, payable invariably in advance. Sample copies 10 cents each. Extra copies of current issues, 10 cents; issues a month or more old, 15 cents; issues a year or more old, 25 cents; issues five years or more old 50 cents. Entered September 23, 1883, at the Postoffice of Grand Rapids as second class matter under Act of March JAMES M. GOLDING Detroit Representative 409 Jefferson, E. Pertinent Words on Stock Con- trol. I have been requested by a reader of the Tradesman and an officer of our Michigan State As- sociation to write an article on .tock control. A few yars ago, the relegating of commodities featured by the :yndicate stores by removing them from sight and keeping same un- der the counters, was sponsored by former Secretary, Mr. Gezon, and was the subject of mich dis- cussion at conventions and for a time received considerable com- ment, but it soon dawned on the average retailer that his available space under the counter was being overtaxed while the shelves as- sumed the appearance of a store on the wholesaler’s C.O.D. List. Successful retailers to-day are featuring popular brands at popular prices, realizing the hu- man element which requires the handling of merchandise the con- suming public demand. A certain Grand Rapids retailer ___——_ Will Someone Come To the Rescue? West Branch, Sept. 3—God_ bless you for your kind letter. that so warm- ed my heart. when I was almost col- lapsing from the double shock of find- ing my husband in a huddled heap out in the yard under a tree and of his un- expected death so suddenly, less than two days later. It was his wish “to die in the har- ness” and I know it best that he went as he did and when he did. before k> crashed ffinancially, although it leaves the whole burden of settling up on my heavily burdened shoulders, without resources to fall back on that are not taxed the limit. It seems bevond my reach. I wonder if you might not know of someone who will take over the con- tents of stores, and deal honestly with the owner. The stock is run down, so the fixtures and all inciuded are valued at less than a thousand dollars by the two appraisers here. Some honey, cookies and bacon are about the only perishable stuff, except a little candy left in store. No flour, except pancake in sacks. Tinware. thread, pins, towels, combs and no- tions are in the stock. I tell you this that you may have an idea of the gen- eral stock and notions left. A_ safe. cash register, clock, etc., besides the accumulations of hundreds of old sacks and stuff of. many vears was included in the appraisers estimate, plus wagon. harnesses and bobs. I am not strong enough to stay in the store and sell out slowly. I tried it yesterday and didn’t take in fifty cents and was too tired to sleep at night, so felt it would be best to sell it all out to someone who would dea! honestly with me in settlement: and I would certainly appreciate any help you can give me along this line. Mrs. Marion H. Irons. 2-2. By the time you’re able to boast aobut how well your hens lay you find that everybody’s hens are laying. September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 3 In millions of coffee cups, lies - the convincing reason for MAXWELL Howse “Turnover” Why doesn’t this super- . 7 lative coffee cost more? - F coffee cost were always in proportion to G O O D coffee flavor, this fine old Southern blend would doubtless be the highest priced coffee ~\, a. in the 48 states. Why then is the price of Maxwell House Coffee so moderate? Because Nature does not charge for flavor— and bountifully does she endow the rare and fo f h special blend which a Tennessee gentleman 2 served to privileged friends long, long ago. The unique, matchless quality of this fa- mous blend—backed up by the largest adver- — tising campaign ever put behind any coffee— has made Maxwell House the largest selling ‘ packaged coffee in the world. No wonder that LL A Ss ry Maxwell House brings extraordinarily rapid coffee turnover whenever it is featured. “>) MAXWELL “\?) HOUSE _—vRop aha’ ©1929, G. F. comp. set aga SNR He 7 ROS VA BS l 4 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 MOVEMENTS OF MERCHANTS. Sturgis—The Citizens State Bank has increased its capital stock from $100,000 to $150,000. Pontiac—The Miller-Gauss Baking Co. has changed its name to the Gauss Baking Co. of Pontiac. Jackson—Edgar W. Glasgow, who had been engaged in the dry goods business here many years, is dead. Detroit—The American Dry Milk Co., 414 Walbridge street, has changed its name to the Michigan Dairy Prod- ucts Co. Howard City—William Smith has assumed the management of the hotel at Croton, owned and conducted for several years, by his mother, Mrs. William Kappler. Chassell—C. H. Worcester has sold the plant of the Worcester Lumber Co. to E. A. Hamar, who has been secretary and manager of the company since its organization. Otsego—Roy Hofaker, who recently purchased a store building on West Allegan street of the Stoughton estate, has redecorated it and opened a radio and electric appliances and fixtures store. MassThe Stella Cheese Co. has been incorporated with an authorized cap- ital stock of $10,000 common and $40,- 000 preferred, of which amount $1,500 has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Iron Mountain—A. B. Braoco, for- mer proprietor of the Central Drug store, has purchased the American Se- curity Bank building for $16,000. It 1s believed he will occupy it with a new drug stock. Holland—Louis Lawrence, druggist at the corner of Thirteenth street and Maple avenue, has sold his store build- ing and stock to Lawrence Wade, re- cently of Muskegon, who has taken possession. Tonia Wilbur Fate has been pro- moted to the managership of the Peo- ple’s Cash Market, 343 West Main street to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Claude Sutton, who has engaged in the meat business at Big Rapids. Detroit—The Ross Equipment Co., 1315 Michigan avenue, has been in- corporated to deal in machinery and centractors equipment with an author- ized capital stock of $7,500, all of which has been subscribed and $2,000 paid in in cash. Detroit—Doctor Roger’s Optome- trists & Jewelry Co., 1151 Griswold street, has been incorporated to con- duct a jewelry aiid optical business with an authorized capital stock of $6,000, all of which has been subscrib- ed and paid in in cash. Lansing—The Modern Kitchen, Inc., 226 South Capital avenue, has been incorporated to deal in kitchen equip- ment and utensils with an authorized capital stock of $25,000, $5,500 of which has been subscribed, $3,000 paid in in cash and $2,500 in property. Detroit—The Famous Shirt Distrib- utors Corporation, 3605 Woodward avenue, has been incorporated to deal in men’s furnishings, clothing, ete., with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, $3,000 of which has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Battle Creek — The Sanitarium Equipment Co., 48 North Washington avenue has merged its business into a stock company under the style of the Sanitarium Equipment Sales Co. with an authorized capital stock of $5,000. all of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Lincoln Park—Johnson & Duhring, 1125 State street, have merged their plumbing and heating business into a stock company under the style of Johnston & Duhring, Inc., with an authorized capital stock of $10,000, $6,- 000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Kalamazoo—The Service Tire Co., 401 East Michigan avenue, has merg- ed its tire and auto accessories busi- ness into a stock company under the same style with an authorized capital stock of $10,000, $3,400 of which has been subscribed and paid in, $2,400 in cash and $1,000 in property. Kalamazoo—The Richardson Gar- ment Co. will open a retail store at 160 Portage street, under the style of the Apparel Shop. It will be under the management of Mrs. Bert Anway. Detroit—The Interstate Tool Co., 19636 Mitchell street, has increased its capital stock from $25,000 to $75,- 000. Nashville—The Nashville State Bank has been organized as a merger of the Farmers & Merchants and State Sav- ings banks. The new institution has a capital stock of $65,000, with clear assets of $1,249,190. Hon. C. L. Glas- gow will serve the new organization as President, which is a_ sufficient guaranty that every one will be given a square deal. Ishpeming—Chotfrd L. Finch, who for the past four years has been the Negaunee-Ishpeming representative of the P. C. Monday Tea Co., Milwaukee, will assume the duties of district man- ager for the entire Upper Peninsula. This promotion is given to him because of the successful manner in which he has built up the company’s business in the local territory. He will continue to make his home in Ishpeming. Clar- ence Anderson, of Negaunee, will suc- ceed him in the two towns. Kalamazoo—Five dollars “conscience money” was received by William Bes- tervelt, South Burdick street grocer, the other day from a man who attend- ed a revival service last Sunday. Three vears ago, this man, under the in- fluence of drink, purchased meat for his family and offered a $5 bill in pay- ment and received change for $10. He considered himself fortunate, until re- cently being converted, the matter preyed upon his mind, resulting in his returning the money, much to the sur- prise of Bestervelt. Early Monday morning Bestervelt was confronted by a regular customer at the store, who extended to him 500 pennies, with the explanation that three years before he had received too much change. Grand Rapids—Fred A. Castenholz (Hazeltine & Perkikns Drug Co.) took the place of the Southern Michigan traveler for his house last week on account of the illness of the latter. He happened to be in Centerville when the Graf Zeppelin was over the village and got a good view of the great flyer. Most of the people in the village hasti- ly repaired to the state line between Michigan and Indiana in the belief that the airship would pass further South on its way to Detroit and Cleve- land. This is usually the result when people leave home to seek enjoyment or special entertainment. Nine times out of ten they miss the thing they crave, while if they had remained at home they would be completely satis- fied. Manufacturing Matters. Sturgis—The Posture Chair Co., $20,000 capital, is building a small fac- tory at Sturgis and will make a line of metal office chairs. Saginaw — The Hardwood Block Flooring Corporation, Carrollton Road, has been incorporated with an author- ized capital stock of $50,000, $10,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—The C. G. Spring & Bump- er Co., 2590 East Grand boulevard, has been incorporated with an author- ized capital stock of 1,000 shares at $1 a share, $1,000 being subscribed and paid in in cash. Pontiac — The Wolverine Mosaic Flooring Co., R.F.D. 5, has been in- corporated with an authorized capital stock of 5,000 shares at $1 a share, of which amount $2,000 has been sub- scribed and paid in. Detroit— The Kent-Moore Organ- ization, Inc., 3044 West Grand blvd., has been incorporated to design and construct engines with an authorized capital stock of $100,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in. Holland—The Hart & Cooley Co., which recently completed a large ad- dition to its plant here, will add an- other link in its expansion program with erection of a building, 100x160 feet, one story, at a cost of about $30,000. Grand Haven—The Bastian Blessing Co., maker of soda fountains, will build a factory addition 77 by 161 feet, brick and steel, and will install a new heat- ing plant. At present the factory em- ploys 150 men, and the force will be increased. Detroit—The Lincoln Tool & Die Co., Inc., 1498 23rd street, has merged its business into a stock company un- der the same style with an authorize:l capital stock of $40,000, $25,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in property. Hastings—The Hastings Piston Ring Co. has been incorporated to manufac- ture and deal in mechanical appliances with an authorized capital stock of 20,000 shares of A stock at $10 a share, 10,000 shares of B at $5 a share, 15,000 shares of C at $5 a share and 70.000 shares no par value, $325,000 being subscribed and $125,000 being paid in in property. —_+++>—__—_. Our business in life is not to get ahead of others. but to get ahead of ourselves. To break our own record, to outstrip our yesterday by our to- day, to do our work with more force and finer finish than ever; this is the true idea; to get ahead of ourselves. ———_ + +. In order to increase in learning, get some learning to increase. HAVE YOU Protected Your Life Insurance? By arranging a Life In- surance Trust, you can afford your family the fullest possible benefit from your insurance funds. CGUOL7O GRAND RAPIDS TRUST CO. Grand Rapids, Michigan all Pi a adsl dacanempesistneahmenlipaaien September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 5 oe poware nema ete Essential Features of the Grocery Staples. Sugar—The market on refined is the same as a week ago. Jobbers hold cane granulated at 5.85c and_ beet granulated at 5.65c. Canned Fruits—Cherries have been delivered in full, as a good pack was The Bartlett pear con- dition has been quite bad and packers are inclined to accept little additional Trading in canned foods on the local spot market was quiet last week, and_ there special changes in prices on any line. The tone of the market was steady to firm. The trade did not take the $13 price on 1929 Maine blueberries in gallon tins without a struggle, and many buyers still refuse to pay that price. Packers have been holding firm, however, and report that they are not greatly con- experienced. business. were no cerned, because conditions warrant that quotation. Canned Vegetables—Many of the smaller pea canners report a thorough- ly sold-up condition, and some of the big packers are carrying only limited quantities. The trade here has cov- ered its needs fairly well, but many jobbers have had to shcp elsewhere to find a good assortment to fill their re- quirements for the future, and it is becoming increasingly hard to locate good offerings in the South and Mid- Gle West, with prices firm and inclined ‘o advance on many grades and sieves. Western New York State growers of green and wax beans report a great need cf rain for their coming crops, as in the Fredonia section, for instance, they have not had a drop:in six weeks, and under present conditions, it looks as though there wculd be many pack- ers who will not be able to deliver more than 50 per cent. against their contracts, if that much. The anticipat- cd heavy pack of beans, as it looks now, may not materialize. The _ to- mato crop also looks disappointing in the Western part of the State. Ketchup packers have nothing to offer. A re- port from Rochester says that cabbage plants look fair considering conditions. but a large pack is not generally ex- pected. Canned Fish—Salmon has shown little change. Offers of tall pinks have been theard of at $1.75. Columbia River Chinook salmon is going to be very hard to buy, apparently, as most of the leading packers have reported short deliveries. One-pound flats are extremely short, while in halves, deliv- eries will average not more than 25 per cent., according to advices. BUY SALMON. Dried Fruits—Prices on spot dried fruits have held generally firm this week, with an upward tendency in prices, but few actual advances being made. In some items jobbers have made fractional price advances, but on the whole levels have been no more than well maintained at previous quo- tations. California prunes have con- tinued in good request, jobbers selling their goods on arrival from the coast. Brokers find, however, that many of the inland jobbers have not been so willing to buy at prevailing list prices. The situation is even stronger, how- ever, and the consensus of opinion is that next week will show further ad- vances in prices on California prunes, as stocks are light, and it appears that supply will not be able to meet de- mand in the months to come before new crop is available here. Shipments of 1929 prunes are not expected to ar- rive until about the first of November, as compared with previous years, wheu Oct. 15 found arrivals well under way. Prices on new pack have advanced from 4@“%c per pound during this week, and with growers on the coast holding their fruit for jhigher prices, additional advances are looked for by Spot dried apricots have been in only moderate demand, but the market has been firm- ly sustained, with no quotable change during the week under review. es ‘have also held firm. packers in the near future. Peach- First arrivals of new crop Blenheim apricots are ex- pected next week. California packers have announced opening prices on 1929 dried pears. they high. from canners in buying raw fruit, and other generally bullish factors offer reasonable explanation for the high orices being asked. Spot raisins have As was to be expected, were Stiff competition been selling steadily but not in really The market holds firma, with sentiment much improved regard- heavy volume. ing this vear’s crop, which looks small enough to warrant good prices. The tendency of the Coast market has been definitely toward higher levels on 1929 crop. Nuts—There has been considerably more activity in spot nuts this week, both shelled and in the shell, and prices have gone up sharply throughout the list. Almonds, shelled and unshelled, have been in keen request, and values have advanced steadily. The market on domestic shelled almonds has ad- vanced several cents per pound under heavy buying, and prices on imported meats have risen accordingly. Califor- nia operators have been in the local market for all the domestic and for- eign almonds they could lay their hands on. Quotations on new crops abroad have ruled strong, with an upward trend. Shelled and unshelled filberts have been very active and prices have gone up. An operator at- tempting to gain control of the mar- ket, was said to have been able to purchase only about a hundred bags of shelled filberts this week. Importers’ stocks have reached almost to bare floors, and some are now selling oniy as an accommodation to particular customers. Shelled walnuts have ruled firm and price advances are anticipated in the near future on spots. holds true of pecans. The market on Brazil nuts in the shell has been steadily maintained, but there has not been any great activity, and values have remained stable. Pickles—The market has been quiet this week, but prices have remained firm. Packers have withdrawn offer- ings. Bottled pickles have sold in re- markably heavy volume this season. Certain varieties of pickles have had to be cut out by manufacturers on ac- The same count of lack of supplies. This ap- plies particularly to large pickles by the cask and midgets in bulk. There will be no change in the situation until after the present crop is cured. The season is about two weeks late, and it appears that unless very favorable weather is experienced, there will be a very short production. closely Sauerkraut—Bulk kraut is cleaned out of first hands. New kraut is being offered at high prices, due to increased values of green cabbage. The market is unchanged over last week. Vinegar— Movement continues brisk, and will be until the end of summer. Quotations are firm and unfluctuating. ———————— Review of the Produce Market. Astrachans $1.50@1.65; Apples—Duchess, Red and Wealthy Strawberry,. $2@2.25. command Jananas—O'4@7c per Ib. Beets—40c per doz. bunches. Butter—The market has advanced 2@3c per lb. Jobbers hold prints at 46c and 65 Ib. tubs at 44ec. Butter Beans—$2.50 per bu. Cabbage—$1.50 per bu. for white and $2 for red. Carrots—40c per doz. bunches. Cauliflower—$1.75 per doz. Celery—40@60c per bunch. Cherries—$3.25 per box for Calif. Cocoanuts—90c per doz. or $7 per hag. Cucumbers—$1 per doz. and $2. per bu. Dried Beans—Michigan jobbers are quoting as follows: C. EY Pea Beans 2) $8.75 Eve@ht Red Kidney =... 9.09 Dark Red Kidney 9... 5 9.09 Eggs—Local jobbers pay 35c for strictly fresh candled. Garlic—23c per lb. Grapes—Calif. Malaga are held at $2.25 per lug; home grown Wordens, 75c per 20 Ib. basket. Green Corn—25c per doz. for white and 35¢ for yellow bantam. Green Onions—Shallots, 40c¢ per doz. Green Peas—$2.50 per bu, for home grown. Green Peppers—60c per doz. Honey Ball Melons—$4.50 per crate. Honey Dew Melons—$2.50 per crate. continued hot weather has caused the price to ascend Lemons — Long to an level. Prices this week are as follows: S60 Sunkist 2 $20.00 unprecedented S00 Saulkst (2 20 20.00 SOO Redhat 20.00 O00) Ned: Bali 2 20.00 Lettuce—In good demand on _ the following basis: Imperial Valley, 4s, per crate ~..-$4.50 Imperial Valley, 5s, per crate ____ 5.00 Garden srown, per bu. -______ 1.29 Limes—$1.50 per box. Mushrooms—65c per Ib. Oranges—Fancy Sunkist California Valencias are now on the following basis° PO $8.00 1s Coe oe 75 7G) ee ee 7.50 C00 ee 6.75 216 6.25 252) ee 525 SON. 4.50 Oe 4.25 Onions—Towa white fetch $2.25 per 50 Ib. sack and $1.75 for yellow. Osage Melons — Benton Harbor grown commands $1.50 for 10x10, $2 for 12x12 and $2:50 for 14x14; Colo. Rockyfords command $1.50 for flats. Parsley—50c per doz. bunches, Peaches—Elbertas Michigan grown b command $2.50@2.75 per bu.; home grown peaches—vellow and freestone in excellent quality—command = the same price, Pears—$2.50 per bu. for Clapp’s Favorite and Bartlett; Calif. $4.25 per box. Pieplant—$1.25 per bu. Plums—$3.25 per 4 basket crate for Calif.;: home grown Burbanks fetch $2.25 per bu. Potatoes—Home grown are now in command of the market, selling at $1.50@1.60 per bu. Poultry—Wilson & as follows: Company pay Pleavy fowls (0.500005 50 26¢ Dieht fowls 20000 0 2 23¢ Freavy brovers =: 00 2éc bieht broilers .. = 2 20c¢ Radishes—20c per doz. bunches. Spinach—$1.40 per bu. Tomatoes—Home grown command 60c per % bu. basket. Veal Calves—Wilson & pay as follows: Company Paney 2200 2 ee 2s€ Good ea ca a ea ee a eas ed amc ce ea 19¢ MidiGn 2 2 loc Poor tata at ge ae as ar a a eg We 40@50c for Florida. Whortleberries—$5 per 16 qt. crate Watermelons-— ——— Moire Shoes Well Regarded. Strong interest has been shown in the offering of moire shoes for fall daytime wear and _ expectations are that they will meet with a growing consumer demand from the middle of being September. These shoes are featured in pump and plain oxford styles, with brown, black and blue the outstanding shades. It is not believed that the moire vogue will affect the popularity of lizard or suede shoes, which are headed for an active season. Initial started well and heavy reorders are business on these types has figured on by the end of September. —_—-eeo>—____—- More Retail Mergers in Prospect. The trend toward more mergers in the retail dry goods field has by no means exhausted itself. Negotiations in several important directions are said to be under way now, following a period in which action was stopped. The names of prominent stores are mentioned, but definite confirmation of the reports has been lacking as yet. The belief prevails, however, that be- fore the fall season is well advanced important — link- ings of department stores will be work- several new and ed out. >. __ Friendship carries into the future whatever was best and truest in our past relationships; whatever could be detached from the perishable forms in which our lives express and manifest themselves. Each year adds to the accumulations of the past, and levels still more those invisible walls which separate us. The solitude of life is known to us all; for the most part we are alone, and the voices of friends come only faint and broken across the impassible gulfs which surround every human soul. vic leaded lis Vfl i frais nt dernis saan MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 THE EMPIRE IN BUSINESS. Cheapness and Economy Are Net Sole Requisites. Pardon the egotism of one whose academic equipment has been con- fined largely to “The Three R’s” (without the Orange Front.) but there is something about the half-way rea- soning of the pro-syndicate economist which brings my smile of ignorance to the surface, in spite of all attempts to be serious when dealing with a seri- ous question, Almost daily, I am obliged to lock horns with some commercial mathe- matician who believes absolutely in the abiding virtue of mass distribution, chain store trickery, mail order bom- bast and all the mergers, combines and trade alliances which go with the so-called trend of the times. Having read some article or other with my name attached, he feels duty bound to show me the error of my way by dragging me into a maze of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and evo- lution to show that centralized man- agement means reduced overhead, buy- ing power eneans cut costs and, of course, the general public is supposed to be the sole and only beneficiary. Even local merchants will try to picture their cause as hopeless under the independent scheme of things. Even they preach the doctrines of the syndicate in their sermons delivered orally over the counter or published in manuscript form in advertising dis- plays. Everything is Price—Price— Price! As if there were no economic values which cannot be expressed, in the ten numerals to which all reports and balance sheets are limited. Now, as I see it in my unschooled way, the elaborate claims of the pro- syndicate advocate in all their shades, flavors and perfumes, are to be boiled down to these two heads: 1. The syndicate is superior to the independent because it is more effi- cient. 2. The syndicate is winning over the independent because it sells for less. Now, just to be a good sport, I am going to absolutely grant, for the mo- ment, that these claims are absolutely true. I concede, for the sake of argu- ment, that the chain store is always more efficient than the independent: and I will also admit, to make it more interesting for the reader and easier for my opponent, that the mail order is always cheaper than the local dealer. Now, let’s go. See if it will work out satisfactorily to everyone, if we dis- card the independent and embrace the syndicate, simply for these two rea- sons, alone. So far none of thsee syndicate- sympathizing mathematical experts have been able to disprove the charge that the syndicate system operates along precisely the same lines, em- ploying exactly the same principles of physical operation, in business, as the empire does in government. The syndicate is distinguished for its centralization; so is the empire. It is known to make all local enterprise ab- solutely dependent upon headquarters; so does the empire. It makes all local representatives mere satellites of the crowned head, subject to recall, trans- fer or discharge without any entertain- ed objection in order, either from the victim or the public; so does the em- pire. It turns all net profits (the tax toll of business) into the home coffers, without placing any enforceable ob- ligation upon the home office to cor- tribute definitely to the local need, except as it may suit said home office; so does the empire. It rules by bulle- tion, edict and decree, backed up by force; so does the empire. It employs the secret chamber and the sound- proof door for its execution of in- trigues and secret agreements; so does the empire. It respects only those of superior resources, while it holds weaker rivals in utter contempt, buy- ing out those whom it cannot stamp out by cheaper means; so does the em- pire. It knows no sentiment, has no heart, recognizes no virtue, when these will interfere in any way with the gaining of its selfish ends of profit, ex- pansion, or elimination of uncomfort- able competition; so does not the em- pire. In every detail, the structure and functions, as well as the past record and conduct of the syndicate register perfectly with the story of empires in authentic history. On the other hand, the independent system of trade is simply the transposition and expres- sion of democracy in terms of business. Now, remember, this same syndi- cate system (the empire in business) is to be embraced, and the independent system (democracy in trade) is to be renounced, simply because it is more efficient and cheaper. For no other reasons is the change to be made. If that is justifiable, on those grounds, then we must, to be consist- ent, pursue such a course in govern- ment. As far as efficiency is con- cerned, anyone who has been in Wash- ington on official business and wit- nessed with impatience the endless reams of red tape which seem to be more or less essential to the working of democracy, will testify that Ameri- can Government is not the perfection of efficiency, when it comes to giving of service. There is every evidence that in normal times, German imperial efficiency was far superior to Ameri- can democratic efficiency. Yet when an emergency arose, and Americana democracy was faced with the neces- sity of doing the impossible, she did it, to the undoing of superior efficiency. Explain that. As for so-called economy, think this over: Figuring the proposition out from a theoretical standpoint, the empire is certainly cheaper to operate, as a gov- ernment, than a democracy. If you don’t believe it, jot these figures down: We are paying out, in salaries alone, the annual sum of six million dollars for just our President, Vice-President, Supreme Court Justices, Senators and Representatives. Add to this, the up- keep of the Capitol, the White House, all offices and quarters of our execu- tive, judicial and legislative branches. Add to this, all the salaries of all sec- retaries, cabinet members, their at- WE RECOMMEND THE PURCHASE OF UTILITIES POWER & LIGHT CORPORATION COMMON STOCK e Among the public utility companies owned or controlled are: The Laclede Gas Light Company (St. Louis) Laclede Power and Light Company Indianapolis Power and Light Company Interstate Power Company Eastern New Jersey Power Company Derby Gas and Electric Corporation Newport Electric Corporation Central States Power and Light Corpora- tion Among the BRITISH properties owned or controlled are: The Greater London and Counties Trust., Ltd. Cookham and District Electric Corpora- tion, Ltd. East Anglian Electric Supply Company Edmundsons Electricity Corporation, Ltd. Oxford Electric Company, Ltd. Wessex Electricity Company Western Electricity Supply Company UTILITIES POWER AND LIGHT CORPORATION and sub- sidiaries for 12 months ended June 30, 1929, report net in- come of $5,999,169 after depreciation, interest, federal taxes and other charges. Company states earnings are equivalent after preferred and Class “‘A” dividends to $3.06 a share on average amount of Class “‘B’’ and common stock outstanding during the period, and $2.72 a share on these stocks outstand- ing at the end of the period against net income in preceding 12 months of $2,978,490 or $1.15 a share on average amount of Class ‘‘B’’ and common and 98 cents a share on outstanding shares at end of that period. This shows an increase of nearly 300% in net earnings applicable to’ the common stock. The Corporation is maintaining a dividend policy of 10% in stock dividends, payable quarterly. Price at Market Listed on the NEW YORK CURB LINK, PETTER & COMPANY INCORPORATED INVESTMENT BANKERS GRAND RAPIDS. MUSKEGON. Hy ‘ i i i Ky cr ses RACAL i mRNA TNS neato Scaaianiananeicenadlimcamalienseiaaemaneneankandl September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN taches, all assistants, etc. Then add to this the salaries of all the Gov- ernors, Senators, Representatives and Justices of the forty-eight states. Then put over against this gigantic “overhead” an “economical” imperial organization, with only the necessary heads. They could all be paid prince- ly incomes, and yet we could cut our National “overhead” 50 per cent. or Isn’t that economy? Yet, it hasn’t worked out that way. Imperial operation demands huge armies and navies for aggressive policies which offset the “economy” of the system many times, and load a burden upon the masses that is crushing. Now, I maintain that if cheapness and efficiency are the sole considera- tions in this materialstic time when a price-tag is placed on everything in sight, then our democracy of govern- ment is as antiquated as our democ- racy in business. What would 120,- 000,000 Americans say if a referendum were submitted whereby we would re- vert to imperial government? Would they be as crazy about the empire in government as they have been influ- enced to be about our empire in busi- ness, thanks to the half-truth propa- ganda of pro-syndicate economists, designed to deceive the half-cocked public mind that acts on snap-judg- ment? You know the answer. So do I. And so does my worthy opponent. W. H. Caslow. —______. << ——__<_{__ Union Musicians Should Buy Wheel- barrows. Grand Rapids, Sept. 3—In_ the Tradesman of Aug. 14 I read an ar- ticle entitled ‘“The Closed Shop s Fight for Culture,” by Frank Briscoe. It does not look to me as if Mr. Bris- coe has ever been in very close com- munion with musicians as a class. _ He ridicules the idea of the Ameri- can Federation of Musicians in giving as their main objection to the intro- duction of canned music into the movies and talkies the fear that the musical culture of the people may be lowered. Now, while the fact that many of the theater musicians will not, but have lost their jobs through the adop- tion of the above innovation—reports place the number all the way from 28,000 to 75,000—still in the main I do not believe that their statement is so far off. For myself I cannot say I particu- larly enjoy the blare and noise of the talkie orchestra. It is “canned music’ with a rough edge and anyone who has the appreciation of real music in his soul cannot enjoy it as he would au orchestra of live musicians with all the tone qualities and finest points brought out to a marked degree. To be sure, the patentees of the canned music, voices, etc., have made two blades of grass grow where one grew before by showing a picture, making the characters speak and the orchestra play at the same time, but the quality of the grass is impaired, so where is the progress? Perhaps there will be improvements, which are sure- ly needed. : ‘ It is like the chain store and the in- dependent. The talkie people want the whole thing and care little or nothing for what anybody else must suffer for their greed. Here is another phase. Let us look at the future. These people must have musicians to make their records, but it will be a limited number only and as there will be no call for musicians to speak of, the number is going +o grow smaller and smaller as the years go on, until there will not be enough more, to do their work, unless there is a radical change made in the program. I am speaking now of real musicians. As to the matter of musicians of the federation—or for that matter, any other musicians—inventing some new product to replace the “movie ghost music” or “getting jobs as ushers or something,” I believe that the people now prefer a real orchestra to the im- itation, but what are they going te do about it? If they don’t like it they don’t have to buy it and that would probably be the quickest wav to ac- complish the return to real music. This probably will not come to pass, as the public, although fickle, is easily gulled and may continue to walk in the path laid out for it. While I hope that such may not be the case, if it is, the musicians, who will find it diffi- cult to change their occupation, will, I am atraid, have to do that very thing, as suggested hv Mr. Briscoe. W. H. Barlow. The Tradesman cheerfully gives place to the above communication, be- cause it comes from a_ long-time friend of the publication. For union musicians as a class the Tradesman has the utmost contempt, because they are a gang of grafters, in- ecmpetents and unreliables, They :le- vote so little time to their business, either in playing or practice that they expend nine-tenths of their time studving up deviltry. No good musician ever joined a union except under compulsion. No union of musicians ever entered into a contract and lived up to the let- ter and spirit cf the agreement. People who have occasion to em- ploy mixed bands for parades invari- ably specify that no objection will be raised by union bands in marching in parades with non-union bands. Union officials sign such contracts without protest—and then at the last moment almost invariably refuse to go ahead with the contract they have volun- tarily entered into unless the non- union bands are shut out of the parade. This has happened so often that the fraternities and secret orders have been obliged to create and maintain their own bands, because experience has demonstrated that the word—or signed agreement—of a union man is not worth 5: cents under any circum- stances. Because the term “union musician” is a byword and a hissing in the esti- mation of all honorable men there is no place in this world for any man who joins a union organization. He automatically becomes an outlaw and an object of universal detestation. > Floral Designs Lead in Draperies. Having sampled earlier offerings of draperies by small orders on a large variety of patterns, stores are now sending repeat orders into New York for styles which have proved most ac- ceptable to the public. These orders in most instances are being centered upon floral designs imposed upon modernistic backgrounds of a conserv- ative nature. Colors sought are brighter in hue than those of last year and are chiefly in variations of rose, gold and blue. with some greens. AI- - though reorders are somewhat smaller than dealers hoped for, the fact that the better range of merchandise is being sought is a satisfactory feature. It Might Be Real You saw the thrilling train and automobile crash at the fair last week! It Can Actually Happen to YOU Be prepared for accidents, large or small, that can happen to any one, at any time, and above all things Be Sure You Are Really Protected! PREFERRED AUTO INSURANCE Writes policies that give you the kind of protection you want at reasonable rates. PREFERRED AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY Grand Rapids National Bank Bldg. PHONE. 8-1374 sillier talins Dhaba shsteb ka MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 THE WORLD HAS CHANGED. Voyages in the South Seas still con- tinue to have a romantic glamuRr. The French traveler, Alain Gerbault, has recently returned to France from his solitary trip around the world in in a thirty-two-foot cutter, while an American yacht, the thirty-three-ton Chance, is now in Sydney, after voy- aging 12,000 miles in the Pacific. It has been calling at such distant isles as the Galapagos group, the Society group, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa and the Fijis. These voyages, which attract so much attention because of the small size of the vessels in which they are undertaken, recall the period in the history of American commerce when scarcely larger vessels sailed the seven seas bent not on pleasure but on busi- ness: One hundred years ago there was scarcely an island in the South Seas which was not visited regularly by sloops and brigs from the Atlantic Coast which boasted little greater ton- nage than that of the Chance. Their goal was sandalwood, beche de mer, pearls or birds’ nests to exchange at Canton for Chinese teas and silks. They had no Panama Canal to spare them the dangers of the stormy pas- sage about Cape Horn, they had no accurate charts to protect them from treacherous shoals and coral reefs, they had no auxiliary engines for the long days when the sea lay becalmed be- neath the hot glare of a tropical sun. Shou'd they drift ashore or strike a submerged reef off such islands as the Fijis all on board were doomed. Ca- noes of treacherous natives lay in wait for the unwary, and plunder and mas- sacre were seldom escaped. Many a young American seaman fell into the hands of Fiji cannibals and was never heard of again. The world has changed. To voyage among the islands of the South Seas no longer holds out the perils of the days of the old China trade. But when an American sailing vessel under one hundred tons, even though it is equip- ped with auxiliary motors, threads its way among the Marquesas, calls at Tahiti and Samoa, visits Fiji and the Society Islands and finally reaches Australia, we aclaim the exploit as a great feat and speak of “intrepid voy- agers-’ Early in the nineteenth cen- tury the Chance would have merited only a perfunctory mention in the ship- ping notices. DRY GOODS CONDITIONS. While the purchase of holiday needs brought some activity in retail trade through the past week, the volume was not much more than is usually done toward the fag end of the sum- mer season. A real gain in trade waits on the sale of fall merchandise which will start up later this month. For the present the preparation for school openings is about the principal feature of consumer buying and will probably continue so for the next week or two. The figures on department store sales in July, issued during the week by the Federal Reserve Board, were disappointing in that they showed the daily average was only about equal to the same month last year. The aggre- gate business went ahead by 3 per cent. because of the extra selling day in the month this year. The best increase was in the San Francisco district, where the increase was 5.6 per cent. In the Minneapolis district a drop of 5 per cent. was reported. The Phila- delphia and Atlanta districts also re- ported declines. _ It is interesting to note in this re- port that, despite the active business which featured the early part of the month and the rather abrupt lull that afterward set in, stocks were well con- trolled. At the end of the month in- ventories were somewhat less than a year ago and there were small in- creases only in the New York and Chicago districts. The conclusion to be drawn is that profits were not cut by having to move burdensome sur- pluses. There is still considerable uncer- tainty about the new garment styles and these will have to be tested out with consumers. The best opinion fav- ors moderation in the purchase and promotion of these features until the actual demand becomes clearer. REDUCING SLACKNESS. To account for the unusual activity in industry through the summer period now closing several explanations are offered. One theory advanced is that we have learned not only to smooth out the major moveraents of the busi- ness cycle but also some of the season- la fluctuations as well. There is some basis for this notion since hand-to- mouth buying and the closer control of inventories have stimulated the ef- fort to work for day-to-day business and to provide new products and to open up new markets for what were formerly dull periods. Quite a number of manufacturers have added lines which enable them to keep busy the year around and this movement is growing. Similarly, trade interests are no longer satisfied to wait upon the conventional selling seasons but are introducing merchandise which will attract customers at all times. Clearance sales are less popular and the promotion of new merchandise is more intensive. In addition to these influences, which undoubtedly help to smooth down the ebb and flow in industry and _ trade, there are other factors present. Se- curity speculation, for instance, has many unfavorable aspects, but at the same time it has also created a ready market for company financing. No longer are companies so dependent on the conservative, and often-times ul- tra-conservative, judgment of bankers as to the feasibility of expansion or to the addition of new lines of enterprise. The public likes progress and is ap- parently willing to supply an abund- ance of funds if profits are likely. Many ili-advise¢ schemes have un- doubtedly been foisted on investors, but in the aggregate the spread of in- vestment means the spread of business and a higher rate of activity. El We all know what we should do, “ but most of us do as we please. eee eeeee Gee eee ee You don’t have to know much to know more than most people. AGREEMENT REACHED. Acceptance of the Young plan to settle the question of German repara- tions during the week was a step that probably received only casual attention from the average business man, but one which he is likely to find will have a very direct influence sooner or later upon his interests, no matter how he may be occupied. The agreement, when ratified by thte respective Par- liaments, means a settlement of many irksome and unsettling questions creat- ed by the kaiser’s war and will permit industry in Europe once more to carry on without constant threat from mud- dled national finance. It has been constantly recognized that the reparations problem stood in the way of real economic recovery in Europe. With that problem out of the way there are several prospects having an important bearing upon our own progress. A reasonable assumption is that world trade should flourish. We should find better markets even as we find increased competition. But since American production and trade meth- ods have become more or less of a world ideal, the inference is that the adoption of American patterns will lead generally to increased outputs, lifting wage scales, higher purchasing power and greater consumption. Should this be the outcome, our ex- porting industries have not so much to fear. On the other hand, there is like- ly to be a period when the drive of war-freed Europe to push business at home and abroad may result in some losses. The spread of more prosperous conditions throughout the world, how- ever, augurs well for all who sell goods, and it is not probable that this country will lag behind in the division of benefits. FARMERS AND SELF-HELP. The doctrine of self-help is exempli- fied by the United Growers of Amer- ica, the new $50,000,000 concern for correlating the hundreds of fruit and vegetable co-operative associations, which has just explained its plan to the Federal Farm Board. It is not asking for a Government loan, although the individual co-operative may do so. But the self-help consists in the fact that this great fruit and vegetable industry is setting up its own stabilization cor- poration, after the pattern of those the Farm Board is planning for every agricultural commodity. Representatives of the United Grow- ers say the task of organization has been greatly simplified by the progres- sive methods of co-operation already in effect in this industry. Producers of fruit and vegetables have been the leaders in this field. So the machin. ery is at hand for the new giant or- ganization, whose promoters frankly tell the Farm Board it is their hope eventually to “exercise virtual control of the price level” of these products. A prospect which would have been regarded as alarming only a few years ago is tempered by the statement that both consumer and producer are to be protected. “Stabilization of prices,” the aim of the Farm Board. seems a much less ominous phrase, although it also would formerly have aroused apprehension. There are potentialities not wholly de- sirable in the programme of the United Growers; but, as members of the Farm Board have pointed out, there is ample law to curb any practices inim- ical to the public welfare. IDEAL THERMOMETERS. It has just been revealed that the thermometers which have been record- ing the temperature for twenty years in a kiosk maintained by the Depart- ment of Agriculture on Boston Com- mon have all that time been exagger- ating the heat and the cold. The struc- ture in which they were placed to satisfy the curiosity of weather-minded Bostonians is made of iron and con- sequently retains the heat in hot weather and the cold in cold weather, thus adding or subtracting a few de- grees from the actual temperature at that point. We suppose scientific accuracy is something that should be held in hign respect, but the fussy weather sharp who complained about these ther- meometers and forced the admission that they gave erroneous readings has only destroyed a harmless illusion en- tertained by thousands of his fellow citizens. He should have remembered that hardly any one looks at a public thermometer unless the weather is very hot or very cold. How much more satisfaction is de- rived from such observations if one’s worst suspicions are confirmed, or more so! Now this comfort, slight thought it may be, will no longer be extended to those who pass the kiosk on Boston Common on extremely hot or extremely cold days. They will just have to suffer with the rest of us who never had the benefit of such ac- commodating thermometers. HOME BREW AGAIN. There are signs that enforcement officers must go softly when they deal with hard cider or similar home brews A. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia has re- versed the decision of a lower court which ruled that the domestic manu- of alcoholic potentialities. facturer of sixty gallons of wine was in danger of the law. The revised opin- ion is that such stuff is not intoxicat- ing in fact, or at least not so proved, and that, therefore, the brewer has done no wrong. This is approximately Dr. Doran’s opinion of a few weeks ago. It is an opinion whose probable intention is to avoid a lot of trouble for enforcement officials and to concentrate their zeal on matters of more importance. There is nothing particularly new about it, not even in relation to prohibitory leg- islation. Long before the Eighteenth Amendment was attached to the Con- stitution there was hard cider that paid no tax and there were fruit juices that went the way of fermentation without legal license. Their prevalence in coun- try districts did nothing to precipitate Prohibition, and the Volstead act was not designed to deal with them. Until the bootlegger, the blind pig, the speakeasy and the still are enforced out of existence the cider barrel in the cellar may well be let alone. —— PE TOE a —— September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN THE NEW POTATO LAW. Attorney General Brucker Clarifies the Situation. Lansing, Aug. 28—We have this morning received from the Attorney General a copy of his opinion in which he construes Act No. 220, Public Acts of 1929, in its application to the grocer and retailer. I am enclosing you a copy of his opinion. Mr. Dukesherer, the Director of the Bureau of Foods and Standards, in- forms me that he will be in Grand Rapids this evening and to-morrow, and that he will be pleased to call on you for the purpose of making your acquaintance, and outline in a general way the Department's understanding of the act, as construed by the Attor- ney General, and to what extent it affects the grocer or retailer. 0 M. J. Smith, Solicitor State Department of Agri- culture. Full Text of the Brucker Opinion. This Department is in receipt of your letter of August 15, requesting an epinion as to whether Act 220 of the Public Acts of 1929 requires the gro- cer or other retailer to label a pack- age of potatoes which goes to the con- sumer with the name and address of the person or persons responsible for the grading and packing, the name of the grade, together with the true net contents. The title of Act 220 P. A. 1929, is as follows: An Act to regulate the sale of table stock potatoes commonly known as T-ish potatoes; to fix standard grades for potatoes, provide for inspection and penalties for violation thereof, and to repeal inconsistent acts. It was the intention of the Legisla- ture to protect the public by designat- ing and classifying the various grades of potatoes and by compelling all per- sons dealing in potatoes to have tags or markers upon the containers of the potatoes so that the purchasers could know what grade of potatoes they were purchasing, and to know that they had been inspected and were free from damage. 25 R. C. L., at page 1017, et seq. states the following: When a statute is plain and unam- biguous in its terms and not suscept- ible of more than one construction, courts are not concerned with the con- sequences that may result therefrom, but must enforce the law as they find it. If the meaning of a statute is plain. and its provisions are susceptible of but one interpretation, its consequenc- es, if objectionable, can oniv be avoid- ed bv a change of the law itself. to be effected by legislative, and not judicial, action; the wisdom or policy of the law, the motives that prompted its en- actment and the reasonableness or justice of its provisions cannot be taken into consideration by the courts in construing the statute. But when the design of the legislature is not clearly apparent, it is always to be presumed that a statute was intended to have the most reasonable and bene- ficial operation that its language per- mits. And when a statute is am- biguous in terms or fairly susceptible of two constructions, the injustice, un- reasonableness, absurdity, hardship, or even the inconvenience which may follow one construction may properly be considered and a construction of which the statute is fairly susceptible may be placed on it that will avoid all such objectionable consequences and advance what must be presumed to be its true object and purpose. One of the established rules for the construction of statutes is that they should have a rational, sensible con- struction, if their meaning is at al! doubtful. When the language of a statute fairly permits, a construction which will lead to an unreasonable re- sult should be avoided. Where great inconvenience will re- sult from a particular construction that construction is to be avoided, unless the meaning of the legislature be plain. Black on Interpretation of Laws, at page 102, says: It is presumed that the legislature never intends its enactments to work public inconvenience or private hard- ship; and if a statute is doubtful or ambiguous, or fairly open to more than one construction, that construction should be adopted which will avoid such results. Section 3 of this act provides that it shall be unlawful to pack for sale, ex- pose for sale, or sell, transport, deliver or consign or have in possession for sale, transport, delivery or consigi- ment in interstate or intrastate com- merce, potatoes prepared for market which are not graded to meet the re- quirements of the act. Section 4 provides as follows: It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association, organization or cor- poration or agent, representative or assistant to any person, firm, associa- tion, organization or corporation, to expose for sale, or sell, transport, de- liver or consign, or have in possession potatoes prepared for market unless such container has been legibly and conspicuously tagged, branded, labeled or stenciled before being removed from the premises where prepared for market with the name and address of the person or persons responsible for the grading and packing, and the name of the grade, together with the true net contents. When tags are used U. S. No. 1 Grade shall be declared on a blue tag and U. S. No. 2 Grade shall be declared on a red tag. Bulk ship- ments shall be accompanied by two cards not less than four by six inches in size, placed on the inside of car near each door. Likewise cards in size as herein described shall be prominently displayed on all bulk shipments made by truck or other conveyance. Upon each card shall appear the names and address of the consignor, the name of the grade, the name and address of the consignee, if known. It shall be con- clusive evidence and the potatoes deemed to be for sale, when contain- ers are packed for delivery or transit. or when same are exposed for sale or when the same are in the process of delivery or transit or are located at a depot, station, boat dock, or any place where potatoes or other products are held in storage, or for immediate or future sale or transit. Section 9 provides: \ The intent and purpose of this act is to regulate the sale of potatoes for table use intended for intra-state and inter-state commerce when such sale is made by the grower, dealer or dis- tributor, or any other person either by wholesale or retail or in ary other manner: Provided, however, that the provisions of this act shall not apply to the grower in the sale of potatoes grown by himself when made direct to the consumer. It will be noted that Section 4 pro- vides that it shall be unlawful to have in possession potatoes unless the con- tainer has been tagged, branded, labeled, etc., “before being removed from the premises where prepared for market with the names and addresses of the person or persons responsible for the grading and packing and the name of the grade, together with the true net contents.” If this act requires the grocer to have the package in which potatoes are sold to the consumer marked and tag- ged, then they must also have been tagged and marked before being re- moved from the premises where pre paved fOr the market. The groc could not sell a smaller amount than what was contained in the receptacle in which the potatoes came, because they must be marked and labeled on the premises where prepared for mar- ket. It would prevent the grocer from placing a quart of potatoes in a mar- ket bag unless he had potatoes shipped in quart containers properly marked and labeled on the premises where pre- pared for market. The grocer could not use two or three potatoes in mak- ing up his window display. It does not seem possible that the hat the 1 i 1 I legislature intended t tions of this act could be so far reacn- t ‘ . pel be interpreted, ing. Phis act should insofar as the wording permits, to carry out the intention of the Legisla- ture. “All statutes should be construed reasonably and not in any extreme or impracticable way.’—Waterman Real Estate Exchange vs. Stevens 71 Mich. 104. “In construing statutes the courts should seek to give a reasonable mean- ing thereto.”—Bloomshield vs. City of Bay City, 192 Mich. 488. “A construction should not be a statute which will work a hardship and injustice if it can be avoided.” Attorney General ex. rel. Common Counsel City of Detroit vs. Marx, 203 Mich. 331. “The general terms of a statute are subject to implied exceptions founded on the rules of public policy and the maxims Of natural justice so as to avoid absurd and unjust conse quences. ’—People vs. Chimovitz, 23 Mich. 247. I believe that it was the intention 1 of the Legislature that potatoes should be inspected and marked as provided by Act i220 P. A 1929. just as lone as they were for sale. When a grocer sells potatoes to a customer and place them in a bag or container, then they are no longer for sale, but belong t5 the customer. It is my opinion that the act requires the grocer to keen his potatoes in a receptacle ar con- tainer properly marked as provided b: said act, but does not compel the gr cer to mark the package in which h delivers the potatoes to the customer. Wilbur M. Brucker, \ttorney General. On receipt of the above opinion the Department of Agriculture prepared the following ruling for the guidance of potato handlers: 1. All potatoes for table use must be graded, unless sold by the producer direct to the consumer. 2. Ehere are three grades of table stock potatoes, U. S. Fancy Grade, U. S. No. I Grade and U. S. No. 2 Grade. 3. Potatoes must be graded and stamped on the premises where pre- pared for markets. When graded on the premises where pr market means proper grading. pared for market and when legibly and labeled, tagged with the name and address of conspicuously stamped, or the person or persons responsible for the giading and packing and the name Preparation for if the grade together with true net contents, and are thus delivered to the srocer OF ICtancr, tie gsrocer OF re- : oe co ee gh os ] iat tailer’s responsibility then begins. 4 lf the sroCce! retatle selis 4 ? Fecely ind the Lane t d address ¢ ] eal Be ale eran the person responsible for the grading the grocer or retailer is not required _ oe « in such case to label his individual 1 8 - fe packages or packages going t the « - . sumer. He cannot, howeve emp J . a 3a . ~f cone . hin the potatoes from this sack into a bin ' : or other eCce Or Thx th y Wit'l other potato Phe e instance 1 : 1 j wh 1 th roc is: Yereasi tro rl ) Te¢ Mt I Sack or ta i ea fed a yroperly e an view of the purchaset Summarizing the © situation th Tradesman makes the following state- Department, regarding the status of the retail dealer of potatoes: 1 tf he buys his potatoes of a : ] - Sega grower or jobber and they are deliver- | €c in SACKS OF any Other co ler On aie uae - +e ent he «att ~hed ha - WHICH 42 faw Cal DE attacned. née can ] 1 } ] . catia sreak bulk and make sales in smaller tag Poa egies ntainees packages than the original containers, without attacning a tag to tne smaile ‘ package, providing the purchaser ha his attention called to the fact that the original container 1s properly taveed. 2. If he buys his potatoes in bulk, the tag ist be attached to th Vago b or truck of t farmer. When th vehicl Is fi longet ¥ evidense the : _ * ; dealer must tag the packages he sells rotad it retail. : ao ; 2. It the dealer Weigns UD packages of potatoes during the quiet hours of so as to be prepared for rush the day, the purchaser ye Ean - ~} “oOntainer mi not being present, each container must Union Law Defiance. You may compromise a matter of wages, you may conipromise a matter ff hours—it the margin of profit will permit. No man may ‘say with cer- tainty that his opinion is the right one on such a question. But you may not compromise on a question of law, or where there is lawlessness or even arbitrariness. Industrial liberty, like civil liberty, must rest upon the solid foundations of law. Disregard the law in either, however good your motive, and you have anarchy. The plea of trade unions for immunity, be it from injunction or from lability for dam- ages, is as malicious as the plea of the ] , sued by trades unions, whether it be | ynehers:- If lawless methods are pur- by violence, by intimidation, or by the more peaceful infringement of legal rights, that lawlessness must be put down at once and at any cost. Louis D. Brandeis, Justice of Court. United States Supreme ———_<-. Good humor is good business. a Ace Aa SOS THE LOWLY PEANUT. Hard Struggle Marked Its Early Climb To Popularity. America’s peanut industry is about to celebrate its semi-centennial. With- out peanuts the American scene of to- day would lose one of its most char- acteristic details, vet not many years ago one had to raise his own if he wanted them, or at best he had to be acquainted directly or indirectly with some Southern peanut-growing farmer. Peanuts, native to South America, were first planted in the United States on a commercial scale about fifty vears ago. A decade passed before the crop had attained sufficient propor- tions even to be listed in the census. In 1889 only 204,000 acres were re- ported planted to peanuts, with a yield of 3,500,000 bushels. In another ten years, however, the acreage had more than doubled, and, thanks to improved methods of cultivation, the yield per acre had greatly increased. Since then the peanut industry has boomed. Its greatest years were 1918 and 1919, when, in response to the de- mand for vegetable oils, the peanut crop was pressed into service. Almost 2,000,000 acres were planted and more than 1,600,000,000 pounds were pro- duced each year. Production § since then has been only about 50 per cent. of the crop in the peak years; vet from 25 to 30 per cent. more than in pre- war years. In no other country of the world do peanuts occupy the place of popular nnportance than they do in the United States. The Chinese are great peanut users, too; in almost every province peanuts are grown; though commercial production is confined largely ta Northern China, and about three- quarters of the 1,700,000,000 to 1,800,- 0C0,000° pound crop is consumed at home. Many parts of Asia and Africa use peanuts largely for animal feed: where- as in the United States direct human consumption and the manufacture of candy overshadow all other uses. Large quantities of peanuts are imported into Europe, into France notably, the pre- dominant use being the manufacture of oil, In England only the poorer childr even they call them, rather dispara.z- ingly, “monkey nuts.” The peanuts that regale baseball fans en are said to like them, and and circus elephants all come from the Southern States or from China. The large, long Virginia type is produced and North Carolina: both in Virgis from further South, mainly Georgia, Alabama and Texas, come the small, round, more oily Spanish variety. Practically the entire farm production, except those consumed on the farm or left in the field for the hogs to root WD and fatten themselves in preparation for “Virginia ham,” is sold to clean- ing and shelling mills. In these mills they are shot through a sand and dirt reel, a stemming ma- chine and a fanning machine, to emerge as cleaned peanuts in the shell, with the stem, hulls and chaff collect- ed separately. The latter material ‘s used by the mill for fuel or sold to the tin-plate industry for polishing. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The cleaned peanuts are graded by machinery. The Virginia variety 1s separated into “jumbos” and “fancies,” to be powdered, polished and hand picked, and into shelling stock. Span- ish peanuts are practically all shelled. After the shelling stock comes froin the machine, the kernels, in various grades, are hand-picked and bagged. Only the culls, known as “oil stock,” which are unfit for other uses, are crushed for oil. The others are sold unshelled and roasted or shelled and roasted and salted; or made into peanut bars or peanut brittle, sugar coated or choc- olate coated, or put into various candy mixtures; or made into peanut butter, to be used as a “spread,” a flavoring or an ingredient in candy manufacture. The expansion of the peanut indus- try in this country is traced not only to the increased estimate into which peanuts for many purposes have come and the rapid rise of the peanut oil industry during the World War, but also to the invention of automatic ma- chinery for harvesting and threshing. Other factors have been the recogni- tion of the value of peanuts as a cash crop in rotation with cotton or tobacco and the discovery of their value as a substitute crop for cotton in areas in- fested with the boll weevil. —_2- > __ Interesting Events in Early Grand Rapids History. A recorder’s court was provided for Grand Rapids when the village laid aside its toddling garments and as- sumed the prerogatives, and attend- ant penalties, of a city, under the pro- visions of an act of the State Legisla- ture of 1849. Jurisdiction of the court was limited to such cases as the ex- tending and widening of streets and kindred local enterprises. Sessions of the court were infrequent. The judge and court officers were paid only nom- inal sums for their services. The most important case tried by the court was an action, brought by the city, against owners of property ad- joining and abutting ‘grab corners” (so-called) for the widening of Mon- roe avenue and the extension of Canal street. Before action in the case was undertaken, the Pantlind house divi- sion of the Old Kent Bank, corner Monroe avenue and Pearl street, was known as No. 1 Canal street. The location of No. 1 was changed from its former site to that of the State Bank for Savings, through the extension of Canal street to a point corresponding with the South line of the latter build- ing. Capt. Wright L. Coffinbury. the first civil engineer employed by the city, was not unusually accurate in jis work. Many mistakes of the captain have been rectified by comprosises or through court action since the old soldier (the captain rendered valuable service to the Nation during he civil war) passed on to the reward divine authority accords to just, humane, well behaved and conscientious individuals. Several actions brought by the muni- cipality against owners of property abutting the square failed to meet the approval of the courts on account of the inaccurate descriptions prepared by Capt. Coffinbury of the lands coveted by the city. George H. White, an able lawyer, was elected to fill the office of City Attorney in the year 1868. White had studied civil engineering in his youth and learned the importance of accuracy in the practice of that profession. De- scriptions of the property needed to open Campau Square, prepared under his direction, stood the test of accuracy when the case was for the third time taken before the court. White’s plan to extend Canal street as well as to “widen Monroe avenue solved the prob- ‘lem involved in the matter. A score of years later the Kent Circuit Court became overcrowded with work and nedeed relief. The Recorder's court was abolished and the Superior Court, with greatly enlarged jurisdiction, was created to succeed it. George H. White was a collector of books. The greater part of his income from his law practice was expended in the purchase of standard works of noted authors and for those of favorite modern writers. White borrowed many books of friends, some of which he forgot to return, but always meant to. When White died, upwards of forty years ago. the rooms of his modest little home on North Division avenue were crowded with books. Friends of the Ryerson library endeavored to persuade the wife of the deceased to donate the collection to the public li- brary. She refused to do so. A group of gentlemen offered to purchase such of the books as would be suitable for the library. The lady refused to sell them. “I am burning the books,” she said. “I will not need wood or coal during the next three or four years if I keep them. Col. E. W. Muenscher, who suc- cceded Capt. Coffinbury, was a com- petent engineer. Many important lo- cal improvements undertaken during the years in which the Colonel served the city, were carried through suc- cessfully under his direction. Persons on entering the Colonel’s office fre- quently found him seated in an easy chair, his feet perched on the summit of a high stool, a cigar in his mouth, pencil in hand, with which he would cover a pad with mathematical prob- lems in small figures of no significance to the beholder, but of much import- ance to the Colonel in the discharge of his duties. Colonel Muenscher re- signed his office and accepted employ- ment at Manistee. where he remained a score of years preceding his demise. Maps of the city were greatly needed fifty years ago. Capt. John L. Tink- ham, a civil engineer, proposed to sup- ply them. Capt. Tinkham had _ ren- dered valuable service to the Union during the civil war, upon the con- clusion of which he returned to Grand Rapids to reside and resume his former occupation. His services were im- mediately demanded by promotors of several railroad _ enterprises. The Grand Rapids, Newaygo & Lake Shore (at present a branch of the Pere Mar- quette) was one of the lines which were located by the captain. Although he had commenced drafting a map of the city, he was not able to give the September 4, 1929 work more than incidental attention. Five years passed and no maps were furnished. Bird & Waters, of Philadelphia, were publishers of maps. Mr. Waters, of the firm, learned that a score of years had passed since the maps then in use in the city were printed and decided to supply new ones. Alfred C. Sekell, re- cently deceased, a capable engineer in the employ of the city as an assistant to Col. Muenscher, was engaged to draft a new map. Waters immediate- ly commenced a canvass of the busi- ness community for orders at $10 per map. His efforts as a salesman were substantially rewarded. Mr. Sekell devoted early morning and late night hours at his home to his task, serving the city in the meantime as usual as an assistant engineer. The various sections of the city were drawn on a large scale and the location of all buildings was plainly indicated. Six months later maps were delivered to subscribers. Capt. Tinkham completed his map eventually, but there were no sales for it. She Star Clothing House pur- chased the issue and distributed it among customers gratuitously. The Tinkham map was much smaller than Sekell’s and not so desirable in several particulars. Arthur Scott White. —_+-._—__ Economic Value of Model Retail Store Results from arranging model re- tail stores have unmistakably shown their economic value. Business is greater and profits larger. New con- sumers have been obtained. Perhaps one of the best talking points for such stores is found in a few complaints heard now and then by those who have established such stores, curious as that seems. These complaints have been that business apparently had fallen off and there was much _ less work for clerks in the stores, a general letting down of activity. The answer was found when some of those com- plaining were asked to turn to their books and look up the facts. They found that actually they had increased profits! The decrease in work of clerks was found to be due to the ar- rangement of the model stores. Con- sumers were enabled to pick out with- out general shopping what they want- ed because everything was in plaia sight and readily accessible. The les- sened activity was only apparent. There had been greater activity, but it was more orderly, sales were made more quickly and readily. And some dealers have reported that they have found it possible to reduce the clerical force, while at the same time increas- ing their sales and net income. —_2~+-___ Business in the Home. Cohen and his family sat down to dinner on Sunday. To his three little boys Cohen said: “Now, children, which of you would vant a nickel in- stead of meat for your dinner?” Each of the three decided in favor of the cash settlement, so Mrs. Cohen put the meat away. Then she brought in the pie and put it on the table. “Now, my children,” enquired Co- hen, “how many of you vant a nickel’s worth of pie?” September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 Prorie KNOW WHAT THEY WANT — AND THEY WANT WHAT THEY KNOW Your Procter & Gamble sales- man will be glad to furnish free display material for any of these products: IVORY SOAP CAMAY LAVA SOAP STAR WASHING POWDER GUEST IVORY P & G THE WHITE NAPTHA SOAP CHIPSO IVORY FLAKES OXYDAL CRISCO OST visitors to New York City want to see the Woolworth Build- ing. Of course, the city has many other large, beautiful skyscrapers, but no other has been made so well-known. People know what they want—and they want what they know. Every progressive grocer recognizes the truth of this state- ment. He has learned that it is much easier to sell his customers goods that they know. That is why Procter & Gamble products move so readily. Your customers are ready to admit the advantages you claim for these products. Help them to move even more rapidly by keeping them well displayed. PROCTER & GAMBLE CINCINNATI, OHIO THE BETTER IT’S KNOWN, THE EASIER IT SELLS 12 FINANCIAL Is This a Bull or Bear Market? With the approach of summier’s close some statisticians have been counting up their customers’ winnings in the great bull market of the last three months and found that the pub- lic has not made the killing everybody supposed. This summer’s bull market in the headlines of the newspapers and in the accepted stock averages has been a sensation. It has set new standards in the apparent rate of appreciating values. Exactly on May 27, the bot- tom of the long spring decline was reached. Then the market started un. Over fifty-five points had been added through the market to the Standard Statistics Company's weighted index of ninety carefully selected stocks up through Saturday’s close. Not many summers in all history have provided such an exhibition of mounting values. Yet even when viewed from the low- est level of the spring reaction—and it must be remembered that the in- dustrial stocks reached their poorest position for the year to date on May 27—the summer’s market seems over- whelmingly bullish only when exam- ining the averages. Actually the trader who went into the market on May 27 to benefit from a possible summer bull market was making no sure bet. It turns out that even then he had only about a three-to-five sho‘. From the standpoint of the buyer May 27 was the most advantageous day on which to purchase stock to benefit from the great bull market this sum- mer. Yet not all of the 516 listed stocks that sold on that day have gone up. Three hundred and sixty-six of them have gone up but the remaining 150 have gone down. That is to say 70.9 per cent. have risen: 29.1 per cent. have fallen. It is the same old story. The sweeping advance of 55 points in the averages reflects what has happened to the stocks included in the various com- pilations. As with a study of the market during August, an illusion of rapidly advancing prices has been created in the averages by concentra- tion on the quality issues. The spec- tacular performers this summer have been the stocks of widely recognized merit. The man who bought Ameri- can Telephone & Telegraph, Allied Chemical & Dye, General Electric, U. S. Steel and Consolidated Gas was in- deed wise. No such rewards have come to the man who went into the market blindly on May 27 and took a gambler’s chance. What this emphasizes is that the stock market more than ever has be- come a selective affair notwithstand- ing the country’s widespread prosper- ity. Most groups of American indus- tries have been making money this year but the market has favored the quality stocks. A growing number of American investors have come to see that in the long run the best stock, even though it be the highest priced at the moment, usually turns out to he the cheapest in the end. Formation of investment trusts in vast numbers MICHIGAN TRADESMAN during the last three months has ac- celerated the rise in quality stocks since the managements of all conserva- tive portfolios desire to affiliate them- selves with the leaders in various in- dustrial groups. Paul Willard Garrett. [Copyrighted, 1929.] —_2.2e2>___—_ What Will Signalize a Decline? For two full years prohpets of the financial district have been rubbing the crystal ball for a sign of the time when the stock market will drop but it is becoming a question whether the sign will be recognized as such when it appears. Up to early 1929 the authorities were pretty well agreed that the approach of bad days for the stock market would be forecast or accompanied by adverse developments in money. The threat of Reserve action hung over the financial district like a dark cloud. The expansion in credit at a rapid rate was looked upon as a bubble that must burst in time. Yet neither the Feb- ruary scolding by the Federal Reserve nor the August advance in the redis- count rate induced a major decline in stocks: Accordingly the financial dis- trict does not now as it did formerly regard changes in money as the ele- ment in control. This shift from emphasis on the im- portance of credit developments in connection with the stock market is raising a question in the minds of many observers in Wall Street whose business it is to predict major market swings. It teaches them that they may not so easily recognize the sign of reversing market conditions when it appears as was thought. All kinds of suggestions have been offered. Some historians recall that severe breaks in the market frequently have been pre- ceded by heavy settlement dates. Oth- ers recall that October 1 and Deceimn- ber 1 frequently present critical periods for the market. Still others observe that usually the market has run a'ong all right until the trading volume mounts. What the financial district will think in another six months is a question but at the moment it is concentrating its attention more and more on the trend in business with a growing be- lief that fundamentally the market will remain good after all so long as in- dustry continues’ to report important earnings. Even if it be agreed that the sign on the crystal ball will come in the form of news on unfavorable de- velopments in business the question then arises how will we know this sign when it first shows up? Nobody presumes that the market will await a definite turn downward for business in the statistics. By the time a major. development in industry shows up in the reported figures the market usually has discounted the news. Presumably sentiment in the market will change when sentiment in business changes. But how the first glimmer of this shift is to be recog- nized the financial district itself seems unable to agree. It is of course possi- ble that by the time signs of a reces- sion in business come other offsetting signs in the form of improved condi- September 4, 1929 - « « & BANE THAT | OFFERS EVERY SER= VICE TO THE MAN WHO WARTS TO BE | SOMEBODY . . . OLD KENT BANK CAPITAL AND SURPLUS, $4,000,000 RESOURCES, $38,000,000 THREE DOWNTOWN OFFICES ELEVEN COMMUNITY BRANCHES The Measure of a Bank The ability of any banking institution is measured by its good name, its financial resources and its physical equipment. Judged by these standards we are proud of our bank. It has always been linked with the progress of its Community and its resources are more than adequate. GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK “The Bank Where You Feel At Home’ 16 CONVENIENT OFFICES Phone 86729 Night Phone 22588 THE INVESTIGATING AND ADJUSTMENT. CO., INC. COLLECTORS AND INSURANCE ADJUSTERS } Fire losses investigated and adjusted. Bonded to the State of Michigan. Collections, Credit Counsel, Adjustments, Investigations Suite 407 Houseman Building Grand Rapids, Michigan September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 13 tions abroad or easier money will loom to confuse those seeking ever to learn what the market will do next. Paul Willard Garrett. [Copyrighted, 1929.] —_+-2—____ Federal Reserve Agent Finds Trade Good. With data through one month more to go on the Federal Reserve Agent at New York in his September month- ly review finds the flow both in whole- sale and retail business still full. July of reporting wholesale firms in this district ran 8.6 per cent. greater than those for the same month last year. selling day this year than last pre- sumably explains at least a part of the improvement. The groups that show the most striking gains over a year ago in the wholesale trade are tools, diamonds, silk goods, drugs, gro- ceries, stationery, jewelry and cotton goods. Hardware is the one line found by the Federal Reserve Agent not to show an improvement. Even as com- pared with preceding month the July gain was 5 per cent. ‘The Agent’s own comment regard- that they “showed no consistent change from a sales The presence of one more machine sales for the ing stocks on hand is vear previous” and his interesting re- that these “were considerably better than mark concerning collections is in July, 1928 in most lines.” Department stores in this reported roughly a 4 per cent. increase over July, 1928 but there again the extra selling day in July this year must have been partly While stocks of merchandise on hand at the department stores have increas- ed slightly from a year ago the rate of stock turnover has not changed grea‘- ly. Net sales increases at the depart- ment stores were especially large in such groups: as toys and = sporting goods, furniture, linens and handker- chiefs, shoes, luggage and other leather goods, books and stationery, hosiery, home furnishings, musical instrumenis and radio, silverware and jewelry and toilet articles and drugs. Indeed ex- cept for the declines in net sales of silks and velvets and in men’s and boys’ wear the shrinkage in depart- ment store sales for various groups were negligible. The chain stores in July showed a better gain over the year previous than they had in June. Indeed their 14.9 per cent. increase in sales restores the pace of growth to which the coun- try has been accustomed in recent years. The grocery chains reported a 17 per cent. increase over a year ago, the 10 cent stores 10.8, drug 20.3, shoe 9.7, and variety 23.2. While this month’s Federal Reserve report on trade thus does not reveal any material change from conditions that prevailed in June it does substan- tiate the general belief that business is holding on a high level and that the gains over a year ago are indeed sub- Paul Willard Garrett. [Copyrighted, 1929.] district responsible. stantial. —_22>—___ Be always behind with your work and you won’t get ahead. ——___—_.$—--—-———————_ Are you really earning promotion or demotion? Uniting Sales and Production. In changing its name to Fashion Park Associates, Inc., Weber & Heil- broner, Inc., signalized its entry into the field of manufacture and wholesaiz distribution of clothing, after having built a chain of retail outlets for men’s furnishings. men’s Adoption of the name Fashion Park Inc., followed acquisition of all the stock of Fashion Park, Ine., and Stein Associates, Bloch Company, manufac- turers of men’s clothing. Additional retail stores have been obtained, in- creasing the system to more than thirty, most of which are located in New York City and Chicago, and ad- ditional facilities be brought into the group. manufacturing may Although operations of the enlarged company have not been conducted for a sufficient length of time to determine actual results, the combination is ex- pected to be more favorable than if each unit were operated independently. The association of companies brings about co-ordination of manufacturing and distributing facilities with:benefits for each. On the basis of estimates from the sales department, the manu- facturing divisions are enabled to guard against overproduction and ac- cumulation of burdensome inventories. Moreover, this affiliation permits con -centration on popular styles and as- sures prompt deliveries of seasonal merchandise. The management has taken steps to broaden its business and increase sales without enlarging overhead expenses by introducing women's apparel in some stores where a demand has been created. The Nettleton Shoe Company operates the company’s shoe depart- ments under contract. Economies resulting from the fusioa are expected to benefit earnings. Net income of Weber & Heilbroner, Inc., alone for the year ended February 28, 1929, rose to $746,560, equal to $6.03 a share on the common, from $545,439, or 3.91 a common share, in the pre- ceding year. The company has outstanding $8,- 471,200 of 7 per cent. cumulative pre- ferred stock of $100 par value and 273,- 961 shares of common, including stock issued for Fashion Park, Inc., and the Stein Bloch Company. funded debt. Dividends have been paid regularly on the preferred shares, while pay- ments on were at the rate of $4 annually until the acquisi- tion of the manufacturing units. Since then payments have been at the rate of $2.50 a share annually in cash and 3 per cent. in stock. Several stock dividends have been paid at intervals, the latest having been 12% per cent. in March. William Russell White. i [Copyrighted, 1929.] There is no the common —_2->—___ Opinion of Expert on Relicted Lands. South Haven, August 29—Thank you for the opportunity to express my views as to the relicted land question. I never studied law, so will not touch upon disputed law points, but I did follow the business of land surveying for some years and every surveyor knows that a meander line has the effect only of assisting in determining the approximate area of lands touch- ing on waters. Where important to find exact areas, off sets were run from the meander lines to the edge of the water. As a matter of practical sur- veying it was often impossible to make the meander line follow closely the edge of the water, the marshy borders of small lakes and rivers and the high seas often met with on the great lakes being obvious reasons. The instructions from the United States Land Office to the surveyors who originally laid out the pubiic lands recognized the difficulties likely to be met with in the traverse of un- known territory over hills, through woeds and impassable waters, there- fore they only demanded a reasonable approximation of correctness. Hardly anv of the public land in our neigh- borhood brought originally over $2.50 per acre and all lands. both away from and touching waters, were sold as sO many acres, more or less. Webster’s dictionary, which is uni- versally recognized as authoritative, says in plain words that a meander line is not a boundary. Surveyors find that in many cases a meander line is now and always has been hundreds of feet inland; in other cases it is now hundreds of feet out in deep water. In one instance which came within my personal knowledge, as myvy_ grand- father took up the land from. the United States, the meander line was approximately parallel to the water, but by the action of the lake part of the shore land was washed from one- half the original 160 acres and added to the other half, so that now water covers part of the meander line and a wide beach has formed outside the other. The 160 acres has neither deep fost nor gained in total area, so it seems incongruous that an interloper should claim the gain without com- pensation for the loss. The only rule which | ever heard of which justifies such a position is the rule that might makes right and survevors were not instructed by such an outworn stand- ard of ethics. Geo. C. Monroe. — —_2.~.-. Sneering betokens inferiority. oy ARTHUR E. KUSTERER President The Oldest Bond House in Western Michigan A.E.AustTerRerR & Co. Investment Securities 303-307 Michigan Trust Building A MICHIGAN CORPORATION Capital and Surplus More Than $450,000 ROGER VERSEPUT, JR. Sec’y and Treas. GEO. L. O’BRIEN Vice President \K/ “The Bank on the Square”’ GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL BANK Established 1860—Incorporated 1865 NINE COMMUNITY BRANCHES GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL COMPANY Investment Securities Affiliated with Grand Rapids National Bank L. A. GEISTERT & CO. Investment Securities GRAND RAPIDS— MICHIGAN 506-511 GRAND RAPIDS TRUST BUILDING Telephone 8-1201 ic! shbbinadacmaNbiabe debe ts dba ear ishtLicnelabndes Sets Coe 14 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 Metrcpolitan Chain Store Defies City Government. Cadillac, Sept. 2—I think you will be interested in the enclosed editorial from our local paper. This store is located across the street from us and the hideous noises they broadcast on the suffering public are outrageous. As the article states, they were ap- proached as anyone would talk to a gentleman, but the manager didn’t seem to be of that tvpe and conducted himself in a very offensive manner. It was intimated that in Grand Rapids they had objections to this nuisance, too, but were bigger than the city gov- ernment. It looked like a good bluff, so we'll see what happens now. Carl L. Maurer. The editorial referred to, which was published in the Cadillac Evening t News, is as follows: Weak Links in the Chains. The inclusion of the chain store ‘n the retail sections of all modern cities is a fact that must be faced as an in- cident of present-day merchandising. The chain store, in itself, is no bet- worse than the ter or individually- owned store, so long as the managers will conform to public interest and try and fit into the scheme of the city in which the stores are located. Cadillac has some chain stores which have been accepted enthusiastically, not alone by the public but. by the competitive merchants in the 1 pusiMess. same lines of These stores adapt themselves to conditions of the com- munity and seek to establish them- selves as units in the business life of in such a manner that they lered assets to the retail the city will be consic section. Were it not for the well-ad- vertised names of these stores there would be no apparent difference be- tween them and the individually-own- ed store. In contrast to these broad-minded | establishments are the few places that are obviously in Cadillac for the money they can take out, without regard for community customs or the good will of their associates and patrons. Monday evening a petition signed by twenty-four merchants in the blocic between Harris and Cass street was presented to the city commission ask- ing that steps be taken to abate what is termed a nuisance—the phonograph at the Metropolitan store. The peti- tioners stated they were losing patron- age and were greatly annoyed by the continuous operation of the mechanical music-box, which had been equipped with an electrical amplifier to send the so-called music out into the street. In support of the petition some of the signers appeared in person before the commission. They stated that they had heard criticisms from tourists who wanted to know where the sideshow was located and made other facetious and disparaging remarks about the city to the embarrassment of the resident bemg merchants who objected to forced to apologize for the actions cf a branch store of a big city chain. City Attorney new ordinance that would give relief Chief of Police Dan Levin stated he has asked Yearnd promised 12 from the phonograph noises. the local Metropolitan management to desist and that he was told that the equipment cost a lot of money and that efforts in other cities to halt the practice had failed. The Metropolitan store in other ways has shown a disposition to refus2 to co-operate with community desires. It was stated that this store was one of the two or three which refused to contribute to the Legion’s Fourth of July fund, an enterprise designed to keep Cadillac money at home for fu- ture use and to bring new money into the city. Letters sent to the New York offices were ignored after the local manager referred the solicitors to the men higher up. “Any store can get along without the friendship of the people for a short time, but the people have the best of the bargain for they can get along without any particular store per- manently,” declared one business man to-day, “and the surest way for a store to be closed up tight is to ignore the friendship of the citizens of the town wherein it expects to do business.” ——_2>~-~-___ When the Zeppelin Passed Over. “All things come to those who wait.” during the kaiser’s war we had watch- ed the sky for a sight of an aeroplane. Since October 30, 1918, we have seen hundreds of aeroplanes passing over our buildings or fields on the route between Selfridge Field and Jackson, Mich. They are not seen every day, but some days we see from one to a dozen going in the same. direction. Some are so high it is difficult to lo- cate them and some seem to skim the tree tops. One was heard, but could not be located until it shot over a low shed and passed perhaps 50 feet above my head so quickly that I could only read: “U.S. Mail No. —— 7, and at was gone before I could tell if it was 2: Sor 7. When we learned over the radio on Tuesday. Aug. 27, that the Graf Zep- plein had left Los Angeles on Monday evening and would reach Cleveland on Wednesday hopes of seeing it. evening, we _ had _ little But about 8 o'clock Wednesday evening, word came that ] the big ship would pass over Detroit a about 10 p. m. and we thought it possible that would pass over Ann Abor, eight miles Southeast, and we might see its lights. So I planned to be up and out from 9 o'clock on. As I was resting on a cot on the North porch I heard a noise which in a few seconds increased to such a roar that I knew it must be the Zepplin. I hurried to a point South of the barn and looked toward Dexter. four and a half miles Southwest and there in the sky were two lights larger than Venus and as far apart as Gemini. A luminous haze was seen behind the lights. but soon saw it was coming toward me. As it came nearer I saw four great lights forming a square and then more and smaller lights, so I knew I was looking at the South side of the craft and that it would pass North IT ran down the road, and as it passed over the fields North it looked to me twice the length of our 70 foot barn. I judged it to be one-quarter of a mile away, which 1 verified next morning by enquiring of neighbors. If it did not pas over my At first I could see no motion, over our buildings. land it lacked but a few rods. It may have been 500 feet from the earth, but it looked nearer. The front half was well lighted, but the rear half was just a black hulk, ecxept the rear lights. At 9 o’clock it had passed, but could still be seen and heard. Ten minutes later a friend’s voice on the telephone said the radio had just announced that it was over Jackson thirty-five minutes before. So it made the forty-two or forty-three miles from that place in about twenty minutes, going at the rate of 100 miles or more per hour. The evening was partly cloudy, but stars were visible in places and the moon had not yet risen. We wonder- ed if the pilots steered by chart and compass or if local pilots were aboard to direct its course across the United States. As two American observers accompanied the ship on its tour, cne from the U. S. Navy and one world from the Army, as we were told, it seems probable that they followed the route of the army planes from Jack- son to,Selfridge field and that the beacon at the latter place guided them between the two places. It was headed North of Detroit. over Detroit, sped on to Cleveland and at half past seven Thursday morning Then they circled the Zeppelin was at Lakehurst, New Jersey, where the doors, 250 feet high and weighing 20,000 tons, were being opened for its reception. and its world safety. Its escape from destruction at Los An- tour was completed in geles when it cleared the high tension wires by only ten feet maks one shud- INVESTMENT SECURITIES The Industrial Company Associated with The Industrial Bank Grand Rapids, Michigan Resources over $5,600,000. der at what might have happened. The roar of its five 1100 horse power motors must have been equal to thirty or forty aeroplanes. E, E. Whitney. ——_2~+-___ Printing offers many pitfalls. Many a writer seeking a beautiful phrase, and having completed it to his liking and satisfaction, has all but yielded up the ghost when it appeared in print. For instance the transposition of a space makes all the difference in the world in the meaning of words, as the author found out when he penned “the masses” and it appeared in print as “them asses.” Kindliness kindles kindliness. Michigan State Normal College Opened in 1852 Educational Plant Campus of one hundred acres. Eleven buildings with modern equipment. Training School, including Elementary and High School Departments. Certificates and Degrees Life Certificates on completion of Three Years’ Curricula. A. B. and B. S. Degrees on completion of Four Years’ Curricula. Special Curricula Home Economics, Kindergarten, Phys- ical Education, Public School Music, Music. and Drawing, Drawing and Manual Arts, Commercial, Rural, Agri- culture, Special Education. Normal College Conservatory of Music offers courses in Voice, Piano, Organ, Violin, Band and Orchestra. Fall Term begins September 24, 1929. Write for Bulletin and list of rooms. Rooming houses for women students offer a single bed for every girl. Cc. P. STEIMLE, Registrar Ypsilanti, Michigan. N Fenton Davis Boyle Lwvestment Bankers _ Detroit Grand Rapids Chicago We recommend the purchase of FEDERATED PUBLICATIONS, INC. 6% SECURED GOLD NOTES WITH STOCK PURCHASE WARRANTS Write or Phone us for Particulars September 4,. 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 19 MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE Protection From Fire Should Not Be Neglected. Grandville, Sept. 3—- Among the agents for depleting farm production in Michigan as well as other states of this Union are the annual forest fires that sweep over great scopes of coun- try every year. Montana, Idaho and other Western States are even now fighting this scourge and nail, while parts of our own State are suffering. Large tracts of good farming land were made hope- less by the fierce bush fires which swept over them. In an early day only the hardwood lands were thought fit for farming, hence the terrific fires burning over pine tracts from which the timber had been cut were not viewed with any great degree of alarm. Once over is bad enough but much of Michigan wild land has met with this scourge of fire again and again until all fer- tility of soil has been wiped out. This is one of the causes for a gen- eral belief that cutover pine lands are unfit for faring. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Some of the most productive lands in Michigan once bore a crop of giant pines. Un- fertile land could not produce such a crop of trees. The jack pine plains of Michigan are evidence of the poverty of the soil, not so those acres which bore the great forests which filled the rivers with sawlogs for the numerous mills at Muskegon and other towns. I will say right here that I raised one of the finest fields of corn on pine land that had been sneered at as unproductive for years until it was put under sub- jection and a proper condition for pro- ducing. It was a dry season and many fields on the heavier soils failed to produce a full crop. Proper fertilizing and after cultiva- tion was the secret. Doing things at the right time counts in large divi- dends. By the continued use of har- row and cultivator I held the moisture in the soil until the corn was matured. This field of mammoth corn grew on a field usually referred to as “pine barrens.” Frequent fires had not eaten the fer- tility of that lot, but there were neigh- boring acres which were less fortun- ate. In an early day the great fires that raged in the Michigan woods were not regarded as soil destroyers, but as dangerous to the house and home of the settler. Time and again the whole settlement at Bridgeton turned out to fight fire. New choppings were being made year by year and thus a fertile field made for the grasp of the fire fiend. At Bridgeton a creek empties into the Muskegon, the hills on either side rising to a considerable height. Along these hillsides fire has more than once raged and men and boys, even women, were called to fight with every means at their command. Day and night for several days were these fires battled against. Later, at the time of the Chicago fire, came the greatest conflagration of all. Thou- sands of acres of cutover pine lands were in the grasp of the fire fiend. Mill crews, merchants and farm hands were out doing their level best to keep down the despoiler. This was in the fall of the year to- ward the close of a long drought. The news that Chicago was burning did not startle the settlers so much as did the nearer by fact that their own im- mediate surroundings were in the grasp of fiery giant. For several weeks the sky had been darkened by smoke until at length the nud-day sun failed to peep through, and this cloud covered the earth so densely as to almost shut out the light of day. After a time the fire was seen blazing from the treetops, dead pines serving as signal fires to call the people out to the rescue of their build- ings, A stiff breeze scattered the brands far over the heads of the front line of fighters. It was a time of excitement and peril seldom experienced even in the lumber woods. It was about this time that the village of Peshtigo in Wisconsin and Holland in our own State went up in flames, a time that will not be forgotten while a single old timer lives to recall the scene. We have forest fires in Michigan to- day, although nothing like the wide- spread destructive ones of an earlier day. wants to get up in the morning and scrape his tender cheeks with a sharp piece of steel? No man is passionately fond of :having, but he. must do it or be octracized. Therefore, he is forced to buy shaving equipment of various sorts. Does he get much help from retail clerks? He does not. The clerk has not been taught that he is behind the counter to help customers solve problems which lie behind their requests. Once | saw a man_ brazenly walk into a hardware store and heard him —____ Looking Backward Half a Century. Many thanks for the Tradesman with articles by At. White, which are always interesting. What a memory for detail he has, running back seventy- five years. All that we can get from him is so much saved from oblivion for I do not think there is any other person living who can supply it. His story of the old newspapers, the Eagle and the Times, A. B. Turner, Eli Har- rington and Nathan Church are valu- able contributions to the history of I am sure thai my friend, Lee A. White, is collecting material for such a book, so I turn such information over to him. ‘Shall be glad to get the dope on the Leader, which I think was promoted by our old friend David R. Waters, who had a penchant for starting things. As I remember, it was he and Will Sproat who founded another daily paper and kept it alive by a pretty strenuous ad- vocacy of the cause of the strikers in the street railway strike of 1891. My old friend, Mickey Finn, furnish- Michigan journalism. ed some picturesque copy for the Press. [I remember how he used to prod the sensibilities of Col. Risley, who succeeded N. C. Johnson in Sweet’s Hotel, and his story of seeing what looked like money passed from a corporation agent to Alderman George Black in the toilet room of Sweets. George was the alderman who, during the hectic struggle between rival pav- ing concerns for the early contracts in Grand Rapids, expressed a decided preference for ‘“vitalized (vitrified) brick,’ and an unalterable prejudice toward asphalt. I was a sort of mouse under the rug in that paving promo- tion and can still remember a little of the inside dope. It brought to Grand Rapids some of the most expert graft- ers and boodlers of the State, but in the end it had the effect of interesting the people in paving and the trans- formation from cedar blocks and cob- blestones on a mud foundation to pave- ments of a more enduring quality was thus begun. Some day I may be tempted to write the little I know, but some of it is neither safe nor fit to print because of the methods em- ployed. I doubt if any of us realize fully the changes that have occurred in the last fifty years and the ways and means by which they were brought about. Mu- nicipalities, like people, have their periods of childhood and adolescence and the diseases common to both, like measles, chickenpox, croup and some- times diphtheria and scarlet fever, in- volving considerable political mortal- ity. As you and I know, some who fell victims to the more virulent epi- demics made remarkable recoveries. I sometimes wonder which is the more valuable gift, a good memory or a good forgetery. The city manager plan has recently won out in Cleveland against a pretty artful campaign fo- mented by the reactionaries and place- hunting politicians. I think it is only a matter of time when we shall come to it in Detroit, although we hav- been remarkably free from scandals in our municipal government for a long 17 time. The chief channel of corruption is now navigated with more or less success by the bootleggers and blind pig operators. who have corrupted quite a number of otherwise and here- tofore good men. Have had two letters from C. FE. Wilde recently. That reminds me that my son, who is associated with the A. T. & T. Co. in Chicago will have his vacation some time next month, during which he may drive me to Grand Rapids for a day with the few who remember me still, after an ab- sence of more than thirty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Owing, parents of Mrs. Ten Hopen, were among my first acquaintances—in the winter of 1880 when Mrs. Ten Hopen was a very little girl, They are gone, but she re- mains and_ still maintains the old friendship while I preserve the memory of unforgetable kindnesses to me, 4 stranger. Geo. B. Catlin. OUR 1996 GRATIOT AVENUE MILLER PEANUT PRODUCTS CO. Michigan's Greatest Exclusive Peanut Products Manufacurers and distributors to the Jobbing Trade ND — PLAYERS P EANUTS DETROIT, MICHIGAN THE PARK PLACE HOTEL — Traverse City, Michigan As it will appear June |, 1930 AND In the ‘Mew Time THE ANNEX will be a complete unit for the comfort of fall and winter guests. Additions are now being made of: A delightful Office and Lounge; a Coffee Shop and Grill with entrances from street and main hall. The old hotel building will be closed September 4th, when all business will be transferred to the Annex and the hotel will go upon the BUROPEAN PLAN. The management will enjoy serving you as usual. HANNAH & LAY COMPANY MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 DRY GOODS Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association. President—F. H. Nissly, Ypsilanti. First Vice-President — G. E. Martin, Benton Harbor. Second Vice-President--D. Mihlethaler, Harbor Beach. Secretary-Treasurer — John _ Richey, Charlotte. Manager—Jason E. Hammond. Lansing. Fur-Trimmed Coats For Fall. Fur will be used generally to trim fall coats, and one point of distinction between the utility coat and the styles for more formal wear is the manner of trimming the sleeve. In sports coats the sleeve is finished in the usual tail- ored fashion, with stitching and large buttons. In models for the street and afternoon the sleeve, as well as the Cuffs are enor- mous, some covering the arm from flaring or straight, close-fitting or wide enough to be drawn in at the bottom like an old- fashioned undersleeve. An example of this an afternoon coat of fine broadcloth that has a sleeve with a slightly bell-shaped opening at the hand, with a scallop which is cut long- er at the back to show the fur under- This is fastened tightly about collar, is fur-trimmed. wrist to elbow, is seen in neath. the wrist with a narrow band of the fur. In some of the coats of finer cloths there is no cuff, but the band of fur matching the collar is sewn on the sleeve in the outline of a very deep cuff. In collars of fur there are many new styles, varying in shape and treat- ment. The model which will be gen- erally worn is the deep shawl collar, fitting equally well the tailored street coat or the more dressy coat for after- noon wear. Collars of unique shape are shown on some of the models. A trace of the quaint little shoulder cape worn years ago is seen in some of the new collars, and the flat scarf collar with uneven ends is shown on a few tailered coats. A short fur scarf tied in a bow at one side forms a chic finish on the neck of one coat of for- mal Some models of the more elaborate sort are trimmed with a band of fur down each side of the front, and one gorgeous example is a coat of brown broadcloth having a_ high collar, elbow-length cuffs and a deep border of fur around the bottom. This is shaped to follow the low dip at the back, and the cape edge of the collar is shaped in the same manner. Rumble seat is the merry name given to the latest fabric for girls’ coats. It is a woolly stuff that looks like. beaver and is of the same color, and will be used a great deal in place of fur for daytime occasions. The advance mod- els are without fur trimming. Next to this novelty, chinchilla will be fash- ionable for school-girls, and the popu- lar colors will be dark blue, green and gray. Coats of the genuine sports type and the polo coats are made of tweed, homespun, and a few have col- lar and cuffs of opossum or rabbit. lines. ——___s.. > Long Gloves For Evening Wear. Fashion demands long gauntlet gloves for evening, probably because long glover are so in character with the formality of the new languishing gowns. short-waisted and trailing of skirt, and the woman who is fashion- alert will undoubtedly endure the dis- comfort of these new gloves, even if rebelliously. There is a small measure of solace in the fact that they need not be always in white, the once stan- dard and dignfiied shade for evening. Now, as long as they match the slip- pers in tone and aid them in enhancing the beauty of the these gauntlets may range in color all the way from the sombre black suede in which Maggy Rouff showed them, to the brilliant red gloves that Worth used to his white evening gowns. Now that Paris has turned her at- tention to dislodging the simple pull- on glove from its coveted position as the correct glove for street wear. it would seem that its days are number- ed. The idea of the pull-on glove per- sists, but it is now lengthened in some cases nearly to the elbow or may flare into a mousquetaire cuff intended to dress up the plain sleeve. This gaunt- let cuff naturally provides opportunity for all sort of original incrusted designs in contrasting leathers and shades as well as bracelet effects in applied metal or leather. Where the glove remains true to the pull-on type but is length- ened, there are often two or three clasps down the inside of the wrist designed to give a more slender wrist grQqwnh, new brighten line. Flat furs, almost fabric-like in their character, are used very generally by Paris for intricate incrustations on this season’s new hats. The fur sets off the incrusted design to even better advantage than does the. reversible vis-a-vis, whose brilliant soleil | side may contrast well in texture with its sober felt side, but hardly affords the pronounced color and texture contrast of fur on felt. This liking for a touch of fur on the new hats finds another expression in the use of ermine tails as trimming for the more formal hat. —__2+32s—__—_ Black Suede Handbags Still Find Favor. The fall handbags that are begin- ning to make an appearance in the smart shops show a wealth of new lines. Materials have changed little, however, suede being still far the most talked-of medium, especially in black. It is very popular for afternoon mod- els among the French makers because of its rich texture and its adaptability to ornate tailoring. Brown suede, too, is being used, -but comes second to black. ~ The new suede bags are made with the frames entirely concealed and with just a tiny tab or small knob at the opening. The new flat pouch shapes have unusual clasps in modernistic shapes and color combinations. Where a note of formality is required, some models have marcasite corners, fancy clasps or monograms. Bags of this sttyle are also shown with colored piping to match the clasps. The sizes remain about the same as before. Black diced seal is used for a bag that comes from Paris. It is fashioned with a clasp or tab on top, and a finely finished edge, with sterling silver corners as though the opening were there, but this is all a mere guise. A flap that extends to the bottom of the bag and looks just like the outside of it provides the real opening. This flap is fastened onto the upper edge and is finished with a monogram in hand cut silver. Other leather bags for general usage are made in square envelope styles with the unusual flaps and shapes. ——__2 + 2>—___ Expect Art Needle Work Revival. Women in New England are again taking up home needle work as a pas- time and this fact has heartened the manufacturers of stamped goods and other art needle work supplies who regard that section of the country as a barometer by which the rise and fall of such activities among the women of the country may be gauged. The re- cent expressions of Mrs. Coolidge in favor of needle work are believed by the manufacturers to have ‘started the New England revival and they count on the practice spreading rapidly throughout the country. Promotional work is under consideration, but the companies complain that store mer- chandise managers are skeptical of the revival and do not co-operate as much as they might. ——_2+>___ Moderately Longer Skirts Indicated. Combining the normal waistline with the longer skirt, the two radical feat- ures of fall styles, has complicated the question of how the American woman will respond to the longer skirt, ac- cording to Miss Mary Lewis, of Best & Co. The higher waistline in itself makes the skirt look longer. Indications are. Miss Lewis added, that the moderately longer skirt, one and a half to two inches below the knee, will be accepted. but for active daytime wear the skirt going six inches below the knee is not likely to find widespread adoption. Several years ago an attempt to bring back the long skirt lasted just one season. “It may prove very much the same this time,” she commented.—N. Y. Times. —— Retain Confidence in Chincillas. Despite the controversy which has been raised about the position of chin- chilla in juvenile Fall coats, buyers say that garments of this fabric are headed for a normal demand. It is pointed out that no evidence as yet has been pre- sented that consumers are swinging away from this staple, although re- tailers may stress the novelty appeal of camel’s hair and fleece types in which retail price competition is less. A factor of considerable importance, however, in school-size overcoats is the trend to leather coats and windbreak- ers. This has affected the call for cloth overcoats in these sizes, but not to any marked extent in the 15 to 20 year sizes in which fleece styles are doing well. ee Toy Volume Still Gaining. With the placing of a larger volume of orders by department stores, the toy trade is going into its heavy deliv- ery months with somewhat more than 75 per cent. of its normal holiday busi- ness booked. Wheel goods and sheet steel toys, together with dolls, have had the bulk of the recent call. Busi- ness booked in electrical and construc- tional playthings is said to be ahead of last year at this time. The heavy orders placed since March by the chain store organizations indicate they will be much stronger retail factors this year in toys selling in the lower and medium price ranges. —_~+~+.—__—_ Boys’ Novelty Suits in Demand. In good demand in boys’ clothing for Fall are reversible suits of cordu- roy. A plaid design features the re- verse side of the material used in the suits which are designed for boys of 8 to 16 years. Brown, tan and gray are the leading colors. A nice business is also being done in novelty suits of the type. These are fashioned of all-jersey material or jersey in com- bination with broadcloth, silk tops. All-knitted suits of regular sweater construction are also played up, the trousers of which are unlined and the sweater of the slip- over variety. ee To Standardize Notion Sheets. A committee of the National No- tions Association is at work upon the standardization of catalogue sheets for jobbers’ catalogues and also salesmen’s loose leaf price sheets. The present study grew out of the standardization of sample cards, which is now estab- lished in the notions trade. The ob- jective is economy and greater sim- plicity, as under the former procedure a manufacturer has to have the sheets printed in a variety of forms for each jobber and salesmen. The results of the study will be reported upon at the meeting of the board of directors some- time next month. —_——_+~-+____ How To Buy a Good Used Car. Look behind, underneath, and all around the rear seat cushion. If you find a couple of lace handkerchiefs and a handful of burned matches, a lip- stick and half a package of cigarettes, or an assortment of various buttons and a vanity case, or a feminine garter and an empty bottle, buy the car. Any one of the above items is sufficient proof that the car has been run but little. wash rayon or being 218 W. Jefferson BUY YOUR HOSIERY FROM HOSIERY SPECIALISTS We justly lay claim to being Michigan’s largest exclusive hosiery whole- salers. Single dozens or case lots—you will always find the prices, quality and service right, and the goods ready for delivery. BRODER BROTHERS MEN’S, WOMEN’S, CHILDREN’S HOSIERY Phone Randolph 7322 Detroit September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 19 SHOE MARKET Michigan Retail Shoe Dealers Association President—Elwyn Pond. V ce-President—J. E. Wilson. - Secretary—E. H. Davis. Treasurer—Joe H. Burton. Asst. Sec’y-Treas.—O. R. Jenkins. Association Business Office, 907 Trans- portation Bldg., Detroit. Help Solve Mysteries. | Slippers To Murder Some of us spend a great deal more time at home in the evening than for- merly, due in a measure, I expect, to the outrageous prices in night clubs and theaters housing the hits of the season. Radios, detective fiction and sex novels provide fireside entertain- ment. The number of men who smoke solve a murder after 6 is tremendous. a pipe and mystery Pipe advertis- ers are linking up mystery fiction with pipe sales and I should think that the merchants in the slipper field would tie up their campaigns with the detec- tive theme. The home-loving Sherlock is legion and his tribe increases with rabbit-like speed. However, the slipper industry has long been like the smoking jacket industry, inclined to accept the theory that this is an up-and-at-’em age and that nobody stays home unless suffer- ing from a broken leg or a fractured bank Such aggeration I sincerely believe. A great roll. views are an ex- many men are weary of spending money for nothing, so to speak. Home life is on the well-known up-and-up with those who operate on budgeted incomes. In New York at this mo- ment the slipper .prospect is rosv Reptile leathers are much to the fore in current displays and lizard has a big call in the style centers. There are a great novelties for chaps who wear opulent many elaborate silk robes around the house, but the majority of men insist on a slipper that is easy to get in and out of. They like to kick one slipper with the toe of the them from any must be other and leap into convenient The model known as the “house slipper” angle. Slippers as well as beautiful, I believe. in lizard is especially good, the dealers say. Mules of a rather elaborate type are on the increase in snappy displays. This is the handy slipper for the ultra- lazy man. Some of the mules are al- as colorful as the models worn when in the most by women negligee or pajama state. Fabric is frequently used instead of leather. What with one thing and another the slipper prospect looks rosy from my side of the: street. I am one of the comparatively few people who believe that the day is not far distant when men will fight to the death with their wives for control of closet space. Homes are smaller and clothes and accessories for men more numerous, especially shoes. Eventu- ally this condition rheans civil war. When a husband owns a dozen pairs of shoes they will begin to kick the wife’s around to find space for them and then the bloodshed will be im- minent. Women buy a great many pairs of shoes these days because they are very particular about their feet and legs. Men buy because they are particular. They are trying to improve their feet. “Feet first—right or wrong—feet first” is the motto of many. Howoever, all this preamble is merely introductory. The new summer-weight shoes are be- ing displayed and talked up about New York and every year more of them are purchased. If there is one time in the year when feet are troublesome it ‘s during the summer and change of the seasons. If one steps on a foot in the subway battle sudden death Howls of indicate follows. anguish that the feet are sensitive. shoes that should be changed often during the Therefore, I believe spring and summer, not only because of the hygienic qualities of such tac- tics, but because the feet appreciate the change. The light-weight sum- mer shoe is just the ticket for feet of a million warm weather regrets. Mod- ern men are fast walkers and they cover a lot of ground. portant Shoes are im- their lives. One should experience no difficulty in per- suading a man that his peace of mind depends on the pacifist tendencies of his feet. This summer the new gray factors in flannel suits have helped sell a great many light tan feather-weight shoes. Practically ail of the clothing stores are featuring gray flannels for spring and summer wear and quite a number of the very fastidious boys are writing their orders for the lightest shades of tan shoes to harmonize. One style helps another. And so, we add an- other pair to our interesting collection. Our this season seem to be wearing white buck shoes and white flannel trousers in their lofty moments of love mak- ing. I will say this much for the re- vues that give us our popular songs in New York. The leads are better dressed than formerly and more often than not their clothes are over the heads of their audiences, which is more than can be said for their jokes or their ballads. -A $5.50 show in New York is usually well dressed and well shod and one might say that it pays best musical comedy tenors to groom the feet as well as the body. The leads in our melody melanges are usually young men with big followings among the flappers and they are re- quired to live up to the demands of their public. They therefore their styles. The spoken stage is run- ning ahead of the cinema at this mo- ment, I believe, in reflecting the ap- proved footwear for men. The pub- lic really makes the demand in the stores and the shoes that the men see worn by their stage favorites in action leave a deep impression. A man who is trying to dress like another is an obstinate creature. a cannot be talked out of his whim, al- though not for a million dollars would he tell the source of his inspization. Men are that way, if one stops to think things over. Outside of stage circles it is believed that the tan wing tip is the seasonal leader in New York but really one can never tell what the pub- lic will do. I can cite the most unex- market developments by the show that industry never knows which way the cat will jump. I have noticed the single strap shoe for men in a few of the stores along our main metropolitan boulevards. know pected Score: to There is a good idea here but it has not had proper time to develop. Fur- thermore, the dealers have not given There is style that dis- strings, although finicky the notion much of a play. some excuse for any penses with shoe men are notoriously about their ankle fastenings. If the strap is t0o loose or too tight, I should say that a fine rumpus might ensue be- tween dealer and customer. The prob- lem with the strap or buckle proposi- tion would necessarily be proper ad- justment. a constructive, rather than a destruc- These remarks are made in tive spirit. ———— Are the Trade Monsters About To Clash? The spotlight is cent structural changes in thrown upon re- American trade by the packers’ petition to the Supreme Court for modification of the 1920 decree forbidding them to hardle any food products but meat or to es- The de- cree was intended to curb the potential power of the packers to control food- stuffs, especially Relief from its restrictions is tablish retail meat markets. their own. unqualified sought on the ground that conditions are so different from what they were nine years ago that the packers now find themselves in jeopardy of becom- ing victims themselves of monopoly Or excessive power possessed by the very people whom the court sought co shield against that then in the hands of the packers. The Armour weapon, case rests largely upon the allegations concerning the inroads of the meat markets. chain These markets are de- scribed to the court as having reached such numbers and dimensions as a whole as, on the one hard, to menace with extinction many of the Armour customers among independent dealers, and, on the other hand, to put the par- ent chain companies—one at least is mentioned—in a position to dictate as to prices which they will pay for the defendant’s products. Allusion is made also to the (from the packers’ point of view) alarming growth of the so- called voluntary chains (associated buyers) with an annual volume of $350,000,000 that shows every sign of further expansion, as additional evi- dence of how the packer, no longer a roaring lion seeking whom he would devour, is now so hemmed about by creatures of his own size or larger as to be in imminent peril of his exist- From this peril, it is made to appear, only removal of the Supreme ence Court chains will enable him to save himself. In other words, he must perish if he is not allowed freedom not only to sell his own products to con- sumers, into Africa by selling some of the articles but to carry the war of food in which the ‘grocery chains found profit before they merged the grocery with the butcher business. How the Supreme Court will view this rather pitiful plaint of the once haughty packer it once put on tether no layman can foretell and few lawyers will care to guess. The petition will apprise that august body of the approaching ad- serve at all events to vent of a great mass of cases that is certain soon to crowd its calendar. The details of the should also serve to enlighten industry and trade petition in general as to some of the snarls in which great combinations are becom- ing involved. Incidentally they should hearten those who believe that the dav is not distant when the vaulting am- bition of the trade monsters will bring them into collisions with eac} other reminiscent of the wars of ex- termination of prehistoric monsters. —_—__e-~<___ It is a fine plan for every young per- son to treat every old person as he when he grows old himself. That is a very sure way of growing into an old age that will be would wish to be treated honored by everyone, old and young. L. H. BAKER, Secy-Treas. MICHIGAN SHOE DEALERS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY FIRE AND TORNADO INSURANCE eae rrt—sCi(‘Ci‘CC:CN® $200,000.00 Saved to Policyholders Since Organization _______ 380,817.93 Write to Lansing, Michigan Phone 93401 ASSOCIATED TRUCK LINES The Outstanding Freight Transportation Line of Western Michigan. State Regulation means Complete Protection. ASSOCIATED TRUCK LINES 108 Market Av.. Grand Rapids, Mich. RETAIL GROCER Retail Grocers and Meat Dealers Associa- tion of Michigan. President — A. J. Faunce, Harbor Springs. First Vice-President—G. Vander Hoon- ing, Grand Rapids. second Vice-President — Wm. Schultz, Ann Arbor. Secretary — Herman Hanson, Grand Rapids. Treasurer—J. F. Tatman, Clare. Trustees—O. H. Bailey, Lansing: M. C. Goossen, Lansing: Grover Hall, Kalama- zoo; O. L. Brainerd, Elsie; Ole Peterson, Muskegon. Thirty Reasons Why Your Customers Trade With You. When a retail food dealer sets out to increase his sales he should analyze his merchandising policies closely and decide just what types of appeal will have the best effect on his prospective customers. Naturally, every progres- sive dealer is endeavoring to increase his trade at all times, but a periodic analysis of the methcds of attack he already is using and of additional methods he might use almost always will bring forth some new and profit- able inspiration. In the daily rush of business, a dealer is apt to overlook some sound methods of getting busi- ness. When a consumer decides to patron- ize a certain dealer she usually has some definite reason or combination of reasons for doing so. Scores of rea- sons cculd be listed, some of which would be trivial. The following list con- tains thirty fundamental, basic reasons why housewives buy from the food dealers they patronize. The list covers practically all of the principal reasons, although some of them could be sub- divided further or worded differently. It should be kept in mind that the housewife may combine any number of the reasons in arriving at her decision; also that her decision may have to do only with a single purchase. Dealers also must realize that the customer’s reasons for buying from him may not be reasons calculated to increase the dealer's profit. Here is the list: 1, Personal friendship for the deal- er or an employe. 2. Loeation 1s most convenient for customer. 3. Store is located near other stores customer patronizes. 4 Store is clean, sanitary, and at- tractive. 5. Customer can get waited on more promptly than elsewhere. 6. Window displays are interesting or attractive or suggest something needed. 7. Dealer and employes are friendly and courteous. 8. Dealer and employes offer help- ful suggestions. 9. Customer believes values are bet- ter than elsewhere. 10. Customer believes dealer is fair and reliable. 11. Customer was influenced by ad- vertising. 12. Friends have recommended store. 13. Dealer brands. carries well known 14. Dealer's stock is new and fresh. 15. Prices are displayed on mer- chandise. 16. Prices are lowest obtainable. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 17. Customer can’t get desired mer- chandise anywhere else. 18. Stock-offers wide selection. 19. Dealer succeeds in giving cus- tomer exactly what she wants. 20. Dealer will order special items or brands. 21. Dealer gives better delivery service than competitors. 22. Dealer gives more liberal credit terms than competitors. 23. Store is open evenings, Sun- days. or holidays. 24. Dealers runs combination or department store. 25. Customer likes class of custom- ers who patronize store. 26. Dealer will goods more readily than competitors. accept returned 27. Dealer makes more satisfactory adjustments on unsatisfactory mer- chandise. 28. Dealer solicits orders by tele- phone. 29. Customer owes big bill at other stores. 30. Employes are selling to cus- tcmer at secretly reduced prices. Some of these reasons may not be entirely favorable to the dealer under certain conditions. The last two rea- sons are distinctly unfavorable to the dealer and steps should be taken to eliminate them. It would be decided!y advantageous for the dealer if he could find out what his customers think about his store and why they prefer to buy from him. This information would help him perfect his policies and plans. Few dealers could get much information by asking their customers directly. Dealers who ad- vertise might be able to persuade a newspaper to make a survey among the customers of the store, without disclosing the store’s interest in the survey. Some banks would be willing to make such a survey for a dealer, with or without cost to the dealer. A survey of this kind would be most helpful to a dealer who found himself losing customers. Some of the reasons listed seem ts duplicate others, but that is due to the fact that we have endeavored to con- sider the source of the preference along with the reasons themselves. In other words, consider No. 12, “Friends Undoubtedly the friends have advanced some of the other reasons to support their prefer- ence, but the recommendation itself was an important factor. About the same thing is true of No. 11. “Cus- tomer was influenced by advertising.” The selling points in the advertising all are covered by the other reasons listed, but many consumers are guided to a great extent by advertising and deal almost exclusively with dealers who are well known because they do advertise. recommended store.’ 3y keeping this list or a similar one before him at all times and giving it careful study at frequent intervals, a dealer can plan his merchandising cam- paigns systematically and can be sure that he is not overlooikng some good opportunities to increase his trade. ——_++-+___ Form the habit of putting things ix their places. Lack of orderliness may block your promotion, GRIDDLES — BUN STEAMERS _— URNS Everything in Restaurant Equipment, Priced Right. Grand Rapids Store Fixture Co. 7 N. IONIA AVE. Phone 67143 N. FREEMAN, Mgr. VINKEMULDER COMPANY Grand Rapids, Michigan BRANCH AT PETOSKEY, MICH. Distributors Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Cantaloupes, Peaches, “Yellow Kid’? Bananas, Oranges, Lemons, Fresh Green Vegetables, etc. September 4, 1929 M.J. DARK & SONS INCORPORATED GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —_ Direct carload receivers of UNIFRUIT BANANAS SUNKIST - FANCY NAVEL ORANGES and all Seasonable Fruit and Vegetables MORE CUSTOMERS FOR YEAST Through a recent discovery of science known as irradiation, Fleischmann's Yeast now contains quantities of vitamin D, the “sunshine” vitamin. These cakes are equivalent to a day in the sunshine. The new Fleischmann national advertising, and a great nation- wide radio broadcast will start an increased demand for Yeast. Ask your Fle:schmann man how you can get your share. FLEISCHMANN’S YEAST Service We now invite you to inspect the finest cold storage plant in America. We have Charles A. Moore Ventilating System throughout the building enabling us to change the air every seven hours. We also carry a complete line of fresh fruits and vegetables at all times. Won't you pay us a visit upon your next trip to Grand Rapids. ABE SCHEFMAN & CO. COR. WILLIAMS ST. AND PERE MARQUETTE RY.. GRAND RAPIDS The Toledo Plate & Window Glass Company Glass and Metal Store Fronts GRAND RAPIDS “te “te MICHIGAN September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 21 MEAT DEALER Michigan State Association of Retail Meat Merchants. President—Frank Cornell, Grand Rapids Vice-Pres.—E ©. Abbott, Flint. Secretary—E. J. La Rose, Detroit. Treasurer—Pius Goedecke, Detroit. Next meeting will be held in Grand Rapids, date not decided. Defeat Chains By Using Its Own Policy. A tip for the retail butcher is con- tained in the advice of George Have- meyer, of Jersey City, the fruit of six years of successful experience as a grocer in the most direct and intense competition with the chains. The secret of Havemeyer’s success, he says, is fighting the chains with their own methods; in other words, using leaders to get people into the store and then selling them quality merchandise in addition. “Price is not the only thing that people want to-day,” said this grocer, as reported by the New York Journal of Commerce. “There are still plenty of quality purchasers, and even the price buyers are not always getting what they want in a chain store. They may think they are getting low prices, but when the quality and size of con- tainers are taken into consideration, it often happens that the chain store prices are higher than independents. The trouble with many independents lies in the fact that they are licked by chain store propaganda ,and if you are beaten mentally you have a tough job making profits in any business. Chain stores go out of business just as well as independents, but you never hear about that in their business re- ports. “Only a few weeks ago nine gro- cery chain units went out of business in Hoboken, N. J., a town of 60,000 population, and chain stores are being closed in like manner all over the country every week in the year. You hear a great deal about the ever-in- creasing sales of chain stores, but nothing about increasing profits. Sales volume is often forced at the expens? of net profits. “Around here we all feel confident that the independent grocer has a bright future, and he can give just as good service and merchandise at just as low prices as the chains, and with the co-operation of wholesalers in this section we have proven this by driv- ing the chains out of this, section. “We are succeeding because we pos- sess the right mental makeup in this fight of independents vs. chain stores. Psychology plays a leading part in all of life’s activities, and the grocery business is no exception. The chain stores have procured the trade of the average housewife because they make these women think that mass retailers can sell cheaper than the lone opera- tor. If the independents throughout the country will use leaders and ad- vertise aggressively just as the chains do, they will ,in time, make the house- wives think that they can buy as reas- onably in their stores. “The success formula for the inde- pendent grocer to-day is simply this: Believe in your ability to combat the chain store on price and quality, get the co-operation of your wholesaler, follow chain store merchandising methods, and you will make the public believe in your store and its merchan- dise.” Mr. Havemeyer now employs ten clerks in the two stores, and this is an excellent achievement after only six years in the grocery business, con- sidering that these six years were try- ing ones for independents. —_»~-.+—___ Papaws Make Meat Tender. The toughest beefsteak may be made as tender and delicious as the choicest porterhouse if one will carry with him wherever he dines a bottle of papaw tree juice and rub it on his meat. The papow is a peculiar tree of Northern South America and other tropical re- gions, where the natives use its juice in this way to improve their meat. It is the subject of an exhibit in the de- partment of botany at Field Museuiu of Natural History. The juice of the plants contains fibrine, a substance which so far as known exists elsewhere only in animal flesh. This, however, cannot be re- garded as establishing kingdoms in the chain of evolution, Field museum botanists declare. —_+-.___ Combination Market and Dry Goods Store. After several weeks of preparation the Tri-City Packing Co., of Silvis, ['L., opened its new combination grocery, butcher and dry goods store, located in the former mercantile department store building at Eighth street and Fifteenth avenue. The big store room has been fitted out with everything modern in the way of grocery and meat market fixtures, and a full line of vegetables, fruits, groceries, meats, dry goods and no- tions and other commodities will be sold. ee Why Margin Is Figured on Selling Price. Because neither margin nor profit is made until the sale is made. Because expenses are always figured in relation to sales. Because total sales are usually avail- able at a glance. Because allowances and_ discounts are always figured on selling price. Because a large part of lost profit in actual cases is traced to figuring margin on cost and expenses on sell- ing. Because this method — truthfully represents the per cent. you make on a sale. To base the selling price on cost exaggerates the percentage and is. misleading. —~+-.___ Handkerchief Prospects Excellent. An excellent holiday business 1s looming up in handkerchiefs. Advance orders at this time compare well with last vear and additional business is being written at a good rate. Novel- ties predominate in women’s goods, with particular emphasis to be placed on boxed assortments for the Christ- mas period: Embroidered, printed and woven designs are featured on white and colored grounds with the range of materials including silks. linens and cottons. For immediate delivery a good business is noted in Porto Rican merchandise, Always Sell LILY WHITE FLOUR “*The Flour the best cooks use.”’ Also our high quality specialties Rowena Yes Ma'am Graham Rowena Pancake Flour Rowena Golden G. Meal Rowena Buckwheat Compound Rowena Whole Wheat Flour Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded. VALLEY CITY MILLING CO. Grand Rapids, Mich. GRAND RAPIDS PAPER Box Co. Manufacturers of SET UP and FOLDING PAPER BOXES SPECIAL DIE CUTTING AND MOUNTING G R AN D RA,PIDS, MICHIGAN — Say At EveryMeal at HEKMAN’S Cookie-Cakes Cookie-Cakes and Crackers ASTERPIECES , Q Fe othe BAKERS ART ged } GA tn mi : e ace aa | | | | CC. or every o anil ____ Signals Help Wife To Time Egg Boiling. Ingenious Washington have found a new and ultra-modern method of timing the soft-boiline of eggs. Stop-and-go lights are installed on most of the streets in the down- town section of the city, sprinkled with apartment houses, and they can be seen from almost every kitchen win- dow. Some housewife, with not too much on her mind, noticed that the interval of three red and three green lights with the intermediate ambers is the exact time for cooking soft-boiled eggs, and thereupon the fun started. Local papers printed this fact, as an item of news and information, with . the result that the director of traffic iB; is being besieged with requests for * speed in the installation of lights on those streets without them at present. Good humor is good business. =VATORS ~ (Electric and Hand Power) # Dumbwaiters—Electric Convert- ‘~Woers to change your old hand elevator into Electric Drive. Mention this Paper. State kind of Elevator wanted, size, capacity and heighth. SIDNEY ELEVATOR MFG. CO. (Miami Plant), Sidney, Ohlo I. Van Westenbrugge Grand Rapids - Muskegon (SERVICE DISTRIBUTOR) Nucoa KRAFT PU CHEESE All varieties, bulk and package cheese “Best Foods”’ Salad Dressings Fanning’s Bread and Butter Pickles Alpha Butter TEN BRUIN’S HORSE RADISH and MUSTARD OTHER SPECIALTIES housewives The AMERICAN NATIONAL ° BANK e Capital and Surplus $750,000.00 One of two national banks in Grand Rapids. Member of the Federal Reserve System. President, Gen. John H. Schouten Vice President and Cashier, Ned B. Alsover Assistant Cashier, Fred H. Travis Sand Lime Brick Nothing as Durable Nothing as Fireproof Makes Structure Beautiful No Painting No Cost for Repairs Fire Proof Weather Proof Warm in Winter—Cool in Summer Brick is Everlasting GRANDE BRICK CO. Grand Rapids. SAGINAW BRICK CoO. Saginaw. >_-— f WATER COOLING EQUIPMENT For Office, Factory, Institution Grand Rapids Water Cooler Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. Phone 61366 JOHN L. LYNCH SALES CO. SPECIAL SALE EXPERTS Expert See Expert Mrechandising 209-210-211 Murray Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN NN The Brand You Know by HART Look for the Red Heart on the Can LEE & CADY Distributor Waterproof tarpautin. guaranteed for one year. Any s ze, or custom made as illustrated. Send measurement. Prices and sam-les submitted without obligation. 24 hour delivery. FRIGIDAIRE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATING SYTEMS PRUDUCT OF GENERAL MOTORS For _Markets,:Groceries and Homes Does an extra mans work No more putting up ice A small down payment puts this equipment in for you F. C. MATTHEWS & CO. 111 PEARL ST. N. W Phone 9-3249 24 HOTEL DEPARTMENT Sidelights on the Old-Time Merchant. When I started out as a “Knight of the Grip,” mail order houses were un- known. The chain store was un- known. Even the mail order house selling direct to dealers was unknown. There were manufacturers, jobbers and straight-out retail dealers. In those days, even the large department store, as we now know it, was unknown. In the larger cities there were, of course, exclusive stores in the various lines, such as hardware, dry goods, boots and shoes, etc. But in smalle- towns all over the country goods of all kinds sand descriptions were sold These generai small towns by general merchants. merchants, even in the where they served a large agricultural territory, carried surprisingly large stocks of goods. They were the de- partment stores of that day. The salesmen of most jobbers were divided into two classes—a salesman, © a veteran, who would visit the larger cities and call on the exclusive hard- ware stores, while a younger, cub salesman would visit these general In many parts of the country, where railroads scarce, these vounger salesmen visited the general stores by driving with a team and a buggy. Occasionally, two or more salesmen would double up and so re- stores. were duce expenses or increase income. In those days, even in the larger cities, there were general stores carry- ing everything, and the battle was be- tween the exclusive store in any one line and the general store. Frequently, if a salesman sold the exclusive hard- ware store, he was not permitted to That was one of our problems, and it was a burning problem of the day. The ex- clusive dealer would say, “If you seli hardware to me as a hardware deale-, call on the general store. what right have you to go over to that general store and sell them? He does not know how to make a profit. He cuts prices, and he demoralizes my Therefore, if you wish my strictly business. trade, you must leave him alone.” The assortment of goods carried by those old-time merchants did not com- pare in variety, in quality or in high prices with present assortments. The mass of population in this country in They were not only poor, but, in the main, they were Advertising had not edu- those davs were poor. ignorant. cated them up to elegancies of dress and comforts of accessories we cai! necessities to-day. Nothing was known of electric washing machines, vacuum cleaners, electric toasters, radio sets, sports clothes, automobile supplies and all the things we see in the stores to- day. Of course, in those days, a great many whips, harness and all the para- phernalia used on horses were sold and that industry has since suffered. Even many of the modern carpenter tools were then unknown. A carpen- ter’s outfit in those early days was very simple—a few planes, a hatchet, a hand saw, etc. The point I am trying to make 1s that in almost every line, the assort- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ment of goods used by the people, car- ried in the stores, and therefore sold by the salesmen, was very limited. The fair ladies in those days were not wearing snakeskin sandals, nor had color come into vogue. Good heavy serviceable shoes were worn every day and the patent leather slipper was the great thing for evening wear, and those who had them were in luck. As a result of this condition, the variety of goods manufactured, the variety carried by jobbing houses, and the variety on the salesman’s price list did not compare with the enormous stocks of goods sold by jobbers and retailers at the present time. Dealers in those days, even in the larger cities, did not pay much atten- tion to the store arrangement. Most stores, especially the general stores, looked like junk shops. The first move in the way of improvement was in the glass showcases. There was « period when the glass showcase had its day. Some of them were wonderfully and fearfully made. The whole front of the store was filled up with these glass cases rising tier upon tier, almost to the ceiling. Then followed the evolution of store equipment by concerns making a busi- ness of manufacturing store shelving, boxes and containers for various ar- ticles. The late J. D. Warren, of Bur- lington, Iowa, was a pioneer in this line of work. Probably he did more than any other one man to improve the character of the store, especially hardware stores. I well remember that during the World’s Fair in Chi- cago, in the Masonic Temple, he had a complete sample room of store shelving and fixtures, and for the first time, many merchants realized that a hardware store could be converted into a thing of beauty and therefore would be a joy forever. As a salesman at that time, one difficulty I ran across was the fact that when a merchant who desired to in- vest about $2,000 in an opening stock happened to be carried away with the idea of store equipment, he wouid finish up with $1,000 worth of equip- ment and only $1,000 left for his in- ventory of goods. I myself as a sales- man, I regret to confess, on a number of occasions started young merchanis on their way to success with this accu- mulation. May the good Lord _ for- give me! In those days, the merchants did not seem to be especially interested in price. Most of them were far more interested in terms. The position of credit man was one of the most im- portant in any business. Most mer- chants bought on long terms. All through the South there was a system of selling goods on what was known as ‘Fall terms.” This meant that they paid for the goods after the crop came in. These merchants, as a rule, had no surplus. They were almost all very much in debt. Practically all of their goods were sold on credit to the farm- ers and planters. There was very little cash in circulation except when the crop was brought to market. When there were good crops at good (Continued on page 30) September 4, 1929 aA iit ere The i Pantlind Hotel The center of Social and Business Activi- ties in Grand Rapids. Strictly modern and fire - proof. Dining, Cafeteria and Buffet Lunch Rooms in con- nection. 750 rooms — Rates $2.50 and up bath. with GEO. B. READER Wholesale Dealer in Lake, Ocean, Salt and Smoked Fish 1046-1048 Ottawa Ave., N., Tel. 93569 GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. NEW BURDICK KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN In the Very Heart of the City Fireproof Construction The only All New Hotel in the city. Representing a $1,000,000 Investment. 250 Rooms—150 Rooms with Private Bath. Wuropean $1.50 and up per Day. RESTAURANT AND GRILL— cafeteria, Quick Service, Popular Prices. Entire Seventh Floor Devoted to Especially Equipped Sample Rooms WALTER J. HODGES, Pres. and Gen. Mgr. Wolverine Hotel BOYNE CITY, MICHIGAN Fire Proof—60 rooms. THE LEAD.- ING COMMERCIAL AND RESORT HOTEL. American Plan, $4.00 and up; European Plan, $1.50 and up. Open the year around. HOTEL OLDS LANSING 300 Rooms 300 Baths Absolutely Fireproof Moderate Rates Under the Direction of the Continental-Leland Corp. Grorce L. Crocker, Manager. YOU ARE CORDIALLY invited to visit the Beauti- ful New Hotel at the old location made famous by Eighty Years of Hostelry Service in Grand Rapids. 400 Rooms— 400 Baths Menus in English MORTON HOTEL ARTHUR A. FROST Manager Occidental Hotel FIRE PROOF CENTRALLY LOCATED Rates $1.50 and up EDWART R. SWETT, Mgr. Muskegon +t Michigan Columbia Hotel KALAMAZOO Good Place To Tie To CHARLES RENNER HOTELS Four Flags Hotel, Niles, Mich., in the picturesque St. Joseph Valley. Edgewater Club Hotel, St. Joseph, Mich., open from May to October. Both of these hotels are maintained on the high standard established by Mr. Renner. Park Place Hotel Traverse City Rates Reasonable—Service Superb —Location Admirable. W. O. HOLDEN, Mgr. HOTEL KERNS LARGEST HOTEL IN LANSING 300 Rooms With or Without Bath Popular Priced Cafeteria in Con- nection. Rates $1.56 up. E. S. RICHARDSON, Proprietor WESTERN HOTEL BIG RAPIDS, MICH. Conducted on the European Pian. Hot and cold running water in all rooms. Several rooms with bath. All rooms well heated and well venti- lated. A good place to stop. Rates reasonable. WILL F. JENKINS, Manager canal, September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 25 News of Interest of Grand Rapids Council. Well, here we are beginning a new fall and winter season, with the first meeting Saturday evening at 7:30 at Fraternal hall, corner Louis and Ionia. We mention this address, so if there are any of our councilors who have not attended the last year or two, we hope they will make an ap- next pearance next Saturday evening and combine with the “Old Regulars” to make a first-class showing. The de- gree team which has functioned 100 per cent. in the past year met last Fri- day evening for election of officers and the following were chosen: Gil Ohl- man, President; Charles Ghysels, Vice- President; William Dunbar, Treasurer and Harry Coleman, Secretary. All of the boys are cordially invited to take part in the drill team’s work and are urged to call one of the above in this connection. We have mentioned in these col- umns something about the accident in which Past Senior Councilor Henry Koessel had an unfortunate part. The prosecutor at Coldwater, where this case is being tried, has decided to drop a civil suit against Henry, as well as the charge of leaving the scene of an accident, deciding to press only a charge of reckless driving. In view of the fact that there is nothing to indi- cate that Henry was reckless in the slightest particular, the case should be dismissed when it comes up for hear- ing within the next few days. We extend congratulations to brother Niek Loeks on his beautiful home, which he recently moved into. It is located on Martin street just North of Griggs. The experience of moving into a new home which one has built with careful watchfulness as to detail, is one of the pleasantest ex- periences any of us can have. We know Nick and Mrs. Loeks are no dif- ferent than the rest of us in this re- spect. Last spring we had the application of Tom Bronaugh. Through a mis- understanding Tom did not show up for initiation and has now moved per manently to Traverse City, his address being R. R. No. 1. It behooves Trav- erse City Council to get in touch with him, as men like him are hard to find. Homer Bradfield and his family spent a most enjoyable vacation in the East, visiting Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Syracuse, as well as the Canadian Na- tional Exposition at Toronto. He was much impressed by the enormous size of the new Welland canal locks at St. Catherine, Ont. locks, when completed can accommodate any ocean going freighter and it is to be hoped that the remainder of the St. Lawrence waterway will be completed some time in the coming years. The writer recalls visiting Welland and St. Catherine in 1907 or 1908 when this work had just begun. Thus we can see how long it will be before other necessary canals in the St. Lawrence waterway system can be completed and our lake cities become ocean ports. Homer was happy to visit an aunt in Syracuse who is 93 years of age, reads without glasses and writes and jour- neys about much as a person twenty These new years younger would ordinarily do This lady sang in one choir for over fifty years and has lived in the same sixty-two Homer mentioned that she lives with a spry young relative of 72 years. Let’s hope that Homer has inherited the longevity of his relatives. house for years, Brother Thomas N. Sayman, a resi- dent of Alexandria, La., and member of Burlington, Iowa, council was tour- ing this section of the country with his brother and met with a serious au- tomobile accident, causing a broken leg among other injuries. He has been confined to St. Mary’s hospital, room 320, for the past two weeks, and several of the members have stopped in to see him. There is no better way to show the true spirit of fraternalism than to visit a brother under such cir- cumstances as these, especially when he is a long way from home. Several months ago the Salesmen’s Club started a fund with which to purchase a sail boat for the boy scouts camp as a memorial to Capt. Chas. E. Belknap. As Past President John Olney sponsored this action, more or less, he purchased a very fine boat, secured a bronze name plate, stating the fact that it was a gift from the Salesmen’s Club and made the presen- tation to Scout Master Miller this summer. We learn that the scouts are very grateful for this gift and it has been a source of tremendous pleasure to the boys. It is in use at the scout camp, just South of Whitehall, on the scenic route from Muskegon to the former town. The Salesmen’s Club meetings will be held again beginning with either the last Saturday in Sep- tember or the first in October. This has not, as yet, been definitely decided, but word will be sent to each of the members as well as mentioned in these columns. We hope to increase our membership this yg@ar to 150 and we need the support of everyone interested in sales work. Cc. Cc. M. ——— 2+ + >____ Items From the Cloverland of Michi- gan. Sault Ste. Marie, Sept. 3—Septem- ber will see the beginning of the end of our largest tourist season in the city’s history. Many tourists had to leave to get the children back in time for the opening of school, but the con- tinued fine weather is keeping up the camp fairly well as yet. The Wilds pavilion had a grand opening Saturday night. Every table was reserved. The White Cotton Pickers orchestra furnished the music. Jack Wilds, the proprietor, has every reason to feel proud of his new ven- ture, which promises to be a good in- vestment. Some handsome floral pieces were sent to him by his many friends and business firms, with congratula- tions and best wishes. The National Federation of Federal Employes opened here Monday. It has an important legislative program- me. A score or more of important questions ‘having to do with the welfare of Federal employes are listed for dis- cussion at the convention, which will be attended by members representing every state and possession of the United States. The annual fair at Pickford opened on Saturday. It promises to be a record breaker, providing they have the fair weather we had during the other fairs for the past two weeks. Much live stock and agricultural prod- ucts will be on display: also good horse races have been booked. Base ball and other sports will furnish en- tertainment. Old settlers and villagers, as well as many from the surrounding places, will be much in evidence. Clarence A. Paquin, who for a num- ber of vears has been on the editorial staff of the Evening News here. is leaving this week for Lansing to be- come associated with the publicity bu- reau of the Conservation Department. Clarence is a Soo product, having graduated from our high school and the university at Ann Arbor. His family expect to follow him within the next two weeks. Their many friends wish them every success in their new field. Something ought to be done about this bare-legged fad. Every day you see men crossing the street nearly killed by automobiles. Passmore & Paquin have moved their’ shoe store into their new loca- tion, 312 Ashmun street, and had the formal opening last Thursday. More than 200 roses were given away to the ladies. The proprietors are highly pleased with the interest displayed by the public. They have been in the shoe business for the past eleven years. A giant bouquet of flowers was a fea- ture of their show window, the gitt of the Keith Manufacturing Ca... man- ufacturer of Walkover shoes. Com- pliments were showered on the man- agers of the new store by the manv visitors and many of the business houses. The sheep and live stock growers of the Upper Peninsula organized last Wednesday at Iron River and pre- pared to carry their plea for greater protection against predatory animals to the State Conservation Commis- sion at its meeting at Lansing Sept. 6. Lauerman Bros., of Marinette, an- nounce the purchase of another store at Newton, Iowa. This makes the fifteenth in the chain of stores owned by the Lauerman Bros. Charles Marion the well-known merchant on Maple street in the East end, has just installed a modern dis- play counter, which will add much to the appearance of his market and en- able him to give much better service to his customers. e William G. Tapert. —_—_>~-~. ___ Annual Hebrew Service in Charlevoix. Charlevoix, Sept. 3—The visiting Hebrews held Friday evening services for the Sabbath at the Congregational church here, which had a good attend- ance this season. Phe Union of American Hebrew congregations at Cincinnati furnished their students for the pulpit, but Friday evening we had a rare treat. Rabbi Waterman, of Grand Rapids, officiated and those who were not there missed the oppor- tunity of lifetime. All enjoyed his ovation and the timely sermon he gave on the Holy Land and Palestine. His free speech was admired by all. Grand Rapids Jews can be proud of their religious leader. While I was in California last win- ter I attended similar services at San Diego and Los Angeles. Both cities have new temples. At Los Angeles | had a chance to see the new B. Brith Synagogue, which is a wonderful struc- ture. L. Winternitz. Sometimes it pays to lose. HOTEL OJIBWAY The Gem of Hiawatha Land ARTHUR L. ROBERTS Deglman Hotel Co. Enjoy the delightful Govern- ment Park, the locks, the climate and drive. Sault Ste. Marie Michigan Shall we live again? Do we not re- live many times the high moments in our life? —_—_+~+-—_____ The body goes to work a lot more readily than the mind. CODY HOTEL IN THE HEART OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS Division and Fulton RATES $1.50 up without bath $2.50 up with bath CODY CAFETERIA IN CONNECTION HOTEL CHIPPEWA HENRY M. NELSON, Manager European Plan MANISTEE, MICH. Up-to-date Hotel with all Modern Conveniences— Elevator, Ete. 150 Outside Rooms Dining Room Service IHlot and Cold Running Water and Telephone in every Room. $1.50 and up 60 Rooms with Bath $2.50 and $3 “We are always mindful of our responsibility to the pub- lic and are in full apprecia- tion of the esteem its generous patronage implies.” HOTEL ROWE Grand Rapids, ERNEST W. NEIR, Manager. Michigan. be tf Warm Friend Tavern Holland, Mich. Is truly a friend to all travelers. All room and meal rates very reasonable. Free private parking space. E. L. LELAND, Mgr. 26 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 DRUGS Michigan Board of Pharmacy. President—J. C. Dykema, Grand Rapids. Vice-Pres.—J. Edward Richardson, D:- troit. Director—Garfield M. Benedict, San- dusky. Ixxamination Sessions — Beginning the third Tuesday of January, March, June, August and November and lasting three days. The January and June examina- tions are held at Detroit, the August examination at Marquette, and the March and November examinations at Grand Rapids. Michigan State Pharmaceutical Association. President — Claude C. Jones, Battle Creek. Vice-President—John J. Walters, Sagi- Y eouenteicg at. A. Turrell, Crosweii. Treasurer—P. W. Harding, Yale. Moved and Saved Some Money. My rent used to be $75 per month; now it is $83.33 for a much smaller space. Yet I figure that I am saving money and plenty of it. More than that, the $75 I used to pay was only a theoretical $75 because I owned the building I occupied and I based my estimate of the rental value of my own space on what I got for the store in the other half of the building. Why have I found that this move from my own large store to smaller rented quarters is a money saver? Here is the story. If there was one thing I had in my old store it was elbow room. Origin- ally I had a store there with a 40 foot frontage on the main street, a huge cellar, a second floor storeroom, a pre- scription room as big as some drug stores, and a rear storeroom half as big as the store. In the smaller cities, property and floor space is cheap, but not quite so cheap as I, for many In fact, I am sure now that this seeming cheapness years, thought it was. is a snare and a delusion. My first awakening came when my good friend, Mr. Eastburn, who is in the real estate business, suggested that I divide my store in half and rent one- half to a chain grocery company which was anxious to get a location on the main street of Bristol. “Cut my store in half and I'll cut my business in half,” I objected. “Does it seem reasonable,” he an- swered, “that people who come down town to buy drugs from the only store on Mill street will stop buying from you just because your store hasn't a front as big as a motion picture theater? You may need that space for Broadway, but Mill street in Bristol is not Broadway in New York. $50 a day, such a frontage isn’t neces- a big store on For a store doing only sary.” With some misgivings, I agreed and we obtained estimates from a builder. Alterations would cost $2,000. That was another blow. “Where can I get $2,0002” I said to Mr. Eastburn, “what cash I have, ! have to keep in the business for work- ing capital.” “Easy,” he said. “Get an improve- ment mortgage from the bank on the property and assign the rent to them until it is paid off.” (He was about ready to close with a grocery for a ten-year lease at $75 per month.) Much to my surprise and relief, busi- ness in my half size store held up to just about what it always had been. Even while alterations were in prog- ress I lost little or no business that I knew of. That experience started me to think- ‘ing. My store building had been used as a drug store ever since 1844. I have had it over twenty years myself. It makes me sick to think of the extra rentals I might have had without de- creasing my drug store business if I had gone ahead with these alterations in 1906 instead of 1926. That is why I feel that the comparatively low cost of floor space in the smaller cities and towns is a snare and a delusion. With anything which is cheap we are apt to be extravagant. Cheap floor space meant, for me, extravagant floor space. I had often wondered at the thous- ands of dollars the large cigar store chains spend to alter a big corner that they may buy or lease so as to obtain for themselves only a tiny store on the very corner. I was beginning now from personal experience to see the reason. However, even with my store cut in half, I was far from having a stor? as small as a chain cigar store. I still had the big cellar, the second floor, and another big store room back of the prescription room. I had sacrificed some selling space, but little or no storage space. A few months ago work was started on a large moving picture and vaude- ville theater to take the place of one which had burned some time ago. The old theater brought crowds of peopie to town every night and the new one had every prospect of being even more successful. The new theater building was to in- clude a small store on either side of the entrance. My own building is three blocks up the main street and on the opposite side. It looked to me as if, by moving to the corner store in the new building, I could get some ad- ditional evening business without sac- rificing my day time business because the theater is in a good day-time busi- ness block. A few years ago the size of the new store would have kept me from giving it even a passing glance. Thirteen by thirty-five is a rather small space for a drug store, especially as this includ- ed no cellar, balcony or other extra space. Taking a leaf from the experi- ence of the chains and from my own experience in cutting my selling space in half without losing business, I de- cided to take the place, small as it was. Needless to say my stock made quite a showing in this small new store he- cause practically everything I had on hand (except prescription room mer- chandise) was in sight the minute a person came in the door. Again, to my delight, sales in the new location kept right up to their accustomed level and even went a little above. In fact, January this year was just under 10 per cent. ahead of January last year the face of complaint: about poor January business from practically every merchant in town. So, once again, I have had proved to my satisfaction from personal ex- perience that a store doing around $59 a day doesn’t need a great expanse cf floor space in which to do it, no mat- and this in ter how cheap that floor space may ap- pear to be. Incidentally, it’s quite a pleasure and decidedly more restful not to have to run miles around the store every day in order to do that $50. But what promises to be the great- est and most profitable lesson of all, I began to learn just a few days after I was in the new building. Like most druggists, I had believed, in a_ half hearted way at least, that goods well displayed are half sold and that the success of the five and tens is due in large part to their intensive display methods. Also I knew that chain drug stores regularly do six and eight times the business of individually owned drug stores with stocks the same size. But until I saw these principles force- fully demonstrated right before my eyes in my own store, I never realized just how vitally important they are. Here is the way it has worked. It was just about all I could do to pack on the available shelf space in my small new store the stock I had when I moved in. What do I do now when I need to re-order? I can buy only just enough to carry me along. I have to; I haven’t any room for any more. When a quarter of a dozen is needed, there is no danger of my succumbing to any temptation to buy a dozen to get some extra discount. Whether I like it or not, I have to buy carefully because I have no place to put reserve stock. For the salesmen who come troop- ing in with one free goods offer after another, there is always the unanswer- able argument—where would I put two gross if I did buy it? Who is there in the drug business who hasn’t been stung on at least one free goods deal? In the past I have made plenty of such mistakes, although at the time thev looked, as they always do, like sure money makers. No chance of any of these costly mistaes now; I’ve got to buy carefully or I'll have to pile the surplus merchandise in the street. In addition, I find that having the whole store right under my eye all the time (no valuable merchandise hidden in out of the way corners) I can spot slow sellers and dead stock more read- ily and take steps to move them out before it is too late. Summing the whole thing up, my personal experience has been that a small drug store doesn’t need as much floor space as is commonly supposed. In fact, by having a small floor space and no cellar or other reserve stock room the proprietor is compelled toa display practically all his merchandise and buy carefully because he simply hasn’t room for extra stock. This means inevitably that sales and turn- over are bound to speed up with de- cidedly healthy effects upon net profits. Jonathan S. Wright. eee Spoons as Measures. The question of the use of spoons as measures for medicines was recent- ly discussed at a meeting of Aus- tralasian pharmacists and physicians. The object of the conference was ‘o consider the advisability of abolishing the use of the words “teaspoon,” des- sertspoon,” “tablespoon,” etc., in the directions to patients. A physician who had been authorized by the Victorian branch of the British Medical Associa- tion to attend, in order to seek the co- operation of pharmacists in this im- portant matter, said he felt that as medical men a more scientific method of measuring medicines should be adopted. He moved: “That this Con- ference recommends the various state pharmaceutical societies to request their members to write dosage of medi- cines dispensed by them as written on the original prescription, i. e, in drachms and ounces, and to exhibit the following notice in their establish- ments: “In accordance with a resolu- tion of the Pharmaceutical Society, for the purpose of obtaining greater ac- curacy in dosage, all prescriptions dis- pensed at this establishment will bear the correct dose stated in drachms and ounces. Suitable measures for the pur- pose are obtainable within.’ And that the authorities of all the hospitals of the commonwealth be communicated with, suggesting the adoption of the definite-measure system, doing away with the word ‘spoon’ as a measure.” The question was discussed at som2 length. Various speakers referred to the difficulty of educating the public on the proposed change, and pointed out that the reform rested practically with the doctors themselves, a great propor- tion of whom still retained the use of the word “spoon” in their prescrip- tions. General approval of the resolu- tion was expressed, and it was carried unanimously. Attention has frequeni- ly been directed to the varying capacity of domestic tea, dessert and_table- spoons, and the practice of prescrib- ing and measuring medicines in the prevailing manner has been deprecated. It was stated that ten teaspoons were found to vary in capacity for water from 75 to 130 minims, the three spoons holding the least being known to be over one hundred years old. A similer variation was observed with tablespoons and dessertspoons, the average giving 25 per cent. in excess of the accepted measure. With the use of certain teaspoons the patient might easily take 1.32 grains of strychnine where 1.16 grains is pre- scribed, or 6 minims of dilute bydro- cyanic acid instead of 4 minims. The use of glass graduated measures should be insisted on in such cases by the pre- scriber. —_—_-+-e—____ When On Your Way, See Onaway. Onaway, Sept. 3—Harry L. Irwin becomes manager of the Northern Auto Co. sales department by appoint- ment, having been transferred from the Rogers City branch. Mr. Irwin was a former resident of Onawavy and his many friends are pleased to have him return, Threshing seems to be the order of the day in this vicinitv. The large acreage of grain together with an abundant crop, is going to enhance the dairy prospects. The additional acre- age of alfalfa, a crop so well adapted to Presque Isle countv soil, provides food for the ever-increasing dairy herds and numerous farmers from other sections have their eyes turned in this direction. The Onaway schools opening this week start out with additional subjects and the Agricultural Department will receive special attention under the supervision of L. B. Karr, who was formerly on the staff in the same isis NE 27 September 4, 1929 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN capacity during 1926. Mr. Karr. in September brings a good many late WHOLESALE DRUG PRICE CURRENT addition to his school activities, is visitors, as does the hunting season deeply interested in civic matters and later, but not in such ee ; Pri quoted are nominal, based on market the day of issue. will be welcomed by organizations Winter sports at the State Park are : waa a : ; : : : .--. 1 35@1 50 elladonna -..__. @ promoting public welfare. expected to increase in number this Acids . pret oe uae : at 25 Benzoin 2.28 As the blueberry season closes the winter. Squire Signal. Borie {Eowa. 9 @ oS fn 4 00@4 25 Benzoin Comp’d_ @2 40 blackberry harvest begins and there is —_. . __ ronke “we a Hucalyptus an 1 2@1 60 ei = i fo ce crop tins veer of lange, Novelties Needed in Furnishings. Citric -----.-___ “3% 's Juniper Berries. 4 50@4 76 Capsicum, ~~ @2 28 fully ripe juicy fruit. Pickers are : oe, Muriatic ________ 3%@ 8 Juniper Wood .1686@175 Catechu __-.-.~~ @1 44 oo 5 ing is in full force Absence of outstanding novelties in Nine J 9 @ 15 iui Gaia, @2 16 numerous and canning is in full force. Nae : Y Ge 16 @ 25 Lard, extra ____ 5@ a. os And now the 1929 Public Acts pre- the men’s furnishings field, particularly nautica 8 Lara. Neo. — i re 40 an ao scribe a limit on the number of great in neckwear and shirts, continues to Tartarie __.___ 52 @ 60 Lavender Gar'n_ 1 25@1 50 Digitalis ean g2 of Northern pike of five only in one day So Sista ge Eamon 6 00@6 25 entian . 5 not under ‘fourteen inches in length, S¢TV€ a8 a check to nope i Ammonia Linseed, raw, bbl. @1 04 Guatac rn @2 28 Under this ruling Black Lake may be- Buyers are complaining Phat “Pretty water, 26 deg... 07 @ 18 face Hor a ial ur a O1 35 come over-populated, as heretofore much the same old stuff” is being Water, 18 deg... 06 @ 15 Linseed, raw,less 1 11@1 24 [odine, Colorless. @1 50 imes a ber have bee ; ; iday Water, 14 deg... 54%@ 13 Mustard, arifil. oz. @ 35 Iron, Clo __...._ @1 56 many times that number lave been shown. Much business in holiday Carbonate ____ na & Ne i vy 77.1 Pork -__ -- 31 Med. No. 1 Bbis, _.__ 2 85 le tea No. 11 Bx. Heavy 00 77.1 Veal -----_--__________ 19 Med. No. 1, 100 Ib. bk. 95 SPICES 1 tb. pkg. Sifting 4 JELLY AND PRESERVES Tongue, Jellied ______ 35 Warmer Spec., 70 Ib 2% While Sioicas as verge: Pure, 30 lb: pails __..3 30 o Headcheese ~-___-____ 18 Packers Meat, 50 Ib. 57 Allspice, Jamaica @25 Choice npowder Imitation, 30 Ib. pails 17 larine Crushed Rock for ice Cloves, Zanzibar ___ @38 Fancy 7777777” reine, SS Pure, 6 oz., Asst, doz. 90 cream, 100 Ib., each 85 Cassia, Canton __..~ ao. CaS a7 Pure Pres., 16 oz., dz 2 40 Smoked Meats Butter Salt, 280 lb. bbl. 4 24 Cassia, 5c pkg., doz. @40 Pekoe, as —_ Es Hams, Cer. 14-16 lb. @30 Block, 50 Ib. --...-- 40 Ginger, African -_.___ @19 CS JELLY GLASS Iron Barrels Hams, Cert., Skinned Baker Salt, 280 lb. bbl. 410 Ginger. Cochin _._._. Os English Breakfast 8 oz., per doz. —__-____ 36 ydaght 2s 16513 Ip es «30 24, 10 lb., per bale __.. 2 45 Mace, Penang ________ 139 Congou, Medtum ______ 38 Medium 2 Ham, dried beef 35, 4 Ib., per bale __-_ 360 Mixed, No, 1. @32 Congou, Choice ___ 35 OLEOMAKGARINE H K 50, 3 Ib., per bale --__ 2 85 Mixed. 5c pkgs., doz. @45 Congou. Fanc 2 ea haaae ee ge ‘sy 28 Ib. bags, Table 42 Nutmegs, 70@90 @59 8 Van Westanbrugge Brands eo heavy —------- 65.1 co Hams -_ @17% : fe Nutmegs, 105-1 10 Gees Oolong Carload Disributor ra heavy - cnic Boiled Old Hickcory, Smoked, Poser back 4 Mediu 29 yeaa Pe pogams ---------- 20 @25 ne 4 50 pee, ck ------ Cf au. ~ & ransmission <--- oile ae @45 Pure Ground In Bulk §=§ Bence 8 (OC Finol, 4 oz. cans, dos. 150 Minced Hams _.__ @21 Mek ht ; ° wae a a, 50 Finol, 8 oz. cans, doz, 230 Bacon 4/6 Cert. _ 24 @34 Cl oe = © TWINE Parowax, 100 lb. ____ 8.3 Gansta’ ao aah poi Cotton, 3 ply cone ____ 40 er an : i -- - Ginger, Corkin __... @35 Woas’ ply Balls ____ ¢ a als = See Beet Mustard 00 @32 pIy _------------ 8 B Mace, Penang _ £49 VINEGAR a oe = pbb tc Pepper, Black @55 Cider, 40 Grain ___.___ 23 Nucoa, 1 Ib. be 1 Nutmegs __ -.. @59 White Wine, 80 grain... 95 Sracee. 2 and 5 Ib. __ 50% Pepper, White ____ @80 White Wine. 40 grain. 19 : D. --- P ae Liver Pepper, Cayenne ____ @37 WICKING Wilesn @ (Co.'s Grands ae 2 35 rapelka, Spanish -_ @45 No. 0. per gross ____ 80 Oleo a ett Pork: Sin fo Seasoning i 1, per gross ____ 1 28 = wonennn-nnen n= a Aon cn Vewer. Wie 10) No 5 Sa 4 = Se Cia elery Salt, $ oz. sg Oe Se aq Special Boll _ RICE ek $6 Rochester Ns, ST doe fe MATCHES ss pisses ine Bese _ 05% Onion Salt ----_______ 135 Rochester, No. 3,’ doz. 2 00 eee) (OC rt; LU : Swan, 144 4 20 ee. “ Wonety, 94 on ga OT Rey foe 75 Diamond. 144 box _-_ 5 00 Semdac, 12 pt. cans 3 00 — Bouquet ____ 4 50 WOCDENWARE Searchlight, 144 box-_ 5 00 Semdac, 12 at. cans 5 00 surel Leaves __..__ 20 Baskets Ohio Red Label, 144 bx 4 20 ae bo -----—- = Bushels. narrow band. Ohio Blue Tip, 144 box 5 00 RUSKS Thone fa) wire handles ____ 1 78 Ohio Blue Tip. 720-1c 4 00 PICKLES yee tos... tashels, narrow band. *Blue Seal, 144 _____- 4 50 Dutch Tea ae Co. BORAX Tamers, % ot _ © waad handles piled 1 2 *Reliable, 144 ____._ 3 65 rAedium Sour a Brand “se Market. dag tana’ | *Federal, 144 ________ 4.75 5 gallon, 400 count -- . ee per case Ug og Twenty Mule Team ARCH Market, single handle. 98 *1 Free with Ten. Suet Qual 12 talks per case ____ 2 95 24, 1 Ib. packages __ 3 25 Corn mare, ag 1 8d . 12 Der case ___ 150 48. 10 oz. packages __ 435 Kingsfurd, 40 Ibs. ____ 11% Sovlint. large _____ 8 50 Safety Matches 16 Gallon, 2250 —-___- 24 50 12 Cartons, per case __ 179 96" Y% Ib. packages _. 400 Powdered, bags __ 459 ‘Splint, medium ______ 7 50 Quaker, 5 gro. case-_. 4 25 5 Gallon, 789 __..____ 9 75 36 canta bind case __ 2 f5 ana o1 Ib. pkgs. $6 Sblint. small 6 BO : : : er case __ 5 00 ream Sega nee ee 4 80 Churns hyphae 25 Gal. 40 sa ia os = shen SALERATU —_ oie anna " Gaveck 10°au, an Oat Almonds. arragona__ al. : a Ss é each__ is loss 3 to 6 Brazil, New --_------ No. 2% Tins ~...._-__ 225 arm Am. Family, 100 box 6 30 G gal. per gal 16 Fancy Mixed ___----- 25 32 oz. Glass Picked__ 2 75 and Hammer _ $76 Crystal White, 100 __ 4 20 Argo, 48, 1 Ib. pkgs. 3 60 Filberts, Sicily ------ 22 32 oz. Glass Thrown 2 40 Big Jack, 60s... 475 Arso, 12. 3 ib. pkes. 262 19 ___ Pails Peanuts, Vir. Roasted 11% Dill Pickles Bulk SAL SODA Fels Naptha, 100 box 5 50 Argo. 8 5 lb. pkea, 9 97 2 . au J 2 ae Peanuts, Jumbo, std. 14 5 Ual., 200 475 Flake White, 19 box 420 Silver Gloss, 48, Is 11% |? Qt Galvanized ____ 9 16 "3 star 28 600 Clee 25 Grdma White Na. 10s 375 Elastic, 64 pkgs. ___ 5 $§ at. Galvanized ___ 2 00 Pecans, 3 star ---- 0 16) Gal, 600) a 925 Granulated, 60 Ibs. cs, 1 35 Jap Rose, 100 box 785 Tiger, 48-1 12 qt. Flarine Gal. Ir. 6 on Pecans, Jumbo -._--- 4 45 Gal, 1200 _---__. 20 25 Granulated, 18- 934 Ih 4 Oe “to = Ol 10 ot Win Bee : Pecans, Mammoth -- 50 package Fairy, 100 box --___- €0@ Tiger. 50 Ibs. 06 ‘vy. ¢ 64 Walnuts, Cal. ___. 30@35 Bes ------____ 120 Palm Olive, 144 box 10 50 Trape Hickory -------------- 07 Pine Lava, 100 bo ____-___ 4 90 SYRUP mo Se holes. fo Cob, 3 doz. in bx. 1 00g@1 2@ Octagon, 12 _ . 5 ee Corn Me au a, oles 5 . = y se, © hol Salted Peanuts : vee man Pummo, 100 box ____ 4 85 uve og No. 1% 207 Bat. wond salts 1 00 Fancy, No. 1 ---------- M4 PEAMING CARDS ities 20 Sweetheart, 100 box 5 70 pric Kare Ns yd dz. ee 1 00 Shelled Battle Axe, per doz. 2 65 = % Ib. Pure __ 19% Grandpa Tar, 50 sm. 210 Red Karo, No.1% _. 305 SPTM® — ----- 30 70 Rorpedo, per dom. 3 25 UR arn nnn nnn 14 Grandpa Tar, 50 Ige. 3 5@ [ted Karo, No 6 tain : Tubs Almonds _--._.----- Blue Ribbon, per doz. 4 25 Wood boxes, Pure __ Ea Red Karo, No. 10 4 varze Galvanized ___ & 75 Peanuts, Spanish, Quaker Hardwater . 01° Medium Galvanized 7 75 135 Yb. bags ------ - 1s POTASH Whole Cod —__________ 11% Cocoa, 728, box __-. 2 86 i doe cau Small Galvaniued . — @ 7s Filberte -_-.------- -- 32 Babbitt’s, 2 doz. ____ 2 15 Fairbank Tar, 100 bx 400 Orange, No. 11%, 2 de, 350 Washbaaves Wainaie Mancnoriaa __55 HERRING ert oem. 200. We 725 Orange, No. 5, 1 doz. 489 Ranner, Globe ______ gas Walnuts Manchurian -- FRESH MEATS Holland Herring Williams Barber Bar, 9s 60 foe Sine -____ 6 25 MINCE MEAT Beef Mixed, Kegs _______ | 110 Williams Mug, per dos. 48 ‘ la and Cane Hoan giclee ------- ‘ 2 A SAMUCH, Der gal. §_— 8 ie cu > co None Such, 4 dos. --- 6 47, Steers & Heif. ___ as half bbls. __ 8 75 CLEANSERS Kanuck, 5 gal. can __ 6 50 bi as Peete 7 50 Quaker, 3 dos. case -. 850 Good = rs a Ht Bios ixed. bbis:) 16 50 = th thle Queen _____ 5 50 Libby, Kegs, wet, Ib. 22 Med. Steers eif. __ Milkers, Kegs ________ 1 20 Maple Vee 7 25 OLIVES Com. Steers & Heif. 16@20 winkers, half bbls. __ 9 75 Michigan, per gal. __ 275 4 ia nue Bowls : ; = ng Veal Milkers, bbls. ______ 18 50 S= Welchs. ner mal o tt muse CS 9 00 ice ie a ae oe 26 K KK K Norway __ 19 50 2 COOKING OIL 17 i, Hotter 13 08 14 oz. Jar, Plain, doz. 450 Good —--------_______. 2 8 vate 1 40 : Mazola 1S ip. Butte, 55 00 Pint Jars, Plain, a. 3 = Medium = ------------_-_ 22 Cut Bunch 4 1 50 HD Pats 2 doz. __6_75 WRAPPING PAPER t Plain, doz. “ Ed uarts, dom) 6 25 Ti p . x gy TGal. Glass Jugs, Pla, 2 10 Lamb oes : Half Gallons, i dog. — 1178 No. T Witte ete SH foresee i goat oe 26 i Se 2 dm 0M Reicha Deo ¢ ’ *s ee eee Rn ae aa 5 Kraft _. __ h, 6 oz. Jar, Stuffed, doz. 235 Medium ____-__________ 24 Lake Herring A TABLE SAUCES Kraft Saije ree, 9% oz. Jar, Stuff., doz.3 75 Poor ____....... 20 % bbl., 100 Ibs. ______ 6 be | F Lea & Perrin, large__ 6 00 YEAST “CAKE o 1 Gal. Jugs, Stuff., dz. 2 75 5 Lea & Perrin, small__ 385 Magic, 3 don 2 70 Mutten 5 Roe ea 28 Suntght, ¢ én 30 er waa — Mackerel i Li eho ogee 4 ae Sunlight, 1% doz. 136 Cea ee iin ee 3 = pee ge Yeast Foam, 3 doz. 2 70 eae 89 Medium 20 13 Tubs, 60 Count, fy. fat 5 75 . She You, 9 oc. dua 2 4 ‘ ai os ant Le gn «Poor -___-_____________ 11 Pails. 10 Ib. Fancy fat 1 75 iia 75 Yeast Foam. 1% dos. 1 36 At sma 315 _YEAST—COMPRESSED PEANUT BUTTER Pork Caper, 2 om 2 3 30 Fleischmann, per doz. 20 Eight hogs ....... 16 White Fish SE Medium hogs —-—----- 1 Med. Wancy, 0G rp eg «= SE ROM FA88 ner ene (a> avy Nowe 2. 1 ms : oho a loin, med. 80 28 WASHING POWDERS ~~ asepomren fAtTSS cote ae Bute oe 24 : nec Stowders 20 SHOE BLACKENING = Hon Ami Pd, 18s, box 1 90 egy : Spareribs, - 2 16 2 in 1, Paste, doz. __ 1 36 ee ee Oe —S=== Neck bones —---_______ ¢ 8 2. Combnatoe, ite Be 7 a Trimmings) is epee ee maline, 4 doz. ——-- ITALIAN SPAGHETTI DINNER, | Bixb D Grandma, 100, 5¢ _..__ 50 LOC AL, PRIDE PROVISIONS Shinolz ping Grandma. 24 Large __ 3 50 eel | $) Bel Car-Mo Brand Mii Tine 2 do. in case. 1S uae 25 Ib. me a PETROLEUM PRODUCTS. From Tank Wagon. Red Crown Gasoline -- 11 Red Crown Ethyl ------ 14 Solite Gasoline --..--.. 14 In Iron Barrels Perfection Kerosine -_ 13.6 Gas Machine Gasoline 37.1 Vv. M. P, Naphtha 19.6 Barreled Pork Clear Back .. 25 00@28 00 Short Cut Clear26 00@29 00 Dry Sait Meats D S Bellies __ 18-20@18-19 Lard Pure in tierces ______ 14 60 Ib. tubs ....advance % 50 Ib, 20 Ib. 10 Ib. 3 Ib. pails a : Compound tierces ____ Compound, tubs --.-__ 13% s oe Sc STOVE POLISH Blackne, per doz. 1 Black Silk Liquid, dz. 1 Black Silk Paste, doz. 1 Enameline Paste, doz. 1 Enameline Liquid, ds. 1 E. Z. Liquid, per doz. 1 Radium, per doz. Rising Sun, per doz. 1 654 Stove Enamel, dz. 2 Vulcanol. No. 5, doz. Vulcanol, No. 10, doz. 1 Stovoil, per doz. Gold Dust, 100s _____. Gold Dust, 12 Large 3 3 4 3 Golden Rod, 24 ____-. 4 25 La France Laun., 4 dz. 3 60 Old Dutch Clean. 4 dz 3 40 Octagon, 968 -_.--... 3 90 Ringo, 40s _....__.__ 3 20 ineo | 266 0 5 25 = No More, 100, 10 3 Rub. No More, 20 Lg. 4 00 a ae Cleanser, 48, 20 o a 3 85 Sani Flush, 1 doz. -- 2 35 Sapolio, 3 doz. -_--.. 3 15 Soapine, 100, 12 oz. _ 6 40 Snowboy, 100, 10 os. 4 00 Products = uvay Buren Co. Ca g Co. ITALIAN aeAGHETTI DINNER Local Pride Brand 50c Family Package 4 SALSA SAUCE Local Pride — 48 No. bt eans 20. 24 No. 2 cans 3 6 No. t0 cane 15 CHINESE SOY SAUCE Local Pride Brand 12 8 og. Bottles oy bo 50 00 2 25 41 gal. glass 27 00 CHINESE BROWN SAUCE Local Pride Brand 12.§ oz. Bottles 2 25 41 gah eiass 3 24 00 NOODLES Local Pride Brand Chow Mein Chinese 24 No. 2 cans 2 BEAN SPROUTS Local Pride Brand Genuine Chinese Bean 24 No. 2 cans _ Lo ee @ No. 10 cana 8 o¢ 30 Sidelights on the Old-Time Merchant. (Continued from page 24) prices, everything was lovely, but when there was a very bad crop and very low prices, then there was trouble. A salesman’s troubles in those days, therefore, were just as keen as they are to-day, but their troubles were of a different nature. In these days, salesmen have very little trouble with credits. In those days, it was a common thing for a salesman to have a very satisfactory vear’s profit com- pletely wiped out by several bad fail- ures. The same thing was true of Often their profits were tied up or complete- manufacturers and jobbers. ly lost by bad debts or inability to col- lect. This problem of collection was a serious feature of business forty vears ago, hardly appreciated now. Merchants in those days frequently only bought twice a year. Often they would come to market to make their purchases. 3uying and selling in those days was a go-as-you-please slip- shod system. Merchants guessed it what they would need and frequently they would guess wrong and be com- pelled to carry over heavy stocks from one year to another. Such a thing as quick turnover had never occurred t3 them. Their only thought was the amount of profit they could make on a sale, and after the sale was made, their next thought was to collect the money for the goods sold. At that time, advertising as a science was practically unknown. There were no advertising helps, no store cards, cutouts or window displays. If a re- tailer advertised (if he were a_hard- ware man) he would get a cut of an anvil, put in his advertisement with a slogan something like this—“If it’s in the hardware line, we have it.’ What more was necessary? The salesman was the go-betwee. between manufacturer and jobber and These salesmen were supposed to show new between jobber and _ retailer. goods when they were brought out, but I do not think, in those days, new goods were very much stressed. An axe was an axe, a hatchet was a hatchet and a cowbell was a cowbell. All the refinements of different kinds of axes and different kinds of hatchets with different finishes for all kinds of purposes was a later development. Roughly, I have above attempted to cutline those old-time conditions. What opportunity did a salesman have in those days to develop salesmanship except along the lines ef personality? In those days, merchants had_ their favorite houses and their friends among the salesmen. A salesman cul- tivated the friendship of his customers, and allow me to say the old-time sales- man practically owned his trade. If a dry goods, shoe or a hardware sales- man changed from one house to an- other in those days, if he were a popu- lar man, he carried practically all of his business with him. It was a seri- ous matter for manufacturers or job- bers to lose their salesmen, and I have known cases where houses were stranded by a swarming of salesmen from one house to another. This process in a number of instances prac- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN tically led to the destruction of the business of the old house—the selling bees swarmed. The old hive was never the same again. Naturally, in those old days, when the merchants came to town, their friends and salesmen were there to wait upon them. Those were lively days in all of the Western cities. The visiting merchant combined business with pleasure, and the salesman who expected to hold his trade had to be not only the business adviser but also the social confidant of his customers. This may have been pleasant under certain conditions, but when it was a regular thing, the old-time salesman had to have a very strong constitution and unlimited energy to stand the strain. The modern salesman can_ hardly appreciate such conditions. Of course, he has a sample of a little of it now and then, but in those days, it was the regular and established order of doing business. It is my judgment that the modern salesman does not, in any manner, lack in opportunities to sell goods as compared with the old-time salesman. Merchants to-day are more intelligent, better posted and therefore more ap- preciative of good salesmanship. To- outlined, a greater sold—higher priced goods—and the salesman with initiative, intelligence and ability has larger opportunities to increase his Sales- day, as I] have variety of goods are sales on all of these new lines. manship has changed from the person- ality of the old days to the ability to give a merchant up-to-date merchan- Credit disappeared. ideas in these days. problems have almost Salesmen of to-day, especially those dising calling on the better class of trade, are very seldom bothered about collec- tions. To sum up the whole matter, it is my judgment that in modern’ selling, there are far more opportunities for the salesman than in the old days, but of course, it is a different kind of tal- ent on the part of a salesman. In fact, ] might say that to be successful to- day a salesman must be of a consider- ably higher order of man than in the old days. He must have wider mer- chandising experience, a better knowl- edge of his goods and, of course, with these things endless tact, patience and a keen insight into human nature. Not- withstanding all the changes that have taken place, nature funda- mentally remains about the same, and human while we have all become more fastid- ious and harder to please, neverthe- less when all is said and done, we are still buying goods from our friends. In conclusion let me say that what we need to-day in this country are fewer salesmen and better salesmen. There are two classes of salesmen in this country—one is the mere order- taken. Frequently this order-taker is receiving compensation in excess of the value of his services. By this I mean when one compares the work he does with the. amount paid for other kinds of work, this class of salesman is very much overpaid, and the amount being paid him is becoming a real bur- den on distribution. On the other hand, the creative salesman, the real merchandiser, the man who helps his customer to meet his problems and do a more profitable business, cannot be too well paid. Such a salesman is invaluable. But after all, as I come to the end of this article, I am wondering if it is not a mistaake to call such a man as I have in mind a salesman. He is more than a salesman. He is a teacher of mer- chandising. Such a man should be in charge of a large territory. He should not visit his customers too often. His visits should be a matter of importance to the merchant. By not calling too often, he can see more merchants. Under this merchandiser there can be just as many order-takers as the situa- tion will warrant. To my mind, the confusion to-day in selling results from a distinction not being drawn between a real merchandiser and a man who simply takes an order. A few days ago, in a talk before the September 4, 1929 Advertising Club in New York, I made the statement that “a great salesman should not be compelled to waste his time taking orders.” Saunders Norvell. —_—___-_ >>->___ Hens Making Good With a Bang. To make his hens lay twice as many eggs as usual, a Swedish farmer has found that nothing accelerates the process niore than a couple of good gunshots fired close to the henhouse. He came upon his discovery by a incident. A road company was blasting rocks near his strange building farm, and, while the noise was ener- vating to him, he found that it had another influence on the fowls; as long as the dynamiting went on his 150 hens laid exactly double the num- ber of eggs as before. When the excavation was finished the egg crop immediately decreased to its normal low level, wherefore the observant farmer let his trusty shot- gun serve instead, and every morning took a couple of shots at nothing in particular. The hens responded with a record number of eggs. ———_—~> + —- Smaller Dinner Sets Selling. The trend toward dinner sets of fewer pieces and greater emphasis on open stock patterns continue a_ feat- ure of the business being done in chinaware- Use of color in both domes- tic and imported lines is outstanding. Ivory or faun leads, followed by yel- low, crimson and green. An increas- ing call from specialty shops for high- grade service plates of bone china 1s noted: A revival of interest is noted in blue prints and scenes in imported earthenware. Domestic decalcomania lines have been quite active in volume- selling merchandise. —_—_o-.__ Hair Pin Sales Increasing. The increasing demand for long hair among women has had the expected New York San Francisco Boston Investment Securities E. H. Rollins & Sons Founded 1876 Phone 4745 4th Floor Grand Rapids Savings Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS Philadelphia Los Angeles Chicago Denver London effect on the sales of hairpins and manufacturers report that the present year has been the best since hairpin sales began to drop off in 1921. Fall and winter styles are expected to bring the hairpin into even greater demand than at present and producers are look- ing hopefully toward the new season. The trend so far has not stimulated the sale of hairnets to the extent which manufacturers believed it wouid, how- ever. - Business Wants Department Advertisements inserted under this heac for five cents a word the first insertion and four cents a word fer each subse- quent continuous insertion. !f set in capital letters, double price. No charge less than 50 cents. Small display adver- tisements in this department, $4 per inch. Payment with order is required, as amounts are too small to open accounts. Two SALESMEN starting trip West to Coast, WISH SPECIALTY LINE or AD- VERTISING DISTRIBUTION © through Western states. Best references. Write L. J. McAdam, 415 Hamilton Place, Ann Arbor, Mich. 147 FOR SALE—New and used furniture and trucking business. Well stocked and doing good business. No competition. W. C. Beelby, Holly, Mich. 148 For Sale—GENERAL MERCHANDISE STOCK IN country town, together with store buildings, and bungalow resi- dence. Exceptionally located. Depend- able patronage. Established for years. Delco system. Reason for selling, sick- ness. A good proposition. Immediate ac- ton. Charles L Johnson, Greenville, Ilinoi Route 3 149 For Sale—RESTAURANT and confec- tionery. lll health reason for selling. Terms. D>. J Melnnis, 211 Main St., Midland, Mich. 140 Auction Sales to reduce or close out your stocks entirely is the efficient way. Write for terms. E. FE. Todd, Merchan- dise Auctioneer, 2645 N. Fairfield Ave., Chicago Il. 142 FOR SALE One of the best and cleanest stocks of workiygmen’'s cloth- ing, furnishings and shoes in America Best location in town, good business and reasonab'e rent. This stock must be seen to be apnreciated. M. Kahn, 306 Center Ave... Bav Ctv. Mich. 144 ROPE ALESMEN WANTED in all territories — 100 PER CENT MANTLA ROPE We Ib. basis. FAST SEI-LING SIDE LINE. five ner cent co mission. UNITED FIBRE COMPANY. 82 Sout! Street, New York Citv. ace o FOR SALE—MACHINE SHOP IN HOLLY. MICH. Small machine shop equinvred to do die. tool and = genera) machine work. Must sell on account of death of owner. Bargain to interested TY ty. Reasonable rept, with lease. Norns: Mrs. Truman bL. Dilly, Holly. M “ oe a 146 : For Sale — Solid oak tables, desks chairs and other office equipment. Useé only a few months in office of a local broker. Cheap for cash. On display at our office. Tradesman Comnany. CASH FOR MERCHANDISE Will Buy Stocks or Parts of Stocks of Merchandise, of Groceries, Dry Goods. Shoes, Rubbers. Furniture, etc. D. GOVER. Mt. Pleasant. Mich. I OFFER CASH! For Retail Stores—Stocks— Leases—all or Part. Telegraph—Write—Telephone L. LEVINSOHN Saginaw, Mich. Telephone Riv 2263W Established 1909 Do You Wish To Sell Out! CASH FOR YOUR STOCK, Fixtures or Plants of every description. ABE DEMBINSKY Auctioneer and Liquidator 734 So. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw, Mich Phone Federal 1944. ieee cae OF Ar a A AAR REIT SE DERN APC ANTI STE MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 32 Late News From the Michigan Metropolis. J. S. Phillips, who was connected with Burnham, Stoepel & Co. many years as buyer for the notion and hand- kerchief department, but who was in Baltimore two years as manager of the Baltimore Bargain House, has re- turned to Detroit on account of the health of his wife, who could not with- stand the Baltimore climate. He has located at 709 West Euclid avenue and engaged in the handling of lines of dry goods staples as factory representative of leading factories. He had the misfortune to fall and break a knee cap the first week in July. He just had the third plaster cast fitted to the injury and does not expect to be able to resume his occupation mills and has of dry goods broker before Oct. 1. Wm. C. Johnston have opened a new store at Goetz, Jr., and Ralph R. 13302 Freud, known as Coplin-Freud pharmacy. : Irving Stein is the new proprietor of a drug store (J. & J.), 14045 Fenkell. The Fess Drug Co. has moved from Michigan avenue to Fenkell avenue, in location Early Drug Co. John A. Kerr has started a drug store at 10446 Plymouth. Known formerly occupied by new as Mendota pharmacy. Steele, of McNally & Steele, wood avenue, sold out to his partner, McNally. manufacture of a proprietary prepara- Lin- Mr. Steele is going into the tion. Palmer, who has been and office manager for Williams & Clark, sale druggists, for the past twenty-four George A. credit Farrand, man whole- years, has opened the Druggists’ Ser- 1965 Union Trust will give professional vice Bureau at building. He advice and assistance on problems that are common and to come fre- quently to the druggist, such as se- locating sure curing new locations; pur- chasers for vour store; analyzing your business if not showing profits and suggestion change in methods; fire in- surance; employment problems; leas- es; furnish inventory crew; arranging time extension with creditors and financing. The Co. succeed Farrand, Williams & Clark in the wholesale drug business. The stock is $500,000. will be continued at 11 McKesson-Farrand-Williams authorized capital The business to 17 East Larned street. Clarke A. move on or about Sept. 10 to new and 11001 East Warren avenue, corner Fairview. M. D. Walters bought Roach Store at 3049 Known as Vicksburg pharmacy. Duncombe is going to larger quarter, located at Vicksburg about two weeks ago. Rameyn is starting a drug store at 8601 Grand River avenue. Irving Goldman is the new proprie- located at 1901 Milwaukee tor of a drug store West Forest, Drug No. 2, macy. Dan Houser has bought the stock in the Quality drug store at 14945 Kercheval. known as formerly Sterling’s phar- According to latest reports, an- nouncements of models of automobiles may be expected in the two new near future. It is not anticipated that further announcements, to any great extent, will be made before Jan. 1. The companies manufacturing auto- mobiles all report heavy production for this season of the year and predict that August will set new all-time rec- ords. The seven or eight companies which have brought out new cars this sea- son are on heavy output and are mak- ing an endeavor to furnish all the automcbiles on order. Sales of cars from factories to dealers in New York State and the New England States, and in California and the Southwest have been especially heavy during the last week. There appears to be a good market for trucks, small commercial cars being The demand for heavy duty trucks is also good. A survey of body makers who furnish the large bus bodies shows that nearly all of these plants are working full time, with a goodly number of orders on hand. Bus body manufacturer is a special- ized industry. Some transit companies have standardized on type of bus body, but those interested will discover a great number of types now in use. Improvements are being made at a rapid rate for the comfort of pas- sengers. One large manufacturer said recently that the sleeping car type of bus was here to stay. Stocks of used cars in Detroit are not overly heavy at the present time. All new car sales records have been smashed in Detroit this year and used cars have been moving just as fast. This seems to be the general condition throughout the country with the ex- ception of one or two places. Charles L. Winningham, son of C. C. Winningham, head of the advertis- ing agency of the same name, with offices in the General Motors building, has joined the firm as a member of the publicity department. Joseph Mills, director of publicity for the J. L. Hudson Co., has re- extended European very popular. a certain turned from an trip. Gerry Whale, sales promotion man- ager of the Butler Paper Co., while traveling in Western Michigan, was suddenly stricken and was taken to Mercy hospital in Muskegon. Mr. Whale’s atactk was caused by the after effects of an operation for sinus He is reported entirely out of danger at this writing. LeClaire-Harper is the name of a trouble. new haberdashery opened last week in the new Fisher building. The store is one of the most modern of its kind in the country. William C. Roney & Co., members of the Detroit Stock Exchange, have moved from their quarters in the Dime Bank building to the floor cf the building. The appointment of Wiliam H. Kil- patrick, former operating manager of the Jefferson plant of the Chrysler Corp., as operating manager of the ‘Chrysler plants in Highland Park was announced last weck. Verne assistant manager at the Jefferson plant, will succeed Kil- patrick as operating manager there. twenty-second new Union Trust Co. avenue Drum, former William J. Berry, 65 years old, an official of the Michigan Bell Telephone Co. for thirty-five years, died last week in his summer home on Glen Lake, after a long illness. Mr. Berry be- came affiliated with the company in 1889 as an operator at Grand Rapids and was promoted rapidly until his retirement in 1924 because of illness. In 1922 he founded and was the first president of the Wolverine Chapter No. 10, Telephone Pioneers of Amer- ica, an active National organization of Bell Telephone employes with twenty- one years of continuous service. Isaac Gilbert, veteran Detroit cigar manufacturer, has been named _ first vice-president and executive officer of the Webster Cigar Co. and Kleiner Cigar Manufacturing Co., 5545 Grandy avenue, in the extensive reorganization of both companies following the re- cent resignation of President Thomas P. Jackman. New York, is made president; R. E. Folz, formerly advertising director, is second vice-president and sales man- ager; Henry Cook, secretary and treas- urer, and Glay Myers, comptroller. Sidney Lightstone, for the last two years sales manager of the basement store of the J. L. Hudson Co., and prior to that assistant advertising man- ager of the main store for five years, has taken up his duties as sales man- ager of Gimbel’s department store in Philadelphia. Mr. Lightstone identified with many civic advertising projects in Detroit and during his resi- dence in this city made hosts of friends who predict a bright future in his new duties. U Lawrence J. O’Brien has been ap- pointed vice-president of the Equitable Trust Co. and Equitable Detroit Co. Mr. O’Brien is a former State bank examiner and has since served in exec- utive capacities with the American Trust Co. and the Central Trust Co. of Detroit. Frank A. Houp, a veteran druggist, died after a long illness. Mr. Houp was born in Newport, Pa., in 1841. He entered the drug store business in 1875, in a store at Michigan avenue and Sixth street. Twenty years ago he purchased the property at the Southeast corner of the intersection where he conducted a drug store until his death. He leaves his wife, Mrs. 3etsy Houp, one nephew and two nieces. Waldo E. Fellows has been advanced from advertising manager to assistant Anthony Schneider, of Was general sales manager of the Oakland Motor Car Co. Mr. Fellows will have charge of promotional activities, 1n- cluding both sales and service promo- tion, dealer accounting and _ statistical work. He was well known in the auto- motive field before he came to Oak- land as advertising manager in 1923. Previously, he had spent five years in the sales Con- tinental Motors Corporation. Robert M. Allan, president of the American State Bank, announced last week that Oscar L. Green has been made vice-president of the American State Bank in addition to his office of cashier. Mr. Green, was‘ made cashier in January, 1929. He entered the employ of the American State organization of the Bank in 1920. He is also vice-president of Marvin Harrison organization. From Pontiac comes the announce- ment that the Enggass Jewelry Co., 223 Monroe avenue, this city, will open a store in a building to be erected for them at Saginaw and Lawrence streets, in the heart of the retail busi- ness district. Peter Bouzoff, coffee supply owner of a wholesale house at 1052 Beaubien street, died at ford hospital early this week from injuries received when he by an automobile whie crossing a street. Mr. Bouzoff is sur- vived by his widow and one child. Foot Joy Shops, Inc., has issued an announcement of its opening this week in room 1-217 General Motors build- ing. In charge will be Frank J. Mc- Kinlay and Charles Twitchell. well known in the business, was. struck James M. Golding. ——_+2. —_ Condemns Average Chicken Dinner. Traverse City, Sept. 3—At almost every feedery in the resort region signs may be seen advertising sales of chicken dinners. Chicken is not an especially desirable article of food, yet people crave it. Chickens are largely made of backs, necks, wings, heads, feet, skin and if of the male persuasion, spurs. Meat is deposited mostly on breasts and legs. The meat that grows on other parts of the chicken’s body is almost inconceivable. Hens are tcugh. Caterers charge from seventy- five cents to $2 for one chicken dinner. A cat would starve on the portion the average caterer supplies to a customer for 75 cents. Edna Ferber’s notable character, the Widow McChesney, 2 sales lady, was a wise woman. She exercised a wonderful, benevolent in- fluence upon “gentlemen traveling men” whom she met in her travels ww and down the earth. She mothered them kindly, leading them away from temptation and advised them wisely as to the food they should eat. “Roast beef, rare,” she claimed, “is preferable in every way to tough, skinny, stringy and tasteless chicken.” A skillful cook, by intermixing the flesh of a chicken with other meats. sauces and flavoring: extracts, may produce a_ palatable mess, not comparable, however, t»> roast lamb or to rare roast beef for a hungry man. A lady acquaintance of the writer of this complaint is a noted caterer for private families. Her chicken salad always satisfies those whom she serves and commands their applause. When asked to give a reason for the success of her efforts in making chicken salad, she replied: “I use a_ considerable quantity of veal.” Northwood Hotel, at Cadillac, own- ed by the Mitchell family and George Thompson, of Grand Rapids, has been liberally patronized since it was opened one year ago. At times the manage- ment has been compelled to send from ten to fiftv applicants for accommoda- tions to other hotels. Owners have decided to expend $100,000 for an ad- dition to its buildings. When com- pleted the hotel will contain about 30J sleeping apartments. Arthur Scott White. Sere rr a ee mrs characters bring out great High aims form great and great objects minds. — —_>- A lowbrow is a person who refuses to be bored if there’s an “exit” near by. beautiful to us until the mind also sees it, 4 2 mere 1 ie VED: ITH losses lower, with expenses lower, with no inside profits for invested capital—you would expect the net cost of Mutual insurance to be less. It is. The saving in cost is not made at any sacrifice in safety and strength. The mutual plan of operation is right. Mutual insurance is better protection. Because it is better it costs less. May sound unreasonable if you are not informed. An investigation is convincing. For the sake of yourself and your bus- iness, investigate. MUTUAL INSURANCE 3 Is An Investment of Good Judgement 32 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN September 4, 1929 From the Metropolis. J. S. Phillips, who was connected Late News Michigan with Burnham, Stoepel & Co. many years as buyer for the notion and hand- kerchief department, but who was in Baltimore two years as manager of the Baltimore Bargain House, has re- turned to Detroit on account of the health of his wife, who could not with- He has located at 709 West Euclid avenue and stand the Baltimore climate. engaged in the handling of lines of dry goods staples as factory representative of leading mills and factories. He had the misfortune to fall and break a knee cap the first week in July. He has just had the third plaster cast fitted to the injury and does not expect to be able to resume his occupation of dry goods broker before Oct. 1. Wan. C. Goetz, Jr, and Ralph kk. Johnston have opened a new store at 13302 Freud, known as Coplin-Freud pharmacy. Irving Stein is the new proprietor of a drug store (J. & J.), 14045 Fenkell. The Fess Drug Co. has moved from Michigan avenue to Fenkell avenue, in location formerly occupied by Early Drug Co. John A. Kerr has started a new drug store at 10446 Plymouth. Known as Mendota pharmacy. Steele, of McNally & Steele, Lin- wood avenue, sold out to his partner, McNally. Mr. Steele is going into the manufacture of a proprietary prepara- tion. George A. Palmer, who has been credit man and office manager for Farrand, Wallia & Clark, whole- sale druggists, for the past twenty-four years, has opened the Druggists’ Ser- wice Bureau at 1965 Union Trust building. He will give professional advice and assistance on problems that are common and sure to come fre- quently to the druggist, such as se- curing new locations; locating pur- chasers for your store; analyzing your business if not showing profits and suggestion change in methods; fire in- surance; employment problems; leas- es; furnish inventory crew; arranging 1 creditors and : “44 time extension with iancing. The McKesson-Farrand-Williams Co. succeed Farrand, Williams & Clark the wholesale drug business. The horized capital stock is $500,000. he business will be continued at 11 to 17 East Larned street. Clie A. move on or about Sept. 10 to new and 1 located at 11001 E-ast Warren avenue, corner Fairview. M. D. Walters bought Roach Store at 3049 Vicksburg about two weeks Duncombe is going to areer Quarier, ago. Known as Vicksburg pharmacy. Rameyn is starting a drug store at S601 Grand River avenue. Irving Goldman is the new proprie- toc of a dras store located at 1901 West Forest. known as Milwaukee Drug No. 2, formerly Sterling’s phar- macy. Dan Houser has bought the stock in the Quality drug store at 14945 Kercheval. According to latest reports, an- nouncements of two new models of automobiles may be expected in the near future. It is not anticipated that further announcements, to any great extent, will be made before Jan. 1. The companies manufacturing auto- mobiles all report heavy production for this season of the year and predict that August will set new all-time rec- ords. The seven or eight companies which have brought out new cars this sea- son are on heavy output and are mak- ing an endeavor to furnish all the automobiles on order. Sales of cars from factories to dealers in New York State and the New England States, and in California and the Southwest have been especially heavy during the last week. There appears to be a good market for trucks, small commercial cars being very popular. The demand for heavy duty trucks is also good. roast lamb or to rare roast beef for a hungry man. A lady acquaintance of the writer of this complaint is a noted caterer fo: private families. Her chicken salad always satishes those whom she serves and commands their applause. When asked to give a reason for the success of her efforts in making chicken salad, she replied: “I use a_ considerable quantity of veal.” Northwood Hotel, at Cadillac, own- ed by the Mitchell family and George Thompson, of Grand Rapids, has been liberally patronized since it was opened one year ago. At times the Manage- ment has been compelled to send from ten to fiftv applicants for accommoda tions to other hotels. Owners have decided to expend $100,000 for an ad- dition to its buildings. When com- pleted the hotel will contain about 30) sleeping apartments. Arthur Scott White. ee High aims form great characters and great objects bring out great minds. —_ —_++.___ A lowbrow is a person who refuses to be bored if there’s an “exit” near by. >> beautiful to us until the mind also sees It. 5 t sade eicceSseBR Shon ey ates i SS RS a Sa enna a ITH losses lower, with expenses lower, with no inside profits for invested capital—you would expect the net cost of Mutual insurance to be less. It is. The saving in cost is not made at any sacrifice in safety and strength. The mutual plan of operation is right. Mutual insurance is better protection. Because it is better it costs less. May sound unreasonable if you are not informed. An investigation is convincing. For the sake of yourself and your bus- iness, investigate. MUTUAL INSURANCE Is An Investment of Good Judgement | “Going like hot-cakes” | oe | | production to supply demand Never in the history of our business have we offered the mi trade a cheese product that has made such an immediate success as Velveeta. It seems to be a perfect product, one with a universal appeal. It is delicious in flavor; it contains all the healthful properties of rich whole milk; it spreads like butter or will slice when chilled, while for cooking purposes it melts and blends so readily with other foods that its superiority is at once apparent. Velveeta has the support of a large national newspaper and radio advertising campaign which is giving our dealers large sales and quick turnover. If you have not Stocked Velveeta, or are not giving it prominent display, you are overlooking some sure-fire profits. See your distributor or jobber. KRAFT-PHENIX CHEESE CORPORATION, General Offices, CHICAGO Makers of “Philadelphia” Cream Cheese / Factory on over-time ee ae