) ED aie /i| ) Ds ‘e CCAP (CARN EY a 4 = CASE \ De AN eS y aN i HOTMGAN 1 tee LL AZ LA CNS ROS ; > Ey me MET Wears PS ors 7 Ae ed Pe Bs PUBLISHED WEEKLY (Ga (GN PR ADESKEAE COMPANY, PUBLISHERSA WZ Se SOAS SO OWLS Me SNR CESSES SHS CHEN Forty-ninth Year D ENF EVO ISHII SN EIEN EGY, eas aa Daler eee: x2 aa Sane Hi Number 2543 . GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1932 Bunker Hill If we ourselves had never been born, the seventeenth of June, 1775, would have been a day on which all subsequent history would have poured its light, and the emi- nence where we stand, a point of attraction to the eyes of successive generations. But we are Americans. We live in what may be called the early age of this great con- tinent. Let our age be the age of improve- ment. In a day of peace, let us advance the arts of peace and the works of peace. Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institu- tions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also, in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to be remembered. Let our object be our country, our whole country and nothing but our country. And by the blessing of God may that country itself become a vast and splendid monument of wisdom, of peace, and of liberty, upon which the world may gaze with admiration forever. DANIEL WEBSTER Extract from Webster's Oration at the laying of the Corner Stone of Bunker Hill Monument, June 17, 1825. CHASE & SANBORN’S TEA goes on the Air! Get ready for a big increase in consumer demand for Chase & Sanborn’s Tea. It is being built up rapidly by the new radio program, advertising this famous high quality brand. For, millions of people are listening in every week and are being ‘*sold’’ on Chase & Sanborn’s Tea. Capitalize on this new demand by pushing the advertised brand. 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Distributors of Peter Pan Peas Peter Pan Corn Peter Pan Green Beans Rockford Tomatoes Elk’s Pride Catsup The House of Quality and Service ; 2 Oy Ne x A S fo A). SAist & PISING? Forty-ninth Year MICHIGAN TRADESMAN E. A. Stowe, Editor PUBLISHED WEEKLY by Tradesman Company, from its office the Barnhart Building, Grand Rapids. UNLIKE ANY OTHER PAPER. Frank, free and fearless for the good that we can do. Each issue com- plete in itself. DEVOTED TO the best interests of business men, SUBSCRIPTION RATES areas follows: $3 per year, if paid strictly in advance. $4 per year if not paid in advance. Canadian subscription, $4.04 per year, payable invariably in advance. Sample copies 10 cent 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 Postoftice of Grand — as second class matter under Act of March , 1879. JAMES M. GOLDING Detroit Representative 507 Kerr Bldg. RED HOT REMARKS. Frank Talk On a Most Important Matter. I am in receipt of your kind favor of June 7, and | am very glad to know that there were some favorable comments on the talk | made at the Michigan Re- tail Dry Goods convention in Traverse City. I had no notes—at least none that I followed—because when | got to the banquet room at the speakers’ table, | was informed that the speaker of the evening was not there and that I was, therefore, expected to take his place, so | completely changed the trend of thought I had and took up the additional time. I will, however, give you some of the highlights of the thoughts I tried to put over to the mer- chants assembled, and you, per- haps, can put this together and set up the kind of an article that would be satisfactory to both yourself and me. In the first place, Mr. Stowe, | was supposed to talk on “‘Profit- able Management of a Depart- ment Store.” This seemed to me to be something that was not in the cards this year, at least it was not in the cards for the company I represent. I did, however, try to convey to the independent mer- chants assembled some idea of what they could do to not only make their business more profit- able but to help the cause of the independent merchant. In the first place, Mr. Stowe, | put it up to them as emphatically as | could that one of the first things that was necessary was for them to be truthful among them- selves. It has been my experience, when | go to a dry goods conven- tion or a convention of any kind I hear a lot of merchants blow off GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1932 a lot of steam and ballyhoo that they themselves never have and never will practice. I believe in practicing what | preach and | told them that. I could not make a talk before a body of business men without in some way or another injecting the chain store issue, so I criti- cized the independent merchants who damned the chain stores and then went out and traded with the chain store that was not in competition with them. I also stated that, regardless of all that | might say along that line, there were independent mer- chants in the room who would go out and buy their box of cigars at less than cost from a chain store, notwithstanding the fact that they had mighty good customers on their books who were in the cigar store business, and they were on- ly contributing that much to put- ting one of their own good cus- tomers out of business. I also took up with them the subject of credits, as pertaining to a successful independent store. I explained to them how in Battle Creek the credit managers of the various stores meet and discuss delinquent accounts. I also ex- plained how independent mer- chants, sitting in a room discus- sing these credits and _ talking about delinquent accounts, abso- lutely lied about the condition of certain accounts on their books. I know it to be a fact that at one of the meetings which I at- tended we had an account with a local business concern that was about twelve or thirteen months old. We reported it to the Credit Bureau. At the time this came up for discussion, one of our inde- pendent store friends could not understand why “So and So” would be so delinquent, that they had always been prompt with them, when, as a matter of fact, at that very time this same con- cern was holding an account with this same person which was con- siderably older than ours.' We got our money in full without suit, but the concern in question was forced to sue the account in the courts to get their money and it was about double our own. This is not playing the game square as one independent mer- chant to another. Another thing I criticized the independent merchants about was this: Four years ago the city of Battle Creek had the most damn- able thing foisted upon them that any city could have, and that was trading stamps. We had purple stamps, red stamps, yellow stamps,, gold stamps and green stamps. The writer started a cru- sade against these stamps, be- cause this was the only store in the city of Battle Creek which did not have stamps and the writer was successful in getting together a group of merchants who had seen the folly of their way in giving stamps, and they joined me in a campaign in our State Legislature back in 1929; and almost single-handedly, Mr. Stowe, succeeded in getting an anti-trading stamp bill through the House of Representatives, but we failed in getting it out of the committee in the Senate; and the thing that made me particularly peeved was the fact that at the time that we were fighting this bill through the State House of Rep- resentatives, right across the street from the Capitol, at the Olds Ho- tel, the Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association was in session with about 100 members present, and not a single one of them at- tempted in any way to give us a hand with their representative in the legislature, by fighting for this bill, notwithstanding the fact that they were invited and given no- tice that this thing was going on. So, you see, Mr. Stowe, after all is said and done, regardless of the State associations or any kind of an association, the independent merchants in one town do not seem to give a damn for the inde- pendent merchants in the next town, regardless of what the con- stitution and by-laws of the asso- ciation may be. I claim that our difficulty with trading stamps was an issue that the Michigan State Dry Goods Association should have been keenly interested in and interested enough to fight for us to save these weak-kneed independent merchants in Battle Creek who were paying out pretty close to $75,000 a year to some company for trading stamps. That’s one place, Mr. Stowe, where the chain stores are too smart. They will not give away or sell trading stamps or anything with their cheap merchandise. I also explained and used as a constructive criticism to the in- dependent merchants the fact that on my trip, which was by automo- bile, to Traverse City, that I made several visits on the way; and in one store in particular, | went in and about six steps from the front door I passed what I would con- sder about $350 a week of pay- roll in the form of three or four men who paid absolutely no at- tention to me. I went on a little Number 2543 further through the store and | passed another group of salesmen and salesladies, probably $100 a week, and nobody could even say “good afternoon.” The result was that | walked out of the store and not one single person greeted me in any way. These are things which do not happen in the chain stores, or at least | have never observed it, and I| believe I check them just about as close as any- body. I also took occasion to give a word of advice to quite a group of traveling men who were pres- ent. I told them that since 1925, 350,000 traveling men have lost their positions because of the fact that there were not independent merchants| enough to buy their wares. These 350,000 traveling men were put out of jobs on ac- count of the chain stores and at the same time to-day I| can point to dozens and dozens of traveling men, not only in Battle Creek but in other cities, whom | know who, though being dependent upon the independent merchants for their bread and butter, will still go out and buy wares and gro- ceries from the chain store which has caused so many of them to lose their jobs and keep over a billion dollars a year out of cir- culation. I have no use for this kind of traveling man. I also let them know that | practice what I preach. In my own line | happen to have a de- partment store, and being rated as a department store, I can buy anything | want for my personal use, for my home, or for my lawn and yard, and | can buy it direct from the wholesaler or the manu- facturer: but when | want any- thing in this line, I go to the inde- pendent merchant in Battle Creek who sells that product and pay him the retail price and | don’t ask him for a discount because I happen to be a merchant either. I defy anybody to prove that I do otherwise. To-day, right in the city of Battle Creek and right in the city of Grand Rapids, independent merchants who will sqauwk about the chain stores are the same boys who, if you check the express company’s wagon at their doors, will have automobile tires, golf clubs, swings, etc., delivered to them from the wholesaler, when they ought to go to their own in- dependent dealer and buy them and pay the retail price. That's what I call being loyal to your self, as well as to the town and the line of business that you are in. DP tang met See og: tplpee tome ae aa a att 8 Sins | { | I also censured them very severly for each one being afraid that the other merchant was going to sell somebody a bill of goods, in cashing checks and_ taking checks from people they never saw before just to keep the sale in their own cash box. A very good example of that happened in this store a few days ago: A man approached my office and called me by my first name and stated that he was making a purchase of a few pairs of hose to the amount of $5 and wanted his personal check cashed for $50 to pay for the hose. I was quite surprised at his calling me by my first name, but nevertheless, did not weaken. I told him he would have to be identified. He said his wife had an account with us. I, therefore, turned the check over in question to our credit lady and told her what the man had said. She reported back to me immedi- ately that we had no such an ac- count. I immediately handed this gentleman his check, in spite of the fact that he knew me well enough to call me by my first name, and told him that we would have to have positive identifica- tion before we could give him $45 out of our cash box and $5 worth of our merchandise. This same party went to a competitor and pulled the same stunt he did with us, and the re- sult was that that competitor, being afraid that the other fellow was going to get that sale and cash that man’s check, immedi- ately extracted $45 from his cash box and gave the gentleman $5 worth of merchandise, and in less time than it has taken me to dic- tate this lettrr to you, the police were on that fellow’s trail. That merchant got burned because he wanted to keep that $5 worth of merchandise sale away from somebody else, and so he took all the chance. | think that in this day and age if there ever was a time that the independent business men ought to be loyal to one another it is now. I think that it is the most damnable thing for me in my store to hear some of the con- temptible stories that are going out all over the State about good, reliable independent concerns— this one being broke, that one being in the hands of a receiver, some big wholesale house owning this one and another one that store —all sorts of stories that emanate from the retail merchant who is paying more attention to the other fellow’s business than he is his own, while the chain store is taking it away from him. Only a few days ago I| had a cer- tain business man tell me some of the most contemptible things about a good independent store in our town. Before he got very far in his story to me, I immedi- ately let him know that the con- cern he was speaking about was MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ESTIMATED YIELD OF NEW REVENUE BILL. 100 per cent. plus and that if his company and my own company were in the same relative position, financially, and every other way that that company was, we would have no cause to worry. Need- less to say, he went on no further wth his story. I think the time has come when the independent merchant should ‘spike’ these rumors and bad re- ports of all kinds about the inde- pendent merchant, irrespective of whether he is in the same town or not. I think, Mr. Stowe, that this just about covers the ground I attempted to cover up there. You can add to it or take from it what- ever you like, and if you have found anything in this that you can use, you are at liberty to use it anyway you want to. I can only say that the inde- pendent merchant is cheating him- self by not being loyal to himself, and | can also say that the inde- pendent merchant never had a better chance in his life than he has to-day, with the kind of chain store competitors we have. They are easy picking. I trust that | have made myself plain to you, and will be very much interested in any comment that you may have to offer. -Jos. C. Grant. An improved fastening, for applica- tions ordinarily calling for hot or cold rivets, or for body-bound bolts and locking devices, is driven in with hand tightened with a wrench, hammers and_ their hammer, eliminating air noise. —_—_+ + —____ When a woman says her husband is out, she may mean that he is “all . ” in. June 15, 1932 Following is the official treasury estimate of the expected yield from the £1,118,500,000 revenue bill: INCOME TAX—INDIVIDUAL. Estimated revenue Normal, 4 and §$ per cent., exemptions $2,500 and $1,000 -____--_______ ees $ be bane Surtax, 1 per cent., over $6,000 to 55 per cent. over SE COUOU) | 88°000.000 Wet eared income credit —-----— 9 - 27,000,000 _ Total__-_-----_-------- ~~ er ee $178,000,000 Corporation increased from 12 to 13% per cent, ~------------------- Sees $ 22.000. 000 Wixemption eliminated —___—---—-—-———-----——- = == __._ 16,000,000 Gonsolidated returas, 1476 per Cent. 2 3,000,000 ee _ Total_____- wn 3---------------- -------------- $ 41,000,000 Limitation of security losses and other administrative changes -_________ 80,000,000 MANUFACTURERS’ EXCISE TAX. Lubricating oil, 4 cents per gallon -------~----------- ee ee $ 33,000.00 Brewers’ wort, 15 cents gallon; malt sirup, 3 cents per pound; grape con-- ' { centrates, 20 cents per gallon --------~-------------------------~-~---~- Tires and tubes, 2% and 4 cents per pound _---------~-----------------____ Toilet preparations, 10 per eent,. dentrilices, 5 per cent. .9 2 Furs, 10 per cent.; jewelry, 10 per cent., with exemption for plated silver- ware and articles up to $3 .------------------------- See pines ae Automobiles: 8 per cent. =) Trucks, 2 per cent. Parts and accessories, 2 per cent. Radios and phonographs, 5 per Cent 3 ee a Mechanical refrigerators, 5 per cent. ---------------------------------- | 5.000.000 Firearms and shells, 10 per cent. ~---------~----- a 2,000,000 Matches—Wood, 2 cents per 1,000; paper, % cent per 1,000 ____ x | 410001000 Candy, 2 per cent. ---------------------------—------ ea ee es _ 4.000.000 Chewing gum, 2 per cent. --------------------- == fe 1.000.000 Soft drinks, 1921 rates ~------------------------------------------------ | F000. 000 Electrical energy, 3 per cent., domestic and commercial consumption _. 39000 G00 Gasoline, 1 cent per gallon -----------------------~------_-------- Aa ge 150.000 000 82,000,000 33,000,000 13,500,000 9,000,000 32,000,600 3,000,000 7,000,000 9,000,000 Total_____._--_--------------------------------------~------------ a $450,500.00 TARIFFS. Oil, % cent gallon; 24% cents on gasoline; coal, 10 cents 100 pounds; lumber $3 per 1,000 feet; copper, 4 cents per peunG 2 oo os 6,500,000 MISCELLANEOUS. Telephone, 10 cents between 50 cents and $1; 15 cents, $1 and $2; 20 cents over $2; telegraph, 5 per cent; cable and radio, 10 per cent. —________ 22 500,000 Admissions, 1 cent per 10 cents on admission over 40 cents _____- a 12. 000.000 Oil pipe line charges, 4 per Cents: Gea eel 8.000.600 Safety deposit boxes, 10 per De a 1.000.008 Checks, 2 cents each ~_-------------------------------------------------- a 73'000.000 3oats, various rates ~------------~---------------------------------------- 2a "500,000 Tota) oe ee Ae eae $152,600,000 : STAMP TAXES. Bond and stock issues, 10 cents per $100 _ ~~~ $ 6,500,000 Stock transfers—Shares selling under $20, a 4 cents; shares selling over Pease ‘ 20,000,000 5,000,000 $20, 5 cents Bond transfers, 4 cents per share ~-. Covneyances, 50 cents on $100 to $500; 50 cents per $500 in excess ne . 8,090,000 Produce sales for future delivery, 5 cents per $100 __-_- ee 6,C00,000 ie Total_______-__-____----- Coe eS 45,500,000 Estate tax no estimate, assuming collections begin after June 50, 1933; Pitt tax 22 ee leiden) ita aan Ment sul ageeeae Ala) eal a eo § «5,000,000 Total all additional taxes ~-.-_-- eee ESS essere eee ner | aN Bee -$958,500,009 POSTAL. Increase first class rate to 3 cents; various second class increases 2 .$166,000,000 Mimad total ii adh eee ee $1,118,500,000 W. S. NIXON, Pres. & Gen’l Mgr. Grand Rapids, Mich. Associated Truck Lines 215 Oakes Street, S. W. Phone 93307 F. A. KAHL, Gen. Auditor Grand Rapids, Mich. CHICAGO-GRAND RAPIDS ROUTE General Offices: 215 Oakes Street, S. W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Direct connection for all points in Michigan via Consolidated Freight Co. GRAND RAPIDS TERMINAL Michigan Public Utilities Commission Permit No. 157 B. E. JOHNSON, Traffic Mgr. Chicago, Illinois Cc. L. FAHRINGER, Gen. Freight Agent Grand Rapids, Mich. E. J. BEGGS, Ass’t. Gen. Auditor Grand Rapids, Mich. Southern Michigan Transportation Co. SL Ou ame cei Bn CHICAGO TERMINAL 1235 W. 21st St. Phone Canal 6970 “sn itcba al aac acer me vr June 15, 1932 Some Activities of Trustee Timmer. The bankruptcy case of Earl Averill 8rocery store, at Coopersville, has been closed, with payment of preferred claims and taxes in full and a dividend of 14 per cent. to general creditors. The hardware store of C. F. Haight, Belding, was sold at public auction on June 7, the buyer being an agent for the bankrupt, who may continue the business, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 3 The assets in the case of Henry Gildemeister, bankrupt grocer, Belding, were disposed of at public auction on June 7. It is understood that the buyer will not continue the business. In the matter of George B. Ferris poultry farm, bankrupt, Grand Rapids, public auction sale of the assets sold on June 9 realized a total of $2,789.65. The property was sold to numerous buyers in small lots. The probabilities are that a small dividend will be paid to general creditors in this matter. In the matter of F. F. Wood Motor Co., Grand Rapids, in which assets are scheduled at $517,304.69 and liabilities at $280,941.48, the trustee was appoint- ed at the first meeting of creditors held on June 13. From all appearances, general creditors will realize little, if anything from the bankrupt’s real estate, which is apparently well cover- ed by mortgages and taxes. The ap- praisal on personal property, filed June 13, shows a total of $7,702.64. In ad- dition to the personal property there is approximately $10,000 in accounts Disposition of the personal property has not yet been decided upon. An attempt will be made to sell the same as a unit. —_++-___ Only duty fully done fully satisfies. and contracts receivable. Care-free! That’s what you want your vacation to be. That’s what it was intended for—to give you complete relaxation. The only way for a motorist to be care-free is by carrying automobile insurance. Do you doubt it? Here are three facts to prove it—not our opinion, but the conclusion of the National Safety Council: FIRST—tThe chance for death on the highway has more than doubled during the past ten years. THIRD — 90% of deaths were caused by motorists’ with more than one year’s driving experience. To Be Care-free Insure with Preferred A good, sound STOCK company. You'll be care-free, too, The “PREFERRED” sells insurance only in Michigan and Ohio, but it protects the assured ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. “PREFERRED” stock is owned by Michigan people, and “PREFERRED” operations are directed by Michigan men. Preferred Automobile Insurance Co. GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL BANK BLDG. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. FRANK 8S. GOULD, President and Manager from assessments. SECOND—More than 75% of auto accidents happen under favorable driving con- ditions. ee es tg ai IO ae 4 MOVEMENTS OF MERCHANTS. Belding—Edward R. Driese succeeds F. M. Hall in the grocery business. Kalamazoo—The Millview Lumber Co. has taken over the DeBoer & Sons’ Lumber Co., 223 Alcott street. Detroit — Home Chemicals, Inc., 12104 Northlawn avenue, has changed its name to the Overton Chemical Co. Lansing—The Home Appliance Co., is now located in its newly remodeled quarters at 323 South Washington avenue. Detroit—The Detroit Pure Milk Co., 14427 Fenkell street, has in- creased its capital stock from $15,000 to $32,000. Detroit—The Chiropractors Equip- ment Co., 7961 Mack avenue, has been organized with a capital stock of $2,- 300, all subscribed and paid in. Grand Rapids—Swaney, Wegusen & Steere, Inc., 60 Monroe avenue, stocks and bonds, has changed its name to C. S. Leonard & Co. Detroit—The Barton Foundry & Specialty Co., 3627 Superior street, has changed its name to the Kotcher Foundry & Specialty Co. Detroit—The Economy Tool Co., 12832 East Jefferson avenue, has been organized with a capital stock of $50,- 000, $1,000 being subscribed and paid in. Detroit—Moe Ehrlich & Co., 901 Metropolitan, jewelry, silverware, etc., has been organized with a capital stock of $1,000, all subscribed and paid in. Detroit—The East Town Boot Shop, Inc., 7768 Harper avenue, has been organized with a capital stock of $5,000, $3,000 of which has been sub- scribed and paid in. Detroit—The Wayne Sales Co., 807 Hammond building, has been organ- ized with a capital stock of 10,000 shares at $1 a share, $10,000 being sub- scribed and paid in. Cheboygan —The Penguin Palace, dealing in ice cream, confectionery and soft drinks, has been opened in the Kathan building, under the manage- ment of Gordon Stiles. Belding—The Gildemeister & Pres- ley grocery stock, which was claimed by the former owners to be worth $1,300 was appraised at $339 and sold to the highest bidder at $205. Detroit—The Meagher Lumber & Coal Co., 9600 Greeley avenue, suc- ceeds the Charles T. Meagher Lumber Co. in business, with a capital stock of $2,000, all subscribed and paid in. Midland—The Milford Co., dealer in autos, tractors, farm implements and auto accessories, has been incor- porated with a capital stock of $30,000, $10,000 being subscribed and paid in. Detroit—The Michigan Collapsible Tube Co., 11237 Mack avenue, has been incorporated with a capital stock of 5,000 shares at $4 a share, $8,200 of which has been subscribed and paid in. Grand Haven—The American Seat & Tank Co., manufacturer, also dealer in plumbing supplies, has been incor- porated with a capital stock of $100,- 000, $1,000 being subscribed and paid in. Detroit—The Third Avenue Hard- ware Store, Inc., 3701 Third avenue, has merged its business into a stock company under the same style with a MICHIGAN capital stock of $2,000, all subscribed and paid in. Detroit—The Permaflex Mold & Model Corporation, 2923 Beaubien street, has been organized with a cap- ital stock of 50,000 shares at $1 a share, $5,000 being subscribed and $1,000 paid in. Detroit—The Michigan Sponge & Chamois Co., 4442 John R street, has been incorporated to deal in sponges and chamois at wholesale and retail with a capital stock of $10,000, all subscribed and paid in. Port Huron—The Marshall E. Campbell Co. 312 Huron avenue, dealer in hardware and allied lines, motor vehicles, etc., has been incor- porated with a capital stock of $15,000, all subscribed and paid in. Birmingham—The Woodward Phar- macy, Inc., has merged its business into a stock company under the same style with a capital stock of 1,200 shares at $5 a share, $6,000 being sub- scribed and $5,000 paid in. Cadillac— Warren Boughner and son Harry have returned from Grand Rapids, where they have lived for the past seven years, and purchased the battery shop of Ben Richards, Jr., taking immediate possession. Midland—William Poulos and Alex Rapanos have engaged in the fresh fruits, vegetables, tobacco, confection- ery, grocery and ice cream business at 302 East Main street, under the style of the Community Fruit Market. Hillman—Dr. George F. Lester, proprietor of the City Drug Store, was given until July 6 to pay a fine of $1,000 after pleading guilty to an in- dictment charging violation of the prohibition law in Federal court. Detroit—The S. & S. Stores, Inc., 2450 First National Bank building, dealer in groceries and food supplies has been incorporated with a capital stock of 100 shares at $10 a share, $1,000 being subscribed and paid in. Belleville—Samuel A. Singer has merged his department store business into a stock company under the style of Singer’s Boston Store, Inc., with a capital stock of $7,500, of which $2,- 500 has been subscribed and paid in. Detroit — The Blue Ribbon Ice Cream Co., 8206 East Forest avenue, has merged its business into a stock company under the same style with a capital stock of $25,000, $10,000 of which has been subscribed and. paid in. Cadillac—Oscar Parks, who recently sold his grocery stock and store fix- tures, located on Haring street to Mrs. Dolly Fields, has opened a soft drink and ice cream parlor on the corner of East Bremer and North Mitchell streets. Mt. Clemens—Frank Priehs, dealer in auto, parts and accessories, has merged the business into a stock com- pany under the style of Priehs Sales Co. with a capital stock of $10,000, $2,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in. Bay City—Fiddlers, Inc., 235 North Farragut street, has been organized to deal in confections, pastries and food products, with a capital stock of $4,500 ‘common and $5,000 preferred, of which $4,000 has been subscribed and $1,000 paid in. Ishpeming—K. Rosberg & Co., gro- ceries, etc., Cleveland avenue, has TRADESMAN changed its business to a strictly cash basis, providing delivery only for large orders or bulky goods. The company will continue its Cash Way Grocery, also on Cleveland avenue, in the same manner as in the past. Detroit—William Apel 5201 Wabash avenue, dealer in fuell of all kinds, has merged the business into a stock company under the style of William Apel & Son, Inc., with a capital stock of 500 shares at $10 a share, $2,500 being subscribed and paid in. Bay City—The Bay City branch of Schulte-United, Inc., together with other stores in the Western district, are to be closed, Floyd J. Green, local manager announces, due to the cost of administration and supervision of the stores of this section which are so far removed. from the Eastern market. A closing out sale is being conducted. Cheboygan—Frank Fleischmann is remodeling his store building at the corner of Main and Division streets, installing a modern plate glass front, etc., and will occupy it about July 9 with a delicatessen which he will con- duct under his own name. Albion—The men’s furnishings store at 111 North Superior street, formerly conducted and owned by Arthur Fie- big, who entered bankruptcy some time ago, has been closed and the re- maining stock removed to Lansing by the purchaser, Samuel Fox. Charlevoix — The Penguin Palace, one of six confectionery and ice cream stores conducted under the same name in Northern Michigan, has been open- ed in the Ayres Boal building, on the corner of Bridge and Clinton streets. Leo N. Mather, of Flint, is manager of the local store. Detroit — Samuel Schwartz, 6329 Chene street, dealer in dry goods, women’s wear and furnishings, has merged the business into a stock com- pany under the style of S. Schwartz, Inc., with a capital stock of 10,000 shares at $1 a share, all of which has been subscribed and paid in. Manistee—M. P. Neilsen, who has successfully conducted a grocery store here for the past 30 years, has sold his stock and store fixtures to Robert Bailey, who has been associated in business with him for the past twelve years. The business will be continued under the same manner as formerly. Royal Oak—Same Berman, former- ly engaged in the meat business in Detroit, and his partner, who conducts fruit markets on Joy Road and Liver- nois street, Detroit, hvae leased the building at 405 South Main street and engaged in business under the style of the Main Street Meat & Produce Market. Bay City—A petition asking that the Filbert Drug Co., Saginaw, be de- clared bankrupt has been filed in Fed- eral court. The petitioning creditors are Radio Station WJR, Detroit, De- Vilbiss Co., Toledo, Mary Goldman and Hinckley’s Bone Liniment Co., Saginaw. The petition recites that Filbert committed an alleged act of bankruptcy by giving a chattel mort- gage of $100 on fixtures in his retail store while he was insolvent. Lansing—In the case of George J. Goldstein, retail men’s clothing. Sale of assets in parcels for $4,038 was con- June 15, 1932 firmed by the court. Assets are given as $6,082 and liabilities, $10,673 in schedules filed in U. S. District Court at Detroit. Burton H. Boone, of De: troit, is receiver. Creditors with claims of $500 or more are: H. Friedman Hat Co., Inc., New York, $573; M. Frank Sons & Co., New York, $833; Levyin & Co., Philadelphia, $748; William L. McClure, East Lansing, $1,100; Schneyer Clothing Co., Philadelphia, $1,631; Mrs. Nellie Zimmerman, Lan- sing, $905; Capital National Bank, Lansing, $1,700. Manufacturing Matters. Detroit—The Maul Co., 1640 East Hancock avenue, manufacturer of art stone, has merged the business into a stock company under the style of the Maul Macotta Corporation, with a capital stock of $10,000, $5,200 of which has been subscribed and $1,000 paid in. Ferndale—The McLaughlin Ventil- ator Co., 832 West Breckenridge avenue, manufacturer of ventilating equipment, has been incorporated with a capital stock of $20,000, all sub- scribed and paid in. Detroit—The General Fire Equip- ment Corporation, 3501 Barlum Tower, has been organized to manufacture and deal in fire protection equipment, with a capital stock of 1,000 shares at $1 a share, $1,000 being subscribed and. paid in. —_++~»____ Under New Management. A little grocery store had been in the Smith family for untold years. One day a notice was displayed on the win- dow. It read: “Under New Manage- ment.” The vilagers were at once curi- ous to find out who the new proprietor was. Some time passed and Smith was still behind the counter, and the notice was still in the window. Eventually one of the bolder villagers decided to ask, Smith the reason for the notice. “When are the new people coming?” she asked the shopkeeper. “New people?” echoed Smith. “What new people?” “Why, you’ve got a notice up saying. ‘Under New Management’,” said the villager. “Oh, that!” exclaimed Smith. “Why didn’t you know? I’ve been married.” —_—_—__> >> Only One Keyhole. Then there is the clever use of elec- tricity which makes one keyhole serve twenty-four different keys. This meth- od has now been applied in the ma- chine for parking automobiles which was described in a previous issue of The $s in Inventions. To take his car out of storage, one man steps up, inserts his key, turns it, and in no time at all his car comes from above and appears at the driveway level. As soon as it is driven off, another customer may insert his key, and his car is de- livered to him. Each key, by causing contact to be made with a button, operates a dif- ferent electrical circuit from that con- trolled by any other key. —_++>—_—_- A new solid carbon. dioxide refrig- erating unit for motor truck bodies permits accurate control of tempera ture, June 15, 1932 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Essential Features of the Grocery Staples. _ Sugar— Local jobbers hold cane granulated at 4.40c and beet granulated at 4.20c. Tea—The market has shown ap- parently little change since the last report. Some of the lower grades of Indias are a little weaker since the last report, but in this country practically no change has occurred in Ceylons, Indias or Javas, although these mar- kets are certainly no more than steady. Formosas also eased off a ilttle during the week. Consumptive demand for tea is very fair. Coffee—During the past week the market for future Rio and Santos, green and in a large way, lost prac- tically all it had gained in the two weeks before. The Brazilian situation eased off to some extent and this im- mediately produced somewhat of a slump in this country. It seems a hope- - less proposition to put Brazil coffees up to stay up. Actual Rio and Santos has not as yet declined to the same extent as futures, although there has been a small fractional drop. There have been occasional slight declines in mild coffees, notably Colombias. The jobbing market for roasted coffee re- mains unchanged for the week. Canned Fruits—There is nothing new in California fruits. The Cling Peach Agency is still holding doggedly to its price schedules, and will continue to do so until July 1. There has been talk of an extension until Oct. 2, but this has not been confirmed. Canned Vegetables—The pea pack, which, as a rule, amounts to about a million and five or six hundred thou- sand cases in the Tri-States, will be approximately only 20 per cent. of the crop this year, which has been hurt more or less at different points. With the acreage running all the way from 20 to 35 per cent. short of last year and with the loss from one cause or another—peas bring drowned out, etc. —it looks as if the pea pack would be a pretty short pack, as compared with the last few years. Contrasting the firm tone of fancy Maine corn, stan- dard No. 2 tomatoes and other items, prices on several still show easiness and irregularity. Canned Fish—Salmon. packers in the Northwest are serving notice on buyers that if they delay in taking care of their requirements, they are liable to find that the new fancy pack, both cbinook and blueback, are already under contract. There is very little packed so far, and practically no car- ryover. The pack of bluebacks is going to be very short, and likely to be bought up quickly for future de- livery. Pinks and chums are unchang- ed, with sales being made at 85 cents and 80 cents, Coast. The local trade is picking up stocks only as needed. Canned shrimp has been weakening in many hands, fancy packed lobster has been rather irregular, with competi- tion bv many of the new packers in the field responsible for it. Dried Fruits—There is nothing out of the ordinary to say about the dried fruit market this week. Low prices on future apricots caused some com- motion here, but ro considerable busi- ness was done on the basis of the new prices. It would take a daring future price, it seems, to draw out distribu- tors just now. Nevertheless, as spot business goes, there is a fair volume of it, when viewed in the aggregate. The thing that makes it appear so slow is the manner in which orders come in. Jobbers find a satisfactory volume of orders one day, while the next they are likely not to get any. The amounts sought, of course, are usually very small lots. It is difficult to make any return commensurate with the effort and expense in handling, but at least it is business, and if small and large distributors can just keep going, it is something in these times. Raisins con- tinue firm here, owing to the very great caution of the trade, the jobbers, especially holding their inventories down to the light practicable size. Whatever changes may come will be heard from the Coast. Packers here and there are offering stocks at a slight concession below their former prices, but the market is still essential- ly firm. There are some 18,000 tons of Thompsons still unsold in the hands of the pool, while these, together with all other varieties of raisins, total 45,- 000 tons. Since it is the Thompsons that count largely here, these 18,000 tons will be greatly diminished, if not actually cleaned up, by the time new crop Thompsons are ready. The prune pool is making progress and has about reached the point where the sign-up campaign is ready to start. Beans and Peas—Demand for dried beans is exceedingly poor and almost the whole list is sluggish and easy with the possible exception of red kidneys, which are relatively firmer than the other items. Dried peas are also neg- lected and easy. Nuts—The market is. without any particular feature. Trading here shows the same marked caution that it has for the whole season, except that with the coming of the warm weather, there is even more reluctance to cover. Prices are fairly steady, but some hold- ers are still ready to shade here and there for business. Although stocks are light, there is no concern over future requirements. Holders abroad able to do so are keeping out of the market. The new crops are running somewhat irregularly. Some districts in Spain and Italy will have less, while others will have more than last year. Rice—The market is being well maintained in the South by the lack of selling pressure among growers. They are getting their prices on whatever rough stocks are being sold, and it still continues true that the rough market is considerably stronger than the clean rice market. The movement of milled rice to domestic centers is light, and continues to show a replacement char- acter. Some expert enquiry has come from abroad, and Argentina continues as a potential market, owing to the loss of the Brazilian crop. Business here continues quite routine. There is a little more caution in the trade about carrying stocks in warm weather, but owing to the light inventories in all hands, the future looks fair for a sus- tained movement, however light. Salt Fish—The demand for mackerel and other salt fish continues small. Fresh caught mackerel, not salted is selling at a higher price. Generally speaking, the salt fish business is on the shelf until the fall. Sauerkraut — Sauerkraut continued quiet. Prices for cans unchanged from the previous week. Syrup and Molasses—Sugar syrup is quiet, but steady. Production is being kept rigidly down. Compound syrup unchanged. The demand is no more than fair. Some evidence of an easy undertone appeared during the week. Molasses shows no change for the week; very quiet demand. Vinegar—Vinegar prices are steady and unchanged. The demand is well maintained, being fully up to last year. May showed a good increase over last year. Prices had a firm undertone. Stocks are less than a year ago and firmly held. ——_~ ~~ Review of the Produce Market. Apples—Washington box apples are sold on the following basis: Extra Fancy Delicious _____..___ $3.00 Haney Plelicious: 22 2.75 Extra Faney Romes .._.._ 225 Haney Reames 0: 2.00 Extra Fancy Winesaps ___----- 175 Bancy, Winesaps =... 1.60 Asparagus—Home grown, 75c per doz. bunches. Bananas—4%44@5c per lb. Beans—New from Texas command $2.75 per hamper for green or wax. Butter—The market is “ec lower than a week ago. Jobbers hold plain wrapped prints at 17%c and 65 Ib. tubs at 16%4c for extras. Cabbage—Texas, $4 per crate; Mo- bile, $4.50 per crate; home grown, $1.75 per bu. Cantaloupes — Calif. stock sells as follows: its $1.50 Standares 220 3.50 ammbe: 2 3.75 Carrots—New from Texas or Calif., $3.25 per crate or 70c per doz. Cauliflower—$2 for box containing 6@9. Celery—Florida and Calif., 50@60c per bunch; home grown 45c per bunch. Small in size, but good in quality. Cocoanuts—90c per doz. or $3.50 per bag. Cucumbers—lIllinois hot house, $1 per doz. for extra fancy; home grown hot house, $1; Texas, $2.25 per bu. Dried. Beans—Michigan jobbers pay as follows for hand picked at shipping station: €. H. Pea from elevator —-..__- $1.70 Pea from. farmer 220.0 00 1.40 Light Red Kidney from farmer__ 1.25 Dark Red Kidney from farmer__ 1.85 Eggs—The market went off “%c to- day. Jobbers pay llc for 56 Ib. crates and 11%c for 57 and 58 Ib. Grape Fruit — Florida commands $5.25@5.50. Green Onions—Home grown, 20c per doz. Lettuce — In good demand on the following basis: Imperial Valley, 6s, per crate ~-$4.75 Imperial Valley, 4s and 5s, crate 5.00 Home grown leaf, per bu. ~.---- 1.00 Lemons—Present quotations are as follows: : 5 360 Sunkist. ee $7.50 Su Suneist 7.50 360 Red Hall. 6.50 a0 Mend Bal 6.50 Mushrooms—40c per one Ib, carton. Oranges—Fancy Sunkist California Navels are now sold as follows: | Cs SEL RE Ee Sent dee soe ee meiner at $4.75 PO 4.75 |?) AOE ODRE at piice tersate aor uence 4.75 CO 4.50 OIG 4.50 OO 4.50 COO 4.50 FO iirc cha auc aieiaic aie 4.50 Florida, $5 per box. New Beets—40c per doz. bunches. New Potatoes—$3 per bbl. for Caro- lina stock; $2 per 100 lb. bag fon Triumphs from Texas; Long White from Calif., $2.40 ser 100 Ibs. Onions—Texas Bermudas, $1.25 per 50 lb. sack for white; $1.50 for large yellow. Peas—Home grown, $2.50 per bu. Pieplant—60c per bu. for home grown. Pineapples—Floridas command $3.50 for 16s, 18s and 24s, and $3.25 for 30’s. Parsley—40c per doz. bunches. Potatoes — On the local market transactions hover around 50c per bu. Poultry—Wilson & Company pay as follows: beeavy tawla 12c Dieht fowis 2. 10c Ducks (on 12c Géete 2 10c Nea. t Turkeys i5e Raspberries—Red, $3 for 12 qts. Radishes—l15c per doz. bunches. Spinach — 65c per bu. for home grown. Strawberries—The market ranges from 54c@$1.25 per 16 qt. case, de- pending on the magnitude of the of- fering. Yesterday the market was flooded by Benton Harbor handlers and Michigan canners and the price went to almost nothing. To-day the market was much better. The quality of the local crop is excellent. Sweet Potatoes—Kiln dried Indiana Jerseys, $1.75; Tenn., $1.50. Tomatoes—Hot house, $1.75 per 7 lb. basket, home grown; $1.65 for 10 lb. basket, Southern grown. Veal Calves — Wilson & Company pay as follows: Pavey 2 6@7 wc Good 23 oo 6c Media: oe 5c —_2---———— Go To Atlantic City Next Year. The National Retail Grocers As- sociation, at its annual convention at St. Louis June 6, 7 and 8, re-elected the former officers and decided to meet next year at Atlantic City. The attendance was up to expectations and the proceedings were fully up to the standard maintained at former con- ventions. An ineffectual effort was made to transfer the headquarters of the organization from Minneapolis to Washington. Chicago will probably be decided on as the permanent head quarters in the near future, as it is felt that Minneapolis is too far away from the center of the country to enable the Association to function to the best advantage. —_—_»++>—___ He wins who wills—and works! * 6 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN June 15, 1932 MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE Incendiary Fires as Phenomena 0} Economic Depression. The Fire Marshal’s office in Wis- consin was created in 1905 for the pur- pose of investigating suspicious fires and, by inspection, to reduce the huge loss. in the state. In 1915 the work was separated. The inspection work is now being done by the Industrial Commission. The investigation of suspicious fires is a department of which the Commis- sioner’ of Insurance is ex-officio State Fire Marshal, who delegates its im- mediate supervision to the chief assist- ant. ‘The state is divided into five dis- tricts with resident deputy fire mar- shals at Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madi- son, Eau Claire and Superior. The first legal punishment provided for arson is found in the law of Moses which provided that “whosoe’er setteth fire’ and burnéth the property of an- other shall surely make restitution,” alid’ this: law remains practically un- changed through the ages. But there was no provision for the crime or pro- viding a punishment for setting fire to one’s ‘own property. -In.-1929 Wisconsin adopted the model arson law, which in substance is as follows: The model arson law is covered by several sections of the Wisconsin statutes; there being a specific penalty prescribed for each section, For example: lf any: person wilfully and maliciously sets fire to, burns, causes: to. -be. burned, -or is a party to a plan the purpose of which is to bring about the burning of any build- ing occupied at any time as a dwelling, such person Or persons will upon con- viction be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years or more than twenty -years, If the. conspiracy is to cause the burning of a building not a parcel of a dwelling house, the penalty upon conviction is imprisonment in the state prison of not less than one year nor more than ten years. In this group of buildings are in- cluded any barn, stable, garage, shop, storehouse, warehouse, factory, mill, church, meetinghouse, courthouse, workhouse, school, jail or other pub- lic buildings, including bridges. The persons convicted of causing fires in structures and things, not in- cluded in groups one and two, where the value of the property subject to the fire amounts-to $25 or more, are subject to a penalty of imprisonment of not less than. one year nor more than three years. This group includes any, barrack, cook, rick or stack of hay or other farm product; coal, wood, lumber, posts, rails, etc., street car, railway car, ship, boat or other water. craft, or any motor vehicle. If. fires are caused with the intent to defraud an insurance’ company, either by the owner of such property or others, the penalty upon conviction is imprisonment of not less. than. one year nor more than five years. Wilful attempt to commit arson is a crime upon conviction: of which the penalty: ‘may be in fines: of;not more also any than $1,000 or imprisonment for not less than one year or more than two years. The placing or distributing of any inflammable, explosive or combustible material or substance or any device in any building in an arrangement or preparation with intent to eventually wilfully and maliciously set fire to or burn any object included in the model arson. law set-up, constitutes an at- tempt to commit arson. This law has now been adopted in thirty states and is practically uniform in the method of enforcement. Its purpose, primarily, is to reduce the tremendous. financial loss caused by fire, which adds greatly to the tax bur- den imposed upon the public, About $500,000,000 worth of prop- erty-is destroyed by fire every year in the United States. The cost of main- taining fire departments, firemen and equipment costs an additional $500,- 000,000 per year. Wisconsin has con- tributed’ heavily to this great loss, 75 per cent. of which is preventable. Under another section of the law, the chiefs of fire departments, the presidents of village boards and town clerks report all fires where the dam- age exceeds $25, and fires of unknown origin are investigated to determine whether they originated from careless- ness, accident or design. A section of the arson laws also pro- vides that failure by- the above-men- tioned officers to report fires makes them subject. upon conviction to a fine of not less than $25 or not more than $200.. If the fire is of suspicious origin, the. officers referred to immediately notify the Fire Marshal’s office, and then the deputy in whose territory the fire occurred is directed to make an investigation. He proceeds to the scene of the fire, examines all persons having knowl- edge concerning it, and takes the testi- mony under oath of the interested parties. If necessary, he has author- ity to compel the attendance of wit- nesses before him for questioning and may exclude other persons from being present. If the evidence thus obtained indi- cates a guilt, such evidence is present- ed to the district attorney who issues a warrant for the suspect’s appearance before a judge or justice of the peace, and then, if the evidence is consider- ed sufficient, the suspect is bound over for trial at the next term of the cir- cuit court, at which time a jury de- termines the guilt or innocence of the accused person. The prolonged business depression is apparently being reflected in an in- crease in the number of questionable fires, and this increase has become very noticeable during the past sev- eral months. During the early days of the depression there was an alarm- ing increase, due no doubt, in part at least, to reduction in stock carried and improved city inspection service. However, the dark cloud of eco- nomic disturbance appears to have had a tendency to weaken the morale of some of our people with the result, that in desperation; some are commit- ting’ the crime of arson in an attempt to‘avoid insolvency, The growing number of fires in not alone. farmhouses and_ buildings, the ages. GRAND RAPIDS, Mutual benefit, protection and responsibility has been the object of all organized human efforts throughout It's the underlying principle of Mutual Insurance. THE GRAND RAPIDS MERCHANTS MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY affiliated with the Mich- igan Retail Dry Goods Association offers all the benefits of a successful organization. 319-320 Houseman Building MICHIGAN OUR FIRE INSURANCE POLICIES ARE CONCURRENT with any standard stock policies that you are buying The Net Cost is 30% Less Michigan Bankers and Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Fremont, Michigan WILLIAM N. SENF, Secretary-Treasurer the least money is oe INSURE and feel sure that when you have a fire you will have money to pay at least the most of the cost of re-building; but place your insurance with the company that will furnish this protection at the lowest cost, as there IS a difference, and it will pay you to investi- gate. The company that gives the most SAFE insurance for The Finnish Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Calumet, Michigan THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SAFETY Whether it be a bank or an insur- ance company, there is no substitute for safety. But how many people exercise the same care in choosing their fire insurance company as they do their banking connection? In a great many cases an individual has “staked” more on the stability of his insurance company than he has on his bank. The Federal Mutuals will welcome the opportunity to ex- plain its safety and its plan of hon- est protection at an honest price. Write to one of the companies be- low today. Information will be gladly furnished. FEDERAL HARDWARE & IMPLEMENT MUTUALS RETAIL HARDWARE MUTUAL FIRE INS. CO. Minneapolis, Minn. HARDWARE DEALERS MUTUAL FIRE INS. CO. Stevens Point, Wis. MINNESOTA IMPLEMENT MUTUAL FIRE INS. CO. Owatonna, Minn. June 15, 1932 in the United States but also in Can- ada, is disconcerting. Is this not in many instances but another and des- perate phase of credit? Through the medium, of burning buildings and farmhouses, vast funds are being transferred from fire insurance com- panies to the despairing and unhappy debtor whose property is burned. It is the destruction of physical property as the medium of readjust- ment which is our concern and which is affecting the financial welfare of the entire country. We cannot bring a sweeping indictment against the owner of a mortgaged home. ‘Man seeks his own good at the whole world’s cost.” When he loses hope it is also easy to lose his morality, One of the principle causes of the increasing number of farm and coun- try fires is over-insurance, With con- tinued decrease in farm values and the writing of insurance on the replace- ment value basis, it is frequently found that the insurance on buildings ex- ceeds the entire value of the farm in- cluding the buildings. The circumstances under which the farmer must face the present unequal struggle sometimes drives him to desperation and while in this depress- ed frame of mind a fire occurs on his premises which destroys his buildings and leaves him in a position to apply the insurance against his indebtedness; and then with the farm clear of debt, he can restore the buildings and as a result of the fire avoid foreclosure which would, in the major number of instances, wipe out his entire invest- ment. Our records show that nearly 40 per cent. of the fires occurring in the rural districts happen on farms where the buildings are overinsured. Insurance companies have had some unusual experiences along this line, no doubt as a result of their plan of operation whereby the assured may renew his policies at former valuation without initial cost or premium, and he gambles on the possibility of an as- sessment. Unless these companies immediately make drastic reductions in the policy values issued under this co-operative system, the plan whereby the farmers of Wisconsin have saved $258,000 per year in insurance premiums will be seriously crippled and possibly entire- ly eliminated as a factor in the insur- ance field. A recent case illustrates this point. A farmer having two farms, one oc- cupied by a tenant, became financially involved. He was carrying nearly $6,000 on the barn on the tenant farm; he could not borrow any money and to save himself from arrest for em- bezzlement he set fire to the barn. One of the deputies secured a confession in which he admitted that the amount of insurance was the inducement which caused him to set this fire. And the worst feature we have to contend with is that the juries show sympathy for such offenders which makes it increasingly difficult to con- vict them unless a confession is ob- tained. These persons are not in the came class of criminals with those who cnales a business of setting fires. Such a one operating in Milwaukee and (Continued on page 23) MICHIGAN TRADESMAN @ ‘ ; Invest In This Security . backed by low-cost public service to 133 Michigan communities MONEY HIDDEN IN THE mattress - sock = - sugar bowl doesn’t make you any Profit — Interest or Income —nor does it help Town or Business build up 42,000 PEOPLE HAVE INVESTED FUNDS IN CONSUMERS POWER Preferred @ Hi ARES AND HERE’S WHAT THEY DO: e Put money to work in community and business development. e Build greater assets for public service —benefit local trade and employment. e Obtain a return in cash dividends on their investment here. INVESTMENT RECORD Every Preferred Dividend paid in cash—on the date due—ever since the Company started. COMPLETE INFORMATION AT ANY OF OUR OFFICES CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY Public Utilities are making substantial contributions to the maintaining of employment and trade in their com- munities through their daily operations, construction ac- tivities and the payment of taxes, wages and purchase of materials and supplies. 8 \ LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE. Under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies a monu- mental work is under way which it is supposed will produce at last a “ling- uistic atlas.” This will record the typical words, phrases and idioms of the American continent and the varied stocks that people it. To indicate the scale and magnitude of the task it is sufficient to say that investigators have collected in eight months more than 10,000 pages reporting the local speech of New England. Scores of illustrations might be given of the differences of words and meanings, according to the place where they are used and the people who use them. The lowly worm with which the fisherman tempts the trout, for example, is widely known as an “angle worm,” but is likely to be called a “fish worm” in Massachusetts, a “night crawler” or “night walker” in Connecticut and a “mud worm” or “muck worm” in Essex county, Mas- sachusetts. And what is “bonney- clabber?” Down East it is the name for curdled milk, though in parts of Massachusetts it will be called “lop- pered milk.” And cottage cheese may be “sour milk cheese” or “Dutch cheese,” while apple dumpling is vari- ously called “apple dowdy,’ “pan dowdy” or “apple slump.” : The names in greatest variety, natu- rally, are those which refer to posses- sions of the house or farm or the produce of field and garden. An ex- ample is the “gutter” of Eastern New England, which is an “eavetroth” on Cape Cod and an “evespout” in Ver- mont. And Connecticut farmers “cart” their hay, but in Eastern Massachusetts they “haul” it, while in Vermont it is “drawn” or “drawed.” The roots and origins of these dif- ferences aré of serious interest to sociologists and ethnologists. Often they record and perpetuate a form of mind and a racial genius; sometimes they can be traced directly to historical events and circumstances. The oc- casional New England pronunciation of yolk as “yelk” is derived, no doubt, from similar usage in rural England, whence settlers came long ago to America and brought their habits of thought and speech with them. Some of the most curious examples of the persistence of old forms of speech are found in the Kentucky mountains, where words and pronunciations are in good use which are found nowhere else except in Chaucer. Similarly, in Western England there persist a few words which are pure Anglo-Saxon, unchanged by a thousand years, but totally forgotten elsewhere. FRIGHTENING THE COUNTRY. While a somewhat better feeling has followed the enactment of the tax bill and nominal balancing of the budget, there is still a good deal of anxiety over legislative possibilities. Much of this is caused by the many threats of disaster on one count or another which are so freely bandied about and often by those who in the boom days were leaders in the pollyanna chorus. It is clear that if critical credit and business conditions had been dealt with earlier, much of the present emergency might have been avoided. At the same MICHIGAN TRADESMAN time, almost every major step now proposed is attacked by those suffering from “budgetitis.” Threats and dire predictions bring about the worst pos- sible circumstances for the selection and operation of remedies. Even the soundest plan might be’ put to naught in such a case. A large Government bond issue at an earlier date would have cared for the relief steps which have been taken or must be taken. The Nation’s credit would not have suffered if the peace- time emergency had been placed on a war-time plane, as was_ necessary. Unity would have been obtained and a spirit and morale created which would have helped very materially in dealing with the crisis. Now what is needed cannot be accomplished so effectively because it has been branded as dis- astrous.. The cost of bowing to finely spun theories has already proved a heavy one and may prove heavier still. Little change was recorded in the business situation during the week, although, as stated, sentiment seemed to improve. The weekly index dropped slightly further, but three of the series, automobile output, power consumption and cotton-cloth production, were higher. Bank clearings improved and May building awards were reported 25 per cent. above the April total, al- though less than half the value of con- tracts placed in May, 1931. ADVICE AND EXAMPLE. Although there can be no question that summer has come, the scholastic year lingers into June in the final cere- monies of graduation. And this is a season, therefore, when impatient youth must listen as attentively and respect- fuflly as it can to the good advice of those whose youth is gone. In thou- sands of schools and colleges, cheerful crowds of young people attend to words of wisdom from their elders, who have encountered adult experience and learned thereby a lesson which no school can teach. It is with excellent good will that these commencement orators endeavor to inspire, advise and instruct their audiences. They would save the young- sters if possible from perils and pit- falls which their own experience has discovered. They would counsel them to choose the right road and follow it faithfully. They would wish them well in the work that lies before them. But it may be that those who listen think less of what they say than of the achievements which give them the right to say it. Young people have their own resources of energy and am- bition. They are a little weary of ad- vice and exhortation. But they recog- nize success and respect it. They are easily inspired by example, although they think lightly of advice. This is the chief compliment which youth pays to age and successful ex- perience. It is a better tribute than the overeager acceptance of another gen- eration’s philosophy. The problems of the future are not those of the past, and the world needs new thoughts as well as new workers. The last lesson of graduation day, therefore, is not to be found in the phrase of commence- ment addresses but in the presence of men who have met the challenge and the contest of experience and emerged from it with honor. WISH TAX INCLUDED. Excise taxes in the new law posed the question for retailers of whether they would prefer to pay the usual prices for the merchandise affected plus the tax or have the usual price include the tax. A committee of the National Retail Dry Goods Association has shown its preference for the latter method on the basis that consumer prices are practically fixed and that, in order to preserve customary mark- ups, the stores should have manufac- turers pay the excise tax either through absorbing it or lowering their quota- tions so as to make allowance for it. Through this method the stores actually lose a small portion of their profits because discounts are based on the cost of the merchandise minus the tax. If the tax was added to the mer- chandise, the discount would apply to the total cost, including the tax, and be larger in dollars and cents. It is a little difficult to understand just why retailers have adopted a method of dealing with this tax mat- ter which loses them some money and at the same time will mean a lowering of quality standards. Obviously, man- ufacturers cannot offer the same value at a price which must include 5 or 10 per cent. for the tax. And ‘yet a great deal has been said and heard concern- ing the necessity of protecting and im- proving quality. Consumers preference, of course, is a highly important concern of the stores. Price lines have been built up after years of effort. and possibly there would be difficulty in introducing new levels. Yet this is a time of many adjustments and perhaps the stores are overemphasizing the importance of sticking to the same prices. PRICE UNBALANCE. At the start of the present quarter the trend in commodity prices was to- ward a leveling off. Optimism was ex- pressed over this development and there has been a rather general ten- dency to consider that the commodity decline has been checked. This has not actually been the case, however, and for most of the last two months wholesale quotations have continued to drop at a rather abrupt rate. The downward movement has been seen largely in the wrong quarter, namely, in those commodities which have been most depressed. Thus, the Annalist weekly index gives the fol- lowing numbers for the various groups: Farm products 64.8, food products 90.6, textiles 68.6, fuels 134.0, metals 96.0, building materials 107.3, chemicals 96.2 and miscellaneous 81.1. The combined index stands at 87.4. The largest declines in recent weeks have been in farm products, textiles and food products. Fuels, which are considerably out of line with the gen- eral index, have actually advanced from 125.4 to 134.0 and are, therefore, more than twice as high as farm products. Metals, building materials and chem- icals are only fractionally lower. An examination of Dun’s list of wholesale quotations emphasizes the June 15, 1932 many discrepancies in price movements over the year. Severe losses have been taken in foodstuffs, but the metal list discloses many stationary quotations and some advances. Wire nails, gal- vanized sheets and barb wire are higher. Steel rails still sell at the rigid quotation of $43 a ton. Aluminum is practically unchanged. In coal, all anthracite sizes but nut are higher. ATTRACTS COMPETITION. It is plainly evident from even the most cursory study of price movements that many quotations are artificialy maintained. Apparently, the only type of price fixing which does not work out is the kind sought by the Gov- ernment. What the farmer sells is making new lows and many of the things he has to buy are still at the same old prices or possibly higher. If the key to recovery lies in adjusting this unbalance, than there is little sign of progress. With conditions what they are, therefore, it is a source of wonder why further liberalization of the anti-trust laws is agitated. In many quarters they seem to have met the fate of the prohibition amendment and the Gov- ernment appears quite satisfied to per- mit open violations. However, there are hazards for price fixing developing from several direc- tions. From one quarter there is the threat of small manufacturers who see opportunities in fields where there are artificially high prices. From another, there is the efficient personnel which has been released from many large or- ganizations and which is ready to start up in competition. While there is little chance that the country will see new steel rail mills erected to undersell $43 a ton, because of the heavy investment required, nevertheless there are already signs that many less expensive projects will be launched. In fact, quite a number are under way and doing nicely. DRY GOODS CONDITIONS. Irregular weather conditions were responsible for rather spotty results in retail trade during the past week. How- ever, the demand on summer apparel, sports and beach wear was fairly well maintained. Home furnishings were active only in a few sections. Men’s wear business was again rather quiet, according to reports. Department store sales in May, ac- cording to the Federal Reserve Board, declined, contrary to the usual seasonal trend. The country as a whole re- ported a decline of 24 per cent. under the same month last year, the decreases ranging from 18 per cent. in the Rich- mond Reserve area to 32 per cent. in the Dallas district. The wholesale merchandise markets were fairly active on summer goods and also upon new midseason lines which are being offered to carry over to what will be later openings for fall. The apparel markets will not open fall lines until after the Fourth. Price ad- justments are still being made in vari- ous markets and the new excise taxes will doubtless mean lower net prices on the articles affected. ‘Cheer up—and others, June 15, 1932 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 9 OUT AROUND. Things Seen and Heard on a Week End Trip. We have shaken the residential dust of Grand Rapids from our feet and for the next half year will be located at our summer home at Lamont, where the air is cleaner, the flowers are more fragrant, the birds sing sweeter and the landscape is more beautiful than any other place of our acquaintance. Dr. Preston Bradley announced over the radio Sunday that he and his wife would leave Chicago Monday for New York, where they would sail on Tues- day on the Europa for Europe, where he will devote three months to the discussion of liberal religion, Ameri- canism, Chicago and the great Chicago fair next year. He goes as the guest of the fair authorities—so far as ex- penses are concerned—and will not re- ceive a penny in compensation from the fair or his church during his ab- sence. He does not call his trip a holiday, but insists that he goes abroad as a student to acquire first-hand in- formation on European affairs for his church, his city and his country. He also wants to assure the people of Europe that the fair will not be a cir- cus, but a university. He celebrated his twentieth anniversary as pastor of Peoples church Sunday. If there is any man I like more than another, it is the man who speaks what he thinks and believes without reserva- tion, circumlocution and qualification. That is why I have always liked Joseph C. Grant, the Battle Creek de- partment store merchant. Merchants who attended the Traverse City con- vention of the Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association, informed me on their return that he made an entirely impromptu speech at the first evening meeting which was a stem winder, so far as frankness and plain talk goes. Believing that such a talk is needed at this stage of the game I asked him to reproduce it for me for publication in the Tradesman. He kindly con- sented to grant my request and I do my part by giving it extra prominence in this week’s Tradesman. What he says—and the way he says it—is es- pecially appropriate at this time and I hope every reader of the Tradesman will give his remarks careful and pray- erful consideration. Greenville is a pretty lively city these days. The Gibson Refrigerator Co. now has more than a thousand men on the payroll. Its last payroll, cov- ering a period of two weeks, required $62,000. Because practically every man in the community is now em- ployed, the city welfare department has suspended all activities until fall. The wholesale grocer house of Wm. Bradley’s Son comes pretty near to being an ancient institution. The busi- ness was established as a general store on the same location as the present house by William Bradley, grandfather of the present day Bradleys, in 1866. In 1871 the founder sold an interest in the business to Frederick Spencer and the firm name became Bradley & Spencer. In 1888 the Bradley & Spen- cer interest was acquired by Wm. H. and Elliott Bradley, sons of the founder, who operated as Wm. Brad- ley’s Sons. Two years later Wm. H. Bradley purchased the interest of the brother and later the firm name be- came William Bradley’s Son. The sec- ond Bradley died in 1925. The busi- ness has been: exclusively wholesale since 1903. The present owners are William E. Bradley, Charles C. Brad- ley and Wyman C. Bock. The latter is a brother-in-law of the Bradleys and is now serving his third term as Mayor of Greenville. The house covers the retail trade naturally tributary to Greenville and has always stood high in the estimation of the trade. All the members of the firm were in when I called and the little gathering soon included two or three local mer- chants and Lloyd Leddick a retailer at Sheridan. On being asked if I thought the chains would be ultimate- ly overcome by the independents in the grocery line I stated: “I most cer- tainly do. Control of the distribution of food will pass into the hands of voluntary chains, to the curtailment of corporate chain organizations in the near future. A final check-up of fig- ures by the American Institute of Food Distribution and promulgated in its annual study of voluntary chain developments, reveals that the number of individually owned and_ operated grocery outlets is diminishing at a rapid pace. In 1931, according to the report, the number of voluntary chains reached a total of 688, an increase of 19.9 per cent. over 1930, while the num- ber of grocery units holding member- ship in such chains rose to 83,224, a gain of 28.3 per cent. for the year. I further stated that the rapid growth of the chain organizations for a time was due, in my opinion, to the cowardice and near-sightedness of the wholesale grocers of America in not taking a strong and united stand with the food manufacturers when they be- gan selling their products to the chain organizations at a lower price than they sold to the jobbers. If they had taken such a stand and refused to han- dle the products of any food manu- facturer who discriminated against the wholesaler and independent dealer in favor of the chains the position of the independents would have been secure and the chains would have been forced to manufacture their own goods, which would never have gotten very far, be- cause in the early days of the chains they handled goods of poor quality almost exclusively. Since that time they have discovered their mistake and reached the conclusion that no perma- nent business can be built up by cut- ting prices and selling low grade goods. They still adhere to the practice of handling undersized and short weight packages when they can find a manu- facturer who will put up such goods for them. The - Greenville conversation was supplemented two days later by a talk I had with J. O. Berglund, dealer in groceries, shoes and dry goods at 1953 Lake Shore drive, Muskegon. Mr. Berglund also conducts a grocery store at the corner of Walnut and Thomas streets, which is under the management of his son. To properly understand Mr. Berg- lund’s attitude the reader should know that he has an A. & P. store on one ‘side of him and a Kroger store on the other side. The hour I called (3 p.m.) there were more than a dozen customers in the Berglund store, one customer in the A. & P. store and no customers in the Kroger store. Mr. Berglund remarked: “The grocer is certainly in the best position of any retailer during the present period of business inactivity. People along without hardware, can shoes dry goods, but they must eat in order to live. I shall never quite forgive the wholesale grocers for permitting food get and manufacturers to sell the chain organ- izations their products at lower prices than they sell the jobbers. If the wholesalers had ‘stood up for their rights, as they should have done, the chain stores would never have gained the foothold they have succeeded in acquiring. I have undertaken to show the jobbers how unfair they have been to themselves and the retail trade by sulking in their tents when they ought to have put on fighting garments and asserted their rights in man fashion. Having failed to protect themselves and their retail friends they have forced us retailers to create and maintain buying organizations of our own, which have enabled us, to a great extent, to meet the competition of the chain stores. It is unfortunate that so few organizations of this character have succeeded as our organization has suc- ceeded in Muskegon, because they have undertaken to get along with weak and inexperienced managers. We have made our share of mistakes along that line, but we have profited by the mistakes of the past and have gotten our organization on a thoroughly busi- nesslike basis. Our expense ratio is the lowest of any retail buying organ- ization in the State. We maintain the ground we have gained and possibly make still further reduc- tions in the cost of doing business.” expect to Mr. Berglund has been engaged in business at his present location thirty years. He has a well planned store and his stock is arranged to good ad- vantage in all three departments. Ole Peterson, the Peck street gro- cer, has recently installed a new show- case for baked goods and confectionery which enables him to handle that branch of his business to excellent advantage. The device is a combined show case and counter, built against the side wall of the store. It was created and installed by a local cabinet maker who has produced a very at- tractive feature in a very attractive store. In our issue of April 6 I published a series of rulings promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission the week before, prohibiting the discriminatory prices which are accorded chain store organizations by food manufacturers. Two of the most important rulings are as follows: The secret payment or allow- ance of rebates, refunds, commis- sions or unearned discounts, whether in the form of money or otherwise, or secretly extending to certain purchasers special ser- vices or privileges not extended to all purchasers under like terms and conditions, with the intent and with the effect of injuring a competitor and where the effect may be to substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly or to unreasonably re- strain trade, is an unfair trade practice. The selling of goods below cost for the purpose of injuring a com- petitor, and where the effect may be to substantially lessen competi- tion, is an unfair trade practice. _ When I published these rulings I supposed they would have to be passed upon by the courts before they became fully operative and so stated in the Tradesman of the same date. I now find I was mistaken. Last week I received a call from a representative of the Federal Trade Commission, who went over the matter with me in detail and showed me that the rulings were extracted from the Clayton law, enact- ed by Congress about a quarter of a century ago, which has been substained by the Supreme Court every time it has been brought before that tribunal. All that is needed to make this act effective is the united action of inde- pendent merchants, who will be as- sisted in the prosecution of the food manufacturers and chains guilty of these practices by a large number of able attorneys who are on the regular staff of the Commission, ready and willing to enforce any law which has been enacted under the supervision of the Commission or which comes un- der their jurisdiction. The enforce- ment of this particular law will prac- tically put the chains out of existence, because it will prevent them obtaining goods any cheaper than the independ- ents are able to obtain them. O. R. Johnson, who owns a farm near Allendale, has purchased a_ lot, 50 x 70 feet in dimensions at the cor- ner of Lake Michigan boulevard and the belt line boulevard, five miles West of Grand Rapids, and is erecting a one-story store building, 30 x 63 feet in dimensions. It is being constructed of face brick and hollow tile and will be the first start on permanent build- ings at that location. I met an old friend on the street last week who appeared to be in a very happy frame of mind. He had just come from a safety deposit room, where he had made a careful computa- tion of the contents of his strong box. I enquired as to the occasion of his happy mood and was informed that he had found his securities, for which he had paid $500,000, were still worth $100,000. “Most of my friends, he said, find that their securities have depre- (Continued on page 23) 10 FINANCIAL Would Put Government in Banking Business. The Garner relief bill passed by the House of Representatives is note- worthy primarily as an extraordinary hodge-podge of unsound proposals, To aid business the Reconstruction Fi- nance Corporation is to lend to con- cerns which are unable to borrow from their banks. To help the desti- tute a small fund for direct relief is created. To increase employment pro- visions is made for an enormous pub- lic building program. Tho total amount involved in the bill is $2,290,000,000. Of this $1,000,- 000,000 is to extend aid to business through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Direct relief of the destitute is taken care of by giving the President $100,000,000 to be used as he sees fit. The building program, consisting largely of constructing post- offices throughout the country, is to take the remaining $1,190,000,000. Granting the Reconstruction Finance Corporation an additional $1,000,000,- 000 of lending power with no appre- ciable restrictions in the way they can use the funds would be absolutely valueless. The banks of this country have adequate lending power to take care of any legitimate credit needs. If the Reconstruction Finance Corpora- tion were to lend $1,000,000,000, ac- cordingly, it necessarily would be to the poorer credit risks to which com- mercial banks refuse to lend. It is probable, therefore, that such advances would degenerate into a financial breadline for business organizations. Giving $100,000,000 to the President for the relief of the poor is the best feature of the program. It has the advantage of eliminating waste by making it possible to have every dollar spent be of some benefit to those in need. The proposal is unsatisfactory because it imposes upon the President the responsibility of distribution. This responsibility should rest with an. in- dependent organization. The provision of $1,190,000,000 for building means, in the final analysis, practically the throwing away of this money. We do not need these build- ings at present. Their construction, too, is certain to be accompanied by waste and extravagance. The result of this program. on the unemployment situation would be negligible. Sound business recovery in this country, it should be clear by now, never can be obtained by having the Reconstruction Finance Corporation enter into direct competition with the commercial banks or by having the Federal Government spend an enor- mous amount of money on a needless building program. Those who propose these methods as the “way out” reveal a complete lack of appreciation of the fact that one of the major difficulties at present is too much debt. Both of these proposals merely would have the effect of burdening business and the people with a still larger debt burden. The granting of relief to the un- employed does not come in the class of ways to restore prosperity. It is an emergency measure to prevent hu- man suffering, As such it should be handled in the most economical way MICHIGAN TRADESMAN possible. This would be by direct re- lief to the unemployed extended through the proper organizations. Ralph West Robey. [Copyrighted, 1932.] —_~++>—__ Preferred Stocks. The average investor knows that a holder of a first mortgage bond is a preferred creditor of a corporation. Most corporations’ actual ownership, however, is divided between two class- es of stockholders, usually common and preferred. The directors of the corporation are obligated to pay divi- dends at a specified rate on the latter before they pay anything on the com- mon. This is the reason it is desig- nated as a preferred stock. In payment for their rights to prior claim, the preferred stockholders waive any rights as to future earnings. Usually, the preferred share holders are protected by some safeguards such as equal or sole voting rights in case of dispensing of dividends prohibiting additional preferred or bonds with a majority in interest of preferred stocks and prohibiting a payment of common dividends which reduces working cap- ital below a fixed percentage for pre- ferred stocks, The investor’s motive in buying a preferred stock is to obtain higher yield while avoiding risks which are inherent in common stock. The differ- ence in yield as between preferred stocks and bonds is in favor of pre- ferred owing to a factor of taxation. Preferred stocks are exempt from normal income tax and in certain cas- es from local taxation. Also, many in- vestors buy due to convenience in re- ceiving dividend checks. Many analysts question the justifica- tion of classing preferred stocks in the same group as bonds. In many cases it is questionable as to the proper safeguards. A cumulative provision offers no assurance of sustained in- come in case of poor earning power. This is probably also true on a bond issue. However, the bondholder has assurance that if the corporation can- not earn interest, it will eventually go through liquidation or reorganization. This is not true in case of preferred stock. A preferred stock issue of a public utility depends on the size and stability of earning power. As a class, preferred stock of the electric light and) power group and utilities make the best showing. Railroad preferred stocks have not been a safe vehicle for investment. It is quite apparent that a preferred stock issue does not have the investment merit of a bond of the same group. A lack of mort- gage security snd necessity of divi- dends under force of receivership is lacking. Many preferred shareholders forget that they share in the risk of the enterprise without sharing in the prosperity of the enterprise. They must be therefore regarded as distinct- ly inferior to the bonds from a stand- point of security while lacking in the opportunity of appreciation in value as found in a list of good common stocks. Jay H. Petter. —_~+->—__ Indicates Difficulty of Large Bond Issue. Those individuals urging a large Government borrowing program for emergencies and public construction should study with care the reception being accorded the new Treasury financing. There is a “good” demand for the $350,000,060 of 1% per cent. one year certificates, but less favor is shown the $400,000,000 of 3 per cent. three year notes. Both issues will be fully taken, of course, but the relative demand for the two indicates that the rate in the three year notes was a little lower than the market likes. In appraising this reception as an indication of the probable success of further heavy borrowing it also should be remembered that the demand for short term Treasury issues is sub- stantially better than that for long term Government obligations. If the Treasury encounters a “sticky” mar- WE RECOMMEND Low priced bonds in the tol- lowing groups as exchanges for weak or defaulted secur- ities. Railroads Public Utilities Industrials List furnished upon request. J. H. Petter & Co. 343 Michigan Trust Building Phone 4417 June 8, 1932 ket for $400,000,000 of 3 per cent. three year notes, therefore, it is cer- tain that some difficulty would be met in an attempt to sell a large long term issue at a reasonably low rate of in- terest. During the past year the problem of handling our Federal finances has be- come increasingly difficult. This has been the result of the practice intro- duced some years ago by the Treas- ury Department of keeping a large part of the public debt in short term obligations. Because of this the mar- ket for short term Government securi- ties ‘has been permitted to get out of harmony with the rest of the capital structure. It has become necessary 3 West Michigan's oldest and largest bank solicits your account on the basis of sound poli- cies and many helpful services ... OLD KENT BANK 2 Downtown Offices 12 Community Offtices INCORPORATED Established 1860 Incorporated 1865 THE ONLY NATIONAL BANK IN GRAND RAPIDS The Largest National Bank Western Michigan ION GROUP escent ES eae nace abi EOP REN ORCS et tee June 8, 1932 accordingly for the banking system to hold a larger and larger proportion of the Federal debt. When the plan was introduced it appeared to have the effect of saving the Treasury Department a substan- tial amount of interest payments. This, nevertheless, was extremely — short sighted because it was based upon the assumption that interest rates would remain low. In due time, as was cer- tain, money rates advanced, with the result that the short term debt cost the country more than it would if the obligations had been refunded into long term bonds when the opportunity was so favorable. An even more serious objection to the policy, however, is that the recent large Federal deficit has necessitated calling upon the commercial banks to write up credits to the extent of bil- lions of dollars for the account of the Government. To-day the banking system is holding approximately one- third of the entire National debt of the country. The net result of the policy, therefore, has been on the one hand only a false economy in the car- rying charges of the public debt, and, on the other hand, the placing of an unjustified and unnecessary burden upon the commercial banking system. In spite of these serious objections to the recent Treasury policy extreme care must be used in making a change at this time. A large long term bond issue could not be floated at present without paying a rate of interest which would have an unfavorable effect upon the existing issues. This is a point which cannot be emphasized too strongly in considering the possibility of large reconstruction loans. As quickly as possible, however, the present policy must be changed. Dur- ing the next twelve months over $4,- 000,000,000 of short term, Treasury ob- ligations will mature. effort should be made to refund a large por- tion of this into long term obligations in an attempt to transfer the burden of our public debt from the banks to Every the general investing public. Ralph West Robey. [Copyrighted, 1932.] —__>-- > The Mounting Cost of Government. Some twenty business executives, impressed with the fact that America is indeed at the crossroads, are en- gaged in an effort to bring certain in- formation home to their radio audienc- es with the hope that these audiences will be galvanized into action. For the moment we are not con- cerned with the causes of. the depres- sion. We are faced with the fact that many American industries are at a low ebb and vast unemployment exists throughout the Nation, and there are many who believe it is increasing. Be- cause of these facts, our morale has been greatly lowered and a sense of defeat has replaced our normal optimism. I believe we will be unable to start on the road back until we have regained some degree of con- fidence. An analysis of the present mental condition of business points clearly to the fact that it is not so much con- cerned with what has happened as it is fearful of what the future may un- fold. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN We view the mounting cost of Gov- ernment with increasing alarm. Through radio and public press you have learned that the cost of govern- ment has risen from some three bil- lion dollars before the kaiser’s war to over fifteen billion this year, an in- crease of 500 per cent., although in- comes in this country are now back almost to where they were before the war. The cost of government has risen so much that one-third of all your income now goes for taxes. You may not realize you are paying the taxes, but they are there just the same in the prices of everything you buy. In fact, to present the matter more concretely, everyone engaged in gain- ful labor has to .give all his pay for two days out of every six to the Gov- ernment through direct and indirect taxes. Unless this tide of expenditure is turned back, we are joyriding to certain disaster. We stand to-day gripped in the fear of partisan and selfish minorities which appear to be in control and may continue to control the destinies of this Nation. We are fearful that the savings of the people will be squan- dered at the behest of the “locust swarm of lobbyists’ who have been able to impose their will upon our legislators by threats of defeat at the ensuing election. No business man of intelligence will buy his raw materials in any quan- tity until he feels the downward trend of commodity prices has ceased, and it is not likely to cease until the finan- cial integrity of this Government is definitely assured. lf this, then, fairly states the prob- lem, as I believe it does, how is it to be solved? The solution is of vital importance to every one of us and in its solution we all have a common cause, If we would give business that as- surance it must have before the wheels of progress can start again, we must determine that the men and women who make our laws and spend our money will place the National welfare above every partisan consideration. All over this Nation, men in positions of responsibility are working early and late to find a solution of our present difficulties, but unless our faith in our institutions and our future is restored, no solution will be effective. We are approaching a great Nation- al election. Candidates will parade be- fore you, stress their qualifications and invite your support. They will have party labels to identify them, but I believe the issues next fall should transcend all party lines. The funda- mental duty of citizenship in the com- ing election is the resurrection of our National conscience and our National honor. This can be done by maintain- ing a balanced budget, based on taxa- tion that is not an unjust strain on any individual or class. We are indeed to-day in a dark hour, but I cannot surrender to pes- simism. Sooner or later, this country will have a new birth of prosperity. Our vast resources remain intact. Our productive capacity is unimpaired. We are wiser mentally and better spiritual- ly for the chastening experience of the recent years. Let us not forget that we are merely trustees of these United States charged with a duty of passing them on to coming generations, bet- tered by our stewardship. In this we have a common purpose. For it we must work shoulder to shoulder. Re- member that industry is our country’s life blood. It feeds and clothes and houses us all. Will you not do your part to revive it? I urge that you will take your great responsibility to heart and see to it that the only passport to the next Congress and other bodies that make our laws, will be patriotism, character and intelligence. C. M. Chester, President General Foods Corp. —_——_ +. A Business Man’s Philosophy. Now that I am in the middle years of life I should like to pay my respects to the dozens of older men who, by their friendship, have helped and en- couraged me during the last twenty- five years. Older men have given me so much sound counsel and good example that I have long been puzzled to under- stand their kindness and_ tolerance. Only now do I begin to realiize they got something from me. I do not value their contribution any the less, because the gain was mutual, but since I have turned into the aging group I see that I can now profitably seek the society of men younger than myself. From young men we get enthusiasm, courage, hope and zest for living. They keep our minds receptive, plastic and impressionable. When the society of young men begins to irk and disturb us it is a danger signal that should be heeded, for it means that we are not only old in years, but also old in mind. 11 Just as we should go to the doctor each year to learn the condition of our arteries, so we should mingle with youth to test the activity of our brain cells. When the gray matter “sets” we have become hopeless. William Feather. a a Tact. The manager of a restaurant was much embarrassed to see a stranger at one of his tables wearing a napkin in the old-fashioned way—tucked under his chin. It would never do to have such a thing as this, but on the other hand it was a ticklish problem to decide how the napkin could be removed. Calling a waitress he asked her to suggest the removal as tactfully as possible. Five minutes later he almost fainted when the young lady posed in front of his customer and said serious- %? ly: “Shave or hair cut, sir? AMERICAN HOME SECURITY © BANK ° Under the Tower Clock On Campau Square and _its connection here. Ally Your Business with a bank that will help you, in every way, to take advantage of the opportunities which you enjoy here in Grand Rapids - - a city of diversified industries. THE GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK has been an essential factor in the develop- ment of Grand Rapids for over 61 YEARS, EXPERIENCED, PERSONAL SERVICE adds much to the value of a GIAOLO GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK “The Bank Where You Feel at Home” 17 Convenient Offices 12 RETAIL GROCER Retail Grocers and Meat Dealers Associa- tion of Michigan. President—Paul Schmidt, Lansing. First Vice-President — Theodore J. Bathke, Petoskey. Second Vice-President — Randolph Eckert, Flint. Secretary — Herman Hanson, Grand Rapids. Treasurer—O. H. Bailey, Sr., Lansing. Directors—Hans Jorgenson, Muskegon; L. V. Eberhard, Grand Rapids; John Lurie, Detroit; E. B. Hawley, Battle Creek; Ward Newman, Pontiac. Two Grocers Who Know Where They Are Heading. Business of $209,000 in 1930, which dropped to $188,000 in 1931, in which the gross earnings varied only some $200 from $68,000 in both years shows good management. Any man any- where could be proud of such a show- ing. It was done by a food merchant in a town of 65,000, one who operates on the full service plan. Looking over his shelves I noted what I should call sensible prices on any number of packaged products the prices of which are commonly kicked about by all and sundry, and I remark- ed on that fact. His answer was: “Well, you see, we do a full service business and, of course, we can not cut the life out of our goods.” This merchant’s activities extend into all departments and nobody ever finds him idle. The one criticism I have heard of him is that he tries to do too much himself. Well, mebbe so—mebbe so; but I have noticed dur- ing a long life of close observation that the man who produces exception- al results is apt to be a worker, and, candidly, I do not think there is any other way. Moreover, I do not pity the man who works effectively. I believe there is satisfaction in such accomplishment which far outweighs any consideration of mere leisure or the deception of ease. Net earnings in 1931 were 4 per cent. on sales. That was after the chief had taken out a salary of $5,000. He al- most apologized for drawing such a salary, but I cut him short on that. I told him that any man who could pro- duce such results was cheap at $5,000 to his own or any other business. How did this man produce such re- sults? I do not know and I do not much care, because how one man handles a problem is not likely to in- dicate how another may handle his perplexities. The point is that this man faced his own tasks and perform- ed them. He found his own way through difficulties about which so many others are only complaining. That he did it shows it can be done. The one worthwhile hint is that he recognized the limitations of the ser- vice business and worked within them. He had the wisdom to stick to his specialty. That, to my mind, is the keynote to his success. I have lately found another man who conducts a service business of al- together another kind. He is of the second generation in a strictly country store located in a thriving city of around 70,000. The business runs to $125,000 a year on a margin of 22 per cent. with expense—inclusive of a small salary to its two proprietors— of 9 to 10% per cent., so the net rang- es from 12% to 11% per cent. Such figures are almost incredible; but they are true. The explanation lies in MICHIGAN TRADESMAN much the same direction as the other grocer above described. Because this man operates on a well- defined plan—does the business that fits in with that plan—he passes other business, not only regardless but with a pleasant smile, which I shall relate presently. Consider that this business turns 2,500 barrels of flour annually to folks who cart it away; sells soap by the box; turns out a lot of grains, all with only four or five men and stock turn of ten times annually. That is a hint of the how. Only one brand of canned coffee is carried and other items are similarly controlled. The remainder he tells himself. “How do we do it? I think I can tell you. If you lived in Blankton, say within a few blocks of our store, and came to me to open an account. I would thank you and say I was pleased that you should want to trade with me. I should tell you your credit was good and that we did business on credit. But I should also tell you that I could not handle your business and would rather you went elsewhere. “This because the service we should have to give you would run our ex- penses up out of all proportion to the remainder of our business. We simply could not afford to serve you—not even to the extent of selling you what you might call for. “The people who come to us come with a list of wants. Their orders are large. They gather up a good load of supplies. We sell them the paint for their house or barn—their common hardware and plumbing supplies—kegs for their wine. There is good margin in what they buy and the sales are big. One man can get rid of a lot of goods to such customers. “Such people do not come in with manufacturers’ coupons for a bottle of eyewash free with one they buy. When such deals come, we buy them; but then we simply sell at regular prices. We meet people personally, often the sons of men who traded with our fathers. We stick to our line closely, are not tempted away from it, and . thus are able to take out about $14,- 0CO net each year between us, after paying ourselves fair salaries.” No lesson could be plainer than these two. Let men stick to their own lasts. Let each work within the limits of a definite plan of business, careful- ly thought out in advance, and success will be commoner. I have suggested more than once why it is a better plan to mark every item than merely to mark shelves be- low a given lot of goods. Another angle came to me lately. This was where I found shelves marked, but also every can, bottle, package and what have you was marked plainly. I asked. The answer was: “Our checker rings up the items and puts the check list into the purchaser’s bag. But when she gets home, she is not always able to tell just what item cost 14c, 37c and 49c and she is not settled in her mind until she knows. We have had her come back a week later for us to set her right. “But with each item marked, she has no trouble. She can check things right out to the cent and is satisfied.” That came from a highly successful man. He finds it worth while to have customers whose minds are at peace, completely satisfied with his store and service. It is a good idea to emulate the ways of big, successful men. Recently a grocer evinced how we are in the habit of taking snap judg- ment and letting our imagination run away with us. This grocer arose in a meeting to ask how it was possible to cope with the department stores who used the grocery end for a leader, “cutting everything to pieces;’ and was it “right” for them to do that? The usual and proper answer is that whether a merchant spends money to advertise or uSes cut prices is some- thing for his election, so long as he figures his costs accurately. But I visited the store in question and found grocery prices fully in line with good practice. Even the sugar was priced to yield a real profit. The manager explained to me that his plan of opera- tion was to make a margin—if only a small one—on every single item. True, they ran “specials” on sales days, but these were no more radical than any store ran. Also they were confined to commonly cut items. The range of his stock was priced fully up to usual levels, or higher. So we find again that the neighbor merchant does not know what he is talking about—largely because he reads the special advertisements but never does the obvious thing—visit the store and look it over. Paul Findlay. —___*+-— Food Trades Start Quality Move. The movement for promotion of quality rather than price merchandise, which originated in the independent June 15, 1932 store field, will spread shortly to all branches of the food trades, according to reports in retail circles. Price com- petition reached an acute stage in the food industry this week following a month of -competitive reductions by manufacturers of Nationally advertised products as well as by jobbers market- ing goods under private labels. At the present time leaders in the industry are urging quality promotions on job- bers and retailers. Their arguments will be followed up next week by bul- letins from manufacturers’, wholesal- ers’ and retailers’ trade organizations. —_—_>2->—____ A Refrigeration Advance. Another step forward for air condi- tioning. A new type of commercial refrigerator circulates washed air. Both the temperature and the relative hu- midity inside of the box are under con- stant control. —_»++———_ The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he hoped to make it —Barrie. Beech-Nut COFFEE - PEANUT BUTTER CATSUP - BUTTER WAFERS TOMATO JUICE TOMATO JUICE COCKTAIL and other foods of exceptionally fine flavor BEECH-NUT PACKING CO., CANAJOHARIE, N.Y. STOCK “ROWENA” products better-milled for purity and goodness.......- Whole Wheat Flour Cake Flour Buckwheat Compound Golden ‘‘G’’ Meal White Corn Meal Self-Rising Cake & Biscuit Flour and the famous “LILY WHITE FLOUR” @ VALLY CITY MILLING CO. @ Portland, Pancake Flour Graham Flour Grand Rapids, Pure Buckwheat Steel Cut Wheat Traverse City, Mich. Aw the canned foods you feature grown and packed in your home state? W. R. Roach & Co., Grand Rapids, main- tain seven modern Michigan factories for the canning of products grown by Michigan farmers, ¢ brand you know — June 15, 1932 MEAT DEALER Michigan State Association of Retail Meat Merchants. President—Frank Cornell, Grand Rapids Vice-Pres.—E P, Abbott, Flint. Secretary—E. J. La Rose, Detroit. Treasurer—Pius Goedecke, Detroit. Next meeting will be held in Grand Rapids, date not decided. Lard in High Position Among Short- ening Agents. “Scientific research has proved that lard is a superior shortening agent,” according to Dr. W. Lee Lewis, Di- rector of the Department of Scientific Research of the Institute of American Meat Packers, in discussing the merits of lard before a conference of depart- mental heads of Iowa State College held at Ames. “Highest shortening power, a wide plastic range, a delicate flavor, and a high degree of digestibility are quali- ties that science has shown that lard possesses,” continued Dr. Lewis. “Both science and art attest the fact that lard is to be preferred in the mak- ing of plain pastries, and that it pro- duces the lightest and flakiest pie crust,” he said in elaborating these points, “Relative shortening power of a fat or oil is determined by the breaking or crushing strength of the baked product. That product is shortest which crushes most easily between the teeth. Experiments with the shorto- meter, an instrument that tests this quality, give lard the highest recogni- tion as a shortening agent. In one study conducted at the Research Laboratory of the Institute founded by Thomas E, Wilson at the Univers- ity of Chicago, thousand shortometer determinations were made and lard was found to lead all other solid shortenings in shortening power. From the evidence of the practical home maker and the scientific worker, lard can be placed at the top of the list as a shortening agent in the mak- ing of pie, the great American dessert. over five “Flavor is another quality for which lard is desirable. The rich, appetizing, nut-like flavor of an article made with lard or cooked in lard cannot be re- produced in any other cooking fat. “The wide plastic range of lard ap- peals to the housewife. This means that it is easily workable at almost any usual temperature. “The high digestibility of lard has been definitely established by a num- ber of impartial investigators. For example, C. F. Langworthy made a study for the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture on the digestibil- itv of fats and oils, and proved that lard is equal in digestibility to any fat. The data shows that various hydro- genated vegetable oils vary somewhat in digestibility, but in no case was any of them ever found to be superior to lard. “Lard, moreover, is probably the most economical shortening on the market to-day. “Within the packing industry a great deal of scientific research is be- ing directed to lard, important tech- nical data are being compiled, which, according to present known facts, are sure to place lard in a high position MICHIGAN TRADESMAN among shortening agents in the new merit competition.” ——_++-___ Cost of Marketing Groceries. About 17.5 cents of the consumer's dollar goes to pay the expense of wholesaling and retailing the ordinary types of groceries, such as canned and packed goods, when the wholesale and retail groceries operations are conduct- ed on an efficient basis, according to statistics just announced by the De- partment of Commerce on costs of grocery operation. This figure, covering merchandising costs from the manufacturer to the consumer, is not regarded as excessive, considering the convenience and ser- vice provided by groceries to their patrons, it was stated orally in the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- merce. The cost figure was obtained, it was explained, by combining the average cost of operation of a group of efficient wholesale groceries, just made public by the Department, with figures on costs of retail groceries compiled some time ago by the De- partment. The following additional informa- tion was provided: The average expense of the more efficient wholesale groceries, as shown by a study by the Department, de- signed to provide a “yardstick” by which these stores can measure their efficiency, is about 4 per cent. of the value of their sales. Reduced to a percentage of the retail value of the goods, this becomes about 3.5 per cent. Previous studies by the Department showed the average expense of the more efficient retail groceries to be about 14 per cent. of the retail value of the goods sold. The two percent- ages combined give the total of 17.5 per cent. In computing these costs, only the usual types of groceries were consid- ered, and meats, fresh produce, and dairy and bakery products were ex- cluded. For the latter four classifica- tions of goods, the costs are in each case somewhat higher. Forty-one wholesale grocery houses were studied in the survey of whole- sale expenses. Of these, 25 pere se- lected as the most efficient and were studied in detail. The most efficient of the retail es- tablishments studied previously had an operating expense of 12.74 per cent. of sales. The most efficient whole- sale house had an operating expense of 2.5 per cent. of wholesale sales, which, on the basis of retail prices, would reduce to a slightly smaller percentage. These two houses work- ing together could have provided com- bined wholesale and retail service at an expense of only about 15 per cent. of the value of the goods. While the figures on costs are e€x- pected to provide a basis for judging the efficiency of operation of the busi- ness, consideration must be given to other factors also in judging the effi- ciency of any given concern. In some sections of the country certain of the items of expense are greatly different from the same items in other regions. The survey of wholesale stores brought out the need for improved di- rection of the efforts of salesmen. Small, unprofitable customers were found in many cases to receive as * much attention as large, profitable customers. Proper direction of the sales force should result in concentrat- ing sales efforts on, the profitable out- lets for goods, with consequent in- crease in volume of sales and reduced operating costs. The result of such concentration of effort may well be to center the handling of the larger accounts in certain wholesale concerns and the handling of the smaller accounts in other concerns, to the profit of each. Attempts to handle trade with both large and smal] buyers result in diffi- culties and higher costs, and it may prove to be best for some wholesalers to concentrate on large accounts and others on small accounts. Each group of wholesalers would be in a position so to organize their business as to handle more effec- tively and at lower cost the type of trade which each group has chosen. ——_++ + Interest in Hollow Ware Reviving. Reports that a number of large de- partment stores in the East and Mid- west are planning special August sales of sterling, silver plate and pewter hol- low ware are regardedd as indications that interest in hollow ware is reviv- extreme thus ing, following the dullness which characterized the trade through- out the spring. With the large stores promoting hollow ware, it is held, other retailers will join in the move- ment. —__»>+>—____ No Gain in Size of Sales Check. Reports indicated that little head- way has been made by most stores in trying to raise the size of the average sales check. The view is expressed that this increase, if obtained this year, will have to be obtained during the Fall season, Intensive promotions this month have stressed price, and the chances of swelling the average sale during the ordinarily dull period were said not to be bright. For the half year, however, it is estimated that the drop in the average sale will not be as great as for the same period of 1931, due to less rapid retail price de- cline and the trend toward better quality merchandise, —_2+>—____ Tariffs, inflation and a_ hundred other suggestions for reviving indus- try are merely efforts to legislate for For Over 49 Years « « « Since 1882 13 incompetence. Business is now fight- ing a battle for survival of the fittest and ill-managed industrial and com- mercial concerns will go to the wall— H. Gordon Selfridge. Store, Offices & Restaurant Equipment G.R.STORE FIXTURE CO. 7 lonia Ave., N. W. Phone 86027 REPEAT SALES reward Grocers who stock POSTMA'S Delicious RUSKS! POSTMA BISCUIT C0. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 1882-1932 ommended By Pry’ OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY! FRIGIDAIRE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS B es RODUCT OF GENERAL motor WITH FAMOUS | coLD CONTROL AND HYDRATOR | | All Models on Display at Showreom F. C. MATTHEWS & CO. 18 E. Fulton St. Phone 93249 RED*STAR YEAST Ha4s been marketed under the most exacting requirement .. . that it be of the highest quality . . . regardless of production cost. Strict adherence to this policy has merited a host of friends who insist on Red Star Yeast as the... *BEST FOR ALL USES It will fulfill Your Customers’ expectations, too! 20c A DOZEN (Delivered) YOUR PROFIT is 50% on cost selling at 2 cakes for 5c Our Branch in or near your city guarantees a Fresh Supply RED STAR YEAST & PRODUCTS CO. Main Office - Milwaukee, Wisc. Detroit Branch—1234 W. Fort St. Grand Rapids Branch—515 Division Ave.. S. ** STRICTLY INDEPENDENT—SINCE 1882 ** 14 HARDWARE Michigan Retall Hardware Association. President—Chas. H. Sutton, Howell. Secretary—Harold W. Bervig. Treasurer—William Moore, Detroit. Push Timely Goods While They Are Still Timely. Warm weather brings to most indi- viduals, hardware dealers included, a perfectly natural tendency to relax. The main part of the spring rush is over. Making sales is a hard job at best. Now the average man feels like a holiday. The hardware dealer should fight resolutely against this tendency to let go. It is good, sound policy to set aside a definite time every summer for a real holiday, and to make like pro- vision for every member of the sales staff. But outside the holiday period devoted to complete relaxation, you should endeavor to keep your selling efforts up to the top notch of effi- ciency. The result of any tendency to slack- en effort is shown in the effect on sea- sonable lines. Every hardware store carries a comprehensive stock of hot weather goods. If these goods are to sell at right prices and bring a fair profit, they must be sold at the very start of the season. A slackening of selling effort, a failure through momentary indiffer- ence to clinch every possible sale, a slowing down for even half an hour every day—these things will make a considerable difference in your turn- over of hot weather lines, Timely lines which in June can be sold to good advantage will have to be cleared out at sacrifice prices in July or August, or carried over to another year. Hot weather lines include lawn mowers, screen doors and window screens, refrigerators, porch swings, hammocks, lawn seats and similar lines. Right now these lines are time- ly. The man who buys now will get an entire season’s service. But if he doesn’t buy now, in late July he may reflect, “I’ve got along this far without that refrigerator. I guess I can let it go until next year.” The time to push seasonable lines is at the start of the season. First, be- cause then the average individual most keenly realizes his need. And then the average purchaser can get the utmost benefit from his purchase. Of course these lines may be selling well—better perhaps than you expect- ed. Nevertheless, don’t take any chances on hot weather goods con- tinuing to sell. Push your sales now. Add the little bit of extra effort, clinch the extra sale, and make the very most of this, the best time to make sales. The only goods on which your profit is sure are the goods you have actually sold at a profit. The goods that linger in stock may make you a profit; or they may cost you a loss. And with each day the season advanc- es, the risk of loss grows greater and the chances of profit grow less. The first hot weather does more, though, than merely undermine your selling effort. It is apt to affect your newspaper advertising and window display. If you advertise on the hit and miss plan you argue that it won’t hurt to run that same copy a day or two more. If you have no definite MICHIGAN TRADESMAN window display schedule, you leave the old display in the window or, at the last moment, throw together a display that is carelessly arranged and ineffective. Remember, hot weather affects the customer just as it affects you. He becomes less aggressive; he develops a like tendency to put things off—and especially to put off the buying of timely articles he needs. So that ex- tra good display and extra appealing advertising copy are necessary right now. It will pay you at this season to have some definite schedule of window trim. and newspaper advertising. For instance, some dealers change their trims and newspaper copy twice a week. You are the best judge as to the time it pays you to keep the same advertisement in the paper and the same trim in the window.. It is a safe rule, however, that frequent changes are desirable. More than that, there should be a set interval between changes. With this determined, the next step is to ‘outline, in advance, various topics to be dealt with in your window trims and your newspaper ad- vertising. With such an outline be- fore you, you can collect ideas and, as you go about your work, can elaborate them; so that when the actual moment comes the task of trimming the win- dow or writing the advertisement will be relatively easy. For instance, one week you can put on a paint trim, and later one devoted to lawn mowers and allied lines. The next week. “Swat the Fly” is a good thing to touch upon; with perhaps campers’ outfits as a follow-up. It is good policy to work your display and newspaper advertising simultaneously. If you have more than one window, use the largest window to feature the advertised goods, and make them, naturally, the line you want to push the most. Having mapped out a_ schedule, stick to it resolutely. At times, this may be difficult; but on the whole, the schedule should make the work 50 per cent. easier. A worth-while idea to stress at the outset of the warm weather is em- bodied in this little excerpt from an advertising talk: “You need this refrigerator. Why not let us install it now and get the season’s full use of it, instead of strug- gling through the hot weather without and buying when it is too late to benefit?” This argument skillfully counters the thought in the mind of the pro- crastinating buyer. To individual buy- ers who argue, “Oh, but can’t I get this somewhat cheaper toward the end of the season?” The logical answer this year is: “Things are at absolute rock bottom now. They’re apt to go up. And anyway, a few cents differ- ence won’t recompense you for months of discomfort and inconvenience.” Suppose you are putting on a “Swat the Fly” display. Let your show card put the pointed question: “Why wait until the house is full of flies before screening your doors and windows?” Displays and advertising may incul- cate the idea of immediate action, of buying right now. But they will be futile if as a result of the hot weather tendency to relax you fail to push your individual gelling efforts aggressively and clinch the sales that come within your reach. Many sales are lost through slack- ness with individual customers. ‘The day is hot and comfortable, You say, “Oh, what’s the use? This fellow won’t buy anyway.” So you let him go—when, by dint of a little extra ef- fort on your part, he might have taken the goods with him. Why not put forth that little bit of extra effort? Victor Lauriston. —_—_ +2 >—___ Takes Emphatic Stand Against Price Cutting. At the Michigan Grand Council of the U. C. T., held in Kalamazoo week before last, the following resolution was unanimously adopted: To the Newspaper Publishing and Advertising Agencies of Michigan If price cutting were the means of establishing business on a solid footing we would now be experiencing the greatest boom of prosperity this coun- try has ever known, instead of being in the throes of depression; therefore it is Resolved that the United Commer- cial Travelers of America in State convention assembled most respect- fully request that you, individually and collectively, use your best efforts to influence patrons to again feature quality and values in their display ad- vertising, mentioning price only when necessary. Price, after all, is but secondary. The pleasure of possessing articles of real value still exists and should be cultivated. Merchandise sold on price alone has brought into the market many inferior imitations which will eventually reflect dis- astrously against the manufacturer, jobber and retailer as well. In their efforts to produce merchandise at still lower prices, manufacturers cannot pay a living wage. This, in turn, de- stroys the market for all merchandise except the bare necessities of life. Without fair and reasonable com- pensation the wage earner is no longer a prospective customer of the retailer. Eventually he becomes an object of charity and a burden upon the tax- payer, A. C. Guimond, 531 S. Phillip Ave., Detroit, Mich. Jurisdiction Director of Team Work. H. Fred DeGraff, Grand Rapids Council Leader. John B. Olney, Group Assistant. Team Work Pledge. I assume this pledge in good faith with an honest and sincere intention of sustained interest and activity in the understandings of the team work June 8, 1932 group of the United Commercial Travelers of America. 1. To give of my ‘time as I can and my influence as opportunity presents to further the interest of commercial travelers, particularly those who are members of this order. 2. To so conduct myself in all my dealings that my actions may reflect credit upon my profession and upon this organization. 3. To recognize the obligation of unity and that fellowship of vocation which establishes commercial travelers as a group having interest and pur- poses common to all and in the fur- therance of which all should contribute and in which all should share. 4. To the promises made and the principles set forth in this pledge, I subscribe with a full understanding of the moral obligation involved. —_>+>____ Cold Shipments On Hot Days. Another new development in the protection of food comes as a by- product of the competitive struggle between railroads and motor trucks. May 10 the Lehigh Valley and the entral of New Jersey railsoads began using a new container for I. c. 1. ship- ments. For it, this interesting claim is made: that for the first time in the history of railroads, it will this sum- mer be possible for a shipper to dis- patch perishable food in less than car- load lots and be absolutely sure, no matter how intolerable the weather, that each shipment will reach its des- tination unharmed. The new container is of steel, in- sulated, refrigerated by solid carbon dioxide. It has rollers and is small enough to be easily handled. The same container can be used to prevent ‘freezing of shipments in the winter. For non-perishable products it is made without the special insulation. —_*-._____ You will find that work has seldom killed anyone, but that worry ts almost as fatal as arsenic. Worry and fear not only paralyze the creative func- tions of the brain, but they form a poison in ‘the physical system that must be counteracted. Again, the amount of sleep required to recharge energy is directly in proportion to the amount of effort mecessary to hold your attention to ithe job in hand, The man driven by enthusiasm requires little sleep; the man expending con- scious effort requires much, Finally, study your physical equipment and keep it in smooth running order, that you may accomplish much with mini- mum effort and that you—and not your lheirs—may shave a chance to en- joy the fruits of your success.—James H. Rand, Jr. Corduroy Tires Known from the Canadian Border to the Gulf—and from New York Harbor to the Golden Gate—the Corduroy Tire has in ten years gained a reputation for value, for superlative performance and dependability that is second to none The Corduroy Dealer organization dots the nation’s map in metropolis and hamlet. It is an organization that swears allegiance to the Corduroy Tire because of long years of unfail- ing tire satisfaction to the motorists of the country. Go to your Corduroy Dealer today. Ask to see the tire. Big— Sturdy—Handsome in all its strength and toughness, the Cor- duroy Tire will sell itself to you strictly on its merit. CORDUROY TIRE CO. Grand Rapids, Mich. seme enoH Ra June 8, 1932 DRY GOODS Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association. President—Geo, C. Pratt, Grand Rapids. First Vice-President—Thomas P. Pit- kethly, Flint. Second Vice-President—Paul L. Proud, Ann Arbor. Secretary-Treasurer—Clare R. Sperry, Port Huron. Manager—Jason E. Hammond, Lansing. Colored Aluminum Line Offered. A new type of aluminum ware, available in a wide variety of colors, will be introduced in the American market next week by a German pro- ducer. The aluminum, decorated in shades of red, blue, green, black, tan and combinations, is intended to re- tail at prices averaging $1.25 to $2.25 an article. Applied by a special process the finish is held to be proof against damage by fire or by scratching. In addition to a complete line of kitchen utensils, the producers are showing jardinieres and bowls made to simulate decorative pottery and special bever- age shakers. >> Confident on Basement Lines. Orders being placed in the market for basement lines indicate confidence on the part of retailers that these sec- tions will continue to receive active consumer patronage well into the hot months. The chances are said to be that the basement sections of many stores will make a more _ favorable showing relatively during the summer than many of the upstairs divisions. Hosiery, underwear, corsets, house and street wear dresses, coats, girls’ wear and shoes are the major lines in the basement divisions. Most of these lines incidentally have the highest stock turn and lowest expense ratio. —_—_—_~o—+.___ Favor One Toy Fair a Year. The holding of one toy fair annu- ally, to be staged in Chicago during the first two weeks in May, is recom- mended by the marketing committee of the Toy Manufacturers of the United States of America. The mem- bers voted to review the results of the questionnaire with respect to toy fairs, issued at the last fair, and if a ma- jority is shown to favor the plan the recommendation will become operative. The action means the abandonment of the toy fair in New York City. James L. Fri, new director of the organiza- tion, reported a ruling will be sought from the Internal Revenue Department on questionable items coming under the new tax levy of 10 per cent. on sporting goods and games. ——_s es >___- Buttons Lead in Notions Demand. Dress ornaments and accessories continue as outstanding items in the notion trade. Manufacturers estimate that the call for buttons, buckles and slides and for dress shields and similar merchandise is considerably above the levels of Spring 1931. Early orders for Fall buttons are beginning to reach the trade and. emphasize products in metal finishes. Brass, bronze, silver and nickel are the finishes preferred. Ocean pearl shell buttons in white and a wide variety of pastel shades are wanted for immediate delivery. —_——_—__—>oeo__—_ Delay Spread Lines - Until July. While some of the leading bed- spread selling agents have received new fall patterns from their mills, they MICHIGAN TRADESMAN do not expect to show them formally or to put prices on them until the be- ginning of July. The uncertainty sur- rounding current quotations and the lack of interest by buyers warrant the delay in opening the new lines. While it was expected that the reduction in rayon yarn would be reflected only in fall prices, reports indicate that at least one mill has revised downward some of its rayon jacquard styles about 7% cents for a 100 by 83 num- ber. —_+~++___ Cotton Goods Curb To Aid Trade. The response shown by buyers dur- ing the week to the announced plans of some thirty cotton goods mills to shut down entirely for the current month led leaders in the industry to express the opinion that the curtail- ment will place the trade in a strong position. The reduction in output will be the sharpest the industry has ex- perienced in decades, it was said, and will permit the liquidation of stocks and may strengthen the price structure considerably. The volume of orders placed during the week was fairly sub- stantial and considerably larger than those of recent weeks. —_> > ___ Store Uses New Display Device. An automatic exhibiting device, capable of giving separate complete displays to twenty-four dresses, at- tracted attention in the window of a New York City store last week. The machine has two dozen arms, one be- hind the other. Each arm carries a dress to the front of the show window, turns it completely around twice so both sides of the garment can be exam- ined and then carries the dress to the rear of the machine. Operation of the machine is continuous. Men’s clothing, rugs, underwear, textiles and a variety of other products can be displayed by the apparatus. —_—_—_>+>—____ Low-End Fall Sweaters Active. Some of the underwear mills, mak- ing very low-end heavy sweaters, re- ported that wholesalers have begun to anticipate their Fall requirements in a fair way during the week, but that purchases are considerably below nor- mal. The regular sweater houses, however, state that their wool num- bers, those selling at $15 a dozen and above, have not moved in any quan- tity yet, but that they expect to see some improvement during July. The underwear mills’ cotton and cotton mixture sweaters to retail around $1 are the most active numbers. ore Se Prospects Favor Glass Containers. Prospects, for glass containers are arousing much hope among container manufacturers. Some hold that home preserving will be greater this year than last, when the demand for fruit jars overwhelmed producers in July and August. There are at least three table glassware plants operating on good schedules, but the average for the glassware field is below what it was at this time last year. Some re- tail outlets are calling for better grade wares as part of the campaign to in- crease profits through a better grade of merchandise. > + — When a Chinaman plays billiards he never uSes his own cue. 15 CLOTHING - STORE FIXTURES TO BE SOLD FOR STORAGE Complete Set of Fine Up-to-date Clothing Store Fixtures REVOLVING CLOTHING CABINETS HAT CABINETS — ALCOVES DRESSING ROOMS — SHOW CASES SHIRT CABINETS AND OPEN CABINETS 5 DRAW NATIONAL CASH REGISTER DISPLAY TABLES AND FIXTURES Will Be Sold as a Unit or By Lots SALE OPENS MONDAY, JUNE 20TH BLODGETT STORAGE CO. 959 Wealthy St. Grand Rapids, Mich. GLENN W. POPE SALES CO. MICHIGAN BELL TELEPHONE CO. Father and Mother know that their telephone means PROTECTION The long years have taught them that an emergency may strike at any moment ... fire... sudden illness ...a fall downstairs ...a bursting water or steam pipe .. . a blown fuse. But with their telephone, they can sum- mon aid instantly . . . doctor, firemen, police orservice company...dayornight. Of all things purchased, few give so much useful service and PROTECTION at such low cost as the telephone. 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 16 HOTEL DEPARTMENT California Wants No More Small Homes. Los Angeles, June 11—It grieves me much to learn of the passing of Tup- per Townsend. Mr. and Mrs, Town- send were among my very dearest friends of all the Michigan fraternity and Tupper was certainly worth while. The last time I saw him was five years ago, when he was superintending the erection of the New Whitcomb, the dream of ‘his existence, which fate de- creed he was not to enjoy. His career was a matter of history; his friend+ ship was one of my proudest posses- sions. I am glad to learn of the where- abouts of “Bill” Jenkins. The Hotel Knight, at Oshland, Wisconsin, is familiar to me. It is an old standby but a good one. If I do get back this year am going to make a detour of sufficient scope to renew acquaint- ance with the Jenkinses. California taxpayers and_ property owners have not been very enthusias- tic over the chimerical ideas of Presi- dent Hoover, who has sent many mes- sages to Congress and has brought about some legislation in the vain at- tempt to stem the tide of depression. Maybe they have worked out in the East, but California doesn’t want any more smal] homes, especially when thousands of this particular type are on the delinquent taxpayers’ list this year and have been for some time previously, Out here we are the dump- ing ground for unemployed labor and probably will continue to be until the ‘“Sumping-off place” is moved further West. Residences and what are prop- erly called homes, are over-built 25 per cent.; apartment buildings and ho- tels 40 per cent.; stores and office buildings approximately the same. The building program has been very much in excess of the demands by increase of population, and the small homes head the list in the superfluity column. Whenever a new manufacturing unit has been brought here from the East, it has been accompanied by a full com- plement of workers. The normal sur- plus of workers is usually large, but now it is estimated to be fully 4 per cent. of the total. I know people who have been out here for fully a year trying to find jobs and the nearest they have come to it was chewing orange rinds on the curb in front. of the Midnight Mission, the city’s most outstanding charitable institution, Los Angeles promotional civic bodies take much pleasure in comparing the growth of their home town with New York for instance. They make the astonishing claim that in the brief span of twenty years she will have a population in excess of any city in the United States and they have a set of figures to prove than in 1960 she will fill up all the blank spaces between Santa Barbara and San Diego, but they will not stop long enough to ex- plain that, for instance, Wilshire boulevard from Westlake Park to La 3rea boulevard, some four miles, while rated at $4,000 per front foot, is less than 15 per cent. improved, and that taxes are based on such fallacious values. The trouble in California be- gan years ago when everybody began anticipating the future. The great rush is to come alter President Hoover’s prosperity drive turns the “corner,” but they must be ready for it now. They have been sweating blood trying to reduce the taxes for the coming year, but the result is a four cent increase to $4.31, probably the heaviest impost of any city in the entire Nation. With an enormous list of delinquent taxes it is predicted she will be in Chicago’s happy (?) condi- tion in three years. Far be it from me to throw a monkey wrench into the mechanism, but there is a time MICHIGAN TRADESMAN when promotion schemes become or- ganized banditry and Los Angeles has surely arrived. Visions of California prosperity given the good folks from the East are slow in materializing. They never will be realized. It is a good place to be, especially for those who dread winter’s rigors in the East, and it is sure prolific in its offerings of sunshine and roses, but as I have repeated many times in these columns, it is a more wonderful place to stay away from if you have neither a fat wallet nor a job in sight. There are countless thousands in the East who would do well to abide here, others who should see California in its glory before they depart from terra firma: but the prudent individual will be very careful to familiarize himself with the somewhat extraordinary conditions prevailing here, before he loosens the puckering string to his coin bag. A great many hotel operators seem to think that just because the feeding end of their institution is a losing one they should be in a rush to dispose of it. They do not seem to delve deep enough to really know just where they are at. Last Sunday I took some friends of mine to a very neat and comfortable cafe, the Windsor, con- ducted by Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Heady, at 5607 North Figuero street, High- land Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, and was somewhat perturbed when they offered us a turkey dinner for 35 cents which was like this: Chicken Broth with Noodles Avocado Salad Roast Young Turkey, Celery Dressing Vegetable Plate and Mountain Trout Fancy Fruit Salad, Small Cakes Veal Steak and Country Gravy Barbacued Saddle of Lamb, Candied Yams Stewed Young Hen, Egg Dumplings Mashed Potatoes Summer Squash Hot Biscuits and Jelly Cherry Cobbler with Whipped Cream Beverages I couldn’t see how it could be done, but the proprietor, who is also the chef, reasoned it out with me. Mind you service was excellent, the portions ample and additional cups of coffee were forthcoming without the asking. However, in this modest place, with a seating capacity of only 150 they were serving from 1,500 to 2,500 dinners daily; they were good buyers and were displaying wonderful executive ability in handling their affairs. They are making money, in the face of keen competition, but they use their heads in the direction of their establishment. Here comes a card from “Uncle Louie” Winternitz, just as I was be- coming acclimated to California at- mosphere without his presence, advis- ing me that he is already back in San Diego, although he ‘thas been absent from the State a matter of only a fortnight. Must be he had charitable inclinations toward the railroad com- pany, which did not apply to the Mich- igan resort zone. Dr. W. D. Moore, of San Pedro, was ship’s physician when I was visit- ing the South Sea Islands some years ago, and we have continued to remain the very best of friends. During my late “unpleasantness” he was a constant visitor at my bedside, which was a great help. On the ocean voyage the Doctor proved himself to be a very versatile individual. In addition to distributing panaceas for sea-sickness, he preached a very interesting sermon to the voyagers on Sunday, and on Ben. Franklin’s. birthday gave a com- prehensive talk on the life of the great philosopher. He has retired: from, the service, but continues to radiate good- ness among his acquaintances, Preston D, Norton, who combines the management of Hotel Norton, De- troit, Hotel Norton+Palmer, Windsor, and the duties of secretary of the Michigan Hotel Association, has just been elected president of the Windsor Hotel Association, which is another live organization, of which he has been an active member for many years. The recently organized Monarch Hotel Company, Detroit, has taken over Hotel Griswold, one of the older establishments of that city, and has appointed H. E. Smith as _ resident manager. The Griswold has 150 rooms, and has adopted a moderate priced policy which is said to be mak- ing for success. Ear] R. Milner, presi- dent of the Milner Company, operat- ing Hotels Sherman, Traymore, Wil- son, Pennsylvania and Marlboro, in Detroit, the Milner, Toledo, and Mil- ner, in Flint, is also president of the Monarch organization. Jack Sabin, former business pro- motion manager of the Detroiter, a Knott holding, has joined the front office force of the Book-Cadillac, De- troit, under the management of W. J. Chittenden, Jr. The Michigan Hotel Association proposes to do its bit toward the re- peal of the eighteenth amendment, and has organized a live committee, with John A. Anderson, manager of Hotel Harrington, Port Huron, as chairman. The committee has laid out a definite plan for promoting the anti-prohibition movement, including contact with Na- tional senators and_ representatives from the various districts by members of the committee, the support of wet nominees for the legislature next fall regardless of party affiliation, and the support of avowedly wet delegates to both of the National political conven- tions. If they will also “smoke out” the covey of Michigan: congressmen who vote “dry” when occasion de- mands and entertain their friends with pre-war beverages secured from for- eign legations in Washington, they will have accomplished something. The Greeters of America, at their annual convention held at Kansas City last week, elected Roy Moulton, man- ager of Hotel Lincoln, New York, as international president, Martin E. Rowley, Denver, as secretary and treasurer, and A. C. (Duke) Pohl, Los Angeles, as sergeant at arms. CODY HOTEL GRAND RAPIDS RATES—$1.50 up without bath. $2.50 up with bath. CAFETERIA IN CONNECTION Hotel and Restaurant Equipment H. Leonard & Sons 38-44 Fulton St., W. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Warm Friend Tavern Holland, Mich. Is truly a friend to all travelers. All room and meal rates very reasonable. Free private parking space. GEO. W. DAUCHY, Mgr. peace SbeCsiis ICL Be oN nami bn RE AIK i AR A June 15, 1932 “A MAN IS KNOWN BY THE COMPANY HE KEEPS” That is why LEADERS of Business and Society make their head- quarters at the PANTLIND HOTEL “An entire city block of Hospitality” GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Rooms $2.25 and up. Cafeteria -t- Sandwich Shop MORTON HOTEL Grand Rapids’ Newest Hotel 400 Rooms “% 400 Baths RATES $2.50 and up per day. Park Place Hotel Traverse City Rates Reasonable—Service Superb —Location Admirable. GEO. ANDERSON, Mgr. ALBERT J. ROKOS, Ass’t Mgr. —~ New Hotel Elliott STURGIS, MICH. 50 Baths 50 Running Water European D. J. GEROW, Prop. HOTEL Yao Universally conceded to be one of the best hotels in Michigan. Good rooms, comfortable beds, ex- cellent food, fine cooking, perfect service. Hot and Cold Running Water and Telephone in every Room. $1.50 and up 60 Rooms with Bath $2.50 and $3 HENRY M. NELSON, Manager Occidental Hotel FIRE PROOF CENTRALLY LOCATED Rates $2.00 and up EDWARD R. SWETT, Mgr. Muskegon <3 Michigan Columbia Hotel KALAMAZOO Good Place To Tie To “We are always mindful of our responsibility to the pub- lic and are in full apprecia- tion of the esteem its generous patronage implies.”’ HOTEL ROWE Grand Rapids, Michigan. ERNEST W. NEIR, Manager. MI ai Ea i a a ah uaa Bareip June 15, 1932 Noel K. Black, Grand Rapids Charter, No. 22, was among the accredited delegates. Elizabeth Lloyd, for two years housekeeper at Hotel Claridge, Mem- phis, Tenn., and before that with the Rowe, Grand Rapids, has become housekeeper for the W. K. Kellogg Hotel, Battle Creek, _ Frank A. Berend, who has been as- sistant to E. J. Bradwell, managing director of Hotel Fort Shelby, Detroit, in charge of business promotion, has been appointed as business promotion manager of the Hearst chain of hotels in New York. Charles Wagner, formerly of De- troit, who ei echacad the partially de- stroyed Piper House, at Manton, from E. L. Piper, its former operator, has announced that repairs have been completed, and that the hotel will be re-opened this month. Joseph Bridgeman and = Arthur Smith, operators of a chain of small hotel in Detroit and Southern Michi- gan, have taken over Hotel Irwin, Bad Axe, and it will be operated with Mr. Bridgeman in personal charge. George W. Childs, for twenty-five years manager of the old Bay View House at Bay View, which burned last year, has concluded arrangements to take over the Roselawn Hotel at that place, and has manned it with a crew from his former establishment. The Roselawn is a well-equipped ho- tel and Mr. Childs is a most capable operator, so the combination ought to flourish. Patrons at the several feeding es- tablishments of the Book-Cadillac, De- troit, will be invigorated by the estab- lishment of air conditioning equipment which will reduce temperatures at least ten ‘degrees, Other changes are being made in the lobby arrangements of that establishnrent. R. D. McFadden, a former manager of the new Park Place visi: Trav- erse City, now at Evanston, Illinois, was chairman of the resolutions com- mittee, at the Greeters convention, at Kansas City. Recently at a linen shower given a movie staress, at Hollywood, one of the humorists of the colony there sent in a package which, when opened, was found to contain towels labeled with Pullman monograms, but by a strik- ing coincidence other offerings were marked as belonging to several hotels and clubs. It was only accentuating a practice which has been in vogue from time immemorable among theatrical organization, and, I regret to state, with some commercial men. wrote the slogan: “Say it with flowers,” died here a short time ago. He was known to every large advertiser in the country end is said to have had an annual in- come of $100,000 from this source. He talked in slogans and his office was in his hat. Typewriter in ‘hand, for years he made a practice of traveling about the country offering his wares to advertisers. He would walk into their places of business, proclaim him- self and say: “I'll write you ten slogans. If you like them pay me $200. If you don’t we throw them into the waste basket.” He is said to have been responsible for almost every worth-while slogan ever coined. His name was George Wilkinson, but out- side of his special line was little known. The man who Dry skim milk is an item rather re- cently introduced into the hotel and restaurant cusine, and is working out wonderfully. It is, in reality, nothing MICHIGAN TRADESMAN but fresh, pure skimmed milk, but in some forms of cooking is exceedingly desirable in manv formulas. My es- pecial attention. was. called to it re- cently by the manager of: a , local bokers’ supply house, though I had known of its use to advantage in a small way previously. Dieticians recommend it highly. The advantage of using same lies largely in the fact that it requires no refrigeration, and is in reality very nutritious, are trying to enact loafers, or pro- In Canada they a law to rid the hotels of “lounge lizards.” Under the visions ‘of the proposed act the hotel man will have the right to eject from his premises anv person not having business with the hotel or its guests. In this country the “house dick” usu- ally performs that little ceremony, as unostentatiously as possible, but at the came time it ista serious proposition to separate the assets from the liabilities. The local weather bureau announces that it has been compelled to add more help to its force of prognosticators. Judging from, the results in this neck of the woods, this season particularly, some greenhorns have been trying to do a man’s work and have. overplayed. Reminding me of a story General W. H. Sears, formeriy head of the can- ning industry, at Pentwater, used to tell about a local character at Chilli- cothe, Ohio, who used to predict the weather conditions with such a won- derful degree of certainty that one of the Cincinnati newspapers sent. a representative out there to interview the chap and ascertain what basis he had for making his claims. “Well,” he said, “I always read the Government forecast and predict exactly the oppo- site.” Figures have been produced which would indicate that $25,000,000 were disbursed at drug store lunch counters during the past year. I have before stated that while figures may. not be absolutely guilty of falsehood, they sometimes get out of alignment. If however, the statement is true, there ought to be some satisfaction in the knowledge that general health condi- tions which make it possible for high- stoolers to consume all that grub, are preferable to spending it all for physic. Rapidity in the consumption of food is in keeping with almost every mod- ernized condition. People nowadays seem to be eating to live, rather than hanging around to participate in social amenities. If they will not patronize your dining room, why give them quick lunches. The final solution of the whole problem will be the perfec- tion of the food tablet, and then we can all partake of nourishment without missing a stroke. Just how much a convention guest spends in a convention city will al- ways be a matter of conjecture, and, to my notion, will never be approxi- mately ascertained. It is even more elusive than the Santa Claus type of statistics. Some conventions will be made up of the “whoopee” type and only the bootleggers will be cognizant to any great degree of the prodigality of the visitors. The St. Andrews so- cieties and some of the religious or- ganizations will go to the other ex- tremes. The ordinary tradesman will keep no account of his transactions, the hotel man will have difficulty in separating the sheep from the goats, but will imagine he has been doing a world of business, basing his estimates on the amount of noise produced. Roy Hinkley, proprietor of the Hartford House, at Hartford, writes me he has lowered his rates and re- decorated those of his sleeping rooms which required attention. He has put down new linoleum in the lobby and installed new furniture and desks. He day: has put in new double doors in his dining room. Roy is always doing something to make his hotel more at- tractive and his guests more comfort- able F. Scott McBride doubts the exist- ence of the bootlegger to any great extent, never having caught up with one. Jf he will come out to California nd dwell in an apartment building I will guarantee he will have his curios- ity gratified within iorty-five minutes after ‘lighting’ and presumably by some public servant. He must dwell In a cyctone cellar if he would avoid them. Frank S. Verbeck. —_—__~ ~~» When on Your Way, See Onaway. Onaway, June 14—Ho, for the sum- mer vacation. Up in the little city of Onaway where the public schools have a reputation of being a real industry, and such it is. a class of thirty-six high school students received their diplo- mas, and to add. to this a county nor- inal class of fourteen proudly display- ed their diplomas fitting them for teachers, the majority of these having already secured their schools. When a new family reaches Onaway, their first question is “How about your chools?’”* Answer, “Look them over. They speak for themselves.” That is why . students. attend the Onaway schools, coming from miles away, and the large sums of money paid for tuition enhance the industry and put money into circulation for other busi- purposes. That is why we call the schools a big industry, not only from an educational standpoint, but as an important factor in making the world go around, Mrs. Pfeiffer,-normal principal, and Miss McLennan will spend their sum- hess mer vacation in the Canadian North- west. The book agent season has arrived with its usual number of gifted agents with a line of gab that would put a stone crusher to shame. Did you ever notice how much more effective a salesman’s talk is if he is an equally good listener? These eatiletian: so- called ‘high-powered salesmen do not wear; their meaningless canned har- angue is becoming altogether too com- mon to bother with. A vacation un North—that’s people are looking forward to We are sure of this, because already responses are coming in answer to our thousands of illustrated folders mailed out from our Chamber of Commerce. “We like your lakes, we like your rivers and streams because the waters are pure, cold and free from contamina- tion.” That is what they tell us. And equally cool and sweet is the at- mosphere where every breath is a fresh one, where one can sleep soundly with plenty of covers. What a relief from other stuffy heated atmospheres! Never before has there been such a what now. season for crops. Fruits and vege- table crops are fairly bounding; no over-night stops; a regular twenty- four hour service, with hay already to cut right now. E. J. McClutchey is making an ex- tensive addition to his filling station and otherwise improving his store property and residence, The Clark Hotel is being improved with mason work fcud: ation, and all during this time residences are being rapidly filled up until it was remarked Pha “It is very hard to secure a house in town,” and so it is. Cottages at present are available at Black Lake, during which time an opportunity is given to perhaps build before winter sets in. The next number will probably re- late how N. G. Koepsell intends ar- ranging for the fourth annual dairy picnic which attracts thousands from wide, Squire Signal. ae One thing is worth a premium to-{ Laughter, far and Atacitisend 3 ito be §fnomicat 2 Br 17 They Were Days of Barter. Country merchants had little compe- tition stores, mail order houses and city department stores in 1831 when Samuel Stoddard had an account at a store at Pinckney Corners near the present village of Copenhagen, New York. His old account book which has recently been found shows that from January to August of that year Stoddard’s family used exactly one dollar in cash. Mr. Stoddard’s from chain store bill for himself and his family ran up to $33.78. Farm- ers then were literally jacks of all trades. So here is the way Stoddard paid his store bill; that is, these were the commodities Stoddard disposed of to the storekeeper, and the prices he received for them: forty-nine pounds of butter, at 14 cents, $6.86; three thou- sand shingles, at $1.50, $4.50; two skins, $1.25; two cords of wood, $1.25; and one dollar in cash. Shingles and wood were cheap in those days. Stoddard must have grown most Of his own food because his food bill for eight months was only $2.83. It was made up of these items: tea, 23%, pounds, $1.10; sugar, one pound, l4c; molasses, one-half gallon, 25c; butter, 144 pounds, fish, 10% pounds of codfish, 63c; 1114 pounds of haddock, 52c. Stoddard sold butter in June for 14c. He bought a little in February at 12c. So we judge he bought poor butter. He was strong for fish. He was fond of chewing tobacco and used three pounds and eleven ounces which cost him $1.29. The main expense was cloth, $15. Only one cake of soap was bought, “military soap,” 10 cents. The only outlay for the kitchen was 50 cents for six tumblers. For wearing apparel we find a few outlays such as these: one bonnet, $1.63; one pair shoes, $1.25; one pair shoes $1; one pair of shoes (evidently for baby) 25c. —_——_~-._____ A Business Man’s Philosophy. The American ical anniversary by Mechan- fiftieth striking a medal in- “What is not yet, may be.’ If one thinks twice about this senti- ment, it ceases to have cance. It Society of Engineers celebrated jts scribed, much. signifi- that what happen in truism. It doesn’t say whether these future hap- penings are to be pleasant or unpleas- ant. Conceivably they may be un- pleasant for mechanical engineers and the rest of us. merely states hasn’t happened yet the future—an may obvious Our planet may collide with a comet or rain may cease to fall for a gen- eration. A more vigorous race may supplant the present one, and at a fu- ture day specimens of our breed may be kept in zoos—as we house monkeys for our information amusement. our Govern- ment may deteriorate; our skyscrapers may fall in an earthquake, or chemical warfare may wipe out the flower of our civilization. William Feather. ——--2->____ A new type of wall covering, a com- position of cork, pigments and linseed soil keyed to a fabric backing, is said waterproof, washable, 1 and durable. and More possibly, perhaps, eco- Se Ot i tin SIG RY SE i it eM Hi HSER A MB EE DRUGS Michigan Board of Pharmacy. President—Clare F. Allen, Wyandotte. Vice-Pres.—J. W. Howard Hurd, Flint. Director—Garfield M. Benedict, San- dusky. Examination Sessions—Three sessions are held each year, one in Detroit, one in the Upper Peninsula and one at Ferris Institute, Big Rapids. This year’s Big Rapids session will be held June 21, 22 and 23. Michigan State Pharmaceutical Association. President—J. C. Dykema, Grand Rapids. First Vice-President—F. H. Taft, Lan- sing. Second Vice-President—Duncan Wea- ver, Fennville. Secretary—R. A. Turrell, Croswell. Treasurer—Clarence Jennings, rence. The Human Side of Why Druggists Fail. There are approximately 60,000 drug stores in the United States. In 1931, according to R. G. Dun & Co.’s figures, 1,151 of these failed, or about two per cent. If all failures were in- cluded, namely, those who lost money for creditors without an organized settlement, such as bankruptcy or as- signment, and those who merely lost their own money, the figure, accord- ing to some estimates, would be nearer 20 per cent. After a study of many hundreds of failures of all types, in an unbiased way and without any morbid curiosity, with attention to the pitiable details which range from “a flock of in-laws parked on me” to “a temperamental and expensive wife,” it is impossible to give any one reason “why drug stores fail.” One druggist spoke of his success- ful business for three years, until a succession of incidents blocked his progress, leaving him in doubt as to the actual cause of failure. The events were as follows: Diphtheria; through the persistence of his mother- in-law he accepted his brother-in-law as a partner; a change of location to one opposite a cemetery, and between two chain stores that sold some ar- ticles of general merchandise that he carried. Poor location is frequently given as a cause of failure, although the fact that the druggist referred to can blame his failure on the fact that he was located opposite a cemetery was not determined. One bankrupt was asked: “What is the reason for this involuntary petition being filed against you?” The debtor was in fairly good shape, a little slow with his accounts, perhaps that was all, Answer: “I know of no good rea- son except a lawyer wanted to make some fees.” There are many unfair practices resorted to by unscrupulous ' people, as has been brought out by the investigations made by the Depart- ment of Justice. But in general, fail- ures are coused by both lack of knowl- edge and lack of experience. Of course, it is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of good business practices, and considerable experience to operate a drug store successfully. To be able to evaluate the potential customers that may be expected, so as to judge the amount of rent and other overhead that can be safely paid and still leave a profit, is a sound basis for opening a store. This, appar- ently, was never done by the druggists who failed, that were analyzed in the report referred to. In this group of thirty druggists who failed it was MICHIGAN TRADESMAN found that they were paying an aver- age of 10.6 per cent. of their net sales in rent, whereas a group of active con- cerns in the same city were paying only 4.7 per cent. A blonde, somewhat passe, had a drug store. Question: “Are you mar- ried?” Answer: “No.” Question: “Have you ever been married?” An- swer: “Plenty.” Her first husband got a divorce. She married the co-respond- ent five months after the final decree. Having a little capital she started a drug store, but soon got into financial difficulties. The second husband got an annulment of the marriage on the grounds of the state law prohibiting the guilty party from: marrying until two years after the decree. He thought he was protecting his property, where- as in taking out her license, she had filed a married woman’s certificate which protects a husband from his business debts. Family troubles are often mentioned as reasons for failure. “A very trying wife” was a cause given by one creditor; illness, and cost of support of family, another, Insufficient capital is a common rea- son given for failure. In many in- stances when these cases are analyzed thoroughly it is found that the busi- ness had more capital, supplied by in- curious creditors, than the individual had ability to administer. One drug- gist who started in business without any capital of this own and $8,000 in- debtedness, after a year’s operation went bankrupt, owing $12,000. His brother bought the assets in the store at public auction for $200. The orig- inal proprietor is now operating suc- cessfully and in better financial shape than he ever was. Creditors are just as much at fault as the debtors for financing druggists that lack experi- ence or business ability, and have no capital of their own. One of the re- plies given by a creditor when asked the cause of the failure of John Davis, was “John Davis.” There is, no doubt, considerable truth in that subtle statement; but the creditor, evidently, had not previously suspected John Davis’ propensity toward failure, or he wouldn’t have granted him credit. Lack of adequate book-keeping is a cause of failure that is seldom men- tioned by the debtor, but is found by the research man to be one of the greatest weaknesses in a _ business structure. Without adequate record a druggist is groping in the dark and should not be considered a good risk. Some druggists fail because they are too easily sold and stocked up with merchandise that is unprofitable. eo im : MULLER’S PRODUCTS Dill Pickles Bulk HERRING Gold Dust, 12 Large 2 25 TABLE SAUCES __ | ; earl, Ib. sacks _. 5 50 Macaroni, 9 oz... 2 20 5 Gal. 200-2 02. 3 65 Holland Herring Golden Rod, 24 —._- 425 Lee & Perrin, large_- > fo i Spaghetti, 9 oz. —_____ 0 16 Gal, to. 1.35 Mixed, Kees 76 La France Laun.. 442.360 Lee & Perrin. small-. ¢ #% i i Elbow Macaroni, 9 oz. 2 20 45 Gal., 1300 _.______ $000 © Mixed, half bhis, = Old Dutch Clean., 4 dz. 3 40 Pepper -------------— 9 2 ; Bulk Goods Egg Noodles, 6 oz. __ 2 20 Mixed Bhis Octagon, 96s -------_. 3 90 Royal Mint wa-------- k Blbow, 20 1b 05 Ege Vermicelli, 6 oz. 2 20 PIPES Milkers, Kegs __________ 86 Kinso, 405 2 ——— oe See ne = i Egg Noodle, 10 Ibs. __ 12 Egg Alphabets, 6 oz.__ 2 20 Cob, 3 doz. in bx. 1 00@1 20 Milkers, half bbls. __-_ Rinso, 24s ---- aan 26 ENG FOR, She OO Te Egg A-B-Cs 48 pkgs.__ 1 80 Milkers. bbls. Rub No More, 100, 10 ek, AS ese 4 a5 i PLAYING CARDS Ge 336 A-1 smal -..._1---- om 6 i 0 Pearl Barley Battle Axe, per doz. 2 65 Rub No More, 20 Lg. 4 00 Caper, 2 04. ---------- 3 30 i Oe ee a 7 00 NUTS—Whole Bicycle, per doz. __ 4 70 Lake Herring Spotless Cleanser, 48, i ; Barley Grits _ =. 5 00 Almonds, Tarragona__ Torpedo, per doz, ____ 2 50 7a BoE. 100 Ths. 8. 20 0%. —~-----~------ 3 85 4 Chester 2 ae $60 Brag free Mackerel Sani Flush, 1 doz. -_ 2 25 “oe Cc ‘ f Fancy Mixed ______- POTASH Tubs, 60 Count, fy. fat 6 00 Sapolio, 3 doz. ______- ee. i Wilberts, Siciky 2 Babbitt’s, 2 doz. ____ 275 Pails. 10 Ib. Fancy fat 150 Soapine, 100, 12 oz. __6 40 Royal Garden, 2 en oe % age Peanuts, Vir. Roasted Snowboy, 100, 10 oz. __ 4 00 Royal Garden, % Ib. -- 17 : Mast India 8 190 Peanuts, Jumbo, std. FRESH MEATS Speedee, 3 doz. -____- aa ‘oun Pecans, 3, star. 6 2 25 White Fish Sunbrite. 50s ..---__—_ 2 10 i Pecans. Jumbo 40 Beef Med. Fancy, 100 Ib. 13 00 Wyandotte, 48s _--_~- 475 Medium ------------< 3 seu e Tapioca Pecans) Mamet 00 50 Top Steers & Heif. ___.13 Milkers, bbls. __-____ 13 50 © Wyandot, Deterg's, 4a 2 16 CHOlGG) —-<--mn-ane 38@42 Pearl, 100 lb: sacks _ 7, Walnuts, Cal = 28@ 25.) Good Strs & Hi. - 1) KK K K Norway — 19 50 ancy ------—-----— 42 _ Minute: § oz. 3 doz 405 Hickory O7 Med. Steers & Beit = 10° 3 1b. pails 1 40 SOAR ___ No. 1 Nibbs -------—-- . Dromedary Instant __ 3 50 Com. Steers & Heif = 09 Cut Lunch -.3 150 Am. Family, 100 box | 85 G d : Jiffy Punch Boned, 10 lb. boxes __ 16 Crystal White, 100 — 3 50 ee unpowder 40 4 ' 3 doz. Carton 2.0). 2 25 Salted Peanuts Veal F.B., 605 -._______.215 Choice --_----.-_--___. . Assorted flavors. Fancy, No. 1 202). 3. oy ae ee ees oe 12 Fels Naptha, 100 box 5 00 Fancy -------~--------- : COG 2 ii SHOE BLACKENING Flake White, 10 box 2 92 Mediu ) 2030 9+ 2 in 1. Paste, doz. _. 130 Grdma White Na. 10s 3 50 hk — r ; “ woe eae. ao seated , a ¥ = Combination, dz. 1 3( pial . box ~~ i 7 Pekoe, medium ----~--- 45 : q CC. illing Co. Brands modns, Salted 5 amb BielOOt, On =. 200 Fairy, 100 box -_-__- J [ : ; Ty White oc 5 10 Peanuts, Spanish Yearling Lamb 2 1g) Bisbye, dog = 1 30 nto Wa 114 box 11 00 Cou meee 28 : arvest Queen 5 20 125 1b. bags 536. Good oe 14 Sinola, €0g. 200 90 ava, Ox -.__._-. 225 & eae ; Yes Ma’am Graham, Hilberts 222 39° Wedium 20 a 10 Oetagon, 120 5 00 Congou, Choice ---- $5@ 36 f BOs 2 a 149 Pecans Salted Bo Poor i ea 08 Fumme, 100 box ____ 4 85 Congou, Fancy -.-. 42@43 : Walnut California ____ 40 STOVE POLISH ich sag ae a 10 Oolong § Mutton Blackne, per doz. ___ 130 Grandpa Tar, 50 sm, 21 a i Lee & Cady Brands Good er 0s Black Silk Liquid, dz. 1 30 Grandpa Tar, 50 Ige. 3 50 Pes es & ; Home Baker MINCE MEAT Medium 06 Black Silk Paste, doz. 125 ‘Trilby Soap, 100, 10c 7 25 RaMt@ -~-~-—-—-—m-—o—— i Cream Wheat ______ None Such 4 doz... 620 Boor (2 04 -Enameline Paste, doz. 1 3 Wiliams Barber Bar, 9s 50 ANCY ---—- nnn nm 50 Quaker, 3 doz. case __ 3 15 Enameline Liquid, dz. 1 30 Williams Mug, per doz. 48 TWINE ' Yo Ho, Kegs, wet. Ib. 16% E. Z. Liquid, per doz. 1 30 ‘ > oa - FRUIT CANS Pork Radium, per doz. ____ 1 30 SPICES pe abi : bee Fol ema = ‘4 Presto Mason hoi, med) ao ys 09 Rising Sun, per doz. 1 30 _ Whole Spices wa : 2 ae oo ae ci 4 ¥F. O. B. Grand Rapids Butte: oo 08 654 Stove Enamel, dz. 2 80 Qe eee oo e* VINEGAR a Halt pint yal OLIVES Shoulders j20 0 06 Vulcanol, No. 10, doz. 130 Cloves, Zanzibar ---- @36 FO. B. Gr: pen Hug One pint "oz. Jar, Plain, doz. 1.05. Sparerits 02. 05% Stovoil, per doz. _____ 3 99 Cassia, Canton -____. @24 Cider a Rapids f : Oe haat 16 oz. Jar, Plain, doz. 195 Neck bones _____.-__- Cantia, Ge ok. dos O40 Oe. a 6 ne Half gallon Quart Jars: Plain. doz. 325 Trimmings 208) on Ginger, Africa —---__-- @ 19 BENG ine, 40 grain__ 20 ’ 5 Gal. Kegs, each _--_ 6 50 SALT Mixed, No. 1 _------- @30 WICKING : 3 Oz, Jar, Stute., doz 1 15 F. O. B. Grand Rapids Mixed, 5c pkgs., doz. e* No. 9 per serosa a FRUIT CAN RUBBERS 8 02. Jar. Stuffed, doz. 2 25 PROVISIONS Colonial, 24, 2 Ib. ___. 95 Nutmegs, 70@90 ----- ee eT ia ‘ Presto Red Lip, 2 gro. 10 oz. Jar, Stuff., doz. 2 65 Barreled Pork Colonial 26-1% ____ 199 ~4Nutmens, 105-110 -.. @4e OS Oe ee ia Garton (oe 70 1 Gal. Jugs, Stuff., dz. 240 Clear Back ___ 16 00@20 00 Colonial, Iodized, 135 Pepper, Black ~-__-_-- as No 2 ued ilps acme 3 50 Presto White Tip, | 2 Short Cut Clear 16 00 Med. No. t Bbis, _._ 2 90 Decvtcas fi gg ay doz. = oe cop 76 Med. No. 1, 100 Ib. bk. 1 00 . i Hachestas tee i. ee 2 oa PARIS GREEN Farmer Spec., 70 Ib. 1 00 ars Gromit in Woe eakadtee tte kas ‘ eS ac 34 Dry Salt Meats PackerS Meat, 50 Ib. 65 Allspice, Jamaica ---- @25 Ra an ae pa » doz. 2 00 d GELATINE Ce 32 DS Bellies 18-29@18-10-8 Cream Rock for ice oo a —— Fe So 7 : Mele O: $ doz 2.7 | 9 97 45 and 55 oo 3 cream, 100 lb., each 85 -ASS81a, aon ee nf’ s Minute. 3 doz 00 4 05 Butter Salt, 280 Ib. bbl. 4 00 Ginger, Corkin ------- @27 dar oo ad igs Se Plymouth, White ____ 1 55 _ __ bard Block 50 1b, 4 AES ae hate Wide. Band pic Goes 2 dae 5 PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Pure in tierces ______ 5 Baker Salt, 280 Ib. bbl. 3 80 Mace. Pené INE ------- ee madd hades | 26 Including State Tax 60 lb. tubs ___advance 4% 6, 10 Ib., per bale 93 Pepper. Black -------- @2 Murket aoa te aie. 7 ) From Tank Wagon 50 Ib. tubs advance % 20, 3 Ib., per bale __._ 109 Nutmeas —--_-_----. Ce Matakana oe ‘lis y . j JELLY AND PRESERVES [ed Crown Gasoline __ 15.8 20 lb. pails __--advance %4 98 Ib. bags, Table. 49 Lepper. White -----.. @ss Mark * it e handig % : : /- Pore. 20 ib pais 249 Red Crown Ethyl ---_ 18.8 10 Ib. pails -_--advance % Pepper, Cayenne -_-- @36 Market, extra -_-_____ 1 60 . Imitation, 30 Ib. pails 1 60 Stanoline Blue _—.-) 13.3 9 Ib. pails __advance 1 a oor ee Splint. caetteis Seinen 7 50 Pure, 6 oz.. Asst., doz. 9! 3 lb. pails ____advance 1 Git 2... Pure Bren ie . 1 85 ve ' Compound tierces --__ 8% Seasoning SO ROT cere 7 | ale ae . n Iron Barrels Compound. tubs 20227 9 a I ies ; Perfection Kerosine __ 10.7 coe Pan 2 ve .-- 98 Barrel, 5 pss agipen 2 40 “ 1a8 Machi xasoli 38.2 Velery Salt. 3 om. ___. 95 > : fal.. each ... 2 JELLY GLASSES o aS M an hine G .soline hey on ta 85 Barrel, 10 gal., each... 2 55 4% Pint Tall per doz. 38 Vv. M. & P. Naphtha— 16.4 Sausages ar sa a soa poe per OOF, Oo Bologn: 9 Qnion Salt. a CU te G eek. per gal. = ¢ up é aS eloena. fo 13 ; *% Pint Squat, per doz. 38 Liver L: Garlic 1 35 ‘ Se th on nO Rha er ee nen a en oO oa i 9 or 2 : ISO-VIS MOTOR OLS #rankiort 5 Ponelty, 3% oz. --- 3 25 ._, Pails Margarine ta tron Barcel Dok bo Kitchen Bouquet __-_ 4 50 10 at. Galvanized ____ 2 60 s Ee 20 > 12 t. Galvs Tint oe Qo Veal 0 19 Lewrel Leaves _..___. 20 2 ot vanized 2 85 Il. VAN WESTENBRUGGE jicgium __...... 77.2 Tongue, Jellied on Marioram, 3 oz. _.____ 99 14 qt. Galvanzed __.__ 3 10 ' Food Distributor eave oe nv Woadcheesa 01. eo Savery, | 04. _....._. 65 7 - no ie Jr. 5 00 i Bx Heavy 2 17.2 ae Sayvene 107... 90 y at, tim Dalry ~_._ 4 00 ; i Tumere!, 1% oz. ..___ 65 Fr ; Smoked Meats . ‘ Hams, Cer. 14-16 lb. @14 & ee Traps t > . € . @1 i i { Jolarine Hams, Cert., Skinned SSS To jones woe ¢ ane 70 ; 16518 1p @l4 oe Corn ae tae, a oles. 70 i Ham, dried beef a : Kingsford, 24 lbs. --__ 2 30 “op use, _ 5 holes _. 65 j Haves: Cn @24 uree Run’g, 32, 26 oz. 240 Powd.. Opa gaa 100 : 25 ph eee oo : ° : California Hams _. wi2% Nive ease Tots _..___ 230 Argo. 24. 1 1b. pas. 52 Al. SDHINE -————-——— ) i Iron Barrels Pionie Holla Hams O16 Todiaed, 82, 36 oa 240 Cream, 24-1 _____ 220 Mouse, spring ---_-___ 20 ' ene 62.2 Boiled Hams @22 Hive ease lots —-...__ 2 30 Cream-Nut, No. 1 _... 12 Medium -------------- 2-2 Minced Hams wi4 Tubs 4 4 Percola. No. 1 oo) oe 09 eeleirod por aa at on Bacon 4/6 Cert. ___. @14 BORAX Aug Pc pkes. 152 Large Galvanized 8 75 opecia SV oe 4.4 ArZO, 4%, J. c=sS,. oa ee — os ---- e Bxira heavy os 62.2 Twenty Mule Team Argo, 12, 3 lb. pkgs. 217 Medium Galvanized __ 7 75 BEST FOODS, INC. Poltrine “hit eas 62.2 Beef’ 24, 1 lb. packages 3. 35 Areo. & 5 Ib. pres... 2 46 Small Galvanized aon Oe Laug Bros., Distributors Transmission Oil —--__ 62.2 Boneless, rump @22 09 48: 10 oz. packages -_ 4 40 Silver Gloss, 48. Is -- - 11% Finol, 4 oz. cans, doz. 1 45 Cpe 96, % Ib. packages __ 400 Elastic, 32 pkgs. .-.-. 2 55 UWiasebeaee Hinol, $ oz cans, doz. 2 25 CLEANSERS Titer 464. |... rds Parowax, 100 Ib... 7.3 Liver Tiger. 60 Ibs. —_....... 275 Banner. Glohe _______ 5 60 Parowax, 40, 1 Ib. _- 7:55. Beer. 10 Brass, single wo------- 6 25 Parowax,) 20, 1 Ibo 0 G8 Gaye 40 Glass, single --------. 6 00 : Pak oe SYRUP Double Peerless _____ 8 50 ; 2 v4 Corn Fe i Peerless __......, 7 50 i : Sa Blue Karo, No. 1% -_ 2 54 Northern Queen ~_____ 5 50 i ene Riek Blue Karo, No. 5, 1 dz. 353 Universal -_----_____ — 7 2% GEMDAG Kancy Blue Rose _. 3 50 Blue Karo, No. 10 SS ’ iY rk Sane aw 06! Red Karo, No. 1% -_ 2 75 ee fs Red Karo, No.5, fda 379 |. . Wood Bowls ees Red Karo, No. 10 ---. 359 13 in. Butter --————_ 5 00 (meet te 5 in. Butter ...... 9 00 Hoo 1 1b es _BNSns. | i in, Batter —.. 18 00 Holiday 1b 09 Ni ; i Postma Biscuit Co. iImit. Maple Flavor 19 in. Butter 36 3 18 rolls, per case ____ 1 80 Orange, No. 1%, 2 dz. 3 10 rere aaa 12 rols, per case ____ 1 . F 4 Orange, No. 5, 1 doz. 4 74 Wilson & Co.’s Brands se 18 cartons, per case__ 2 WRAPPING PAPER ; Oleo 12 cartons, per case__ 1 45 Fibre, Manila, white__ 05 : oo Se a Semdac, 12 pt. cans : bs Maple and Cane ao = : Co 06% i Nut co ee 10 Semdac, 12 qt. cans 4 Kanuck, per gal. ____ 1 50 utchers I) Fo... é Special Rol 13 SALERATUS on Kanuek, 5:eal, can _. 650 State —..... i Aarm and Hammer -. 3 75 Mratt String 09% 3 PICKLES M i MATCHES Medium Sour Grape Juice ‘ Diamond, No. 5. 144 500 5 gallon, 400 count -_ 475 SAL SODA 80 can cases, $4.80 per case Welch, 12 quart case 4 40 _ YEAST CAKE : Searchlight, 144 box 5 00 Granulated, 60 Ibs. cs. 1 35 Welch, 24 pint case_. 450 Magic. 3 doz. ________ 2 70 q Ohio Red Label, 144 bx 4 75 Granulated, 18-2% lb. 2 Welch. 36-4 oz. case__ 2 30 ‘Sunlight, & doz, ..____ 2 70 ¢ Ohio Blue Tip, 144 bx 4 75 Sweet Small 2 Dackares —2 1 10 WASHING POWDERS Sunlight, 1% doz. 3 ae i Ohio Blue Tip, 720-l¢ 2.80 5 Gallon. 500 2-2 2. 7 25 Bon Ami Pd., 18s, box 1 90 Yeast Foam, 3 doz. -. 2 70 ‘ Swan 144 0 ed 1b Bon Ami Cake, 18s__ 1 6214 COOKING OIL Yoast Foam. 1% dos. 1% i Diamond: Noo 01. 45 : COD FISH Bila 2 85 Mazola : Dill Pickles Nigdies 2 20 Climaline 4 doa =. 5. 60. Pinta. 2 dom... 4 60 ft Gal., 40 to. Tin, doz. 3.15. - Peerless, 1 lb. hexes 19 Grandmas. 100, 5e .... 350. Quarts, 1 doz _._.._. 4 30 YEAST—COMPRESSED : Safety Matches 3% oz. Glass Picked_. 2 25 Old Kent, 1 lb. Pure 27 Grandma, 24 Large __ 350 Half Gallons, 1 doz. 7 75 Fleischmann, per doz. 30 Red Top, 9 gross case 4 75 32 oz. Glass Thrown -- 1 95. Whole ©Cod —: Hine. Snawboy, 12 Large .. 255 uallons. % doz. ___.. 7 25 Bed Star. ner doz. .... . 20 SHOE MARKET Michigan Retail Shoe Dealers Association. President—Elwyn Pond, Flint. Vice-President—J. E. Wilson, Detroit Secretary—Joe H. Burton, Lansing. Asst. Sec’y-Treas.—O. R. Jenkins Association Business Office, 907 Trans- portation Bldg., Detroit. Sell Them in June or You Will Sale Them in July. Old Sol is warming up to his job. He has been slow in pitching sizzlers but watch him from now on. He is playing in every village and town and city the grand old game that necessi- tates a change of dress and shoes for every fan—man, woman and child. His is a welcome gamie in June for his sun- beam speed is just about right for the merchant to handle. This June the merchant must play a pretty good game for it is the peak month of the year in retail shoe selling —as past records show. In June, the selling totals are greater and the cost per sale less than in any month in the year. The merchant must lift himself out of the season’s selling slump by one month’s supreme effort for he knows by his previous experience that “If he doesn’t sell them in June, he will surely sale them in July.” We hope to show every reading merchant the way to score sales day by day, and customer by customer during the month, for we believe that the power of individual merchandising incentive will stimulate and accelerate sales energy. If it were possible to get the best out of every merchant and every store and every clerk in the month of June, the shoe industry could prove it was a great force for recovery. Too long we have all thought that the powers of finance were the actual forces. Now we face the reality of knowing that better business comes through every retail salesman selling one extra pair of shoes per day. Directive selling will do it where passive sitting and waiting will not. So far as the shoe business is con- cerned, economic recovery from with- in can only take place at the point of contact of the merchant and the sales- man with the customer—over the fitting stool. We urge every man connected in any way with the shoe business to pour all of this effort into the month of June: for customers are inclined toward shoes in that month and need to be directed by straightforward selling and sincere service. As one merchant puts it: “Mine is just a shoe store, but there you will find the kind of service that one looks for and rarely discovers. It’s a simple, honest place to do one’s trading, a place where the children may come in all alone and get the right kind of shoes, a place where grown-ups receive that treatment which causes them to bring in their friends and come back again and again. You see we have lived right here and served so long and have sold you good shoes so long that we understand your needs.” In June we ask thousands of stores to put a little more drive into their selling for it will do a lot of good to soles and souls and shoe men’s cash registers, In the month of June shoe stores can do a greater volume of business on MICHIGAN TRADESMAN the least amount of publicity expense. This June really contains five peak Saturday sales days, although the cal- endar shows but four. This is due to the fact that the merchant gets a break at the end of the month—giving him Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2, as extra special selling dates. In all probability, the majority of the stores will not start their Summer vacations as of July 1 but will keep these two days open for the last bulge of regu- lar selling at regular prices, prior to the Fourth of July. We urge, therefore, a Nation-wide selling drive for the thirty-two days of June, as reckoned by the new mer- chandising calendar—Boot and Shoe Recorder. —_~2++>—_—_ Proceedings of the Grand Rapids Bankruptcy Court. Grand Rapids, June 6—We have receiv- ed the schedules, order of reference, and adjudication in the matter of Boyd Smith, individually and doing business as Smith’s Hardware. The bankrupt has his resi- dence in Ada. The schedules of the bankrupt show assets of $1,364.31, with liabilities listed at $5,851.04. The court has written for funds and upon receipt of same the first meeting of creditors will be called. ‘The list of creditors of said bankrupt is as follows: County Treasurer, Grand Rapids__$120.00 Massey-Harris Harvester Co., Columbus, Ohio —..__._--______ 1,946.59 Amos Thomas Cabinet Co., Sodus 5.90 Dunham Co., Berea, Ohio -~~------ 152.00 Ackerman Electrical Sup. Co., G.R. 9.93 Brown & Sehler, Grand Rapids -- 77.65 Robert Chapman, New York --_---- 20.72 Dr. Thies De Young. Sparta ------ 100.00 Prs. Grant & Huizenga, Grand R. 22.50 Dr. Shepard, Lowell -~------------= 5.00 Foster, Stevens, Grand Rapids ___ 73.94 Gould’s Garage, Lowell ----------- 25.10 Alba Smith, Adam —_---___---____- 1,202.00 Hayden Sup. Co., Grand Rapids -- 93.40 W. GC. Hopson, Grand Rapids ---- 11.96 Hoyt Lumber Co., Lowell -------- 4.20 N. Henry’s Drug Store, Lowell —- 7.09 F. C. Mason Co., St. Johns -------- 91.96 Patek Bros., Milwaukee ---------- 59.94 Pollak Steel Co., Grand Rapids -- 181.59 Massey-Harris Co., Columbus, O. 182.30 Pittsburg Plate Glass, Grand Rap. 23.23 State Industries, Jackson -------- 149.45 Simplex Brooder, Grand Rapids__ 12.75 Vanden Berge Cigar Co., Grand R. 6.19 Frank W. Winnie, Philadelphia -- 5.00 John Vrieland, Grand Rapids ---- 178.08 Massey-Harris Harvester Co., Golumbus, Ohio 22. 1,006.59 June 1. On this day final meeting of creditors in the matter of Delos Garrison and Frederick K. Garrison, copartners doing business as Garrison Tile Co., etc., Bankrupt No. 4785, was held. Trustee only present. ‘Trustee’s final report and account approved and allowed. Bills, ac- counts and notes receivable sold to William J. Ronkema. Bill of attorney for bankruvt approved and allowed. Order made for payment of administration ex- penses as far as funds on hand would permit—no dividends for creditors. No objections to bankrupt’s discharge. Final meeting adjourned without date and files will be returned in due course to United States District Court. June 6. We have received the sched- ules, order of reference, and adjudica- tion in the matter of Clark M. Hoxie, Bankrupt No. 4924. The bankrupt is a resident of Grand Rapids, and his occu- pation is that of a mill wright. The schedules of the bankrupt show assets of $200, with liabilities of $2,6383.78. The court has written for funds and upon receipt of same the first meeting of cred- itors will be called. In this matter George T. Hunter, Bank- rupt No. 4640, trustee having field his final report and account, final meeting was held June 1. Belcher & Hamlin, Manistee, were present as attorneys for creditors and for trustee. Claims were proved and _ allowed. Balance of bills, notes and accounts receivable was sold to Edgar Zobel. An order was made for payment of expenses of administration as far as funds on hand would permit. No objections to discharge. Final meet- ing adjourned without date. Files will be returned to district court in due course. June 7. We have received the sched- ules, order of reference, and adjudication in the matter of the Warner Stores, Inc.. Bankrupt No. 4923. The bankrupt con- cern had its residence in Grand Rapids. The schedules of the bankrupt concern show assets of $38,227.14, with liabilities listed at $42,135.48. The list of creditors of said bankrupt is as follows: Personal property tax ---------- $1,132.12 H. V. Warner, Grand Rapids ---- 4,817.59 Chas. Hamment, Grand Rapids -- 885.00 C. H. Christie, Grand Rapids _--- 158.59 D. W. Crawford, South Bend, Ind. 626.00 A. G. Blink, Grand Rapids —----- 1,107.96 Sam DePree, South Bend, Ind. -- 261.22 Gale Snyder, Grand Rapids ------ 90.22 Wm. Drost, Grand Rapids ------- 87.31 A. N. Branson, Grand Rapids ---- 118.18 Chas. Dykhuizen, Grand Rapids -- 63.14 A. W. Short, Grand Rapids ------ 48.00 E. E. Sssons, Grand Rapids ------ 120.83 Cc. A. Henry, Grand Rapids ------ 100.00 O. V. Warner, Grand Rapids ------ 240.00 R. A. Vander Werp, Grand Rapids 100.00 R. Kap, Grand Rapids —----------- 140.00 H. Bird, Grand Rapids ----------- 192.50 Frank Slaight, Grand Rapids -_-- 125.00 F. E. Green, Hastings —~~----------- 147.40 Henry Faber, Holland —----------- 101.83 John Baron, Holland ~_------------ 60.00 Terrell Equipment Co., Grand R. 2,146.23 Nat. Cash Reg. Co., Dayton, O. 1,034.25 American Sugar Refining Co., Baltimore. Md. -.0 220 19.42 Se 96.68 Belding Basket Co., Belding ------ 68.00 Armour ©o., Chicago = = ----- _ 324.16 Beech Nut Packing Co., Canajo- harigw NN Nee i 77.76 -A. EK. Brooks & Co., Grand Rapids 25.00 Badger Candy Co., Milwaukee ---- 35.25 Walter Kirk Candy Co., Chicago.. 14.00 Comstock Tire Co., Grand Rapids 56.89 Corwin, Norcross & Cook, Grand R. 784.08 Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Corp., MCAS | re es ee 85.00 California Packing Corp., San Praneisco., 2.2. 84.48 Cal. Animal Products Co., Oakland, Cali 2 8.87 Chocolate Sales Corp., Hershey, Pa. 105.30 Crescent Mac. & Cracker Co., Davenport, Lowa 22.2 203.26 Central Mich. Paper Co., Grand R. 268.75 P. Duff & Sons, Pittsburgh, Pa. 42.65 Dutch Tea Rusk Co., Holland ____ 23.68 Dutch Maid Candy Co., Holland__ 14.44 Daggett Canning Co., Coopersville 197.50 Louis H. Estfan, Lansing ~-~---~- 123.88 Franzier Packing, Elmwood, Ind. 59.50 F. 'Tea & Spice Co., Cincinnati -_ 21.60 GR. Coat & Apron Sup. Co., G. R. 280.27 Greenan Bakeries, Detroit ~-_-_--- 404.34 General Food Sales Co., New York 26.50 Press, Grand Rapids _--_.__ 256.00 Hills Bros., Chicago —...-____ 61.20 H. J. Heinz Co., Grand Rapids __ 69.00 Hastings Banner, Hastings -_---- 134.00 Holland Baking Co., Holland ____-_ 253.76 Holland Crystal Creamery. Holland 189.20 Cc. &. Hires Co., Philadelnhia ___~ 185.00 J. Bale & Sons, Tonia —_.-.-.._.__ 88.90 Hills Bros. Co., New York -_------ 154.86 Handy Wacks Corp., Grand Rapids 73.50 International Choc., Philadelphia__ 45.60 Jennings Mfg. Co., Grand Rapids 20.00 Kimball Candy Co.. Chicago 15.60 W. H. Kessler & Co., Grand Rap. 2.10 June 15, 1932 Koeze Mfg. Co., Grand Rapids __ 48.45 Laug Bros., Grand Rapids 86.57 Loose-Wiles Biscuit Co. Chicago 1,632.70 Lansing Capital News, Lansing __ 70.00 Lake Odessa Canning Co., Lake Odessa _~-------------~---~------ 834.80 Michigan Broom Co., Bay City __ 82.50 Cc. W. Mills Paper Co., Grand Rap. 149.69 Madison Food Products Co., Cleve- : Lone ee ee ee 1,617.68 Harry Meyer, Grand Rapids ______ 21.57 Nehi Bottling Co.. Grand Rapids__ 37.64 National Biscuit Co., Grand Rap. 211.45 National Candy Co., Grand Rapids 230.00 G. R. Wholesale Grocer Co., G. R. 222.87 Nash Food Products Co., Chicago 17.70 Vincinnes Packing Co., Vincinnes, Ind. ~-~--~-----~-------~~~-~-----~- 61.50 Voigt Milling Co., Grand Rapids__ 304.34 H. V. Warner, Grand Rapids ___ 1,500.00 J. W. Koehrman, Toledo __________ 800.00 J. H. Bowditch, Grand Rapids ___ 1,250.00 Neil Steegstra, Grand Rapids ____ 276.09 Pastoor Bros., Grand Rapids ___- 262.84 Mrs. H. C. Birt, Grand Rapids __ 100.00 Galust May, Grand Rapids ________ 3.89 J. C. Bishop, Grand Rapids ______ 270.00 G. Pastoor, Grand “Rapids 2... 625.00 M. T. and Susan Riordan, G. R. __ 585.00 M. Lock & Co., Lock Roelofs, G. R. 425.00 H. FO Giyon, Grand Ranids _._... 250.00 J. W. & M. D. Brooks. Grand Rap. 240.00 Frank Horton, Elastings _...- 480.00 P. H. Boven, Holland ____________ 180.00 A. J. Beceer, Lansing ........ 425.00 Mrs. R. H. Person, Lansing _______ 280.00 Newton Products Co., Cincinnati 25.00 Not a Seed Raisin Sales, San Prancisco,. Calit. so oe 24.67 Chas. W. Nelson Co., Pulaski, N. Y. 92.92 Oatman Milk Co., Dundee, II. “40 Oriental Show You Co., Columbia City: mde a ee 105.35 Pillsbury Flour Mills, Detroit ____ 15.00 Pacific Coast Borax Co., New York 15.50 J. Puhl Products Co., Chicago ____ 52.22 Postma Biscuit Co., Grand Rapids Ruggles & Rademaker Co., Manistee Schust Co., Saginaw) 0 22 1285.64 Satada Tea Co., Boston, Mass. .. 41.32 Shotwell Mic. Co., Chicago ...... 87.60 Smiths Extract Co., Grand Rapids 57.84 Smyran Milling Co., Belding __.____ 20.C0 Superior ice Co,, Holland ...._ 47.80 Sureset Dessert Co., Grand Rapids 47.75 Veltman Biscuit Co., Grand Rap. 314.85 J. Van Duren Co., Grand Rapids__ 47.50 V. C. Milling Co., Grand Rapids__ 208.50 Vogue Match Co., Chicago ______ 202.75 I. Van Westenbrugge, Grand Rap. 239.33 H. D. Wilson, Grand Rapids ______ 19.85 Williamson Candy Co., Chicago __ 77.76 Welfare Union, Grand Rapids ____ 25.00 Warner, Norcross & Judd, G. R. __ 20.62 Woolson Spice Co., Toledo 6A 26 Zion ‘Candy Co., Zion, Tk | 2 12,00 Mutual Building $475,000.00 HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR SHARE? This amount has been paid to our policyholders in dividends since organization in 1912. Share in these profits by insuring with us ut Micuican Suoe Deaters MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO. LANSING, MICHIGAN Phone 20741 A AR: EMO June 15, 1932 Hecht Produce Co., Grand Rapids 836.19 A. Schefman & Co., Grand Rapids 448.22 Ellis Bros. Co., Grand Rapids __ 1,576.10 Frank S. Kennedy, Chicago ______ 318.50 G. R. Savings Bank, Grand Rapids 4.00 Fulton Bakery, Grand Rapids ____ 61.20 Van Camp Packing Co., New York 385.01 Curtis Candy Co., Chicago ________ 65.00 J. Huizenga, Grand Rapids ______ 22.50 Brouwer Bros., Forest Grove ____ 56.7 Standard Oil Co., Grand Rapids__ 20.57 Kent Storage Co., Grand Rapids __ 46.60 Grammas Candy Co., Grand Rapids 4.80 Griffioen & Sons, Grand Rapids __ 97.00 Flint Curtis, Grand Rapids ______ 5.08 Amble Creamery Co., Amble ______ 125.00 Calif. Prune & Apricot Co., San dose, Calif, 200 2 = (3acbo Consumers Ice Co., Grand Rapids 49.35 Fireside Marshmallow Co., Chicago 13.50 June 1. Final meeting of creditors was held on this day in the matter of Winner Baking Co., a copartnership composed of Louis Keil and Adolph Keil, Bankrupt No. 4454. Trustee present in person only. Trustee’s report and account approved and allowed. Claims proved and allowed. Order made for payment of administra- tion expenses and first and final dividend of 2 per cent. on preferred labor claims— no dividends for general creditors. Bills of attorneys for bankrupt and for trus- tee considered and apprgved. Equity in real estate, balance of bills, accounts and notes receivable sold. No objection to bankrupt’s discharge. Final meeting ad- journed without date and files will be returned to U. S. District Court in due course. In the matter of Joseph W. Silcock, Bankrpt No. 4918. The first meeting of creditors has been called for June 22. In the matter of Sidney Konigsberg, Bankrupt No. 4916. The first meeting of creditors has been called for June 22. In the matter of National Oil Service Co., Bankrupt No. 4876. The first meet- ing of creditors has ‘been called for June 22. In the matter of Boyd Smith, Bankrupt No. 4922. The first meeting of creditors has been called for June 22, In the matter of Benjamin Tolodziecki, Bankrupt No. 4921. The first meeting of creditors has been called for June 22. 9 OUT AROUND. (Continued from page 9) ciated to 10 per cent. of the original cost. Mine are still worth 20 per cent. of this cost. Either I am a good picker when it comes to selecting securities for investment or I have a good broker to advise me what to purchase.” I met another friend on the same day whose face was wreathed with smiles. Asked why he was in so happy a frame of mind, he said he had just had an interview with his banker, who had assured him that the securities he had furnished the bank as collateral to his loan were considered ample and so long as he made a reduction on the renewal of his notes from time to time the borrower need give the matter no further worry. Another friend who had just had an interview with his banker had this to say of him: “Mr. Blank is certainly a very funny chap. If you are a cus- tomer of his bank and are not borrow- ing any money, he worries the life out of you until he induces you to take a loan. Then he worries the life out of you until you repay the loan.” Gaius W. Perkins, who spent the winter here with his son, G. W. Jr., has gone to his summer cottage at North- port Point. Mr. Perkins was the founder of the Grand Rapids School Furniture Co. — now known as the American Seating Co.—which is prob- ably the largest employer of labor in Grand Rapids. For fifty years he was first and foremost in every movement for the public good, moral or material. His summer home on Grand Traverse Bay is on one of the finest locations in the resort region, being located on a long rocky peninsula which runs out into West Bay. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The death of Dr. Louis Barth re- moves one of the most outstanding citizens Grand Rapids has ever pos- sessed. Coming here July 4, 1882, he later located his office over the Peck Bros. drug store and began writing prescriptions by number instead of ingredients. This precluded the possi- bility of any other druggist than Peck Bros. putting up the prescriptions, causing much hard feeling among the drug trade generally. He was refused membership in organizations maintain- ed by the other physicians and sur- geons of the city and county and soon found himself ostracised by the men of his profession in the city and sur- rounding towns. This gave him no concern and ultimately resulted to his great advantuge, because of the ad- vertising this attitude gave him. He soon attracted a large circle of. ad- mirers, most of whom stayed by him as long as they lived. His practice for fiftfy years probably included more patients than the record of any other doctor in the city. It was not unusual for him to return from his calls on private and hospital patients to find: fifty prospective patients awaiting him in his office. When I was taken to Blodgett hos- ptal with walking typhoid, twenty-two years ago, my friend Charley Garfield engaged Dr. Barth to attend me. The latter saw me every day for four months—frequently several tmes a day. Eighteen times he insisted I was dying and called my relatives to the hospital to be present at my passing, but I failed to make good on his predictions. When I finally recovered, he remarked: “You are the Wandering Jew. No one can kill you. I tried”. Dr. Barth liked to get a joke on a friend, but did not take a joke with equal appreciation. Among the in- voices I found when I took up the routine after seven months absence from the office was one for $48 for two cases of champagne. As I had no re- membrance of such a purchase, I called at the hospital to make enquiries. I was told that I was offered champagne when my heart showed evidences of slowing down, but refused to take it because I had “always been a tem- perate man.” When I enquired who made way with the purchase, I was told “Dr. Barth drank it.” I thereupon paid the bill and sent the receipted invoice to him by mail with a note in which I said, “I suppose you like to keep all your receipted bills on file.” I never received any acknowledgment of this message. Dr. Barth had a unique way of re- plying to any patient who questioned his charges. When a man asked how much he owed, Dr. Barth would send him a lump bill “for services rendered.” If the patient asked for an itemized bill, his request was complied with by return mail, but the items always ag- gregated about 20 per cent. higher than the original charge. Dr. Barth once charged a patient $1,500 for an operation for appendicitis. The latter returned the invoice, with the enquiry, “Don’t you think your charge is a little steep?” to which Dr. Barth replied: “I saved your life. If you don’t think such an act was worth $1,500, send me whatever you think your life is worth.” Check for the amount was immediately forthcoming. E. B. Stebbins, formerly engaged in the banking business at Carson City, has turned his home over to the re- ceiver of the bank which recently sus- pended payment at that place and re- turned to Lakeview, where he was married and where his three children were born. He has acquired the home formerly owned by his father and has made it as modern as possible. It is located adjacent to the water works park. E. A. Stowe. a a Collapse of the Warner Stores, Inc. Warner Stores, Incorporated, Grand Rapids, filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy on June 4. Fred G. Tim- mer was immediately appointed as op- erating receiver, with instructions to operate without interruption to the business until after the first meeting of creditors or until further orders of the court. At the time the petition in bank- ruptcy was filed, Warner Stores, In- corporated, were conducting nine stores, all in Grand Rapids, excepting one in Hastings. All other stores had been discontinued prior to bankruptcy, twenty-nine having been the highest number in operation at any one itme. The receiver, since his appointment, has closed four of the nine stores and consolidated the stock with the five remaining stores, which will continue in operation until final disposition or sale. The schedules filed by the bankrupt show the following liabilities: (Paseo 2 § 113212 Wares: 2220 9,581.05 Sceured claims __..-_-_____ 3,180.48 Unsecured claims --------- 28,241.78 ‘Notal Habilities ... $42,135.43 Assets are scheduled as follows: Stock in trade 2-2... $13,503.24 Welneles 2222020.0 00 790.87 Bixstures ete. 93.0. 20,272.49 Accounts receivable __------ 1,071.73 Cash cee. $71.75 Stock and other assets -~---- 217.06 ‘otal ascets = $36,227.14 While the assets of the bankrupt have not yet been inventoried and ap- praised, it is apparent that the stock and fixtures are worth far less than the figures given by the bankrupt. A first meeting of creditors has been called for June 20, at which time the court and creditors will undoubtedly decide definitely what disposition will be made of the five operating stores. ——_—_+- The effect of wood-panelled rooms is achieved by use of a new gypsum wallboard grained to resemble wood. Change has overtaken the violin and its big brother, the bass violin. Now they’re being made of aluminum, Un- affected by atmospheric changes, their tone quality and volume are said to equal the old. —_—_+++—____ There is no formula in life; you will have to make a new equation for every human being that comes along. 23 Incendiary Fires as Phenomena of Economic Depression. Continued from page 7) Waukesha Counties was apprehended in 1929; sufficient evidence for a con- viction was obtained and he was ar- rested in Chicago but jumped his bail. He was again arrested and again for- feited his bail, In the search for the kidnapers of the Lindbergh baby, he was picked up in Los Angeles, Calif., and by his fingerprints was identified as the per- son wanted in Wisconsin for arson. He was extradited last month and is now serving a term, in state prison at Waupun. J. E. Kennedy, Insurance Commission of Wisconsin. >>> A new goggle, equipped with a special glass hardened to withstand impacts, permits wearing of eyeglasses. GREENE SALES CO. SPECIAL SALES CONDUCTORS Reduction — Money-raising or Quitting Business Sales. 142 N. Mechanic St. Phone 9519 JACKSON, MICHIGAN Sand Lime Brick Nothing as Durable Nothing as Fireproof Makes Structure Beautiful No Painting No Cost for Repairs Fire Proof Weather Proof Warm in Winter—Cool in Summer Brick is Everlasting GRANDE BRICK CO. Grand Rapids. SAGINAW BRICK CO. Saginaw. Phone 61366 JOHN L. LYNCH SALES CO. SPECIAL SALE EXPERTS Expert Advertising Expert Merchandising 209-210-211 Murray Bldg. Grand Rapids, Michigan Business Wants Department Advertisements inserted under this head for five cents a word the first insertion and four cents a word for each subse- quent continuous insertion. If set in capital letters, double price. No charge less than 50 cents. Small display adver- tisements in this department, $4 per inch. Payment with order is required, as amounts are too small to open accounts. For Sale—Variety and general mer- chandise store, stock and building. $4,000. Live town. Corner location. Here forty years. Sickness the reason for selling. Address No. 527, c/o Michigan Trades- man. GROCERY STOCK—Absolutely clean. Best location in small town. Old estab- lished business. Good proposition. Owner wishes to retire. No deals. Never offered before. Address No. 528, c/o Michigan Tradesman. 528 a = aaeeceiiaaiaeaeiia mes Wi degen mennocenestenaeenn eee meine i ; | soaaneeietieaen seectrapenemrenranenieretions» seemnlihites semgersrescontesjot* we a 24 IN THE REALM OF RASCALITY. Questionable Schemes Which Are Under Suspicion, Traverse City, June 13—Two men are working the following “racket” in Northern Michigan: These men went to the Kewadin town hall and made ar- rangements to furnish a new curtain for the hall, said they were represent- ing the Ramus Scenic Co. They were going to furnish the curtain to the hall free and were going to sell advertising to merchants to cover the cost of the curtain. : : After selling advertisements to the merchants of Elk Rapids they forged the signature of the clerk of the town hall to a paper stating that the cur- tain was placed in the hall and then they made the collections from the merchants and beat it. It was later learned that they had not made or had not furnished the hall with any curtain. : These men were driving a Model A ford sedan with an Ohio license. As the whereabouts of these men are un- known should they try this game on you kindly call the Michigan State Police, Traverse City. A woman is passing checks on the Elk Rapids State Bank, signing same Mrs. B. M. Monroe. She has. de- posited $50 in said bank, but appar- ently is writing all the checks she can get cashed. Harry Wolcott. Collection agencies, when legitimate- ly operated, have a definite function in business, and especially to-day is there a demand for their services. How- ever, as in all lines of commercial en- terprise, the intrusion in the collection field of a few high-pressure artists who hesitate to do nothing which furthers their own gain and who regard clients merely as suckers, has resulted in numerous complaints and has a tend- ency to stigmatize all collection agencies, reputable and otherwise. The negative aspect of this business can perhaps best be illustrated by the following examples, combining the elements involved in the majority of complaints received by the Realm of Rascality: A solicitor representing the agency calls on the prospective client and ob- tains several accounts for collection, promising positive results within a short time at a low rate, and stating that there will be no charge if no col- lections are made. Receiving no re- port from the agency within several weeks, the client enquires about his claims, and either receives the first lesson of a _ well-planned course in “stalling” or is given a complete run- around and is unable to find anyone who knows about his accounts. This procedure continues as long as the client’s patience lasts, whereupon he himself communicates with some of the debtors and learns that they have paid money to the agency, Then, armed with this knowledge and with righteous indignation, he calls on the agency to demand settlement. The final result may be any of the follow- ing: The client receives a check “for settlement in full” in an amount repre- senting the balance after deduction of a much larger percentage than was originally stipulated by the solicitor; he is. told that the handling or listing charge for the total number of indi- vidual accounts exceeds the amount collected and the therefore owes the agency; or, the agency definitely re- fuses to make any settlement or re- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN port, perhaps advancing some reason such as interference on part of client, withdrawal of accounts before expira- tion of time limit, etc. (In any case, if the setthement or outcome is unsatis- factory the client has no recourse ex- cept legal procedure which, had he desired to employ, might have been entered directly against the debtor in the first place, at a saving to the client of the time and money spent with the agency.) A second example might be similar to the first except that one day, after waiting in vain for tangible results, the client receives a telephone call from someone at the agency who excitedly relates that a debtor’s bank account or free assets have just been discovered and if the client will advance cash for court costs the agency will file suit immediately. The client, naturally anxious to see the account liquidated, falls for this new type of “front money” scheme and advances the money as requested. The viciousness of this practice, where the agency is unwilling or unable to prove that court action has been initiated after client has paid these “court fees,” needs no comment. Some complaints apparently hinge upon a detail of considerable import- ance to the client, but which is seldom, if ever, mentioned in contracts; name- ly, a statement regarding how soon the agency will report and settle with the client after collections are made on the claims. Contracts often do specify, however, that the client is not eligible for a settlement unless he re- ports immediately all payments made by the accounts to him direct. Although verbal misrepresentations and obscurely worded and cleverly constructed contracts destroy con- fidence and cannot be too strongly condemned, complaints on these scores would be unnecessary if prospective clients would take the simple precau- tions of reading before they sign and of informing themselves regarding the extent of the solicitor’s authority. Or- iginally, of course, the responsibility for misrepresentation by a salesman or solicitor can be fixed only upon the individual making the statement; when a written contract is involved in the transaction it supersedes any other agreement or understanding, and may be relied upon insofar as the company behind it is reputable and responsible. The moral, therefore, is in all cases to know with whom you are dealing, and on what terms. Albany, June 7—We have your let- ters of May 27 and 28. Upon referring to your letter of the 27th, we must say that we are not aware that the man representing us in your territory is representing that he had a letter from you endorsing our service. This is all news to us and is not a part of the material furnished by us to our repre- sentatives. In one of my previous letters I ad- vised you in regards to the address of. our representative. This party, as you know, travels from city to city and al- ways leaves forwarding address so that his mail can be forwarded to him. No doubt if you will call at your post- office you will be able to trace him to the city in which he is ‘working at present, Relative to your letter of the 28th, since the World Wide Adjusting Co. is bonded in the State of Michigan, there has been nothing done whatever which would incriminate them or the Robison National Clearing Co. The World Wide was bonded and_ their representatives operated in your State. However, the Robison National _has not operated in the State of Michigan since their bond expired. It is true that they mail letters from Albany, N. Y,. This cannot be construed as oper- ating in your State, when they are conducting their business, preparing their letters and mailing them from this office: and your Interstate Com- merce Act permits this. Therefore, you will readily see that the World Wide and the Robison National have done nothing but what is permissible by the laws of Michigan and this State. The main difficulty seems to be brought about by the misrepresenta- tions made by our. representative, which is contrary to the instructions given him, and he has been taken to task by our sales manager for the same. We are very sorry that you hi taken the attitude you have against this company, due to the fact that we very readily co-operated with you in straightening these difficulties out. This, | believe you will agree, we did. World Wide Adjusting Co. ——_>-+>—___ Corporations Wound Up. The following Michigan corporations have recently filed notices of dissolu- tion with the Secretary of State: Martindale Bean Co., Bay City. Liberal Loan Office, Inc., Detroit. Detroit Tournament Co., Detroit. Detroit-Van Couver Timber Co., De- troit. : Damoth Oil Co., Saugatuck. Gallow Iron and Metal Co., Detroit. Heat and Power Engineering Co., De- troit. Coulter Studio, Grand Rapids. Universal] Auto Radio Co., Detroit. Balwood Realty Co., Detroit. Isabella County Water Co., Jackson. St. Louis Co-Operative Association, St. Louis, E. C. Harroun, Inc., Detroit. Koning Estates, Inc., Muskegon. {elm Chemical Co., Benton Harbor. Goodvear Service, Inc., Flint. Food Craft Shops, Inc., Detroit. 3igelow Clay Products Co., Detroit. Progressive Service Warehouse Corp., Detroit. Wiesinger Pharmacy, Detroit. Electrical Advertising, Inc., Detroit. Traders Co., Detroit. N. G. Vanderlinde, Inc., Muskegon. Odell’s Loan Office, Detroit. Temple Theater Co., Grand Rapids. Dry Ice Corp. of America, Detroit. Parkview Operating Co., Detroit. Palmer Park Apartments Co., Detroit. Moore and Kent Investment Co., De- troit. Certified Identity, Inc., Detroit. Jaltimore Realty Co., Detroit. Detroit Hardware Specialty Co., De- troit. Royal Moving and Storage Co., De- trot. = 3eattie Machinery Co., Inc., Detroit. Marine Metal Co., Inc., Detroit. Detroit & Cleveland Aerial Naviga- tion Co., Detroit. Washtenaw Discount Corp., Ypsilanti. Citizens. Theater Co., Royal Oak. Clinton Telephone Co., St. Johns. MacDiarmids, Inc., Detroit. Ferguson Land Co., Detroit. Michigan Glass Co., Flint. Consolidated Investment Clemens. Century Holding Corp., Detroit. Guardian Union Group Travel Bureau, Inc., Detroit. Bartlett Label Co., Kalamazoo. Witherell Hotel Co., Detroit. Tusch-Raymar Music House, Rapids. Farfall Co., Detroit. Madison-Beaubien Co., Detroit. Universal Garment Co., Greenville. The following Michigan corporations have recently filed notices of dissolu- Co, ME: Grand have . June 15, 1932 tion with the Secretary of State: S. W. Couls & Co., Detroit. Equitable Securities Co., Detroit. Wm. Heap & Sons, Grand Haven, W. J. Dowsett Co., Jackson. Stone-Hoult Furniture Co., Rapids. Cabo Co., Grand Rapids. Cawthra Realty Co., Grand Rapids. Postercraft, Inc., Detroit. H. Scherer & Co., Detroit. Alpha Co., Detroit. Edson-Moore Realty Co., Detroit. Goodrich Manufacturing Co., Char- lotte. North and Detroit. National Detroit. Kirstin Manufacturing Co., Escanaba. Horsman Investment Co., Detroit. Vassar Gas & City Co., Vassar. Bendix Service Corp. of Michigan, De- troit. Bayley Music House, Inc., Detroit. Plymouth-Perrinsville Land Co., De- troit. Dundee State Savings Bank, Dundee. Superior Plumbing and Heating Co., Detroit. Mammoth Qil Co., of Michigan, Inc., Harrison. Southwestern Engineering Corp., De- troit. New Baltimore Department Store, De- troit. Schoenfeld Co., Detroit, Ina Del Marvin, Inc., Detroit. Johnson Ensing Fuel & Supply Co., Battle Creek. Berkey & Gay Rapids, Forberg Paulson Co., Muskegon. Republic Automobile Club, Detroit. E. G. Curtis Sons’ Co., Detroit. Saginaw Show Case Co., Limited, Saginaw. Perrin Drug Co., Kelemazoo. Koploy and Ross, Inc., Detroit. Peoples Lumber Co., Detroit. Toledo Rex Spray Co., Detroit. Western Gear Co., Detroit. Brunswick Radio Corp., Detroit. Safety Burner Sales Co., Detroit. — ++ +> Red Star Potatoes Not Chain Product. Onley, Va., June 14—We are very pleased to make a correction in an article appearing on page 12 in our June 8 edition of the Tradesman wherein we listed a number of brands of food prod- ucts as owned or controlled by chains. This list was furnished to us by a Chicago produce concern and we presumed it was reliable. We have found, however, one er- ror which we wish to correct. The Eastern Shore of Virginia Produce Exchange assure us that they are not under the slightest obligation, financially or other- wise, to any chain stores or other dealers. They are a farmers’ or- ganization, owned and operated by the farmer members, and they will continue to market their own produce as they have always done in the past. The Red Star is a very depend- able brand of potatoes. The shippers are absolutely independ- ent of any affiliation whatever and the independent retail grocers are justified in handling this brand, as they have done in the past. Eastern Shore of Virginia Produce Exchange. —_—_.-+___ An improved, lower-priced check signer has been developed for smaller businesses. Its signatures, said to defy forgery, can be affixed to 3,000 or more checks an hour. Grand South American Corp.. Triangle Securities, Inc., Furniture Co., Grand QUAKER MILK The Tremendous increase in the sale of Quaker Milk speaks volumes for the satis- faction it is giving thousands of Consum- ers. Quality -- Purity-- Priced Low. An asset tothe retailer’s business. Sold only by Independent Merchants LEE & CADY Why Sacrifice Profits? It is not necessary when you stock and sell well-known merchandise on which the price has been established through years of consistent advertising. In showing the price plainly on the package and in advertising Baking Powder Same price for over 4Q) year, 25 aman 25 (more than a pound and a half for a quarter) we have established the price—created a demand and insured your profits. You can guarantee every can to give perfect satisfaction and agree to refund the full purchase price in which we will protect you. Millions of Pounds Used by Our Government Cra IW We Believe You Are Entitled to a Profit on All Merchandise You Handle or is Distributed to Your Customers We don’t believe in the distribution of free samples or free merchandise to the consumer unless such merchandise pays the merchant his full profit which includes the expense of handling when handled by him. MUTUAL INSURANCE (You participate in the profits) OUR DIVIDEND RECORD 25% to 40% on Fire and Allied Lines 124% to 25% on Casualty Lines CLASSES OF INSURANCE WRITTEN Fire Plate Glass Tornado Explosion Hail | Compensation Rents 3 Automobile Use and Occupancy Aircraft Damage Leasehold Liability of all kinds Sprinkler Leakage Burglary Riot and Civil Commotion Hold Up FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF COMPANIES REPRESENTED Assets $65,931,787.14 — Surplus $23,396,338.15 The Mil Mutuals Agency Lansing, Michigan Mutual Building Phone 2074] We cover the Lower Peninsula of Michigan