THIRTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. Price 10 cents. pene ‘fiz CI Ko SE BN cn Re y Ny) ae DEON Le Y 7 ; et ara FENG MS ee Ox Ate Nee ij a x ¢ : ‘sy NS. e ; E . +S A es & Th oR a a) ee y 5) Fe p aS 5S eS i a TE oe Yi ~~ ) ES —_ -~S Ms a Cian y ee) IN Bees DIM Zelg V/ X GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1918 Number 1838 kkk HOCH! DER KAISER todo bb tb ak th Here is the famous “Foch! Der Kaiser’ which was the little acorn from which the countless great oaks of the “Myself und Gott’? jokes and poems and cartoons grew. It was written _by Alexander Macgregor Rose and he died in the year of our Lord, 1898—sixteen years before the kaiser’s public conferring of the title von on his Von Gott. Der kaiser of dis faterland Und Gott on high all dings command. Ve two—ach! Don’t you understand? Myself—und Gott. Vile some men sing der power divine, Mine soldiers sing ‘‘Der Wacht am Rhine,”’ Und drink der health in Rhenish wine Of me—und Gott. Dere’s France, she swaggers all aroundt; She’s ausgespield, of no account, To much we dink she don’t amount; Myself—und Gott. She will not dare to fight again, But if she shouldt, I’ll show her blain Dot Elsass und (in French) Lorraine Are mein—by Gott! Dere’s grandma dinks she’s nicht small beer, Mit Boers und such she interfere; She’ll learn none owns dis hemisphere But me—und Gott! She dinks, good frau, fine ships she’s got Und soldiers mit der scarlet goat. Ach! We could knock dem! Pouf! Like dot, Myself—mitt Gott! In dimes of peace brepare for wars, I bear de spear und helm of Mars, Und care not for a dousand czars, Myself—mitt Gott! In fact, I humor efery whim, Mit aspect dark and visage grim; Gott pulls mit me, and I mit him, Myself—und Gott! ARIMA AAAI AAIIAIAIAAAIAIAIIAIAAAAAIAPAIAAAASASASAASAAAAASAA ASA SISA SA AAA AAA ASA AAAAAA AAAS AAS AAA AS AA AAA ASS SSS SAS ASAAAISIAS AAA TT : i || | AAG GOO. OOOC COCO OOOO OCCU OOO OOO OOOO LAC L .U.ALALAOIIOIIERP TATA IA FEI III III IIIA AID AAI DAI I AOI A IIA AAI A AAA OIA AAAI AAA IOI IAI IAAI NIAID AAAI AAAI AIA AA II IK HANG LEFOO THE SANITARY FLY DESTROYER Pa NON-POISONOUS Manufactured by The O. & W. Thum Co. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. MOORE'S LAXATIVE COLD TABLETS The best known treatment for COLD and GRIPPE contains BROMIDE OF QUININE, retailing 25 tablets for 25 cents. Right now is the time to get in your winter supply.. We can furnish you with a full line of Proprietary Medicines as well as a com- plete line of staple drugs. We specialize on Grocery Drug Sundries and have made a study of the needs in this line of General and Grocery stores, we can therefor give the best of satisfaction and service. THE MOORE COMPANY TEMPERANCE, MICH. Ceresota Flour Always Uniformly Good Made from Spring Wheat at Minneapolis, Minn. Judson Grocer Company The Pure Foods House Distributors ~ GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Red Crown Gasoline for Power The modern motor and improved carburetors have demon- strated beyond question that gasoline made especially for motor fuel—as Red Crown is made—will give the most power—the most speed and the most miles per gallon. Red Crown, like your automobile, is built to specifica. tions and Red Crown specifications have been worked out by the most eminent petroleum chemists and auto- mobile engineers available. Red Crown contains a continuous chain of boiling point fractions, starting at about 95 degrees and continuing to above 400 degrees. It contains the correct proportion of low boiling point fractions to insure easy starting in any temperature—the correct proportion of intermediate boil- ing point fractions to insure smooth acceleration—and the correct proportion of high boiling point fractions with their predominence of heat units to insure the maximum power, miles and speed. These are the things that make Red Crown the most ef- ficient gasoline possible to manufacture with present day knowledge. For sale everywhere and by all agents and agencies of STANDARD OIL COMPANY (INDIANA) Chicago U.S. A. DEAL 1814 MORE PROFIT , 4 L i 1 7 ; | 5 — a Lc ane a Ae mer A nah a el ee f i SNOW BOY WASHING POWDER 24s—Family Size through the jobber—to Retail Grocers 25 boxes (@ $4.85__5 boxes FREE, Net $4.04 10 boxes @ 4.902 boxes FREE, Net 4.08 5 boxes @ 4.95—1 box FREE, Net 4.12 214boxes @ 5.00—%box FREE, Net 4.17 F. O. B. Buffalo; Freight prepaid to your R. R. Station in lots of not less than 5 boxes. All orders at above prices must be for immediate delivery. This inducement is for NEW ORDERS ONLY—subiject to withdrawal without notice. Yours very truly, Lautz Bros. & Co., Buffalo, N Y. en ED CELE TID AE A Rk eee ae aL * a = ee i eal ao —— gar ene a ee Thirty-Sixth Year GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1918 Number 1838 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN (Unlike any other paper.) Each Issue Complete In Itself. DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF BUSINESS MEN. Published Weekly by TRADESMAN COMPANY Grand Rapids E. A. STOWE, Editor Subscription Price. Two dollars per year, if paid strictly in advance. Three dollars per year, if not paid in advance. Canadian subscriptions, $3.04 per year, payable invariably in advance. Sample copies 5 cents each. Extra copies of current issues, 5 cents; issues a month or more old, 10 cents; issues a year or more old, 25 cents; issues five vears or more old. $1. Entered at the Postoffice of Grand Rapids under Act of March 3, 1879. CANNED GOODS SITUATION. Intimations from the Government that there would be no cancellation of canned goods orders after all, and that the full percentages requisitioned would be taken, has cleared the at- mosphere considerably, The canned goods market is still on a war basis and must continue so until the pres. Measures to stabilize prices would have had to be undertaken in one ent stocks are disposed of. form or an- other for otherwise the consequences would have been so farreaching as fo make it impossible to forsee their outcome. These possibilities have been talked of in the trade and while some of them might have been considered extreme, in these days of reconstruc. tion and upsetting of precedent, who is to say whether they Both growers and canners went the limit in the matter of production at the direct behest of the Government, and they did not feel that there was any need to fear that, in the end, the Government leave them in the lurch. ers have, of course, are or not: might The grow- won out, but many of the canners still have sur- plus lines on hand and some unde- livered portions of Government requisitions. To some extent confidence in values has already been impaired especially on the part of retailers al- though it will undoubtedly be re- stored in due time. However, assum- ing that these surplus lines had been thrown on the market, prices would have gone down and then both job- bers and retailers and especially the latter, would have had to face a slump in the market at a time when they were loaded up with high priced goods. Taking up the retailer’s side of it, it could be easily seen that they would be in deep water as soon as the public grasped the idea that the wholesale market had The big chain stores gone down. would un- doubtedly follow the decline, partiy if not wholly, especially if they were able to replace with ‘cheaper goods. lf is then that the iosses would be so severe that many of the smaller would ‘be thrown into bankruptey or be brought close to it. conceivable retailers Carrying this possibility to its con- clusion it was pointed out what ser- ious befall the when it known. that ands of any class of dealers through- Public confidence would be shaken and the distress would quickly pass to other consequences would whole economic should structure become thous- out the country were falling. lines of business causing greater than Of course problems of reconstruction could have been forseen. all this may have been a pyramiding of consequences on the theory that a kingdom could be lost “all for the Wallt Of a nail,’ yet no one will deny that to bring distress horseshoe upon any large portion of the com- munity is something that should be avoided if possible. TOO MUCH WOOL ON HAND. As the facts concerning the wool situation in this country come out, there is a demontsration of the folly of the pursued in the past year and a half in tryime to create course the impression of a scarcity. Every statement solemnly put forward by the chief of the wool division of the War Indus tries Board that 900,000,000 pounds of wool would be needed by the army one now laughs at the for the year. Just so, also, is the absurdity of the other official state- ments that there was no wool for civilian uses and that, if there were, there was virtually no available wool- en machinery for using it. ent the Government has anywhere from 300,000,000 pounds of wool up- At pres- ward, and has also on hand millions of articles of woolen clothing and millions of yards of cloth and flannel” which it does not know what to do with. Besides this, there are a few hundred millions of pounds of wool yet to come from abroad. Some of the embarrassment might have been avoided if wool had been released, as it should have been, for trade pur- poses and if the official propaganda had not been started to induce the use of cotton warp fabrics as a sup- posed necessity. The cloth and the clothing trades are waiting to see what is to become of the wool sup- plies before they can go ahead. To remecy the existing trouble it is pro- posed that the Government-owned wool be sold gradually at auction and that imports be restricted. eee Empty heads contain a lot of use- less information. THE NEW REVENUE LAW. The positive statement of the In- ternal Revenue Commissioner, that unless the new and amended Revenue Act is enacted this month, the De- partment may have to base its plans collection on the law, shows how peculiar a situation now exists. for tax existing The period in which in- come and excess profits statements may be filed by taxpayers, Mr. Roper points out, begins on which means that all January 1; blank must be prepared and all instructions given to taxpayers and collectors by that date. But the new law is still to be finally constructed through the amending of last September’s House bill. Until 1 is completed, no ar- rangements for putting the new pro- forms force can be effected. such final before January, the Internal Revenue Department would, Mr. Roper states, either have to proceed on the assump- tion that the will remain in visions into Supposing no legislation enacted in 1917 force taxes MexXt year, or else would have to leave its work un- done. Just what this would mean may be judged by the fact _ that, whereas $2,838,000,000 was collected from the income and excess profits year 1917, the Treasury has asked that $5,000,000,000 be thus raised next year, even after making the expected reductions from the House bill’s tax schedules. taxes in the fiscal It is true that, under the law, the filing of returns by taxpayers may be made at any date up to the first of March; but this past year’s experience proved the such absolute ne- cessity for early preparations by the Department. The question, then, is whether the new law can be enact- ed during the next four weeks. As matters stand, the Senate Finance Committee has completed its revision of the bill and will report it some time this week. Its amendments to the House bill are extensive, as was inevitable the Treasury, after suspension of hostilities in Europe, reduced its estimate of tax require- ments from $8,000,000,000 to $6,000,- 000,000. The committee has revised the excess profits schedule, has cut down or eliminated many of the “luxury taxes’ and other excise levies, has struck out the tax on bank checks and reduced the postage rate from 3 cents to 2. The distribution of these changes will in all probability cause differences of opinion and be a subject of Congressional debate. Last year the Senate Committee re- ported the Revenue Bill on August 6. The Senate passed it and sent it to conference on September 10; the con- ference committee completed its work September 29, and the bill, when being acted on by both houses practically without debate, became law on Octo- ber 3. Nearly two months had changes than posed were being made. elapsed when considerably less extensive those now pro- What about Cuba: ‘The public knew more about the “Pearl of general the Antilles,” perhaps, when Hobson made his memorable dash to bottle up the Spanish fleet than it to-day. knows It is known, of course, in a general way, that we get great quan- tities of sugar and a large amount of tobacco and its products from the island, but here are a few facts which may be a revelation to many business men: The Cuban sugar crop this year, the largest crop on record, will amount to 3,600,000 tons. The price received will be 5.50 a pound, and is an advance of 175 per cent. over the price prevailing in 1914; so the 1918- 19 crop will be worth over $400,000,- 000. Tobacco and its products norm- ally are worth $25,000,000; minerals, $12,000,000, ous commodities, largely agricultural, which, with miscellane- will, it is safe to Say, make the ex- port trade of the “Little Republic’ total $500,000,000 this year. Cuba has always enjoyed a balance easily of trade in its favor and this year the margin will be larger than ever. The United States with the island, with leads in commerce Britain second; but in textiles this position Great has always been reversed with Great Britain having practical monopoly of the trade. There are over two and a half million people in Cuba and they are enjoying unprecedented prosper- ity. Here is an active market for American goods, which is unusually attractive at this time. If Postmaster-General Burleson has a reply to make to the charge of the Civil Service Reform League to the effect that, in conjunction with the Federal Civil Service Commission, he has perverted the rural free-delivery service to partisan ends, he should lose no time about it. The statement of the League is specific, and reveals a peculiarly shameless procedure. Old routes were abolished and new ones established, because the law incon- veniently stood in the way of throw. ing out Republicans and appointing Democrats directly. If this is not an open the spirit of the law, Mr. Burleson owes it to himself It is bad enough for a member of the Cabinet to reverr to what we had hoped was ‘an obso- lete use of the appointing power, at Washington at least, although Mr. 3ryan showed the country that it was not so far along in this respect as it had believed. -<-<——————— All people who want to see the boss look alike to the office boy. 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OTT Purr] (byat LR RENAE OS TI sa a ah isa _— cree a pera MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 19138 — 3 4 = m w cS a Zz, |B | NM Wek Bee a apie IMI he ee wy es Ye A = = STS aK ——=2_If i Ses 8 Movements of Merchants. Belding—Waite & Webster suc- ceeds R. G. Cranmer in the grocery business. New Haven—The New Haven Sav- ings Bank has increased its stock from $20,000 to $25,000. Detroit—The Waddell Light & Fixture Co. has increased its capital stock from $10,000 to $35,000. Petoskey—The Michigan Maple Block Co. has increased its capital stock from $75,000 to $100,000. Detroit—The H. S. Klar Coal Co., Inc., has been organized with an auth- orized capital stock of $10,000. L’Anse—Emory Welsh, meat deal- er, died at his home Dec. 5, follow- ing an illness of several months. Kalamazoo—E. W. Herrick has opened an exclusive women’s shoe store at 107 South Burdick street. Muskegon—The Houle Dry Goods Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $75,000. Gowen—The general merchandise stock of V. Hhomsen Estate store is being closed out at special sale. Tecumseh—The Uncle Sam Maca- capital roni Co. is putting up a large frame addition to be used as a_ storage house. Amble—Otto C. Waldo, dealer in produce, fuel and cement, died at his home, following an attack of the in- fluenza. Canned Fruit—The situation is un- changed, with offerings light and prices differing widely with various holders. Grand Haven—G. A. Bottge & Son have sold their hardware’ stock to Buekema & Co. who will continue the business. Owosso—J. B. Rook and Robert Hochield have formed a co-partner- ship and engaged in the dyeing and dry cleaning business. Freesoil—Thomas S. Stephens has sold his grocery stock to E. W. Trimmer, who will continue the busi- ness at the same location. Owosso—Mrs, Allie Camburn has sold her drug stock and store fixtures to L. D. Owens, recently of Armada, who has taken possession. Litchfield—Fire damaged the hard- ware stock of Henry Stoddard and the Elford clothing stock Dec. 6, causing a loss of about $10,000. Lansing—A. E. Milligan, who con- ducted a department store. at the corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan avenues, has closed out his stock. Battle Creek—Fay Spaulding, of the Spaulding Drug Co., has pur- chased the store building it occupies, installed a Guarantee jfceless soda fountain and will make other tm- provements at once. South Haven—T. M. Wheeler, wno has conducted a shoe store here ier many years, died at his home, Dec. 7, following an illness of but a few days. W. P. Williams has merged his furniture and builder’s supply busi- ness into a stock company under the style of the W. P. Williams Co. The capitalization is $25,000. Ovid—Fire which gained headway before its discovery almost complete- ly destroyed the furniture and. under- taking establishment of W. J. Simeon. The loss is estimated at $5,000. Vernon—William W. Barlow has purchased the grocery stock of W. S. Lamb and will continue the business. St. Charles—The Saginaw Salt wu. has removed its business office to Bay City. Portland—Daniel Blanchard has sold his interest in the undertaking and furniture stock of Blanchard 3ros. to his brother, Chester Blanch- ard, who will continue the business under his own name. Holland—Albert Hidding, who for a period of ten years conducte@ a grocery on the corner of River ave- nue and Seventh street, died Tuesday morning at the age of 50 years. Mr. Hidding was widely known througs- out the county. Allegan—An important change ia the affairs of the First National Bank is pending. President F. I. Chichest- er has determined to retire in order to give more time to other business interests which have steadily made demands upon his time. The bank’s year will close in January and Mr. Chichester is still concerned with tts affairs and will be until that time. Hanover—A charter has been is- sued to the Hanover State Bank, which has taken over the private bank at that place known as the Peoples Exchange Bank, operated by Bauer & Joslin, Adrian men, and has pur- chased the building and equipment. The new bank starts business with a capital stock of $20,000 and the stockholders are well-known farmers and business men. Allegan — Several persons in this county have evidently been victims of a swindler who posed as a buyer from a_ well-known fur house in Grand Rapids. He offered attractive prices for furs and paid in checks. Instead of dollars he put down an equal number of cents. The checks were of such form that the misrepre- sentation was not discovered until presented at a bank when the victims found they had been swindled. Battle Creek—Eli John, a Serbian merchant here, has lost $750 in mon- ey and $100 in Liberty bonds, by the old envelope game worked with a suit case. Two men, posing as Red Cross solicitors, working for the re- lief of Serbians, showed John a suit case full of money they had collected for relief work. They induced htm to put in $750 and the Liberty bonus and asked him to hold the suit case. He waited several days and then he opened the suit case. It contained a roll of brown paper, wrapped with a one dollar bill. Manufacturing Matters. Mt. Pleasant—J. Cornwell & Sons sold their flouring mill to the Harris Milling Co. Jackson—The trustees of the Hol- ton Co. have sold the foundry ana machine shop of the company ana paid the unsecured creditors 50 per cent. of their claims. Allegan—The Allegan Candy fac- tory has been opened for business by Henry Tiefenthal, the new proprietor, who is devoting most of his attention to the production of baked goods rather than candies. Lansing—The Auto Body Co. has increased its capital from $1,000,000 to $1,600,000, the additional stock to be preferred, to pay 6 per cent. and participate in the profits after 8 per cent. has been paid on the common stock. Middleville—The flour mills oper- ated by R. F. French Milling Co., at Middleville and Caledonia, have been closed indefinitely for failure on the part of the milling companies to file milling reports as required by the Federal food administration. Jackson—The Lockwood Ash Mo- tor Co., manufacturer of marine motors and Sterling spark plugs, has acquired the old Ruby manufacturing plant in order to extend its manu- facturing facilities. The company is capitalized at $100,000 and employs fifty men. Owosso—James Van Pelt, of New Castle, Pa., has engaged in the man- ufacture of bronze and babbitt bear- ings for motor vehicles. He will em- ploy a limited number of men until Jan. 1, when he will increase the capacity of the plant to a consider- able degree. Adrian—The Page Fence Co., of the pioneer fence manufacturing companies in the United States closed Monday out of respect to Homer O. Page, son of the founder of the plant, who was buried here Monday at noon. Employes of the factory marched to the cemetery in a body. The funeral was _ private. Mr. Page died of influenza. He was 38 years old and his death removes a director of the company whose in- fancy was practically coincident with the founding of the business. Born in Rollin, 1880, he was three when his father began the manufacture of wire fencing on the farm. The boy attended the Adrian schools, the Chester Military academy, Chester, Pa., and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston. one NS When actors ride, it’s a sign the ghost has walked. sor A locomotive engineer has to whis- tle for his pay. Truck Sale Pledges Discontinued. Truck manufacturers are not re- quired to exact pledges from those who buy from them for resale. Deal- ers may now sell trucks to anyone. The National Automobile Chamber of Commerce has notified all manu- facturers of the issuance of Circular 57, November 11, 1918, by the prior- ities division of the War Industries This states that dealers, both wholesale and retail, in raw materials, semi-finished and finished products have been relieved of any obligations to give and _ require pledges relating to such commodi- ties. There is now no preferential list for truck buying and trucks may be sold to anyone. Board. Against tropical diseases civiliza- tion has fought too much a defensive and a too little unified warfare. It is good to learn that Gen. Gorgas, now retired as Surgeon-General, is to sail to Central and South America to re- sume the investigation of yellow fever and the means of combating it which he, heading an able interna- tional commission, undertook in 1914, The governments in the yellow-fever zone—the disease is endemic in some lands, epidemic in others—will aid this commission, which is provided with funds by the Rockefeller Insti- tute. Meanwhile, the Institute has laid plans for its struggle against hookworm, especially in the Orient, and the end of the war will doubtless make possible increased activity in sustaining it. Hookworm is a scourge in a broad belt encircling the globe, and it almost dwarfs war in its cost in death, disability, and Tropical fevers, which the States and Great Britain have at- tacked with zeal, but on a limited scale, repeatedly reach menacingly towards northern regions. The time is coming when a determined inter- national effort will be made to stamp out these diseases. ——o-—~@—______ If only there existed in distracted Europe the spirit of accommodation that prevails in Indiana! At the recent election there was a tie vote for the important office of Clerk of the Boone Circuit Court. Messrs. Bynum and Jones receiving 3,050 votes each. Did the two candidates and their friends organize Soviets, seize the local and turn proclamations wireless? Not at all. They first had a quiet but thorough investigation, which showed that the vote was real- ly a tie and that no method of re- solving such a situation was provid- ed by law. This discovery allowed them to prove what common-sense can do when not interfered with. It was agreed that Mr. Bynum, the Re- publican, should qualify as Clerk and his personal attention to the office at a stipulated salary, and that Mr. Jones, the Democrat, should designate a deputy, whatever re- mained of the earnings of the post after these drafts upon them to be divided between the two men share and share alike. A judge imparted an air of legality to this arrange- ment by appointing three citizens as a commission to review the vote. misery. United rival newspapers. loose by give December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN es . hye F ») HLS WR: ¢ . <= = (Ute = ST 5 H Hit D 11) ’ pe Lo a ¥, Review of the Grand Rapids Produce Market. Apples—Pound Sweet, $2 per bu.; 20 oz. Pippin, $1.75@2; .-Hubbard- stons, $1.50; Baldwin, $1.50; North- ern Spys, $2@2.25; Wagners, $1.75; Mackintoshes, $2; Grimes Golden, $1.50; Greenings, $2; Russets, $1.75. Bananas—$7.75 per 100 lbs. 3eets—75c per bu. Butter—The market is firm with quotations about 1c higher than last week. There is an extremely light supply of fancy fresh creamery at this time and a good demand. Lower grades have advanced _ proportion- ately with the fancy grades. We do not look for any relief in the butter situation until the receipts increase. Present prices will probably be main- tained in the immediate future. Local dealers hold fancy creamery at 65c in tubs and 67c in prints. Creamery more than a month old sold at 63c. Jobbers pay 48c for No. 1 dairy 1a jars and sell at 50c. They pay 35c for packing stock. Cabbage—$3 per crate or $1 per bu. Carrots—75c per bu. Celery—25c per bunch. Celery Cabbage—$1.25 per doz. Christmas Goods—Trees, $2.25 per bundle of 3 to 5; wreaths, $3 per dozen for 12-inch double; holly, $6 per case; mistletoe, 35c per lb.; fes- tooning, $1.50 per 20 yards. Trees are very scarce. Cranberries—Late Howes, $20° per obl. and $7 per bu. Cucumbers — Indiana hot heuse, $2.50 per dozen. Eggs—The market is steady, there being an active demand for the daily receipts, which are well cleaned up every day. There is a light supply and we do not look for any change until the fresh receipts increase, which will probably not be for two or three weeks to come. Local deaw ers pay 65c per doz., loss off, inclu ing cases, delivered. Cold storage operators are putting out their stocks on the basis of 48c for candled firsts and 44c for candled seconds. Egg Plant—$2 per dozen. Garlick—28c per lb. Grape Fruit—$4@5 per box for all sizes Floridas. Grapes—California Emperors, $4.50 per 4 basket crate and $8.75 per keg. Green Onions—18@20c per dozen, Green Peppers—50c per basket for Florida. Honey—25c per lb. for white clov- er and 30c for dark. Lemons—California have declined to $5.50 for choice and $6 for fancy. Lettuce—Head, $3 per bu.; hot house leaf, 10c per Ib. Onions—$1.50@1.75 per 100 tb. sack for either Red or Yellow. Oranges—Floridas, $4.75@5.50 per box; California Navals, $4.50@7, ac- cording to size. Pineapples—$6 per crate. Pop Corn—1tic per Ib. Potatoes—Home grown command $2 per 100 lb, sack Poultry—Local dealers pay as fol- lows for live: Hens, 4 lbs., and over, 23c; medium, 20c; small, 1%c; springs, 22c; turkeys, No. 1, 8 lbs. and over, 27c; old toms, 23c; ducks, large, 24c; geese, large, 22c. For dressed the following prices tre paid: Turkeys, No. 1, 30c; ducks, large, 26c; geese, large, 25c. Radishes—Hot house, 30c per doz. bunches. Squash—Hubbard, $2.75 per 100 lbs. Sweet Potatoes—$2.75 per 50 Ib. hamper of Illinois kiln dried and $3.25 for Jerseys. Tomatoes—California, $1.15 per 5 Ib. basket. Turnips—65c per bu. ——__>-~-—___— How to Hire Soldiers at Cantonments Appointment of special agents of the United States Employment Ser- vice at all army cantonments has been ordered, with a view of help- ing the returned soldiers find jobs. James V. Cunningham, Michigan Di- rector of the U. S$. Employment Ser- vice, has recently appointed William G. Roche as the agent at Camp Cus- ter. He will supply the camp com- mander with all information avail- able concerning the labor situation in Michigan so that provision may be made for the soldiers when they re- turn home. The Government’s or- der prohibits agents of industrial con- cerns from soliciting labor camps, but gives the privilege to the railway, fuel and postoffice administrations; likewise the shipping board. Em- ployers who wish to obtain men from the cantonments must get in touch with the special agents of the U. S. Employment Service located at these army centers. —_2---—____ Peter Dornbos has removed his cigar factory from the second floor of the Maris building to the third floor of the Kennedy building, where he has more room, more light and Much better ventilation. —_+--~>—____ Buy new things conservatively, but don’t refrain from buying them. People want to see new things when they come to your store. ———_>- > The merchant who doesn’t advertise his wares and thus increase his “turn- overs” necessarily must charge a larger profit because he has fewer of them. The Grocery Market. Sugar—With all control over dis- tribution eliminated, retail grocers are not required to make records of sales or to report such sales monthly, as has been the rule. All red tape in other words, has been eliminated in so far as the distribution and pur- chase of sugar is concerned. This will relieve the trade of much addi- tional work and will avoid confusion and dissatisfaction, especially when grocers did not receive enough to sup- ply their needs and were constantly endeavoring to get more, thus com- pelling affidavits and the submission of lists of customers, etc. Not only is all restriction taken off, but the recent ruling that retail grocers could sell no more powdered sugar has been lifted at the same time. Refiners are now privileged to sell the wholesale grocers, the latter can replenish the supply of the retailers, who, in turn, are permitted to sell consumers, al- though such sales are supposed to be included in the four pounds per capita which the housewife is allowed and who upon her honor ih not supposed to exceed. All restraint of whatever nature with respect to the sale or sugar is therefore off excepting that the dealer must adhere to the ic per pound profit in package for and 1%c per pound when sold in bulk. Tea—No new features of import- ance have developed in the local market for teas. A fairly active de- mand is reported for Formosas and Ceylons. Supplies on hand are light and prices continue to be maintained. Coffee—In a sense the Govern. ment has come to the rescue of the coffee market by relaxing, to some extent, the regulations regarding the sale of coffee. The result of this re- laxation is, of course, to open the market a little wider to general trad- ing and break the extreme scarcity that has existed for about a month. The result of the change in the regu. lations was a slight decline in Bra- zil, but in this country prices on all grades of Rio and Santos are well sustained. There is very little busi- ness, everybody being afraid to buy coffee at present very high prices. Stocks of coffee in this country are unprecedentedly light, both in Riu and Santos and in Milds. Canned Vegetables—Tomatoes are ruling in the neighborhood of $1.90 a dozen f. o. b. factory and in a large way for No, 3s, but there are no buy- ers and the market will probably be shaded if business continues so dull. No change is to be reported in any other line of canned goods. Canned Fish—An explanation of the recent unexpected offerings of red Alaska salmon comes from very good sources and is worthy of some consideration. It is to the effect that the market is being manipulated in an endeavor to induce timid holders to let go of their supplies, so that speculative operators can increase their holdings for the enormous de- mand that is expected from Europe as’ soon as shipping conditions make it. possible. In the opinion of the trade at large, the salmon situation is a very strong one and should cause no anxiety to holders big or little. 5 The Maine sardine season has closed, with prices firm at about 25c below the maximum. Dried Fruits—Advices received in the trade are that the Government has decided to release some Cali- fornia prunes after all. These will be of the 40-50, the 50-60 and the 60-70 size. The quantity to be released has not yet been determined and will not -help the situation very materially, but the point is that it will help some and it encourages the trade to believe that something more in the line of unexpected happenings may occur. The rather humorous feature of the situation is that those who have been looking for something of this kind to happen had absolutely nothing to go on in the way of in- formation or even logic. They ad- mit that they simply had a “hunch” whereas those who said that it would be impossible for the Government to release any prunes had all the logic with them statistically and otherwise. These additional supplies will not be available in this market for the next month or six weeks. In the mean- time the only prunes that are being offered are 120s and as the trade is slow to take these small prunes they are now being offered at 7%c, their value lessening with the possibility of increased offerings of the more desirable sizes. Apricots age still firmly held with extra choice at 22c and fancy Blenheims at 24c. Cheese—The market is very firm, due to extremely light receipts and a very light supply of the Styles. different There is an active demand at this time and we look for continued high prices for some time. Corn Syrup—There are no fresh developments to record. Trading is quiet with prices steady. Rice—The market for rice is quiet. W'th supplies generally light, the market remains firm. Sugar Syrups—No new develop- ments are noted. with prices steady. Molasses—There are no new de- velopments in the situation, the mar- ket being firm with trading quiet. Salt Fish—No change has occurred in mackerel during the week, Cod- fish continues high and in moderate request. Provisions—The market on pure lard is firm, with quotations about the same as last week. There is a moderate supply and a good con- sumptive demand. The market on lard substitute is firm at unchanged quotations. There is a moderate sup- ply and a good demand. The market on smoked meats is very firm, prices Trade is routine, ranging slightly higher on most styles. There is a light supply and a good demand. The market on bar- reled pork is firm, with quotations ranging the same as last week. The market on dried beef is very firm, with a good demand and a light sup- ply. The market on canned meats is very firm, quotations ranging about the same as last week. There is a light supply and a good demand. —__>.>—__ If you would be classed as a good fellow all you have to do is applaud your fool friends. 6 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 VALUE OF NEIGHBORLINESS. Quality Should Be More Generally Cultivated. We are never too old to learn. I have been through an experience re- cently which has made a deep im- pression upon me. As block chair- man in the drive for the Fourth Lib- erty loan and the campaign for the patriotic fund I tried to do my whole duty and, in company with my good wife, called upon every family in our block several times and became ac- quainted not only with the heads of the families, but the names and ages of the children. We also learned about the aged people and those who are invalids. We learned about con- ditions and circumstances affecting the well being of our neighbors. We were awakened to the fact that we knew little about our neighbors, their problems and their needs. We knew the names of very few of them. In carrying on the plan of the campaign these people all called at our house, leaving their contributions and ex- changing with us bits of conversa- tion, which brought us nearer to each other. I was perfectly astounded to learn that several of them did know where I lived, and thus brought home to me the fact that they were as ignorant of me as I was of them. not was We belonged to different churches, social organizations, clubs and_ busi- ness gatherings. Our interests had not thrown us together because we had all neglected the values in neigh- had_ heard each other Some of us about given us borliness. stories of gossip which had very erroneous views. Some of us had been mis- judged and called distant and cold- hearted. I found one or two who had been generally regarded as aris tocrats, but who were most compan- ionable people and their inner lives would reveal not a single aristocratic factor. There were reserved people who felt that their slender income would not warrant them in making friends with well-to-do neighbors. There were folks burdened with home cares who felt they had no time to make new acquaintances and yet who welcomed the neighborly call. I learned my lesson and shall make it effective by neglecting, if I must, my church, my club, my _ distant friends, that I may better know my immediate neighbors and learn how I can be useful to them. It is really the more. spectacular relationship that turns us into a multiplicity of activities which use our time and en- ergy to the neglect of the simple duties in and near our homes. I am not only going to know my neighborhood better, but I am plan- ning a scheme by which all of my neighbors shall become acquainted with each other and reap the joys of neighborhood associations. My thought is to bring all the people liv- ing in my block together for a social time occasionally and make the gath- ering so simple in its methods that all will be glad to participate in. it. There will be no social distinctions. We will rub out all the little mis- conceptions concerning each other; eliminate petty jealousies which have no foundation in fact and make neigh- borliness furnish the binder that will make the community blend. What a valuable suggestion comes out of the machinery of this war campaign! Ii all the block chairmen and the cap- tains and lieutenants and_ general supervisors would unite their efforts in promoting neighborly acquaintance and spirit, what a wonderful trans- formation could be made of our large community! Is not this the kind of a thing that the Grand Rapids Recre~ ation Association can promote? Why can not the War Camp Community Service utilize its mechanism in pro- moting neighborliness? What a bur- den of wrong views of each other What misconceived could be lifted! lem which most of us have shied at, but which finds its solution in the simple movement this brief arti- cle suggests. There is no higher tribute that can be paid to a man than that he is a good neighbor. The decision of wheth- er it may be applied to you or me depends upon ourselves. Would it not be well for us to narrow our angle of vision, cutting out many things that attract us in the distant horizon but revealing an obligation at our threshold? Charles W. Garfield. ——_+-- Plan Changes In Orange Standard. O. W. Newman, field deputy of the California State Horticultural Com- mission, is making experiments with reference to possible changes in the orange standardization laws. The ex- Charles W. iGarfield. notions of the people across the way would be wiped out! What splendid human combinations would be formed that make for graceful enjoyment! What beautiful timely and effective service would be suggested! What foolish and inexcusable social lines of demarkation wofild be eliminated! Most of the misunderstandings, the back biting, jealousies, feuds in neighborhood life have their source in the refusal to see the other fellow’s point of view. Here is the oppor- tunity to right ourselves with our neighbors, recognizing their good qualities and refusing to believe a lot of things which are not so, and which ,are thrown in our yards, blown in our windows and catch us unawares on the highway. Sermons have been written on “Who is My Neighbor?” which have not found their application to this simple prob- perience of this year, he says, shows that the so-called 8 to 1 test, re- quiring eight parts of sugar to each part-of acid for maturity, can not be accepted arbitrarily. The general opin- ion among experts is that a color test must be added, and the terms for addition are now under discus- sion. Federal experts of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Depart- ment of Agriculture, who are making a series of independent investigations, are quoted as having given it as a preliminary opinion that a require- ment must be added that fruit must show at least 50 per cent. charac- teristic orange test. This, it is be- lieved, will cover conditions when the acid content of the fruit is low. —_++-2_____ After a woman gets on the shady side of 40 she speaks of herself as “us girls.” Gabby Gleanings From Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids, Dec. 10—Well, we held that meeting of Grand Rapids Council last Saturday evening. Every- thing was carried off in a manner which would be a recommendation to the efficiency of the National City Bank of New York. This was due entirely to the energies and push that was injected into the proceedings by its officers, and their hearty support- ers—the members of No. 131. There were six new members added to the membership roll and now we shall feel that we are just that many more points stronger.. We feel that these new members will be on the job at once to help make No. 131, not only the largest, but the best Council in the State. The names of the new members are as follows: H. Ferris. C. B. Lek, C. B. Weller. Roland Schler. Frank Mapes. HH. Bart. The Council was very fortunate in that M. T. Ashbrook, of Newark Council, Newark, Ohio, was present, and gave a most interesting talk of his travels and associations with the United Commercial Travelers—a talk that was enjoyed and appreciated by all present. Those who were not present missed something well worth hearing. Following the meeting a pot-luck supper was in order and everyone “fell to” in fine shape. I do not think that Mr. Hoover will have any fault to find. Each one seemed to realize the responsibility and acted accord- ingly, and the way they put away the grub would surprise the most experi- enced in this line. G. K. Coffee. was there, too. After the feed, speeches were made by Senior Counselor William E. Saw- ver and Homer Bradfield, after which the crowd was treated to a few tricks in magic and slight of hand by Pro- fessor Pill Seller Pierce, from the Far East and Mexico. After he had shown us all just how to do these tricks, the crowd was turned loose and we had dancing and music. Con- sidering that the original programme was pretty well shot to pieces by sickness, we had a real good time, and look forward to the time when we can repeat the feat. Oliver Wallin, of the firm of Oliver Wallin & Co., Cadillac, has been laid up for a while with the flu, but we are glad to hear that he is again on his feet and expects to be on the job in a few days. Again the uncertainty of automo- biling in Michigan during the late fall months over present roads is forcibly brought to mind in the instance of Howard Ives, salesman for the Mills Paper Co. Hiloward thought that maybe he could make one more trip by auto, but when he arrived in Cad- illac, he encountered snow _ banks which made it impossible for him to continue his trip by auto, so he took himself to the hotel to think, and the question at hand was, what to do with the car? The verdict was as follows: The car had been a good car dur- ing the summer and it was no fault of the car that snow banks had been encountered, so it should have a nice quiet place to rest during the winter months, and while the wintry winds are cutting circles around the coaches on the G. R. & I., Howard will know that his car is resting in peace, if not in pieces, in the quiet, but im- portant little town of Fife Lake. I think there is a magazine issued each month bearing the title of “Sales- manship.” This magazine is in the neighborhood of one-half inch in thickness and of ordinary type, so I have come to the conclusion that “salesmanship” is some subject, and is to the man who follows the calling December 11, 1918 the study of a lifetime. To him, the study of humanity has a fascination that is hard indeed to break away from, and I think that this is one reason .we have men now selling goods who were selling them when they were in their teens. Of course, everyone who takes a sample case and starts out does not carry it to the end of the road. Life on the road is not all roses as is pictured by the young man who has ambitions in this line—a fact he soon finds out and a fact his employers are aware of before they send him on his journey of experiences. Each ex- perience has its value and some of them cost the employers a lot of money, and sometimes the good es- teem of a valuable customer, but if the young salesman has the right in- gredients in his make-up he never causes his house to pay the cost the second time. Each and every time the young salesman makes a mistake in his judgment and analysis of the task assigned him, just so often does he lay this mistake up as an asset to be recalled at some .uture time and profit thereby; thus, perhaps, bal- ancing his debit account and leaving a profit, if not in dollars and cents, ina way of knowing that he has over- come one of the obstacles which he was not able to grapple with when he first started out. This is the beginning of real con- fidence and is a sign that he is learn- ing to walk in the narrow path of his chosen profession. This, in the esti- mation of the writer, is the most in- teresting trade in which a young man can become engaged. However, all those who start out do not make salesmen and as soon as this fact is evident, I think it is the duty of the employing house to communicate this information to the young man and in a nice way help him to take up some other work which his house, in their vast experi- ence in studying and handling sales- men, thinks this young man is better fitted for. He should accept this ad- vice in the spirit it is given and try his hand at something else. I think it is safe to say that 90 per cent. of the world’s commerce is carried on through the medium of the salesmen, and the large firms o1 to- a are looking for the best in that ine. A man can be a good executive and still not be able to make a sale which would benefit his house to any great extent. A salesman must have many quali- fications. In the first place he muse have a good knowledge of the prod- uct he is marketing; also he must know the requirements of the terri- tory in which he is trying to sell this product. He must be a student of human nature and understand the various characteristics of his many customers, upon whose energies he must depend in order to have his product reach its final sphere of usefulness with the consumer, If the salesman is wise, he will have a good knowledge of his com- petitor’s goods and in some way im- part to the dealer the superior merits of the article he is marketing, so that, unconsciously, the dealer will impart this information to the con- sumer and thus move your stock on the dealer’s shelves, making room for more when you call again. The writer has met many types of salesmen and many types of men try- ing to be salesmen, and as I stop to compare present day salesmen with those of twenty-five years ago, I can not help but see the great difference that has come over the traveling fra- ternity as a whole. The present day knight of the grip is a home-loving, upright, straight dealing individual, who as he bids his family good bye Monday mornings has from then on, during the trip, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN the interest of his customers at stake, and “as he jogs along on the train, often wonders how John Jones can better his business and make more money. He is not a price cutter and understands and is fully convinced that the selling prices given him by his house are the lowest and best that can be given, consistent with good service and standard goods. few years ago—and once in a while we run across him now—we used to meet the man (I do not use the word “salesman”) who tried to worm his way into the confidence of the merchant by selling some article which the dealer is well posted on below cost, but watch out for this fellow on some other article. This kind of buying will cost the dealer a lot of money in a year if he does much business with this type of man. Employing houses are fast weeding this class of travelers out and it is well that they should. Remember each and every article should carry its own percentage of profit and one article should not be sacrificed to save another. In other words,, we ~ should not “Rob Peter to pay Paul.’ Last, but not least, always bear in mind boys that the wages paid you have got to come back to the man who hired you in the way of profit. Don’t blow about your large sales, if you have any. Just keep your eyes and ears open. Be ready to profit by other’s experiences; keep busy and “saw wood’—that’s all. D. F. Helmer. —_>>>—___ Newest in Millinery. Many of the millinery manufac- turers here express the opinion that hats of rough braids are going to have a big season during the coming spring. One manufacturer, accord- ing to the bulletin of the Retail Mil- linery Association of America, has backed his opinion by showing a large line of these goods, principally pineapple and lobster, combined with satin or georgette in blue jay, tur- quoise sand, and henna. In addition to this are shown such staple colors as negre brown, taupe, and black. Most of the models shown are small and “off the face,” and have on them only a limited amount of trimming. They wholesale at $24 to $48 a dozen. Another prominent manufacturer, according to the bulletin, is also specializing for spring on rough braids combined with satin or georgette, but as yet he is not try- ing to push the georgette combina- tions, These he prefers to hold un- til later in the season, as do several other manufacturers. A great many of the hats shown by this maker are trimmed with wool embroidery or flowers, but none of them is elabor- ate. This line ranges in price from $36 to $60. —__>22—___ May Bring in Human Hair. An announcement is made by the War Trade Board that applications for licenses to import uncleaned human hair will be considered in the event of the shipment originating in or coming from China, Hongkong, or Japan. Aggregate imports of this merchandise, however, cannot ex- ceed fifty long tons a month. The Gift to Give Is the Gift that Lives. Pianos Players Victrolas When You Think of Music Think of Friedrich’s. We are showing the very latest designs in Pianos, Players and Victrolas and our prices (with terms that meet your conven- ience) make it possible for you to own one this Christmas. For the friend who owns a Vic- trola we suggest a “Victor Record Certificate’’ as a particularly ac- ceptable gift. RIEDRICH MUSIC HOUSE nner ——_ ———$—$——— 206 MONROE AVENUES H ARNESS OUR OWN MAKE Hand or Machine Made Out of No. 1 Oak leather. We guarantee them absolutely satisfactory. If your dealer does not handle them, write direct to us. SHERWOOD HALL CO., LTD. Tonia Ave. and Louis St. Grand Rapids, Michigan OUR LIST OF CLIENTS is made up of men and institutions who appreciate the kind of advertising which makes itself heard without shouting. We do that kind of advertising quite successfully and we never cheapen a client’s business or product when we are trying to advertise it. We are more concerned in securing clients who seek to profit by our work than we are in serving those who merely want to spend money and can’t see why there should be anything constructive in their advertising. This isn’t a matter of sentiment with us. Close obser- vation has convinced us that the kind of advertising which makes only a noise and no echo, doesn’t pay anyone very well—particularly that portion of the public which will listen to it. You probably could annex this office to your business with profit to all concerned. If we are not taking care of the account of a com- petitor of yours we would be pleased to go over the matter with you. The George A. Murphy Advertising Agency MICHIGAN TRUST BLDG. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Nea ateg pan TT FE ee amie ee : acs ety Sarat: THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR. Although the actual conclusion of the thirty-fifth publication year of the Tradesman occurred eighteen weeks ago, the issue of this week is intend- ed to mark the beginning of the thirty-sixth year of successful pub- lication. The reason the anniversary edition was not published earlier in the year and nearer the event it is intended to celebrate is because there was a Government embargo on ex- tra editions until about three weeks ago. On the lifting of this embargo, work was immediately begun on the edition the reader now has be- fore him. It is not so bulky and pretentious as some of its predeces- sors, but it will be found fairly well filled with interesting matter pertain- ing to nearly every branch of mod- ern merchandising. ' The past year has been the most critical one in the history of trade journalism in this country. It has been a year replete with sacrifice and self-denial, due to the severe restrictions and limitations exacted by the Government in order that free- dom might survive and human lib- erty might not perish from the face of the earth. In common with mill- ions of other patriots, the makers of the Tradesman have aimed to do their full duty, confidently believing that Government regulations were made to be obeyed and not ignored or violated, to the end that the war might be successfully concluded at the earliest possible moment. The past year has also brought its trials and tribulations to all bran- ches of trade, both wholesale and retail. Never before has it been harder to move goods profitably and satisfactorily and keep within the bounds of reason and the limits established by the ‘Government. That such a year of trial should have witnessed the penalization of less than 200 Michigan merchants is very surprising. It did not seem possible that the trade as a whole could face such an ordeal and not suffer more severely in the eyes of the law and the estimation of the people. The future certainly has in store many changes for the members of the mercantile fraternity. Many of them are foreshadowed at this time. Most of the abuses of the past which have been abandoned during the war will never be permitted to come back. The past year has been a year of genuine awakening for the Trades- man. It has never before realized how useful it could be to its readers in particular and the mercantile trade in general. It has been con- sulted more generously during 1918 than any previous year in its history and has reason to feel that it has been of real benefit to those who have sought its service. This has entail- ed much extra work on the part of the editorial force, but the labor has been of such a character that it has resulted to the benefit of every read- er. because the problem which con- fronts one merchant is likely to be identical with the problems which face all dealers in the same or allied MICHIGAN TRADESMAN lines. The key to one problem will, as a rule, apply to all. More frauds have been investigated and exposed during 1918 than in any previous year in the history of the Tradesman. This feature of the Tradesman has come to be a labor of love, because the detection -of frauds and cheats is no longer a diffi- cult matter. All shady transactions and swindling propositions bear cer- tain earmarks or involve certain stereotyped practices which are pe- culiar to the craft of crooks. Exper- ienced merchants, as a rule, are not caught by specious promises which are made with no idea of their ful- filment, because they have come to know at a glance whether the plea of the plausible stranger rings true or false. The new merchant, however, furnishes ample material for the crafty salesman who wants the deal- er’s signature for ornamental pur- poses only on his assurance that the order can be countermanded or can- celled any time within a week or a month at the option of the merchant. Of course, the order turns out a promissory note which finds its way into the hands of an alleged “innocent third party” about as rapidly as the mails can transport it. A marked victory has been achiev- ed during the past year in the elim- ination of the word “concurrent” from the riders on fire insurance policies. This is the culmination of a fight which the Tradesman has conducted against the use of this word for the past twelve years. Its use adds noth- ing to the value of the policy, from the standpoint of the insured, and it puts a club in the hands of the un- scrupulous adjuster to hold over the head of the policy holder who meets a loss by fire and who is not sufficient- ly informed as to the significance of the term to properly defend himself. A marked growth in the number and strength of mutual fire insurance companies covering mercantile risks has taken place during 1918. It is now no longer necessary for any mer- chant to pay tribute to the stock fire insurance combine which held the business public in bondage for so many years. The suspension of Detroit Trade a year ago and the absorption of its paid-in-advance subscription list by the Tradesman has placed additional burdens and responsibilities on this publication, which the publisher has aimed to carry with becoming grace and dignity. It may not be out of order, in this connection, to state that since 1883—the year the Tradesman began making weekly visits to the trade—over thirty ‘trade journals have started and suspended publica- tion in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. The Tradesman is now the only independent trade journal published in those four states. The- Tradesman has no alluring promises to make for the future. The record of the past must be taken as a criterion of what the future has in store for those who believe in the efficiency and integrity of the Trad- esman and give expression to that be- lief by taking it regularly and read- ing it thoroughly every week. THE COTTON MARKET. No evidences were given during the past week of any immediate prospect of advances in cotton prices toward the goal which Southern holders de- sire. Nor, for that matter, was there much release of the article. Lack of tonnage still serves to act as a check on exports, and domestic spinners do not appear to need any quantity of cotton. For the future there seems to be great promise in the steps taken to hold a conference in this country of both domestic and foreign cotton in- terests. Delegates are expected from Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, and other European countries. Here there will be in attendance repre- sentatives of the growers, of Govern- ment departments, of manufacturers of cottons and textile machinery, of ginners, and of the various cotton ex- changes. Some common understand- ing is expected to be arrived at which shall be for the best interests of all concerned. Among other matters to be taken up is the rehabilitation of the Belgian and French cotton in- dustries. The goods market remains in a halting and unsettled condition. There are offerings much under the Government maximum prices, but the buyers remain coy, apparently under the impression that bottom figures have not yet been reached. It seems to be understood that Gov- ernment-owned goods will not be thrown on the market. Mill men are considering a reduction of output, and some have already put this into effect. Yarns are appreciably lower. Buyers of hosiery and underwear are hold- ing for reduced prices. Let the Government build docks and terminals in this country and in Latin America, charging the Ameri- can shipper cost. That is the novel and rather startling suggestion which comes to us as a solution of the mar- itime problem. It is reported that terminal facilities in ‘Latin America, outside of the principal ports, are al- most a joke; that delays in dispatch- ing cargoes are unconscionably long; that the cost of storage, where stor- age facilities are available even at the :-big ports, is almost prohibitive. Howbeit, whether the idea is practi- cal or not, it seems to offer a good subiect for consideration at the peace conference. It will be recalled there was considerable objection on the part of American ship owners to the Government's non-discriminatory ac- tion in the matter of rates through the Panama Canal. A uniform Pana- ma Canal charge to the ships of all nations established a principle which it is hardly likely would be broken in any new Government-owned project of an international nature. It would promote those very trade antago- nisms which it is the President’s aim to avoid. A merry round of Con- gressional debate is in prospect re- volving around the paramount prob- lem of how to successfully operate our growing merchant marine. How to offset the difference between the American and the foreign scales of wages. Subsidy is an old-time rem- edy. Now we have Government ownership proposed as a panacea. Decembcr 11, 1918 What is the difference between sub- sidy and Government ownership if it is not the difference between effici- ency and inefficiency? The stimu- lant of individual initiative on the one hand and the lethargy of Federal operation on the other. The lot of few people can be un- happier than that of those in German- conquered lands who yielded to Ger- man guile or threats. Correspondents in Belgium have reported the mob- bing of Flemings, who joined hands with the invader, in France the ex- pulsion of some who had been friend- ly with German officers. It is told of Clemenceau that in greeting a Rumanian delegation he remarked that he cordially welcomed its mem- bers, that he took off his hat before the noble Rumanian people, but that he put it on again in the face of the Rumanian government. Feeling must be immeasurably more bitter against turncoats in the devastated regions than it was after our Revo- lution against the Tories. Their own sense of their contrast with those who withstood unflinchingly bitter German persecution is a chief part of their punishment. They can change their names or move to new lands, but they can not escape that. Evidently, the mere admonition of “Children, love one another” will not suffice to restore peace to what was formerly Austria-Hungary. Ancient experience in Macedonia should have taught Entente statesmen that races which have hated their oppressors and each other for well-nigh five hundred years may at once lapse into anarchy when pressure from on top, even of the tyrant, is suddenly removed. Magyar, Czech, German, Pole, Jew, Ruthene, Mohammedan, Roman, and Orthodox Catholic, according to lat- est reports, are, as was to be ex- pected, rapidly being locked in a mur- derous death-strugele. Something more than platonic benevolence must now be exercised by the Allies, some- thing in the nature of real interven- tion. Otherwise blame for Mid- European anarchy will be attributable hereafter to Allied indifference. Democracy, like charity, should begin at home. But it is not mani- fested in the spending of eight times as much of the public money upon the schooling of one child as upon that of another. This disparity be- tween the way in which white and negro boys and girls are educated in South Carolina is the subject of fresh comment by the Columbia State. The pitiable sum of $2.16 was expended for the education of every negro child in the State last year. The cities did better by the negro than the rural districts, which would mean that parts of the State spent less than the sum named. This is held to account in part for the tendency of the black man to take his family to the cities. Even the liberal State does not urge absolutely equal treatment of the white and the negro child. But some parts of the country can still-go a long way without threatening to bring about that result. saaprerecct en - December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 9 A New Era Has Dawned —and New Problems Now Confront the | Retail Grocer 3 If you can get the goods that are fair in wholesale price; that require short-time storage and little handling; that demand small selling effort, and that stay sold. If you can price your goods at a profit and maintain your prices If you can weed out the slackers and save only the profit-bringers If you will buy conservatively in keeping with your customers’ demands, realizing that your jobber’s warehouse is your storeroom and that you are entitled to this service, | | YOU WILL WIN To meet the new conditions that now confront the world calls for 100 per cent. co-operation between the merchant and his source of supply. | Our experience of nearly fifty years, devoted exclusively to the wholesale grocery business, has equipped us to serve you. Our co-operation may help you to solve your problems. The Home of Quaker Pure Food Products es ee eR CN aS ee Sy ee Lace oat Ne ee ge ee WORDEN (GROCER COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS—KALAMAZOO z THE PROMPT SHIPPERS fe 10 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 THE COMING CHRISTMAS. It Should Be the Happiest Day In History. Written for the Tradesman. Peace with all its manifold bless- ings has come to mother earth after more than four years of sanguinary strife. The fields so long ploughed with shot and shell, enriched by the dear bought blood of the race, are soon to be ready for the husbandman, tall grasses to wave where once only desolation and despair held sway. In contemplating the _ situation, watching the clouds roll up and away, seeing the bright rays of peaceful sunshine take the place of barrages and blasting death of acid fumes, we may well stop and take note of how we stand with relation to all that has past like the hideous phantasy of an William Hohenzollern is still at ugly dream. large—he of the stern visage and re- lentless heart. A coward and a mur- derer, he shrinks into a most insig- nificant figure there amid the fogs and dampness of the Netherlands. His fate, however, has not yet been decided. Like the woodchuck run to his hole he is waiting in the privacy of an obscure burg the decision of those who ran down his legions, bay- onetted his boasted Prussian guards, and sent the flower of the German army helter skelter for safety beyond the Rhine. A yellow dog is he indeed. There seems to be a wonderful unanimity in a demand for.justice, something that the Hohenzollern has more to fear than any call for vengeance that might arise from his raped and murdered victims. The day of retribution draws near, and at the same time we hear as afar off that other cry of “Peace on earth, good will to man.” Another Christmas day is in the offering. Her sails are already to be seen in the near distance, freighted with good will to man. This is to be the grandest and most enjoyable Christmas day since the foundation of the world. There will be rejoicing from Land’s End to the remotest corners of Britain; amid the sunny hills of France, down to the valleys of the inter-rivers of Central Europe, along the levels of Northern Italy, even to Greece and the smaller islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Belgium, martyred, wrecked, strick- en little nation, yet the most sublime figure.in all the world war, claps both hands in an ecstacy of joy over the downfall of the modern Hun and the replacement of her people once again in the sunlight of peace and pros- pective prosperity. Peace on earth has indeed wonder- ful significance this Christmas season of 1918. It is, indeed, worth some- thing to know that the peace of this old world is not likely to be disturbed by war’s dread hell for at least an- other hundred years. What may not be done in that time to rebuild the places made waste by this unholy war? We can well believe that this war was most unrighteous in its beginning, that the junker party of Germany recklessly broke the peace of the world for the sordid purpose of aggrandizing the Fatherland at the expense of other nationalities. Were the countless millions of dead piled in one long line and William Hohenzollern made to march down the line, his gaze all the time fixed on the ghastly faces of the dead, one can imagine he would then and there realize the enormity of his sin; would in fact call the mountains to roll down upon him and bury him forever from human sight. With all its ghastly horrors there is one redeeming feature to the world cataclysm just brought to a close. The enmities of long years have been wiped out and nations once bitter to- ward one another have been brought into closer communion until now they are as deathlessly determined upon each other’s welfare as they were once bert upon antagonizing. The one hundred and forty years of enmity bet*-een the United States and England i.as been wiped, let us hope, off the slate forever. The enmity that had become proverbial between France and Britain has met with a like erosion. Even Italy comes in for a fair share of admiration and love. These swords points have learned a lesson in national amity that nothing less than this world war could have brushed aside. However much good is to come from this brotherhood of nations, this fact does not in the least mitigate the crime of the war precipitators. They must be held to a strict ac- countability. The gaunt, sneaking wolf now hiding in seclusion beneath the flag of the Netherlands must be smoked out. He, with many others perhaps equally guilty of wholesale murder, must not be permitted to live and gloat over the crimes which have not their counterpart in the history of all times. The “Little Gem’ Battery Arsenate of Lead, Paris Green, Egg Tester Arsenate of Calcium, Dry Lime Sulphur. Wiibp Sr datalonen sad ottbne. Our prices will interest you. We have the best. Reed & Cheney Company S. J. Fish Egg Tester Co., Jackson, Mich. Grand Rapids, Michigan WE BUY AND SELL Beans, Potatoes, Onions, Apples, Clover Seed, Timothy Seed, Field Seeds, Eggs. When you have goods for sale or wish to purchase WRITE, WIRE OR TELEPHONE US. Both Telephones 1217 | Moseley Brothers, GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. GGS GGS GGS We are always in the market to buy FRESH EGGS and fresh made DAIRY BUTTER and PACKING STOCK. Shippers will find It to their interests to communicate with us when seeking an outlet. We also offer you our new modern facilities for the storing of such products for your own account. Write us for rate schedules covering storage charges, etc. WE SELL Egg Cases and Egg Case material of ali kinds. Get our quotations. KENT STORAGE COMPANY, Grand Rapids, Michigan ue Buy We Store We Sell nations so long at Egg Candling Certificates One must be used in every case of eggs sold by the merchant to ped- dler, wholesaler or commission merchant. Not to do so is to subject the seller to severe penalties. We can furnish these forms. printed on both sides, to conform to Government requirements, for $1 per 100, postage pre- paid. Special prices in larger quantities. TRADESMAN COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS SERVICE PI O W ATY QUALITY Largest Produce and Fruit Dealers in Michigan NUTS—atkewte xo NUTS M. Piowaty & Sons of Michigan MAIN OFFICE, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Branches: Saginaw, Bay City, Muskegon, Lansing, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Mich., South Bend and Elkhart, Ind. Knox Sparkling Gelatine A quick profit maker A steady seller Well advertised Each package makes FOUR PINTS of jelly Rea & Witzig Produce Commission Merchants 104-106 West Market St. Buffalo, N. Y. Established 1873 United States Food Administration License Number G-17@14 Shipments of live Poultry wanted at all times, and ship- pers will find this a good mar- ket. Fresh Eggs in good demand at market prices. Fancy creamery butter and good dairy selling at full quota- tions. Common selling well. Send for our weekly price cur- rent or wire for special quota- tions. Refer you to the People’s Bank of Buffalo, all Commercial Agen- cies and to hundreds of shippers everywhere. E. P. MILLER, President F. H. HALLOCK, Vice Pres. FRANK T. MILLER, Sec. and Treas Miller Michigan Potato Co. WHOLESALE PRODUCE SHIPPERS Potatoes, Apples, Onions Correspondence Solicited Wm. Alden Smith Bldg. Grand Rapids, Mich. Onions, Apples and Potatoes Car Lots or Less We Are Headquarters Correspondence Solicited + Vinkemulder Company GRAND RAPIDS tet MICHIGAN ’ reccomr ib nrees enT A Et sepactunen coven ay pve Pesce RI EMA SEPT RT zi December 11, 1918 Good will to man on this glad and glorious Christmas day does not con- sist in showing mercy to the infant murderers and despoilers of young womanhood who have made black the story of the world war. Justice, tempered with mercy. Very good. The same mercy shown Edith Cavell, the red cross nurse saturated with oil and burned alive, the crucified children, the babes borne on the bay- onets of jefring, besotted German soldiery, and thousands of other vic- tims of the hellish bestiality and lust that mark the Hun everywhere, in peace and war. Let those who can be happy on Christmas day; happy because the war has come to a close; happy that our boys over there will soon be once more out of the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, back to the arms of loved ones in America. Sorrow will be blended with the rejoicing of the day, sorrow because of those brave ones who lie in Flanders Fields, gone out from the lives of the dear ones left behind. Not dead but gone before are those who fell on the blood-soaked and burning sands of No Man’s Land. We think of them as martyrs in the holy cause of liberty. The dead of the Lusitania have been avenged. The haughty and insolent Hohenzollern has been humbled, made to eat of the bread of bitterness and defeat he had prepared for his enemies. The coming Christmas day should be, devoted to good cheer, happy re- unions, merry doings around the fire- sides of the larger half of the world, all the while not forgetting a tear for the Yankee lads who died at Chateau-Thierry to make for liberty and union all the world over. Old Timer. —_>--->—___ Trade Journals—Are They Read? Publishers of trade journals quite frequently give expression to the thought that subscribers do not read their publications with the close at- tention and interest that the worth of the contents would merit; that often aricles which are the result of deep and thorough research by experts of undoubted ability and reputation re- ceive but scant consideration. Publishers of pharmaceuticals say, that they often go to great expense to provide material of exceptional quality to druggists and those who have allied interest, which in their opinion should be read with eagerness as they contain information which if applied in their vocation would prove of practical value in the way of dollars and cents. It may be true that these publica- tions only receive a cursory or super- ficial reading and that many of the nuggets of value they contain to some extent remain undiscovered. In these hustling days which seem only too short for the accomplishment of one’s daily task, there may be dis- position to sidetrack the reading of much of the literature that finds its way into the drug store, but is this tendency so general as to justify the complaint of the publishers? The writer maintains that it is not. - MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 A careful study of the matter will emphasize the point that such publi- cations are read more generally than is commonly supposed. The busy druggist, professor, writer and other whose business is to keep up-to-date can not afford to let pass by un- noticed the many chances for im- provement and profit so often afforded by the substance matter trade journ- nals offer. They may not read every article with avidity; they, however, do by a sort of natural selection cull out the part which is likely to be of spe- cial interest to themselves. That this is done with a degree of thorough- ness hardly suspected is proven by the many queries evoked anent some subject which is of special interest to some particular class of readers. While the other subjects did not in- terest this particular class, they no doubt did interest some other class. By this psychological process all the articles in all the many publications come pretty near reaching those they are intended to reach. This is also borne out by the fact that a sugges- tion having merit will appear and re- appear until it is by common consent universally adopted. A case in point will be found in the item of the pop- ular “Sundae.” After the idea was suggested, how long did it take be- fore it was known and popularized throughout the length and breadth of the land? Many other striking in- stances will no doubt be recalled by the reader. Then there are the advertisements —good, bad, and indifferent though they may be. Aside from the objects which prompted their insertion, do they not offer an interesting and prof- itable study to those who do more or less advertising themselves, as most druggists do nowadays? Are these “ads” read? They certainly are—and what is more they are impressed on the minds of the readers to the extent that, by association of ideas, they would be missed should they, during a period, for some reason, not ap- pear in their usual spaces. Printers’ ink experience plus brains is bound to attract the attention of readers and the greater the liberality, facility, and art with which they are applied the greater will be the list of subscribers. Robert R. Lampa. <>

—____ Aid In Figuring Profits. The following table indicates what profit on selling price accompanies mark-up percentages of various de- grees: Addition Profit on to cost. selling price. 8% per cent. % per cent. 10 ~=per cent. 9 per cent. 12%% per cent. 11% per cent. 15 per cent. 13 «sper cent. 16 ~=per cent. 14% per cent. 17% per cent. 15 per cent. 20 per cent. 1624 per cent. 25 per cent. 20 per cent. 30 = per cent. 23. «=per cent. 3314 per cent. 25 per cent. 35 per cent. 26 = per cent. 3714 per cent. 27% per cent. 40 __— per cent. 2814 per cent. 45 per cent. 31 ~=per cent. 50 per cent. 33% per cent. 55 per cent. 3514 per cent. 60 per cent. 3714 per cent. 65 per cent. 3914 per cent. 6624 per cent. 40 per cent. 70 =per cent. 41 per cent. 75 -per cent. 4224 per cent. 80 per cent. 4414 per cent. 85 per cent. 46 per cent. 90 per cent. 4714 per cent. 100 ~=per cent. 50 per cent. ———— > The average man would feel bored a good deal oftener than he does were he not accustomed to associat- ing with himself. REALM OF THE RETAILER. Some Things Seen Last Saturday Afternoon. I spent last Saturday afternoon in Kalamazoo, calling on those members of the wholesale and retail trade who were open for business. My calls were pleasant ones and the informa- tion I gathered regarding the mer- cantile and financial condition of the Celery City was exceedingly encour- aging and satisfactory. The Richardson Garment Co. has nearly completed its contract to man- facture 50,000 pairs of khaki woolen trousers for the United States Army. The Government supplies the cloth and the manufacturer furnishes the buttons, thread, silesia and labor. The company submitted to the cancella- tion of a part of its contract, so it could get back to work on its civilian line of dresses, kimonas and children’s garments. Charles W. Carpenter, Manager of the Gilmore Bros. department store, told me he was enjoying the largest patronage his store has ever had dur- ing the holiday season. Mr. Carpen- ter bears his years with becoming grace and dignity and has every rea- son to feel gratified and satisfied over the excellent organization he has created during the years he has pre- sided over the destiny of Kalamazoo’s largest mercantile establishment. A visit to Kalamazoo would not be complete, so far as I am concerned, unless I paid my respects to the most unique character in the Celery City. Of course, I refer to Wm. L. Brow- nell, who has been a critical reader and constant patron of the Tradesman for more than thirty-five consecutive years. I secured his initial subscrip- tion in 1883, when he was conducting a high grade grocery store on South Rose street, just south of Main street. He has since devoted his energies to the wholesale grocery and _ corset manufacturing business. For the past ten years he has been a free lance advertising writer, holding briefs from some of the largest and most suc- cessful advertisers in the country. I am very fond of Mr. Brownell, be- cause he is one of those men you can tie to on account of his dependability. If you lend him a ten, it always comes back to you the day before he prom- ises to return it. If you were to ask him to guard a million dollars for you, he would be on the identical spot you left him when you came back to regain possession of your million. I do not believe he knows how to make a promise he does not intend to make good. He is not a great merchandiser like Carpenter or a great paper maker like Milham or Hodge, but he fills a niche in Kala- mazoo which no one else in the Celery City is capable of filling so well or so acceptably. He is not only the creator of unique and original adver- tising matter which has 100 per cent. pulling power, but he is the official toastmaster of the city, having long been conceded to be the most effec- tive conductor of affairs after the menu has been discussed of any man in Michigan. No matter how closely he may hew to the line in introduc- ing his associates on post prandial occasions, he never gives offense or leaves a bad taste in the mouth, as is too often the case with hrilliant men who frequently revel in their own brilliancy to the detriment and dismay of their victims. Mr. Brownell is clear headed, clean minded and wonderfully resourceful. He probably enjoys a larger acquaint- ance than any other man in Kalama- zoo. He is broad in his views, cos- mopolitan in his sympathies, generous in his actions and courteous and dig- nified in all his dealings with men. It will be a sad day for Kalamazoo, forty or fifty years hence, when the tolling of the bells announce that he has penned his last line and presided over his last banquet. Nearly every merchant on whom I called complained of the recent ad- vances in fire insurance rates. In some cases increases were made in the face of improvements in the risks, made at the suggestion of the Rating Bureau with the understanding that reductions in rates would be made as soon as the improvements were ef- fected. Instead of the promised re- ductions, increases were promulgated instead. This seems to be a common complaint wherever 1 make enquiries. Everywhere I meet with charges of bad faith on the part of rating and inspection bureaus. I think the rea- son for this is largely due to the fact that business men, as a class, stand in awe of insurance officials, for fear they will be treacherously dealt with if they assert their rights or undertake to obtain the rates they have been promised and to which they are justly entitled. I have lis- tened to many recitals of wrong do- ing along these lines. One large mer- chant told me recently that he had been warned by a bureau manager that if he did not accept the advance made in his rate without complaint or appeal, all of his insurance policies would be cancelled simultaneously, thus leaving him without any insur- ance whatever. Of course, such threats are never made with the in- tention of carrying them into execu- tion and if the merchant who is ap- proached in this manner will stand up like a man and challenge the insur- ance bluffer to do his worst, he will immediately detect a marked change in the attitude of the insurance emis- sary. Instead of maintaining an atti- tude of intimidation, he will suddenly become as humble as Uriah Heap ana cringe and whine like a whipped cur. I know the breed of these creatures and have an accurate measure of their capabilities and cowardice. Under no circumstances should any merchant truckle to an obstreperous insurance official or treat him like a gentleman, because he is not responsive to this kind of argument. No one ever got anywhere by being nice to a man who goes around with a chip on his shoulder and a lie on his tongue. He should be treated with the utmost contempt and indignation, if one ex- pects to obtain reasonable rates and decent treatment at the hands of the men who are waxing fat on their ill gotten gains. E. A. Stowe, a i i af MICHIGA‘\ TRADESMAN Che Bouse of Quality — Rademaker-Dooge Grocer Co. Wholesale Grocers Grand Rapids ¥ Che House of Service 16 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 CEYLON TEA. Short History of Its Growth and Preparation. Written for the Tradesman. The exact date of the introduction of the tea raising industry in Ceylon is more or less uncertain, but, strange as it may seem, it was to coffee or the failure of coffee that it came about. And it was in this manner: Previous to 1875 one of the prin- cipal industries of Ceylon was the raising of the coffee bean. The extent of this business may be judged when it is stated that in that year there was exported from the Island 112,- 000,000 pounds. The growers up to that date had been very successful, many of them having made large for- tunes, and the industry was in a very thriving condition, with good pros- pects before it. But the year 1875 was very disastrous for them. Their magnificent plantations, all in a high state of cultivation, were one after another attacked by a strange new fungus blight until the entire indus- try was killed or almost killed. Ex- ports fell off to nothing and the Island was in a sorry plight. Here were these large plantations with nothing growing on them but weeds and their owners facing very dark days. In many cases some of them were bankrupt. Something had to be done and at once. A few tried Cin- chona cultivation (the tree from the bark of which quinine is made) and some turned their attention to tea planting. So it may be said that while there was no tea planted in Ceylon before 1875. the industry has grown since then to the enormous size ot 400,000 planted acres to-day. It must also be remembered all these vast acres are in a very high state of cu)- tivation and exceedingly well man- aged. Tea plantations in Ceylon vary in size. Some are quite small and some are from 400 to 500 acres in extent. Lately many of these have been com- bined into one large estate, or “place,” as they are called, each under an European superintendent or planter, who is known as a “P. D.,” which is Tamil for Peria Dorai (Big Master in English). This “P. D.” may have under him several assistants, known as “S. D.’s,” or Sinnai Dorai (Little Masters). Most of these P. D.’s and and S. D.’s are Englishmen, the men under them being called Creepers. The natives of Ceylon do not read- ily take to labor or, in fact, work of any kind if it can be helped, so the planters depend upon Tamil coolies from South India who are brought to Ceylon in whole families, children and all. They are attracted by the pay of 30 to 60 cents in Ceylon mon- ey (10 to 20 cents in our coin), which to them seems very big, since in their own land they could earn only one- third as much.- Beside this pay, the planters furnish them houses to live in. Schools in many places are built for the children and they all have the attention of a good physician free along with the necessary medi- cines. An American would be astonished at the cramped quarters provided for this labor, but in their own land even these would seem palatial. The Tamil coolie is quite satisfied and happy in them, for they have a pet aversion to large or airy houses, and while they are shiftless and irresponsible, they are docile and make obedient work- ers. Although it is hard for a white man to understand them, it is quite impossible for them in turn to under- stand the white man and his “queer ways” about economy of time and labor or efficiency. Right here is where the Tamil worries the white man and it is impossible to get a fair day’s work out of the coolie. His life is easily sustained and his one object is to sustain it and that is all. He has no ambition and he knows noth- ing about saving money or putting it by, although he is very crafty in other ways. He will shirk any re- it is soon flushing along rapidly, pro- ducing long, tender, green sprouts on top and all around. It is from these tender sprouts that the leaf is taken which finally makes the cup which cheers but does not inebriate. Plucking is divided in three grades —fine, medium and coarse. The end bud and one leaf is taken for fine. The bud and two are taken for me- dium and three for course. The me- dium plucking is most general, al- though fine is also very popular on account of the better price it will bring after the tea is made, owing to its better cup. The factories are mostly large and very well equipped with the most modern machinery run by steam and often by water power. The coolies pick by weight since, owing to their propensity for laziness, Edward J. Hart. sponsibility whatever and must al- ways be directed in his work. Still he loves display and pomp. His fav- orite recreation is to have proces- sions. The tea plant in its uncultivated state is a small tree, of which there are several kinds. But the Assam variety is the one mostly cultivated in Ceylon and this is so pruned that it does not grow very high, even being cut down to within a foot or so of the ground every two or four years. The method of planting is in long rows about four feet apart. The plant in that damp climate is surprisingly hardy, and after it is set out, one is astonished to see how tenaciously it clings to life, often thriving in rocky ground and poor soil. After its regular pruning, or cut- ting it seems to take on new life and any man would go broke who under- took to pay by the day for this work. The leaf is brought into the factories about 4 o’clock, when it is examined carefully by an experienced man and weighed before its picker. This amount is set down to his credit, and from time to time, he is paid off. On some plantations by the week, and others by the month. After weighing, the green leaf is spread out on burlap shelves and al- lowed to wither, which it does or- dinarily in from eighteen to twenty hours, but during rainy days it is sometimes necessary to force warm air over it and for this the room is properly made and is equipped with the necessary machinery. At the proper time this withered leaf is run through shoots to the rolling machines, which are generally on the floor next below. Rolling ma- chines are in general use in Ceylon, while in Japan the finest teas are rolled by hand mostly, although roll- ing machines are now coming into use there which does not improve the cup. These machines generally con- sist of a lower base or table, slightly scooped out in the center, with a hopper above, which moves about with an eccentric motion as the leaf is fed down. This hopper is adjust- ed so that the proper pressure can be put on the mass of rolling leaves and from time to time the center portion of the low table is opened and the rolled tea dropped out in a lump of more or less twisted leaves. This mass goes into a roll-breaking machine, where it is knocked apart, sifted and the coarser leaves separated from the finer. The leaf is now ready to be made into black tea, which is done by spreading it out in the air so that it may ferment. Skill is now required, so that the fermentation may be stopped at the proper time by placing it in the firing machines. These machines are of several types, but the one mostly used somewhat resembles a long furnace through which hot air is forced over the leaf, stopping fermentation entirely, mak- ing the leaf quite dry. The tea is now made and is in a brittle state, ready to be removed to the final ma- chine, which consists of sieves of different size meshes, through which it is run and thus graded. Packing into boxes is now done, also by ma- chinery, and the name of the proper estate is marked upon it, shipment being made to Colombo. By mail goes also a description of these teas to the auction room and small samples are sent to the buyer. These shipments at times are very large, being often upwards of 1,000 boxes from one estate. On arrival in Colombo, they are all tested inside of four or five days. Auctions are held on Wednesdays, when there is a great scramble, each man trying to buy as cheaply as possible the lot he thinks most desirable or the one he can use to the best advantage. After purchase and settlements are made each lot is hauled by bullock carts—speed two miles per hour—to the buyer’s office or store. where samples are again drawn against each lot to ascertain if they match. Buy- ers frequently resift these teas, some times cutting them and blending each to his own standard. Then over miles and miles of ocean come these boxes, some to England and some to our glorious United States to cheer us after a hard day’s work, and we have our cup of black tea with more or less sugar, thanks to Mr. Hoover. Edward J. Hart. ee Reduction in Price of Dutch Masters. Grand Rapids, Dec. 3—We beg to announce the following changes in price list mailed you sometime ago: Dutch Masters Six (7c) $49 per M. Dutch Masters Seconds (6c) $42 per M. Above quotations are subject to a slight advance when the revenue tax now pending before Congress be- comes effective. We solicit a continuance of your esteemed patronage. : G. J. Johnson Cigar Co.—Adv. salt PR eae December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Record of Achievement of Which We Are Proud HEN war was declared we placed our entire factory, includ- ing managerial and working force, unreservedly at the disposal of the Government. We bent every energy to assist in clothing the boys in khaki, even to the extent of disappointing some of our civilian trade, because we realized the necessities which confronted Uncle Sam and wanted to do our part in defeating the Hun, so that human liberty might not perish from the face of the earth. We put in new and improved machinery which enabled us to complete our initial contract ahead of time; and it is a source of much satisfaction to us to be able to state that out of 50,000 garments we made for the Government only three were rejected and those rejections were based on imperfections in the buttons and not because of any defects in the material or workmanship. The necessity for more garments in our line having ceased, we cheerfully submitted to the cancellation of the remainder of our order, in order that we might devote our. entire time and attention from now on to the regular trade we have cultivated so assiduously for the past thirty years. With increased capacity, due to the new machinery and other equipment we recently added to our factory, with enlarged vision, with our employes imbued with the ideas of exactness insisted upon by the Government inspectors, we are in better condition than ever to give our customers good goods and satisfactory service. Our traveling representatives are now out and will call on the trade reg- ularly every sixty days and we bespeak for them, as well as for our- selves, a hearty reception and a generous share of the patronage of the trade. We are duly thankful for past patronage and gladly avail our- selves of this opportunity to express the hope that the pleasant rela- tions which were interrupted to some extent by the war orders above described may be resumed and continue for many years to come. The Ideal Clothing Company Wholesale Manufacturers Grand Rapids - 3 - - Michigan 17 Shei 18 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 FIGURING PROFITS. Right and Wrong Way To Compute Margins. There has been a mass—I might cay mess—of material written on the subject of figuring profits. One can get twisted into a thousand mental knots trying to read some of it. It is one of our most knotty problems and some of the attempted solutions only seem to tie more knots into it. I shall try to throw some light on this problem and I believe since I have been assisted to the right solu- tion I can be of help to those of my fellow members who wish more light. To start right, what is profit? We say it is the difference between cost and selling price. True, but it is of two kinds, gross profit and net profit. These terms are apt to confuse us. Gross profit means the whole differ- ence between cost and selling price and “profit’—net profit—means only what is left after all expenses of do- ing business has been deducted, Un- doubtedly some erred in marking up goods because of a confusion of the two bases on which percentage may be figured. Our problem is to see how much we should mark up our goods, so as to squeeze out a re- spectable net profit between the cost, which is fixed by the maker or the jobber, and the selling price, which is (many times) fixed by competi- tion; and that is some problem in these days of sharp competition and rising costs. The first great essential is to know, not guess, at what our expenses or overhead costs of doing business are. The most expensive thing we can do is to guess. The most profitable thing we can do is to know—and know all the time as we go along. It is claimed that nine-tenths of all re- tailers are making less than they think they are. They are always sur- prised when they find out the truth. My trouble used to be that while es- timating the cost of doing business as a certain percentage of the gross business, which is the selling price, I added this same percentage to the cost price when figuring the selling prices on individual items. While sales ran to a nice figure, the profits were mostly on paper. I knew that the percentage of expenses was fig- ured on the gross business, but didn’t realize that a percentage of the gross business is more than the same per- centage of the invoice cost. If we figure our cost of doing business as a percentage of our gross business. we must, of course, allow that much of our selling price for cost of do- ing business. If it were convenient to arrive at percentages on a basis of the cost price, and to always remember that the percentage of profit added to the cost price is always a profit on the cost price and not a percentage of the money taken in, then the old per- centage method would be fine. If our profit is to come out of the sell- ing price, and not out of the cost price, it is plain that the percentages should be figured on the selling price. There is positively no other ques- tion before the business men cf America with such fabulous footings of loss as that involved in the prob- lem of figuring margins. The mere fact that the text books do not throw any light on this subject is no excuse for our remaining in ignorance on a question as vital as this one. I. G. Kennedy in his pamphlet, “The Bigness of Little Things,” and his “Profit Figuring Chart” has as- sisted me to the correct method, and he has probably done more to guide the merchants aright in figuringprof- its than any other single person in the United States, and his teaching is ac- cepted as the true and only correct method of meeting this difficult and perplexing problem. If we make the mistake of figuring on the cost we are a loser because there is a difference in figuring the sum of a whole number and the sum John I. Bellaire. of a partial number, The cost is but a part of the selling price, and wheth- er we divide, subtract or. multiply, the sum will be less than the sum found in using the whole of the thing bought. A simple analysis of this may fix it in our minds and show just where the loss occurs and how we can find the correct profit. This is figured on the cost end or invoice, to show where .we actually get less than intended when we take a given percentage of cost to find the selling price. Take an item of merchandise costing $2: Cost to sell, all expenses........ 18% Prent desired ...........2...., 10% Gross profit desired ...........- 28% Gost $2:008 (Cost :.2......... 52:00 RUG PrOnE .. 4 e. 56 16 Selling price $2.56 -40 .56 Rule—Let 100 per cent. (as 100 per cent. is the whole of any quantity) represent the base or selling price. Add together the percentage of our operating expenses and the percent- age of profit we wish to make, then deduct this total from 100 per cent., and divide the invoice price of the article by the difference. Selle Price ......:.2......... 100% Cost to sell... occ. 65s: 18% Piles Cured WITHOUT the Knife The Largest Institution in the World for the Treatment of Piles, Fistula and all other diseases of the Rec- tum (Except Cancer) WE CURE PILES, FISTULAS and all other DISEASES of the RECTUM (except cancer) by air original PAINLESS DISSOLVENT METHOD of our own WITHOUT CHLOROFORM OR KNIFE and with NO DANGER WHATEVER TO THE PATIENT. Our treat- ment has been so successful that we have built up the LARGEST PRAC- TICE IN THE WORLD in this line. Our treatment is NO EXPERI- MENT but is the MOST SUCCESSFUL METHOD EVER DISCOV- ERED FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. We have cured many cases where the knife failed and many desperate cases that had been given up-to dice WE GUARANTEE A CURE IN EVERY CASE WE ACCEPT OR MAKE NO CHARGE FOR OUR SERVICES. We have cured thousands and thousands from all parts of the United States and Canada. We are receiving letters every day from the grateful people whom we have cured telling us how thankful they are for the wonderful relief. We have printed a book explaining our treatment and containing several hundred of these letters to show what those who have been cured by us think of our treatment. We would like to have you write us for this book as we know it will interest you and may be the means of RELIEVING YOUR AFFLICTION also. You may find the names of many of your friends in this book. We are not extensive advertisers as we depend almost wholly upon the gratitude of the thousands whom we have cured for our advertising. You may never see our ad again so you better write for our book today tefore you lose our address. DRS. BURLESON & BURLESON RECTAL SPECIALISTS 150 East Fulton St. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. ; a i ‘ | i Profit’ desired ; December 11, 1918 Loskane eee 10% ’ 28% 72% 200 divided by 72 equals 2.77 56-72. This amount represents the exact mathematical deduction; but this fraction is impracticable for use in a. general business and the larger num- ber of cents; to-wit, 2.78, should be used. Wrong Way to Figure. COSt ee ee ee $2.00 Profit desired: 45. o.58: |: 10% ~-.20 Cost to sell, expenses...... 18% .36 $2.56 Right Way to Figure. Selling price (466)... as a ss 100% Profit desired ............ 10% Cost to sell, exps.......... 18% 28% 72% Divide 72 into 200 equals $2.78. Analyze the result: $2.78 minus $2.56 minus 22c loss or practically 8 per cent. loss. To prove the right method, multiply $2.78 times 28 per cent. equals 78 cents, and add 78 cents to cost $2 equals $2.78, or just what we wished to make. We should mark our goods with the percentage of profit on the sell- ing price instead of the old method of figuring profit on the cost price, if for no other reason than the one that prompts us to figure profits at the end of the ‘year on total sales; for profit is gain, and there can be no gain unless we get more than the wholesale cost of the goods, plus our cost of doing business. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Just to have something to think about, let’s figure out a little com- mon commercial problem, and do it the old way. We buy a horse for $75; and have an opportunity to sell it through an agent at 100 per cent. ad- vance, and pay the agent a commis- sion of 33% per cent. The horse, ot course, would be sold for $150; and the profit, according to the old way of figuring, would be 100 per cent. less the agent’s commission of 33% per cent., or 6624 per cent. net. Adhering to this method of figur- ing, we shquid have a profit of 66% per cent. of what we paid for the horse, or 66%4 of $75, which would be $50. But have we $50 profit? The horse was sold for $150, and the agent was paid his commission of 3314 :per cent. of $50, leaving $100; and as $75 was paid for the horse there is but $25 profit. For another illustration to show the difference in figuring the margin on the selling price, and on the cost or invoice price, let us take an article costing $1.60 wholesale; and by figur- ing a margin of 20 per cent. on the selling price, we find that the selling price of the article should be $200. This gives us a margin of 40 cents; and out of this margin we must pay the article’s proportionate cost of do- ing business. It is generally admit- ted that 17 per cent. of the selling price is a low enough average for the cost of doing business. We then would save $1.60 for the invoice price, 17 per cent. of $200, or 34 cents for the cost of doing business, making a total of $1.94. This leaves a net profit of 6 cents or 3 per cent., which would certainly be low enough. Now, let us fix the selling price by figuring the old way, to wit: 20 per cent. margin on the invoice of $1.60, and by making the selling price $1.92, Now, after paying the cost of doing business, which is 34 cents, is it not obvious that we would be 2 cents in the hole? We must get $200 for the article: and if we figure our percentages on the invoice price, we must figure with a percentage high enough to cover our operating expenses, etc. So you see we are not taking any more from the customer by figuring our margin at 20 per cent. on the selling price, than we would by figuring the mar- gin at 25 per cent. on the invoice price, which we would have to do to come out even. Another fact to be kept in mind, and a very important one, is that the margin between the invoice and the selling price is not profit. This mar- gin must cover depreciation in value of goods, selling expenses, etc., to- gether with the profit, which is usu- ally the smaller part of the margin. Whether the margin is figured as 50 per cent. on the selling price or 100 per cent on the invoice price, wheth- er it is figured as 20 per cent. on the selling price or 25 per cent. on the invoice price, the margin does not represent profit. Years ago when I was in business for myself I figured for 30 per cent. net profit and planned a “25 per cent. 19 off” special sale. I thought I would have 5 per cent. net, and could afford the sacrifice part of the profit for ad- vertising purposes. Twenty per cent, was added for the cost of doing business and 30 per cent. for profit, making the selling price a fraction over $20. Suits that cost $13.50 were marked to sell for $20, and with a re- duced 25 per cent. were chopped down to $15. Twenty per cent. cost of doing business on the original price ($20) was $4. Adding $4 to $13.50 (cost price) gave $17.50. So when a suit was sold for $15 there was an actual loss of $2.50. During the sale $3,000 worth of merchandise was sold at a loss of, $500 in cash, yet at the time I thought I was mak- ing 5 per cent., or $150. I was all right as long as I added 50 per cent. to the cost price, thought it allawed less profit above the cost of doing business than I thought, but when I began to cut prices, I ran into un- seen danger. Add 50 per cent. to $13.50. Then deduct 50 per cent. from the new price. There is a loss of $3.38 in the operation. Apply this to some of the prices in our store to- day. This method of arriving at the selling price differs slightly from the regular methods of figuring percent- ages. We have found that while the regular percentage method is correct, many fail to remember that a per- centage added to the cost of goods is less than the same percentage of price thus marked. Adding 10 per cent. to the invoice cost of an article allows 10 per cent. profit on the 60 or 70 cents we pay for the goods and CG. J. Litscher Electric Co. 41-43 Market Ave., S. W. Grand. Rapids, Michigan Wholesale Electric Supplies “Service is What Counts” SERRE, #3) * 20 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 ‘not 10 per cent. of the dollar in the cash drawer. The most expert at figures will bicnder when profit percentages are bandled. I frankly admit that, like many others, I used to be in the dark on this most vital of all store prob- lems. When inventories were taken, it was found the profits figured on were not materializing. It was then I got busy, and after adopting the correct method and taking a careful inventory at the close of the year, it was found that I had realized the net profit I felt I was entitled to. The Graduate School of Business Administration of Harvard Univer- sity certainly has conferred a great favor upon everyone interested in the study of methods in the grocery and shoe business by discovering and making public a supply of gen- uine facts about administration costs. For years men have been talking in and out of the mercantile business with nothing more tangible than vague impression as to the underly- ing economic facts. There have been general ideas as to what sundry costs were and once in a while a man of superior courage and methodical dis- position gleaned figures as to his own store, but these have been so widely variant asto furnish more doubt than confidence in basing in- telligent arguments on them. But the Harvard observers have gone at the problem correctly and found tan- gible results. ' We often hear men say in talking about the new methods that they are all “bunk,” will never be adopted etc. In the investigations of Harvard much has been learned to combat the common impression that the grocer is a hard master, grinding enormous profits out of his customers, which could be eliminated by fifty-seven varieties of co-operative schemes. Yet it develops that a large part of the grocers are not charging enough in some items of their services to be on the safe side. One of the most valu- able discoveries was that many stores which were, in accordance with their inefficient old system of cost accounting, making a profit, dis- covered by a‘truthful system, to be losing as high as 3.3 per cent. when the proprietor charged for his ser- vices as he charged for the services of his clerks. This figure should go far to show that there isn’t the gold mine in groceries that some reform. ers have supposed. The whole subject is very interest- ing and the grocery trade and com- missary men in general will be deeply under obligation to the Harvard sci- entists if they can disclose truths that will inspire all to higher efficiency. It is stated on good authority that ninety-seven out of every one hun- dred who engage in mercantile life either fail or go out of business with greatly reduced resources. If it were possible for business men to use the experience of others the number of failures would be greatly reduced. The only experience, how. ever, that is really worth anything to us is our own experience, and as a rule, our experience is valuable only in proportion to its cost—not so much its cost in money as its cost in effort and worry and trial and hard- ship and work. Good advice and in- telligence can never take the place of actual experience, but they may reduce very largely the cost of ex- perience, and with this idea in view the hints and suggestions in this arti- cle are offered for thoughtful consid- eration. John 1. Bellaire. ———_>-2 Flint Retailers Agree To Sell At a Loss. Flint, Dec. 5—Mercantile interests of Flint, acting through the Flint Board of Commerce, have launched an attack on the unprecedented high cost of living which they expect will spread all over the country and result in an economic upheaval benefitting millions of people. The plan involves a voluntary reduction in the retail selling price of necessities by 550 business houses of Flint, effective im- mediately, regardless of existing prices fixed by wholesalers, jobbers and manufacturers. This action will be taken regardless of the fact it may mean operation of a large pro- portion of the concerns at a loss for the next three months. Merchants at the same time admit that they are not acting wholly un- selfishly, since they have been given assurance by the heads of manufac- turing concerns in the city that plans now under way for the early expan- sion of the city’s industries, bringing business to offset the temporary loss. President Walter P. Chrysler, of the Buick Motor Co., told the mer- chants that there would be no reduc- tion of wages for the 13,000 men em- ployed by his company, although, he declared, they were receiving the highest average wage, 5714 cents an hour, of any manufacturing plant in Michigan. He also stated that there had been and would be no general layoff of men during the transition from war to peace. Although re- adjustment conditions would justify laying off 3,000 men, the company is keeping practically its entire force at work, Luxuries will not be included in the reduction of prices. The lines of business represented include station- ery, wholesale and retail produce, meats, clothing, electric supplies, shoes, dry goods and notions, drugs, baked goods, printing, groceries, furniture, jewelry and hardware. In addition coal dealers have already reduced their prices below the figure set by the fuel administration, while the largest creamery in the city, sup- plying 80 per cent. of the trade, has reduced its price one cent a quart. Steps also are being taken to bring about price reductions at motion pic- ture theaters and restaurants. The Flint plan is to be brought to the attention of commercial or- ganizations throughout the country in the hope of securing Nation-wide co-operation and thus forcing the hands of the men in control of the sources of supply and eliminating a tendency toward profiteering which is now making itself increasingly evident. The leaders of the move- ment here argue that there is no ex- cuse in many instances for the gen- eral tendency to hold prices up to war time levels and although the fault is not with the retailers, their united action, here and elsewhere, will force the jobbers, wholesalers and manufacturers of essentials to reconsider their proposal to keep prices soaring. —_—_»2--2 Any married man can have his way about the house by agreeing with his wife. igan Men and Michigan Brigades. * * When the Yankee Starts For Home! Comparisons are odious as between any of the armies that have fought so faithfully and well all up and down the crimson rim of Wilhelm’s broken “Mittel Europa.” One and all—no matter what their Flag or Tongue—they have won eternal Decorations from the Sovereign Peoples of an Emancipated World. * * * Yet it is fair for us to say that among all these mighty armies none has been mightier than Uncle Sam’s; and among all Columbia’s defenders, none has excelled the heroic record that has been written by Mich- When our fighting sons have finished their last tasks abroad and turn back toward Home, Sweet Home—they’ll receive a Godspeed from the Old World which will glowingly confess the Old World’s debt. They'll carry with them the heart’s-love of millions of alien people to whom they have been Saviour. They'll take away the grateful adulation of their new-made friends; but they'll leave a monumental reverence for the United States of America which will outlast time. * * * For such returning Pilgrims could any reception be too great? And to maintain America, can we at home, if we would justify our right to participate in the blessings their blood has bought, be too sturdy, too vigilant, too patriotic in our citizenship today, tomorrow and all down the years? Thomas Canning Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. pakgerear sonny £ December 11, 1918 Vital Importance of Motor Industry of Future. Not long ago I gave my war-time conception of the automobile, simply as a given number of miles of rapid transportation—a unit of our National transportation system. Since that time events have transpired which made us look at things from a very different viewpoint. We have had our hour of victory, and from now on the thoughts of every right-minded citizen will be bent to the solution of the problems of reconstruction. The great anxiety is over, but the task to which we set our hand is still far from complete, and the true con- ception of the automobile from now on will have to be based upon its value in the work of reconstruction. Just as America took account of its resources and facilities when we mo- bilized for war, so will she consider them and weigh their value and im- portance in the work which lies ahead of us. Probably the first and great prob- lem that confronts us to-day is that of feeding the world. This in itself is a tremendous undertaking. During the last crop year the United States shipped to Europe close to twelve million tons of food, and now we are pledged to-half as much again. Farm labor already is scarce, and a considerable period of time is bound to elapse before we can expect any appreciable relief from that condition. but the demands on the United States, not alone for food, but for clothing, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN building materials, and other essen- tials of life will hardly grow less be- fore the labor situation, both on the farm and in the factory, improves. Clearly, something must be done to meet the situation, and anything which enables a man, whether he is a farmer engaged in the production of food, the executive manager or fore- man of an essential industry, or a doc- tor, lawyer, engineer, or any other professional who serves the essential workers and the essential industries, to multiply his efficiency or to in- crease his productive effort will be the most important factor in the quick and economic solution of the main reconstruction problems. Every farmer is an individual unit in the great army of supply. The motor cars that serve the farmers are in esential service. Few realize thar over half of the automobiles now in use are owned and operated by the people of the farms. Lack of auto- mobiles to serve the farmer would mean a loss of untold hours of pro- ductive farm labor. Every man, whether executive or. workman in an essential industry, is a unit in our great army of supply; so are those who serve these men and keep them fed, Lack of automobiles to serve essen- tial workers would seriously hamper our industrial efficiency. Lack- of automobiles for those who direct and serve our essential workers would re- strict our National efficiency. I hardly need mention the fact that a shortage of motor tractors to aid in the planting, cultivation, and har- vesting of the tremendous crops we have got to raise in order to meet our obligations as the big brother of civilization would work a calamity second only in seriousness of its con- sequences to the world war which has just been brought to such a success- ful close. All the way down tne line you find not one but hundreds of instances emphasizing the value of the automo- bile, not only as a unit of trans- portation in the sense of moving goods, but as a unit of transportation of the kind that speeds up production work and individual productiveness as well. John N. Willys. +> 2+ Beware of German Fur Dealers in New York. New York City is honeycombed with German fur dealers who are deluging the country with circulars, soliciting shipments of furs. Most of these men are frauds and cheats. They either make returns on a very much lower basis than the furs are worth or fail to make any returns at all for shipments sent them on consignment. Some of them adver- tise they will return furs free of charge in case the value placed on them by the proposed purchaser is not satisfactory to the seller. In such cases the shipper seldom gets back his own furs. but an _ equal number of furs of inferior quality. Better deal with houses nearer home. You are more likely to get a square deal. 2t For Limited Window Space. A narrow depth of window may sometimes be used to excellent ad- vantage as a display space, as the ex- perience of a Chicago bank goes to prove. The main banking room is on the second floor, but. there is a good sized window next the entrance on the ground floor. Although the win- dow’ is in a good location, it is so nar- row that it must be dressed with skill to attract attention. A display advertising the bank’s “war garden” thrift club was proba- bly the most ,effective. A scenic background in the proper perspective gave an appearance of depth. The display represented a garden scene, with two figures, a boy and a girl, in the foreground, armed with spade and hoe for planting. These figures were of heavy board and painted in spring- time colors to blend with the back- ground, Along the narrow space be- tween the window and background little chicks ran back and forth gath- ering up bits of food. Several cards announced that seeds would be given to new savings account customers, to aid in their patriotic endeavors. Elec- tric letters spelled: “Start to save.” Crowds lingered in front of the win- dow all during the display. Caen ee Friendly Advice. “Modern ladies don’t seem to care for my book on etiquette. The chap- ter on how to enter a drawing room used to sell it.” “Bring it down to date. Add a chapter on how to smoke a cigaret.” Suitable for OFFICE SUPPLIES of every description. Storage Receptacles OF UNEXCELLED UTILITY FILES, BINDERS, CATALOGS, BOOKS, STATIONERY and gic geen Width Depth Height The base adds 6” to overall FINISH Olive green, maroon, SIZES 24", 30", 36" 12”, 16°, 16", 24° 36", 42", 60", 72" height. black, grained oak and Shelves can be adjusted quick- ly on 1” centers without bolt- ing. The quantity of shelves 1 arranged as needed. Vertical dividers for small compart- i ments on 2” centers. grained mahogany. Wardrobes for the storage of garments are fitted with a hat shelf, rod for hangers and hooks. You may need one in your office or garage. TERRELL’S STEEL PRODUCTS Storage Cabinets, Wardrobes, Lockers, Shelving 100% Quality BUILT FOR SERVICE, SOLD AT REASONABLE PRICES. For particulars address: TERRELL’S EQUIPMENT COMPANY, Dept. C., Grand Rapids, Mich. Pipe BONUS PAYMENT PLAN. One Way to Overcome Scarcity of Help. A young man came to my office not such a great while ago selling a cer- tain phase of advertising. Instead ot calling my attention to the good points of his method, he tried to con- -vince me that his scheme would solve all my advertising troubles. Accord- ing to him, I could do away with the newspapers, direct mailing matter, etc., because, to quote his own words, “Everybody would see my ad” if I put it where he wanted me to put it. My name was not on the dotted line when he left. Now a bonus plan or any plan of this kind will no more solve all of the department store difficulties than would this young man’s plan solve all my advertising problems. But it will help and anything that is of as- sistance during these days of ex- treme labor shortage should be wel- comed. It is my object to outline the method of bonus payment which Lansburgh & Bro, have adopted, and which is working. Merchants outside the District of Columbia cannot realize the tremen- dous difficulties that face the depart- ment store heads here. It is no un- common occurrence to insert an 84- line “want” advertisement for sales- people in the daily papers and get only two or three applicants, and us- ually those who do come demand exorbitant salaries. But ofttimes they must be “taken on,” in spite of this fact, in order that certain de- partments may be able to serve the customers promptly and carefully. About six -months ago Lansburgh & Bro., seeing the drift of the help problem, began the working out of a bonus plan, in the hope that it would in some small way assist in holding the salespeople already in the organization. Let me turn aside just long enough to tell why there is such a dearth of female help in Washington. While other cities are busy making shells, aeroplanes, ships, etc., for the war, Washington is the office of all this great war preparation. It is here that reports almost infinite in number must come and be properly filed, orders must be sent out, supplies must be ordered here or there, etc. If you could conceive of an office large enough to care for the clerical work of all the industries engaged in war work, you would have some slight idea of the extensive work now being done in the nation’s capital. Naturally, such an organization de- mands a vast army of clerks, ste- nographets, etc. The outside supply has fong been far below the needs, so the District has been compelled to furnish the majority of these war workers. And most of them had to come from the offices and stores of this fair city. Were it not for the splendid married women who have given a part of their time to Wash- ington stores, the help problem would be an even more serious one. Now let’s back to the bonus plan: Before drafting the bonus plan which we are now using letters were MICHIGAN TRADESMAN sent to about fifty representative stores throughout the United States, asking for information about any system of this kind which they might be using. Practically all of them either had such a plan, had had one or contemplated one. The outstanding feature of all these letters was that a successful plan must ensure the salespeople get- ting a definite amount of money for all sales over the amount necessary to earn their salary. It was also the consensus of opinion that this distribution of bonus must be made as frequently as possible in order that the interest might be kept up. Working upon this foundation, the records for the past three years were gone over month by month and the selling percentage of each de- partment for each month determined, after which the average was taken as the basis for our present bonus plan. It was then, of course, easy to allot the amount of sales that any girl must make during each four weeks in order to earn her salary. For instance, if the selling expense of the millinery department is 6 per cent. and the girl is earning $18 per week, it is necessary for her to sell $1,200 before she can participate in the bonus. All sales over this $1,200 amount in our plan entitle her to 3 per cent. of that amount. The record of each salesperson is kept on a card, Should a girl fail to sell the amount necessary to earn her salary, she is given an opportun- ity to “make it up” during the com- ing month. . Should she fall so far behind month after month as to become discour- aged, she is given an opportunity to explain why she failed to sell the re- quired amount, and if there is a good reason for it the slate is wiped clean and she is allowed to start all over again. Every six months salary adjust- ments are to be made, and those girls who have been consistently earning more will receive an advance. This has the advantage of giving the girl an extra 3 per cent. on the sur- plus amount sold and then, of course, she will participate in the bonus plan, as given above, on the increased sal- ary basis. Allowances are made for absence, no matter what the reason. Each girl is told the amount of sales she must make each day, and this amount jis entered upon her card in the office. Should she be absent for say four days during the month, the amount necessary for one day will be multiplied by four and this substracted from the total sales, the salesgirl receiving 3 cents on every dollar above that amount. For instance, if the amount re- quired is $96 per month or $4 per day and she is absent four days, then $16 is taken from $96, which leaves a required amount to sell of $80; and she gets 3 cents on each dollar sold above that amount. This bonus plan is also so adjusted that it applies to every salesperson, no matter what period ‘of time she may have worked in the store—ex- December 11, 1918 Stands for Something HE BROOKS family has been engaged in the T confectionery business for thirty years. They have built up a business second to none in their line. Their goods are known in several states and are universally conceded to be the standard of purity and excellence. Why is this? Because the Brooks family have devoted their best energies for 30 years to Making the Brooks Name Good in every avenue in which they have exerted their influence: This is the reason they have reaped their reward. This is the reason people insist on having Brooks’ candies. Because the most dis- criminating trade demand Brooks’ goods, wise merchants handle them. A. E. Brooks & Co. Grand Rapids Marshall Field said: ‘The best advertisement a store can have, is a satisfied customer.” PORTER’S “TUFF GLASS” Lamp Chimneys wal Guaranteed First Quality Sun Crimp Top : Carefully made, free from flaws, and tem- pered to withstand great extremes of temperature. They give the retailer more profit and his customer more service. If your local jobber does not carry them write to us for complete price list. PORTER POTTERY CO., Inc. Clinton, Ky. ce casera " s December 11, 1918 cept those who work only parts of days. Thus, a girl who starts to work in the millinery department the last day of a bonus period at a salary of $12 and is required to sell $34 will, if she sells $50, receive 3 per cent, on the $16 extra for that period of one day. This does not mean, however, that a girl who works the first week of a four weeks’ bonus period will be paid a commission on excess sales. She must be employed at the time dis- tribution is made. This phase has been especially beneficial in keeping girls who might otherwise be tempted to leave. Oft- times a girl will have an offer of an- other position—say at the end of the first three weeks of the month—but on figuring her commission will find that she has $10 or $12 coming to her. She realizes that she will not get this if she accepts the other position, so she stays. There is another phase of the bonus plan which has been worked out, and which is making for better salesmanship in the store. An accu- rate record is kept of the total num- ber of sales made each month and also the average amount of the sales during the month for each salesper- son. Thus if it is found that 500 sales have been made during April with a total selling amount of $1,000, the average sale, of course, is $2. This record is carefully watched and the salespeople are urged to increase their average sale. This means an intensive cultivation of the customers who come to our — MICHIGAN TRADESMAN store and offsets the desire on the part of many salespeople to wait up- on as many customers as possible. Prior to the inauguration of the bonus plan a great many PM’S were used, especially on slow moving mer- chandise, the same as is done in all stores. Under the new system PM’S have been entirely eliminated. We believe this will be reflected favorably in increased confidence on the part of the shopping public. PM’S always have been, and always will be, a detriment to merchandise service. It is human nature for a salesperson to use all her powers to sell an old waist at $2 on which she will receive 10 cents rather than show the newer models at $2.98 or $3.98, even though the latter will probably sell more readily. This bonus plan is comparatively new; consequently, we cannot speak positively as to its ultimate success. Because of its newness there will, no doubt, develop points of friction which will have to be attended to, but this fact has been told to the salespeople and they have been given to understand that changes will be made only for a better working out of the scheme for them and for the store. We do know, however, that the new plan has already caused a num- ber of our older help to remain with us who otherwise might possibly have left us. If the plan accomplishes no more than this, it will be worth all that it costs, for without the older employes as a nucleus around which to build the constant ebb and flow of salespeople would work a_ serious detriment to our store service. We might add that the selling ex- pense in each department was com- puted honestly and fairly and not raised to a point where it was im. possible to earn extra commissions. The fact that three years’ records were used, instead of merely those of the past year, enabled us to make ‘ this percentage much lower than if only the preceding twelve months had been used. And because of this an exceedingly large percentage of our salespeople are receiving sub- stantial bonus checks every four weeks. We hope the day will come when an “extra money” check will go to every member of our selling organization. Ernest C. Hastings. > Beating Mail Order Game. Here is a plan which a merchant in a small California city has found ef- fective as a means of keeping trade from going to mail order houses. When he started to sell cream sep- arators one of the first things he dia was to order a sixty-dollar “mail or- der” separator. In due time the box containing the machine arrived. The merchant, how- ever, did not open it. Not a nail was pulled, and the box was left on the floor near his own stock of separators. When customers of the merchants be- gan bickering over the prices of the merchant’s machines, and mentioned, in contrast, the price of the mail order machine he was ready for them. “Why,” asked one prospect for a MICHIGAN OFFICES AND SAMPLE ROOMS 23 separator, “should I pay you $100 for a separator when I can send east and get a Hiardinger separator for $60?” “Oh, you want the Hardinger sep- arator, do you?” responded the mer- chant. “Well, I carry that, too. Vil be glad to sell it to you.” “Where is it? Let's have a look at it,” answered the prospect. “Tt’s right there in that box,” said the dealer. “Open her up. Let me see whether I want it or not.” “No,” said the merchant. “It will stay in that box until it’s sold. Isn’t that exactly the way you buy from the mail order houses? Don’t you pay your money before you ever open the box? I’ll sell the separator to you on the same terms. That’s fair, isn’t it?” The prospect saw the point. This incident has happened a good many times since. —---> +2 A Code for Credit Ratings. Dots, in groups of from one to five, on the mailing list vards, are used by one concern to signify the credit standing of each customer. One dot signifies that the customer dis- counts his invoices; two, that he pays net; three, that his account is hard to collect; four, that he is on ac. o. d. basis; and so on. This eliminates all references to the books. Should the concern wish to send a letter to its best customers, it is necessary only to pick out the dot and double dot cards. And the readily accessible information as- to how many customers are in« each class is worth having, too. Cc. W. COLEMAN 207 Ashton Block Grand Rapids F. A. PHILLIPS CHAS. KLAFFKE 814 E. Genessee Ave. Saginaw t Saginaw R. E. EDWARDS 210 Wilhelm Block Traverse City IRAN. SIMMONS 118 Cavanaugh St. Alpena c. E. ROLFE 331 Ogden Street Menominee The largest women’s and children’s ready-to-wear de- partment in Michi- gan and one of the largest in the Mid- dle West. All the latest novelties in women’s silk waists ready for delivery. Our Representatives Are on the Road with the Lines for Spring Delivery BURNHAM, STOEPEL & COQ. DETROIT, MICHIGAN Exclusive selling agents for Puritan underwear for men, women and children and Trufit Union Suits for men, brands responsible for the success of. hundreds of under- . wear departments. ’ 24 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December i1, 1918 WORLD LEADERSHIP. Are We Worthy To Assume That Responsibility? Written for the Tradesman. In the affairs of men nowadays it is almost impossible either to write or speak without shaving the production confined partially or in many in- stances entirely to the great cause of the present war, which we trust is, at an end. The question, Are we ready and are we worthy, is pos- sibly somewhat startling and if ap- plied to the world war needs not only analyzing, but treating from a serious standpoint. When Bartholdi gave us the God- dess of Liberty which stands in the harbor of New York with an out- stretched hand holding a message which proclaims the gospel of free- dom, he did so with a prophetic con- ception not only founded upon the facts as he found them in this coun- try and the things which this country had done for France, but in his vision of what this country would mean not only to itself but to the world in the future. If you should sail by that statue to-day and stop and think just for a moment, you would realize that the message has more meaning and force than ever before. In days of old, when warrior met warrior and they looked each other in the eye and with drawn swords, it was simply a question of which was the better man. Times pass on and as progress is made in civilization and man uses his inventive genius, we find that person- al ambition for war physical prowess is overcome by the accomplishments of science and war has gradually re- sulted in scientific slaughter and has brought about the development of brute force in those who are the aggressors to such an extent that the questions of ethics, morals and poli- tics are put one side. In the recent contest with Ger- many, we find that that nation, in bringing about a world war, had first in mind personal aggrandizement, then national supremacy and material gain. It can be easily figured that a greater percentage of profit can be made in a conquest and a victory in war through the capture of personal property, the annexation of territory and future advantage than in any oth- er undertaking and, therefore, over and above the very detestable mani- festation of brute force, war under the present circumstances with Germany was a business. The career of the German nation would have been ex- tremely popular and eminently suc- cessful if instead of undertaking to crown its final efforts by force, it had succeeded in placing this crown by righteousness. Then the world would have been outclassed. The present methods through which the war has been waged by the Teutons puts outside of the pale of operations the question of ethics, morals or politics; and the termina- tion and the result of the war on the part of the Teutons has demonstrated that the manner in which the war has been conducted, or any war can be conducted, in this present age will be absolutely unsuccessful from a stand- point of force and must, without any question, involve a moral issue to be conclusive on the part of any nation. When America entered the contest, it did so without any desire for monetary gain, territorial acquisition, or to become the ruling power by force in any way. Taking the key- note from the message held for us by the Statue of Liberty, we hung out a banner and at once wrote the gospel before the world based upon which we would contest with the Allies the issue of the day. In doing so we not only stated the terms very plainly to our own people, but they were pro- claimed broadcast over the world and were accepted in full by the Allies. As soon as this act was accomplished, America had entered into a contract fully capable and ready to carry the burden that now rests upon us. We sought the task under this banner. We sent an army to Europe and have been obliged to give up thousands upon thousands of the choicest of our young men. We have spent billions of money. We have done marvelous things in transporta- tion and engineering which are be- yond the conception and even the imagination of the most progressive nations of the world. We have many astonishing changes and conditions before us that have been brought about by the war that need very close attention and thor- ough consideration. Forces have beeu released in the realms of human en- deavor that the American people have never supposed they possessed or Lee M. Hutchins. and unless that contract could be fulfilled by this country, then it would be to our shame. The keynote was of such a high pitch and the gospel was so thoroughly clear that there has been at no time any chance to mistake the terms. The issue was clearly drawn and for a time it seem- ed to be of no avail. Finally, the daylight appeared and the world began to realize that wher- ever and whenever the war might terminate, the final solution must be the moral solution and one based up- on freedom and justice to all. Having initiated these principals, it becomes the plain duty of this country to sub- stantiate in every way the declarations it has made. The question now arises, after the above statements and lines of reason, as to whether we are that have existed for any particular purpose. Therefore, we find ourselves with new powers and possibilities of wonderful achievements. In_ social life, customs and economic habits of the past, that have been supposed to be established orders of the world have crumbled and are giving way to a new order of events. Even our re- ligious thought has taken on new phases and the ultimate object and attendance upon religious activities have received renewed consideration, and there has developed not only at home but with our boys abroad a seriousness as to the work of a high- er power in not only the battles but the victories with our army. The old galvanized political pur- poses of our own country have been stripped of their helmets and breast plates and the lines of demarcation among so-called parties, the same as between sects, have been wiped out and we have before us a different order of not only desires but accom- plishments. Almost every day we hear somebody apologize for creeds and political differences. These mat- ters are recited simply to emphasize social, religious and political condi- tions with which we must cope in the period of reconstruction that now has its beginning. Great causes need great champions and to-day it has been clearly demonstrated that, among the advanced nations of the world, a small quarrel can be set- tled with powder and bullets, but in- ternational differences must finally be settled upon principals of truth and justice. From the standpoint of efficiency, citizenship, engineering, morals and all of the necessary elements which enter into the campaign of war, we have taken the first place in the con- test. Over and above all this there hangs the banner, are we worthy and are we ready? Can we carry to a suc- cessful issue not only at the present tme but for the future generations, the burden that we have assumed and live to, the letter of the law, the gos- pel that we have proclaimed? Has the yoke been fitted to our necks and have our backs been strengthened for the burdens? Has America reached the point of consecration, not only ot menu and money, but of minds and souls where it can act not only as a savior to the world upon the issues of the hour, but can continue to be the leader in thought, action and the issues that make not only for in- dividual citizenship but for collective citizenship, that shall give us with France and England the right to be called the leading nation of the world. With all of our achievements, all of our joy, all of our promises and all of the seriousness that we have so far developed, are we worthy and are we ready? Lee M. Hutchins. Ee A Week of Window Signs. Monday—Not so “blue” when you trade here. Tuesday—Let us iron out high-cost wrinkles. your Wreednesday—Look at our “cleaning- up” prices. Thursday—Maid’s day out? We'll make it easy. Friday—Good “fishing” here. Drop in! Saturday—Here’s for to-morrow’s dinner. A Quality Cigar Dornbos Single Binder One Way to Havana Sold by All Jobbers Peter Dornbos Cigar Manufacturer 16 and 18 Fulton St., W. Grand Rapids 3 Michigan spite & senenctonene i to: ¥ December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 25 1 Merchandise of The Better Kind! When your old-established trade—customers who . have always given you their business—come in to buy, | they expect good values for their money. When the new customer—the stranger to your store and your goods—comes in, you are measured by what you can show in Style, Variety, Value and Price! -One represents regular business, the other repre- sents additional business You must keep the first and gain the second, if your volume is to grow. | 4 7 You may hold both classes of customers by a 1 : . : ; : eo 4 merchandising policy which embodies a sacrifice of profit on your best selling lines. But there is a better way! A way which insures larger growth and steadier profit Make your entire “t i a ccra nocccreaannane . : stock a best selling line—give it the stamp of merchan- | dise of the better kind i - 4 Business has to be good with the buyer who de- _ 4 pends on us. We’ve made his story our story. + -* Grand Rapids Dry Goods Co. Exclusively Wholesale Grand Rapids, Michigan ~~ 26 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 MISUNDERSTOOD ORDERS. International Harvester Co. Abro- gates Verbal Agreements. Frequently during the fall months the Tradesman received complaints that blockmen of the International Harvester Co. were tiptoeing around the State and clandestinely whispering in the ears of local implement dealers that, before they could secure con- tracts from the International Har- vester Co. for another year, it would be necessary for them to promise the blockmen, VERBALLY, that they would handle no goods manufactured by houses which are in competition with the International Co. Believing that such methods were both underhanded, detestible and il legal, the Tradesman addressed the following letter of enquiry to At- torney General Gregory, District At- torney Walker and ex-Judge Hatch: Grand Rapids, Oct. 28—My attention has been called to the fact that the In- ternational Harvester Co. is enforcing a new rule to the effect that no im- plement dealer can obtain any more goods from that corporation unless he agrees to buy Harvester goods ex- clusively. This applies to repairs for goods previously sold, as well as new goods. : The new rule is not printed or writ- ten, but is transmitted to dealers by word of mouth from traveling repre- sentatives of the International Har- vester Co. Dealers are warned not to refer to the rule by letter, but to confine their decision in the premises to verbal expressions to the agents of the corporation. As an iron clad rule of this kind would work great hardship to the av- erage implement dealer, because of the prejudice against Harvester Co. products in the minds of many farm- ers and because the dealer is com- pelled to handle competing lines in order to give his customers the priv- ilege of a choice in making their pur- chases, I beg leave to enquire if there is any legal prohibition of the promul- gation of such an arbitrary ruling? I thank you in advance for the courtesy of a reply. E. A. Stowe. The replies received to this letter of enquiry were as follows: From the Department of Justice. Washington, Nov. 4—The Depart- ment has received and will give con- sideration to your letter of Oct. 28 relative to the alleged action of the International Harvester Co. in adopt- ing a new rule to the effect that it will sell machines and repair parts only to dealers who verbally agree to handle its products exclusively. G. Carroll Todd, Assistant Attorney General. From United States District Attorney. Grand Rapids, Oct. 30—Answering yours of Oct. 28 in regard to the new rule of the International MHiarvester Co., this certainly would have been a violation of the Federal law prior to the enactment of the Clayton bill, so- called, in the year 1915, and my im- pression is that it is now a violation of the Federal law. I suggest, however, that you take the matter up direct with the Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D. C., within whose direct jurisdiction this matter comes. Myron H. Walker, United States District Attorney. From Ex-Judge Hatch. Grand Rapids, Oct. 30—Your letter of Oct. 28, asking my opinion as to the validity of a “new rule” of the International Harvester Co. “to the effect that no implement dealer can obtain any more goods from that cor- poration unless he agrees to buy Har- vester goods exclusively,” is received. Such a condition imposed on the sale of goods is void for the reason that it is a violation of the Clayton Anti-Trust act, and is unenforceable. That is to say, if the dealer should assent to such a condition at the time of purchasing goods, the condition would be unenforceable if he violated it, and the Harvester company would be without remedy as against him. But there is nothing in the law to prevent the Harvester company from selecting its customers for any reason which appeals to it. Therefore, if a dealer should buy goods of the Har- vester company upon condition that he would not deal in the commodities of a competitor, and should disregard such condition, the Harvester com- pany could afterwards refuse to sell any more goods to that dealer, in the exercise of its right to select its own customers. But even so, the Harvester com- pany would be liable in damages to the dealer, under Section 4 of the Clayton Act, quoted below. The provisions of the Clayton Act referred to, are as follows: “Sec. 3 (Requiring purchasers, etc., of goods, etc., to refrain from handling goods, etc., of competitors. ) That it shall be unlawful for any person en- gaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to lease or make a sale or contract for sale of goods, wares, merchandise, machinery, sup- plies or other commodities, whether patented or unpatented, for use, con- sumption, or resale within the United States or any territory thereof or the District of Columbia or any insular possession or other place under the jurisdiction of the United States, or fix a price charged therefor, or dis- count from, or rebate upon, such price, on the condition, agreement or understanding that the lessee or pur- chaser thereof shall not use or deal in the goods, wares, merchandise, ma- chinery, supplies, or other commodi- ties of a competitor or competitors of the lessor or seller, where the ef- fect of such lease, sale, or contract for sale or such condition, agreement or understanding may be to substan- tially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce. “Sec 4 (Jurisdiction of violations— damages.) That any person who shall be injured in his business or property by reason of anything forbidden in the anti-trust laws may sue therefor in any district court of the United States in the district in which the de- fendant resides or is found or has an agent, without respect to the amount in controversy, and shall recover threefold the damages by him sus- tained, and the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.” Another remedy which the dealer has would be to apply to the Federal Trade Commission to enforce com- pliance with Section 3 above quoted. That Commission has authority to order compliance with such act. Reuben Hatch. From the Federal Trade Commission. Washington, Nov. 5—The Commis- sion is in receipt of your communica- tion of Oct. 30, in which you state that your attention has been called to the fact that the International Harvester Co. is enforcing a new rule to the effect that no implement dealer can obtain any goods from that corpora- tion unless he agrees to buy harvester goods exclusively and that this ap- plies to repairs for goods previously sold as well as new goods. If such a rule or practice is in effect by the International Harvester Co., it would probably be a violation of. Section 3 of the Clayton Act prohib- iting certain tying contracts. Can you give the Commission any specific information or direct it to sources of information to the matter which you have called to the atten- tion of the Commission? John Walsh, Chief Counsel Federal Trade Comm. To this letter the editor Tradesman replied as follows: Grand Rapids, Nov. 7—Replying to your letter of Nov. 5, 1 beg leave to state that I was in Martin, Mich., Oct. 26, when A. Patterson & Son informed me that the International Harvester Co. was refusing to make contracts with any dealer unless the dealer would agree verbally with the agent not to handle any implements except those made by the International Har- vester Co. On my return home, | called at the local branch of the International Har- vester Co. The branch manager was out of town, but the assistant branch manager, R. L. Badgley, confirmed the statement of the Pattersons that the I. H. Co. would not execute a contract with any dealer who refused to agree verbally to handle I. Hi Co. goods exclusively. He undertook to dodge my enquiries at first by show- ing me a printed contract and asking me to locate the condition I enquired about. I told him the information I received led me to believe the exclu- sive contract feature was a verbal con- sideration only and that the agent had to agree to the exclusive arrangement before he could enter into contract re- lations with the company. Mr. Badg- ley then admitted that this statement was correct, stating that the I. H. Co. was forced to pursue this policy to conform to the recent ‘compromise decision” handed down by the United States Supreme Court. He did not have a copy of the decision, nor have I been able to secure a copy from Myron H. Walker, U. S. District At- torney. In the light of this explanation, would I be justified in advising my readers that the position assumed by the I. H:. Co. is an untenable one? I thank you in for the courtesy of a reply. of the advance E. A. Stowe. The same day the Tradesman wrote the International Harvester Co. as follows: Grand Rapids, Nov. 7—Can you kindly favor me with a copy of the decision you have agreed to abide by, rather than await a more complete review of the situation by the Su- preme Court? I am told that the U. S. Supreme Court has handed down a decision to the effect that you can sell but one éealer in a town and that your branch managers are making contracts with such agents only as agree, verbally, to handle no goods except those exploit- ed. by the I. H. Co. Are both of these statements cor- rect? Kindly make your replies to both enquiries so plain that a man of or- dinary understanding can grasp your meaning. E. A. Stowe. To this letter the following reply was received: Chicago, Nov. 13—Your favor of Nov. 7 is received. In accordance with your request, I enclose herewith a statement of the settlement of the Harvester case. As you will see from it, the United States Supreme Court has not made any decision in the case of the Gov- ernment against the International Harvester Co., but an adjustment of the case has been made by which the company has dismissed its appeal to. the Supreme Court, and, on Nov. 2, 1918, the United States District Court at St. Paul entered a decree in accord- ance with the terms of the adjust- ment. One of the terms of this agreed de- cree is that the company shall have but one representative or agent for the sale of its agricultural implements in a town. Your information that our branch managers are making contracts only with such dealers as agree to handle no goods except those sold by the In- ternational is not correct. George A. Ranney, Secretary and Treasurer. From Federal Trade Commission. Washington, Nov. 12—'‘n reply to your communication of Nov. 7, in ref- erence to the practices of the Inter- national Harvester Co., you are ad- vised that in view of the fact that the Department of Justice is in direct charge of the proceedings against that company, I have turned your corre- spondence over to the Department of Justice. John Walsh, Chief Counsel Federal Trade Comm. From the Department of Justice. Washington, Nov. 21—Referring to your letter of Nov. 15, the Depart- ment has received from the Federal Trade Commission your letters ad- dressed to that body relative to the new rule which it is charged the In- ternational Harvester Co. has adopted with respect to the appointment of agents, namely, that its agents must handle its lines exclusively. There is enclosed herewith for your information a copy of the decree en- tered on the second instant in the case of United States vs. International Harvester Co., et. al., under the Fed- eral Anti-Trust law, from which you will note that the statement alleged to have been made by the Assistant Branch Manager of the Harvester Company at Grand Rapids that the new rule was adopted in conformity with the requirements of that decree was not correct. The Department has taken this mat- ter up with the Harvester Co. The company denies having issued any in- structions requiring agents to handle its lines exclusively and states that it will make an investigation to ascer- tain the grounds for the particular complaint mentioned in your letters and report the facts to the Depart- ment. G. Carroll Todd, Assistant Attorney General. Final From Department of Justice. Washington, Nov. 29—Referring further to your correspondence with the Department relative to the alleged action of the International Harvester Co. in adopting a rule requiring its dealers to handle its products exclu- sively, the Department has received a letter dated Nov. 26 from Edgar A Bancroft, General Counsel for the In- ternational Harvester Co., stating that the information furnished by you in- dicates that the instructions issued by the company to its branch managers Sand Lime Brick Nothing as Durable Nothing as Fireproof Makes oe eautiful: ° Cool in Summer Brick is Everlasting Grande Brick Co., Grand Rapids So. Mich. Brick Co., Kalamazoo Saginaw Brick Co., Saginaw Jackson-Lansing Brick Co. Rives Junction eae tt HO ARSE RHEE ERO SDR a gOS RRS at al ara Seen RL SR OTe ee nr eacame nme Oonm * e 1- at i- ry rs SONA OSES cower i ST OS acca ts aan ob etm SEN alg AO wee ape December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 27 “BLIZZARD” ENSILAGE CUTTERS ARE SOLD BY THE BEST DEALERS TO THE BEST FARMERS. READ THIS Belton & Burch, Dowagiac, Mich. sold over $2000.00 worth of ‘‘Blizzards’’ in 1918 with less than two days work. Read what they have to say. Dowagiac, Mich., Nov. 4, 1918 CLEMENS & GINGRICH CO., Grand Rapids. Mich. Gentlemen: We wish to thank you for the nice business which you helped us to get on your line; also for the prompt service which you have given us. Having sold over $2000 worth of your Blizzard ensilage cutters this year, with less than two days’ work, on our part. I further wish to state that you have one of the most serviceable and easiest selling cutters that we have ever sold. The sales being cash, we have been able to take our cash discount. We have sold several different makes, and [| will say that you have them ALL BEAT. Thanking you for past favors, and your prompt service, we remain, Yours very truly. BELTON & BURCH Per A. J. Belton The Genuine Dick ‘“‘BLIZZARD” is easy to sell—stays sold—and brings more business. DEALERS’ 1919 CONTRACTS NOW READY—GET YOURS EARLY. CLEMENS & GINGRICH CoO. DISTRIBUTORS FOR CENTRAL WESTERN STATES COMMERCE AND CHERRY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Coanwey (Clark) Double Action Harrows Bigger Crops at Less Cost Bigger crops always follow better disking. Note the heavy angle-iron main frame and how strongly it is built. Each of the gangs is attached to this heavy frame—it forces the rear disks to cut exactly midway between the fore disks, thus completely cut- ting, pulverizing, stirring and aerating ALL the soil. Once over the ground does the work. It’s the farmer’s greatest time and labor-saver in his most important work. A Style and Size for Every Farmer Whether He Uses One Small Horse or a Large Tractor for Power MONEY-MAKER SILAGE CUTTERS AND HAY PRESSES Bryan Plows, Land Rollers, Pulverizers, Harrows, Seeders, Corn Planters, Potato Planters, Weeders, _ Cultivators, Sprayers, Bean Harvesters, Bean Threshers, Garden Tools, Ftc. A better idea of our line of Farm Implements and Garden Tools can be obtained from our complete catalog. If you haven't a copy, send for it to-day—NOW. Manufacturers Representatives: Brown & Sehler Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan 28 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 have been misunderstood and trans- mitting a copy of General Letter No. 250, issued by the Harvester Co. on Nov. 9 with a view to avoiding any further misunderstanding along that line. Photographic copies of Mr. Bancroft’s letter and General Letter No. 250 are enclosed for your in- formation. G. Carroll Todd, Assistant Attorney General. General Counsel I. H. Co. to Depart- ment of Justice. Chicago, Nov. 26—-Thank you for your favor of Nov. 18, stating that complaint had been made by Mr. A. Stowe, editor of the Michigan Tradesman, Grand Rapids. Accord- ing to the statements in Mr. Stowe s letter of Nov. 7 to the Federal Trade Commission, HE WAS WARRANT- ED IN MAKING THE COM- PLAINT. The facts as stated by him indicate that the instructions 1S- sued to the branch managers have been misunderstood. This misunder- standing can no longer exist. Shortly after receipt of your former favor, General Letter No. 250 was sent out, under date of Nov. 9, 1918. I enclose a copy herewith. Under these instructions there will be no chance of a misunderstanding and the company will promptly disci- pline any representative who violates these instructions. Edgar A. Bancroft, General Counsel I. H. Co. “General Letter No. 250” to Branch Managers. Chicago, Nov. 9—We are notified that complaint has been made to the Department of Justice at Washington that “this company has adopted a new rule that it will sell machines and re- pair parts only to dealers who agree to handle its products exclusively.” No such rule has been adopted, and, as you know, any attempt to compel the local dealer handling our implements not to handle competitive goods is contrary to the settled policy of the company. This complaint, however, makes it necessary that we should be certain that our blockmen, as well as our branch managers, clearly understand our instructions and strictly observe them. You have already been advised that after Dec. 31, 1919, this company, in pursuance of a decree of the Unit- ed States Court, can have only one agent or representative in a town for the sale of its agricultural imple- ments, and that in going to this one- representative basis, you will endeav- or to secure the best local dealer and one who will handle the entire I. 7: C. line salable in his territory. It is your right and your duty to the company to find representatives who will be most active in the sale of our implements, but you have no right to insist that such representa- tive shall handle no competitive goods. We believe it is for the in- terest of the dealer as well as due to -this company and to its established trade, that the dealer who takes our line should push it vigorously, but whether he shall also handle competi- tive goods or not is for him to decide. The local dealer is free at any time to buy such goods as he chooses and this company is free at all times to change its single local representative if he does not value the representa- tion enough to give careful attention to the trade in our goods. In order that your blockmen may fully understand the instructions, we are enclosing a sufficient number of copies of this letter so that each may have one. After enquiry, advise us fully if there has been any case in your terri- tory upon which the above complaint to the Government might have been based. International Harvester Company of America. It naturally affords the Tradesman much satisfaction to be the medium of unearthing and exposing such char- acteristic tactics on the part of the branch managers of the International Hiarvester Co., whose methods of do- ing business have frequently been called into question by business men and: the courts. It may be the inten- tion of the officers of the company to conduct business along honorable lines, but the practices of the branch managers and blockmen have fre- quently been such as to bring the cor- poration under the condemnation of men who deal fairly and act justly. It is not necessary for the Tradesman to go into details and describe specif- ic instances. Every implement dealer who has ever done business with the 1. H. Co. is familiar with the meth- ods of the corporation during the time it assumed to monopolize the implement business of the coun- try. The acceptance of the decision of the United States District Court of Minnesota, which forced the disin- tegration of the company and, it was expected, would change it from a complete monopoly to a competitive corporation was, of course a bitter pill to swallow, and it appears to have left a bitter taste in the mouth, judg- ing by the peculiar methods the branch managers immediately em- ployed to maintain its supremacy. It may as well conclude, once for all, that it can no longer dominate the implement trade—at least so long as the strong arm of the Department of Justice holds itself in readiness to act on any disclosures which the Trades- man and its conferes may bring to its attention. Caught with the goods, the I. H. Co. quickly and gracefully acquiesced in the demands of the Government, but the company has so long been in- different to public opinion and the rights of both customers and competi- tors that it will, possibly, make still further attempts of a similar charac- ter. The watchful eye of the Trades- man will be just as much in evidence in the future as it has been in the past and it will be a cold day when the legal twisters of the I. H. Co. will be able to invent and put into execution any scheme having the effect of embarrassing the retail dealer and giving the ex-monopoly an undue and unfair advantage over its competitors and customers. —_——»—2o sa —_ Prevention. Dr. Brown was a phlegmatic man who usually took his own time at an- swering even urgent calls, but one day he bustled around in a great hurry. “Mrs. Weaver has sent for me—her boy is sick; I must~go at once,” he said, “What is the matter with the boy?” asked the doctor’s wife. “T don’t know,” he said, “but Mrs. Weaver has a book on ‘What to Do Before the Doctor Comes,’ and I must hurry before she does i” THE JOBBER’S OBLIGATION. New Order of Business Must Be Inaugurated. No business policy can be good for a business house, or for a group or a trade, unless that policy also results in benefit to the public. In the long run, whatever hurts the public hurts the line of business involved. There is already too much prejudice in the minds of the consuming public against business men—against so- called “middle men.” This has hurt the retail trade, which indirectly means that it hurts the jobbing trade; and in addition it has also directly hurt the jobbing trade. There has teen both direct and indirect damage. The average person pictures the “middle man” as a useless creature, never stopping to think that business men, generally speaking, are making every effort, both for reasons grow- ing out of competition and because they are good citizens, to get goods into the hands of the consumer at the least possible expense. In a considerable measure, legisla- tion, regulation, the enforcement of laws and rules, and, in fact, every act of every public official, goes back to public opinion for its authority—for its cue. So long as the public is prejudiced against the “middle man,” just so long will the whole system of mer- chandising be in danger of unfair laws and improper rules. Every time it has appeared, since the beginning of the war, that some line of trade was likely to be injured, it has been easy to trace the attitude of the pub- lic official involved back to a preju- dice, on the part of the public, against that line of business. The cost of doing business is soar- ‘ng. Already too high, it is going higher. Some of the fault, to be sure, is lamable directly to the retailer. Per- haps the department stores and the highly specialized specialty stores are more largely to blame than other re- tailers, because they have added first one and then another furbelow, under the guise of giving additional “ser- vice”, thus forcing other retailers to adopt similar methods—while the consuming public holds the bag. On the other hand, however, the jobbing trade is by no means blame- less. One of the big difficulties is that it has been entirely too easy for a man to go into the retail business. It has teen too easy for him to get credit. It has only been necessary for him to show that he has some cash in hand, and a dozen jobbers are more than willing to sell him a bill of goods, regardless of his capability to operate a store economically and in the light of present knowledge of retailing. No one seems to ask whether the man is capable of being a retail mer- chant and rendering a real service to the community. The only question is the question of the credit department, “Is he good?” By confining himself, practically speaking, to this one question, the jobber runs the risk of hurting other retailers who are buying his goods, while at the same time, injuring the public. In cases where he does sell to people who are not capable of op- erating a retail store successfully, he is also.taking a distinctly unfair ad- vantage of the person to whom the bill of goods is sold. The hardest competition for a capa- ble merchant to meet is the Competi- tion of Ignorance. The fellow who knows nothing about the cost of do- ing business and who blunders blind- ly along to certain failure sometimes pulls the other fellow down with him. A good deal depends upon how much his wife inherited from his Aunt Sally. If the sum is sufficient, he may bring the man around the corner into the bankruptcy court before he goes himself—and all through such colos- sal ignorance as ought to have been discovered by the jobbing house that helped him lose his money. Jobbing houses, through their asso- ciation, $hould adopt definite policies relative to selling new bills of goods. It would even be well if there were a committee to pass not only upon the credit but also upon the capability of the man who wants to enter the re- tail field. It is true that the individual job- bing house which sells the opening account can usually protect itself from credit losses, because it has all of the facts at hand. On the other hand, however, the retailer is likely to buy at least some goods from other jobbing houses; and when the crash comes he may not leave the house which sold him the opening bill in It Helps the Advertiser. The advertising expense of one merchant has considerably decreased since he found a way to decrease the cost of his printed window cards. He watches the magazine for full page advertisements of the goods he sells. These he cuts out and pastes upon a large white cardboard, which has on it the price and other remarks. Formerly the merchant had printed from three to six window cards a week, at a cost of from 25 to 35 cents each. By his new method he has cut down this number and the new cards are fully as attractive. Walter Engard. —.2-s————_ About three minutes after starting an argument with a woman a man realizes he is lost. Special Sales John L. Lynch Sales Co. No. 28 So Ionia Ave. Grand Rapids, Michigan 139-141 Mone Roth Phony GRAND RAPIDS, MICH Jobbers in All Kinds of BITUMINOUS COALS AND COKE A. B. Knowlson Co. 203-207 Powers’ Theatre Bldg., Grand Rapids, Mich. # ro , December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 29 | Thanks to Whom Thanks Are Due All who are familiar with the confectionery business realize that the past year has been the most exasper- ating season ever experienced by that industry. Re- stricted raw materials, limited output, high wages | and inadequate transportation service combined to a render the year 1918 full of difficulties and dis- ; appointments. Po We left no stone unturned to meet the require- Pf ments of our customers, so far as we could do so and P| strictly conform to the rules and regulations of the 2 Federal Food Administration, and feel duly thank- 4 ful that we were able to do as well as we did. - 4 We appreciate the patience and generous attitude of ro our customers under such trying circumstances and et thank them heartily for their courtesy and kindness ne in permitting us both to pass through the ordeal af without friction or ill feeling. This spirit of give os and take is really the brightest spot in our career as oT purveyors of the trade. We bespeak a continuance of the pleasant relations of the past during the year to come and succeeding years. , ing lan sone ih ROOST a scold PUTNAM FACTORY, National Candy Company, Inc. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 30 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 reg, © Queneau —*N G 3 WY wn Sag A com Michigan rn, and Egg Asso- clation. President—J. W. Lyons, Jackson. ee Hurley, De- troit. Secretary and Treasurer—D. A. Bent- ley, Saginaw. Executive Committee—F. A. Johnson, Detroit; H. L. Williams, Howell; C. J. Chandler, Detroit. Eliminating Waste In Dairy Products. First steps for a nation-wide move- ment to systematize and improve conditions surrounding the collection and shipment of cream for manufac- turing purposes, that under present methods is attended by losses said to amount to millions of dollars an- nually, have been taken by the Asso- ciation of American Dairy, Food and Drug Officials. John B. Newman, secretary of the food officials’ organ- ization, has announced that the mat- ter had been taken up with the Fed- eral Food and Railroad Administra- tions. At the last convention of the As- sociation, which is composed of rep- resentatives of the United States De- partment of Agriculture and food and drug control officials of the different states, the subject of cream waste was discussed and a resolution was adopted. This resoultion has been embodied in a formal letter urging prompt and vigorous action sent to the heads of the Federal Railroad Administration and the Food Admin- istration at Washington. The letter is as follows: Dear Sir—At the 22nd annual con- vention of the Association of Ameri- can Dairy, Food and Drug Officials, a resolution was adopted calling at- tention to the great loss of a valuable food material in the collection and shipment of cream for manufacturing purposes, and recommending that the Director General of Railroads and the Federal Food Administrator take such action as in their judgment will eliminate the loss referred to. Your attention is respectfully called to the resolution which is as follows: Whereas—There exists throughout _a large section of the United States an avoidable loss of valuable food material in the course of the collec- tion and shipment of cream to be used for manufacturing purposes; and Whereas—This loss is detrimental, especially at this time, to the interest of our Nation and our Allies; there- fore, be it Resolved—That the Association of American Dairy, Food and Drug Off- cials, assembled at this 22nd Annual Convention in Chicago, Ill, recom- mends that the Director General of Railroads and the Federal Food Ad- ministrator investigate existing con- ditions and take such action as the economic conditions may permit to eliminate the above named loss; and, be it further Resolved—That copies of these resolutions be forwarded by the sec- retary to the Hon. Wm. G. McAdoo, Director of Railroads, and the Hon. Herbert C. Hoover, Federal Food Ad- ministrator, for their consideration. Believing that a few details will be of interest, I take the liberty of supplying the following: Much of the loss is due to careless methods that could be easily correct- ed with the proper co-operation of milk and cream buyers, cream _ sta- tion operators, transportation agents and railroad train crews. Creamery- men agree that the principal trouble occurs in that period of operations between the time when the milk and cream leaves the producer’s hands until it reaches the milk products factory. Under existing conditions a great amount of the raw product is permit- ted to deteriorate or spoil by reason of being held too long at shipping points or at cream stations. Cans of milk and cream are often allowed to stand for many hours on a station platform because the railroad em- loyes will not handle the product with promptness. This situation is particularly deplorable in rural terri- tory where the train service is limit- ed. Failure of the crew of a morning train to take aboard the milk or cream, often means that it will not be picked up by the crew of another train until late in the afternoon or evening. If, as in the case of branch lines, a freight transfer is made, un- der the conditions complained of, the product is delayed twenty-four hours before delivery to the factory. Milk and cream being a highly per- ishable commodity, if it is to reach the consumer in good _ condition, promptness in handling is essential. The creameryman can turn out the best grade of butter only from cream received in good condition. When we read that 85 per cent. of the 627,000,000 pounds of creamery but- ter made in this country a year, will not grade extra, we realize that all of our available resources are needed to arouse all hands to the serious- ness of the situation and to adopt methods to cut down this enormous waste. Your co-operation to these ends is respectfully urged. John B. Newman, Secretary, Association of American Dairy, Food and Drug Officials. ee A woman cares nothing about a man’s first love if she is sure of being his last. Profitable Pullets. Twenty white Leghorn pullets at the experiment station poultry farm at Madison, Wis., have already laid as many eggs each as at least one-half of the hens in the United States av- erage for the whole year. The 80- eggs-a-year farm hen has been put to shame by the performance of 107 Leghorn pullets, which laid 2,879 eggs between the last of August and the first of November, averaging 27 eggs each in the two months. With the price of eggs ranging around 50 cents a dozen, the pullets have been worth about $120. The lot of 20 pullets laid 950 eggs up to Nov. 1, an average of 4714 eggs apiece—an especially high record, points out O. N. Johnson, of the poultry department, when it is re- membered that pullets are not usually expected to lay until they are a year old. The success of the experiment, Mr. Johnson says, is due greatly to the early hatch. March and April pullets have a better chance to develop into early layers. The pullets were chosen from good egg-laying strains. The ration has been strictly war- time. At present it consists of a light feed of corn, barley and oats. This the pullets are given each morn- ing, scattered in a deep litter of straw. Late in the afternoon they have a heavier ieed of the same mixture. Be- sides, this, they are alloyed to eat all they want of dry ae made of equal parts cornmeal, bran, gluten feed, and middlings, with a small amount of meat scrap and a little salt. They have had no food or shelter that the ordinary farm could not supply. —_++>__ Market Trip For Fresh Eggs Only. Developments in the Nation’s egg situation show the need, probably at very attractive prices, for all the fresh eggs that can be produced. Poultry- men are asked to gather eggs often enough to prevent freezing and to exercise unusual care in preventing all kinds of waste. More than ever be- fore, it will be unpatriotic and waste- ful to sell eggs of doubtful quality. Eggs that are unfit for human con- sumption, or which may soon become so, waste transportation . space, clog the channels of trade, cause lower price to producers and thus discour- age production. An understanding by farmers and poultrymen of these general condi- tions should be of immediate benefit to the poultry industry as well as result in additional food and more stable markets. > Affecting Print Butter. Some time ago the Food Adminis- tration made a ruling that no print butter less than one pound should be sold after Nov. 1, giving as a reason for this action the necessity of con- serving paper and saving labor. As many of the manufacturers had a considerable quantity of material on hand an appeal was made to Wash- ington, and the time was extended to Jan. 1, 1919. The changing condi- tions brought about by the close of the war, have caused a repeal of that ruling, as indicated by the following announcement from the Food Admin- istration, under date of Nov. 25: “Special Rule 5 by which the manu- facture and sale of prints of butter weighing less than one pound on and after Jan. 1, 1919, is prohibited, is hereby repealed.” AS Featuring One Article At a Time. A southern department store has demonstrated the fact that to estab- lish an advertised feature it is not necessary that the store offer an un- common value. It has shown that it is necessary, only, that the value be a fair one, and that if the advertis- ing be good, which, of course, means persistent as well as attractive, the merchandise featured can be made to draw trade in qa remarkable way. Some months ago the store in question began to feature neckwear at 50 cents, and gave the line a name, “Town Talk Ties.” It was the usual run of 50-cent goods, well selected and carefully bought to be sure, but just such neckwear as other stores could buy whosg outlet was con- siderable, and who thus obtained such consideration as buying in rather large quantities affords any store. The advertisements have been headed, “Town Talk Ties,” the words being printed in an attractive script, and the name, by the way, being copyrighted. The advertising copy has featured the fact that people were talking about the ties One announcement, for example, said that all the people in town were not talking about “Town Talk Ties,” but that surely half of them were, and that their talk prompted others to wear the ties and talk, and that, sooner or later, “Town Talk Ties” would be the talk of the town. The name, coupled with frequent advertising announcements of gossi- py, interesting character, and backed up with merchandise that was well selected, has brought new people in- to the haberdashery department of the store in such numbers as to double the business of the depart- ment. The plan has demonstrated the fact that the best way to adver- tise a department, very often, is to feature one article rather than under- take to advertise the whole depart- ment, —_-» The Gentle Critic. “You have read my new story?” “Ves.” “What do you think of it?” “Tosbe perfectly candid with you, I think the covers are too far apart.” FOR SALE—Five cars Y. & R. Onions, also turnips in lots of 1 sack to acarload. Write, wire or phone. E. A. Livingston (grower) St. Johns, Mich. secnsannseesesay msn eee een eiSi CA SINR gy oee SR NE EI ccc ORES RE il me = Se ae ee. eee Se ou, t ” asc SANA RON SRE PEER SOE IY ; ccc ORES RE December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 31 com ave our choice! feurnus pratctiom. ad Your Profits Are Not in Goods Sold ‘To You---But in Those Sold For You T’S EASY to sell you goods, if you look at the price alone. But the shrewd merchant asks himself: ‘“Do my customers know about them? Will they accept them readily when I offer them—or will I have to plead and promise to get them to take them?”’ Money tied up in shelf-clingers is loafing capital. It! Oval Label products are sold for you as well as not only eats up profits, but costs you interest. to you. Twelve stock-turns in a year at 10% margin is 120% Armour gives you a market with the goods, because on money invested, whereas six turns at 15% is only all of Armour’s top-grade products are advertised un- 90%. Nationally-advertised, known, acceptable goods der the Oval Label. One brand—one line—one move off your shelves—that’s why they are the most standard quality for the consumer to remember, and profitable. ask for. Put this force to work in your store. Sell Armour Oval Label Products. ARMOURs! » COMPANY CHICAGO MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 Don’t Ruin the Child By Giving Ip To It. I remember once being present when a baby—a very little baby—un- dertook to compel his parents to do what he wanted them to do. It was the first real struggle between the baby’s will and the judgment of his father and mother. He had been put into his crib for the night, but decided that he would be taken up and entertained. So he set out to yell. And he yelled for a solid hour. I think his mother would have given in; but his father, after making sure that the child was not in any kind of pain or fright, insisted that they must see it through. “He is just trying to wear us down,” he said, “and if we give in we are lost for good and all.” That child seemed to have an in- exhaustible voice and determination and made the most of them. It was rather harrowing. I am not sure I could have held out so long myself. Suddenly, you could fairly hear that baby decide that there was nothing in it. He stopped as if somebody had chopped off his voice. “This isn’t getting me anywhere,” he was saying to himself. “Guess Ill quit.” Those parents told me that it never happened again. The child had dis- covered by experiment, to his final satisfaction, that however much he might want anything of those two im- perturbable people ,that wasn’t the way to get it! If those parents had given in to him on that occasion, and on the next, and the next—for one of these surrenders leads inevitably to an- other—I know that child would have grown up into a “tease’—a whining, crying, coaxing tease: instead of the brave, sweet. self-controlled lad he has come to be. We use the word “tease” in two ways, and both uses apply to things thoroughly bad. I am not sure which is worse, or more injurious to the character of the child and the atmos- phere of the home. First is the teasing that the child indulges in toward his elders or oth- ers to gain some object that he can not gain without it. Coaxing, it is sometimes called—‘Please, mother, oh, please, please!” You have heard it a thousand times. And a thousand times you have seen mother weakly give in. You knew when you heard that half whining, cajoling tone that mother was going to give in. Like as not, you knew to begin with that she was just that kind of a person. How much better the child knew it! For years that little girl had been study- ing’ her mother—none more keenly— and knew exactly how much tremolo, how much threat of tears, to put into her voice; just how much pout to frame upon her lips. They both knew, too, that if the teasing and the pout didn’t work, there was a fit of sulking or of temper in reserve. It always worked. “Yielding to teasing, permitting petty arguing, all foster evasion, false- hood, carelessness, and disrespect for authority,” says a teacher of psychol- ogy who has studied hundreds of children; and what she says is abso- lutely true. Parents and nurses, and sometimes teachers, give in to teasing children, even when they know that it is not the right thing, or best for the chil- dren. They are too indolent, easy- going, or weak-minded to stand up to what they know to be the merits of the case. But what of the long chain of consequences to the child? A child should never get by teas- ing or coaxing what he could not have without it. Much worse is it, after the teasing and coaxing have failed, to yield to sulks or fits of tem- per. They all are of a piece—thor- oughly bad habits. They should be nipped in the bud, or cured if they have got a start. Watch those first little times when the baby is two years old or less, and begins to use wiles of one kind and another to overweigh the judgment of his mother. Every time you yield you are weakening the essential char- acter of the child—and your own, too. There is another side to it—your side. Are you given to saying “No” when you might as well say “Yes?” That in itself is a bad habit, and I imagine that a good many times you yield to the childs importunity; you do it because you know that your re- fusal was unreasonable; that you ought to have said “Yes” in the first place. Study yourself in this regard; you may find that half the trouble is with yourself. . But when sure your “No” is right and you have said “No,” let is mean “No.” Listen to reasons, but listen to them before you have made your de- cision. Let your child learn—and he will soon learn—that mother doesn’t say “No” without ¢ood reasons, and that when she has said “No,” that settles it. Establish with your child a reputa- tion for being reasonable; such a reputation that will accept your judg- ment as wise and right. What an add- ed value then will attach to those oc- casions in which you discover that you have been wrong, and change your mind! I would not have you either weak-minded or pig-headed. Last summer I saw for the first time since she was a child a lovely college girl. When she was a little thing she used to get her way by teasing, sulking, and fiits of wild temper. She was doing it still; but the teasing has turned to _ petty evasions and intrigue, and the sulks are even more unlovely than they used to be. The whole thing is a legacy from parents who used to give in because they were’ too lazy to train’ the child to self-control and themselves to rational relations with their daughter. The other kind of teasing is that that older people inflict upon chil- dren. It is just as bad, and with it goes the dreadful habit of scolding and nagging by parents and other elders. Fathers who tease the daugh- ters they adore are erecting a barrier that never quite comes down. Some may imagine that this sort of thing helps to develop character and self- defence in children. It does not. It ruins tempers. I know one mother who had a boy who teased his sisters. She organized a club of a dozen boys of the neigh- borhood, and got them interested in the tales of the Knights of the Round Table, and many modern knights as well. From that it was easy to lead the lads to the idea of chivalry to- ward all women and consideration for others. It is all in the spirit of the home. Never combat bad temper with bad temper; noise with noise, snarling with snarling. Never tolerate wrang- ling or nagging or teasing among your children. : It begins at the beginning. Noth- ing should be done to the baby, such as violent rocking, tossing, tickling, or boisterous play, to excite his nerves. Quiet self-restraint, firm han- dling, calm decisiveness in action and decision—these are the conditions in which to train a temperament into which there will not enter even the beginnings of teasing, fretting, or in- considerateness. Prudence Bradish. —_ > Desirability of Possessing The. Will to Learn. Written for the Tradesman. The fundamental thing in the edu- cative process is the will to learn. Merchants everywhere are now replacing seasoned salespeople with green, inexperienced help. And these people—many of them —have had little or no previous sel- ling experience. Your lines are new to them; the environment strange; and the policy © of your store a new thing to them. They must be assimilated to the organization of which you hope to make them a part. They must be coached, trained and developed as quickly as pos- sible into store effectives. What is it you appreciate most in these new recruits to your store? Teachability. Their will to learn makes an in- stant hit with you. They may be clumsy and awkward, and not overly quick at figures, but you can overlook a multitude of shortcomings if they seem to want to get on. There is hope of a man if he have a will to learn; but if not, he is a poor stick, and the job he hath to-day he is likely to lose on the morrow. There are merchants who are lack- ing in the will to learn—thinking, forsooth, they know pretty much the whole works when it comes to store- keeping. Verily such a merchant is sched- uled for a painful disillusionment; for some day when he least expects it, some wise guy will come along and put one over on him. The man who hath a will to learn looketh diligently into the pages of his trade paper, finecombing the columns for new and helpful ideas. But the wise guy who opines the editor and his staff cannot throw any light on dark problems of mer- chandise casteth the paper into the waste paper basket. It sometimes comes about that a clerk gets so wise in his own estima- tion, the boss cannot teach him any new ideas, Such a salesperson fossilizes before his time; therefore the job he held down so long abruptly goes to another. The wise man keeps his eyes and his ears open; yea even the pores of his disposition, taking care lest any- thing of value escapeth him. He learns from people old and young, rich and poor, high and low; even the little tots who frequent his store unwittingly impart elements of instruction. Such a man does not fossilize with respect to his noodle, but keeps on growing intellectually and in_ skill as a merchant although his hair and his beard have been frosted by many winters. In little people the will to know expresses itself in questions that come so fast it maketh the adult tongue weary to answer the same. It would not be a bad idea for the merchant to conduct betimes a sort of Questionaire, asking the people who trade with him how they think he might improve the service. Consumers have ideas as well as merchants. It may be that your. busi- ness looks a bit different from the other side. Maybe the people want sorts .and kinds and qualities of merchandise you haven't got. No man can see his own blind- spot. Self-criticism isn’t nearly so good as the judicious criticism of a friend. Keep the pores of your intellect open during business hours, and close them not when you shut up the store; for in so doing many a dealer has missed a profitable tip. Maintain the will to learn as con- scientiously as you keep your credit; for this also is a profitable thing under the canopy. Frank Fenwick. _——o-o-- oe Sometimes it is better late than early. The bit of repartee you think of ten minutes too late might have cost you a friend, iS Seta ae OE a SRA ali ET! epost ip MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Wheat Flour and Sugar Have Played a Prominent Part in Winning the War We have all Met the Conditions Cheerfully—The War is Over—The Restrictions are Withdrawn— And Business is Better Than Usual. Our well known Brands of Flour have stood the Test of the War Restriction---If you want the flour business in your community, take on one of our well known brands. Ceresota Fanchon Sleepy Eye Red Star Aristos Puritan Barlow’s Best Old Tyme Graham Business Better Than Usual A Judson Grocer Co. The Pure Foods House Grand Rapids, Michigan 33 34 THE PASSING TRADE. Duty of Progressive Merchant To Attract It, An analysis of the term “passing trade” may give us a broader view than is generally derived from this familiar phrase among merchants of all classes. This allegory is, as a general rule, applied to those who pass our place of business. Let us look beyond this line of vision and delve into the nooks and corners, if you please, that we may find other lines along which to work in the task of bringing this passing trade within our grasp or at least to bring them within the radius gener- ally traversed by those to whom this phrase is applied. What classification are we to give to the traveler, for instance, or the class of trade that is generally known as transient who may never pass out stores but for some drawing power entirely away from this center that has had its effect. Transient trade must be attracted by outside methods of advertising. For instance, his attention may be drawn to a particular store by the large signs that are so commonly seen along the right of way. But while his attention may be called to a particular business house by such methods, it is not always that the impressions made are such as will induce the individual to look up this store when he is about to make a purchase. Slovenly or poorly kept signs will not serve as a magnet in drawing the class of trade that is in search of merchandise that possesses character. It is also true that this method of advertising has its effect not only on the transient or the cas- ual visitor in city, but also upon the regular flow, as traders that come to us over country roads, who drive miles probably and are constantly having their view arrested by these familiar signs, Regular traders are influenced «in the same manner as transient trade, although it may be that they are not so readily impress- ed along unfavorable lines, because they have become accustomed to making a certain store their trading center. But let them continue to look upon torn-down signs or signs that are only half covered with paint, and in time it is sure to have its influence along unfavorable lines. Cleanliness. There are conditions upon which financial standing has absolutely no effect. In this connection I refer particularly to the matter of cleanli- ness, There is no more excuse for the employe who occupies the most meager position presenting himself, as many do, in a condition that is loathsome to those with whom he comes in contact, than there is for the highest official in the same estab- lishment. Now, let us look to the higher official himself. There is no one scarcely but who realizes to the fullest extent the im- portance of such an official present- ing himself at all times, and under MICHIGAN TRADESMAN all circumstances, in a clean and well kept condition. . Place the passing trade that we are dealing with in a position where they are associating with men of this stamp, and find one who has paid no attention whether his hands are clean, his clothes neatly pressed, and who looks as if he had neglected to purchase his last week’s shave or haircut. For a time it may be that because of his slovenly appearance, he passes apparently unnoticed, but, eventually someone will begin to make enquiry as to what position he occupies in the business world. What kind of an impression does it make upon the minds of strangers regard- ing the class of trade he caters to, or the business he conducts? I have seen men of this stamp, and have visited their offices or places of busi- ness, and found conditions and sur- roundings to be just as unattractive as the man with whom I had hoped to do business. It is needless to mention the kind of impression such surroundings make. Attractive Displays Sell Goods. Then, too, we must appeal to an- other class that may be known as “passing trade.” These are the peo- ple who are actually on the inside of our stores. For instance, a customer enters in search of articles of merchandise that are on the top floor. She has this one particular object in view—that of purchasing the things that she is in need of at that time. She passes through the aisles of the main floor to the elevator without bestowing as much as a glance upon the merchan- dise that is displayed on every side. Why? The answer is apparent. There has not been an article of merchan- dise displayed in an attractive enough manner to arrest her attention long enough to cause her to patise or as much as look at it. Attractive displays bearing neatly printed cards, which explain briefly their uses and tell the price, are all silent salesmen that bring many an unexpected dollar into the cash ’ drawers during the course of a day’s business. Newspaper Advertisements. Then, too, there is the casual read- er of the daily papers or magazines who perhaps never paid any particu- lar attention to the advertisements that continually appear. A merchant may be a persistent advertiser, and he may be an honest or dishonest advertiser. He may of- fer merchandise at phenomenal re- ductions in price or exploit the mag- nificence of the new merchandise that has just arrived in his store. All this may be done in the most fluent and appropriate language that tongue can express, but—let the general ap- pearance of his advertisements be unattractive, and the reader who is not directly interested will pass them by without glance. Careful attention is necessary to the layout, the size of type used, and the position the ad- vertisement is to occupy in the paper. Store Fronts. Show windows and store fronts! How important a part do they play in the attracting of passing trade. A store’s aggressiveness is measured in no better way than by the impres- sion made by its front. This applies to every detail—its windows, its en- trance, etc. Clean and inviting store fronts and windows attract trade. The value of appearance is obvious, whether it be that of a person, a city, or a store, and each is judged by the front it presents to the community. A prosperous business man usually looks the part, a progressive city is also neat and clean. If a store is to succeed, it is important that the building in which it is housed reflects prosperity. Many a merchant has struggled against fate and finally given up all, because the appearance of his store and show windows did not invite confidence, while his neigh- bor with no better merchandising or business policies succeeded because he showed a clean and inviting front, and people liked to go there. It is human nature to want to be seen with well groomed people, and it is also human nature to like to trade with a merchant who has a well groomed store. Individuality in store fronts is of tremendous value in attracting new trade. The windows should be made at- tractive. Don’t evolve a layout and then stick to it through thick and thin. There is always room for im- provement in the display of mer- chandise, because one can never be certain just when a layout has at- tained the acme of selling excellence. Moreover, when merchandise is dis- played in accordance with one set style, it fails to interest the beholder. Vary the character of ‘the setting, strive for individuality, introduce novelty fixtures. One of the essen- tial qualities of good display is new- ness or newsiness. A newspaper with every story writ- ten in the same manner would be very dull and uninteresting. The display manager who makes every window different, who is ever striving to make his lay-out refreshing and dif- ferent, makes his windows interest- ing. The best way to assure this in- dividuality in display is to give the assistants in the department full play. Let them show their originality. Make your show windows a stage. Beyond a doubt the show window is December 11, 1918 a miniature stage, and the display man is the scenic artist and stage director. He sets the scenes, and then places his actors and proper- ties. He can learn much from the stage manager in regard to artificial lighting. Window Lighting. Let us follow this analogy and see what points are similar. The stage manager carefully con- ceals his lights, he never annoys the audience by permitting bright lamps to be visible. Make it possible for the person on the sidewalk to view your display with comfort, Do not waste a lot of light up in the flies or out in the auditorium, but provide each lamp, or group of lamps, with a reflector to utilize as much light as possible. Equip your windows with reflectors that will direct the light on the display; don’t spill it out on the sidewalk, or up in the ceiling. The object of a window is to attract attention by its striking appearance. But see to it that the striking ap- pearance comes from the merchan- dise. Use of Colors. Vivid colors demand attention. A somber display of shoes has no ap- peal. Draping the window with rich, unusual lines, and displaying various colored silk hose with the shoes puts pulling power behind the display. A New York store made a canvass of its trade and found that men pre- ferred blue, and women red. This firm has found that in its window for women it is advisable to use richer and more varied colors than are em- ployed in windows for men. Extremely small windows hamper the display. Windows will appear larger when a background of reced- ing colors is employed—soft grays, greens, and blues. A touch of white near the face of models will heighten their color. White neckwear, how- ever, only increases the sallowness of an ocherous complectioned model, while yellow near the face relieves the sallow effect by contrast. Studying Human Nature. Human nature is so much alike everywhere that it is possible to make capital of it on a big scale in retail , business. If one will only study human nature, he can conduct his business with something approach- ing precision and get away from the old hit-or-miss methods. Wall Papers Heystek & Canfield Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. Quality Paints Window Shades sainstnassnananesttennone te es aie aaa ncoomenes ¢ rs ie ahem n re A EI I LET “niente lipgg nomenon - . « Cer gR December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 35 United Light & Railways Company GRAND RAPIDS CHICAGO DAVENPORT, IOWA First and Refunding Mortgage 5” Gold Bonds DUE JUNE 1, 1932 6% Bond—secured Gold Notes, Coupon DUE JANUARY 1, 1920 6%” Bond—secured Gold Notes, Series ‘“A”’ DUE MAY 1, 1920 7% Bond—secured Gold Notes, Series “‘B” DUE APRIL 1, 1923 6% Convertible Debentures DUE NOVEMBER 1, 1926 First Preferred, 6” Cumulative Stock DIVIDENDS PAID SINCE ORGANIZATION ALL REPUTABLE BROKERS BUY, SELL AND QUOTE ON ABOVE SECURITIES. We Divide Our Profits With You This company was founded on the principle of an equitable division of all of its profits with the policy holders. Under this system, backed by careful selection of risks and economical management, we have been able to save our policy holders each year Twenty-five Per Cent on Their Premiums There is every reason to believe that we will be able to do even better than this in the future. We adjust and pay all losses promptly. This is a MERCHANT’S company. It was organized and is officered exclusively by retail merchants. It is the outgrowth of a demand for relief from excessive fire insurance rates and unfair adjustments. We now have over $3,000,000 of the very best class of fire insurance on our books. Our losses are very low and our assets are ample to meet all demands promptly. We are earning good profits, and we divide those profits equitably with our policy holders. Correspondence Solicited. Grand Rapids Merchants Mutual Fire Ins. Co. Wm. A. Haan, Sec’y and Treas. 325-328 Houseman Building, Grand Rapids, Mich. SS ee ee a att 1 Gains —~ 36 For example, the old-fashioned way is to place on sale what the storekeeper thinks the customer will want, or ought to want, and then wait for the customer to come in and buy it. The modern way is to know in advance, in so far as possible, ex- actly what the customer is going to want, and then provide just that. A good retailer should know more about the average customer’s needs than the customer herself. There is no deep psychology about the idea of finding out what people like. It is just plain common sense. Yet it is a comparative novelty. The tendency has been to proceed along lines of haphazard guess work. I would spare no reasonable expense to ascertain just what my customers thought of the stuff I was offering— which things they liked best. I would aim not only in a general way but with precision. But in addition to finding out what kind of merchandise people like, you have to give them quality. I regard quality as more important than al- most anything else in the business. I would rather make an article as good as it can possibly be made, even though the cost be prohibitive, and make my profit by unique sell- ing and operating methods than to produce inferior goods and make money by selling these goods at a low price. Business men can learn no better motto than “Quality First, Always.” The man who knows ex- actly what he is about, where he is going, and how he intends to get there will stand a good chance to out- strip the other fellow. This detail of scientifically investi- gating people’s wants is only one of hundreds of ways in which we try to capitalize human nature. We find it wise to know not only that people like a certain thing, but why they like it. Thousands of articles are sold be- cause they appeal to some one or more of the five senses rather than to the reason. Women especially are reached through their senses. They buy fabric because it looks pretty or feels good when they take hold of it. A man is more likely to consider such advantages as cheapness or dur- ability—things, you see, which reach his reasoning powers. Men buyers, however, are by no means immune to this appeal to the five senses, although they are not reached in just the same way as women, The masculine tastes are more vigorous. A man prefers a rich, deep color, where a woman would wish a pale pink or baby blue. It is a good idea to have articles that might be called for in suggestive groups. For instance, when a woman comes in tc purchase a dress pattern, she can find patterns, trimmings, but- tons and thread on the same counter or nearby, where the eye can easily take note of them; clerks should make suggestions about other arti- cles the customer might need, being careful, however, not to be too press- ing. It is not difficult to tell which customer will welcome suggestions and which will not. When a woman MICHIGAN TRADESMAN walks up to a counter and states in an authoritative tone that she wishes to buy a certain article, and has the air of knowing what she wants, we know that it might irritate her if we made any suggestions. But on the other hand, there is the customer who is not certain about what she needs and suggestions will actually; be of great assistance to her. A friend of mine went into a sport ing goods store to buy some fishing tackle. He had never been fishing before, and hadn’t the remotest idea of what to buy, so the clerk entered into the spirit of the occasion and told him. And my friend was mighty glad he did. The clerk not only sold more goods, but conferred a favor. There is a funny thing about making a suggestion—if it is not timed just right, it does not lead to more sales. It should be made within a few seconds after the customer has made the first purchase. A great many merchants have good ideas from time to time, but the ideas do not prove successful for the reason that they are not made use of. Naturally, the success of any idea depends in a great measure upon having the right kind of employes to carry it out. I have come to the con- clusion that the most valuable two items in an employe’s character are enthusiasm for his work and confi- dence in his employer. Unless he feels confidence in his employer and believes that his employer will treat him fairly, he will not give the best that is in him. Somehow an em- ploye who doesn’t believe in his em- ployer is almost certain to be more or less indifferent toward @ cus- tomer. If he believes in his employ- er, however, and lacks enthusiasm, an employe will also fall short. A good executive not only feels an enthusi- asm over what he is doing, but is able to make this feeling contagious. The best way to gain the confi- dence of employes is to place confi- dence in them. I believe in allow- ing those who are under me to work out their problems in their own way. No salesman should be discourag- ed because he lacks the thing called personality by which he may in- gratiate himself with others. If he thoroughly understands the goods he is selling and believes in them and in his employer, he can run ahead of the fellow who depends on his personality. I believe that a man should be just as careful in choosing an employer as the employer should be in pick- ing those who shall work for him. Any wise employer is willing to pay the highest market price for genuine enthusiasm. P. W. Gifford. —_+2+—_—_ Ups and Downs of Profit—Figuring Real Cost. Tke Newton enjoyed the reputation among his little circle of acquaint- ances of being considerable of a wise guy, yet it was absolutely necessary for the spire to tumble off the top of the First Presbyterian Church before Tke got really up to the idea that the crashing of said steeple to earth was not merely an incident in passing, After rearranging his mousseline- de-soi neckerchief and dusting the concrete from his knickerbockers, he began a soliloquy that ran something like this: “T saw the dang thing fall, and in falling down it came near making me a candidate for the embalming fluid —no question about that. But why shouldn’t that bloomin’ steeple have fallen up instead of down? Ah, boy, methinks I’ve asked myself some- thing! What force pulled that steeple down? “His answer is all plain as day now; any pupil in the intermediate will ex- plain to you about gravity. “Twas as easy as making an egg stand on end —after you know how. “There are thousands of merchants to-day watching their business struc- tures sway back and forth, toppling over and crashing down toward Moth- er Earth. Some, not so unfortunate as to have everything go to smash, are saved from the realization of an actual calamity by so small a margin that it is of but small consequence. “Why is it, after working from early light to long into the night, six and seven days per week with clutch in high gear and taking every possible advantage of the smooth stretches, that I can’t get by at the end of the year with enough left to even attract the district agent of the income collector? Why don’t my earnings go up instead of down? “What hidden force is there that is eternally putting the kibosh on all my efforts? Why does it cost? Ah, boy, I have asked myself something? Costs! Costs!” It is all as plain as day when once you know; just as plain as the Ike Newton incident or Chris Columbo’s egg story. What are your costs? Cost; the actual cost to you of the merchandise you are selling; the money you have to part with in order to make a sale or attempt to make a sale. Do you realize that it is costing you like the very devil to make those attempts to sell, and every cost of the unsuccess- ful attempts must be added to the costs of sale you actually do make? Then, again, how are you keeping watch of these costs, what kind of spy system have you working night and that is telling you what these costs are doing to you? Are you one ‘of a thousand or more who are going to fail next month because you have allowed your costs to rob you right out of a living for yourself and fam- ily? : Are you trying to dodge the cost question? Are you fooling yourself all the time about what your costs are? Are you covering them up in the manner the ostrich hides and feel ‘hat you are going to get by? Or, have you a positive, accurate system for figuring costs that keeps before you at the end of each day’s work a record of what’s what, and why? Have you such office machinery as will give you to the last possible detail all the valuable information it is necessary for you to know con- cerning your own business in order that it is going to be possible for you December 11, 1918 to compete with your neighbor who is better equipped than you to get such information? The time is right here, Mr. Mer- chant, when you must know, if you are going to stay in the running. Ev- ery merchant, in order to be success- ful, must be equipped with such means as will accurately determine his costs and, believe me, an accurate deter- mination does not mean guessing at what costs are nor ostrich-hiding them when they are known! Some dealers are so all-fired afraid of finding out what their actual costs are that they don’t dare install a means of finding out; they are only postponing the fatal day and hoping that some miracle is going to save them. I want to give you a good straight tip: This miracle game isn’t as popular as it once was. This is not all bunk, men, and a lot of you fellows who are reading this now know it is gospel truth. Answer these questions. Do you figure as part of your cost to sell or as cost of your goods any interest on the investment you have in your stock in trade? If not, why not? You are taxed on it. If it is good enough to tax, it is good enough to figure inter- est on, Do you regularly charge off to your expense account or depreciation ac- count a depreciation on the stock car- ried in trade? If not, why not? The depreciation is there. Do you charge in your compensa- tion insurance to the cost of your goods? Also your fire insurance pre- miums, taxes, your own salary, break- age, bad debts, rents, postage, station- ery, delivery, contributions, telephone rental, advertising, clerk hire, equip- ment depreciation, gas and electricty, water, railroad fares and a score and more of such other items? This, to many, sounds foolish to ask in this day and age but there are thousands of ’em—yes, thousands of ’em—that are not doing it. And those who are not doing it are stung and stung proper. The only reason they are now side-stepping the delinquency court is because they are too inconsistent to fail—but they are courting disaster and their time is coming. Have you any system whereby you can determine what your costs are, day by day? Have you any perma- nent records to which you may turn readily for comparison of your costs? If you have not, you are no better equipped to manage the place you now are running than a marine is to navi- gate without a compass. Frank H. Beach. WM. D. BATT Hides, Wool Furs and Tallow 28-30 Louis St. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN a Ce. Se eae A O.. 6: Oe toe & 3 gy tian nici dapmaor tS sabi. NAC nail December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 37 The Goddess of Liberty Dispatched Them With Her Blessing! Two Million Loyal Fighting-Sons {left Home and Ease and Peace behind. They sailed away to woe-struck France— bidden to their treacherous journey by the mighty Statue (prophetically given us by France) which mounts eternal guard o’er the harbors of New York. They caught the Goddess’ Spirit and put their hearts upon the altars of the world. They took Her Torch and pledged Her to keep its light aflame no matter what the travail, no matter what the odds. They promised Her a new Declaration of Independ- ence, a new Emancipation Proclamation, a new Magna Charta to enter on Her Scroll. Andso they sailed away— sustained by Ships and every necessary Resource which the Loyal One-Hundred-Million back here at home produced with a beautiful Devotion inspired by the Example of the Crusaders whom they served. They sailed away. * * * * Eyery Aim they sought has been attained. Every Promise that they gave has been redeemed. Some of them—God rest their Souls—sleep in France and Flanders’ Fields. Their veteran companions are coming home, with the Laurel of Attainment upon their brows. No Honors shall be too great for them—for they have gained us not only Victory, but Peace. They are coming back to the Land where the Air is full of Sunshine and The Flag is full of Stars. AND LIBERTY WELCOMES THEM WITH PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING! rett++ This Message Presented ‘by G. J. JOHNSON CIGAR CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN anutiginsunn renee aS WHY CITIES GROW FAMOUS. They Cultivate Manufacturing Effi- ciency. Have you ever seen the rubber trees just outside the limits of the city of Akron, or the mahogany for- ests at Grand Rapids? There are none? Then why has Akron become noted for rubber prod- ucts and Grand Rapids for furni- ture? Why is Detroit the automo- bile center? Why did St. Louis forge ahead, in such remarkable fashion, a few years ago, as a shoe manufactur- ing city? A few years ago, half a dozen cities of about the size and impor- tance of Detroit might as reasonably have been expected to become the center of automobile manufacture. Detroit carried off the palm. Why? How can a city develop along a certain line of industry? Why have these cities grown thus? Is it pos- sible for local commercial organiza- tions to prompt such a development or to stimulate it materially? A city, like an individual, can de- velop specialization. While this in the past was usually brought about without any definite effort on the part of the community as an organi- zation, it is becoming the practice now to develop communities along scientific lines, and the idea of indus- trial specialization is growing. That any amount of effort put in- to such a movement is well invested is demonstrated by the wonderful prestige which a city gains through specialization. Consider for a mo- ment the advertising which the rub- ber plants have brought to Akron, the automobile to Detroit, the mill- ing industry to Minneapolis and St. Paul, furniture to Grand Rapids and shoes to Brockton and St. Louis. After a certain point—after the development reaches the top of the hill—the rest is easy. Industries in the specialized line naturally flock to the city where the development has taken place when it comes to be ad- vertised through its specialization. About sixty years ago, a cabinet maker in Grand Rapids opened a shop for the repair of furniture, and when he had no repairing to do, he made a few pieces of furniture and sold them. Before long, he discover- ed that with lumber close at hand, he could make furniture at a profit and sell it readily. He taught others his trade, and in due time he had a fac- tory running. The factory made money. That was apparent to other people in Grand Rapids. The furniture manu- facturing business became attractive ‘as an investment. Others entered it. Capital was easily obtained; on the ground were men trained in the mak- ing and the selling of furniture. The industry grew. As it grew, and the people of that section constantly thought about furniture, factories were established to make parts of furniture and other- wise to aid and supplement the indus- try. For example, a man invented a machine for wrapping excelsior, which facilitated the packing of furn- iture. Other such enterprises sprang up. As the industry developed, there were more and more trained men, more accessories, and the more read- ily was raw material obtainable ana the more willing the public to invest. Eventually, this and other cities which have specialized came to be known as a market. Grand Rapids, for example, because of the large number of furniture factories and the enterprise and the co-operation of the furniture trade, attracts thous- ands of furniture buyers a year. In- dianapolis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Chicago merchants go to Grand Rapids to see and buy furniture man- ufactured right in their home cities. Furniture made in Grand Rapids, shoes made in Brockton or St. Louis, and tires made in Akron have a nat- ural prestige. People prefer them, for they know that there have gath- ered in these centers great armies of expert workmen, that the develop- ment of labor-saving machinery must have been rapid and that the manu- facturer has many other advantages which ought to enable him to give more for the money. There are eight chief factors that enter into such a community devel- opment; eight special advantages which make such a city more attrac- tive to others in the same line as a place to locate. In naming them, I do not mean that these are the only things which influence the location of factories, for transportation, good homes, schools, pure water, churches, and a great many other things in- fluence the location of industrial plants, The eight I shall name are those advantages which grow especi- ally out of the fact that an industry has already been started. They are: Skilled and unskilled labor, trained in the industry or suitable for such work, is available. The laborer knows there will be competition for his services, and that if he should dis- agree with one foreman, he can ob- tain employment in his line without moving to another city. The center soon becomes an impor- tant market for raw materials. Sales- men come oftener and give better service. Deliveries of raw materials are usually better both as to time of delivery and quality, for sellers of raw material realize that the cus- tomer in such a city has many other opportunities to buy. Transportation facilities, incoming and outgoing, are better. Manufac- turers in the line, buying and ship- ping together, get better rates and better deliveries. Outgoing ship- ments are handled better because the employes of the transportation com- panies are familiar with the product; with what to do and what not to do. Capital, either for the expansion of the business or for its current opera- tion is easily obtained. People in Detroit know the automobile busi- ness is profitable and will more read- ily invest in a company to make auto- mobiles. The Akron banker, know- ing something of the rubber busi- ness, or the Grand Rapids banker, with a knowledge of the furniture business, will more readily advance money for current uses in those lines. He knows what he is about because MICHIGAN TRADESMAN he has specialized, just as have the manufacturers. Accessory or supplemental plants are usually numerous. In Detroit, every conceivable part of an automo- bile can be obtained. In Grand Rapids varnish and a great many things kindred to the furniture in- dustry are made. There is an advertising prestige, such as I have mentioned. Flour from Minneapolis or St. Paul must be all right, The industry receives every possi- ble support from the community. The Chamber of Commerce, the city officials, and all of the people of the city, realizing the importance of the industry to the community and hav- ing pride in the reputation it has given the city, will go out of their way to make the convenience of the manufacturer their convenience. These manufacturers in the special- ized line exchange information and ideas. It is the center of things in the industry. They operate labor ex- changes and have uniform labor polli- cies. They often ship together. The Rubber Board of Trade at Akron and the organization of the steel in- dustry at Chattanooga are examples. Briefly, before I tell how the in- dividual community can develop along a certain line, let me tell more about co-operation at Chattanooga. The iron men there have a joint ex- hibition hall where nearly fifty manu- facturers co-operate in the exhibition of the products of the city, and the manager of this exhibit is also the manager of a joint shipping bureau December 11, 1918 which has saved thousands and thousands of dollars to the manufac- turers, especially because so much of the product is heavy and freight is a vital factor. No manufacturer does his own freight routing. None handles his own claims against the roads for ad- justments. All this passes through the hands of one man. As I entered the office of this man, I observed a big blackboard on the wall, and on it was written the name of every road entering Chattanooga. Opposite the names of the roads were statistics showing the number of freight adjustment claims that had been made and the number that had been settled the month before, and the road whose name was at the top of the list was the one which had set- tled the greatest percentage of claims within the period reported. Preference is given the road which settles claims most promptly, and one Chattanooga manufacturer told me that the central bureau saved the members $6,000 the month previous to the day he talked with me, and it was $6,000, he said, that they could not have collected, had they operated separately. Occasionally, raw materials or other special advantages are the reason for the focusing of an industry in a certain city. For example, ship- ping facilities have been largely re- sponsible for the great. milling indus- try of Galveston. Clay, coal, natural gas, and other influences have been responsible in other cases. For the Assets $2,700,600.00 CLAUDE HAMILTON @ Mercuants Lire INSURANCE COMPANY Offices—Grand Rapids, Mich. Has an unexcelled reputation for its Service to Policyholders $3,666, 161.58 Paid Policy Holders Since Organization Vice-Pres. ‘WM. A. WATTS Sec’y JOHN A. McKELLAR President CLAY H. HOLLISTER Vice-Pres. Treas. Insurance in Force $57,000,000.00 RELL S. WILSON SURPLUS TO POLICY HOLDERS $479,058.61 TALK Over Citizens Long Distance see hm we we ane Tee Lines Connecting with 250,000 Telephones in the State. COPPER METALLIC CIRCUITS 117,000 in Detroit. USE CITIZENS SERVICE etn j Our Pride Potato Bread EAL No reason why every town Cor ate Senies a trial order We pay all express charges to regular thals all Kyelca customers. , MOND CRYSTAL SALT CO., City Bakery Company or CLAIR, MICHIGAN. Grand Rapids, Mich. =< Bel-Car-Mo Bel-Car-Mo, the highest quality Peanut Butter, is packed in 1-2-5- 10-15-25-50 and s §=6©100 Ib. air-tight blue and yellow pails—a size for : every meal... . Friend Dealer: The 1 Ib., 2 Ib. and 5 Ib. Tins of Bel-Car-Mo saves you trou- ble and expense in weighing and packing, besides can be re- tailed at practically same price as bulk. Sanitary, air-tight packages are preferred by customers as they keep the Peanut Butter moist and sweet. Bel-Car-Mo Nut Butter Co. GUARANTEED Ba WGT. I LB. —Can be had in 1 |b., NUFACTURED BY —2 lb. and 5 |b. tins CAR MONUT By ri Se ceisllehbeed Wid) \) riadaladedadauabisnabeaan © Ask Your Jobber Bel-Car-Mo Nut Butter Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. eee re gis veriny Pee ee SES RO RN ME A nite ae ia MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 most part, however, the eight things I have enumerated are chiefly re- sponsible for the concentration. Therefore, any community which has a prosperous industry in a given line which is suitable, on general principles, for the industry, may ex- pert, through intensive cultivation, and by the aid of good management and community spirit, to establish other factories in the same line. When the community becomes in- terested as a community, a prospec- tive manufacturer sees an opportun- ity to deal with a sympathetic city. He knows that the city already has men skilled in the line. He sees, either existing or in prospect, all of the eight special advantages which I have named. It only remains for the community to appeal to him and “col? him what it has to offer. Money bonuses, free sites, and other inducements are not valued as highly, in the mind of a capable manufac- turer, as are elements which have a tendency to ensure permanent suc- cess. In your own city, what is the big- gest single industry? What is the biggest individual plant? Why is it big? There must be a reason. Add to the reasons for its bigness —whatever general or special advan- tages there may be—the eight things I have named in this article, which are out of the experiences of other cities which have enjoyed the bene- fits of specialization, and you have the formula for a “sales talk” that should bring other similar industries to the city, or should facilitate the organization of additional successful enterprises in the same line. When one more factory in the line has begun to succeed, all the eight advantages I have named double in value and are still stronger for pre- sentation to the next plant desired. Concentration, specialization, of whatever we may call such a move- ment, is good for everybody—good for the manufacturer, good for the consuming public, and good for the city where the development takes place. Whatever is good for a manufac- turer is good, in the long run, for the people who buy his goods, and vice versa. Other things being equal, the manufacturer can make better goods for the same money or the same goods for less money in such a city, as is apparent to all who have studied the problem. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but the principle has certainly been de- monstrated to such a degree as to * call it a rule. That city industrial specialization is practical is being demonstrated in a definite way in many places, and there is good reason to believe that the business men of many commun- ities are going to see it is through specialization that permanent and de- sirable city growth can be most read- ily assured. For example, the city of Louisville believes in the principle to such a degree that it has raised more than $1,000,000 as a factory fund. The manner in which this fund is to be used is also indicative of the times in city progress. The $1,000,- 000 is not for lame duck seekers after bonuses or free sites, First of all, it is being used to make a searching survey of the things which the city has to offer to a prospective manu- facturer. By lines, an investigation is being made which will divulge con- ditions as to labor, fuel, transporta- tion, and the various other essentials of manufacturing. The bureau which administers the fund is assembling such a wealth of information that when it finds Louisville affords especially good facilities along a given line, the city’s selling argument will be almost irresistible. Oklahoma City, a few years ago, did a similar thing with glowing suc- cess. Within a comparatively short time, after making a careful survey of the advantages the city had to of- fer, it made itself a great distribut- ing center for agricultural imple- ments, and later, by similar methods, obtained packing plants. Other instances might be named, for many cities are awakening to the fact that an ambitious city, like an individual business man, must make a survey to determine definitely what it has to offer, and then, after classi- fying the information offer its ad- vantages much as a business man sells his goods. The future will see more and more city specialization, for the principle is economically sound. Cities which now see the oppor- tunity and which enter the field, after a careful survey, to win industries which they are especially capable of caring for, will profit uncommonly, because most cities are not fully awake to the opportunity. Later, all cities which have any aspirations will be at it. Carl Hunt. —_~+--——_ No Waste Here. Window cards and price signs in one department store are not discard- ed until they have been used over and over again. There is a partition- ed box in each department, into which the salesmen assigned to that partic- ular duty puts all of the used cards and signs. Once a week this accum- ulation is taken to the window trim- mer’s department; those which can be used again are filed on racks and others are destroyed. The saving over the former meth- od, when the cards and signs were thrown away after one use, is con- siderable, the advertising manager says. L. Etherington. ——_-<- oo Ready and Willing. The village idiot gaped so long at the village grocer that that worthy man became irritated. “Look her, what you starin’ at? If you can find a man homelier than yourself kill him! The village idiot went in search of a man uglier than himself, and one day he found one. He tapped him on the shoulder. “T’ve got to kill you,” he said, smil- ling amiably. “You’re homelier than me.” The stranger turned and looked at the other for a full minute. “Am I?” he said. “Then for good- ness sake, kill me!” ‘results Selling the Five Classes of Store- Keepers. One of the things which a sales- man has to guard against if he wishes to be a good salesman, is centering his thought entirely on the story of his goods. It is the first sign of a deadening sales lethargy, and if he is not jolted out of this attitude of mind the result is sure to be a hum- drum presentation of his subject, and the salesman degenerates into a mere order taker. Order taking is about the dullest occupation on earth. And selling is the most fascinating game a man can play, because it brings his brains in- to action and sharpens his wits. It is never a dull game, no matter how old a story the goods themselves are, for the salesman centers his atten- tion on the mental play of his pros- pect, fences for his opening, and drives home the sale when he has un- covered the weak point. And there always is a weak point. When I took over the sales man- agership of a certain grocery special- ty, which must be anonymous here, I found an organization of a dozen or so men who apparently had fallen into a rut of presentation. The story of the firm’s product had become an old one to them. I saw signs of this in the fact that all the men had cer- tain storekeepers in their territories whom they sold, and others from whom they never got an order. I tried the expedient of throwing sales- man A against the prospects that B had failed to land, and vice versa. The were a few new orders, enough to demonstrate that A and B each had his individual and stock method of introducing himself and his goods. That of A was suited to certain of the men B had failed to land, and B’s methods evidently worked in a few quarters where A’s had not. But that was by no means a solution of the difficulty, It was merely a diagnosis test. It was my first experience in sell- ing the grocery trade, and it was quite clear that the first thing for me to do was to take my little case of samples and go right out after first- hand orders and first-hand experience if things were to be bettered. One of the first men I tackled was a chap on whom we had called time and time again, who was handling the line of a competitor and who had never given us a look-in. I opened up on the point of the profit he could make on our goods, but he fired back in the middle of my first breath: “Young fellow, I don’t need any- body to come in here and tell me how to figure profits.” He followed this up by “proving” aggressively and to his own evident delight that he knew more’ about my goods than I did or anybody con- nected with my firm. In fact, he knew more about them than all of us put together. He knew that although our price allowed him a greater per- centage of profit, the goods “would not move as fast,” and gave the scathing ha-ha to the argument that quick turnover was the strong point of our line. So I let him go on, to see how far he could go, and the more Wholesale Flour—Feed—Bags—T wine BAKERS’ SUPPLIES AND MACHINERY WAXED PAPER, BREAD WRAPPERS DRY MILK, POWDERED EGG COOKING OIL Everything for Bakers, Flour and Feed Dealers GRAND RAPIDS ROY BAKER Wm. Alden Smith Bldg. - MICHIGAN Y mw W te eee ee bd ae Vv December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 41 ~| OLD GLORY Oleomargarine We are pleased to announce that we are again in position to supply our customers with this popular brand of oleomargarine. You will be more pleased than ever with it. The quality has been improved, the package perfected and while market conditions coupled with the above improvements have compelled us to increase the price we feel that is more of a bargain than ever. po ee AP eee Genuine Economy consists of buying the greatest value for what you pay, not merely in buying the cheapest you can get compared with butter and other brands of oleomargarine. Old Glory is Economical Order a case today and give your customers a treat National Grocer Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan ag tr oe mee ae ; si 42 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 I gaped at his wisdom the more pleased he became. When he had poured forth his vials of scorn to the dregs he concluded by saying: “Young fellow, I’m going to give you an order, because God only knows when you will get another one. You're the rottenest salesman I ever met.” I took the order meekly, and left without revealing the position I| held. It’s no hardship to take a verbal drub- bing if the compensation is the intro- duction of one’s line where com- parison with a competing one will do it most good. I went back to see that man later, and taking my cue-from experience, slipped in, sort of perfunctory-like, and opined that he didn’t want to give us another order, giving him the opportunity, which he seized of knocking me all into a cocked hat by forcing an order on me. This was an extreme case, of course, and is mentioned principally because it was such. But the point is, that as I went farther and farther in my rounds it began to dawn on me how often the various receptions of my opening attacks were duplicat- ed. The grocers gradually fell into different types, one easily distinguish- able from the other. I don’t mean to say that many individuals did not exhibit the characteristics of two or three of the types, but I do mean to say that in each one a single char- acteristic was sufficiently predominant so that in the last analysis the sale hinged on the playing of that charac- teristic. They fell into just five classes. As the number interviewed grew I tried to increase the classification, but the best that could be done was to make unessential sub-classifications. 1 tried to narrow down the classifica- tion. It wouldn’t work. It has been three years now, and in those three years half of my time has been spent among the trade, developing new ter- ritories, waking up sleeping ones, and training new salesmen. I’ve subject- ed that classification to every test I know, and it still holds good. Here it is: The Progressive Dealer. This man has a sense of real sales values. He’s hunting for goods on which he can make profits. He wants all the information you can give him, and the straight presentation of a worthy proposition is all that is nec- essary with him. He’s a salesman himself. The Timid Storekeeper He’s likely to admit that you have a splendid article, but he scratches his head and doesn’t know whether he could get rid of a case or not. No, he’d rather “try it out on a small scale first.” He won't take a case, but he'll take a dozen, and see how it goes. The symptoms of this type are easily recognizable early in the inter- view. Our men are told to jump in at the first head-scratch and start to ward off descent from a case to a dozen by talking big. They will, for instance, tell of some specific instance where a dealer placed a large order, such as the following: “Just to show you how this stuff goes: You've heard of John Blank in Rochester. Well, that town is new territory for us, and I showed our product to Blank for the first time last month.” There follows an ac- count of the big sales possibilities, as unfolded to Blank, of how Blank placed his large order, and of the amount which Blank sold. It is important to get this reci- tation of a specific instance across before. Mr. Timid Storekeeper voices his desire to place a small or- der. It prevents his discounting the incident, and as he has not yet an- nounced his stand, it relieves him of the necessity of admitting error, a thing that most men find very hard to do, and which many will not do, even in the face of a slipping op- portunity. The Duster. The characteristic of this man is that he tries to ignore the salesman’s presence and make him feel super- fluous. He centers his attention on dusting off his counters and shelves while the salesman wastes his sweet- ness on the desert air. Maybe, when he gets through dusting, he looks bored, and adds up a column of fig- ures. He answers questions with non- committal grunts, and finally yawns that he is not interested. This man needs to be irritated. A good plan is to guess that he is right about not buying, and add that his judgment is good because his cus- tomers are not the type who would really appreciate these goods. Nine times out of ten he comes to life at this, and more or less hotly submits facts to show that his trade is of the class which would appreciate such an article. The rest is easy. It re- mains only to smooth the situation over and take the order. Depending on individual sub-characteristics his treatment may be varied. If he real- ly has been inattentive during the first part of the interview it may be necessary to repeat the story of the goods, the advertising, the dealer helps, the profits and possibilities. It may even be necessary in some in- stances where Mr. Duster evinces signs of sporting blood to seem un- convinced that his customers really have discernment, and let him prove it by forcing the order over. The Smart Aleck. His characteristics I have described in the man who gave me the order because I was a “rotten salesman.” A plan which works well with him is to let him boost his own reputation until exhausted, carefully leading him to concentrate on the difficulty of turning the stock, then complimenting his acumen (he’ll swallow all you give him, although you may blush at the thickness with which you plaster it on) confide in him that the reason he has been picked out is because he is such a good salesman that he can handle the line better than any mer- chant in the neighborhood. A mere casual remark is sufficient to swing him on profit percentages, and allow him further to satisfy his reputation by dragging out of one the informa- tion and figuring the profits for him- self, It’s not hard to let this man sell himself. The Wait-For-Demand Man. As far as our line is concerned, at least, and I believe as far as any oth- er grocery specialty is concerned, he is the hardest of the bunch to sell. I confess that I have never been able to swing more than one in twenty of him myself. He admits all the vir- tues of your article which you lay long,” and the business game is just before him, but he won’t order to- day. He'll wait until you have cre- ated a demand, The demand, of course, does not march up into the store in serried ranks while you are there. It comes in later, one by one. and finding not that which it seeks, a very large percentage of it exhibits a natural human tendency to follow the line of least resistance and accept a substitute rather than tramp all over that section of town hunting for a certain trade-marked article of com- paratively low price, to bring it back and wave it triumphantly in the deal- er’s face. The demand generally is more concerned with getting the household order off her mind and in- vestigating- those shirtwaists Thing- umbob’s department store is adver- tising for $2.98, or is in a hurry to get back home and make that cake for to-night. And so it happens that when the salesman returns to find out how the demand has developed, the dealer’s viewpoint is that the de- mand has not developed. As this type of dealer is such a hopeless job anyhow, I generally re- sort to the tactics of lambasting him as I can. I tell him that I don’t care for his trade anyhow, that it isn’t necessary to our peace of mind, and that we’re plenty big enough to get along without him. Occasionally this excites his respect, and a bas's of negotiation results. I don’t recommend this method for salesmen of small stature, however, and I don’t insist on our own men following it. As this article is anony- mous, I hope the admission of confi- dence in my ability to take care of myself physically may be pardoned. It may be of additional interest here to note that some of the largest stores fall within this class. As our sales force is not a large one, we have held no “convention” to sell the value of this classification to our men. I’ve given it to them individually, and I’ve gone out with them into the trade. Its real value lies in the fact that it gives their brains a cue to get active and to study their prospects, I don’t lay down any hard and fast rules for them to ap- ply to the various types, fcr one sales- man cannot fit his own personality, which is one of his most valuable as- sets, into another salesman’s language and manner. But the suggestion is there, with specific examples and spe- cific results, and it’s up to each man to apply it in a way that is natural and one which rings true. We had one youngster who wasn’t getting along very well. He was a bright boy, but he hadn’t found him- self. He knew he hadn’t, and it wor- ried him. So I made it a point to coach him in this classification, and made trips with him to apply it. He caught the idea, and his sales have increased 100 per cent. in a year. He now spends a considerable propor- tion of his time coaching some new men who have been taken on in the place of a few who failed to grasp the principles involved, and whose sales did not increase. The best measure I can give of the value of this classification of the re- tail grocer is the fact that the efficien- cy of men has increased up to double former sales, in direct ratio to the extent to which they have applied it. I’ve got the experience watching them work right in the stores and the records of sales to prove it.—Printers’ Ink. ———_-2.-—— One severe criticism of your adver- tising copy may be better than ten good opinions. The faker attracts fake buyers by doing fake advertising in a fake paper. To bury all the false hopes of in- sufficient advertising would require quite a graveyard. Most men could learn much about advertising if they did not feel they knew it all now. You grease the wagon wheel to make it run easy. Advertising is grease to the wheels of business. If it were possible to mature all the good advertising prospects, most space buyers would be working over- time. The business man who says “I can’t advertise” will always be knocked out by the competitor who says “I will advertise.” Ihe SEASONS _ Wi During this Holiday Sea- son the bells are sound- ing a deeper note of lib- erty, of loyalty and of devotion to our common cause. OF > 5 eS a ‘‘Fleischmann’s Yeast’’ To Every Man Who Sells Fleischmann’s Yeast wx KS PAY) GREETINGS | ay? Our best wishes for your success during the New Year. THE FLEISCHMANN COMPANY More than ever, we ap- preciate the spirit of co- ‘operation and good will you have shown us. ‘‘Fleischmann’s Yeast’’ i ooo ® 1 ag te ee SR eee ee ww all st n’t ut rill i December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ASK YOUR JOBBER FOR Hart Brand Canned Foods HIGHEST QUALITY Our products are packed at six plants in Michigan, in the finest fruit and vegetable belts in the Union, grown on lands close to the various plants; packed fresh from the fields and orchards, under highest sanitary conditions. Flavor, Texture, Color Superior. Quality Guaranteed The HART BRANDS are Trade Winners and Trade Makers Vegetables:—Peas, Corn, Succotash, Stringless Beans, Pork and Beans, Pumpkin, Red Kidney Beans, Spinach, Beets. Fruits:—Cherries, Strawberries, Red Raspberries, Black Raspberries, Plums, Pears, Peaches. W. R. ROACH & CO., HART, MICH. Factories at HART, KENT CITY, LEXINGTON, EDMORE, SCOTTVILLE AND CROSWELL. EDSON MOORE & CO. WHOLESALE DRY GOODS DETROIT We endeavor to maintain at all times a complete stock of Staple, Standard Dry Goods, Notions and Furnishings for immediate delivery. You are invited to inspect the many lines of New Spring Merchandise open and on display in our various departments. If you are unable to visit our store, our salesmen will call, or samples will be sent on request. Right now is the logical time to make your purchases for your January Sales. Attractive offerings await you here. EDSON MOORE & CO. The House of Service DETROIT Grand Rapids Office, 28 So. Ionia Ave. MILO W. WHIMS, Mer. 44 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 FOUNDED ON FRIENDLINESS. Suburban Store Not Affected By City Competition. When my father started our busi- ness here fifty years ago, Willough- by was a real country town, a village by the roadside. Cleveland, twenty miles away, was much farther from us than it is now; automobiles and trolley cars have brought us within an hour’s ride of the public square. In those days it was the natural thing for folks in this neighborhood to buy here. The store was a sort of social center as well as a place to get merchandise. People liked to stop and chat, meet their neighbors, and discuss crop prospects. ‘Those were the days when the farmers bought their household goods and clothing twice a year and on Sat- urdays traded their butter and eggs for groceries. The advent of trolley cars and automobiles brought a change. Wil- loughby became a suburb overnight. Down in the center of Cleveland the big stores, with their fancy displays and variety of offerings, were a pow- erful magnet to many who had al- ways spent most of their money at home. The mail-order houses, too, began to spread their gospel broad- cast, and the itinerant merchant be- came more in evidence. To follow the old policy was commercial death, as many a country merchant has found out to his sorrow. In the crisis I might have modern- ized the building and the equipment, increased the stock beyond the point of a paying investment, and had only a poor imitation of a city store. I decided instead .to keep on running a country store—“old-fash- ioned” in some respects, but right up to the minute in every merchan- dising method. The decision was wise, In twenty years our net profit has never fallen below 17 per cent. More often it has been above 20 per cent. and for two years, over 25 per cent. We have never failed to dis- count a bill or to take advantage of anticipated payment for dated ahead invoices. The secret lies in the rate of turnover—handling only those goods which sell from day. to day and fill the domestic requirements of the community. We dropped many of the lines where style was the sell- ing feature, as that, and the larger variety for choice, are the main at- tractions and reasons for going to the city. We added many lines and laid special stress upon goods which ‘filled the requirements of the hour. We have never lost sight of that decision—and we try never to let our customers and the people who work for us lose sight of it. Our slogan—“everything from little wood- en toothpicks to heavy lumber wagons”—attempts to speak the spirit of the old general store. Don’t let me give the impression, though, that we are clinging to old-fashioned ways because they are old, or that we do not change our methods to keep up with the times. In fact, we are successful because only -we change each day to meet constantly changing conditions, We remain “old-fashioned” chief- ly in our desire to give our custom- ers the feeling of being thoroughly “at home” in our store. We are af- ter the spirit of friendly good nature, and neighborliness, that showed it- self in the habit folks had and like to have in stopping to chat over their purchases and to feel the store is their store and a place to meet others. ‘We encourage our salespeople to cultivate personal acquaintance with customers by name. That they do in a large measure is evidenced -daily. Go on the floor at almost any hour, and you will find a customer or two waiting to be served by the sales- people with whom they happen to be best acquainted. My department managers and I aim to get around the country and drop in on people, whether or not they are customers. These are never meant to be formal, business-getting calls. Quite the contrary. Only the other day an old friend stepped up to me in the store. “When are you coming out to see us again, Sidney?” he asked. I recalled the last time I had called on him. More than a year ago I was out driving, one Sunday afternoon, when I passed his house and stopped in. I take a keen interest in old things—old furniture and “relics” of one kind and another that most peo- ple stick away in their attics and for- get. I talked that afternoon, I re- membered, about the tools our fath- ers had used—fanning mills, spinning wheels and the like. Evidently it had left a keen impression on_ his mind, for here he was recalling it to me after more than a year. Those are the strong points in country mer- chandising, the advantages of which city stores and mail-order houses can never deprive us. Friendly contact of this complishes nothing if it becomes formal or unnatural in any way. That’s why we have never installed a check room. ‘Throw off your wraps and feel at home,” I say to customers, We have a live list of several thous- and names. It is the duty of one of the office girls to read the local news- papers carefully and to clip items about people who are moving in, moving away or making some other change in their place of residence. New cards are prepared, or the proper changes are made on the old cards. When a new family moves in we make it a point to write and tell them something about Willough- by. Again, if a family moves away, we write that we hope their new lo- cation will prove pleasant; and we mention incidentally that if they sometimes feel that they would like to obtain goods from our store, we shall be glad to serve them as best we can. The mailing list is so carefully classified that when I receive litera- ture from manufacturers and whole- salers I can send it to just those peo- ple to whom it will appeal. Every sort ac- week: we send something. We find that one of the best mediums is an eight-page fashion paper which is mailed to all women and with which is enclosed a dodger telling about the goods we have in stock. In this and all other advertising we try to avoid. the type of copy which uses “est” frequently. Exag- gerated statements such as: “better than you can find anywhere else,” “the biggest values,” and so on, are, I am sure, associated with manufac- turers and merchants which do not give all that they claim to give. So gradually I am getting to the point where I find that the catalogue style of advertising pays best—a brief de- scription of the essential facts about the article, and the price. We hold only two special sales a year—one in January and one in August. Here we have changed to keep up with the times. I used to be customary to hold clearance sales only at the end of the season, with the idea that people would lay in stocks for the coming year. Now we sell the goods while our custom- ers can still get the use of them in the current year. Where formerly the store would be dull for days af- ter the close of a sale, now business goes on in almost the same volume afterward. We never buy merchandise especi- ally for these sales. Everything comes off the shelves. We simply want to clear out our stocks for the coming season. Except in these two sales we do not cut prices at all. I feel that to do so would be the height of poor merchandising. Customers to-day do not buy on a price basis principally. They demand service and quality in the goods, first, and then price. One point in our advertising policy that perhaps I cannot emphasize too strongly is the tying in, wherever possible, our advertising with the national publicity ‘of trade-marked goods. I try to make our customers realize that if they see an article ad- vertised in some magazine they can probably get it at Wilson’s. On this merchandise the demand is created outside of our store, and it remains only for us to let people know that we can fill that want. There is an- other advantage, too: it places our store in the same class as the nation- ally advertised article. Some merchants, I know, feel that the margin of profit on nationally advertised goods is narrow. I find, however, that I can make more net profit on this class of goods than any other. This is logical; goods that are nationally known move more quickly than goods which have to be sold over the counter. They take less of the salesman’s time. We may, in- deed, make a little narrower margin of profit on each sale, but we can make more sales; and so, in the course of a year, our net profit is con- siderably higher than it would be it we carried only goods which are not advertised, made a wider margin, but failed to turn them so often. There’s one other point I should like to make here in regard to our advertising—we do not direct our ef- and Paste. C.W. Mills Paper Co. Wholesale Jobbers PAPER AND SUPPLIES Twines, Notions, Novelties Stationery, Inks, Mucilage Ledger, Journal, Cash and Day Books. Western Michigan Distributors for OHIO BLUE TIP MATCHES SILENT WITCH MATCHES OHIO NOISELESS MATCHES ROSE BUD MATCHES 204-6 Ellsworth Ave. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 918 | December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 45 . | : The War Is Over—The Victory Won! 2A at But the Problems of Peace Are Mighty . And by no means the least of these problems is that of hat efficiency. We have an efficient service that you can our use with profit. We will appreciate your business and will render you honest value. Bring your problems to hat e ly us. If we cannot serve you well—we will frankly tell you so. Whether it be in the home, store, office, shop hat or factory GAS SERVICE can play an intelligent, useful and | helpful part. For cooking, lighting, heating and all man- a ufacturing processes GOOD GAS SERVICE is unexcelled z GAS COMPANY : : | Citizens 4321 47 Division Ave., N. Bell M. 636 but uld COWEN-AMES-KIMBALL COMPANY BUILDING CONTRACTORS GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 forts only, or chiefly, at getting new business. Many of the advertise- ments I read give me the impression that the author wished to get new customers. We find it just as im- portant in our business, if not more important, to direct the copy at hold- ing the customers we already have, in order to keep them. The rate of turnover, it seems to me, is perhaps the most important figure in his business for the mer- chant to watch. I have already men- tioned my preference for nationally advertised goods because they sell quickly. Our policy of buying often is directed to the same end—increas- ing the rate of turnover. An example will illustrate how we put this policy into effect. In our shoe department we used to make it a practice to buy twice a year—as a good many merchants still do. We bought heavily at those times, and the stock would all come in at once, with the result that some would get shelf-worn before it was sold, the rate of turnover would necessarily be very low, the markdowns would have to be heavy, and the final profit would be narrow. Now we buy on contracts and our stock comes in fresh every month. It is decidedly to our advantage to be able to tell customers that our stocks are being renewed all the time. Furthermore, it helps us to secure a more rapid rate of turnover be- cause we do not have to pay the money for the stock until it is re- ceived and billed, and so we do not have to carry so heavy an average stock on hand. We carry through a similar policy in all departments, buying on con- tract to cover a year’s needs, wher- ever possible, but specifying deliv- eries only as we need the goods to encourage this kind of buying. A third important policy that I in- sist on is knowing every day what we have accomplished the day be- fore. Accordingly each morning I have on my desk a report that shows for each department and for each clerk the sales of the day before, the amounts paid out, the sales for last year on the same day of the month and week, the payroll this year, and last, and one or two other figure facts. This report keeps me intimately in touch with my business, even though I am finding in recent years that activities outside of my business are taking me more and more away from it. I believe every successful merchant finds sooner or later that it_is to the interest of the business to take part in outside activities. I find many reactions on my own busi- ness, for example, from my work in the Cleveland Advertising Club, and other organizations with which I am intimately connected. I get thereby an outside point of view on the internal, detailed prob- lems of my business that is very val- uable. I find it important to remem- ber, of course, that these activities cannot be carried to such an extent that I lose on the outside. Conventions of the dry goods craft, the shoe men, the clothing men, the grocers, and all other fellow dealers are especially beneficial. We make it a point to attend these an- nual conventions and never fail to bring back home new ideas and re- newed enthusiasm. I must not fail to mention here a step we took over 20 years ago, which has had an important bearing on the success of the business. The business was incorporated and the department managers became _ full- fledged partners by buying stock on the following plan. They could have as their share of the profits a certain percentage of the net earn- ings in their departments over and above a fixed salary with which to buy more stock. We were probably the first country merchants to adopt a plan of profit sharing and have never regretted the innovation. It’s good for the busi- ness, it’s just to earnest and honest assistants; it’s so fair and successful that we hope to extend the idea to others. Each manager is strictly the boss in his department; he buys any class of goods he wishes, he decides what styles to carry, and he is controlled only by a budget passed upon by the entire board of directors, of which he is a member. So much for the methods that have been helpful to me. While not many merchants have exactly my problems of competition, I am convinced that any store, no matter what it sells or where it is located, can at least profit by one feature that I try to empha- size in every activity of my store: to make sure of getting the old-fashion- ed spirit of neighborliness and good will into all dealings with customers. Sidney S. Wilson. —_>+~>—____ How to Kill Your Business. Make up your mind that it is the meanest business on earth and ex- plain this to everybody you meet. Do just as little as you can day by day, let the dust collect, litter accum- ulate, bills stack up, and accounts go uncollected. Go around the store in your shirt sleeves smoking a pipe or cigar and encourage the help to do the same. Read a newspaper or stand and talk with a friend while customers wait. Never try to please a dissatisfied customer. Give him to understand that what is done is done, and there is no use talking about it. Don’t advertise; and if you do, go to it in spasmodic gasps. Buy everything of everybody: who comes in to sell to you, especially if their proposition includes loading you up with more goods than you can get rid of in a year. Carefully avoid anything in the way of original business promotion: Be a follower and not a leader. Cry hard times, high prices, the war, the lack of public spirit on the part of the town’s citizens, and the meanness of people in general. Don’t take any interest in your customers. Be sure when an old customer asks to have a package sent him to say, “What name, please? and where?” EGG SUBSTITUTES. They Are Misbranded and Produce Inferior Products. The fight against “egg substitutes” continues in official food circles, on the ground that the various com- pounds are not only falsely sold ana in no wise take the place of eggs in dough products, but that they are worthless and a fraud. To disprove the claims of the manufacturers of these products, the Illinois Division of Fods and Dairies has set up in Chi- cago a testing laboratory and from what it has discovered State Superin- tendent Jchn B. Newman reaches the conclusion that the things should be driven off the market. His report of the experiments, in which every pro- duct was used exactly as per direc- tions in a dough otherwise exactly alike says in part: “The material for each batch was accurately weighed and measured ana all were baked at the same degree of heat. After the baking and the cakes were cold they were compared, the cake baked with eggs being used as a standard. This comparison was made by carefully laying the cakes on clean paper and cutting them with a clean knife. They were compared for texture, color, odor and flavor and any other differences, including size, oili- ness of flavor, compartive sweetness and general palatability. In scoring the cakes they are not eaten as or- dinarily at the table, but portoins of the cake are allowed to become thor- oughly moistened with saliva while being worked over by the tongue, and any flavors noted. “The cakes baked with eggs were of gogd size, golden yellow in color, fine grained as to texture, moist but not in the least soggy, fine cake odor and delicious taste. “Baked Without Eggs or Egg Sub- stitutes —They were smaller than No. 1, top of cake flattened in contrast to the well rounded, fully developed cake in which real eggs were used. “Baked With Advertised Egg Sub- stitutes—These cakes were soggy, coarse grained, poor in color, oily in flavor and with an intense sweet taste. The first impression given on tasting them was that of oiliness, not a bad flavor, but a decided oiliness without characteristic flavor. This was fol- lowed by the sweet taste so decided as to be disagreeable. Those baked with the substitutes containing artifi- cial coloring matter had a somewhat faint disagreeable yellow tinge not in the least comparable to the color im- parted by real eggs in No. 1. Those with substitutes containing no artifi- cial coloring matter were almost white. All were smaller than the one baked with eggs. “Baked With a Substitute Contain- ing 52 per cent. of Whole Egg Pow- der.—Scored the same as those baked with advertised egg substitutes in the foregoing group. “Baked With 16 Grams of Whole Egg Powder for Each Egg Called for in the Recipe—Larger, finer grained, and a better cake than the others with the exception of No. 1 anl greatly in- ferior to the latter. “The cakes in which substitutes were used in the place of eggs were in all points much inferior to the cake made with real eggs. In fact, as good results could have been obtained in the exception of No. 1 and greatly in- called egg substitutes. “The result of the test demonstrat- ed conclusively that the statements on the labels of these various compounds were false and misleading, and to call them by a distinctive name that in any way suggested eggs was wrong. To correct this situation as it related to names and statements, cases were filed against the manufacturers and they were called in for a_ hearing. Nearly all of them responded at once and agreed to remove all objection- able names and statements and to re- place goods now on the market with properly labeled packages. The new labels were submitted to us for ap- proval before being used. I am glad to say in behalf of these manufac- turers that they acted in a fair minded manner in aiding us to correct these conditions and they accepted our de- cisions without protest. This work is now progressing satisfactorily and we hope in a short time to have all so-~ called egg saving substitutes with misleading names or statements re- moved from the market.” _—_—_22-2 A Good Way to Collect, “When we have a city account that is overdue,” says one collection man- ager, “especially if it involves several items, I call up the man or the con- cern and ask if I can be of assistance in checking up our statement. The direct question often surprises the customer. And while sometimes he does accept my offer, usually he makes a half apology for not having paid before. And his check is likely to follow in short order.” M. W. Johnson. The Holiday Flavor for cakes, desserts and can- dies. Maplein The Golden Flavor makes plain, war-time reci- “| pes delicious. Order yours today of your job- ber or Louis Hilfer Co., 1205 Peo- ples Life Bidg., Chicago, Ill. Crescent Mfg. Co. (M-346) Seattle, Wash. ty Attention Merchants! Insure with the Grand Rapids Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Co. We will insure you at 25% less that Stock Company rates. No membership fee charged, We give you 30 days to pay your premium and do not discriminate. We are organized to Insure Build- ings, Stocks, etc., any where in the State of Michigan. Since our organization we have saved our members Thousands of Dollars, and can do, proportionally, the same for you. Home Office, Grand Rapids cman Sp assonamenrse eset nomena! December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 4? Three Hundred Feet from Main Entrance to Union Depot We invite you to call when in the city and make yourself at home The Home of the | | | Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co. Corner of Oakes St. and Commerce Ave. We are also celebrating our anniversary, but ours is the Forty-fifth We began business in 1873 Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. seme i Ta aaa NEA * i pS 00 48 THE SANTA CLAUS MYTH. Perpetuate It Without Disturbing Children’s Faith. Santa Claus is a myth. The kiddies haven’t any money of their own to spend. A lot of them know there isn’t any Santa Claus; they know it even when they see him parading the street. So what’s the use of encouraging an old deception? Santa '!Claus and the kiddies’ trade are both deceptions, and the hard-headed dealer hasn’t any time and money to waste upon such foolishness. Isn’t that a practical and logical way of looking at things? Oh, it’s beautifully practical and em- inently logical. And a big city mer- chant last year spent hundreds of dol- lars in being impractical and illog- ical, and he made money at it, too. Just about this time of year astound- ing news reached this impractical merchant. It appeajed to his illogical mind as something worth bulletining, He pasted up in his window a wireless message just received from the North Pole. Santa Claus was harnessing his reindeer, and in a few minutes would start for C When he reached C , he’d make Blank’s hardware store his headquarters. So enthused was the merchant with the news that he rushed it to the city papers and actually paid good money to have the infernal lie printed. The wireless was in good working order, and next day along came an- other message. Santa _ had tripped over a glacier and was laid up in a friendly igloo. Maybe he wouldn’t arrive on time! But no; next day the old gentle- man was quite recovered, and off again, making up lost time. And so, from day to day, the reindeer and the red sleigh ate up the miles between the North Pole and C——; and the newspapers and the bulletins in the window told folks all about it. One day as the kiddies came troop- ing out of the big central school, who should they see but Santa, sitting in his sleigh as large as life, handing out souvenir post cards of himself to all comers, The kids grabbed the post cards, and then took stock of him; for the girl who wrote the best description of the old gentleman would get the big doll in Blank’s window, and the boy who excelled would pull down that shiny pair of hockey skates. They trailed him to Blank’s store, where he held a reception for the youngsters. In the days that followed he paraded the streets, visited the children’s shelter with candy and oranges, sat in Blank’s window,waited on customers behind Blank’s coun- ter; and how he did sweat with those heavy furs and not being used to an ordinary Southern winter! And how Blank saw to it that all the old fel- low’s comings and goings were faith- fully chronicled in the papers. The kids just had to read that little col- umn in the upper righthand corner of Blank’s advertisement. That told them what had happened and what to expect. The result was that several thou- sand youngsters told their parents If there, is a. youngster.outside,-he- --- eeecatins os ere aero + MICHIGAN TRADESMAN just what they wanted in the way of presents, and just where to get them, and just what Blank’s store had that they wanted, and what counter to go to, and what the price was on the ticket. If the indulgent parents had bought all the things asked for, they would have emptied Blank’s store several times over, and bankrupted themselves. As it was, they bought what they could, and bought right up until the minute Santa went speeding off at the stroke of midnight. For a myth and an imposter, old Santa has an appeal to young folks that is miraculously perennial. The reason is that the sham conceals a great truth, and that the unwieldy, homely figure is thrilled and filled with a lithe, live spirit. It is the spirit of Christmas, with all it im- plies. What this merchant did is illus- trative of the method whereby Santa Claus can be worked into the warp and woof of Christmas selling. San- ta’s appeal is directly to the children, but through the children he reaches the parents. Because every kid in town is talking of the goings on of the “real, live Santa Claus,” and every parent in town hears of it from the children, Blank’s store is power- fully advertised to the parents as a place where gifts can be bought, not merely for youngsters, but for older folk. Now, in playing up Santa Claus, it isn’t necessary to follow this scheme in detail. Rather, it is imperative to change and adapt the scheme, since, having been used by merchants in many places, it is a plan which your own competitor may quite possibly slavishly reproduce. But Santa can be used in many different ways; and the merchant who thinks up a new way of utilizing the old codger shows genius of a high order. For instance, how would it be to have Santa fighting in the trenches; or, on guard at the big cantonment? He can’t come but he can_ send messages and souvenir cards for the youngsters. Every boy and girl who calls at the store gets a souvenir. There’s a good opening for some effective advertising. Instead of parading the streets, Santa Claus has a booth in the store, where he looks after the presents for the kiddies himself. They can come and pick out what they want and he'll do his best to see that they get it. Let him secure the parents’ names, and make his suggestions direct to the parents, by letter. Incidentally, he can call attention to the gift possibilities for older folks. Santa Claus offers a prize to the youngster writing the best and most comprehensive list of presents for the members of his family. The lists must be in by the first Saturday in December; the awards will be an- nounced on Christmas eve. Santa Claus gets out a little paper, “Santa Claus News,” telling all about where to buy Christmas gifts—at Blank’s store. He distributes this pa- per in the evenings from door to door. ‘brushes and combs, says, “Take this in to daddy and mamma.” With these suggestions to start things going, you can think up ideas of your own, better adapted to your own town and to the circumstances under which you are doing business. There is no one best way to utilize Santa Claus. What is the most suit- able scheme for one store might prove utterly unsuitable for anoth- er. Much depends upon the sort of impersonator you can secure. The merchant knows best his own pos- sibilities and limitations, and he must work to realize the one and must take care not to overstep the other. If, however, Santa Claus is to be used effectively, Santa.Claus must en- ter early into the Christmas cam- paign. There is no use having him atrive on Christmas eve, or even the last week before Christmas. If he is making a trip from the North Pole, start him immediately after Thanksgiving, and get him into your town early in December. Give him two or three weeks in which to get in his good work. More than that, while steadily working for cumulative — results, don’t inject into the Santa Claus campaign anything that will tend to discourage early buying. Rath- er, aim throughout to get the folks out early and get them to buy at once. Make that the burden of San- ta’s talk and messages to the young- sters. They'll take the “Buy early and avoid the rush” slogan much more seriously than their elders; and they'll in many instances prod and nag the old folks into buying early in the season. _Of course, in most homes Santa is supposed to come down the chim- ney and deliver the gifts in person. That, however, shouldn’t prevent the kiddies from coming to the store where Santa holds forth and leaving word as to just what they like, and taking Santa’s advice that they get their parents to come and see him right away so that he can find out whether they’ve been good children or not. The modern Santa Claus, stalking the streets and sitting behind the counter, can be fitted quite neatly into the scheme of things and need not disturb in the least the children’s faith. —_»+-.——__ Ten Rules for Creating Trade-Pull- ing Windows. Here are ten rules for creating trade-pulling windows which can be followed to advantage: 1. Have window glass so clean it sparkles. For permanent lettering on outside use bronze with black. 2. See that floor, sidewalks and back present a fresh, wholesome ap- pearance. Omit all posters that are not part of the display. 3. Display one thing at a time, or things of a similar nature, like hair or soaps and toilet water. If two or more articles are shown, separate them. 4. Make displays seasonable. Place samples in window and _ distribute over counter. 5. Don’t overcrowd; practice re-. hee na.cp cw, == gomle’ cote me ge: gorOr agi tig 3 gm ie serve-Some goods permit lavish dis- December 11, 1918 play—perfume, for example. Tal- cum is also suitable for a “quantity window.” When in doubt, choose simplicity. 6. Have a color scheme. If cas- tile soap is displayed, plainly, white ought to prevail; with other goods frequently harmonious colors can be used. A window of vaseline looks very well with a background of blue. 7. Use leaders—for the same rea- son that one would use them in a special sale—to get immediate action. 8. Post price lists or use cards wherever prices are as low or lower than in other stores. 9. Change displays weekly. 10. Make displays simultaneous with announcements of advertisers. —_>++___ Too Bad. He Couldn’t March. United States Senator Howard Sutherland, of West Virginia, tells a story about a mountain youth who visited a recruiting office in the Sen- ator’s State for the purpose of en- listing in the regular army. The ex- amining physician found the young man as sound as a dollar, but that he had flat feet. “Y’m sorry,” said the physician, “but I'll have to turn you down. You’ve got flat feet.” The mountaineer looked sorrow- ful. “No way for me to git in it, then?” he enquired. “T guess not. With those flat feet of yours you wouldn’t be able to march even five miles.” The youth from the mountains studied a moment. Finally he said: “Tl tell you why I hate this so darned bad. You see, I walked nigh on to one hundred and fifteen miles over the mountains to git here, and gosh, how I hate to walk back!” —_—__—_o-.. One seldom gets it in the neck for keeping one’s mouth closed. Signs of the Times Are Electric Signs Progressive merchants and manufac- turers now realize the value of- Electric Advertising. We furnish you with sketches, prices and operating cost for the asking. THE POWER CO. Bell M 797 Citizens 4261 f The United Agency System of Improved Credit Service Uwnrrep A\Gency ACCURATE - RELIABLE UP-TO-DATE CREDIT INFORMATION GENERAL RATING BOOKS now ready containing 1,750,000 names—fully rated—no blanks— EIGHT POINTS of vital credit information on each name. Superior Special Reporting Service Further details by addressing GENERAL OFFICES CHICAGO, ;~-Gunther-Bldg:----~~ + 4018-2 - ILLINOIS | . ‘ScWanast Avenue ~ - ! December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 49 ry . @o7en © | Increased Floor Space and Modern Facilities ; A ° . a4 In Our New Location Will Mean Much to | Dealers Handling the Bertsch and | H. B. Hard Pan Shoe Lines . = : art A od a “ 3 TLE aN it i i = e : E i i 2 a ‘i L Zi | ‘ee ae a ie de 2 | " | é rt f . i = | GGGGE | More room, more day light, every modern convenience for efficient production is what our a new location gives us. These conveniences, with greatly increased production, will mean | : lower production cost and reduced overhead expense. With the rapid return of business to . normal conditions we are organizing our factory to this end. We will soon be in position ‘ to ship promptly and give BIGGER VALUE in every pair of BERTSCH AND H. B. HARD | PAN shoes turned out. HEROLD-BERTSCH SHOE CO. 11-13-15 Commerce Ave. Grand Rapids, Michigan * 50 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 THE RE-ADJUSTMENT PERIOD. Dangers Which Credit Men Must Surmount.* It is with considerable hesitation that I approach so large a_ subject. This question has been asked of every banker in the land; it has or will be discussed by every trade or- ganization of this country, and there- fore I am justified in assuming that this is one of the most important problems that the business world has to meet in the months to come. In accepting your invitation to speak upon this large problem at this splendid meeting of keen think- ing men, I do so with the realiza- tion that you all have been study- ing the question and know as much about what to expect as I do. Prob- ably the most that I can do is to tabulate some of the things that have happened and become a part of his- tory and to crystallize the thoughts that are in your mind and mine to the end that if we agree, we shall be a little better fortified mentally to carry out our programmes. One of the big things is the amount of money which we have raised in this country during the war period. The total of the four Liberty Loans is $17,000,000,000. Seventeen billion is a very large sum of money and this means that $17,000,000,000 has been taken out of the ordinary channels and put into Government bonds, which involves a large in- crease in the investment class that have never invested money before. About $2,000,000,000 was loaned to France; a little over $3,000,000,000 went to England. About $860,000,- 000 went to Italy and $655,000,000 was divided between Belgium, Rou- mania, Russia, etc. The remainder of that has been spent by the Gov- ernment, together with a large sum of money raised by taxation, in car- rying on the war. Now let us see where that $17,000,- 000,000 has really gone. It has been expended for three items. First, it has been spent for food—that is a!- ways a natural movement of money and we are always certain that part of our money goes for that purpose The second item has been spent for clothes and ordinary equipment, but a large part of this money has gone for munitions, which is an unnatural expenditure. That money has been destroyed and it is an economic loss to the whole world, and we must re- place this wealth which has been de- stroyed before we get back to natural conditions. I am not going into a discussion of the question of the change of standard of value—the dollar. It is a large topic and an important one and should be taken up by all of us in a serious study if we are to under- stand this financial question in its broader phases. In this connection I would earnestly recommend that we all read some good work on this subject and gain a knowledge of the fundamental principles regarding the *Address before annual convention of Michigan Credit Men’s Association at Kalamazoo, by Mr. Guy W. Rouse, Presi- dent Worden Grocer Company. effects of a change in the value of our standard of value. We must remember that we are just beginning to get the reports of the total losses of the different na- tions. You have probably read in the paper this morning how many mil- lions of men have been killed; how many men have been maimed. It is to be understood that this is a very vital question in the re-adjustment period through which we are about to pass. Do not forget that these men who have been killed are men at the height of their productivity— at the height of their ability. The destruction of property across the water is a vital element in our own problem. We have long ago ceased to think of ourselves as a separate country on this side of the Atlantic, and we now realize that They have destroyed the top soil, and you fellows who have lived on farms know that it will take from two to five years to re-establish this top soil—probably ten years before a normal crop can be grown. These are some of the things that have happened, and all this destruc- tion must be replaced. Wee have had in almost every line of business an increase in values. In looking over a long list yesterday I found only two items which did not show any incresase. The follow- ing are some figures to illustrate: In 1914 iron and steel exports were $20,000,000; to-day, $90,000,000. Steel billets, $19.50; to-day, $47.50. Cotton, 13 cents; to-day, 32 cents. Wheat, 85 cents; to-day, $2.23. Corn, 71 cents; to-day, $1.48. You can find hardly anything in Guy W. Rouse. our condition is such that we are in- extricably involved in the affairs of the world. The destruction through Belgium and France particularly is a part of our problem. The Germans. de- stroyed the factories; took away the machinery and melted the remainder of the metal to make shell. By their destructive methods and fighting, they have destroyed a large part of the forests. Think what it means to France and Belgium to have their forests destroyed! These forests cannot be replaced in 100 years—a large part of them have been completely mowed down. They have also destroyed the fruit trees. They went right through Northern France and Belgium with their hatchets and lowered every fruit tree there. Think what that means! your business that has not advanced. We have all been making extra prof- its—at least we thought we were mak- ing extra profits, but expenses have increased. We have also spent money advertising the different movements of the Government; Red Cross, Lib- erty loan drives, -etc., which expen- ditures are entirely justified. We have raised wages, sometimes with- out the care that we used in ordinary times. This spirit of extravagance has gotten into almost every financial programme of the country. It is no- ticeable in the conduct of our business in a great many other ways, and I cannot help thinking that we will have to be very careful in the con- sideration of this matter. Some months ago I saw a farmer draw in a load of wheat for which he received a check for $313. You can’t tell me that that farmer’s household expense account did not get an awful jolt. He did not figure as closely from that day on as he did before, and that is the way that a large number of the people in this country are doing. Along comes the date of November 11—when the thing we have been looking forward to and praying for happened before we realized it could happen. We were thinking what it would mean to us when it did happen, but it came so suddenly that we were simply ‘stunned. Now the question is, what does this victory mean to us in the way of changes in the future? What does it mean in the way of changes which we know will occur in the immediate future? It means, in the first place, the cancellation of war contracts. If you stop to consider for a moment how much labor has been drawn from regular lines of business into war industries, you have some realization of what the Government faces and what you and I have to face. The Government is striving very hard to handle their part of this mat- ter in such a way as to make this change with as little trouble as pos- sible for the laboring man. The la- boring man has come to be the most independent man in the world to- day. He knew there was a larger demand for labor than a supply of men to fill the demand and, conse- quently, advanced his prices. He became indispensable to the point where the employer could not en- force the discipline that was neces- sary in his plant in many instances. You know what the Government is doing in.this connection. It is re- leasing these men as rapidly as it can. You will find some Government contracts cancelled; some slowed down; some stiil operating. The Government believes that it is better business to put some money where it -is not absolutely needed than to release all these men too rapidly. Also it is going to release the men from the camps and ship soldiers back from France. This means 2,- 000,000 or more other men, and this means a still further labor problem which we must solve in this country. I mention these things because every one of them has a vital bearing on credit and the use of credit during this period. Just a word more about the labor- ing man. We must not forget that this man is a very vital part of the whole question, and perhaps this fellow ‘whom you and I may _ not know directly is going to produce material. for which you and I will get our money. This labor problem is a very es- sential problem in this whole re-ad- justment, and the laboring man must not take more of the burden than the merchants or manufacturers, but we must all take it together. Neither the working man, the labor unions, the employers or employes’ associa- tions must undertake to make any move during this reconstruction pe- riod which shall attempt to place the whole burden on the other fel- low, and any organization which at- A pthc SII neneenmsereneen fl qoemeenensense 18 December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 51 ; re id S| Mazola—one of the most important ‘ products in the stock of the id : up-to-date storekeeper a The people of America are learning in the most thorough way just how much Mazola means to them from the standpoint of quality and economy. Hundreds of newspapers throughout the country have been used to tell : American housewives how delicious this pure oil from corn is for general cooking = and salad dressings, si The response has been wonderful. Mazola is no longer a new product—it has the Qn | standard demand of a staple. . Thoughtful dealers know this. They have prepared themselves to meet the demand ry and to reap the reward—by laying in ample stocks. “ ‘ Mazola is the sort of article that every progressive dealer wants to handle in - these times. St § | CORN PRODUCTS REFINING COMPANY . 17 Battery Place NEW YORK | nt . ‘it nt ed he = | Barclay, Ayers & Bertsch Co. . | 321-323 Bond Avenue | Grand Rapids, Michigan : | Jobbers in hat i : ee | Pipes, Valves, Pumps, Sinks, =. | Roofing and Mill Supplies 52 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 tempts to do this cannot, and must not exist. The laborer must live and wages cannot go down until the cost of living goes down. Unless the workers and employers meet con- ditions promptly and voluntarily, we are going to have one of the most serious times in this country since 1893. Having been employed in a bank in 1893) I still have very distinct recollections of some of the things which happened during that period. I saw women grow thin with worry. I saw men sweat blood and I am sure that no man who went through that period wants to ever again see a re- turn ‘of those conditions. We must all work together. The allied governments have been spending about $150,000,000 per day. Bear in mind that a large part of that will be stopped. Of course, there must be considerable purchases in this country for food and _ for machinery and equipment with which to carry on the work of reconstruc- tion but these expenditures cannot in any way nearly offset the expendi- tures made while the war was in progress. Let us also remember that money or credit is the most timid thing in the world, and that money will not seek investment in new enter- prises until our problems are re-ad- justed on a fair and satisfactory basis to all parties concerned. (There- fore let us all lend our influence to bring about this re-adjustment as promptly as we can, and thereby hasten the day when the new enter- prises and re-investments in indus- try will strike the pre-war pace. I wish to call to your attention one phase of the question of profits shown during the period through which we have just passed. Personally I am convinced that a large amount of money has_ been treated as profits by the business men and by the Government which in reality are not profits. I am referring particularly to wholesalers and retailers and that class of business whjch must carry through the entire year a stock of approximately the same size, as com- pared with those businesses which may carry large or small stocks, ac- cording to the market conditions. In the case of the wholesaler and retailer, it is very apparent to me that a large part of the “so-called profits resulting from the advancing market is simply a trust fund to be conserved as an offset to the loss on declining markets. It is also clear that the credit man who fails to recognize the danger of his own concern or the concern to which he js extending credit treating these so-called profits as actual profits and disbursing them to the proprie- tors or stockholders has weakened that risk to a point which may result seriously during the re-adjustment period. I am injecting this thought into this talk to-day because I think it is necessary to impress upon every- one the absolute necessity of figuring carefully and retaining in our busi- ness a large part of the balance of this so-called profit if we are to maintain’ our solvency following the period of re-adjustment. In answer to the question given me by the Programme Committee, I want to suggest a few things which I think should be borne in mind every day and will be a part of all of our plans to meet the reconstruc- tion problems. Do not cut prices. What I am afraid of is that as we go through the re-adjustment period some fellow is going to cut prices and try to un- load his merchandise. For goodness sake, don’t do it! Do not let your customers do it! We haven't a surplus amount of merchandise and it is going to be absorbed in the twelve months following. Do not try to do anything more than _ legitimate merchandising with the stocks we have on hand. We must take a certain amount ol loss. It is hard to tell how much, but it is certain that we must take some loss. What I am hoping for is that we take the smallest loss pos- sible. Any attempt to force liquida- tion to avoid loss on the part of any one of us is liable to induce some other fellow to follow suit, and the result of this can only be the unload- ing of merchandise at ridiculous prices and an abnormal and unneces- sary loss. If this occurs, it means that prices will go below the natural level, and we will, many of us, have taken an unnecessary loss, and at the same time face a level of prices higher than those prices at which we have un- loaded our merchandise in our strenuous effort to be smarter than the other fellow. If you do not get another thing more out of this, I hope you fellows will take home one thing that Guy Rouse said, and that is: We must keep the boat steady. Don’t rock the boat by trying to unload too rapidly. Next, keep book accounts liquid. I have been a crank on the subject of prompt collections. I have been a crank on making terms and making people respect them. A large firm said to us the other day that they thought we did not want their busi- ness because we sent their check back when they took discount after the discount day had passed. We said, we do want your business, but we do not make any exceptions in our terms to a million dollar con- cern that we would not make to a thousand dollar house. Let us make terms and see that they are lived up to. Keeping accounts liquid does not mean going to a cash basis. If everybody in the world went on a cash basis to-day there would not be money enough in the world. Let us steady the boat, let us reef in a little, but let us stay in the game. Two big Chicago jobbers told me they both were trying to do the best they could. One had twenty-eight days outstandings and the other had forty-one. The twenty-eight day jobber is selling the same kind of people and doing the same kind of business, but he has_ nerve. The difference between the forty-one day house and the twenty-eight day house means thirteen days, and doing a business of $20,000 a day would mean reducing their outstandings $260,000, which would result in $15,600 interest saved. More than that, the man who has forty-one days outstandings has a larger percentage of losses. The man with forty-one days is_ still carrying those good friends, “Mr. Good-but-Slow” (You know _ him). The twenty-eight day man is the quick, keen, persistent collector and is obtaining increased business be- cause he collects promptly. One of the large concerns which conducts a string of stores shows outstandings of 71 per cent. as a whole, and 48 per cent. for the best house. Our Company shows 67 per cent. which I think is the banner house and the Kalamazoo house 45 per cent which I think is the banner showing of any wholesale grocery in the country. I do not know if this is due to the good manager and credit man or to local conditions in Kalamazoo. I hope you say it is Kalamazoo, because if you don’t I will have to raise their salaries. Let us do our customers the kind- ness of educating them to collect their bills more promptly and there- by better their financial condition. Let us do ourselves the service of making our money move faster and thereby reduce our interest charges, our losses and our financial problems. Above all, let us lend our efforts in making our money move faster, to the end that we conduct our business with the least possible amount of money at this time and release to the extent of our ability all of the money we can for the purpose of re-adjusting conditions. Also I want to urge a more care- ful and scientific study of financial statements, Personally I am con- vinced that a great majority of the credit men, including the bankers, have too small knowledge of how to analyze a statement beyond some general rule which they apply to all statements alike. It appears quite clear to me that every credit man ought to make a sufficient study of this question to be able to have an adequate idea of what a good condition is in the dif- ferent lines of business. Do we know what the turn-over of merchandise and capital as well as the relation of outstandings to these items ought to be in the different lines of busi- nesses or do we apply the same rule to all statements that come to us for observation? These to my mind are very impor- tant questions and are going to be vital in our understanding of the credit basis of different concerns dur- ing this period of re-adjustment. Failures will probably increase. In Canada there were in 1913 1230 and 639 in 1918. Many of you have for- gotten there were such things as failures in the past years. We thought we could extend credit to anyone and come through with it. During this re-adjustment we are going to have failures. I am not pes- simistic—in fact, I am optimistic, and I am going to keep my optim- ism—but as credit men we must eliminate the men who are going tu be failures. We had better eliminate these men when we can get seventy- five cents on the dollar than wait un- til we can only get twenty-five cents on the dollar. I think we are going to find a very decided change in our merchandise conditions, now that the war is over. The army training is going to have a stabilizing influence. The percent- age of trade changes is about 95 per cent. every fifteen years. As you go down the street you do not find the same merchants as you did ten years ago. Some fellows have gone out of business; some are now working for others; some have died, etc. We have a rapidly changing personnel of merchants. Speaking of changes which take ‘place reminds me of an incident that happened in London. I made a very hurried trip to Europe—spent four days in London and three days in Paris, While in London it occurred to me that here was a chance to get a pair of London-made trousers. | asked a tailor, “Can you make me a pair of trousers so I can have them when I get back from Paris in three days?” {| He said, “Yes, and they will cost you one pound one shilling.” _ “T am staying at the Hotel Cecil, and when you get the trousers done, you can take them over there ana Grand Rapids Butchers Supply Co. JOBBERS OF Coolers and Market Fixtures Casings, Spices ALL KINDS OF TOOLS AND MACHINERY Everything the Butcher Requires Citz. Phone 1375 Bell Main 4987 317-319 BOND AVENUE (Near Court House) GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. = oe Bcicresrismene 8 | December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 53 - | Michigan Hardware Company | | 5] EXCLUSIVELY WHOLESALE Corner Oakes Street and Ellsworth Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan 0 t. : Be: i S- : st tO te = Ns 3 ts * ry se as ve t- er [ Ts of Or Ve of | at 4 ry ' ur ec ret W E gladly embrace this opportunity to thank our customers for the generous manner in which they : | have patronized us during the critical year now drawing to a close and to assure you that the broad ve policy which has proven so satisfactory to ourselves and hope it has to our customers in the past will ne be continued in the future. We shall make an effort at all times to carry a full and complete stock, so V4 that we may be able to fill all orders the same day they are received. We look for a strong and increasing i demand and a great scarcity of goods in the hardware line during 1919 and do not propose to penalize and “il, inconvenience our customers by scanty buying on our part for fear of lower prices, which, in our opinion, > are a long way in the future. a W. A. McIntyre—Eastern Michigan Territory. E. F. Goebel—South Western Michigan Territory. i W. J. Klein—Southern Michigan Territory. R. J. Nichol—Central Michigan Territory. i A. Upton—Northern Michigan Territory. M. J. Kiley—Western Michigan Territory. | V. G. Snyder—North Central Michigan Territory. J. T. Boylan—City. 4 | “hehe Michigan Hardware Company Exclusive Jobbers of Hardware and Sporting Goods Established 1912 amos Bos Se a ea 54 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, ‘1918 get your money; I'll leave the money at the hotel for you.” “Oh, no, that won’t do,” he said. “If you want these trousers you pay for them now.” “How do I know that you will be here when I return?” I asked. “Well, young man, my family have only been doing business here for 125 years, and I think we will be here when you get back.” (Laughter) Question from audience: Did you get the pants? Yes—I met his terms and got the pants. This war is going to stabilize things in a wonderful way. Do not forget that these men in the army have learned order, precision, organization and a great many things they did not know before and that they will put them into their daily life and make themselves felt in the business world much more than we realize. We must not forget that the in- demnity we are going to ask Ger- many to pay is going to stimulate economy and thrift. The French people are the thrift- iest in the world, partly as a result of the indemnity placed upon them by Germany at the close of the Fran- co-Prussian war. We must eliminate, so far as pos- sible, all waste. We have some tre- mendous wastes in this country. We do a lot of things in the way of ser- vice which is unnecessary. We are spending money for many unneces- sary things and the re-adjustment will show some of these items in the waste column. There is a fellow in Pittsburgh by the name of Shaw—Fire Waste Shaw they call him, because he has made a specialty of studying waste by fire. He has sent me some figures in re- gard to waste by fire, A recent year’s record shows that Glasgow had a loss of $325,000 by fire, while Boston, a city with less people, lost $2,000,000 by fire the same year. Do not forget that that money is all wasted and we must save it if we are going to meet new conditions. Michigan has a loss per capita of twenty times what Holland has and nearly eight times what Eneland has. If we had the right construction, the right kind of education and the right kind of laws, this waste wouldn’t be so large. The credit men are the people to bring about reform and save this un- necessary waste. Incidentally, we must also give some attention to the matter of in- surance on stocks. Is our insurance adequate for the present high level of values? Is our insurance policy properly written? We have just had occasion to know that the “Iron Safe Clause” which has been in our policies for some time prior to the last law enacted, made the policy voidable, but the law has made the policy void. A case has come to our attention where the mer- chant had a $3,000 stock which was covered by a $1,000 insurance policy, and he may not get a cent of insur- ance because he did not have an in- ventory and keep it in an iron safe. We have all agreed that we should make good character one of the fun- damentals for credit, but I am in- clined to think that we have not taken it as seriously as we should. Let us give character the place it deserves; let us be concerned with the fact that it not only ought to be one of the essentials in obtaining credit, but during this re-adjustment period, let us give it the real place it should have in our consideration of the extending of credit. Also we must give more attention to mercantile reports and we must insist on proper reports from mer- cantile agencies. We must not be satisfied with a report based on con- ditions of the past. They must give us better reports and it is very ap- parent that they cannot give us bet- ter reports without spending more money; they cannot spend more money gathering information for us unless we are willing to pay more for the service they are rendering. Therefore, let us start a campaign for better and more complete _ re- ports. Another thing is to know more about the costs of doing business, both in our institution and in the in- stitutions to whom we are extending large lines of credit. This applies particularly to credit extended to manufacturing concerns, where there is still a total lack, in many _in- stances, of a definite knowledge of what it costs to manufacture or pro- duce the different items in the fac- tory. In this connection, we have prob- ably all of us known of instances where the manager of a business is reluctant to put in a cost system and finally found to his surprise, after the system had been adopted, that some of the items were sold at a loss while others which were “fillers in,” so- called, have been in reality the items on which a nice profit was made. Therefore, know costs; know that your credit customers know _ their cost, so that credit may be extended to these businesses operating on a basis of known earning power. In closing, I want to say that | think the credit man to-day has on: of the biggest burdens to carry. The credit man must know conditions so intimately and have so full a knowl- edge of the business of the people to whom he is extending credit that he can, as suggested above, eliminate early in the game those customers who are doomed to disappear. It is the credit man who must eliminate the poor merchandiser and careless manufacturer, and still at the same time have the knowledge whith equips him to extend credit intelli- gently to those dealers whose meth- ods and knowledge of their business assures their coming through the re- adiustment period successfully. In conclusion, and above all else, let us resist from any attempt to un- load merchandise before the decline, but continue to merchandise on legit- imate lines and realize that this is the time when the business world, and particularly the credit end of the business world, demands men with cool sound judgment and a large amount of nerve. The Vinkemulder Company > GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. WHOLESALE Fruits and Vegetables OF ALL KINDS A Glimpse of our Banana Department where System, Accuracy and Service Counts. NO ORDER OR SHIPMENT TOO LARGE OR TOO SMALL TO RECEIVE PROMPT AND PAINS’CAKING ATTENTION. ; December 11, 1918 What Is the Situation in Your Store? There are two basic reasons why you as a retailer are in business. One reason has a selfish basis, inasmuch as it directly affects you and you alone. The other must be viewed from the standpoint of the public up- on whose patronage you must depend for the success of your enterprise. From your standpoint you are in business for the purpose of making a profit—not a bare existence—not merely interest upon your invest- ment—but these topped by a reason- able and satisfactory return as well. The only interest which the con- suming public has in your business lies in the service afforded them, the members of the public, by the exis- ence of your store. The public is not interested in mak- ing you profits. The principle of every man for himself holds abso- lutely good. If you render service to the people of your community in the shape of merchandise, prices, quality, assortments, and the other ramifica- tions, that is the extent of the public interest, fundamentally speaking, in your store. Phrasing it differently, the only ex- cuse which your store has for exis- tence, viewed through the eyes of the public, takes form in the things which your store will do for said public. Retailers occasionally bemoan the fact that the people of their commun- ity do not appreciate what the store means to them. In many of these in- stances the retailer himself is almost wholly at fault, inasmuch as he was not taken the necessary action to place his store before the trade in the right light. Service covers a multitude of things. It considers and compre- hends not alone the question of mer- chandise delivery, extension of cted- its and winning store atmosphere. In addition it includes the stock which you carry; its relation to the require- ments of the public which you serve, the manner in which the goods are priced, the way in which the wares : are called to the attention of the peo- ple in your community; the degree to which they are made easily procura- ble through utilization of modern merchandising methods; and many other things. Properly interpreted, the much overworked term “service” when considered from the basis of the retail store is truly comprehen- sive in its breadth and scope. It goes without saying that the successful store is the one in which service to the public and profits to the owner are properly balanced. Ex- cess service coupled with too small profits spells partial if ndt entire failure. Profits, if the element of ser- vice to the trade is lacking, do not materialize readily. A healthy bal- ance is absolutely essential. It is a fact that the situation exist- ing at present is one which affords exceptional opportunities for profits, without in the least venturing into the forbidden and unpatriotic ground of profiteering. It is a further fact that far too many merchants in the smaller cen- ters are actually throwing away good MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 55 money, day after day, through failure to appreciate the real value of their merchandise. In other words, through careless- ness, indifference or plain laziness, they are actually selling merchandise much below replacing values. Ob- viously this is not good business prac- tice. There will come a time, sooner or later, when recessions will take place. This time will come after these merchants have disposed of their present stocks, on which they have sacrificed profits, and have replaced these present stocks with high priced merchandise. The consuming public will not, when the turn does come, be so filled with altruism as to pay you, Mr. Re- tailer, more for wares than the same can be bought for elsewhere. ‘This means you will have to follow the downward trend of the market. It will mean losses, more or less heavy, the degree being dependent upon your stock. If, in the past months and at the present time, you have thrown away and are throwing away profits which were and are rightfully yours, where will come the sinking fund needed to tide you over during this future per- iod, the time of approach of which cannot be forecast but which is as- assuredly coming sooner or later? Babson’s Reports recently sounded a note of warning along this’ very line. Read it. Think it over. Apply this reasoning to your own business. Be ready for the turn of the tide when it comes. Otherwise you may find yourself floundering, commercially. The warning referred to reads thus: “We urge clients who are interested in retail trade of suburban or rural districts which are in competition with city stores, to heed the follow- ing. Paradoxical as it seems, the country store is able to undersell the city store because it has a slower turnover of stock. The situation is brought about by the continuous rise in prices. This is all very well while prices continue to go up, but when the trend turns downward, the country retailer is going to be placed in a bad position. There is no law to compel him to keep his goods up to the market price, but competition will force him to reduce his prices when the general decline comes. Merchants who are now taking the profit which accrues from the appreciation in the value of their goods, will have a re- serve which will offset the eventual’ loss in inventories when commodi- ties decline. Unless merchants are careful now to mark up their goods close to replacement values and re- gardless of purchase prices, they will have no gains to offset the losses which must later be taken. This, of course, applies to all classes of trade, but especially in suburban and rural communities where the turnover is necessarily slower. This point should also be taken into account in granting credit.” Does the proper relationship be- tween service to the customer and profit to yourself exist in your store? If not, why not remedy the situa- tion while the opportunity is open? hree Best Sellers Guaranteed by the Name Douglas Made from selected grain by a special process. Douglas Oil, Douglas Corn Starch and Douglas Gloss Starch are three products that you can recommend to your high class trade with absolute certainty that they will satisfy. You know and most of your customers know that the name Douglas represents the final achievement of quality on every prod- ae uct made from corn. That Douglas Oil is the de luxe salad and cooking oil. That Douglas Corn Starch is the finest that can That Douglas Gloss Starch \ be made. Douglas Company Manufacturers of Corn Products Cedar Rapids. lowa,US.A. delights each user. For Salads, Shortening, The giant Frying. Douglas plant, =< situated in the heart of the corn belt, com- mands the fin- est grades of corn where it is grown. It goes Standard- . straight from 1zZe d by : field to factory National the to be converted Advertising : by improved } methods into these special Douglas prod- ucts, Best Salads and ¥Beer Cooking h This inimitable quality and the name which des- Mens: y S COMPANY ignates it is being popu- larized and standardized nation- ally by a selling campaign in leading publications of the country. Such popular mediums as the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Pictorial Review, Delineator, De- signer, Woman’s Magazine and many others have been selected to tell the preferred | trade of America about Douglas | Oil and Douglas Corn Starch. ad This means that about 10,000,000 of the best and most prosperous homes in the U. S. A. are learning to ask for Douglas when they buy oil or corn starch. For this 10,000, - 000 is actual circulation of the Douglas List of magazines and weeklies. The actual number of readers is many times more. Douglas Oil Douglas Corn Starch Douglas Gloss Starch Thus you must be ready to fill the orders of your customers with these three Douglas specialties. as alae 4 feces chia ONE POUND NET WEIGHT Blends with Fabric, gives elastic finish, doesn’t stick. You must have them in stock or be obliged to lose business. Your regular jobber has them in stock or can get them for you. Don’t delay—you are the loser when you can’t supply the Douglas brand. DOUGLAS COMPANY, Cedar Rapids, lowa Manufacturers of Corn Products 56 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 THE STORE ON THE RAFT. Early Prohibitory Laws Which Did Not Prohibit. Written for the Tradesman. Jerome Sardone grinned when he heard the news. “The state has gone for the Maine liquor law,” Jim Fessenden had told him, and he (Jerome) kept the only store in the region of the river. Nat- urally he sold liquor to the woods boys, and naturally he was opposed to the new legislation that put the ban on selling intoxicants. “Tt’s no go,” said Pete Romer, the drive boss. “We can’t get along on the drive without our drinks.” “Nonsense,” Mr. Boding, the lum- berman, assured him, “I’m from Maine, and I know the drive there is run by sober men and nobody the worse for it.” “IT don’t believe it,” snapped Romer. “Why, how'd you think men can wade knee-deep in cold water and not get their death without some- thing to warm their insides. Half the crews'll die of lung fever before the driving is done, you see.” Yes, they would see. Mr. Boding was strong for temperance, although his own crew were oft times under the influence of the brandy and rot- gut they fetched to camp from Sar- done’s grocery. The Maine man felt well pleased that the Michigan legis- lature had at last seen fit to enact the “Maine liquor law.” “T’ll show ’em” grinned Sardone, the storekeeper at Branch Run. “What will you do, Jerome?” “Uncle ‘Sam owns the river don’t he?” winked Jerome. “T hadn’t thought of that, but IT guess he does,” agreed the second speaker. “In that case the state can go hang,” jeered ‘Sardone. “Ill show ‘em, yes, I’ll show ’em.” After that Sardone and Romer, the drive boss, were seen in earnest talk under one of the trees that grew at the corner of the grocery. “Bully for you, Jerome,” voiced Pete Romer as he took his departure. “T wouldn’t dare undertake to drive logs on cold water drinks. Your plan’ll work I believe, and the day is saved.” The grocery building owned and operated by Jerome Sardone was a small affair of one room, sixteen by twenty. Soon after news of the pass- ing of the temperance legislation reached the woods Jerome began the building of a raft. This he made by lashing many dry pine logs together; planking the upper surface with lum- ber from a nearby sawmill. Onto this float the grocery was one day conveyed by means of rollers and a crew of willing men. Once afloat Jerome ran up the United States flag and shoved out into mid- stream. Men poled the contrivance to a small sandbar about half a mile below his former site. That night Sardone’s store was again open for business. He had purchased a barrel of brandy of a Frenchman who was anxious to dis- pose of the stuff which he had ac- cepted in liquidation of a debt. Soon the store on the raft was re- ceiving customers, many of them be- ing Indians and downriver halfbreeds, who inherited a very strong desire to wet their whistles. More liquor was sold than ever be- fore. Jerome was careful to secure a’ Government license. He said the state could whistle for aught he cared, Whether it whistled or not the state officials seemed to not note the unending stream of thirsty woodsmen bound for the store on the raft. After a few weeks the stream de- creased and Jerome decided that it would aid business to make a move. He floated down the stream several miles, anchoring at a spot that could be easily reached by much of the up- river travel. The merchant had used_ several canoes to take care of his traffic at the sandbar. Soon after making fast in midstream at the new location there seemed a falling off in the stream of customers. Some there were who came to trade in groceries, mittens and woolen goods, very few for wet supplies. “Wonder what the deuce has got into the folks,” grumbled Jerome. “The temperance idee’s soakin’ in mebbe,” chuckled old Len Rootster, the trapper, who overheard the storekeeper’s remark. Don’t you think it,’ growled Sar- done. “I know better’n that. Why, up on the sandbar I had a lot of whiskey trade, now I don’t get much but dry goods and eatables, and there ain’t no where’s near the profit on such things. “No, I reckin not. Mebbe ye watered the whiskey too .much, old man?” “That’s something I never do.” “My eye, but what a liar you've gotter be,” chuckled the trapper. Finding his trade falling off each day Sardone soon unloosed his float and went down several miles to an- other convenient point. Here he lo- cated his store and waited. Old In- dian Jake was one of his first cus- tomers. “You don’t keep’s good licker as you usen to,” said the old halfbreed, licking his lips over a drink, then smelling the mug, Another month and Jerome Sar- done became disgusted. His liquor trade fell to almost nothing. Why was it? Again old Jake came out to the store on the raft, his grimy old face shining through the wrinkles. “D’ye wanter know what’s the trouble, Jerome?” This after the river merchant had treated his customer liberally. “That's what I'd like right well to find out,” growled Jerome. “The trade has dropped to almost nothing, from what is was when I first started in. It can’t be that everybody’s quit drinkin’ to please thé legislature.” “No, that aint it, Jerome,” grinned Jake; “It’s ‘cause you’ve got too much opposition.” “Opposition? What d’ye mean?” “It aint two miles right across to Four Mile Creek; then there’s the Half Way House, five miles above, all as you know on the main traveled road—” “Oh, yes, all them places, but they must be dead as nuts since the Maine law went into effect.” “Wal, yes they was for a while. Byme by, howsever, Steve Larue came up from the Mouth and put in drinks at Four Mile. Soon a’rter an- other feller took the Half Way House and he’s sellin’ good whisky fur hali what you ask for it. I reckin that’s somethin’, eh, Jerome?” “The satan you say!” gasped old man Sardone. “Yes ’n’ up ter ther Forks is two saloons runnin’ full blast—” “But the Maine law? How'd they dare—” “Dare nothin’, Jerome. Why, they’s all laughin’ in their sleeves ter think old Jerome’s sellin’ licker on the sly while everybody else sells it "on every public road at almost every four corners. Maine law be darned. That didn’t last a month. Nobody pays attention to that any more. The hull state’s slingin’ free whisky to beat the wind!” All of which was true. The law proved a dead letter, and for the years that it was on the statute book Michigan was a decided- ly wet state, unlicensed and in a way dishonored. Here had he (Jerome) been keep- ing under cover, running his drink shop on U. S. territory in order to evade the prohibition law of the sovereign state of Michigan, losing much money, too, while others reaped the profit. That was long years ago. All the actors in that backwoods drama have long since passed to their reward and Michigan has another “Maine liquor . law” on the statute book that seems to be water tight; in truth, a prohibi- tory law in fact as well as in name. Oid Timer. ———__+2- + Clerks Who Are Investments and Not Expense. The thought and attention that the merchants of the country have given to employment has been a very ex- cellent thing. The former ruling of the Council of National Defense against extra people led many to think for the first time of the quality and kind of work given, rather than of the number of people that might be employed. Now that the Christmas rules have been repealed and everything points to a heavy volume of Christ- mas trade, it is hoped that the inter- est in the kind of employe, rather than the number, will not be les- sened. Why not look upon salaries and wages as investments instead of expenses? The returns on an invest- ment in the right kind of personnel should be commensurate with the amount invested. A merchant in- vests in merchandise, and counts very closely what return he will re- ceive. Too often in engaging people, instead of thinking of it as an invest- ment, for some, it is, “How little must I pay?” It is encouraging that the tendency everywhere is to think as never before of the importance of this matter, and to engage employes not only for the day or for a busy season, but to obtain good material for future promotions, to find people who will be valuable enough to train and develop. Such people are in- vestments not expenses, and some day all of us will look upon it this way. Even before the ruling of the Council of National Defense, there has been a tendency to use during the busy selling season many people from other departments who are not so busy at this particular time. A leading store in New York has trained a reserve force of about 200 people from non-selling departments who can be called upon in an emer- gency to the extent of seventy-five at a time. The following sources have proved available for this pur- pose: Merchandise Manager’s Of- fices, Buyers’ Offices, Manufacturing Departments, Supply Department, Foreign Office, Department of Re- pairs, Interior Decoration Depart- ment, Employment Office, Window Dressing Department, Department of Training, Receiving Department, Correspondence Department, Mail Order Department, and Comparison Department. Training is given to this reserve force as follows: 1. Instruction in Store System two lessons. 2. Salesman. One lesson dealing with the problem of how good ser- vice may be given when sales are many and must be handled quickly. Another store in the Far West early in the fall started classes for the stockpeople. From this group the educational director selected a number of the most promising to comprise a junior salesforce. This forms a contingent force which can be called upon at any time for special sales. Two other stores have what they call a “Flying Squadron” com- posed of people from non-selling de- partments who are specially trained to be available at busy times. Emphasis must be put on some training if this plan is carried out with the non-selling forces, specials and new people. If the merchant looks upon training as necessary, it will help to develop in the employees a professional viewpoint, which will make them realize the importance of their work. Lucinda Wyman Prince. Watson-Higgins Mlg.Co. Merchant Millers ~—— by Merchants Products sold by Merchants Brand Recommended by Merchants NewPerfection Flour Packed In SAXOLIN Paper-lined Cotton, Sanitary Sacks aaa 18 December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN . 57 . ial le B | FOSTER, STEVENS & CO. os 157-159 Monroe Ave. N.W. ___151 to 161 Louis St. N. W. 1g le a4 Oldest Hardware House in Michigan as 00 ts ve es ‘ We Have Built Up Our Business by Handling ig “4a Quality Goods and Furnishing | Unequalled Service Ever since our business was established, eighty-one years ago, it has been our aim and our ambition to have our goods and our service equal every expectation that is implied in the use of the words “Quality and Unequalled.” We consider there can be no higher aspi ration than to so individualize our business that it will 1 | truly represent and stand for the highest ideals in mer chandising methods and practices. re 3 ly. : ‘ st / In pursuance of this policy, we have built up a permanent good will which we consider equally as . valuable as any of the more material elements which go to make up our extensive business. The length of time our customers retain their connection with us and the constantly increasing vol- an - ume of their patronage are decisive proofs, in our estimation, which definitely determine the correctness of at our position. og ed | Fully convinced that efficiency is only another word for service, we are constantly adopting the most . modern methods and bringing into active-service in our institution young men full of energy and enthusiasm, a | with a view to not only perpetuating the good name we already enjoy, but to augment it by years of faithful “5 service and constant endeavor by men carefully trained to revere the sturdy honesty and progressive spirit of a the venerated founder of our house and his successors. of We gladly avail ourselves of this opportunity to express our appreciation to the trade for the generous patronage accorded us and to express the hope that it may be continued in unrestricted measure so long as | we are worthy of same. If the past is any criterion—and we have always insisted that the only way to judge the future is by the past—the eighty-one years which have elapsed since our house was established have given us an accumulat- ed knowledge of the hardware business and an intimate acquaintance with the trend of market conditions and tendencies which enable us to be of peculiar service to our customers. Square Dealing--- Honest Values---Good Service iit Pae .lk 58 MICHIGAN = ~ = - = FINANCIAL ~ vappeenda) od) The Selfish Head of a Selfish Organ- ization, Written for the Tradesman. Samuel Gompers, as noted in last week’s Michigan Tradesman, has thrown aside his cloak of patriotic camouflage and now stands in his true colors—the selfish head of a selfish organization. This was done when he said at the Pan-American labor congress in Texas that labor organizations would seek to retain all advantages of higher wages and shorter hours gained by the war. He is further quoted as saying that, now the war is over, labor will fight for its rights. Thus do chickens come home to roost. The administration has hatched out through its political incubator a choice brood of hawks. There is a task before the Nation and that is to hammer into the heads of the union labor element the fact that wages—the income of the toiler—the same as interests and profits—the in- come of the investor—are regulated by the law of supply and demand and not by dark lantern and black jack methods. The end of the war has brought to an end extra dividends out of war profits and any one who has given the matter any thought realizes there is ahead of us a period of cheaper money and lower interest rates. Just as surely as interest on capital will be regulated to a peace basis, so will wages approximate the scale which prevailed before the great war began. The law of supply and demand applies equally to capital and labor. If there is to be prosperity, industries must be kept in operation and mills and factories can only be kept busy if they may manufacture articles at a cost, plus a fair profit, which attract buyers. The price of labor is the chief item governing the cost of materials of manufacture, as well as the cost of operating the plants, The theory, therefore, that high cost materials and high cost labor can continue in time of peace is fallacious. Labor should not be mis- led regarding the truth, although it can easily be seen that Gompers will make a stab at it in order to retain a cushion chair job at good pay. If this were not his object, with his knowledge of conditions and recog- nized intelligence, he would wisely counsel union labor to co-operate with capital in the re-adjustment for the benefit of both and for the bene- fit of the Nation at large. Money will not be put into new structures so long as the cost of production ts maintained on a war basis, for capi- talists realize such structures must be reared later on the lower basis peace is sure to bring. So it goes all along the line of industrial endeavor. Up- on a prompt and sensible adjustment of wages depends very largely the welfare of the entire country. As “the people pay the freight,” it would not be amiss if some steps were taken to check the wasteful ex- travagance of the Government in its use of paper, labor and printing ink in conducting Liberty loan cam- paigns. Tons and tons of paper have -een absolutely thrown away through lack of a systematic handling of the campaign. Who pays for this waste? The cost is either taken from the proceeds of the bond sales or from appropriations. In any event it must be paid eventually out of the pockets of the people through taxation. An illustration of this waste is cited by the Chicago News. Early in Novem- ber there came to that paper in one day twenty-nine envelopes marked “Official business,” bearing the same warning against private use, bearing identically the same address, word- ing and written in the same hand. The contents were also the same, the whole twenty-nine containing each one small paper shield printed in red, white and blue bearing the legend, “Buy More Bonds.” Thus the mail carrier had to deliver twenty-nine let- ters where all could have been sent in one envelope. This, of course, would seem a small matter, but where it is spread over the immense area covered by Liberty loan cam- paigns it would mount up in the ag- gregate to a large amount of wasted labor and material. Economy should be practised in governmental affairs as well as in a private corporation. Under the circumstances it is not at all strange that there should be a bear movement in the stock markets. As the New York Journal of Com- -merce says, cancellation of Govern- ment contracts is producing a very much more serious attitude in busi- ness circles than was expected. Ac- cording to authoritative factors in the trades most directly affected, the amount of these cancellations is now variously estimated at from $1,500,- 000,000 to $2,000,000,000, | These fig- ures are increasing from day to day and promise to produce derangement and extreme caution in several im- portant directions. Such é¢ancella- tions have been thus promising to oc- cur the moment the war might end. In 1914, due to the derangement of international commerce we lost a vast amount of business, and the re- covery was not complete until about the middle of 1916. What we recov- ered was a different class of trade. War business displaced that of peace and all through 1917 and 1918, as the TRADESMAN percentage of our labor and invested capital became larger and _ larger, prosperity became more and more dependent upon the continuation of war trade. It is entirely natural that cancellation of war orders should be keenly felt. No one should disap- prove the speed which the -Govern- ment is showing in stopping the war production which is no longer needed and in demobilizing the war indus- tries. The difficulties to be encoun- tered and trade losses _ sustained would not be diminished by procras- tination. In fact, a quick demobil'- zation should restore prosperity much more effectively than a slow one, because it will be more certain to reduce costs toward normal and restore the efficiency of labor. A rapid demobilization means throw- ing many war workers on the labor market and this should have the same effect as a rush of liquidation in the stock market has upon inflated prices of stocks. The retirement of Secretary of the Treasury Wm. G. McAdoo is a dis- tinct loss to the Nation. Some of his policies have been severely criticised in the columns of the Michigan Tradesman, both by Editor Stowe and myself, but that is no reason why he should not receive credit for more American manliness than it was believed he possessed. In his capacity of Treasurer he became a man of quick, intelligent action with the courage of his convections and the Nation owes him a great debt of gratitude for his administration of the financial affairs of the country. His resignation—whatever the cause —has placed him on a higher plane in the estimation of the people than if he had taken advantage of the power he possessed and became Pres- ident of the United States through the upbuilding of a political machine. The real reason for Mr. McAdoo’s resignation was not revealed in the correspondence between him and his father-in-law, but it is almost uni- versally believed that Mr. Wilson has added another stupendous blunder to his growing list of mistakes, The War Industries Board has an- nounced that the furniture conser- vation schedule which was to go into effect Jan. 1, 1919, has been rescinded. This action, it is stated, was taken because there no longer exists the pressing and imperative necessity for the conservation of materials, labor and transportation for strictly war needs. It is believed that the freeing of the furniture industry from con- servation restrictions and the raising of the barrier against the semi-annual furniture exhibits which are a feature of the furniture trade, announced by the War Industries Board, will en- able the furniture industry to get back quickly to a normal basis. The schedule just cancelled applies to the manufacture of bedroom, dining room and_ upholstered furniture, chairs, parlor frames, extension, li- brary, parlor and bedroom tables. Active patterns were reduced 50 per cent. and no new patterns were to be produced during the war. Beveled mirrors were eliminated, bedroom mirror plate reduced 25 per cent. and December 11, 1918 the manufacture of dining room arm chairs and toilet chairs discontinued. Metal ornamental tacks and_ nails, metal ornamental trimmings and metal wheel casters were also elim- inated. And there were detailed in- structions for packing furniture worked out with a view of saving transportation space and lumber. The War Industries Board has also taken another important step in re- scinding the entire “preference” or “priority” list under which essential war industries were given preference in the matter of shipments, and the classification of industrials as essen- tial or less essential to the winning of the war is thereby abandoned, The effect of this cancellation will be to divert to civilian needs on an equable basis vast quantities of materials in the ‘obtaining of which the military programme of the Nation had prior claim. Paul Leake. — +2. At the Cashier’s Window. In their haste to make their de- posits, frequently customers will for- get to endorse their checks and are sent back by the teller to the writer’s desk. When they come back to the window they often try to break back into the line, which annoys and in- conveniences other customers. For the teller to unlock his window and offer pen, ink, and blotter, takes up too much time. One bank overcomes the difficulty by fastening a small metal shelf at the side of the teller’s window. The shelf is even with the customer’s elbow and is about a foot wide. Noth- ing but a blotter appears on it, When a forgetful customer arrives in his turn the teller extends an extra foun- tain pen that he keeps for the pur- pose and thus the line is kept perfect and no time is lost. The shelf also keeps the line formation on the right-hand side. It does not, moreover, encourage people to wait until they are in line before endorsing their checks, because no pen or ink offers itself until the teller extends his pen. Clarence T. Hubbard. —_++2____ Meet Your Enemy Out in the Open. He has traded on your indifference. He has profited through your silence —this mail order wizard who charms away the dollars of your customers. While you were saying nothing he cried from the house tops. He point- ed the finger of scorn at you and you pretended not to notice him. He lied about you, and you failed to speak for yourself. Your own silence condemned you in the minds of many. Don’t keep silent any longer. Meet him out in the open. Advertise that you will match his prices and beat his merchandise. Tell your customers to bring their orders in, all you ask is a chance to figure on them. You can do it. Hundreds are do- ing that very thing and making great progress. Study his advertising. Be the best posted man in your community. Con- sult your jobber. He can help you. He should help you. It’s up to you—quit or fight. December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 59 Mo of large and small fortunes are showing their preference for the modern trust company, as executor and trustee, because they have become con- vinced that in this way they can secure careful and sympathetic attention to every detail in management, and the greatest degree of safety and discretion in the handling of property. Acting in these capacities, the trust company not only protects the properties of the estate after the death of the testator, but it constantly endeavors to make them yield a larger and more certain income for bene- ficiaries. What better safeguard can you bring to your Estate than this ‘‘collective’’ experience, ability and sound judgment? Our officers will gladly discuss these matters with you confidentially. Send for Blank Form of Will and booklet on ‘‘Descent and Distribution of Property.”’ THE MICHIGAN TRUST Co. OF GRAND RAPIDS Audits made of books of corporations, firms and_ individuals. 60 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 WAR HAS INVIGORATED JU. &. Many Problems Now Press for Im- mediate Attention. We have paid off practically our — entire debt abroad. We have loaned to foreign Governments approxi- mately eight billion dollars, I believe, and we are still lending. Instead of sending abroad great amounts for interest and dividends, as we did prior to this war, we shall, in the future, be receiving from abroad, in interest on National debt alone close to four hundred million dollars annu- ally. Have you answered yourselves, I wonder, the question as to how these great interest payments, and how gradually the payment of prin- cipal may be made to us? It cannot be in gold, that we know, for the total annual production of gold in the world, outside of the United States, would not suffice even for the interest charge. It cannot be by trade balance if our exporting busi- ness develops as well as we all ex- pect. We have, for many years had a balance in our favor in foreign trade, and we hope to enlarge it rather than to see the balance change. Except as the trade balance works against us there will be no surplus to apply against interest and capital payments. There would seem to be but one way out, that is by extend- ing credit to the world in increasing amount. We will have to capitalize the interest payments and re-invest that capital abroad, and if we are to extend our exports, we will have to take their evidences of indebtedness, as represented by bonds and stocks, in return, and will have to follow England in the course that she has long followed of steadily increasinz foreign investment. In short, it is clear that we will never get our pay in the sense of physically taking back what these countries owe us. As one economist has expressed it, we are out in the world to stay because we can never get our belongings home. It is the problems of the re-adjust- ment period—that period when our industries turn from the manufacture of war material to the necessities of peace, when labor halts and waits the call to a changed employment and when the chart of finance is laid that points our course for the years to’ come—that to-day demand our attention. These problems now pre- sented for solution are just as much greater than problems presented af- ter other wars as the number of men and the amounts of materials and money used in this war have been greater than those used in other wars. The longer time in which our Allies have been fighting has also giventthem a longer period to pre- pare for peace. England, for in- stance, has appointed fifteen main committees and eighty-seven sub- committees to consider the problems of the re-adjustment period, and she has appointed a Minister of Recon- struction, with a seat in the British Cabinet. She is investigating after- war problems as relating to war ma- terials, credits, shipping and many other branches of trade, not only in England itself but in every part of the British Empire. France, determined as she is to break away ‘from German industrial bondage and control her own lines of industry, has made broad plans for the establishment of a merchant fleet, for the establishment of chain banks and for materially expanding the scope of the national office of foreign commerce. Japan has taken long steps to ex- tend her banks and banking agencies throughout the world and to arrange for colonization jn her foreign coun- tries. : Germany, with her characteristic “super-efficiency,” has apparently been making more strenuous prepa- rations for the era of peace than any nation on the face of the globe. Plans have been most carefully laid for the investment of capital in foreign coun- tries, and the sums expended in re- cent months to exhibit samples of German-made goods in Constanti- nople and Sofia and other cities of the Central Powers are indicative of the course planned by Germany for the development of her commerce throughout the world. Fortunately, most of Germany’s plans, as we know them, have been upset by her defeat. Now she has just cause, indeed, to be worried about her future supply of raw materials and how she is to pay for them. Through the loss of Al- sace-Lorraine she will lose her form- er favorable manufacturing position. Her shipping industry has complete- ly broken down. It is well to re- member, however, that, so far as we know them, the methods by which Germany has planned to tighten her commercial grip upon the world are just as ruthless as are her military campaigns inhuman, if given half a chance, her government may be ex- pected to use the railroads and the steamship companies to aid her man- ufacturers to break down legitimate competition in foreign fields, and a renewal of her policy of using foreign countries as “dumping grounds” may be certainly expected. As we study the preparation of other countries to meet the problems of the re-adjustment period, one fact stands out foremost: The personnel of their commissions, carefully con- ceived, is drawn from_ industrial, economic and financial circles. Such men as do come from Government bodies are few, but are usually expert in the line of endeavor to which the special committee is to devote itself. There seems to be a movement in our own Congress to give study to re- construction problems, but the move- ment apparently contemplates the drawing of the members of the American committees from Congress itself. If there has ever been a time in all America’s history when she needed expert and competent advice it is in this hour of reconstruction. The problems involved in the demo- bilization of our armies, in the tran- sition of factories from war to peace industry, in the return of privately owned property from Government management and control, in the establishment of an American mer- chant marine, in the sane deflation of HE naming of the Grand Rapids Trust Company as Executor. and 7 Trustee means that you will bring to - the settlement and management of your estate the combined judgment and busi- ness ability of its officers and directors. The most competent individual has only his own experience and knowl- edge to qualify him. This Company offers your estate the collective knowl- edge and experience of its officials. ASK FOR BOOKLET ON “DESCENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF PROPER- TY” AND BLANK FORM OF WILL. [;RAND RAPIDS [RUST | OMPANY OTTAWA AT FOUNTAIN BOTH PHONES 4391 Safe Deposit Boxes at Three {Dollars Per Year and Upward GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL CITY BANK CITY TRUST & SAVINGS BANK ASSOCIATED CAMPAU SQUARE The convenient banks for out of town people. Located at the very center of the city. district. On account of our Iccation—our large transit facilities—our safe deposit vaults and our complete service covering the entire fieid of banking, our institutions must be the uitimate cholce of out of town bankers and Individuals. Handy to the street cars—the interurbans—the hotels—the shopping Combined Capital and Surplus ................ $ 1,724,300.00 Combined Total Deposits ...............cccee0e 10,168,700. Combined Total Resources ............cccecece 13, 157,100.00 GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL CITY BANK CITY TRUST & SAVINGS BANK i December 11, 1918 our currency, in the question of price control, in providing for the estab- lishment of credit that will permit the wheels of American industry to turn on orders from foreign countries, in the great labor problem, all these problems and many more involved in the re-adjustment are too difficult of solution, and the proper solution is too important for us to rest content while they are juggled with by com- mittees of busy Congressmen, whose endeavors, while patriotic, can not be considered expert. Demobilization of war industries is indeed, a bigger problem than de- mobilization of the army. Some progress in the solution of this prob- lem has already been made. Con- tracts not yet started, and some oth- ers involving the manufacture of ma- terial quickly consumed in war activ- ity, have been canceled; overtime work has largely been ‘stopped. In many cities co-operation between factories which-are discharging men engaged in producing war material and factories which are busy on standard materials, where vacancies exist, has been established with good effects. It is obvious that our future pros- perity demands the establishment of an American merchant marine. Will these ships be operated by a Govern- ment-controlled corporation, or will it be found desirable that they be turned to private ownership and con- trol? Will the Government follow the practice of England and Japan and France and take definite steps to encourage this great merchant fleet? Will our laws be so revised that ships carrying the American flag will be on a competitive basis with the mer- chant fleets of the world? These are problems which must be answered within the coming year. I referred to the necessity of America’s investing in ever and ever larger amount in foreign countries. That movement must start at once if American industry is going to re- ceive the advantage of foreign trade, a trade that, at the outset at least, must take place by reason of the fact that foreign countries, generally, will be forced to look to America to furnish raw materials for their home industrial development. The problem as to how these credits are to be established is of great importance, as upon the solution thereof will likely depend the course of America and Americans in world thinking. What- ever js purchased from America pro- ducers must be paid for by credits established in American banks. It cannot be arranged through the ship- ment of foreign gold to us, for we already have too great a proportion of the gold supply of the world in our hands. It cannot be arranged through trade balances, for fore'gn countries must have raw materials, and other supplies, too, promptly, and we hope that the trade balance will not move against us. It must be done, then, through foreign loans made in this country. There are three ways in which these loans can be made: First, a corporation or municipality could borrow from its own Government, which would be aa MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 61 quite possible in the paternalistic era of to-day. The foreign government could, in turn, borrow from the United States Government, and the latter could issue securities to its own people; but that method, to my mind, if extensively used would be deplorable. It would foster in Amer- ica an ingrowing development. We would not be thinking internationally at all if the United States Govern- ment were to adopt that method of financing foreign needs. Or, second, foreign governments could sell their obligations to American bankers, who could distribute these foreign government securities throughout the United States. We are ‘going to take the securities of foreign corpor- ations and municipalities and States all the world over and distribute them directly to investors through- out the United States. If the time comes when such bonds begin to flow here in quantity, we can expect that the stocks of these foreign corpora- tions will follow and be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The last great problem which I will mention is labor, Except as we can find its solution, we have much to fear for the future. Just as there must be demobilization of the army, demobilization of industry and de- flation of currency, there must be de- mobilization and deflation of labor, for it, too, has been mobilized and inflated during the war. It is neither sane, nor is it possibly economic, that wages such as have been paid in ship- yards, running as high as $200 a week, should be paid under peace conditions, when American industry is competing with the world. It is not only likely, it is certain, that many men, not only laborers but manufacturers, will be obliged to work for smaller incomes in the future than they have during the war. This is distinctly a time for co-oper- ation. Manufacturers throughout this country certainly must try to so organize industry that labor will pro- duce enough so that it may earn more nearly what it is getting now than what it received in pre-war times. American farmers, and manu- facturers as well, must endeavor by use of specially adapted machinery to produce in larger quantity to the end that there may be more things pro- duced per capita. Labor itself must strain towards heavier production. We all of us wish that there inight be more even distribution of the good things of life and, I am certain above everything else, that the leaders and managers of industry in this country feel this way about it. The only way to better conditions of labor or of capital is by making labor as well as capital more efficient and more productive, to the end that there may be more of everything for everybody. It would seem to me probable that within the next ninety days several hundred thousand men throughout the United States would necessarily be made idle by reason of the cancellation of war contracts. Will this transition take place fast enough so that American labor will not go hungry in the meantime? It behooves the Federal Government, OFFICE OUTFITTERS LOOSE LEAF SPECIALIST, 237-239 Pear] St. \aear the bridge, Graad Rapids, Mich. Automobile Insurance * 7 2o!ue If you insure with an ‘‘old line” amu you pay 33'/3% more than we charge. nsult us for rates. INTER-INSURANCE EXCHANGE of the MICHIGAN AUTOMOBILE one 221 Houseman Bidg., Grand Rapids, Mic! Fire Insurance that Really Insures The first consideration in buying your fire insurance is SAFETY. You want your protection from a company which really protects you, not from a company which can be wiped out of existence by heavy losses, as some companies have been. Our Company is so organized that it CAN NOT lose heavily in any one fire. Its invariable policy is to accept only a limited amount of insurance on any one building, in any one block in any one town. Our Company divides its profits equally with its policy ‘holders, thus reducing your premiums about one-third under the regular old line charge for fire insurance. MICHIGAN BANKERS AND MERCHANTS’ MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO. Wm. N. Senf, Secretary FREMONT, MICHIGAN lt LAURA = a = = = a = = 4 z ; LUTTUUNTVUTE CLUE ” | i & Z, 0 mj an) MN te -) 4 ce a ms me M ey Za = © = NA We Have Everything You Need or Expect in a Bank ae Nae Cit. ry } . Capital ata : $800,000.00 Hie pf V4 r \ Surplus and Undivided Profits Res 2 ee $1, 114,390.36 Resources $15,030,383.31 =— . Fourth National Bank United States Depositary Savings Deposits Commercial Deposits 3 Per Cent Interest Paid on Savings Deposits Compounded Semi-Annually I 3% Per Cent Interest Paid on Certificates of Deposit Left One Year Capital Stock and Surplus $580,000 LAVANT Z. CAUKIN, Vice President ALVA T. EDISON, Ass’t Cashier WM. H. ANDERSON. President J. CLINTON BISHOP, Cashier 62 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 19138 the States and the municipalities, be- cause they are the only agencies which can afford to undertake un- economic expenditures which _ re- dound to the public good, to immed- iately begin building construction and other public improvements which have ‘been held in abeyance by the war. They should not delay action in the hope of being able to do the work cheaper by and by. The possi- bility of employment by such agen- cies will form a sponge for the ab- sorption of surplus labor during the transition period and will keep labor supplied with the wants of life, at least, until peace prosperity can call them back to their trades. The problem of the next few months, which constitute the re-ad- justment problems, are as difficult of solution and are as important as even the problems of war. They demand the deepest .consideration and the calmest judgment. This is no time for partisanship; it is no time for political differences, to cloud our view. America, the richest of al! nations in natural resources, in rail- roads, in producing capacity and in gold supply, has before it the possi- bility of a prosperity such as the world has ever known. It has been invigorated by the war. Civilized countries were never more friendly disposed toward it. I have none oi the fears of the pessimist as to our long future. The immediate future is the period which may give us the greatest concern. Let us evidence our patriotism by devoting ourselves to the solution of these problems. Let us accept the obligation of citizen- ship and devote our minds, trained in business development, to solve the great problems of this period. C. E. Mitchell. —_>-- War Diet and Human Weight. A statistical report. published [n the German press and .dealing with the effect of war food on the human constitution shows briefly that farm- ers and their families lost no weight during the war, but that persons living in large cities were affected to a serious degree. According to Bavarian Doctors, the average person in cities lost about one-sixth his pre-war weight, but in small towns the loss has been only about one-twentieth. “Self-providers’, as farmers are called, lost no weight during the war and this observation applies to both men and women. Among city con- sumers, however, men lost about one-tenth their pre-war weight and women about one-fourteenth. Information of this kind reflects, in a measure at least, the close food margins on which the city dwellers in Central Europe have been living. According to the U.S. Food Adminis- tration, the situation probably has been more critical among the sur- rounding nations which Germany has drained of food and it is these newly liberated countries that must have food from America promptly and in plenty. — +2. While the dance goes on the awk- ward man gets there with both feet. _Advantage of Team Work in Selling Goods. Always an important one, the ques- tion of how best to promote co-oper- ation between the sales and credit de- partments of a business has become even more so as a result of commer- cial conditions arising from the en- trance of this country into the war. Believing that an interchange of ideas on the subject is one of the best means of promoting the kind of co-operation that is needed, the Na- tional Association of Credit Men has just issued a pamphlet containing ad- dresses made recently by three prom- inent business men of the Middle West. One is a credit man, another is a sales manager, and the third is treasurer of his firm. This is an ex- cerpt from the talk of the credit man: “Several years ago the point arose in the organization which I repre- sent that we were losing business, especially on new orders, inasmuch as we were delaying shipments of the goods in order that we might secure credit information. At our annual sales meeting the matter was discussed pro and con, with the re- sult that the general manager instruct- ed the credit department to accept the first order from a new customer, on whom we had no information at all, up to a certain point, and in the meanwhile get busy and get our re- ports and be in a position to handle his future business. This was tried out for three months, with the re- sult that we were not satisfied with our findings, and put this class of business on the following basis: Get information in advance of the sales- man. “The credit manager is in a much better position to get an accommo- dation before the account is opened rather than after. Does it not stand to reason that the salesman can be greatly assisted if we can get him this information in advance, so he will know when he goes into a new place of business that, should he be success- ful in landing an order, his house will pass it? “You may wonder how this infor- mation is to be obtained. In the morning’s mail three new customers were brought to my attention through cash remittances alone. As an il- lustration, an old firm sent in their re- mittance, advising that they had just leased their business to another par- ty, whom they would highly recom- mend to our firm and asking that we give him the same courteous treat- ment we had extended to them in the past. “Watch your demand for cata- logues. Whenever a new catalogue is asked for have your sales department pass that order over to the credit manager’s desk. so that he may get in touch with this class of prospect. Also make a study of your territory and find whether or not you are sell- ing the more responsible firms. If not, enquire into it, for we will all agree that we are anxious to get hold of the man in an established business and in business to stay.” The salesman, according to the sales manager referred to heretofore, generally feels that the credit man is Established 50 Years BUY Diamonds. atches JEWELRY FOR CHRISTMAS The HERKNER JEWELRY CO. solicits your patronage upon the quality and merit of their merchandise and _ the moderate prices given you throughout the store. JOIN THE GRAND RAPIDS SAVINGS BANK 7 ee is 5010) On Satisfied Customers know that we specialize in accommodation Cay seule e THE BANK WHERE YOU FEEL AT HOME Geminis Gaines ann: WE WILL APPRECIATE YOUR ACCOUNT TRY USI Our vast buying power en- ables us to quote you better values on Diamonds, Watch- es and Jewelry than you are ee accustomed to paying for goods of equa] merit. Kent State Bank Our holiday stock is the Main Office Ottawa Ave. Facing Monroe Grand Rapids, Mich. - $500,000 * $700,000 largest we have ever shown and invite your inspection when in the city. Selection packages sent any- where in Michigan to re- sponsible people. Surplus and Profits Resources 10 Million Dollars 3 A Per Cent. Paid on Certificates of Deposit HERKNER’S 114 Monroe Ave. GRAND RAPIDS = MICH. The Home for Savings N these times of changing conditions, new standards of values, complicated tax laws and similar difficulties, hundreds of women have placed their fortunes upon this ‘‘great safe ship” Living Trusts. Many now enjoy the protection of this Company because their husbands or fathers, when living, had the kindly fore-thought to de- vise their estates to this institution as trustee, guardian or executor. If you are worried, troubled, pre- plexed, or if you think that your widow may be, why not inquire at the Trust De- partment and see if your troubles, or her troubles, cannot be lessened here. Send for Blank Form of Will and booklet on “Descent and Distribution of Property’”’ THE MICHIGAN TRUST Go. OF GRAND RAPIDS Safety Deposit Vaults on ground floor. Boxes to rent at low cost. December 11, 1918 not his friend, whereas the credit man should be, and often is, as good a friend to the salesman, or even better, than the sales manager. If the two departments co-operate in the proper manner, he said, greater results in the way of increased sales and more business on the books could be secured than if there was a feeling of antagonism between the two de- partments. He continued: “Let us see for a minute how this will work out in practice. It is fully as essential to keep éstablished ac- counts lined up and their accounts paid up, so that more goods can be sold to them, as it is to get new business. It is usually easier to get more business from an_ established customer than to break the ice with new sales. Hence, if the credit man- ager would take the route sheets of each salesman on Monday . morning, make a list of towns he (the sales- man) is going to be in during the week, and give that salesman a list of every account that is past due in his territory, together with the amount that he is willing to pass an additional order for and a statement for the past due balance, with the re- quest that the salesman collect it, it would give the salesman definite in- formation on how far he could go in selling more goods to that dealer. “Take, for instance, a dealer who has a credit limit of $100. He is ow- ing, say, $125, $75 of which is sixty days past due. It is apparent that the credit manager has. stretched the credit limit somewhat to ‘let him in’ to the amount of $125, and it is safe MICHIGAN TRADESMAN to assume that he would not want to stretch it further to cover any addi- tional order which the salesman might take, unless a substantial re- mittance against the past due balance is sent in. “Now, the salesman should realize that he is put in charge of his terri- tory for the purpose of developing the .” greatest possible volume of “profita- ble business for his house” He should not fook upon the collection of past” due balances as simply doing. col-* lection work, but should regard’ if as a business-building proposition’ and realize that it was up to him té secure an additional order when he is in the town. If he is not préparéd sto do this he might just as ‘well pass up that town, or at least that custom- er, because any order Without a re- mittance on account-to offset the past due balance would ‘naturally either be held up or turned down. I be- lieve that it is good policy for the sales manager of: any business insti- tution to: give his men at least moral credit for all collections they make, and have them show collections made in a‘separate column on their sales reports for the week. “In passing, I might mention an- other direction in which the sales- man can co-operate with the credit department. In many instances the salesman will take orders from ac- counts not previously sold by the house under some designation other than the owner’s name, as, for in- stance, the Palace Drug Store, the Red Cross Pharmacy, the Unique Hardware Shop, etc. In instances of this kind it would facilitate the work of the credit department and reduce the expense of securing necessary in- formation through regular channels if the salesman would give the own- er’s name in addition to the style un- der which the business is conducted. The reason is that the commercial agen¢fes Often rate the name of the owher and not the style under which ‘he operates.” * -Siiggesting other ways in which co- ‘operation might be promoted, the . Sales manager says: “I believe that a credit manager, when he finds it nec- essary to turn down an order, should realize that a salesman has worked hard for that order and should write him an explanatory letter, giving brief reasons for his action and of- fering some condolences that will take away the sting of the refusal of the order. Then again, when a sales- man sells a particularlly well-rated firm for the first time, the credit manager should drop him a compli- mentary letter. This will spur the salesman to his greatest efforts with that class of trade and will make him feel that the credit manager is with him. “The credit manager also should make a point of talking personally with the salesmen, when they return from their trips, about the different doubtful accounts on their territory, getting first their viewpoint and studying their mental attitude in re- gard to credit, and gradually winning their friendship and confidence. “Salesmen also should be encour- aged to come to the credit man with information that will be of interest to him. They should also report any change of ownership of a business, with full information as to the his- tory of the new incumbent and, if possible, stating where the old owner is going to locate and whether he is going into the same line of business on some other man’s territory or not. This often paves the way for getting new accounts in other towns.” The third speaker emphasized the importance of personal contact be- tween the credit department and the customer, as well as between the salesmen and their accounts: He told of a case in which a dealer had ex- ceeded his credit in it, owing to an oversight in the credit department, and was offering unusual credit terms to his customers in the belief that the selling house was in no great need of money and could wait. An as- sistant credit man was sent to see this dealer and, after a talk with him, both went among the latter’s farmer trade and collected over $500 that was due the dealer. “The results of this trip,” the speak- er concluded, “in the way of education to the customer and of benefits to our company, have been worth many times its cost, for since that time the dealer has not only given us a larger volume of business, but has, in the main, discounted his bills.” For Nothing. Girl—I’m going to marry a doctor, so that I can be well for nothing. Boy—Why not marry a minister, so that you can be good for nothing. $30.00 For December and January Satin and Straw Combination Hats will be popular, we now have in stock a complete line of these goods in all colors, ranging in price from to $60.00 Our line of Trimmed Hats for Spring will be ready to show soon after January fifteenth, this line of goods is especially adopted for the general store trade, each hat bears the Corl-Knott trade mark, a positive guarantee for quality and workmanship. stock a liberal showing of Corl-Knott Hats. per dozen If interested write us for further particulars. CORL-KNOTT CO. Grand Rapids, Mich. You should have represented in your MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 FIGHTING RISING COSTS. Suburban Merchants Can Compet- ‘With City Stores. Six years ago our customers of to- day—practically everyone residing in North Hill—came back from their trips to Spokane, three miles away, carrying the purchases that we thought should have been made at our store. We realized that we would soon be out of business unless we found a way to meet and beat this downtown competition. Our location was a good one pro- viding we could get the trade that should logically be ours. To the East of us are railroad shops and roundhouses. To the South is what is known as the “mill district.” Most of the residents in our neighborhood are either millhands or shopworkers. Their wages are small, but most of them live well within their means, are trustworthy, and make very de- sirable customers. Our chief, and really our only, competition comes from the large downtown stores. The three big dailies of Spokane carry the adver- tisements of these stores, and are read by practically every one on the North Hill—the name of our district, Most of the stores make regular de- liveries in our territory. It was out of the question for us to try to advertise in the big daily papers. For one thing we couldn't afford to pay the high advertising rates, and the fact that we delivered in only a small portion of the city would make such advertising largely a waste of money. But some kind oi advertising was necessary. New people moving into our district hard- ly knew that our store existed. And we were not getting nearly the amount of business from our trade territory that we felt we were entitled to. I presume a good many stores are located about as we are, and for that reason I think the methods we adopted to get our fair share of busi- ness will be generally interesting. First of all, we made a survey of the trade situation in our territory and outlined a programme along lines which we believed would build up our business. What we decided to do, and these are the policies we have carried through, were the following three things: 1. We planned to make the store thoroughly modern, both outside and in. 2. We decided to round out our Imes of merchandise so that custom- ers need not send to town for any- thing. 3. Finally, we decided to develop a community of interest on North Hill with the Blodgett store as its center. Our first move was to remodel the store and install the very latest type of store fixtures. If we were to com- pete with the downtown stores, we felt that we must be’ able to show merchandise to the same advantage. So we spared no expense in securing equipment that would not only meet the needs of our business but would compare favorably with the bigger stores of Spokane. We are great believers in “having a place for everything and keeping everything in its place,’ and our fix- tures are scientifically planned to make this possible. The ceiling is sixteen feet from the floor and the shelving is built up to the top all around, It is therefore twice the ordinary height, and double width. This arrangement gives us a large storage space, which saves many trips to the .warehouse. The shelves themselves can be adjusted to different heights. Say we have a line of canned goods on which the cans stand six inches high. By ad- justing our shelves so they are just a little more than six inches ‘apart, there’s a minimum of waste space be- tween the tops of the six-inch cans and the next shelf. Sliding ladders make access to the top shelf easy. Drawers underneath the shelves are built to be both dust and mouse- proof. After we had taken steps to make the store thoroughly up-to-date with- out and within, our next step was to complete our lines of merchandise. Up to that time our stocks were like those of thousands of other general stores the country over. We at once rounded out these lines so that we became practically a depart- ment store on a small scale. Our aim was to be able to supply all the important common needs of our customers. We now have a market, a grocery, hardware, feed and grain, drug, and dry goods store, all under one roof. We find we can handle the greater number of lines with a considerable saving in overhead expense. Each line helps sell the others. Most important of all the steps we took was our campaign to make our store a community center. In the first place, we made arrangements with the downtown postoffice to es- tablish a branch postoffice in our store. As there are no other branches in our vicinity, this move brought a lot of people to our store to buy stamps and money orders, many of whom would never come otherwise. Next, we built a small building alongside of our store and gave it to the library board for a branch li- brary. While the residents o nthe hill were chiefly shop workers and mill hands, we had noticed that they liked to read and many were borrow- ing books from the down-town li- ‘brary, When they were down town at the library, of course they would often go to the big stores to shop; and we lost orders that we should have had. We ficured that a branch library on the Hill would make trips to the main library unnecessary; and if the library was next to our store our business would profit according- ly. Maybe it wouldn’t be possible for every merchant to start a branch library next door to his store—of course I am not recommending that. But I am sure there are in every neighborhood many little services that a merchant can perform for his customers; and if he’s on the watch to develop his opportunities, there’s money in it for him. Customers are quick to appreciate such things. At any rate, that is our experience. And we have found that in a number of other ways it is possible to create community interest. We had a num- ber of good baseball players among our employes, so we organized a nine. We leased a lot, not far from the store, laid out a baseball diamond and put up a moderately good-sized grand stand. Games were arranged with other teams of the city two nights of each week. This we found to be another profitable form of indirect advertis- ing. We had a pretty good team— as amateur teams go—and won most of our games. A good many of the people in our neighborhood are good “fans,” North Hill backed the team to a man. People liked the playing spirit of our boys. Many friendships sprang up which, of course, have proved good for the business. And in addition to all this the games helped to hold our employes together. They created a common bond among them which I believe has had its part in the recent growth of our business. Business steadily improved as a re- sult of the three steps we had taken to build up our trade, There was still something wanting, however. There seemed to be no connecting link between our various efforts to develop community interest on North Hill. An extensive advertising cam- paign seemed to be the solution of the problem. However, as I have said before, use of space in the down- town papers was out of the question for us. We had tried the plan of dis- tributing circulars with only ordinary results. Finally, we hit upon the store paper idea. The first issue of our paper ap- peared in January, 1914—“Blodgett’s Store .News, The North Hill Boos- ter,” we called it. It was a success from the start. Our paper has never had less than twelve pages in an issue. We make it a regular community affair. From a purely literary standpoint it may not amount to much, but for genuine human interest I believe you’d agree that it is a winner. The paper is filled with accounts of the local doings in our part of town, and not much else. Space is given to church, lodge, and club announce- ments. People like to see their names in print and we mention just as many of our customers as possible. In one issue we printed the photo- graphs of six North Hill babies. This made a great hit with the mothers and enough more photo- graphs came in for six pictures of babies in the following month’s issue. Every issue has one entire page of cooking recipes for the housewife. We try to make the paper a force for good in the community and have several times strongly championed causes which we thought were of vital interest to our customers. As to the motive behind the pub-. lication, we were entirely above board with our readers. Editorials on such subjects as ‘Some Frank Re- marks About Buying Down Town’, and “Our Store Policy”, frankly stated our reasons for wishing to keep the North Hill trade right out on North Hill. In the five years that we have pub- lished Blodgett’s Store News: we have given the store paper idea a good test, and I honestly believe it is the very best medium possible to reach our trade and to keep our name before them. It was our idea that it would make our store a community center, and it has succeeded beyond our expectations. Our sales for 1915 were double those of three years ago, and 1916 and 1917 each showed large increases. Our cost figures in 1916, however, showed that our cost of doing busi- ness was too high. A big share— 85 per cent.—of our business was credit. Like most neighborhood stores we sent out solicitors who called on the trade. The orders taken were delivered the same afternoon or the following morning by our regular de- livery men. In order to make a good record, the solicitors were not al- ways careful to note family condi- tions or to ascertain whether or not the bread winner was employed. Many of our customers were not re: ceiving steady or profitable employ- ment and we were forced to carry large balances. The result was, most of our profit was tied up on our books. Our problem became more serious when the announcement was made that one of the largest down town cash stores was contemplating the establishment of a store in our local- ity. We realized that we were in no condition to compete with a strictly cash store. We could not expect an advance in wages great enough to take care of the increased cost of living, and it was easy for us to see that we had to meet this changed condition, at once. We decided to go on a Strictly cash basis. Blodgett’s Store News again showed its value in giving publicity to our new method of doing business. We were able through its columns to reach every customer in our district and tell them why and what we were doing and explain it in such a way that we had their co-operation in making the change. .Results far ex- ceeded our expectations. Supple- menting our papers were letters sent to all on our mailing list, and we had personal interviews in which we ex- plained why we would be able to sell cheaper. We showed our customers that the change was for their bene- fit. In starting our cash system we sent out a circular announcing a special sale. The result o fthis ad- vertising was the largest week’s business in the history of our store and it was all cash. C. A. Blodgett. SIDNEY ELEVATORS Will reduce handling expense and speed up work—will make money for you. Easily installed. Plans and instructions sent with each elevator. Write stating requirements, giving kind machine and size platform : wanted, as well as height. We will quote . a money saving price. Sidney Elevator Mnfg. Co., Sidney, Ohio iE IN ULE woe + December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 65 eee ee e al We Have Kept the Faith! American men, American women, American children—here in Grand Rapids—through- out devoted Michigan—everywhere all up and down the Nation—have sustained the cause of Liberty with all their hearts, their hands and all their resources. Unitedly we have é | answered the call of Destiny. With full respect to all the splendid Soldiers and Sailors of : ' The Republic, still may we say that none have more superbly “carried on” than the Men from Michigan. God bless them all! With full acknowledgment to the purity: of patrio- — n : tism which has spurred The Land from coast to coast, still may we say that nowhere have a . . : the Home Hosts been more dependable than here in Michigan. 4 ‘ + These contemplations are the proudest jewels in the diadem which crowns the glory of our i commonwealth. Grand Rapids and Michigan have done their part! Our resources—human . and material—have been dedicated to The New Crusades without stint. We have been true Fy ) to Liberty’s Goddess. We have joined, in full strength and numbers, the Emancipators who : st have saved democracy at home and abroad. We have kept the faith! We have justified : : the words of President Wilson, Commander-in-Chief, uttered upon the memorable second : day of April, 1917, when he called the Congress to lead us to Civilization’s battleline. His : . words, then, measure our achievement, now: 1- F ) “There are, it may be many, months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It in is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible ; and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But e am the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things we have : always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who : submit to authority to have a voice in their own government, for the rights and in : liberties of smal{ nations for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of : : free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world 0 itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes; : ) everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who 4 : know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and in her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace . which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.” it i id rs e= : | WATSON-HIGGINS MILLING CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN IN SERVICE—Seth W. Watson, Edward F. Watson, Marcus A. Watson. oo ee sily ith rm ote 1io ib ae SND RR REAR ea cai sega Naa RLS tly aS Rb hac Lids ph daa 4 oe 4 - % ¥ 66 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 1i, 1918 WHERE DO WE STAND? Survey of Hide, Leather and Shoe Conditions. There has been during the past two years the dangerous tendency of decrying as pro-German everybody who had a word to say on the neces- sity of preparing for the eventual coming of peace. The result is that the important problems which the Nation will face in the near future have found no appreciable discussion at all and that to-day there exists something like a danger of peace. Fortunately the harm done will not be so great after all, principally be- cause the work which we should have done has been done for us by others. Our Allies, more awake to the great problems which will be created by the return of peace, have done ex- tensive research work and ‘we shall have, in part, at least the advantage of their knowledge. The time has now come when these problems have suddenly become acute and when they call for an immediate solution. It is, therefore, necessary to come to some understanding of what character our problems will assume and how the international markets in hides, leather and shoes will stand when peace finally is declared. Use of Leather Substitutes. The problems involved are so gen- eral that it is absolutely impossible to separate, in discussing them, friend from enemy, If there should be trouble, the world as a whole will feel the pinch and relief can only be given by getting at the root of the situation. Naturally, the Central Powers, or what is left of them, will be the heaviest sufferers. They have gone along for four years on a scanty allowance of hide and leather, and the attempts made in these countries to replace by substitutes the fast de- clining stocks of real leather have only been a partial success. Never- theless, there is now the possibility that after the war leather substitutes will take quite a considerable place in the manufacture of boots and shoes. Of significance in this respect is the news coming from England, where extensive experiments have been made with reference to the use of leather substitutes and where much better results seem to have been ob- tained than in Germany. England has had better opportunities in the selection of raw materials required for making substitutes, and, there- fore, has been enabled to turn out a material that is generally superior to the German article. The interest, so far, seems to center mostly in sole leather substitutes. Sole leather substitutes were in the market before the war, and they will not suffer so much from the feeling of distrust against uppers of substitute mater- ials. This is probably because the wearer sees the upper leather, but is less interested in the soles of his boots apart from their wearing qual- ity. But England also has made the first organized effort to export leath- er substitutes. Shipments have been made to several English colonies and repeat ordrs may follow if the cus- tomers take to them. Substitutes in Germany. So it seems, after all, that the leather substitute has come to stay. It will, for a while, find its principal supporters in Germany, where all possible efforts are being made to convince the public of the usefulness of substitute materials with a view to reducing as much as can be the. con- sumption of real leather after the war and to remove the necessity of Ger- many buying large quantities of leather abroad. The future, .then, must show whether leather substi- tutes can be improved in such a man- ner as to outlive the present neces- sity and become a permanent article of commerce. The Hide Supply. The question is one of considerable interest to the hide, leather, and shoe But we must not forget, that while practically all the regular supply of hides coming to market is taken up for the purpose of making leather, there are still millions and millions of men wearing no boots at all and, therefore, are not consuming leather. As civilization spreads, so spreads the demand for boots, with’the result that once a point must be reached, where the supply of leather is not progressing so quickly as the demand for it. This point, in fact, has been reached already, but its full effect will show only after the war. The war has brought in touch with Euro- pean customs millions of men wko have worn no boots in former years and who now will begin to do so. So the practice of wearing boots will ex- tend and more will be required. Shall Van A. Wallin. trade of the world. The hide sup- ply of the world depends on the number of animals that are slaugh- tered every year. These animals are slaughtered for the purpose of ob- taining their meat, and the hides are a by-product, Animals would not be slaughtered for their hide value only. _A reduction in the meat consumption, therefore, must result in a corres- ponding decrease of the hide supply, while an increase in the meat con- sumption will have the contrary ef- fect. As the ‘world can consume every year only a given quantity of meat, there is also only a limited supply of hides. This supply of hides, however, increases _ steadily from year to year following the in- crease in the population of the world and the consumption of meat. So, theoretically at least, there should be always a sufficient supply of hides. we be able to supply the necessary leather? This is more than doubtful. Many of the races of the world that may take up wearing boots are not meat eaters on a great scale. They do not add to the consumption of meat and, therefore, will not help to increase the supply of hides. Two results are possible. The one is an increase in the price of hides and leather, the other must be recourse to other materials than leather for the making of boots. Hence, the likelihood of a substitute industry in the near future. This may take many years, and while the development takes place the present aversion of the average man to wear anything but leather boots may lessen. Increasing the Hide Supply. In the meantime it is up to the hide trade of the world to provide us with the necessary hides and leather. If this is not done we are running the danger of getting a lot of adul- terated leather in the market which certainly will not benefit the leather trade of the world. As it is, there have been many complaints about an increasing deterioration of leather for which all kinds of explanations are given. Steps to check the evil were taken in South Africa, where a great deal of leather of this sort was manufactured, very much to the det- riment of the shoe manufacturers and dealers there. Improving the Take-Off. It appears that the hide trade can do a good deal to increase the pres- ent supply of hides by improving both the methods of collection and also the treatment of the hides by the native collectors in the outlying markets. Finally, more attention should be given to tanning methods in native markets. What can be done in this direction has been shown by the British Government ‘in its cam- paign in India. Tanners have been advised to be more careful in the se- lection and grading of the hides, which has had a beneficial influence on the quality of the native hides. Adulteration has been checked in the nat-ve tanneries and the tanning methods are standardized. The re- sult has been quite extraordinary. While India exported during the year before the war approximately 180,000 cwt. of tanned hides, there were available for export 272,000 cwt. in 1916 and 322,000 in 1917. It is ex- pected that India has been able to supply 375,000 cwt. ‘tanned hides or about 4,000,000 pieces during the year 1918. India to-day supplies the leath- er for approximately 27,000,000 Eng- lish army boots yearly which is quite an astonishing figure considering pre war performances. Another example of what can be done by a systematic development of the resources in markets which by themselves would not be able to sup- ply large quantities of hides in North East Africa. There have been many complaints about the unsatisfactory quality of the hides coming from that quarter in former years, and dur- ing certain periods dealers were rather reticent in taking stock from that quarter. During the war, of course, everything has been taken that came into the market. The oper- ations of big armies in Asia Minor Fire Insurance On all kinds of stock and building written by us at a discount of twenty-five per cent from the board rate with an additional discount of five per cent if paid inside of twenty days from the date of policy. For the best merchants in the state. No Membership Fee Charges Our Responsibility Over $2,000,000 Michigan Shoe Dealers Mutual Fire Insurance Company Fremont, Mich. Write us for further information. rn. S&S wnnwrse onrwisi WB * @ ® 1 ~— = Sei“ on SWS &H 1 Oa December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 67 Do Your Duty Sell her or him a pair of dress shoes for Xmas. No year will useful gifts be more appreciated than this. Our boys will soon be home and want dress shoes. fulfill their demands. Can you Send us your order for what- ever you need and you will be more than satisfied. Hirth-Krause Company Grand Rapids, Michigan WLCTUEI V ANANINA Seen ome Hii © ONDITIONS, change frequently, but the trade that is founded on Quality is the trade that is constant LT and profitable, ane If you have your trade established on * Honorbilt Shoes you have some- count on. ey | F. Mayer Boot & Shoe Co. ~ i i | i" | Milwaukee, Wis. | | y) os | AUILINUIUIT t HUI aii lh AUT TUUUL CHL thing that you can really; Ne ‘ Uy ; « < ‘ In | i 0 fa More Seasonable Goods in Stock Hood Bullseye Sock Overs The ‘‘Bullseye’’ Black % : Bootee Pressured Cured, Duck Lined, White Sole, @ $3.27 The “‘Bullseye’”’ Black Lumber Jack Pressured Cured, Fleeced Lined, White Sole, @ $2.45 Both Good Numbers. Grand RepidsShoe ®Rubber® The Michigan People Grand Rapids R. K. L. “ sao Victory Shoe A $400 Welt Tan and Black. Heavy enough for any work—Light enough for semi-dress. R. K. L. Made of vegetable tanned upper leather, gain insole, first grade outsole with arubber slip sole. A shoe for every wear. No. 8733—Dark Chocolate Blucher Welt, D and E, Sizes 5 toll, Price....... $4.00 No. 8734—Black Blucher Welt, D and E, Sizes 5 toil. Price................-- 4.00 ORDER TO-DAY—SHIPMENT AT ONCE. Rindge, Kalmbach, Logie Company | Grand Rapids, Mich. . R. K. L R. K. L. ; socom aie aot Ae te dette Sat ni pes can Ry gt ae: sia State tees come drape eath Ty careitees rs Se ge ogee car ace gene cwect ce 68 and Arabia brought in their wake a much larger demand for meat and since the beginning of the war a sys- tematic effort to raise the meat supply has been made by the English offi. cials in these parts of the world, and incidentally also to improve ‘the hides, The breeders have been shown that they can get better prices for hides of good quality, and agrilul- tural shows and demonstrations have done their part. It is said that a much better type of hide is coming to-day from the East African native growers than at any time in the his- tory of the market. It is to be hoped that the present good standard will be kept up in the future. More Hides From Mexico. We have a hide market right be- fore our doors which, if properly de- veloped, can bring us a great num- ber of hides of favorable, if not ex- cellent quality. This is Mexico. Of course, our influence in this case can be only indirectly. The United States will have to furnish capital and breeding animals, but the general ‘conditions for growing large and healthy animal herds in Mexico are good. What is wanted at present is more system in keeping up the breed, irrigation and better feeding methods which will improve not only the meat value .of the animals but also their hides. Make the production of good hides a source of good income and the ranchers will give it more atten- tion. With the political situation in Mexico improving, it is possible that more labor can be gotten for the ranchers and that the herds then will receive better care than they do now. Another very promising field for future development is China, which does not yet'‘receive sufficient at- tention from hide dealers, although they obtain quite a number of hides from. Chinese sources. The trouble is that we have not taken much inter- est, so far, in the markets from which we derive our supplies of raw mater- ials, trusting too much to luck. We, therefore, do not always get the mer- chandize and quality we would like to have. We shall have to mend our ways in future, and one of the prob- lems of our hide importers after the war will be, how best to improve the hides in the markets which we con- sider our most convenient sources. A little money, well spent and paid out at the right time will go a long way, and we should not be afraid to spend it when the chance comes for doing so. By following this practice we shall not only help ourselves, but we shall help the leather trade all over the world. Every new hide of good qual- ity that comes into the market will relieve the unavoidable shortage of leather that will follow the war, and also lessen the danger from the in- troduction of inferior substitutes which must be the natural result of the shortage of the principal ma- terial. Rise in Shoe Prices. With the very limited stock of hides at the disposal of the world’s shoe industries and little visible sup- plies that may be reached during the next few months, there arises an- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN other ‘serious problem, that of shoe prices. The rise in shoe prices is not entirely the result of high leather prices and big profits made by manu. facturers and dealers as many will have it. It is, in fact, principally a problem of labor. This problem, in turn, is not confined to the United States, but it is one by which all the principal countries of the world are confronted. The war has brought in its wake an unprecedented disorganization of the ordinary living conditions, re- sulting in enormous increases in prices for all the most essential com- modities. Labor, which probably felt first the pinch of necessity, immed- iately took protective action, and supported by the shortage of indus- trial help, enforced wage increases which, in many instances, have more than doubled the pre-war scales. Naturally, such a wholesale increase in wages had its effect on the manu- facturing process. This happened during a time when increased pro. duction of boots and shoes was not only an ordinary market necessity but became an imperative National need. So all the countries at war have made an attempt at regulating the price of boots. The regulation has been, in most cases, of a very arbitrary character, and it is not likely that these prices can be upheld under conditions ot normal demand and supply. But it seems that in the interest of the trade prices should not increase much further. If they are permitted to grow a reduction in demand will take place. There will be a larger activity in the repair trade, and the shoe retailers will not sell the same number of pairs of shoes. High Level of Shoe Prices. Much of this sensitiveness of the market has, no doubt, to do with the coming of peace and the general un- rest caused by the preparations for this event. But there is also cause to suspect that prices now have reached a level where they cannot be sustained by the trade in other coun- tries. It must not be forgotten that wages in South America, although higher to-day than before the war, have not risen at the same rate as in the countries at war. The middle class, which is the principal buyer of exported shoes, has not had oppor- tunities to increase its earnings and, therefore, its buying power is de- clining. So there arises the question, what to do with the export business if prices continue to advance? Which of our standard lines will con- tinue to sell abroad and which will have to be discontinued on account of not being inside the range of prices the foreigner can pay? This, by the way, is not only an American problem, it concerns just as much the shoe manufacturers of Europe, who are not much better placed than our Own manufacturers. In fact, they will feel still more the effect of high prices on their foreign sales be- cause the export markets were ac- customed to receive cheaper shoes from Europe than from the United States. So peace will not be all a blessing. But after all, nobody expected that peace would prove a general cure for all the evils of trade and commerce. We have had our troubles before the war and we are bound to have them after peace is signed. Only they will be sweetened by the conscious- ness that real peace again rules the world. Van A. Wallin. 2. Relative Merits of Cash and Credit Business. In approaching this subject one must assume the attitude of a fair minded man when considering any question which has merit on both sides. We all know there are many reasons why business should be con- ducted on a strictly cash basis, but may there not be equally as many why reasonable credit should be granted to those worthy of it? The merchant who conducts a strictly cash store has the advantage of knowing that he will suffer no loss from bad debts. Having no capital invested in book accounts, he can do business on less than a competitor who does a credit business. He also has less bookkeeping cost and no collection expense, hence he can market his goods on a smaller mar- gin of profit. There is, however, something to be said in favor of the credit business. A properly conducted credit depart- ment offers an accommodation to many who, through necessity or hab- it, wish to buy on credit, and is well known that people will buy more goods on credit than if required to pay spot cash. A credit customer is more loyal, and many time purchases goods that do not exactly please be- cause they maybe obtained on cred- it. A cash customer is more inde- pendent, and is more likely to “shop around.” It would follow that if more goods can be sold to a credit customer, and that he will be more loyal, every re- tailer would sell shoes on credit. Whether this is so or not depends entirely on the merchant. If he is conservative in granting credit, and a good collector, there is no reason why he should not be successful. The most vital matter in connec- tion with the credit business is the losses from bad debts. When we started in business in Galesburg near- ly fifteen years ago, we started a credit department, and during these years we have sold-many thousands of dollars’ worth of shoes on credit, our losses from bad debts being rela- tively small. As a matter of fact. our losses have never been more than one per cent, of our credit sales dur- ing any year. During. 1917 dur credit sales amounted to twenty-two and a half per cent. of our total sales and our losses from bad debts were lesss than one-fifth of one per cent. of the total sales. Our percentage of credit may appear high. The reason for this is that we charge goods sold on credit instead of making “approvals” which will be paid for within a few days after the time of purchase. In this manner hundreds of dollars’ worth of shoes are entered as credit December 11, 1918 sales which in a cash store would be entered as cash sales. We have conducted a credit de- partment and have succeeded and many of you have succeeded on a strictly cash business. There was a time when the necessity for credit was more apparent than now. Un- der the laws of this state all employes must be paid at least twice a month, thus tending to reduce the necessity for credit. It is our duty to conduct our busi- ness so as to render the greatest ser- vice to our country and to our con- stituency. No one has the right to be inefficient. The man who _ be- comes a Slacker through careless- ness is little better than the one who is a slacker from choice. No more patriotic body of men may be found than the shoe merchants. They are backing this war with their flesh an‘ blood, and with their money, but in spite of this fact, this is an oppor- tune time to consider ways and means of rendering greater service. If we can be of greater service and more efficient merchants by doing a cash business let us by all means adopt this system. R. W. Ranney. ——— = --o Value of Having a Plain Signature. “T like a man who writes a legible hand,” said Mr. Blinkinton, “and I should be inclined to trust a man who wrote his signature so plainly that is was unmistakably clear in each and every letter. “In the body of a letter you can often make out blind words by the context; but the signature has no context. It is true that you can some- times compare blind letters in the signature with blind letters in words in the letter, which you can identify; but in these days of typewritten let- ters there may be no such guide and the signature may be quite unread- able. “The best letter of recommenda- tion that I could receive for a youny man would be one written by himself in which each and every word, in- cluding his signature, was absolutely legible and clear, the signature being of espiécial importance. An older man might perhaps be pardoned for slurring his signature; a famous mar might write a signature that was quite undecipherable in itself but that was known because it was associated with him in the public mind; a rich man might write a signature that was more or less blind and yet that was clear enough at the bank where it was known; but a young man ora man publicly unknown should write his name so that it can be read. “An absolutely clear signature means that the writer of it likes his own name and is ready to stand back of it and that he wants you to know it without possibility of mistake. “When I see a signature like that I feel that the writer of it is standing up like a man and looking me fair and square in the eye. I feel that I know where to find him and that I can trust him. A young man could have very few characteristics or hab- its more helpful to him than that of writing an absolutely plain signa- ture.” iano Sani hse cies Pete Wi AS i 8 NERAG SSBAOIAIIRRE Ey AS Aa eect ipa | December 11, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 69 a : + — — : —and the modern grocer n ay : r >, EBE is an alterna- ze tive food produced d by the scientific com-_ ] . bining of separated milk c 4 and pure, edible fat pressed from the white meat of the cocoanut. I n Used in cooking, baking | - and with coffee, cocoa : and chocolate it helps n the housewife econom- : ize without sacrificing quality—and helps e- to conserve dairy products. . The progressive grocer carries Hebe be- - | cause it has its own place in home econo- 1d ) mics, just as have vegetable fatshortenings oe if NET CONTENTS I LB. AVOIRDUPOS and other alternative foods which are a. playing so important a part in helping to i ’ PE, are. — Be solve today’s food problem. ty = Hebe is made in modern condenseries, 1g sealed air-tight and sterilized. It is prop- - erly labeled, advertised and sold for just an what it is—“a compound of evaporated as Sean, o° skimmed milk and vegetable fat.” at - “ieee AT Mp Pou Hebe is distributed only through jobbers. at RATE ATED SKM i at ( ey Let us tell you more about Hebe, . CONTAINS 7. 8% eo (pronounced He-be), and its place te i - pANY in war-time housekeeping. Send for | on cheng eATEDSA " our booklet—address . vie — ! | wT THE HEBE COMPANY : Tl 3233 Consumers Bldg., Chicago | . >> —EF>~FrIrEPRPExR2R9~9p_E>~_—_—>~>E~E~m~~__—~__ == : | id b- of la~ * ge sil ee thy A al a Podge coma aye ems aaa Rae canola ateitah hobians eck sotemneg Seepage ieee 2 December 11, 1918 > fv =S = = % >= — ¢ = — os 4 = = ST > _— coe = Ee — = v = r as Sa nt Q | 9 im yY WV od w aS et 7 lt ve — —_ — — = J +. Michigan Retall Hardware Association. President—John C. Fischer, Ann Arbor. gape etimena ‘W. Leedle, Mar- shall. oo J. Scott, Marine ty. Treasurer—William Moore, Detroit. Crockery and Lamps in the Hard- ware Store. Written for the Tradesman. While it pays in the hardware business to give attention to new lines and to take up profit-making novelties, it is not necessary in so doing to disregard or to entirely abandon the older lines which are being in some measure displaced by new inventions. Rather, the old business should be made to work in conjunction with the new, to the advantage of both. The other night our electric lights failed, as they do very occasionally, and we had to fall back on a form of lighting that a good many people re- gard as out of date, not to say ex- tinct. One of the youngsters ex- claimed: “Oh, daddy, how did you get the light inside the bottle.” That was her first glimpse of the old fashioned kerosene lamp in action. Yet, although there are thousands of home in every large community where such an incident would be typical, in thousands of other homes the lamp is still in daily—or rather, nightly—use, And there is no home complete without at least one oil lamp and a little supply of oil. And, besides the city trade, there is always a substantial country trade to which the hardware dealer can effectively cater. Of course whether the hardware dealer will stock lamps and crockery depends on local conditions. In some communities there are well stocked and well managed china and crockery stores, which have a practi- cal monopoly of the business. In others there are grocery and general stores which cater to the demand. ~ Sometimes the jewelers cater to the better class of this trade. In other places the large dry goods and de- partment stores have china depart- ments. Whether the hardware dealer who has not an established china de- partment should embark in this new line depends largely on whether the field is sufficiently promising to justi- fy the new departure. The line is a legitimate one for any hardware store. The only question is, can it be made profitable under existing local conditions. Lamps are as legitimate a hard- ware line as lighting fixtures, which many hardware dealers have taken up; and the two work well in con- junction with one ‘another. Thus, “every household where electricity is installed should keep at least one good oil lamp in reserve, with a con- stant supply of oil. Often the attic is not wired or there may be recesses in basement or cellar where the elec- tric light rays do not reach. Here the lamp is invaluable. It is very handy for illumining out of the way corners. Then, when the electric cur- rent fails, the lamp is invariably welcome. Thus, even constant users of elec- tricity are to some slight extent lamp prospects. Then, the proportion of country homes served by individual lighting plants or suburban trans- mission lines is still comparatively small. Here, new lamps and lan- terng are constantly being bought, together with chimneys, which are always breaking, and _ kerosene, which is used up as regularly as the sun goes down. Hardware merchants who feature the china and crockery department tell me that these lines draw business in the other hardware lines as well. This is true of any special depart- ment. The main thing in carrying on a department of this kind is to know the goods thoroughly, to watch the markets, to study the local trade> to understand what class of goods your customers want, and to stock the sort of lines for which there is a ready sale or which can be pushed to good advantage. Then, pushful methods should be adopted in running the department, on the safe and sound old principle that what is worth handling at all is worth pushing. To make the china department a success, it must be kept right before the public. Display is essential. Use the windows as opportunity offers, and place the goods as conspicuously as possible inside the store. It may be possible, if ground floor space is cramped, to carry the bulk of the china department on an upper floor, provided the latter can be eas- ily reached; and a few samples of the most popular lines downstairs. A rest room provided in connection with the china department will ap- peal to the women folk, who are probably the largest purchasers of china and crockery, and will provide an added inducement for the trip up- stairs. to the department. Cards prominently posted in the down- stairs portion of the store should call attention to the upstairs china de- partment. The department is like any other specialty department to this extent, that it must be carefully studied. The THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS AROUSED AGAINST Fire Loss Automatic Sprinklers solve the ques- tion and provide a suitable and effi- cient remedy. Get in touch with us. Phoenix Sprinkler & Heating Co. Grand Rapids, Detroit Office, 909 Hammond Bldg. Michigan Michigan Hardware Co. Exclusively Wholesale Grand Rapids, Mich. Foster, Stevens & Co. Wholesale Hardware ot 157-159 Monroe Ave. :: 151 to 161 Louis N.W. Grand Rapids, Mich. : i i 18 ‘PUR TAG SE MCMASTER. ANA REL ARES tc BIRR I oo Ne ASAE December 11, 1918 hardware dealer who takes on any new line merely because it promises a good margin of profit is likely to be seriously disappointed if he just stocks the goods and leaves them to sell themselves. He must know the goods, must know what his custom- ers want and what he can sell them, must buy judiciously and must carry on an energetic selling campaign. He must be prepared to play up the goods inside the store and by means of window display, and to give them their fair share of newspaper and other advertising. In short, the china and lamp department is no easy road to profit. It involves work, just as does any other branch of the hardware trade. But, properly handled, by men who have patiently learned how to do things right, it has in many instances proven a money-maker, and has not merely justified itself by bringing in profits, but has brought trade in other lines as well. “I thought I couldn’t make room for it,” states one mer- chant, “but I found it paid to make room, and to give the department my best attention.” Incidentally, there is one point that must not be overlooked—the risk of breakages. Most of the hardware stock is safe against anything short of an earthquake and an axe, and the fact probably breeds a certain carelessness in the handling of goods. Thus, one hardware dealer for a long time made it his practice, when a shipment for the china de- partment arrived, to personally sup- ervise the unpacking. “TI believe that money can be made, by carefully handling the goods when they come in,” he declared. “By using special care I avoid the losses in breakage that fall to the lot of some mer- chants.” This point is worth re- membering, for it is just here that the “paper profits’”’.on which the in- experienced merchant figures are apt to go glimmering. In arranging and displaying the goods, too, precautions should be taken against breakage. With mod- erate precautions, the stock is as safe end as sure a money-maker as any- thing else in hardware. Victor Lauriston. —~++.—__ Some Qualities Clerks Should Pogsess. From a talk with the manager of a store the other day I gathered the following items concerning what a clerk ought to be. You can be a clerk all your life, or you can rise to something higher. Your ambitious discontent may be either wholesome or unwholesome; you can tell which it is by whether or not it makes you perform your pres- ent duties faithfully. The way to get a better position is fill the position you have better than anyone else could fill it. Be honest yourself, and if you are working with dishonest clerks or a dishonest employer, quit your job. A clerk’s best asset is being wide- awake, and that you can not be unless you get plenty of sleep. Make your recreation contribute to efficiency in your work. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 71 Watch the clock when you go to work, but not when you quit. Be neat. Ninety per cent. of store customers are women. Please them. Be polite. Everybody likes it. Practice saying “Thank you!” Keep busy. If you have nothing to do, find something, whether it is for you to do or not. But don’t be offi- cious. Remember your customers’ names and faces. Train yourself in this. Keep a little book.” . Never argue. Never: give advice. Never be flippant or try to be funny. Be pleasant. Don’t look glum. When a customer is dissatisfied, sympathize, don’t antagonize. Don’t say “lady,’ or “mister.” Say “madam” or “sir.” Don’t talk price; talk quality. Talk positively, not negatively. Say “What else?” not “Is that all?” Save something out of every bit of money you get. Don’t gamble. Invest. Pay cash for everything you buy for your personal use. Enjoy your friends. Shun what is called society. Don’t keep up relations with any- body who discourages you. Read. Read systematically. If you are ever going to get on, it will be because of what’s in your head. Associate with people who know more than you do, who have better manners than you have, and higher ideals. Be teachable. Be a good listener. Be openminded. By practice you can make your voice to have a pleasing quality. This you will find a great asset. Converse as much as possible with those who use good English. Learn to talk interestingly without the use of slang. Make your fellow-clerks like you by being unfailingly obliging and consid- erate, but don’t become too familiar with them. Find out and carry out your em- ployer’s wishes. Remember instruc- tions exactly as given. Write them down in your memorandum. Be obedient but not gushing, indus- trious but not officious, kind but not patronizing, positive but not egotistic, human but not weak. Which, after all, is good advice for anybody. Frank Crane. —_7---.—___ Take Failure by the Throat and Strangle It. 1. Learn all you can when young and prepare for the big things you want to do in life. 2. Develop social qualities as well as mental. 3. Learn to do your work faster and better than those around you. 4. Assume the kind of responsibil- ity that will accelerate ambition. -5, Don’t be afraid to talk to the boss, frankly and straight from the shoulder. 6. Don’t try to play a business game you do not understand. 7. Think ahead. 8. Be careful what you do and say in front of your subordinates; be a good example. SELL Lowell Garments and have satisfied customers Our Spring Lines are now ready and we guarantee to fill all orders we accept LADIES’ Gingham, Percale, Lawn and Fleeced Housedresses, Sacques, Wrappers, Kimonos, Aprons, Outing Flannel Night-gowns and Pajamas. CHILDREN’S Gingham and Percale Dresses, Outing Flannel Night-gowns and Pajamas. MEN’S Outing Flannel and Muslin Night-shirts and Pajamas. Out Sizes and Stouts for Men and Women a Specialty. LOWELL MANUFACTURING CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Our Pre-Inventory Sale Which started December 2nd, as announced in our bulletins, has brought in a very nice volume of business for which we thank our many loyal cus- tumers as well as those who gave us their first order. This sale will be continued a few more days and we still have very good stocks of seasonable merchandise at special prices. Also good assort- ments of holiday goods, such as Handkerchiefs, Mufflers, Suspenders, Neckwear, Perfumes, Dolls, Toys, Etc. Your mail orders will receive our prompt atten- tion. | Quality Merchandise—Right Prices—Prompt Service Paul Steketee & Sons Wholesale Dry Goods Grand Rapids, Mich. Ray Besa Sc ae ica Rea Goan ce apa ig BG Nt ht MS i Ct i bap Sasi ao ga ape taes: ati. +t Seles Bisa ia at Diy i So PR the Se ee hg SBR Rear agS, Tea i ge Re S AE TREE ROUTES, seabie oi aaah sna ek teeohe MICHIGAN TRADESMAN = —_— = — -_ E COMMERCIAL TRAVE yy ; =— = — ~ Grand Council of Michigan U. C. T, Grand Counselor—W. T. Ballamy, Bay ty. Grand Junior Counselor—C. C. Stark- ‘weather, Detroit. Grand Past Counselor—John A. Hach, Coldwater. Grand Secretary—M. Heuman, Jackson. we” Treasurer—Lou J. Burch, De- Grand Conductor—H. D. Ranney, Sag- inaw. = Grand Page—A. W. Stevenson, Mus- egon. Grand Sentinel—H. D. Bullen, Lansing. — Chaplain—J. H. Belknap, Bay ty. German People Glorify the Fiendish Kaiser. As a caution against a too hasty forgetfulness of what Germany has been during the past four years, the Sioux Falls Press observes: “Tt was not consciousness that the Emperor had made Germany the foulest criminal nation that ever in- fested this troubled earth, it was not remorse, it was not a revulsion of sentiment against the horrid felonies and hideous doctrines of German Kul- tur as exemplified by Wilhelm II.—no reformation of a race prompted the demand that the Emperor abdicate. The Prussian All-Highest is kicked out in disgrace because he failed to accomplish the thing his hoch-hoching goose-steppers expected of him. He failed to win the war, he failed to an- nex the territory of other and better peoples, he failed to spread the coarse tenets of Kultur to the utter- most corners of the earth. With ex- travagant promise he led his people into an enterprise which brought upon their nation the unutterable detesta- tion of all the civilized world—and brought them no loot. They could forgive the disgrace and the degrada- tion were they in possession of loot; they have shown that a _ thousand times by glorifying, deifying, the fiendish crimes committed by the Kaiser and his brutal minions. Plain- tively they have whined a protest against the universal contempt that has been heaped upon them, and pro- fest not to understand it; but not once, so far as has ever become _known in this country, has any im- portant element of the German peo- ple yet rebelled against the frightful immortality of German practice and the German standard of thought, not once has any considerable faction in that now unhappy land sought to rid the German race of the rottenness in the Potsdam palace on the ground that the royal family had done a wrong against peaceful civilization.” ———»+++___ Australia’s Sweet Tooth Tops the List. Popular belief that the United States consumes more sugar per cap- ita than any other country in the world is incorrect according to the bulletin of the American Sugar Re- fining Co., as Australia has been sur- passing the United States by at least 25 per cent. for many years. The rate in Australia is well over 100 pounds per annum against 80 pounds in the United States. Previous to the war Australia’s consumption rose as high as 120 pounds in some years, but the high prices which have resulted from the government control of the entire in- dustry since the war began have re- duced this figure somewhat. The Government’s control com- menced some years ago in the inter- est of a white Australia. The im- migration of further labor from the black populations of nearby islands was prohibited and special taxes were imposed on sugar made by such labor. To protect the sugar produced at increased expense under these con- ditions a protective duty of 1.30c. per pound was imposed on imported sugar. When the war broke out in 1914, and the world’s sugar market be- came dislocated it affected Australia as well as other countries. The Com- monwealth Government at once took a hand in the business and through the Queensland Government ac- quired the whole of the 1914-15 out- put for 3.90c per pound, an advance of 1c on rates ruling during the former season. In the following year (1915) the crop was again purchased by the Commonwealth, the retail price to Australian consumers re- maining at 7c per pound. However, wages had meanwhile ad- vanced to a point which made the prices allowed farmers insufficient to pay even the cost of harvesting the 1916 crop. Consequently much cane intended for that harvest was car- ried over to the next and the Com- mon wealth imported 70,000 tons of sugar. Those who did harvest their crops at a loss were later reimbursed by the Government which had made about $2,400,000 out of its handling of sugar. The whole position was then re- examined and for the third season’s crop (1917) the Government guar- anteed the growers 4.56c per pound and further offered to pool all profits accruing. The Commmonwealth has thus purchased four crops—two at 3.90c a pound and two at 4.56c. There is also a guarantee of 4.56c on the next crop. Competition of foreign sugars is prevented by prohibiting importations. ~~ A genius is a man who is able to get along without work. Some Types of Clerks To Be Avoided. Oh Fate, Deliver Us! From clerks who laugh aloud and those who laugh at everything; From clerks who are always late and those who are always too early; From clerks with the protruding Adam’s Apple and those who have soiled fingers; From clerks who “comede” with the cashier and those who treat the er- rand boys with scorn; From clerks who are wide awake at night and those who are wide asleep at day; From clerks who wear squeaking shoes and those with long sideburns; From clerks who talk through their noses and those with adenoids; From clerks who lead a quiet life and those who lead a life on the quiet; From clerks with belts on their waistcoats and those who carry um- brellas; From clerks who sit up at night and those who sit during the day; From clerks who speak of love and those who love to speak; From clerks who formerly traveled and those who could do better else- where; From clerks who compile the base- ball scores and those who knock the boss; From clerks who do not read the trade papers and those who eat onions; From clerks with wrinkled suits and those with wrinkled brows; From clerks who never wear the firm’s merchandise and those who do not dress as well as the extra man; From clerk’s who are looking for- ward to Sunday and those who are always looking out of the window; From clerks who call a lady woman and those who call a woman lady; From clerks who-know nothing and those who know everything; From clerks with gold teeth and those who gnaw at their nails; From clerks who never answer any question and those who question any answer; From clerks with warts and those who wear pins; From clerks who have many ideas and those who have no ideals; From big clerks, small clerks, noisy clerks and hungry clerks. Deliver Us, Oh, Fate! J. Harry Connor. —_—_2+>—__ Meeting of Veteran Traveling Men. Detroit, Dec. 10—The executive committee of the Veteran Traveling Men’s Association has selected Satur- day, Dec. 28, as the day when our ninth annual reunion will be held at the New Hotel Cadillac. December 11, 1918 Business meeting will be called at Pi p. m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p. it” is hoped by the committee that a special effort will be made by every member to be present, and to try and get as many traveling men to come and enjoy the day with us. That the necessary arrangements can be made by the committee, it is their request that a prompt reply be made by sending your check for $2 to the Secretary, Sam’] Rindskoff, care Detroit Safe Co., 160 Jefferson Ave- nue, East. This amount will pay your dinner and dues. Extra tickets, $1.50 each. A most cordial invitation is extend- ed all traveling men to come and enjoy the day. Ladies will meet at hotel parlors at 5:30 p. m. Through the courtesy of the Hotet Cadillac, no charge for ladies except for meals. Not full dress. ey chain ‘we RE PROOF One half block fost of the Union Station GRAND RAPIDS NICH CODY HOTEL GRAND RAPIDS $1 without bath RATES {$type with bath CAFETERIA IN CONNECTION | Bell Phone 59% Citz. Phone 61366 Joseph P. Lynch Sales Co. Special Sale Experts Expert Advertising —Expert Merchandising 44 So. Ionia Ave. Grand Rapids, Mich. Beach’s Restaurant 41 North Ionia Ave. Near Monroe GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Good Food Prompt Service Reasonable Prices What More Can You Ask? LADIES SPECIALLY INVITED OCCIDENTAL HOTEL FIRE PROOF CENTRALLY LOCATED in Rates $1.00 and up EDWARD R. SWETT, Mer. Muskegon t=: Michigan HOTEL HERKIMER GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN European Pian, 75c Up Attractive Rates to Permanent Guests Popular Priced Lunch ltoom COURTESY SERVICE VALUE 50 Rooms at....... ok MORTON HOUSE GRAND RAPIDS cesses ccsss. & TB Yer Day BO Roome at....:--.-..... os 50 Rooms at........ ...... $1.50 and $2.00 Per Day Two persons in a room 50c per day extra. Special rates by the week. oer ee ee . $1.00 Per Day at et >t December 11, 1918 Late News From the Celery City. Kalamazoo, Dec. 10—Will Schauer, formerly cutter for the Henderson- Ames Co., has opened a ladies and men’s tailoring parlor at 1309 Portage street. Glenn Sleight, who for the past year has represented Armour Co., at Camp Custer, has recently taken a similar position with the house a Oil City, Pennsylvania. Stanton & Hlouseman have recent- ly opened a men’s furnishing goous and grocery store at 1311 South West street. Mr. Stanton, the senior mem- ber of the firm, was formerly located at Niles in the clothing and furnish- ing business. H. H. Myers has opened a meat market on North Burdick street, op- posite the Hotel Richman. A joyriding party in a large auto- mobile made an unexpected call at Jce Webster’s barber shop, at tpe corner of North West and Wese North streets, last week. Joe says they all got a:close shave, as the machine and its occupants entered by wey of his plate glass window. Carrol E. Hickok has been tripping the light fantastic this week and he surely has a license, too. C. E. broke the news gently to the unsuspecting writer this week with a big cigar, stating that Dr. Stork had paid him a visit and had left a fine boy at his house. W. H. Stover, the Portage street grocer, made a business and pleasure trip to Chicago and Northern Michi- gan points the past week. H. V. Smith and Harry Becker are opening an electric supply and repair shop at 745 West Main street. Smith says they are prepared to do anything in the electric business, even to elec- trocuting Kaiser Bill if someone will produce the old cuss. Ed. Hull is again back of the coun- ter at Henry Engel’s, having taken the position made vacant by Bert Pennock resigning. Mr. Pennock is representing a local concern selling musical cabinets. C. B. Cook has accepted a position as utility man with the Worden Gro- cer Company and is at present cover- ing Alfred Hall’s territory during his illness with the flu. Frank A. Saville. -_— Oo Coffee Speculation Refuses To Be Suppressed. It looks as though coffee is the rock on which the suppression of the economic law, so successfully prac- ticed by the Food Administration, may split. And if business men and reformers will heed the lesson, they might easily see why supply and de- mand refuse to be suppressed. So many people think it easy to correct a situation by simply enacting a law or promulgating a regulation that an occasional failure is a good thing. Of course, when the whole trade are impelled by patriotic: co-operative zeal, any regulation of a domestic situation is possible. Hundreds of instances of discipline have been ens forced in connection with food con- trol which would probably not have stood the test of the courts or the Constitution and were possible only because of the good nature and patriotism of the accused or because he was afraid of public opinion. But when influences wholly outside the jurisdiction of Congress and Hoover are involved, the best of home ‘plans fail. Men here may be kept from speculating in coffee by import restriction, by resale limita- tions, by established price margins, etc., but the fellow in Brazil will do MICHIGAN TRADESMAN as he pleases. Coffee is essentially amenable to outside control and any one who loads up with heavy hold- ings while the door is wide open for competitive goods valued at Brazil- ian prices, is taking greater chances than prudent merchants can afford. And when merchants refuse to take chances no one else will and America gets no coffee. 0 - What Shall We Do With Them? When peace finally comes, what shall we do to Americanize that por- tion of our citizenry once styled “Ger- man Americans” who are now perhaps American Germans, but not yet just plain Americans? I mean those peaceful, honest, industrious, cleanly, orderly, thrifty people of German nativity or parent- age who have bought Liberty bonds of each issue; contribute to the Red Cross and other war funds; serveu personally in war work activities; paid their war taxes promptly and with little complaint; and, in many instances, given their sons to the army and navy. I mean those who in spite of these loyal acts and sacrifices continue to hold a strong feeling of reverence and admiration for all things German; ro overlook “kultur” and its crimes; to sympathize with Germany as the un- der dog that has had enough and should be let alone. I mean those who are anxious to say to us: “The war is over; forget it.’ I mean those who have talked and acted like Americans as far as they could, but have not thought American in their minds nor felt American in their hearts. What shall we do to make rea Americans of these people so that they may know American history; re- spect American institutions; honor American statesmen and heroes of the past and _ present; understand American principles and ideals, and in the course of time learn to know the thrill that comes only to those who love Old Glory because of what it means to mankind? Frank E. Cornell. —_—_>e-—____ Butter, Eggs, Poultry, Beans and Potatoes. Buffalo, Dec. 11—Creamery butter, extras, 67@68c; firsts, 64@65c; com- mon, 60@62c; dairy, common to choice, 45@65c; packing stock, 38@ 41c. Cheese—No. 1, new, fancy, 34@35c: choice, 32@33c; old, 28@30c. ( Eggs—New laid, 75@s80c for fancy and 70@f2c for choice; storage can- dled, 52@53c. Poultry (live)—Old cox, 20@22c; fowls, 25@29c; chicks, 25@30c; ducks, 32@B5c; turks, 30@35c. Poultry (dressed)—Turks, 38@40c; geese, 30@82c; ducks, 38@40c; chicks, 30@83c; fowls, 28@)32c. Beans—Medium, $10 per hundred lbs.; Peas, $10 per hundred lbs.; Mar- row, $11.50@12 per hundred Ibs. Potatoes—New, $2@2.20 per hun- dred Ibs. Rea & Witzig. The Lynch Sales Co. started an eight day special sale Dec. 7 for Stone & Co., dealers in clothing and men’s furnishings, at 114 King street, Chatham, Ontario. The first day’s sales exceeded $3,500. 73 Christmas Suggestions for the Christmas Season Do you want an office desk for your- self or a dainty writing desk for your wife? Consult Klingman. Do you want to brighten up your best room with rugs, center table or fancy easy chairs? Consult Klingman. Do you want to replace the time-worn bedroom set with an up-to-date suite which will be a source of joy to the eye and a solace to your slumbers? Consult Klingman. Do you want to refurnish the room of the soldier boy, so when he comes back he will immediately conclude that you have been thinking of him and his comfort every minute he was away? Consult Klingman. Do you want to refurnish your daugh- ter’s room, so she will feel that she has the most indulgent parents in the world? Consult Klingman. Do you want to add some article of comfort or convenience to the maid’s room, so she will realize that you have her wellbeing in mind? Consult Klingman. No matter what you may need in the furniture, rug, curtain or drapery lines, you will surely be pleased if you consult the largest retail furni- ture dealers in the world, the Klingman Furniture Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan eat annie ee ee scupiaps Ad tk see RRS Soares go tated brah AE sip Bewncabe oithnaiteie business. A lamp is something MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 a F , os 2 | oh ~vN¢ We ae (_Y) — ez We o a a) Oe Ge rte yg nee RUGS “> DRUGGISTS SUNDRIES | S sod) ina ral) th, ‘it Att 7. = SS) \ N \i ie Michigan Board of Pharmacy. President—Leonard A. Seltzer, Vetroit. Secretary—i:dwin T. Boden, Bay City. Treasurer—George F. Snyder, Detroit. Other Members—Herbert H. Hoifman, Sandusky; Charles S. Koon, Muskegon. Examination Sessions—Grand Rapids Nov. 138, 20 and 21; Detroit, Jan. Zi, 22 and 23, 1919 Michigan State Pharmaceutical Associa- on. President—J. H. Webster, Detroit. Secretary—F. J. Wheaton, Jackson. Treasurer—F. B. Drolet, Kalamazoo. Michigan Pharmaceutical Travelers’ As- sociation. President—W. E. Coliins, Detroit. Secretary and Treasurer—Walter S. Lawton, Grand Rapids. Lamps As Side Line Sellers. Some things sell in the cities that wouldn’t go so well in the smaller towns, and some things sell in the smaller towns that wouldn’t go so well in the cities. In the cities, for instance, nearly everybody has elec- tric lights or gas, or both. A few peo- ple cling to lamps, but the grocers carry them, and there are stores de voted to lighting fixtures which carry large stocks of these goods. On the whole it would hardly pay any city druggist to put in a line of lamps. He might sell a few but he would proba- bly do better by devoting the room and the effort to something else. In towns without electric light or gas, however, it stands to reason that there must be a large and constant demand for lamps. People must have artificial light in the home. We have seen stage scenes showing a room poorly lighted by a candle stuck into the open neck of a bottle, but real life in this country can show little poverty as dire as that. People must have lamps, many lamps. There is usually a lamp for every room in the house. The glass lamp is the leader and in anything made of glass there is more or less breakage. So the demand is steady. In a town without gas or electric lights there is naturally not enough business to support one of those establishments carrying a multiplicity of fixtures. Anybody can sell lamps who is so disposed, and the druggist might as well get his share of this people would rather order on the spot. The commuter, who brings many pack- ages from the city, would rather not try to carry home a lamp. Neither is he inclined to order by catalogue, for there is risk in shipping these goods. This is one instance in which he is perfectly content to patronize home dealers, and that’s another point in favor of the line. So we say a little department devoted to lamps ought to go very well. You want a line of serviceable lamps to fit all needs likely to arise in your community. A few fancy lamps w.ll give tone to the assort- nient, and one or two elaborate ones probably won't hurt. It is always a good plan to mix in a few articles for show purposes, even when the likelihood of finding sales is small. There is always a chance that you will find sales. As a matter of fact, usually you do, for there are people with money in every commun.ty, no matter how small the town may be. In certain commun- ities you will find special opportuni- ties ready to be improved. In a col- lege town, for instance, there is a big demand for lamps, inasmuch as almost every student wants one. Ad- justable lamps, lamps with special shades, many varieties of lamps can be sold here. A lamp is part of a student’s stock in trade, so to speak, and the demand is sure to be unusu- ally strong, Bear this in mind and adjust your stock accordingly. You ought to be able to sell plenty of lamps in a college town. Orna- mental lamps should sell well in such a.community. The average student is a ready buyer of anything which will serve to decorate a room or a “den,’ and the lamp business can furnish many specimens calculated to catch the student’s fancy. Even in towns with gas or electric light you are not debarred from sell- ing lamps. Many varieties of lamps are made especially for use with elec- tric current. Parlor lamps are sold widely. They are rather ornamental and are usually intended to stand on a center table. All the user has to do is to remove a globe from the overhead fixture and screw in the plug attached to the lamp for this purpose. Then there are tall parlor lamps, with shades, reading lamps for the bedside, library lamps, stud- ent lamps, and others too numerous to mention. All these varieties are manufactured for use with gas as well as with electric current. Many of them are highly decorative and they sell well. The housewife who takes pride in her home wants a pret- ty lamp for the parlor. Her neigh- bor sees this, and then she wants one for her parlor, and so it goes. A single sale may lead to many more, especially in a town where everybody knows everybody else. The electric flash is a recent novelty which will fit in well with a stock of lamps. This useful invention jis selling splendidly and makes a good line to carry. Many lamps are suitable for gifts. This applies especially to ornamental lamps, student lamps, and any vari- ety with a decorative value. These may be brought forward at Christ- mas time, and stock of this kind serves a double purpose as it is sal- able all the year and will also figure among the Christmas goods. Lamps are also appropriate for birthday gifts, wedding presents, and prizes at card parties. Something Different for a Bridge Prize. The above sign was seen over an assortment of small ornamental lamps of moderate price. The drug- gist knew there were a good many bridge players in his neighborhood, afternoon parties were frequent, and he thought he could supply some prizes as well as not. Ladies who give bridge parties are always look- ing for something novel to offer as a prize. Taking one consideration with an- other, there are many reasons why druggists should be able to sell lamps. We advise every druggist to consider the possibilities in his own field and see if there is not some business waiting for him in this line. There are sales to be made, too, in wicks, chimneys, shades, and other appurtenances. The. breakage in chimneys ensures a steady run of business in this branch alone. Noel Standish. —_+-+2____- Will Hold Pharmaceutical Conven- tion in March. The annual convention of the Michigan State Pharmaceutical Asso- ciation, which is usually held dur- ing the summer months, will be held in Lansing March 18, 19 and 20. The change in time of holding the meet- ing is due to the desire of the trade to induce the Legislature to enact some amendments to the pharmacy and liquor laws. The entertainment features will be undertaken by the Michigan Pharmaceutical Travelers’ Association, as usual, in conjunction with the retail druggists of Lansing. —_>2+>—____ A sewing circle is frequently com- posed of a lot of women who dress the heathen up and their neighbors NG i Ask about our way BARLOW BROS. Grand Rapids, Mich. Chocolates Package Goods of Paramount Quality Artistic Design and The Goods! Net Prices! When “OUR DRUM MER” catalogue regularly you always have dependable answers important questions: What is the lowest net price at which | can buy goods? Where goods? Items catalogue have the goods behind them. The prices are net and are. guaranteed for the time the catalogue is in force. Butler Brothers Exclusive Wholesalers of General Merchandise New York Chicago St. Louis you receive to these two can I get the listed in this Minneapolis Dallas WE ARE ACCEPTING CONTRACTS NOW FOR 1919 DELIVERIES OF J. Hungerford Smith Co.’s Soda Fountain Fruits and Syrups If you have not signed up, drop us a card. Protect yourself for next season’s business before it is too late. Prices guaranteed against advance or decline. We also carry a full line of Soda Fountain Accessories. Putnam Factory Grand Rapids. Michigan Manufacturers of Putnam’s ‘‘Double A’’ Chocolates December 11, 1918 Made in a Model Factory Handled by All Jobbers Sold by All Dealers Enjoyed by Discriminating Smokers G. J. JOHNSON CIGAR CO., Makers GRAND RAPIDS Lime and Sulphur Solution, gal. Paris Green Ice Cream Piper Ice Cream Co., Kalamazoo Bulk Vanilla Bulk Special Flavored : Brick, Plain ......... Brick, Fancy .-..... . i Leaves Buchu .cecs ccc @3 Buchu, powdered @3 Sage, bulk ...... 67@ Sage, % loose ....72@ Sage, powdered “ oe Senna, Alex .... Senna, Tinn. ... ‘ae Senna, Tinn. pow. oe Uva Ursi ........ 46@ Olls Aen Bie Curate 8 50@18 alent. Bitter, artificial ..... 7 00@7 “Seo Sweet, FUG seks ees- 00@4 Almonds, Sweet, imitation ...... 75@1 Amber, crude .. 25@3 Amber, rectified 4 50@4 AIO. ai sia he 2 50@2 Bergamont .... 9 50@9 Cajeput 2 00@2 Cassia ... Castor Cedar Leaf .... 1 75@2 Citronella ...... 1 Cloves ........ - 450@4 Cocoanut ....... 40@ Cod Liver ..... . 5 60@5 Cotton Seed .... ‘ oe Croton .......- -. 20@ ee wuosin @round «...«.ss 1 25@1 40 Sarsaparilla Mexican, MVOUNG ices: 1 00@1 10 SUES 6 case ceens 35@ 40 Squills, powdered 180 65 Tumeric, powd. 25@ 30 Valerian, powd. @1 00 Seeds BSE Covi vkcees 42@ 45 Anise, powdered 47@ 50 Ber, AM eco daccccs 3@ 19 CERATY -tenne 2 me ; ee cc 8 soreeeeseee 19 CREAM TART. 1% oz Vanil Gent 4 35 KFAST FOO Tomato b ueecceess 2 fl 6 Barrels or D AR 3 oz. illa 25 Cent Crack a Wheat. ns oo : ib. lee - BS ihn, — Boxes . rums ..... 84 1 oz. ae 35 Cent ae ream of Wheat 4 60 , Hen Ges Duteh Ma ar Co. Brand Privat 2. j... 88 1% on 15 Ce oe oe st Ss e Gro oz. Le nt 1 25 Cuaker Puftea Rice. 4 7 60 - Mushrooms Dutch geet _ 34 09 Mandling . wth ..... 34 8 oz. Lawee s 25 Cent 2 00 a oe at Cee Duten Masters Bang. 84 99 AnKola ..---.--. oes ae DRIED FRUITS 5 Cent 2 76 cone Brkfst Biscuit 1 : ee. zs @30 oe Masters Pee te, 34 Evap’ed Apples FLOUR Gaaker un Vinkes .- 3 9 Cc oe Nite Aikpe Ginnas oa oo San Salvad Lo. Se Vall AND FEED Sh on Wheat Food .. 4 0 weeeee @44 Vutch Master S ande 82 00 Good ..... oF p’d Fancy bik. Lil oe a Millin; creonit, 38 Biscuit 4 = Cove, 1 enue eg Master on ad ' oe ee Calif Apricots : Rye. la < 1 Ss i 2 1B seseeseee ’ bee deoe ortana . ‘7 00 Mo ifornia ..... ye, Ma. Pillsbury’s Best Cer'i 3 50 ove, 8h oo. aids Master ee is ee 31 Calif ron @2 Rowena Bolt per ewi. 4 : I ree ban alifornia 25 ed Meal, Kellogg’s B Plums Paes butch a Six!’ 49 00 ee Ibs., per - Toasted Corn a ee ey 350 M asters Hand c --- @36 Golden ew... 25 Fl Pe @3 00 ae urrants Granula 0 Beaned Corn hyn : 20 No. 3 pene 8 Pe - Dutch Masters’ Bal Fair Bogota Lepeteet: i lb. pk noe Ibs., per — Meal, oo Flakes 20 rdz. 3 25@3 75 Late News From the Metropolis of Michigan. Detroit, Dec. 10—The Better Busi- ness Bureau of Detroit has under in- vestigation advertisements published by a number of ‘retailers who have been “on the carpet” and must prove the honesty of their statements. The point that the Bureau makes is that many retailers are inclined to exag- gerate the original price of their pro- duct in announcing a reduction in connection with some _ special sale. This is not ethical or good business, and belittles the advertising value of all their advertising. Some of the department store managers who con- duct departments have for some time made no price comparisons, simply dwelling on the quality of their goods and the low price. A, H. Zimmerman, Treasurer and director of the Continental Motors Corporation and for 14 years con- nected with it in executive posi- tions, has resigned from its man- agement, to take effect Jan. 1. It is announced he has acquired the con- trolling interest in a prominent motor parts company. Mr. Zimmerman has been with the Continental Motor Cor- poration since its inception and’ takes into his new field wide experience and intimate knowledge of the automo- bile trade. as well as the high esteem of all with whom he has done busi- ness in the past. Jobbers and manufacturers’ agents, who have offices in this city, say they believe Detroit will have an increased number of shoe stores the coming year, and that these new shops will be located in the outskirts or residential sections. Many young men desirous of entering business for themselves have been waiting for the psychologi- cal time, and with the growth of the city and the splendid outlook for prosperity, they are likely to grasp the opportunity. Realty dealers say they have many requests for stores that are desirable for retail shoe shops. Louis Siegel, who conducts the cloak and suit department of the Hevnz Bazaar, has the lease on the entire building at the expiration of the present lease sometime in .1919. It is his plan to conduct a store along similar lines as the Heynz Bazaar, which would mean the installation of a shoe denartment for women. The owners of the Bazaar have not definitely decided whether or not they will continue business when they give up their present lease. ey Subsidized. Mrs. Townley—What! You pay a girl $10 a week to cook for you? Mrs. Subbubs—Not exactly. We pay her $4 for cooking; the other $6 ‘are for staying. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN BUSINESS WANTS DEPARTMENT Advertisements Inserted under this head for three cents a word the first Insertion and two cents a word for each subsequent continuous insertion. If set in capital fetters, double price. must accompany all orders. No charge less than 25 cents. Cash BUSINESS CHANCES. Mr. Merchant—Here is your chance to exchange your store, lock stock and bar- rel, for either eighty acres in Indiana, eighty acres in Wisconsin, one hundred sixty in New Mexico, three hundred in Tennessee, one hundred sixty in Florida, all improved, or good income property. Take your choice. Describe your prop- erty. Write me quick. Immigration Agent PHILLIPS, Manchester, Tenn. 13 WANTED—An efficient, reliable con- densed milk pan man, familiar with the various branches of the condensed milk business. Must possess ability as an executive or manager. Young married man preferred. Give complete details as to experience, references and salary ex- pected, in first letter. Address, The Licking Creamery Co., Newark, Ohio. 14 FOR SALE—WGODWORKING PLANT. This bank holds a woodworking plant having everything in readiness to start. It has been used for manufacturing of house building frame work. It is very centrally located in this city, having a population of 35.000 people. Plant con- tains ample acreage, power plant, and all wood working machinery will be sold at a sacrifice. Write OLD NTIZENS NATIONAL BANK, Zanesville, O. 5 Attention Dry Goods Merchants—lIf looking for a splendid opening for a new dry goods store or for any reason your present location is unsatisfactory, you should investigate the unusual opening for store at Crosby, Minn., at present caused by draft conditions. I have for rent, exceptionally fine store room, espe- cially desirable for dry goods line. Splen- did show windows; location perfect. If interested, address Will §S. Pitt, Crosby, Minnesota. * 56 WANTED—An experienced suit and cloak man. Must know how to trim windows and advertise. Must have the best of references. A good opportunity for future advancement. No others need apply. Address THE MODEL, Racine, Wisconsin. 17 What per cent. of cost inventory will you give for good clean stock of variety goods? Splendid opening for an up-to- date dry goods store. Eighty foot steam heated brick building can be purchased or rented very reasonably. Address No. 18, care Michigan Tradesman. 18 For Sale—30 shares Famous _ truck stock. A. Abraham, 902 Elm St., Rock- ford. Ulinois. 19 For Sale—120 acre farm near two towns in Michigan or trade for stock or merchandise invoicing about $6,000. Ad- dress No. 20, care Michigan Tradesman. 20 For Sale—CGne of the best grocery stores in one of the best towns in Michigan. Doing a splendid business. Only reason for selling, cannot stand the work. Ad- dress No. 6, care Michigan ——_ SPECIAL SALES fives oct or sat out entirely. tised and conducted for retailers anywhere. Write for date and terms stating size stock, A. E. GREENE SALES CO., Jackson, Mich. For Sale—Grocery stock in town of 1,000. Invoicing about $4,000. Sales for year ending August 30th, $32,000. Ad- dress No. 990, care Michigan 7 90 We can sell your business, farm or property, no matter where located. Cap- ital procured for meritorious enterprises. Herbert, Webster Bldg., Chicago, Ill. 1 Ice Plant—Only one in county seat town of 2,000; bargain if sold soon; $6,000 will handle. Address Creamery, Seneca, Kansas. 9 For Sale—Grocery stock located in live city of Owosso. Annual sales $33,000. Reason for selling, physical breakdown. Full particulars on request. George S&S. Dickson, Howell, Michigan. 12 For Sale—Candy, tobacco and grocery store. Dwelling connected. Good concrete basement and barn. $2,000. E. G. Little, 1022 Trumbull St., East Side, Bay City, Michigan. 3 For Rent—Are you planning on going into business for yourself or changing your present location? One of the best located stores in Marquette is available. Write for particulars, stating business. Box 264, Marquette, Michigan. 5 Will pay cash for whole or part stocks of merchandise. Louis Levinsohn, Sagi- naw, Michigan. 767 Wanted At Once—Cash paid for mens and boys’ clothing, furnishings, hats, caps, shoes. M. Kahn, 504 Washington Ave., Bay City, Michigan. 996 Pay spot cash for clothing and furnish- ing goods stocks. L. Silberman, 106 E. Hancock, Detroit. 936 Stock Wanted—-Have 225 acre _ stock farm; level; good buildings; timber; near three markets in Southern Michigan. Will exchange for stock merchandise up to $40,000. Write what you have. Flood, Dexter, Michigan. 89 Cash Registers—We buy, sell and ex- change all makes of cash registers. We change saloon machines into penny key registers... Ask for information. The J. Cc. Vogt Sales Co., Saginaw, Mich. 906 COLLECTIONS. Collections—We collect anywhere. Send for our ‘‘No Collection, No Charge”’ offer. Arrow Mercantile Service. Murray Build- ing, Grand Rapids, Mich. 390 SEE NEXT PAGE. Advertisements received too late to run on this page appear on the following page. Economic oupon Books They save time and expense They prevent disputes They put credit transactions on cash basis Free samples on application Me. Tradesman Company Grand Rapids, Mich. eens 80 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 11, 1918 Late Business News From the Sagi- naw Valley. Saginaw, Dec. 10-—As long as this old world stands there will be howl- ers and growlers. Think of the poli- ticians and the press that have in the past two years tried so hard to be- little our worthy President who has gone through what no living man in this great country of ours has ever faced. Just as if he did not have trouble enough, the press and big stick men have done all they could by placing obstruction after obstruction in his path. They tell us how inefficient the men and his cabinet and the men ap- pointed to head the various commis- sions are and have been, etc. Shame On such patriotism! Just ponder, dear reader, if you please on such a man as Hoover—a man so great that all Europe has call- ed him to their aid. Garfield? True, some of the big interests howled, concerns’ which were not helping the Government one iota, but reaping a rich reward, owing to war conditions. Were not our manufacturers who were backing the army well supplied? That was the one big thing, first and foremost. We growled because we had to economize, while poor France, England and Bel- gium were freezing to death. Truly, the man is human and may have made mistakes, but, be a big brother to him and don’t just because you don’t like him trod him and his work under your feet. And then there is Mr. Baker and Mr. Daniels. What poor incompetent men! According to the bosses and yellow papers, what of such play as this? Here is a_ peaceful country, unarmed, no navy, no trained men, etc., and in eighteen months’ time placed on foreign soil, 3,000 miles miles away, over 2,000,000 men and held in readiness here over 2,000,000 more trained men. And that poor stick at the head of our Navy! Oh, his work was so poor that in so short a period of time he was able to see that the Yankee fighters were landed sefely over there and of the fighting hosts sent only 758 men were lost at sea. Of that number 630 were lost on an English transport. And again to think that over all these happenings was the weak hand of Mr. Wilson. Just for the sake of office and a seat in some political party it is strange how low some men can stoop. America won a victory for free- dom’s sake and now can’t men really face victory and rejoice in the spoils, without trampling under foot the worthy servants of our great Gov- ernment? Evidently the Detroit paper that called Mr. White a lackey and stool pigeon to a man not strong enough, physically, for the job as a peace delegate forgot to ask “Teddy” what he thought of Mr. White. The fol- lowing day Mr. Roosevelt praised President Wilson's selection’ of White. Thanks to Teddy at last! F. E. Holmes, of Mt. Morris, is critically ill at his home, suffering from a second paralytic stroke. His first stroke came last January. How- ever, he had greatly improved and was able to go down town each day until last Friday morning, when the second stroke came. Mr. Holmes was one of the largest and most influ- ential merchants in Genesee county. He had a splendid mercantile estab lishment that would have been a cred- it to any town many times the size of Mt. Morris. After his stroke he sold out his business. The grocery department is now owned by.F. J. Lindsay & Co., who have a splendid stock and enjoy a large and well de- served patronage. The building formerly occupied by Fred Behm, corner of Johnson and Sixth avenue, Saginaw, who conduct- ed a grocery until about six months ago, is now equipped with a grocery stock, conducted by Harry Brudsell. One of the happiest men in Michi- gan to-day is L. E. Dickinson, grocer of Cass City. Why shouldn’t he be happy and proud? He has three rea- sons for wearing that smile that is always on his countenance, as fol- lows: 1. His son, Hi i. is a captain in the 16th U. S. Cavalry. 2. J. ©. a soa; is a radio im. the navy. 3. Hugh Gardiner, a son-in-law, is a second lieutenant at Camp Lewis, down South. They have all done splendid work and deserve the honors bestowed up- on them. W. F. Dent, of Columbiaville, has sold his meat market to Walter Duck- er, of Davidson. Mr. Ducker has been in the employ of A. Forsythe for some time past. Mr. Dent has made no definite plans for the future. R. C. Kurzals, representing the Na- tional Biscuit Co. out of Detroit for the past five years, is leaving the road. Mr. Kurzals has purchased the A. C. St. Mary grocery, at 1831 Ker- cheval avenue, Detroit. The grocery business is not at all new to him, he having spent ten years in the busi- ness. Mr. Kurzals has a host of friends and customers who wish him well and are sorry to lose him as one of their most respected business guests. Charles Fisher, salesman for the Saginaw Valley Milling Co., this city; received painful injuries when he was thrown violently to the ground, caus- ed by stepping on a stone a few days ago. Mr. Fisher is taking electrical treatments and hopes soon~to be back on the road. H. L. Heineman, of Kingston, is confined to his home with the influ- enza, as well as a little daughter. He is the proprietor of an up-to-date de- partment store. Harry Young, owner of an excel- lent meat market in Cass City, was in Detroit on business last Tuesday. {t is doubtful if there is a man in the whole State more proud of his business than B. L. Tripp, senior member of the firm of Tripp & Sons, of Bad Axe. Starting in the meat business fifty years ago, Mr. Tripp opened the first meat market in Hur- on county and the past twenty-seven years he has conducted a market in Bad Axe. Although 75 years of age and not in the best of health, Mr. Tripp makes his usual daily rounds of the shop, which is one of the most up-to-date and best equipped meat markets in the State. They have a four-ton capacity refrigerator plant installed and trackage equipment throughout the shop. System has al- wavs been his motto and secret of success. The business is now chiefly in charge of his two sons, who de- serve much credit for the success of B. 1. Iripp & dons, Mrs. J. S. Berman is seriously ill at her home in Kingston. Mr. Ber- man is proprietor of a large mer- chand’se store. In a little secluded spot upon the Polly Ann Railway is a place called Wilmot and at this place is to be found one of the finest little homelike hotels in the Thumb district, a place that causes everyone who by chance stops there for a meal to go away with words of praise on their lips. Wil- liam Jones is the genial proprietor, assisted by Mrs. Jones, who looks after the comforts of the stomach in a most motherly way. Boys, don’t be afraid to patronize this worthy house. If you want a good rabbit dinner, just send word ahead. Verril Steele, grocer at Carroll and Fifth street, Saginaw, is ill at his home, although not serious. It is ex- pected he will soon be back on the job. A. Smith, who for some time past 7 was manager of Tatham’s No. 3 cash grocery, Clinton and Bond streets, has purchased the stock and will continue the business at the same stand. H. L. Rutherford, our well known Bert, while on a deer hunt in the North woods, was stricken with in- fluenza and rushed to the hospital at Marquette, where he is still confined. However, late reports are that he is doing fine. Mrs. Rutherford was called there as soon as he was taken to the hospital. We are mighty sor- ry, Bert. but glad to know you will soon be back among home foiks. Fellow U. C. T.’s, don’t forget the third Saturday night of this month. Regular meeting with-initations. Try and have your candidate on hand. Do your bit and make your worthy Secretary, Geo. Pitts, happy. Mr. Pitts is working mighty hard every available moment for ‘the good of the order and deserves much credit for the state of affairs existing under such strenuous times. Owing to the influenza which is on the increase in Saginaw, the closing ban was again placed on churches, schools and public meetings Tuesday night. This is the third time the ban has been placed on the city and it is to be hoped that it remains on for good this time, at least until all seri- ous danger is past. It would appear to the observer that the theater in- terests value the dollar above human life. We hope this is not the case, however, and that everyone will do their part and be satisfied to do and stand their share toward stamping out the dreaded disease. Jarock & Jarock, dealers in meats and provisions at St. Charles, have taken a new partner in the business. This, no doubt, was made necessary owing to their increased business. The name of the new stockholder is Lambert Jarock. Just how much stock he has taken is not known, but from all reports, if he is as active at 20 years of age as he is now at two weeks, he will own a controlling in- terest and be president of the com- pany. Joseph Jarock, his father, was passing out cigars last week and wear- ing a smile (also something on his upper lip which I won’t mention) which tells the story. Long live young Lambert! L. M. Steward. —_+-<++__ The Mark of the Hun. The Hun—his mark—I saw it first In an open boat at sea, Where a woman crouched in the frozen shrouds, With a whimpering child on her knee; And strong men bent to their task at the oars, And their hearts were full of hate, For a man lay dead at the woman’s feet, A man who had been her mate; And the whimpering child that clawed at her breast (Dear God, how can such things be done?) With the bleeding stumps of its tiny arms Blown off by a German gun. I saw it next on a woman’s throat As she lay in her pillaged bed; A fair-haired, blue-eyed, winsome lass— Oh, how can the thing be said! Her pure young soul was safe with God, But her body had been through hell, And the thing that was done in that blood-soaked room Was a thing that I dare not tell; But this I know, and I make it plain, So that each may understand: The bloody mark on her fair white throat Was the print of a German’s hand. I saw it last on a dead man’s face, A man who had stayed behind, Safe, as he thought, from the ‘‘war god’s’’ toll, Secure from the ‘‘red mill’s’” grind; But he sickened and died on his own threshold, From a germ in the poisoned air, And I shuddered with fear as I looked in his face— For the mark of the Hun was there! William McColgan, U. S. Navy. ——_2~--.———— The merchant who sits down and waits for something to happen will find that it is very seldom that anything happens to his advantage. EVERY WHOLESALE GROCER DoltRicut Now and kindred lines in Michigan, yes in the United States, although we hardly hope to make a sale to every one, should write NOW for a free descriptive dummy of our new “Cost and Quotation Book.”’ Even should you not buy you may get some ideas. Barlow Bros. GRAND RAPIDS MICH... red ms od, at in, ite nd nd ng at OA Seiad etl el Pure New Orleans Molasses Our method and service fully support the reputation we enjoy among the trade. To our motto ‘‘A Square Deal for All,’’ and close co-operation with the jobber, we owe our success. Mr. Retailer—Let. us assist you in the education of the consumer to the real value of PURE NEW ORLEANS MOLASSES as a food product; our booklet ‘‘Molasses Secrets’? contains concise information for the housewife and cook, and we will-gladly send it to you for distribu- tion. How many? OELERICH & BERRY Co. Packers of “RED HEN” NEW ORLEANS, CHICAGO | " | S io ‘ \ Sil CRESCENT | a QUALITY, ¢ fl Hives z 71 We. 1S : hs, \\s- Building for Permanence It’s serious work picking the brand of flour you will push, Mr. Grocer. If yours is a normal business, the chances are that the housewife buys her groceries of you partly because you have the flour she likes. If she’s having good success with the brand you sell, naturally she buys her other supplies at the same place, because she thinks you can please her in other things as well as in flour. But supposing the flour you have been pushing is not strictly up to quality—she struggles with it awhile; then she goes over fo your competitor and gets a reliable brand, one which cleases her. And straight- way you have lost a valuable account to your competifor’s profit. HE is building an enduring business upon the quality of the flour he sells. . ee 7 /\ & Laps Mothers Delight” FLOUR Has been for nearly a half century the standard popular flour with the housewives of Western Michigan. It has been enduringly good. Scores of grocers have sold it for years together, have built up permanently . successful trade on its merits, and today will not be without it. Crescent is the BEST brand for you because: IT’S QUALITY NEVER VARIES. It is made with scientific care in one of the most perfectly equipped mills anywhere. IT HAS A STANDING OF NEARLY FIFTY YEARS. Everyone knows about Cres- cent—most people like it. IT’S POPULARITY IS CONSTANTLY INCREASING. Crescent is being consistent- ly advertised, which makes it a profitable leader for any wideawake grocer. If you have reason to suspect that your present brands are not meeting the full approval of your customers, better commence at once to build your business PERMANENTLY upon the enduring rock of CRESCENT QUALITY, REPUTATION, and INCREASING POPULARITY. | “When Once You Try If, You'll Always Buy It” VOIGT MILLING CO., Grand Rapids, Michigan.