PT pe ne ERGO ¥ SIME LE IWR b SAGLERG S OTA; SWI py 3? Co ag a Sete ‘i ce i) oe eee (a Baye ry: ae y a eS CEA SAWS } eA. * \\ ae N IN: ee Be Pac ER rcOmr a op Ay ist (Cn GCE EEK (aa ae) i KO a Se aa AA See RHE WIS 2 Seeds Ge Ey Te ae ie, LN intraeoen oes a EP PUBLISHED WEEKLY WG Gee TRADESMAN COMPANY, PUBLISHERSE< STIS ee Sar LS SOR OEE Thirty-Sixth Year GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1918 Number 1839 HII IAI AAAI AAAAIN IK Kikkkkk kkk KARIM AAA A IAAI AAIAAAAAIAIA AIA AIAAIAAAAA AAAS AD AA AAAI AA AAA AAA A AAA SISA ASAI AAD AAA AA AAD AAA AAD AAA AAA AAAI AAA SAAS ASAASAASSISAIASISASSAA AHA The Debt of Peace Peace reigns upon the earth once more, The tyrant passes to his fall. But unto us from Europe’s shore The living and the dead still call; They-that have met the bitter test Still need us in their hours of rest. They need the letters we can pen, They need the money we can give, We must continue now, as then, For them to pray and work and live; Now doubly bound are we to share Our joys with those who suffered there. They have been faithful to their trust, - Ours is the goal they went to gain. Before the tyrant’s might and lust Our heroes fell,. but not in vain. The strife is o’er, the war is won, But shall we leave our tasks undone? - The golden stream of love must flow Unceasingly to those afar, Our gifts of mercy still must go To gladden them, where’r they are. Victorious we are, and yet We've still to settle victory’s debt. = Edgar A. Guest. SRO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOO LOCOCO ULLAL tat TI] toot Ka IIIA : + : 7 : ; + : + * : + * ; t : pS pavaveverererere" | HIAAAAAAAAAAADAADAADAADADAAAADAADASAASAAASAAAASDAA A Ceresota Flour Always Uniformly Good Made from Spring Wheat at Minneapolis, Minn. Judson Grocer Company The Pure Foods House Distributors GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN TALK Over Citizens Long Distance 2 Lines We Connecting with 250,000 Telephones (| ih \ in the State. 117,000 in Detroit. COPPER METALLIC CIRCUITS ELEPHONE NOT USE CITIZENS SERVICE DEAL 1814 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. To Every Man Who Sells Fleischmann’s Yeast | ie SEASONS [7 i 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. More than ever, we ap- preciate the spirit of co- operation and good will you have shown us. Our best wishes for your success during the New Year. THE FLEISCHMANN COMPANY ‘*Fleischmann’s Yeast’”’ ‘‘Fleischmann’s Yeast’’ MORE PROFIT 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 2\4boxes @ 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—subject to withdrawal without notice. Yours very truly, Lautz Bros. & Co., Buffalo, N_ Y. ADESMAN Thirty-Sixth Year MICHIGAN TRADESMAN (Unlike any other paper.) Each Issue Complete In Itself. DEVOTED TO THB BEST INTERESTS OF BUSINESS MEN. Published Weekly by TRADESMAN COMPANY Grand Rapids BE. 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 years or more old. $1. Entered at the Postoffice of Grand Rapids under Act of March 3, 1879. PLEA FOR RUSSIA, When the armistice was signed Clemenceau delivered an address to the Chamber of Deputies in Paris. He asked the Deputies to send their ereetings and thanks to the heroic Belgian people. He stated that the Allies should not forget the share which Serbia gave to the common cause. He also stated quite definitely that the world must be grateful to Russia for the tremendous task which she accomplished during the three first years of the world war. This statement of Clemenceau is very sig- nificant at the present time, when the Peace Conference is going to meet in Versailles. Although dismembered and _ disor- ganized, although betrayed by Ger- man intrigue, Russia remains colossal, and Russia’s future is of the utmost importance to all the various nations which have been historically bound with Russia’s political history. In July, 1914, Russia, although po- tentially strong, was not prepared for a war with the Central Powers. Rus- sia in no way desired war with Ger- many—on the one hand, because of her unpreparedness, and on the other hand, because of the fact that the Russian people are peaceful and ar hut little interested in world politics. Therefore everybody in Russia hoped that a final agreement would be reach- ed and that the European war would be averted. In fact, the Russian dip- lomats exercised a very strong pres- sure upon the Serbian government in order to have the latter agree to prac- tically all the demands of Austria- Hungary. Austria-Hungary, how- ever. ever used the Serbian situation for the declaration of war against Ser- bia. Russia was put in a position of a strong man who sees that a robber is v olating a child. Russia was mor- rally compelled to send Austria-Hun- gary a counter-ultimatum. This was the reason why Russia declared a general mobilization of her military forces, When the Russian mobiliza- GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1918 tion was declared, Germany sent an ultimatum to Russia demanding an immediate suspension of military pre- parations. The Russian Government did not feel justified in submitting its will to the will of the Imperial German government, and therefore twenty-four hours after the German ultimatum a status of war existed be- tween Russia and Germany. It should be born in mind that at that time neither France nor, certain- ly, Great Britian was prepared for the colossal war which was started by Germany. Russia was aware of this fact, Russia knew very well that per- haps a declaration of war upon Ger- many would mean a death blow to Russia’s own future, but national honor compelled Russia to accept the challenge, and she accepted it with good will and a brave heart. The German hordes started to in- vade Belgium and France. The Rus- sian military leaders watched with anxiety the alarming developments of military operations on the western front. No time could be wasted be- cause the Germans, having crushed the heroic resistance of the Belgians, were rapidly approaching the very heart of France—Paris, The Russian High Command knew that if-the Ger- mans should succeed in plunging their dagger into this heart, world civiliza- tion would be mortally wounded; therefore, with a spirit of self-sacrifice the Russian High Command _ dis- patched Russian cavalry divisions in- to East Prussia. With utmost gal- lantry the Russian horsemen pene- trated Prussia as far as Konigsberg, destroying the German temporary de- fences and creating a panic in the rear of Berlin. The Russian move was so menacing that the Germans, who at that t me had reached the Marne, were almost compelled to halt their ad- vances to Paris in order to prevent further disaster in East Prussia. The genius of Joffre took advantage of this situation and succeeded in de- feating the Germans, who were al- ready within a distance of fourteen miles of Paris. The Russians sac- rificed their best divisions in this mil- itary operation; thousands and thou- sands were killed when the Germans brought up their heavy artillery and infantry regiments from the west- ern front. Nevertheless, Russia at- tacked Austria-Hungary and after twenty-seven days of terrific battles Galicia was conquered and not less than three hundred thousand Austro- Hungarians and Germans were taken prisoners by the Russian armies. At the same time the Russian armies succeeded in halting the German ad- vance on Warsaw, and the German divisions were hurled back from War- sav. which was already in their sight. Later, throughout 1915, the Russian armies, which lacked am- munition to a most horrible extent, engaged almost three-quarters of the entire German and Austrian military force in a tremendous battle along the whole Eastern front during three and a half months. This saved France for a second time in 1915. In 1916 Russia delivered a mortal blow to the Dual Monarchy; the main defences of Austria-Hungary were broken, Przemysl was captured and at least 500,000 Austro-Hungarians and Germans were captured by the valiant Russian armies during this This blow saved Italy from the first Austro-Hungarian of- fensive in 1916. Russia has lost during this war cperation. some six or seven million of her best sons. Is it because Russia lies dis- membered that the Allied nations will forget a people who have given to the alter of liberty even more than could be expected? It is the supreme duty of the Allies to extend their sup- port to Russia now when she is tem- porarily unable to help herself. The opinion of loyal Russians should be taken into consideration at the Peace Conference and Russia’s vital inter- ests should be safeguarded harmoni- ously by all of the Allied nations. No peace will be stable unless a just at- titude is taken towards Russia, and it would be necessary to make a dis- tinction between the real Russia, the Russia which has fought for three years against the Germans, and the international gang of anarchists, so- c‘alists and trade unionists which has sold Russia to the Germans at Brest- Litovsk, and with whom the United States is actively at war. CANNED GOODS SITUATION. There is a tendency on the part of certain elements in the trade to judge the canned goods situation rather superficially. Because, for in- stance, the tomato market is showing considerable weakness just now there is a disposition to regard the whole market with apprehension. Further- more, there have been some other manifestations in the past day or two that have not been conducive to add- ing courage to those who may need it. There have been some offerings of red Alaska salmon at the opening prices that have not aroused the en- thusiasm of buyers and there are some standard grades of California peaches that are held so high that retailers say they cannot sell them at a profit. But the more courageous element look at things differently. As to tomatoes, everyone knew they were, likely to develop weakness be- cause of the enormous pack and the fact that prices have been so high that at least a portion of the demand has been killed off. As to salmon, Number 1839 there is the dullness of the holiday season to be taken into consideration, the conservatism of the trade in view of present holdings, and the uncer- tainty in regard to export possibili- ties. As to the fruit, it is clearly a case of profiteering as these items are unlicensed and the tendency of holders has been to crowd on all the trafic would bear. On a tonnage proposition, however, taking the sea- son as a whole, the trade feels there is no cause for apprehension from the standpoint of a surplus of supplies. COTTON AND COTTON GOODS. An agreeable surprise—to some was the Department of Agriculture’s report issued during the week which estimates the production of cotton for the year at 11,700,000 bales. This is about 750,000 bales in excess of With the carry-over it represents a supply of about 15,009.- 000 bales. well upheld, a factor being the in- creased demand for export, which is aided by the additional shipping facil- ities available, due to the release by the Government of about a million 3ut there are still no indt- cations of prices such as the South- last year. Quotations were fairly tonnage. ern holders seem to be waiting for. No one disputes the fact that there will be plenty of cotton available for the world’s needs until the next crop matures, and it does not seem likely that the demand from abroad will be anything near as large as it was last year, In the goods market the un- settlement continues despite assur- ances that the Government does not intend to dump its excessive hold- ings on the market. There will, how- ever, be more or less vacillating until the disposition of the surplus is made clear. Buyers for the trade remain indifferent even to such price con- cessions as are offered them, prefer- ring to wait until they are convinced that bottom has been reached. This may be indicated after the beginning of the year, when all the Govern- ment’s price fixing stops. Knit goods as well as fabrics are in the same position as regards these conditions. Buying from hand to mouth promises to remain a feature for some time to come. RONEN ELITR ERO AI When one concern receives an un- usually good testimonial from a customer, it prints the testimonial right on its stationery, in the lower left-hand corner. With the letter is a halftone reproduction of the cus- tomer’s plant. The testimonial can- not escape attention, because it is seldom that one concern’s name ap- pears on the letterhead of another. ORAL SR SEE ENS Sometimes it’s the sun that makes a man’s nose red, instead of what you think it is. 2 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 Gabby Gleanings From Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids, Dec. 17—The Grand Rapids Travelingmen’s Benefit Asso- ciation held its annual meeting last week and elected the following offi- cers: President, Walter S. Lawton; Vice-President. John D. Martin; Sec- retary-Treasurer, Allen F. Rockwell; directors, George B. Monroe and William Francke. The object of this Association is to provide a death benefit fund for its members, death claims payable immediately on the death of a member, a sum equal to the amount of $1 for each member in good standing at the time the death occurs. With the exception of 25 cents annual dues per member and 50 cents membership fee, this is the total cost. During the eight years of its exist- ence this Association has lost ten members, each beneficiary of whom received a check immediately upon proof of death. For the money in- vested, this is the cheapest and best insurance we know of and we call the attention of the members of No. 131 to its merits and advise that you be- come a member at once. No one but members of Grand Rapids Council are eligible. The average man nowadays is averse to giving up his seat in the street cars and interurbans to the women, believing it his duty to allow them to stand up and thus become more efficient for their duties as con- ductorettes, elevatorettes and_ suf- fragettes. We wish to call our reader’s at- tention to the economic necessity of burning up what coal you have in your bins this winter and thus: not be caught with any high priced fuel on hand next season when the bot- tom falls out of the prices. When war was declared April 6, 1917, Frank A. Hardt, one of the lead- ing merchants of Springport, enlist- ed for the period of the war. Now Frank has measured off rather more of the mile posts on life’s highway than is compatible with efficient mili- tary service at the front, and during his sojourn here he has accumulated enough of this world’s goods so he can sit around and fish if he so de- sires. By the way, fishing is one of his hobbies, but when the war broke out he rolled up his sleeves and en- listed in the service of his country, with his 240-acre farm and equipment for his implements of warfare, and set out to help whip the Huns. He de- voted his fields to the raising of wheat, beans, potatoes, etc., for the Allies to eat and when the armistice was signed he had 95 acres of wheat and rye growing for the 1919 cam- paign. But promptly at 10:00 a. m. Nov. 11, 1918, Frank began to de- mobilize and is again ready to take his friends out on the quiet waters of Duck Lake in quest of the finny tribe. . Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Waite, 739 Mor- ris avenue, entertained a party of their friends at cards and a luncheon last Saturday evening. The cards were shelved about 11:45 and from then until 1:45 the guests sat spell bound by the enchanting music furnished by the hostess, assisted by Master Leo Waite. We are advised on good authority that not a person in Grand Rapids is better known to the Police Depart- ment than Mrs. A. P. Anderson, 1555 Lake Drive, not because of any mali- cious violations of the statutes, but because of her several unsuccessful attempts to climb the lamp posts on Monrce avenue by the aid of her ford car. And this reminds us that we have it on equally good authority that, as one extreme follows another, so our genial Senior Counselor, Will E. Sawyer, is determined to avoid any flights of fancy of this kind, and makes an unsuccessful attempt to propel his Dodge car, loaded with friends, without the use of the fluid that made John D. Rockefeller famous. And to think that the sly old fox would take 2:00 a. m. for his experiment, when no one could see, makes us think that there are ever higher flights of shrewdness to which we can all aspire. The U. C. T. dancing party will be held Dec. 28—maybe. Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Hunt, of the firm of C. M. Hunt & Son, Eaton Rapids, are spending the winter in Florida. Mr. Hunt will build a cot- tage on his plantation there before he returns in the spring. This is the time for all good Coun- selors to come to the aid of the ex- chequer and pay their council dues. On the envelopes in which one company sends its mail to its travel- ing representatives, are bands of red, about %-inch wide, on both ends. The color makes the envelope con- spicuous when in a stack of mail or in a hotel mail box, and ensures the men getting their letters promptly and without fail. Leo J. Conklin, who was recently killed in France, covered Eastern and Northern Michigan during 1916 for the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. He subsequently worked behind the counter for his father in his general store at Ravenna. War conditions have created a pe- culiar situation in the matter of the railroads of the State that, it is freely admitted by persons familiar with the subject, will puzzle the Legislature to solve. All the roads are now in con- trol of the Federal- Government as a war measure. Passenger rates are three cents a mile, by decree of the director-general of railroads. The law reads that twenty-one months after a treaty of peace is signed the Government shall restore control of the railroads to where it was before the war. Director-General McAdoo the past week recommended that Gov- ernment control be extended to five years after the treaty of peace is signed. Republican leaders in Con- gress have attacked this recommenda- tion. If these leaders correctly re- flect their party’s sentiment then the Republicans would reduce rather than extend the period of Government control of the railroads. The Repub- licans will be in control of both Houses of Congress after March 4 next, so can pass a bill to reduce the period of Government control to less than twenty-one months. The _ pe- culiar situation of Michigan railroads is this: There is still on the statute books of the State the law limiting passenger rates to two cents a mile. This two-cent rate would, it is rea- soned, be automatically revived when the Government relinquishes control of the railroads. The Legislature that assembles on New Year’s day will conclude its work in April, unless unexpected business of large import- ance defers final adjournment. The next biennial session can not con- vene until January, 1921. Should Congress reduce the period of Gov- ernment control of the railroads to less than the twenty-one month peri- ods passenger fares in Michigan would, as stated, automatically drop from three cents to two cents a mile. If the large increase in wages that the director-general granted to rail- road employes is maintained, Michi- gan railroads positively can not make both ends meet with fares at two cents. So say men who speak for the railroads. One of the Federal officials told the writer a few days ago that the increase in rates from two cents to three cents barely meet the expenses of the roads, now that the wages of railway officials and em- ployes have been doubled. The only way it seems that the Legislature can meet the situation would be to pass a bill increasing fares from two cents.. But, a bill of this kind passed at the coming session would have to be left in the air, as it were. That is the date when it became operative would depend on what Congress does. It would be a form of Michigan Legislature pro- ceedings without precedent, it is be- lieved. Then, too, it is a question in the minds of some Michigan railroad men whether, being now employes of the Government controlled properties, they can, or would be permitted, to engage in activities before the State Legislature for the enactment of a law relating to railroad conditions that do not now exist, but that may exist at some indefinite period in the future. Altogether it is a condition for which precedents offer no solu- tion. A glance at the Grand Trunk time table, between Grand Rapids and De- troit, is enough to make a _ horse laugh. Only two trains each way manage to make the grade on week days—no trains at all on Sundays. The morning train leaves at 5:50 and reaches Detroit at 12:50—seven hours,: less than 23 miles per hour. The afternoon train leaves at 2:45 and arrives at Detroit at 10:10; seven hours and 35 minutes or about 21 miles per hour. People who travel on the afternoon train—‘“sojourn” would be a better word than “travel” —can enjoy the privilege of eating dinner at the depot restaurant at Durand, providing they have good teeth and the digestive capacity of a goat or an ostrich. Under Govern- ment direction the train service in and out of Grand Rapids is worse than it has been at any time in the past forty years. George A. Pierce has the temerity to take offense over the title of “bill peddler” given him in this department this week. He would never have taken this sanguinary view of the matter if he had not been reminded by his wife that she does not enjoy the idea of her husband being consigned to the same category as ordinary drug sales- men calling on the drug trade—like Cornelius Crawford, for instance. Mrs. Pierce’s hubby is higher up in the social scale, because he calls on the doctors. I suppose that each traveling sales- man has some special line of sport that serves to occupy his time and mind when off duty. No this is not going to be a fishing story because William S. Sawyer, our Senior Coun- selor, is busy making furniture, and Fred Beardslee (this is the big team) is busy peddling prunes, besides it is a doubtful question if either of these two gentlemen are qualified to be a good judge of this sport, letting alone engaging in it. Of course, it makes a difference in the way one looks at it, and also if he believes all he hears —no I am not raising a question, but making certain deductions, I know positively they let-a lot of large fish get away. Then there are others who enjoy the merry chase after the fleet-footed bunny. The ringing sound of the faithful dog with long ears is a wel- come invitation to join in the pur- suit and capture one of the most elusive little citizens of the State of Michigan that there is, and when he is brought to bay and finally de- posited in a hunter’s game bag, the hunter feels sure he is one meal ahead of Mr. Hioover—anyway two of these little animals represent a good enough catch—and when that many are taken which is generally the case, a hunter should feel satis- fied. Of course, more is better, but the fellow who would go out and de- liberately kill fifty rabbits in a half a day is a hog. But now, say, fellow salesmen, did you ever hear of the night hunter— the one who, after a day’s work at the office (I am not telling just what office). gets himself into hunting togs, consisting of his hunting coat, boots, sweater, gloves, and in all, sufficient Fae Oe re eee ee ee clothing to keep him warm—the one who wanders forth through the woods by darkness or moonlight? It matters not which, as the hunter is equipped with a spot light attached to batteries which he carries in his hunting coat, and as he nears a patch of good looking hardwood of possibly ten to one hundred acres, he makes no sound, but, unchaining the dog, he, too, sort of tiptoes his way into the depths of darkness and into the domain of (and I think I will make no exceptions) the wiliest and wisest little. animal that wears fur. This little fellow has his home in a large hollow tree and a well trained dog seems to know that he must get close to them or they will get in the home tree but if he succeeds in get- ting close up they will go up any old tree. During this process the hunter is enjoying the scenery, which to him is a quietness that brings re- lief. He forgets the problems of the day at the office and he sees nature as it is. He is just drinking his fill of the vastness and greatness of the night when out of the stilly night over to left or to the right—it mat- ers not which, comes the voice of his companion, the dog, advising him that game has been that way. The first voice tells the hunter that a track has been found and that he will try and find the game. Pretty soon the dog will tell his master that he is ecttine closer. and the scent is warm- er, and that he is fast gaining on the object of the chase. He becomes excited and begins to talk in the regular way, and now he may lead off for quite a way. Pretty soon he tells his master that he has treed the game. and for him to come on. The dog indicates this state of affairs by the tone of his voice, but —wait a minute—we don’t hear him now, what has happened—a trick has been played—Mr. game has gone up the tree, only for a few feet; then he has jumped down, or else he has gone up and out on the branches on to another tree, then down another tree, thus leaving the dog to be- lieve that they are still up the orig- inal tree. But the dog is old at the game so he does not say he is there for sure, until he has made a large circle around the tree. If he can find no place where the track leads away, the dog reasons that he must be up the tree -yet, and then barks the “Tree bark” which is so welcome to the night-hunter. The dog is telling him to hurry up. The hunter arrives at the tree— her his electric light is brought into play, and the tree is looked over very carefully, and finally an object is lo- cated possibly 100 feet high on a limb—what is it?—a bunch of leaves or a growth on the limb. When all at once the game looks down to see who the dog’s re-enforcements are and then the hunter sees two small balls of fire, and he knows that the “bunch of leaves” will soon be worn by some lady as a muff or a neck piece or possibly a coat. Taking careful aim he shoots and down comes one of the wiliest, the cutest and the most intelligent animal that inhabits the woods of Michigan—the coon, D. F. Helmer. oo One merchant converts his store entrance into a show window every evening. He thus has three large windows in place of two—the regular windows and what was formerly the dark, empty entrance way. The me- chanics of the device are simple; each night the tile floor of the en- trance is raised by an elevator. The elevator itself forms the show win- dow: The expense of installation has been paid many times over, the merchant says. , Mae. “7 lnc. Me. “7 December 18, 1918 THE GROCERY JOBBER. Changed Basis for His Existence After the War. Herbert Hoover, upon the occa- sion of his recent departure for Europe, said that the Food Admin- istration is a war body and, therefore, in its present form and method should not continue beyond the accomplish- ment of the final peace treaties. At the present writing it seems that Mr. Hoover’s is the majority opinion in Congress and throughout this coun- try, but there are certain functions and accomplishments of the Food Administration that our members and the public generally doubtless con- sider appropriate and helpful for times of peace. The official view, apparently reach- ed by reason of conditions abroad, and framed after conferences with representatives of European nations, is that some activities of the Food Administration should be continued by an international organization act- ing for the various nations interest- ed. Nothing of this kind can be et- fectively and properly undertaken without the action of Congress and it is idle now to attempt to prophesy or advise respecting such action or to attempt to outline the desired scope of any organization that might succeed the United States Food Ad- ministration. Mr. Hoover will doubt- less report his recommendations to the President after he surveys the situation in Europe. I suggest that during this interval we all consider these problems in the light of our own experience and sug- gest to the association what in our opinion should be the policy pur- sued; particularly what functions of the Food Administration ought to be continued during the period of recon- struction, and in what way. So far as we know now, any inter- national organization will have as its chief functions the equitable distribu- tion of food products throughout the world, first, with a view to furnishing various populations reasonably ade- quate food at prices not dispropor- tionate to those generally current throughout the world, and, second, the provisioning of various countries with the greater economy of vessels and of shipping space. The fixing of prices and the de- termination of profits are not pre- sumed to be within the scope of such an organization; price fixing is a war measufe, as governments. generally have recognized, and is not tolerable in times of peace, unless, perchance, it could be so operated as to guar- antee merchants against declines. No measure of that kind is proposed. We live in a new day. This coun- try has for a considerable time past devoted its greatest efforts to supply- ing adequate food to the Allies. That task is now widened to include other nations and possibly enemies. The food problem has ever been a power- fully-moving cause of revolution in all ages and in all countries. It is not good for any nation that revolution, even among its neighbors, should proceed to the point of mob rule. Therefore, we find our statesmen and MICHIGAN TRADESMAN those of England and France pledg- ing themselves, under certain condi- tions, to make food supplies available for various other countries, including our enemies; and the motives under- lying this action are, therefore, dic- tated by important self-interest, as well as by humane considerations. Naturally you, as well as all other patriotic and right-thinking citizens, and particularly merchants and bus: ness men, are disturbed over the pres- ent world unrest and the apparent growth of Bolshevism. Those who have given this subject most thought here and abroad are convinced that the idea can not triumph, for it has in reality no sounder basis than an intermittent anarchy, but it is realized beyond question ‘that the dangers and evils that may flow from it within the next few years are enormous and menacing, and by no means confinea to Russia and to Germany. Those who have read the writing on the wall have long since realized that the elements we loosely call so- cialism and that now control Europe, will never tolerate unrestrained spec- ulation in life’s first essential—food. In this connection, it seems to me we should recognize that many of the political factors that in different European countries are now known as Socialists, of one brand or another, would in our country be called some Republicans, some Democrats, and others Progressives. The trend of events and the prophecy of future legislation upon labor questions and affecting problems of wage scales and food price levels is too clear to be mistaken. The controlling factor has become service. The American wholesale grocer has ever set a high value upon genuine service. Service has been the first plank in our association platform, and it is founded on much firmer and more lasting ground than any out- worn belief in the justice or wisdom of mere speculation. We are now en- tering a much more trying time for the country, and for our own special line of trade, than the period of the war itself. The difficulties and dan- gers of the probiem of reconstruction have already become too evident in the brief days since the signing of the armistice. In behalf of the association, may I not respectfully offer as the guiding principles for all of our members, and for wholesale grocers generally during this trying period, and in the years that follow, two objects, to which each of us shall pledge himself: (a) Service, (b) Economy. During the years just ahead of us the usefulness or right to exist of everything, from the Supreme Court to the privately operated delicatessen store, will doubtless be called in ques- tion by some more or less important section of our population. The one predominant principle will be the survival of the fittest. I have no need to-tell you of the various priv- ate and public agencies that are here and there offered to perform the functions that the wholesale grocer, under the severest competition, has successfully discharged for centuries. No collective action on our part and no mere arguments or appeals to Federal or State authorities will or should maintain the wholesale gro- cer’s position. His survival depends solely upon himself. If he is able to get food from the farm to the table more economically, quickly and ef- fectively than any other agency he will survive. If he does not no asso- ciation and no united effort can or should save him. He must render better service than any other medium. He must conduct his business with greater economy than any competitor, private or pub- lic. That he can do this I do not entertain the slightest question. He has proved it. But he must ever im- prove, and must make that proof ever more convincing. No develop- ments of the peace conferences, no activities of any international food organization, no decision to continue or discontinue a National food ad- ministration, no reconstruction policy . of President Wilson and his Cabinet, no laws of the present Congress or of the new Congress after March 4, can in any respect change the plain fact that to-day, as_in all the months of the war, and in the years before, and through the years ahead, the wholesale grocer will be measured by his service. It is clear that philanthropy is not the manufacturer’s reason for em- ploying a wholesale grocer or increas- ing the compensation allowed him. The distribution service rendered by the wholesale grocer is a necessity. In the second place, no manufacturer uses the wholesale grocer as his medium of distribution or increases the compensation as the result of re- quests or demands made upon him by organizations of wholesale grocers. The manufacturer grants the compen- sation or profit if and because he gets service, and he should not be expect- ed, under any circumstances, to be prompted by any other motive. The manufacturer who uses other means of distribution finds as a rule that he has forsaken the more eco- nomical channel; he learns from ex- perience that his distribution costs both him and the consumer more money. The manufacturer who seeks to reduce below a reasonable mini- mum the wholesaler’s compensation for service naturally finds that the competing manufacturer, who is wil!- ing to pay for the very necessary service he obtains, increases his out- put and widens his distribution. The laborer — the individual wholesale grocer in this case—sells his services where he is best paid. The plain duty of each of us and of the association seems to me to be continued co-operation with the Unit- ed States Food Administration and other Governmental agencies, and careful observance of their regula- tions so long as they continue in effect; service to the public on one hand and producers on the other; and wise and watchful economy each in his own business. I take this op- portunity to wish you all, officers and members, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Arjay Davies, Pres. Natl. Wholesale Grocers Assn. less value. really counts. something substantial. We suggest with your best wishes. A Substantial Gift The best gifts are not, necessarily, the most expensive. A word of kindness and encouragement has often proved of price- A gift from the depth of the heart, actuated by noble impulses, en- riches both the giver and receiver. It’s the spirit of 'the giving, the wholeheartedness and unselfishness, the pure desire to make some one happier or more comfortable, that Likely enough you want to remember some friend or neighbor who has had “bad luck” or met with misfortune, and you desire to give Lily White ‘‘The Flour the Best Cooks Use’”’ Surely this would be thoroughly appreciated, and a Merry Christmas Greeting sets better on a full stomach than an empty one. Besides good, wholesome, nutritious bread and biscuits are better for the undernourished than medicine. They go direct to the spot, and if they are made from LILY WHITE FLOUR, “the flour the best cooks use,” they are bound to be good. Give Lily White, and make someone’s Christmas more merry. tic Science Department furnishes recipes and canning charts upon request and Ont ne ane any caer kitchen problems you may have from time to time. Public demonstrations also arranged. Address your letters to our Domestic Science Department. VALLEY CITY MILLING CO. Grand Rapids, Mich. The above is a sample of ads. we are running in the newspapers. Your customers are reading them—keep a good stock on hand to supply the demand. SAR alae MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 Movements of Merchants. Sunfield—O. V. Dilley, grocer, is remodeling his store building. Coral—The Coral Co-Operative Co. succeeds A. N. Shook in general trade. Owosso—The Reed Grocery Co. succeeds E. J. Hayes in the grocery and meat business. Grand Junction—Theodore J. Shell- born succeeds Truman Blackmar in the general mercantile business. Grass Lake—Thieves entered the store of Foster & Babcock Dec. 11 and carried away over $3,000 worth of mens and boys’ clothing. Marshall—Perrett & Sons have sold their stock of dry goods to a former clerk, Miss Stella Snyder, who will continue the business at the same lo- cation. Holland—The Holland Salvage Co. has been incorporated with an auth- orized capital stock of $2,000, $1,000 of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—The Fire Creek Coal Co. has been incorporated with an auth- orized capital stock of $10,000, $7,500 of which has been subscribed and ‘paid in in cash. Edmore—The Edmore Grain & Lumber Co., Ltd., has been incorpor- ated with an authorized capital stock of $15,000, all of which has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Muskegon—The Houle Fuel Co. has been incorporated with an auth- orized capital stock of $35,000, of which amount $18,600. has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Boyne Falls—The State Bank of Boyne Falls has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $20,000, all of which has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Rogers—The State Savings Bank of Rogers has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of 25,000, all of which has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Saginaw—The J. Gregory Electri- cal Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $10,- 000, $7,500 of which has been sub- scribed and paid in in property. _ Elmira—Frank Polus has purchas- ed the general stock of S, J. Burdo & Co., according to the terms and conditions of the sale-in-bulk law, and will continue the business at the same location. Jackson—The George W. Rogers Co. has been organized to conduct a general advertising business, in- cluding outdoor advertising, with an authorized capital stock of $30,000, of which amount $23,600 has been subscribed and paid in, $8,600 in cash and $15,000 in property. Detroit — The Blackstone Auto Sales Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $5,000 common and $3,000 preferred, of which amount has been subscribed - and paid in in cash. Detroit—The Michigan Steel Sales Co. has been organized to buy and sell iron, steel and steel products, with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, all of which has been sub- scribed and $1,000 paid in in cash. Bancroft—Charles Parsons, who has conducted a hardware store here for the past twenty-five years, has sold his stock and store fixtures to Mr. Johnson, recently of Detroit, who will continue the business at the same location. Detroit—The H. Skler Coal Co., Inc., has been organized to conduct a wholesale and retail fuel and ice business with an authorized capital stock of $10,000, of which amount $8,000 has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—The Art-Klan, Inc., has been organized to buy, produce and sell art work and advertising matter for commercial purposes with an authorized capital of $4,000, all of- which has been’ subscribed and $1,000 paid in in cash. Detroit—The City Motor Sales Co. has been organized to manufac- ture, buy and sell motor vehicles and repair their parts, etc., with an auth- orized capital stock of $30,000, of which amount $15,000 has been sub- scribed and paid in in cash. Port Huron—The Howard-Hayman Furniture Co. has been incorporated to conduct a_ retail furniture and house furnishing goods store, with an authorized capital stock of $25,000 common and $10,000 preferred, of which amount $23,500 has been sub- scribed and $22,500 paid in in cash. Detroit—The Detroit Motor Pro- ducts sales Co, has been incorporated to manufacture and sell auto acces- sories, motor specialties and other mechanical devices, with an author- ized capital stock of $10,000, of which amount $5,000 has been sub- scribed and $1,000 paid in in cash. Vicksburg—The Corlett Stone & Lumber Co., of Three Rivers and Kalamazoo, has taken over the lum- ber yard of H. T. Clark at this place. The company now owns six yards. F. W. Corlett looks after the inter- ests in Kalamazoo and M. Stone supervises the business in Three Rivers. Manufacturing Matters. Detroit—The Builders’ Iron Works has been incorporated with an auth- erized capital stéck pf $5,000, $2,500 of which has been suscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit— The Humboldt Iron Works has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, aif of which has been subscribed and paid in jin cash. Detroit—The Screw & Bolt Prod- ucts Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit — The Detroit Roofing Co. has been incorporated with an auth- orized capital stock of $10,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in, $100 in cash and $9,900 in prop- erty. Owosso — The Owosso Bronze Bearing Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $25,000, of which amount $13,500 has been subscribed and $6,750 paid in in cash. Detroit—The Barker Tool, Die and Garage Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $15,000, of which amount $8,300 has been subscribed and paid in in property. Manistee—The Manistee Clothes Rack Co. has been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $2,000, all of which has been subscribed and paid in, $150 being in cash and $1,850 in property. Detroit—The V. B. R. Co. has been incorporated to manufacture, buy and sell all kinds of engines, with an auth- orized capital stock of $1,500, all of which has been subscribed and $600 paid in in cash. Detroit—The Wolverine Bedding Co. has been organized to manufac- ture and sell mattresses and box springs, with an authorized capital stock of $10,000, of which amount $8,000 has been subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—The Lincoln Manufactur- ing Co. has been organized to manu- facture dies for stamping, do sheet metal spinning, etc., with an author- ized capital stock of $20,000 all of which has been subscribed and $2,000 paid in in cash. Detroit—The Inland Manufacturing Co. has been organized to manufac- ture grocers and druggists’. sundries and chemicals, with an authorized capital stock of $2,500 has been sup- scribed and paid in, $750 in cash and $1,750 in property. Grand Ledge—The Parsons Chem- ical Works has been incorporated _ with an authorized capital stock of $15,000 common and $12,000 preferred, of which amount $19,500 has been subscribed, $7,500 paid in in cash and $10,500 in property. Highland Park—The Anglo Chem- ical Co. has been organized to manu- facture and sell chemicals and med- icines, with an authorized capital stock of $8,000, of which amount $1,000 has been subscribed, $200 paid in in cash and $300 in property. Detroit—The Liberty Machines Corporation has been organized to manufacture and sell vending and weighing machines, with an author- ized capital stock of $100,000, of which amount $50,000 has been sub- scribed and paid in in property. ER Soe ae ran ene ee ee eee en eee En nn Ypsilanti—The National Burial & Device Co. has been incorporated to deal in undertakers’ supplies and to manufacture and sell burial devices, with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, all of which has been sub- scribed and $1,000 paid in in cash. Benton Hiarbor—The Bentor Har- bor Manufacturing Co., has been or- ganized to manufacture, purchase, sell, etc., stoves, ranges, furnaces and heating appliances of all kinds, with an authorized capital stock of $80,000 common and _ $20,000 preferred, ot which amount $50,000 has been sub- scribed and $33,125 paid in in cash. Ann Arbor—Judge Sample, of the Washtenaw County Circuit Court, has directed a judgment of no cause of action in the case started some time ago against George W. Seybold and Gottlob Luick, of Ann Arbor, by the Sheldon Axle & Spring Co., of Wilkesbarre, Pa. This was a suit to recover the price of goods sold to the defunct Star Motor Co., of Ann Arbor, under a guarantee, in which the defendants showed to the satis- faction of the court that the plaintiff had made the guarantee inoperative by sending the goods in question with a sight draft attached. —_+-+-- Rice Flour Left a Trade Orphan. The relaxation of food control has played a queer prank with the gro- cers in the matter of rice flour. Be- fore the war rice fiour was little used here and such as was used came from mills in Holland and other European lands. When the requirement of wheat substitutes came about and flour had to be adulterated rice came to be one of the most acceptable adulterants and the Government en- couraged millers to begin making rice flour. Special machinery was installed and the product came into general use, with every grocer car- rying a considerable stock. The sudden release of wheat flour left every jobber heavily loaded with rice flour and no sooner did the con- sumer swing back to wheat than she refused absolutely to buy any other. The Grain Corporation arranged to take over the other wheat substitutes, but somehow rice was left out of the plan and not far from a million dol- lars’ worth of rice flour is in the job- bers’ hands, unsold and apparently unsalable. Appeals are being made for the Government to buy it and send it abroad, but thus far it has come to nothing. No one seems to have launched the idea of finding new uses for rice flour which would create demand here, but unless some such new outlet is found, it looks as though a lot of perfectly good food will be sacrificed to American preju- dice and fads. —_—_+--2 Don’t attach too much importance to seasons. A dealer in furnishings used to pack away his line of sweat- ers and heavy underwear in summer, but a few seasons ago he kept the same on sale all through the summer, with the result he sold many dozens of the so-called unseasonable articles. —_.2. > It takes a bachelor with money to exterminate the weeds fom. a _— ow’s bonnet. _ December 18, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN in! y 2 S 0 et © rr = hye ey ° ARKET (Ne: =< - oy, Riise ji (Ut ree a S' > aa i ir oN ee) ) (7 GF - / 48. pe 2 Review of the Grand Rapids Produce Market. Apples—Pound Sweet, $2.25 per bu.; Hubbardstons $2; Baldwin, $1.75; Northern Spys, $2@ 2.50; Wagners, $2; Mackintoshes, $2; Grimes Golden, $2; Greenings, $2; Russets, $1.75. Bananas—$7.75 per 100 lbs. Beets—75c per bu. Butter—Local dealers hold fancy creamery at 65c in tubs and 67c in prints. Creamery more than a month old sold at 64c. Jobbers pay 50c for No. 1 dairy in jars and sell at 52c. 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 Ib.; fes- tooning, $1.50 per 20 yards. Trees are very scarce, Cranberries—Late Howes; $20 per bbl. and $7 per bu. Cucumbers—Indiana $2.50 per dozen. Eggs—The market is 5c to 6c lower than a week ago. Local dealers pay 60c per doz., loss off, including cases, delivered. Cold. storage operators are putting out their stocks on the basis of 49c for ‘candled firsts and 44c for candled seconds. Egg Plant—$2.50 per dozen. Garlick—28c per Ib. Grape Fruit—$4@5 per box for all sizes Floridas. Grapes—California Emperors, $10 per keg. Green Onions—i8@20c per dozen. Green Peppers—50c per basket for Florida. Honey—35c per 1b. for white clov- er and 30c for dark. A strong effort is being made to have the Govern- ment lift the embargo on honey. The only export is by the Government for the army in Europe. With sugar again on the unrestricted list, it seems as if there is no valid reason to keep the ban on honey exporting. With a world market open again, the honey production in California will exceed $3,000,000 for next year. There will be 260 cars of honey handled by the State Exchange during 1919, as against 250 cars for 1918. A carload of honey now brings $12,000, the highest price ever known. The plan of the State and local exchanges is to sustain the price of the commodity during the new year. Lemons—California have declined to $5 for choice and $5.50 for fancy. Lettuce—Head, $3 per bu.; hot ~ house leaf, 12c per 1b. hot house Onions—$1.50@1.75 per 100 lb. sack for either Red or Yellow. Oranges—Floridas, $4.75 @ 5.50 per box; California Navals, $4.50@7, according to size. Peanuts—The trade is heavy, prob- ably due in part to high prices for other nuts for the holidays. More have been sold in the last ten days than for at least two months before that time. Pineapples—$6 per crate. Pop Corn—15c per Ib. Potatoes—Home grown command $2 per 100 lb. sack, Poultry—Local dealers pay as fol- lows for live: Hens, 4 Ibs., and over, 24c; medium, 20c; small, 17c; springs, 23c; ducks, large, 24c; geese, large, 22c. For dressed the following prices are paid: Turkeys, No. 1, 30c; ducks, large, 26c; geese, large, 25c. Radishes—Hot house, 35c per doz. bunches. Squash—Hubbard, $3.50 per Ibs. Sweet Potatoes—$2.75 per 50 Ib. hamper of Illinois kiln dried and $3.25 for Jerseys. Tomatoes—California, $1.15 per 5 lb. basket. Turnips—65c per bu. —_+2+—___ The Grocery Market. Sugar—The only change of any kind is the reduction in the minimum amount of sugar which can be ship- ped in a car. During the period of stringent food control the minimum was established at 60,000 pounds. Now it is reduced to 40,000 pounds. Tea—Quiet conditions still prevail in the market for tea. Trading is limited to small lots, with prices gen- erally steady. An impression seems to have gained currency that the price of tea will shortly be reduced. This is not the case as regards the immediate future. It is possible that, as a result of the armistice and the consequent disappearance of the sub- marine, there may shortly be a fall in the rates of freight and insurance, but we have in the country.a very considerable stock of tea and there is also a large amount on the water at the present time. All this tea, of course, will cost the same as con- signments have cost for some time past, and therefore no reduction in price can be expected at present. Canned Fruit—This market js at a standstill because the demand seems to be for descriptions that are not available, while the goods that are offered are not wanted at the prices asked. Canned Vegetables—The action of the Tomato market during the week has given a very good indication that 100 to try and suppress the law of sup- ply and demand is a difficult propo- sition and incidentally has shown that economic laws are superior to artificial regulations. The tomato market is decidedly weak. It was expected that this would be so. The canners profess not to believe it, but the trade generally look upon their pronouncements as merely a question of whistling to keep up their courage. The fact was that there was a very large production—so large that even after taking out the Government’s full allowance of 45 per cent. the other 55 per cent. approximated 11,000,000 cases. The country has worried along on a pack of 11,000,000 cases in previous years without any very great distress, but besides tak- ing out of all ordinary consuming channels some 3,000,000 men, there could be no doubt that domestic con- sumption was further curtailed by the extraordinarily high prices. These prices were all well enough while the war lasted, but the -housewife is rath- er apt to look askance at 25c for a can of tomatoes in peace times. Hence, supply is greater than de- mand and the inevitable result is a decline in prices. Canned Fish—There is no demand for red Alaska Salmon just now be- cause there are offerings in the market that are not being taken. There is a demand for pink salmon for export, but nothing seems to be offering. Dried Fruits—The dried fruit trade seems to be rather pessimistic in re- gard to further offerings of prunes. The local trade at least does not be- lieve that they will obtain much re- lief from anything the Government is willing to let them have, as there will not be enough to go around. At any rate, nothing will be shipped before the beginning of next month, which will include 40s to 70s of limited quantities. The earlier shipments of 30s to 40s and 90s to 100s are now in transit, and these were what the trade was going to get anyway, so that any 40s to 70s that come in will be extra. The early part of the week there was fine talk of some packers making full deliveries, but if so this could simply apply to small packers who had not as yet made any deliveries to the Government, Some dealers here re- -port their stock of small prunes sold out. There are some very small Ore- gons, 100s to 120s, offered on the spot at 734c. Apricots are quiet, although there is talk of a possible export de- mand. Some extra choice royals packed in 27%4 pound boxes and evi- dently intended originally for export and now being offered at 2ic. Rice—Trading is quiet and there is a lack of new developments to record. With supplies generally light, the market remains steady. Sugar Syrups—Trading is quiet and the market lacks new features. Corn Syrup—The market is feat- ureless, trading being quiet. Molasses—The market lacks new features, trading being quiet with prices firm. : Candy—Manufacturers expect to give more liberal supplies after the first of the year. There will be no noticeable change in prices, it is said. The Government has just bought 9,000,000 pounds for the soldiers. —_———>- 2 Not Surprised at I. H. Co. Action, Rockyford, Colo., Dec. 16—Yours of Dec. 7, addressed to me at Vicks- burg, has been forwarded ta me here. I left Michigan the middle of October by auto and have been her ever since, recovering from the effects of a cou- ple of months’ sickness last summer. I thank you for your congratula- tions on my election as President of the Michigan Implement & Vehicle Dealers Association, which was in the nature of a surprise to me, as I had figured that my absence should have eliminated me from the running. Now, regarding this matter of the I. H. Co. insisting on their dealers handling their line exclusively, it seems to be settled, and in the name of the Association, I thank you for asisting in clearing up the matter so promptly and effectively. This is a brand new development to me, as up to the time I left Michi- gan I had heard nothing of it. Neith- er has my partner advised me of any such attempt by the I. H. Co. in our own experience, but I had one fellow who is unusually well informed give it as his opinion that a good many of the “full line” companies would try to exert pressure to have their full line represented, but did not mention anything about excluding competi- tors, My personal view is that the per- sonnel of the implement dealers has developed to a point now-a-days where all such tactics must fail, The stiffness of the implement game for the past few years has eliminated most of the dead-head dealers. Peace conditions and the settling of the markets back into a normal state are causing a lot of manufactur- ers to “make too hard work of it.” They take the situation too seriously and the result will be some very faulty strategy in a good many in- stances. big percentage of the dealers already have enough goods to last them through 1919, purchased in a good many instances at previously prevailing prices, and the farmers are many of them wise enough to figure that if prices don’t sag in 1919, they will in 1920, which will cause a con- tinuance of the repairing of old ma- chines. My personal opinion is that the manufacturers of tractors and tractor implements have that game sized up for about ten times as big as it really is, and these opinions prevailing among the big corporations is apt, as I say, to result in some rather faulty commercial strategy. I expect to continue my vacation here until May, but I am well sup- plied with trade papers, and in con- stant communication with well in- formed men, and have all kinds of time on my hands, and will endeavor not to let anything slip by that needs looking after by our Association. . F. Follmer, Pres. Mich. Implement Dealers’ Assn. _——_2>+>——____. Harry Piester, Northern Michigan traveling representative for M. Pio- waty & Sons, died at his home in Pe- toskey, Tuesday, as the result of an attack of the flu. Deceased had been connected with the Piowaty house ever since it was established at the Grand Rapids market. He was about 38 years of age and leaves a wife. He was held in high esteem by his em- ployers and associates and possessed the confidence of the trade to an unusual degree. -——>---e——_ The average man loves work so much that it makes him weary. to see other men idle, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 INTENSIFIED RETAILING. — Original Methods Introduced by a Minnesota Merchant. Slayton, Minn., Dec. 16—“He prof- its most who serves best.” Now, that is not my idea, but I bring it to you, nevertheiess. This is an age of serv- ice. Most of us are rendering service, some in a lesser, some in a greater degree. In the opening of the subject, let us look at the mail order house and see the advantage, if any, there be in ordering by mail. With our mod- ern rural free delivery systems in the country, the catalogues are brought to the mail boxes from the catalogue house, but then too, the advertising matter of the rural mer- chant is brought to this same mail box. Picking up a catalogue one will have to admit how attractively it is gotten up and how cleverly it has been priced with its thousands upon thousands of odd prices, made odd, I presume, to show a degree of cheap- ness. As to prices, under existing condi- tions a large number of the mail or- der houses do not absolutely guaran- tee their prices. Under abnormal conditions they reserve the right to reject orders where anything but a nominal amount of merchandise is ordered. With the present slow freight serv- ice, ordering goods to come by mail in the future will probably be less satisfactory than it has been in the past and even occasionally shipments have come by mail or express and gone astray. When you simmer it all down, the up-to-date country store with its alert and courteous salespeople is rendering service in innumerable ways. Then, too, the average coun- try store should be given great credit for the splendid market which it af- fords in distribuion of farm produce, and I want to say right at this time that I believe one valuable asset is the idea of saying, “I will buy every- thing that Mr. Farmer has to sell, even when it comes to woodchucks.” ‘There are a great many items of service which I might name, but space will not permit. Stop and con- sider! Do you realize that 70 per cent. of the merchandise you are selling is sold to the lady of the house? Will you take just one tip from me at this time? Whatever you do in the future, plan your advertis- ing and play into the hands of the good housewife! For lest you forget, I say it yet, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world! Fellow merchants, we hear much these days about intensified farming, and it is the consensus of opinion that intensified farming is the move of the day, but I say to you, I be- lieve that if there is need of intensi- fied farming, then there is doubly need of intensified merchandising. Your store has a distinct mission to perform and you as an owner Or part owner of that institution owe it to your community in which you keep store or keep shop to give your peo- ple ninety-nine and forty-four one- hundredths per cent. in values and store service. I have not said that you should run your store 100 per cent. perfect, for we are all human, and that would be impossible, but I do believe that we should conduct our business as near- ly as possible to Ivory Soap stand- ards. Everything is possible to the erchant who thinks he can. Merchan- dise stocks generally are too large for the volume of business. Very often the quality of the goods is not as high a standard as it should be. Re ecarefrl of low grade and shoddy goods. They are liable to destroy your business before you know it. Yes, I hear some of you say you need cheap merchandise to compete with the mail order houses. Just get that notion out of your head, for many of the mail order houses are selling some _ quality merchandise where some of us retailers are not. P. T. Barnum, the father of the big circus, did once say the American people like to be humbugged. That may be true in the circus game, but not now. Then let us get down to brass tacks and admit that the mail order industry could not have gone forward by leaps and bounds unless they did sell some merchandise with quality and at fair prices. An article I read recently said that when Mr. Rosenwald bought an in- terest in Sears, Roebuck & Co., the value of the stock at that time was $140,000. Mr. Rosenwald put in $35,- 000 and an uncle of his another $35,- 000 for the half interest in that con- cern. Later on, as you all under- stand, he bought out Mr. Sears. This business to-day has grown so the net worth of the concern as shown by this article is $125,000,000. Out of this have been taken $25,- 000,000 in dividends, and the sales during 1917, I believe, were some- thing like $175,000,000. Your goods may be well bought, they may be priced right, but there is something more required before you can convert them into cash or profit, and that is store service. In the matter of merchandise dis- plays, you should have the goods right down on the counter where the customer has access to them, can ex- amine them, and handle them. Little displays should be all over the store in every single department of the store. Let your furniture and fixtures be the very best you can possibly afford, for they pay a splendid dividend on the amount invested. Right here permit me to make a suggestion which may be valuable to you. An idea that you can feature in your store to good advantage is a blackboard on which you will an- nounce, not specials, but items which you are going to feature the next day. These are not advertised items, but items you decide to put pressure on. I am going to call this intensified re- tailing on these few items. e will say, for instance, in the dry goods department you are going to play up to-morrow two certain pieces of dress goods. On this blackboard you write, “Talk leather colored dresses.” In this case I am featuring merchandise that I want to unload that’s a sticker. Every per- son in the house will make an at- tempt to unload that certain mer- chandise, but it must be unloaded judiciously and unloaded on people who would accept merchandise such as this. In another department, we will say we are featuring something in new merchandise. We will say that the new suits have just come in. It will be the duty on that day for every salesperson in that department, after she has finished waiting on the cus- tomer, to suggest suits to her. Now, if each of your salespeople are con- fined to department selling, then’ it is their duty to say, “Well, Mrs. Smith, you know our new suits just came in. Have you seen them? I’d be glad to take you back there, and I'l have Miss White show them to you. If your salespeople will send cus- tomers one to the other, and if they will intensify for the day on that item, you will be surprised how much mer- chandise you will sell. Each depart- ment has only one item that is being featured in this manner. This plan, I believe, if followed re- ligiously, will result in increased sales in a great many of your departments. Do things that had not been done before. Offer prizes to your sales- people who will suggest novel adver- tising suggestions. These little stunts don’t cost much, and still they cause talk and enthusiasm, and give the people of your town the impression that you are a live one. Here is just one little stunt I happened to try a number of years ago, and it worked out very well: We had a big picnic the day be- fore we tried this, and it had been advertised for some time. I believed that one part.cular day following the picnic would be quiet, so I sent out invitations for a doll party. I asked all little girls under a cer- tain age to came to our store on that afternoon at 1 o’clock and bring their dolls, as we were going to have a party for them. So the little girls came in, and it so happened that they came in a rain storm, but they were there, and the town in which I am located is a town of less than a thousand people. The little girls were there, something like sixty or seventy oo every one of them with her oll. As soon as they came to the store, we had them write their name and age’on a little slip of paper, and after they had all registered they were turned over to a lady who had for- merly been a teacher in the schools. We had things all fixed up in one corner where the girls might have their fortunes told. We had a lady dressed in black to resemble a witch. As the little girl would go in to have her fortune told, among the things the fortune teller would tell the little girl was her name, and not only that. but her age, too, and the date of her birthday. The little girl, of course, had for- gotten that she had written her name on a slip of paper some time before, and she would think it was wonder- ful! Then the fortune teller, of course, would tell her to be a good girl in school, and to go to Sunday school regularly, and to mind her parents and all that, and the good times she would have if she was good and m rded her mamma, and all that. We entertained the youngsters in our balcony, and they had a splen- did time. They told stories and played a lot of games. After they had their enjoyment for some little time we served them with refresh- ments. We had a number of count- ers down the center of the store, and served them with plenty of ice cream and home made cake, and every little girl, when she left there, went away Satisfied that she had the time of her life. Another feature: We -asked the little girls to sing, and the young lady in charge directed them in sing- ing. They sang a good part of the time. Hlere was the best thing that hap- pened, though: Just as we were get- ting nicely settled with the little girls, in came about twenty-five or thirty boys. They had already heard about the ice cream. They were asked, “Where’s your doll? How’re you going to get in on this without any dolls?” Well, sir, pretty soon the boys went out, and every single one of them came back with a little penny doll. “Now, can we get in?” Well, the boys had me _ buffaloed for a minute, but I said, “Yes, come on in.” I took them into the men’s shoe department, took a number of empty egg cases and put them around the room, and said, “Come on, we'll have some fun here.” I asked the boys to tell stories and they started in. Of all the clever stores you ever heard in your life those boys told them. I never heard quite as many ford stories in my life. There must have been forty or forty-five, or may- be fifty uninvited boys there. I went over to a restaurant and secured a liberal quantity of ice cream cones, and those boys had the time of their lives. There is one way in which you can improve efficiency as well as store service, and that is by forming a good, active store club, which should meet every month. ; In organizing your store club, draft a constitution and a full set of by-laws, which must be signed by every member of your store, every one of whom are required to join the club. The purpose of the club is the enlightenment of every member of your selling force as well as the members of the firm themselves, and the making of more efficient sales people. P, J. Nelson. a Secretary Lane’s annual report is not a report, but a plea. With his accustomed eloquence he sets forth his far-reaching plan for giving re- turned soldiers their share of the 200,000,000 acres of reclaimable land in the country. If Canada can spend millions to allot every veteran who wants it 160 acres, with a loan of $2,500, and England and France hun- dreds of millions in housing schemes. the United States can spare the funds for this land-settlement. To relieve the anxiety of the soldier, to protect the labor market against swamping, to give re-established in- dustry a demand for its product, to stay the movement toward the cities, to make millions of waste acres rich- ly productive, to set up in every sec- tion modern patterns of farm settle- ment—all this can be accomplished easily. Secretary Lane’s eloquence is needed, for the debates on his re- quest for money to examine the re- claimable lands showed that many Congressmen did not appreciate the combination of imagination and practicality in his project. It really involves, as he says, merely a great elaboration of what the Reclamation Service has done for years. ———_.--- 2 ___ There is a certain jeweler doing business on Monroe avenue who is evidently wondering why his trade has fallen off more than 50 per cent. during the past three years. To those who know the man and realize his shortcomings the solution is simple. He is a pro-German and abuses every- one who makes any disparaging re- marks concerning the Kaiser or the German people in his presence. As a rule, he never gets a second op- portunity to abuse the same person, because one experience of the kind is usually enough to prevent a person ever darkening his doorway again. ——_—_>-2-2- To emphasize an article the sales of which he is pushing, one mer- chant displays it in his most prom- inent show case. The entire case is well lighted; but one spot is light- ed more brilliantly than the rest by a hidden nitrogen lamp. Any article placed there, of course, is more con- spicuous than the other articles in the case and receives first and greater at- tention. The merchant says he has often doubled the sale of an article by displaying it on this lighted spot. A thrift card, with one thrift stamp attached, was used by an as- sociation of bankers as the cover for the programme of one of. its affairs. In this way it made sure of lasting attentionffor the program- me, as well as lending a hand to the government. December 18, 1918 GETTING YOUR SHARE? Government statistics are usually considered dry reading, and prob- ably that is why so few people take the trouble to find out what they contain. But quite often they contain some very interesting facts. For example, you may not know that the average family in the Middle Western states spends over $500 a year for things to eat, to wear and to use in the home. Implements, heavy hard- ware, vehicles and similar articles are not included. This does not mean that every family spends this amount. Some haven’t it to spend. But taking rich and poor, property owners and tenant, “boss” and laborer—the aver- age amount spent for these things is over $500 a year. What about it? Does that mean anything to you, Mr. Retailer in the small town? Did you ever stop to figure out how much business this average amount ought to mean for you and your brother retailers in your town? If you did—you needn’t read this story, for then you are posted and, of course, are making every effort to get your share of the $500 a year. But if you haven’t, take another five minutes and see if you don’t get a little different light on the subject of your business. Let us consider a town of 3,000 in- habitants, with a trading territory in which there are another 2,000 people, thus making a total of 1,000 families. These 1,000 families spend at least $500,000 a year, for things to eat, to wear and to use in the house—prac- tically all of which would be spent in the home town if the retailers went after it in the right manner. But if experience counts for any- thing it is safe to say that at least $150,000 of this amount is sent away. And the only reason why the money is sent away, is that the local retailers do not take the proper means to se- cure this business, Think of what this $150,000 ad- ditional business would mean to the town. With an average profit of even 20 per cent., it would mean that $30,- 000 would be added each year to ihe money turned over a dozen or more times in that town. It would mean more building, more improvements, more comfort, more convenience for every one in town. It would mean the difference be- tween making a bare living and a profitable business to many a retailer. But this immense amount will con- tinue to be sent away—with the prob- ability of a larger amount going out every year—umnless the local retailers change their attitude—both towards each other and the people from whom their trade and profits must come, Trade goes whérever it is invited, receives fair value and courteous con- sideration. The mail order houses are artists in inviting trade. They do give good value, but no better and often less than the local retailers. They are ex- 7 tremely courteous in their consider- ation of customers’ complaints. The start is made with the invita- ton, and as they are practically en- joying a monoply on real advertising it is really a wonder that more trade does not go away. They have succeeded in conv:ncing a large number of people, that their values are better, but the only reason why they have succeeded is, that the average local retailer has never con- ducted a carefully planned-out cam- paign, to prove that he is actually able to give at least as good values. If he has done anything it has been a “hit-and-miss” affair—without any connection or system. He has been unwilling to co-operate with his brother retailets. He has always “had an eye to the main chance.” He has been afraid, that some one else might get a little more business out of the general results if a co-op- erative plan was proposed—and so he has “paddled his own canoe”—with the inevitable result that he received a smaller return for his individual effort. The law of compensation holds good in every case. Single-handed effort, work done and money spent without due consideration to others, always brings less reward to each in- dividual than ‘the same effort, work and money used in co-operation with others. The interests of every retailer in a town are so interlaced with those of the others that from a purely selfish standpoint they cannot afford not to co-operate, and the large a- mount of sales and their resulting profits which are lost to retailers in country communities is the logical outcome of their failure to co-operate. Happily, conditions are changing. Retailers are commencing to appre- ciate that even competitors may have some good points. They are getting together in many places, formufating plans and executing them effectively. And in every case, they are reaping the returns of co-operation. Each one is doing more business and mak- ing more profits. —_2-+.__ Bankruptcy Proceedings in the West- ern District of Michigan Grand Rapids, Dec. 10—Andrew lL. Troyer, of Muskegon Heights, has filed a petition for adjudication in bank- ruptcy. The matter has been referred to Referee Corwin. The first meeting of creditors has been called for Dec. 24. The schedules of the bankrupt show the following: Unsecured claims amounting to $520 and assets amounting to $225. which amount includes household goods valued at $150 and wearing apparel $75, all of which is claimed as exempt. Fol- lowing is a list of the creditors sched- uled by the bankrupt: Syrus Twining, Walkerville ...... $156.00 M. D. Hayward, White Cloud .... 135.00 Dr. Barnard, Tustin ............ -. 45.00 S. C. Manning, Walkerville 45.00 Foster Morris, Hesperia .......... 75.00 George Chub, Copemish .......... 40.00 Maryan J. Kawolski, Copemish .... In the matter of. Mike Maloley, banx- rupt, Grand Rapids, a final meeting has been held. It appearing that there were not more than sufficient funds to pay the expenses in this matter, no dividend was declared. _—_s-2-a If you sell goods for less than standard price, or stock that which - is hard to obtain, state so on your placards or window display, such as, “Our price just 20 cents below that which you always paid for Jones’ skirts,” or “We carry in stock at all times a full line of R. G. waists.” ® MICHIGAN TRADESMAN uaker Coffee The best coffee that a big house can buy! Roasted and blended by ex- perts! Combined for flavor, for aro- ma, for strength! Such is Quaker Coffee For sale only in one pound packages! A superlative coffee at a rea- sonable price! A liberal profit for the re- tailer! A square deal for everybody! WoRDEN GROCER COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS—KALAMAZOO THE PROMPT SHIPPERS MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 BASIC CONDITIONS SOUND. Holiday buying, which began this season earlier than usual, reached its he'ght during the week just closed, with good prospects of a continuance for some days to come. In volume of sales, no fess than in the variety of articles bought, there has been so far no cause for complaint. Prices have been less of a deterrent than was feared, and consideration for what the future may have in store does not seem to have been taken into ac- count. Even in the purchases of gift articles, little heed has been given to those classed as useful as distin- guished from the opposite kind. A casual study of the shoppers who have been so much in evidence would also lead to the conclusion that, for the time being, at least, the pleas for economy in expenditures were in great measure ignored. The revulsion of feeling which followed the sudden ending of the war is given as a reason for the quick changt in sentiment that seems to have affected all classes alke in widely different portions of the country. The effect of the buy- ing is seen in the depletion of the stocks held by retailers, and will be quickly manifested in the collections. This will be an a'd toward stablizing mercantile business conditions besides creating a demand for further sup- plies for forward trading. Basic conditions in other directions appear to be sound so far as the usual indications point. Prosperity is the lot of the vast army engaged in agriculture of divers kinds and the raising of the food animals which forms a part of that occupation. Products of the mines, fisheries, and forests have been in great demand, and have yielded large profits to those concerned jn them, The great bulk of the factories have been working to capacity until very recently, with re- sults more satisfactory than for dec- ades, and labor has received great- er compensation than ever before. Economies, forced or _ otherwise, have aided in conserving much of the profits that have accrued. Safeguards against over speculation have prevent- ed unwise accumulations that might be a source of peril in the period of re-adiustment following an era of inflated values. Removal of prior- ities and restrictions is aiding in giving freer play to the activities in industries whose output was curtailed while the war lasted, and this, in turn, helps to provide employment for many whose work ceased with the closing of the war. All these things are to the good and are of excellent promise. But, in spite of them, buy- -ing in the primary markets and from distributers lags. The reason for this is not far to seek, and it is perfectly understood, While the condition is merely temporary, it is quite trouble- some while it lasts. It is realized on all sides that mar- ket values are inflated and that com- modities generally are on an artificial basis. This is not merely the case in this country, but is so all over the world. Part only of the increase in values is due to enhanced cost of production. The remainder is what a has been secured by an abnormal de-4¥ an extent that shows a greater meas- mand compressed within a_ short interval of time. No one contends that prices can be quickly restored to what they were before the world war set in. Many economists and others insist that higher levels than the old ones must prevail for years and that, in certain instances, prices will never be as low as they were unless in- ventive genius steps in to reduce production costs. So there must be a new definition of what is normal at the present time which is something different than was so in the early por- tion of 1914. What may be consid- ered bedrock prices just now is the serious proposition which confronts buyers. Until they feel assured that prices have reached their proper level, they will be very cautious. This ap- plies to all kinds of commodities. Certain producers are taking this into account and are trying to meet the difficulty by voluntary reductions. The most notable of these instances is in the case of the iron and steel makers. Less so is this true of the purveyors of food products and those engaged in the manufacture of tex- tiles and leather goods. As a kind of stop-gap, it has been proposed that manufacturers guarantee prices for a period of ninety days, but this kind of a remedy is at best a very doubt- ful one. Government-fixed maximum prices have ceased to be a factor and are generally disregarded except in the case of wheat. Reluctant though they may be, it would seem to be only a question of time before manufac- turers will have to content themselves with smaller margins of profit than they have been getting. When com- modities get down to a fair basis business will pick up quickly. THE DRY GOODS MARKET. Sufficient progress has been made in adjusting Government plans for the disposal of surplus textile mer- chandise to warrant the conclusion that this surplus will not be per- mitted to become a serious menace to the stability of business for the next few months. If present plans are worked out, as the authorities think they can be, in co-operation with merchants, the goods will be absorbed for consumption without shock to values that cannot be taken care of. There is every reason to expect that a substantial part of the merchandise, which is not like that to which the retail and jobbing trade have always been accustomed, will find a ready market in foreign fields wherever it is necessary to extend United States credit for the rehabili- tation of war’s destruction. This will remove one of the grave causes of unrest among domestic traders and will make clear that there cannot be the very great shrinkage in values that many have been dread- ing. Without an excessive surplus of merchandise to press upon the market for immediate sale there can be no damaging break in prices. The absence of stock in first hands for domestic consumption has’ been recognized for some time, and the liquidation that has gone on in second hands has made progress to _ure of confidence in values on the part of holders than some buyers have been talking about. Lacking financial pressure forcing them to un- load, many second hand factors pro- pose to hold on and some at least be- lieve that in another couple of months they can go on selling at a profit, or certainly without the losses some of them were fearing. The wool auctions should do much to straighten out the tangle of ideas prevailing as to the actual worth of merchandise to be made for trading purposes in the next six months. The Government does not intend apparently, to swallow a shrinkage or loss on the wool it controls. Other- wise it would have offered a larger quantity for sale at an auction. The largest manufacturer of wool goods is perfectly will.ng to allow the trade to fix its own values on merchandise, as it has ordered a peremptory sale of stock goods. Recent reports from Yokohama in- dicate that someone wants raw silk at prices much higher than those cur- rent a year ago or two years ago, and while the reaction from a weak market here has not yet become clearly defined, there are some men in the trade who expect silks to sell freely next spring and at a profit that will warrant paying good prices for the raws. There are signs developing in the cotton goods market pointing toward a determination to get business on a basis from which operations may be- gin in safety. Some gray goods have already reacted to lower levels than mills will work on for two or three months and if idleness is to intervene in the mean time it will merely ac- centuate the disturbance of business without offering a chance to sell ahead freely. It is also established that some finished goods lines will shortly be priced for future delivery on levels that will be held steady for some time and probably long enough to permit jobbers to distribute for spring and summer trade. It is go- ing to take time for mills to accumu- late stock goods and meanwhile it is for jobbers and retailers to determine how they are to do business without stocks. ECONOMIC ISOLATION. Whatever punishment may be in- flicted on the Central Powers for their crimes and sins, it is now pretty well established that economic iso- lation cannot be made one of the penalties. This will be manifest, so far as supplies of foodstuffs are con- cerned, as soon as the necessities of the peoples of those countries be- come sufficiently acute. Attempts to prevent Germans from importing raw materials needed in manufactures are likewise bound to fail. It would be essential, in order to gain this end, that the war blockade by sea and land be kept up indefinitely, even with regard to neutrals, and this would imply a continuance of a state of war. It may be well, in connec- tion with this matter, to call atten- tion to the fact that considerable stores of raw materials owned | by German interests are now in various neutral countries. Only recently it was shown, for example, that fairly large stocks of wool and other ma- terials are in South America which were bought by Germans at compar- atively low prices not long after the outbreak of the war. Only shipping facilities are needed to bring them to their owners. When it comes to sell- ing German products abroad, how- ever, much trouble can and will be made for the Huns. Both Great Britain and France have determined on checking imports from Germany by prohibitions and: restrictions, and Belgium, Italy and the United States will certainly not help that country’s export trade. And the unofficial, but no less effective, individual boycot- ting of everything “made in Ger- many” is bound to be felt in neutral as well as belligerent countries for dozens of years to come. SHUT OUT THE GERMAN. It is time for Congress to enact Stringent prohibitive legislation re- garding German immigration to this country. Any German who ever lived in the United States and went back to fight in the German army should never be allowed to land on our soil again. No German who lived in Germany up to this time should be allowed to come to this country unless it be an aged parent of a naturalized Amer- ican who has been true to the United States in the late war. Measures to. stop all undesirable immigration to the United States cannot be enacted too soon. The same prohibition we exact regarding Germans should be made to apply to Turks, Bulg@rians and Austrians because they are nearly as brutish as the Germans. Fortunately for themselves and the world at large, they are not possessed of the mania which possesses the Germans that they are supermen, when, as a matter of fact, they are the lowest down people on the face of the earth. MEMORIAL EDITION. A valued friend and patron of the Tradesman, who has himself suffered the loss of a son in France, suggests that the Tradesman publish a Me- morial Edition next May, giving a complete list of all relatives of the Tradesman family who gave up their lives in defense of humanity and civilization. The Tradesman is pleased to act on this suggestion and begs leave to request that those of its readers who have suffered the loss of relatives in the service either in this country or in Europe, furnish a memorandum containing name, age, rank, company, regiment and _ division attachment, date of embarkation, list of battles participated in and date, location and cause of death. These reports will be carefully compiled and summarized and competent eulogists will be asked to pay fitting tribute to the memories of the deceased. iaeaMeesenceeeeteataueecen ae The more you practice the making of show cards, the better you will be- come at the work and the more cards: you will have and use. December 18, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ; RSAC KET Lusssyuie Michigan Retail oe Dealers’ Associa- ion. President—J. E. Wilson, Detroit. Vice-Presidents — Harry Woodworth, Lansing; James H. Fox, Grand Rapids; Charles Webber, Kalamazoo; A. E. Kel- logg, Traverse City. Secretary-Treasurer—C. J'. Paige, Sag- inaw. The Rétail Shoe Deater’s Outlook. Written for the Tradesman. There aré no standards by which to measure the shoe retailing tasks and problems of out day. The long and arduous trail through the wilderness of work that lies ahead of us has not been blazed. For such a day, for such an hour, he looks in vain who seeks for precedents. Our entire in- dustry is scheduled for far-reaching reconstructive activities. This inher- ent necessity for progressive develop- ment, for new and better ways in shoe distribution, may be deplored by the brotherhood of the easy-go- ing, or disregarded by those who have not the spirit of awareness, but all the same they are coming. Even now they are taking place. At the outset Jet us briefly consider two or three very general proposi- tions which, in all of our thinking upon the subject of the production and distribution of footwear, it is well enough to keep in mind, In the first plaice, the production and distribution of shoes constitutes an essential industry in peace times a well as war. Armies at the front must be clothed as well as fed, and shoes are vital in this equipment. But now that the armistice has been signed and the delegates to the great peace conference are gathering, we naturally think more about the armies of the home fronts than we do of those armies whose work is finished at the fighting front. Civil- ians must be clothed—which means they must have adequate footwear. Some one has put it graphically by saying “the world is barefoot.” At least 180,000,000 of people in war- devastated Europe are looking to America for rehabilitation. The shoe industry of America must carry on. The future is big with promise. The signing of the armis- tice does not mean that the sky has fallen in so far as the production and distribution of shoes is concerned. There is no occasion for anybody's becoming panicky. The demand for shoes both at home and abroad is going to be great—greater than it has ever been. And this general notion of a big future demand logically suggests another idea; namely, that, in the judgment of the most expert shoe authorities who have given expres- sion to their views of late, there will be no depreciation of any conse- quence in present footwear values. Labor leaders have declared that they are going to do all in their power to maintain the price of labor at its present level. With prices for everything substantially that goes in- to a shoe firm, and manifesting not the slightest tendency to drop; and with the problems of transportation almost as chaotic as they were months ago—how can the price of shoes decline? Liquidating Present Stocks. There is one matter upon which shoe manufacturers, shoe dealers, and the members of the recently dis- solved War Industries Board all agreed, and that was that present shoe stocks in the hands of retail dealers should be liquidated under selling conditions as nearly normal as possible. Any changes or restric- tions in existing styles, or any radi- cal methods of distribution, that would make this liquidation impos- sible were looked upon with disfavor by all. These stocks represented bona fide values. They were first made, then sold, in good faith. They represented the manufacturers’ and the dealers’ best guess as to what the public wanted in the way of shoes, and were willing to buy. When thousands of shoe dealers faced the possibility of having these stocks left on their hand—or of en- countering Selling conditions which would require that they be marked down ruthlessly—they faced the pos- sibility of financial ruin. But doubtless this contingency was never as real as it seemed. Cer- tainly now that the more drastic re- Strictions have been removed, it has practically ceased to exist. Now the dealer can sell whatever the customer desires and is willing to pay for. Popular misconception as to such matters have been cleared up. Even the absurd idea that $20 shoes were going to be marketed at $12 the pair has gone the way of many a newspaper myth. The sub- conscious notion that the bottom was going to drop out of present shoe prices—and the price of every- thing—as a result of the armistice, bas gotten a solar plexus blow. All of which does not mean, of course, that these stocks have been liqu’dated—-only that the chances of their liquidation are now admittedly better than they seemed to go some time ago. But it will require wise and re- sourceful merchandising methods to liquidate these stocks. The Gradual Resumption of New Styles. While the problem of present A WIN HNUULUTUM (HEMET {LNT HVLLAUUI YOULL UANUT UU nT 1 ail | | li HO ever buys_Honorbilt Shoes gets his money's worth; a full measure of honest value That is all anyone can expect to receive and is much more than is frequently given. Supply your trade with Honorbilt Shoes. They will cause your store to be long remembered| and talked about as the proper “Ey place to trade. F. Mayer Boot & Shoe Co. Milwuakee, Wis. i | | iil ia — f KY MT UNI HINUIMUANH UU AUN UUL A AMI AYU Women’s Felt Slippers 8005—Wos. Ox. Grey Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Padded Heel....... 8009—Wos. Dark Blue Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Padded Heel....... 8010—Wos. Purple Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Padded Heel.......... $1.10 8011—Wos. Wine Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Padded Heel .......... 890—Wos. Red Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Padded Heel... ........ 801 801 2—Wos. Dirk Mocc Large Pon Ribbon Trim Padded Heel.......... 3—Wos. Brown Mocc. Large Pon Ribbon Trim Padded Heel......... $1.25 8027—Wos. Wine Mocc. Large Pon Ribbon Trim Padded Heel.......... 8019—Wos. Wine Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Plain Vp. Padded Heel. . 1.073 8020— Wos. Drk. Blue Mocc. Small Pon Collar Trim Plain Vp. Padded Heel 4a 8022—Wos Chinchilla Grey Mocc. Pon Pinked Edge No Heel.......... 8023—Wos. Chinchilla Dark Blue Mocc. Pon Pinked Edge No Heel ..... $0.95 8026—Wos. Chinchilla Red Mocc. Pon Pinked Edge No Heel........... Grand Rapids, Hirth-Krause Company Michigan 10 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN stocks is being solved, there is an- other question that is now engaging the minds of forward-looking shoe manufacturers and retailers; namely, the matter of the introduction of new leathers and lasts. Novelty is one of the things upon which the shoe business necessarily depends. _Especially is this true of footwear for women and misses. There must be ever the new note. For the time being, the restriction in this regard holds good. There will be no new styles until after June 1st. Whether the time will be extending for the prohibition of novelties, re- mains to be seen. But as soon as practicable, this old- time privilege should be restored. In times of war—especially in a life-and-death struggle such as the one out of which we have emerged victorious—conservation is essential, but in normal times people should be allowed to buy what they want, And it is a cinch people want new and pretty shoes. Especially the people of this country. Styles may admittedly go to seed. The style-feature of shoe production may be abused; but it is doubtful if we shall see such bizarre effects in the coming days as we have in the past. We have, let us hope, learned by experience. But we must have constantly new shoes. Better Methods of Selling. Any discussion of the general topic of the shoe dealer’s outlook would seem to be incomplete with- out some reference to merchandising methods of the coming days. The war has been a good disci- pline for shoe dealers in many ways. It has, for example, taught them the advantage of quick turn overs, in- tensive selling methods, and clean- cut advertising. The future shoe store will, I am sure, be conducted along improved lines. Into the merchandising scheme of the future will no doubt be carried over and _ incorporated many of the profitable lessons learned in this war. There will be an appreciable grad- ing-up. Henceforth effete methods and devices for capturing trade will not do. The shoe dealer must be up- to-date. He must be a live-wire in the old town. He can’t afford to take things easy. If he’s a back- number, he’s going to lose out. But the fellows that stay in the game and play it accordine to the new and improved rules are going to go right forward, for this same old shoe game is going to be a big affair in the re-organized industries of America. Cid McKay. ———___ 2 —_____. As often as possible give’ clean, fresh notes and coin in change. If you have mutilated coin or torn notes, deposit same or pay your bills with them, but do not attempt to give them to your customers. > Make it your business to spend a goodly. portion of your time on the sales floor of your store so people will not say, “Yes, I trade at Blank’s but never saw Mr. Blank about. Purchases of Footwear for Gift Purposes, Written for the Tradesman. A perusal of newspapers from many different sections of the coun- try indicate that retail shoe dealers are right on their toes in the matter of pushing regular and _ subsidiary stocks of the shoe store as appropri- ate and practical commodities for gift purposes. The Government’s widely pub- lished request to the effect that Christmas gifts consist of useful arti- cles this year was projected, to be sure, before the Central Powers be- gan to make the welkin ring with peace overtures; but after the sign- ing of the armistice, the slogan was amended to read: “Now that Fight- ing has Stopped, don’t Stop Saving.” And the programme for a practical, sensible, economical Christmas cele- bration has not been altered. For months and months to come the same frugal habits into which the American people have come, as a wartime measure, should be _ con- tinued. As a matter of fact, it is devoutly to be hoped that the lesson of fru- gality has been learned for all time. The shameful extravagance and wastefulness of the people of this country was inexcusable. We wasted foodstuff and we spent entirely too much money for amusements of one kind or another, and squandered fabulous sums during the holidays— and especially in gift articles for the Christmas holidays. If this habit had been confined to the rich and the well-to-do it would not have been so bad, but unfortu- nately this was not the case. People who could ill afford it were addicted to the habit of foolish giftings. Emphasizing Useful Giving. Retail shoe dealers were interested in promoting an era of more sensi- ble giving, for this meant that they would be able to release more mer- chandise during the pre-holiday per- iod than had hitherto been the rule. In many towns and cities co-oper- ative advertising campaigns were put on to help popularize the things of the shoe store. The gift certificate plan was devised, and helped to di- rect the attention of people to the advantage of practical merchandise, such as shoes and other things of the shoe store, as appropriate and acceptable gifts. And all of this dealer-activity had its effect. It is up to each merchant who deals in useful goods (such as shoes end subsidiaries) to push _ these things vigorously at this time. “Gifts of Footwear” is a phrase that has been used to call attention to things of the shoe store. The term “footwear” covers many articles that are both attractive and useful—but the major emphasis should be placed on the idea of util- ity, for this is where it really belongs. Not to attempt an exhaustive list, the following may be suggested: Women’s shoes for dress or comfort, men’s shoes for work or dress, children’s shoes for all kinds of wear, attractive footwear for growing girls, house slippers and rubbers for R. K. L. R. K. L. sarow Victory Shoe A $4.00 Welt Tan and Black. Heavy enough for any work—Light enough for semi-dress. 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 5toll. Price....... $4.00 No. 8734—Black Blucher Welt, D and E, Sizes itoii. Price................-. 4.00 ORDER TO-DAY—SHIPMENT AT ONCE. Rindge, Kalmbach, Logie Company Grand Rapids, Mich. R. K. L R. K. L. “Bullseye Boots on the Floor Hood's Red or Black Pressure Cured Short Boots Made with the White Soles and Foxing Price $3.95 Grand RepidsShoe ®Rubber® The Michigan People Grand Rapids December 18, 1918 . a a Pe eR ra a a EEE" Cae eee eee ne ae Soe ER me December 18, 1918 everybody, sweet and dainty little boots and soft soles for tiny tots, pol- ishing outfits, rubber boots for men and boys, storm proof boots for red- blooded men and boys, appropriate footwear for sports, outing purposes, and all kinds of special uses; shoe trees, nifty spats, arch props, dainty hosiery for women and children, etc., ete. There is psychological value in the mere suggestion; but there is adver- tising force in judicious persuasion. Therefore talk about useful giving. Specify things of the shoe store that are useful. Tell why. Urge that such things be bought. Display them in your window along with holly and other appropriate Christmas symbols. Cid McKay. >. Arrogant Germans, The difference between the Ger- man officer and the average German soldier whom we have had as pris- oners, writes an officer from France in the Army and Navy Journal, is quite remarkable. Many of the form- er are aggravating to a degree in their contemptuous manner and point of view, while many of the lat- ter seem to be decent fellows, ex- cept that they are products of an abnormal lifetime training, which has made them dumb and unquestioned followers of their appointed supe- riors. Before the war, adds the correspondent, there were many offi- cers in the United States so carried away with the German idea of making men act with the simple obedience of dumb animals, and just a machine, that they desired to Germanize the American Army. Those of this school of officers who have been on the battlefront have now changed their however, and_ there should be no more talk of anything German in the American Army. views, A good illustration of the German officer caste point of view was given when one of our companies, having a large number of wounded stretcher cases to deal with, both American and German, was compelled to use German prisoners as stretcher bear- ers while going to the rear. One of the prisoners, when told to take hold of the litter of a wounded German and help bear the man to the rear stood very erect, poked his nose in the air, and said, “No; I am an off- cer.” An American Sergeant, turn- ing to a man who spoke German, asked, “What’s the matter with that guy, why don’t he get busy?” When the reason was explained the Ser- geant said, “Well, I’ll fix that —— quick,” and taking his knife he cut off the shoulder straps of the officer, to the great dismay of the latter, and with a good volley of American oaths, which the German officer evi- dently understood, told him to get to work quick. The German officer went to work. —_.-+<__- Spend as much time as possible on keeping your store clean, for a clean store attracts customers as flies are attracted to a barrel of sugar. Once you attract your trade, a clean store will do more to hold them than any other factor, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The Repair Service of the Shoe Store. Does your store solicit and take care of repair work? How does your volume of repair work for the last three, six, or twelve months com- pare with similar periods for a year ago? Haven’t you found it appreci- ably easier to secure repair work in the last six or eight months than it has ever been in your locality? These questions have been formu- lated to start you to thinking along repair lines. I have been talking with merchants and shoe department heads within the last few days re- garding the present status of the re- pair game. Without exception I have found the’men I interviewed on this subject exceedingly optimistic about repair work. They intimate that there never was a time when there was as much in it as there is at present. Of course if one isn’t prepared to take in repair work, and doesn’t care to get in shape to do it, he had just as well pass this article up, for it is written primarily for the fellow who believes in the repair function. And the objective of the writer at this time is to persuade him to believe in it a little bit more strongly, and to push it a bit more aggressively. It isn’t enough merely to have up a sign somewhere about the main sales room saying, “Yes, We Do Re- pair Work.” That is a good hint all right, but it should be followed up with a lot more pertinent and per- suasive efforts to get repair business. As long as you solicit repair work at all, you had just as well try to get as much of it as you can, Even if you turn all this business over to a repairer in your community, so that the work first goes out, and then comes back in, it stands to reason that the more work you get the more repair profits will accrue to you. But this plan of course, is the least satisfactory of all. You should have your own repairer or repair de- partment. An Interior Repair Trim. The writer has frequently suggest- ed that repairers should make more of the display feature. I do not believe I have seen more than one or two repair shop windows that were used to good effect. Most of them are cluttered up with repair tools, shoes, repair ma- terials, and junk of one kind or another. Generally the glass of the windows seems to be crying aloud for a good cleansing. Frequently things are pasted on the glass. Now there isn’t any law against a repairer’s using his display window if he is in mind to do so. That would seem to be what the window is for— to be used in advertising the repair- er’s function. If the regular shoe store maintains a flourishing repair department, I can see no reason why there should- n’t be something in the front window (or windows) indicating that the store maintains such a department. But I am thinking just now of the possibilities of a really new thing under the canopy—an. interior repair trim. Did you ever see or hear of one? I never did; but I see no reason why one couldn’t be fixed up at a very nominal cost and used to ex- cellent advantage, You would need a glass case or cabinet—perhaps a cabinet would be better. It need not be large. A cab- inet 24 to 30 inches in width would do, and it might be anywhere from 8 to 12 inches in depth, and say 5 or 514 feet in height. In the cabinet should be displayed certain things wherein is pictured the story of your repair service: spec- imens of the materials you use— especially oak sole leather and fiber soles of standard make; rubber heels; leather lifts; thread, etc. Have a card reading something like this: “In Our Repair Department We Use Only the Best of Materials.” Then display a neat repair job. Take an old rusty pair of gunmetal or tan shoes with worn soles and_ ground-off heels; have your repairer do a neat job on one of the shoes, then polish the shoe neatly; and, if new laces are re- quired, insert a new lace in this shoe. The effect of such an exhibit would be striking. And, this reminds me of another novel idea: namely, why not make a hit by polishing the shoes your re- pair department turns out? The writer has had many shoes repaired both for himself and for members of his family. But in all his experience he never had a rusty looking shoe come hack polished. Absolutely, not once. It would give him the surprise of his life if some time this should happen. 11 But why isn’t it done? Wouldn't it be a bully good stunt to do it? I believe it would pay big, even if 5 or 10 cents additional just for this polishing should be added to the re- pair bill, Cid McKay. ———_--o—___- Do not test a coin before your customer. If you doubt the genu- ineness of the money tendered, take it to the rear or some secluded spot to sound. Failure to do so gives the customer the impression you think they are using your store as a place to pass bad money. a Abstain from using the word “Guaranteed.” It means nothing and ofttimes gets you into trouble leading to arguments and dissatisfied custo- mers. 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. business building. If you never handled the BERTSCH SHOES FOR MEN you have missed a wonderful opportunity at profit and We are in an era of change. Many people who paid cheer- fully a price several years ago to get “‘this’’ or “‘that’’ make of shoe are utterly unable to pay the price to which many lines have advanced. Here the BERTSCH dealer gets his opportunity. He knows that the comfort and service of the BERTSCH SHOE will appeal to the most exacting, as well as save him quite a sum on his original investment. Capitalize this opportunity of doing your customers a real service by having at hand a Comfortable—Stylish— Service-Giving Shoe, at a price they can afford to pay through—the sale of the BERTSCH SHOE FOR MEN. Herold-Bertsch Shoe Co. Manufacturers of Serviceable Footwear GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. ® i2 be MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 % y \ i ‘ So i pee Soe a i] nH rH oi = —— SIH h SOSS ECS Sy Jase ‘] i et 3. =< = = — , = > co = = = = = 2 > ‘ = = - sw f = - — < ¢ meas i F N = . ‘ -~— oe ~ \ — = - = | 4 — prs = = 4 oa) ee ios = p so aa iS (, ra ee CET — d iS S! PIRSA | Gigantic Problems Which Now Con- front the Country. Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the need of individual, careful consideration of the problems now before the country, not only up- on the return of business to a peace basis, but also to collateral sub- jects of social and political conditions which form parts and parcels of our economic.’ structure. Many may say that the attempt to live up to a high ideal is impractical in business life, but is that so? Suppose we do seek after the unattainable, we strive the harder to reach the goal. Enthusi- asm, perseverance and right ambition in the individual has made us what we are—a Nation of liberty loving and high minded people. On the eve of perpetual peace our ideals be- come of tremendous importance and it behooves us to keep them ever before us. As has been well stated, war is heroic and peace is tame. Looking upon the future world as democratic, peace becomes a per- sonal consideration, a personal task. We must each live it to preserve it in its universal triumph. We must each and all of us think peace, that peace be and abide with us. We now face the task of resumption of business and reconstruction and shall be in- tensively occupied. As we are able to return we shall be largely uncon- scious of the unfolding security of peace and accept conditions with- out, perhaps, thinking seriously about the matter. Yet not only the impend- ing league of nations to ensure peace, but the civic relations, the economic and business interests of our freed and again individualized life require that we should live up to the high individual ideal that has been nation- alized. No one can doubt the im- perious demands upon us of the coming months. “Democracy” we have not yet fully defined. Individ- ualism and socialism, as principles of civic life and governmental form are the vital questions we must now settle for all time. The practical issues of capital, credit, prices and wages are now confronting us. A- gainst the powerful pull of war to- ward destructiveness are now op- posed the natural laws of supply and demand, and the returning forces of order and increased production. The action of these world wide forces. beyond the power of any govern- ment, will pull down wages. If the so-called “advantages” of high wages and short hours will not be relinquished willingly, they will have to be surrendered amid turmoil and industrial eontest, The later is not the way {o ensure tran- quil peace, nor to ensure social jus- tice. To seek the panacea of Gov- ernment paternalism is to place us in danger; the danger that has taken a stronger hold on Russia and that is spreading through the _ disinte- grated political divisions which form- erly formed the German and Aus- trian empires like fire in dry under- brush. To get down to the practical. it is our duty to determine, once for all, as loyal citizens of the United States, that our Government in its new relations shall never “recognize” anarchy jn any of its forms, any more than it will autocracy; that it will never relinquish a Government, representative guaranteeing to the individual his right to initiative and cwnership for one that absorbs the individual in the state and forever imposes a system of slavery upon one of original freedom, Business interests express satis- faction that the office of the Secre- tary of the Treasury, so ably filled by William G. McAdoo, is to go to Hon. Carter Glass, who, as chairman of the Banking and Currency Com- mittee of the National House of Representatives for a number of years, rendered the country a great service. He had much to do in re- framing the Federal Reserve System statute originated by the late Sena- tor Aldrich and as it left his com- mittee was a progressive yet conser- vative measure. Under the stress of war the law has been scratched and patched. Amendments have’ been made and powers added against the wishes and advice of Mr. Glass. Now the strain is relaxing, a sigh of relief goes out from business interests, due to the fact that Mr. McAdoo is to be succeeded by a man with such safe and sane views and proved ability as Mr. Glass. It is particularly for- tunate for the country that Mr. Glass was selected to handle the finances of the Nat’on during the period of transition from war to peace. The principal features of the new war revente bill, as reported to the Senate by the House of Representa- tives, are as follows: normal individ- val income tax fcr 1918 of 12 per cent. except on the first $4,000 the rate shall be 6 per cent. Four suc- ceeding years, normal tax of 8 per cent. 4 per cent. to be paid on the first $4,000 of the income. All single persons with income of $1,000 or more and married persons’ with $2,000 or more to be taxed. Sur- taxes ranging from 1 per cent. on incomes between $5,000 and $6,000 to 65 per cent. on incomes of more than $1,000,000. Corporation income tax of 12 per cent. for 1918 and 8 per 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 q GRAND RAPIDS ATAU A = pm RN STRENGTH— SECURITY — SERVICE We Have Everything You Need THE OLD INEEUOULASUNTAGALECUE Surplus and Undivided Profits $15,030,383.31 HUG or Expect in a Bank Capital $800,000.00 $1,114,390.36 Resources iM = = = = = = L = = = = = = = = = = MICHIGAN EI Fourth National Bank WM. H. ANDERSON. President J CLINTON BISHOP, Cashier 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 ALVAST. EDISON, Ass’t Cashier OFFICE OUTFITTERS LOOSE LEAF SPECIALISTS 237-239 Pearl 8t. .aear the oridge» Graad Rapiés, Mich. ‘ is an absolute Automobile Insurance * 27.2350" If you insure with an “‘old line’’ company you pay 33'//4% more than we charge. Consult us for rates. INTER-INSURANCE EXCHANGE of the MICHIGAN AUTOMOBILE OWNERS 221 Houseman Bidg., Grand Rapids, Mich. a eT ra aa Zea RRO rt December 18, 1918 cent. thereafter. Depreciation allow- ance for mines, oil and gas wells to encourage such enterprises, Income taxes to be paid in four installments. War profits taxed 80 per cent. in 1918, not taxed thereafter. Excess profits taxed 30 to 60 per cent. in 1918-19 and 40 per cent. in 1920. In- heritance taxed from 1 per cent. on inheritances of $10,000 to $25,000, to 25 per cent. of those over $2,500,000. Freight transportation taxed 3 per cent. Express transportation 1 cent for each 20 cents paid. Telegraph, telephone, radio and cable messages costing 14 cents to 50 cents, taxed 4 cents; more than 50 cents taxed 10 cents, Distilled spirits in bond taxed $2.20 per gallon and $6.40 if with- drawn for beverage purposes. Beer, ale and porter taxed $6 per gallon. Cigars taxed from $1.50 to $15 per thousand, according to weight and retail price. Wines taxed from 15 cents to $1 per wine gallon. Admis- sion to theaters, 1 per cent. on each 10 cents charged. Club dues over $10 per year taxed 10 per cent. Automobiles, motor cycles and auto trucks taxed 5 per cent. on sale price. Perfumes, sporting goods, jewelry and works of art are taxed. Brokers Pay a special tax, according to the nature of their business. The revised bill is designed to raise some $6,000,- 000,000 in 1919 and $4,000,000,000 in 1920. The Republicans are strongly opposed to the provision for 1920 taxes to be made at this time. The old adage, “Put a beggar on horseback and he will ride to the devil,” has often been proven true and still seems to hold good in the case of Postmaster General Burleson. His flights of control rival those of the most daring aviator striving to break aerial records. For the sake of the country it is hoped he will take a tail spin which will put him out of commission. In other words, it is to be hoped that some legal light will sit down on him hard. His seiz- ure of the cables is in full accord with his asinine policy of making a hash of all wire systems, mixing in the telegraph and telephone com- panies and cables under one control. He is evidently dreaming that his pet vision has come true and that the Government actually now owns these aids to business. Common sense would have taught him not to dis- turb the corporate conditions and separate operations of the systems, especially as the war is over and the fiction of “war necessity” no longer holds. It looks as if it were a de- liberate attempt on his part to fol- low Buttercup’s example and “mix these babies up” so badly that they cannot be untangled without great trouble. In other words, to place them in the unenviable positions of the railroads, so as to make Govern- ment ownership and operation the least of two evils. Of all the co- lossal blunderers of the Wilson ad- ministration, Postmaster General Burleson takes the prize. U. S. Senator Martin gives the fol- lowing particulars of periods follow- ing the declaration of peace when various Government war activities will cease to function: MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 13 Control of railroads—21 months. Control of telegraph and telephone lines—during war. Food and fuel control—end of war. Espionage act—end of war. War made boards and export con- trol—end of war. War Finance Corporation—s:x months after end of war, with furth- er time for liquidating. Capital Issues months after the war. Committee—six Re-organization of Government bureaus under the Overman act—s!x months after the war. Alien property custodian—end of the war with extension of time for certain duties. Government operation of ships— five years after the war, Air Craft Board—six months after the war. Agricultural stimulation—end of present emergency. Housing construction—end of war, except for shipbuilders. Labor Employment—during pres- ent emergency. Minerals stimulations—as soon as possible after proclamation of peace. Paul Leake. —_++.+___ More to the Point. “Tl be perfectly frank with you, my dear.” , “Well?” “You are not the first girl I ever loved.” “That doesn’t interest me _ partic- ularly. What I want to know is, do you think I’ll be the last girl you'll ever love?” —_+-.+___ Recent American and British pro- tests against the revival of the opium trade in China have been successful. The Pekin government had not only winked at this revival, but partici- pated in it. The foreign press in China had been denouncing the “Opium Agreement” between the government and the Shanghai opium combine, recorded a starting up of the sale of Indian opium, and pointed to the wide cultivation of opium on Chinese land. A few years ago the government had almost if not quite stamped out the opium trade. Last week, according to the dispatches, the government announced that it would accede to the Anglo-American pro- tests, and that all opium stocks at Shanghai would be burnt publicly. ————2+-- The legislative situation at Wash- ington is naturally causing a great deal of concern to the business world. Business men are anxiously asking the question, What next? Politically there will be a Congress of one per- suasion and an Administration of an- other persuasion. How far will the two co-operate? It will be recalled that a political deadlock existed in the first Cleveland administration. Mixing oil and water was no more difficult than the fusing of the two parties in legislation on which their political platforms widely differed. Will history repeat itself? It is in- conceivable that serious problems of economic policy will remain unsolved or improperly handled through any locking of political horns. 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. Handy to the street cars—the interurbans—the hotels—the shopping district. On account of our Ilccation—our large transit facilities—our safe deposit vaults and our complete service covering the entire field of banking, our Institutions must be the ultimate choice of out of town bankers and Individuals. Combined Capital and Surplus ..............-- 8S 1,724,300.00 Combined Total Deposits ..... peed gp ebbeae cane 10,168,700.00 Combined Total Resources ..............20-00- 13, 157,100.00 GRAND RAPIDS NATIONAL CITY BANK CrirryY TRUST & SAVINGS BANA ASSOCIATED 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. ., oe Ee a aad 14 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 REALM OF THE RETAILER. Losses Due to Inexperienced and Insulting Clerks. I recently received a letter from a gentleman who asserted that polite- ness and courtesy behind the counter will soon be lost arts unless some- thing is done to revive them by the buying public and merchants as a class. While I am inclined to the opinion that my correspondent is a little too sweeping in his conclusions, I can- not help feeling that, in the anxi- eties and perplexities which the war has brought to the merchant, he has, unfortunately, too often overlooked the value of courtesy and politeness as business assets. Especially is this true of new clerks, both male and fe- male, who have entered upon clerical careers in consequence of the regular clerks having gone to the front. In many cases these substitute assis- tants are made up of people who do not have to work for a living and who jump into the vacancies created by the draft without previous preparation or training. My attention was called to a fla- grant case of discourtesy at the Piggly Wiggly store the first month it was opened. A man had made his selections and approached the cashier to settle for his purchases. The lat- ter computed the amount due and handed the man his change. The customer quietly stated that the cashier had made a mistake and that he was entitled to 3 cents more than had been given him. The cashier paid no attention to the complaint, evidently assuming that the man would pass on and over-look the dis- crepancy. The purchaser was game, however, and refused to stir or make room for those pressing behind him until a proper adjustment was made. An assistant at the wrapping counter loudly called out to the cashier: “Give the man 3 cents and stop his clack.” The cashier tendered the 3 cents, but the man refused to accept it unless the cashier would compute the cost of his purchases and_ state frankly that he was entitled to the extra amount he claimed. After much unnecessary delay the cashier did as requested and ascertained that the man was right and was justly en- titled to the 3 cents. Instead of handing the money-to him with ap- propriate apology, the cashier literally threw the pennies at him with a gruff demand that he “move on.” The man did move on, but the look on his face showed very plainly that he would never again cross the thres- “hold of a store which tolerated such boorish conduct on the part of its clerks. I notice the Piggly Wiggly store is spending much money in the daily newspapers, advertising the ad- vantages of the establishment. It strikes me that a better advertisement would be to treat customers courte- ously, so that they would want to come again, instead of sending them home smarting with the sense of in- justice inflicted upon them by flippant and arbitrary methods on the part of clerks. There is a remarkable bakery establishment on South Division avenue where a man and his faith- ful wife are trying hard to build up a lucrative business by giving their customers superior articles in the baked goods line. Their raised biscuits are superb and their fried- cakes remind one of the “kind mother used to make.” If the service at the store was always in keeping with the quality of the goods, the owner of the bakery would soon be seeking larger quarters, but he is so un- fortunate as to have in his employ a girl of 16 or thereabouts who seems to take great delight in seeing how many people she can wound and alienate by insulting methods and abrupt manners. So long as such a clerk is permitted to remain behind the counter the hardworking people who own the establishment will be seriously handicapped, be- cause she will drive customers away faster than they can attract them by the superior quality of their products. A friend of mine has dealt with one grocer more than fifteen years. Dur- ing this time he has paid his account promptly on the 3rd of every month. He has never lapped bills or paid a penny less than the amount actually due. He has never made a complaint over price or service or detected any discrepancy in his account. The maiden lady who kept the grocer’s book and attended to the collection of his accounts and the payment of bills, left his employ a month or so ago to assist in caring for a lady friend who was seriously ill and who was unable to secure a regular nurse on account of the demands of the war and the flu epidemic. A young wo- man was installed in her place. When the customer called to settle his ac- count Dec. 3, in accordance with his usual custom, he found he was charged with two 2 pound packages of creamery butter on the same day. He was quite sure this was a mis- take and called up his wife over the phone. The wife corroborated the suspicion of the husband to the effect that but one carton had been ordered or delivered. On confronting the young woman with the statement of the wife, she blazed up and indig- nantly remarked: “Don’t you know figures do not lie?” The fifteen-year customer paid the account in full and walked out of the store in a mood that indicated that it would be a cold day when he permitted his wife to do any more trading at that establishment. Strange to say, the grocer has made no attempt to seek an explanation of the situation or straighten out the misunderstanding. The three cases of lack of courtesy I have cited above lead me to believe that such lapses from good merchan- ising methods are now of daily oc- currence, due to the scarcity of ex- perienced store help and the employ- ment of new clerks and helpers who have not been carefully instructed as to their obligations to the merchant and his customers. My only reason in making these disclosures at this time is to warn the retailer that the installation. of strange and inexper- ienced people in his store is a danger- ous proposition at best and that he cannot be too careful in training and instructing new help as to their duties and responsibilities, to the end that old and valuable customers may not be alienated by inefficient ser- vice, arrogant methods or insulting remarks. E. A. Stowe. American Public Utilities Company Preferred Stock Dividend No. 26 The Directors of American Public Utilities Company have declared the regular quarterly dividend of 1%% on the outstanding Preferred Stock of the Company, payable in Scrip, Jan- uary 1, 1919, te holders of record at close of busi- ness December 20, 1918. Stock transfer books will remain open during ex-dividend period. KELSEY, BREWER & COMPANY, Operators. Kent State Bank Main Office Ottawa Ave. Facing Monroe Grand Rapids, Mich. Capital . on be o $500,000 Surplus and Profits - $700,000 Resources 10 Million Dollars 3 45 Per Cent. Paid on Certificates of Deposit The Home for Savings Assets $2,700,000.00 CLAUDE HAMILTON Insurance in Force $57,000,000.00 Mercuanrs Lire Insurance GoMPANY Offices—Grand Rapids, Mich. Has an unexcelled reputation for its Service to Policyholders $3,666,161.58 Paid Policy Holders Since Organization RELL S. WILSON ice-Pres. WM. A. WATTS Sec’y JOHN A. McKELLAR President CLAY H. HOLLISTER Vice-Pres. Treas. SURPLUS TO POLICY HOLDERS $479,058.61 HE naming of the Grand Rapids Trust Company as Executor and 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. FFRAND RAPIDS [RUST [,OMPANY OTTAWA AT FOUNTAIN BOTH PHONES 4391 Safe Deposit Boxes at Three |Dollars Per Year and Upward i a iat eS a an Re eT aaa at —— ” ti o ao TE agg a eae po —— sin wy - Po. a : a December 18, 1918 OUT OF TURMOIL OF WAR. Religious Toleration No Longer a Mere Dream, Written for the Tradesman. One of the many benefits to be de- rived from this terrible war has been little considered perhaps by the lay citizen—the coming together in a brotherly manner of the various re- ligious denominations of our country. Bickerings, backbiting and positive enmity have given place to a united Americanism that does the heart of the patriot good to see. There has been growing up in this country a spirit of bitterness between Protes- tant and Catholic denominations, due to ignorance and intolerance on both sides, which was not founded in either justice or good citizenship. Also the Salvation Army has come in for some not gentle jabs from those who regarded them as a noisy conglomeration of cranks and fanat- ics. The world war has opened some of the eyes that were blind and grow- ing blinder with the passage of time. There were those who went so far as to say that our National existence was endangered, that the Pope was plotting the overthrow of the Amer- can Republic, that every election more strongly intrenched the power of the enemies of the Republic. The gravest aspect of all this was the fact that many good meaning people had come to believe the fanatical ranters on both sides who were going about the land inciting religious brother against religious. brother, fomenting discord and distrust where all should have been peace and brotherly love. When the call to arms came, a call for all America to take up the gaunt- let flung down by Germany, there was no denominational holding back among the various churches of the country. Methodist, Baptist, Pres- byterian, United Brethren, Free Methodist, Salvation Army, Catholic, all alike stepped to the front, Amer- icans all, ready to do and die for the Nation they loved. It was such an uprising of patriotic ardor as has never been duplicated since the foundation of the world. Those who had been making war on Catholicism, characterizing it as an- tagonistic to our republican form of government, were, no. doubt, astounded to see the quick unanimity of that church in its answer to the call of the country. The Knights of Columbus have made a splendid record in this war against autocracy, They have stood shoulder to shoulder with their Prot- estant brethen, baring their breasts to the storm of battle, making the cause of America the cause of all. The Catholic boy died in the trenches or on the blood-sodden soil of No Man’s Land as numerously as did his Protestant comrades. Religious dif- ferences were forgotten in one whole-souled outburst of patriotism that has warmed the cockles of all hearts and made the United States of America indeed the land of the free and the home of the brave. Religious intolerance went into the discard when the selective draft took from every home in the land MICHIGAN its bravest and best. There was no faltering, no holding back, no puerile excuses. no conscientious objections on the part of Catholic or Protestant when it was our country that called her sons to lay their all upon the alter of freedom. This effect is one of the bright spots in the record of a war that has blasted more homes, sunk more for- tunes and piled up a larger debt than any dozen former wars added to- gether. Every cloud has a silver lining, We who stood in watchful waiting so many, many sad months as ship after ship flying the American flag was sent to the bottom of the sea by the Teutonic pirates can now _ rejoice with swelling hearts over the victory gained and the promise of a lasting peace so soon to come. The great war came, with its knit- ting of new friendships among the various denominations, among mem- bers of different political parties, un- til we became one people with no re- ligious or partisan rancor to make us afraid. The Salvation Army folks have done their bit in the land beyond the sea. The Salvation Army lass stands on an equal footing with her sister of Red Cross fame, each and all do- ing the duty that they were only too glad to face when it meant the betterment of the boys in khaki who were fighting that liberty and equal- ity might not be wiped off the earth. It takes liberal doses of adversity to make the whole world kin. “Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn’ is true, but noth- ing can insure such unanimity of thought and action as an assault up- on the life of a nation such as ours which exists by the will of its people. The uniting under a single bond of brotherhood every religious denom- ination, every creed and nationality that has sought freedom in America to worship God, is worth all it cost, and we ought to feel thankful that the ordeal, however terrible, has been for the upbuilding of the Great Re- public. The war is over. There can not be found a man or woman within the ranks of any de- nominational school who does not feel, in the light of the hour, a newer and better environment in which there is room for all creeds, classes and kinds. Educational indeed of the highest order has been this unpro- voked war, a war that at one time seemed to have no redeeming feature, yet in the light of what we now see has worked a tremendous revolution among our own people, all of which is destined to prove of lasting good to every individual in this broad land. Old Timer. ——~>-2 Mr. McAdoo and the Law. The Director General of Railroads, by a recent ruling, has relieved rail- read employes of the annoyance of having money to meet their just debts seized at the source by garnishment process. “No moneys or other prop- erty,” rules the Director General, “under Federal control or derived TRADESMAN from the operation of carriers while under Federal control, shall be sub- ject to garnishment, attachment or like process in the hands of such car- riers, or any of them, or in the hands of any employe or officer of the United States Railroad Administration.” This reads like a decision handed down from the United States Su- preme Court. Whether that respect able body of jurists and the Director General of Railroads agree upon the point of law that might be raised is immaterial. The Director General has decided the matter, and there’s an end on’t. That this new fountain of final-resort law does not necessar- ily, intend to leave the door perman- ently open for a railroad employe who happened to be dishonest to escape paying his debts, is indicated by a paragraph appended to the above- quoted ruling. “If any rules or reg- ulations become necessary,” says the Director General, “to require employes to provide for their just debts, the same will be issued hereafter.” Meantime it is a. closed season so far as the garnishment process-servers on railroad employes’ wages are con- cerned. That is, unless some rude person undertakes to have the Direc- tor General’s decision overruled by application to some plain, every-day law court.—North American Review. Loyalty. Loyalty is the first virtue. A man may be temperate and indus- trious, courteous and truthful, but if he has not loyalty it is as if he had put on white kid gloves over dirty hands. Loyalty is the foundation virtue. For if one has all other_excellencies, all other elements both of strength and charm, and has not loyalty, he has built his house on the sand, and great will be the fall thereof. Every relation in life depends upon loyalty. There can be no Family life without loyalty. Neither can there exist a happy Marriage. No Friendship is possible without loyalty No Business can be successful with- it. Loyalty is the cement that holds the bricks together in the edifice of hu- man society. The very first lesson a child should learn is Loyalty. No better epitaph can be written for any man than to say that he was a Loyal Friend, a Loyal Husband, and a Loyal Citizen. The Disloyal are simply filthy— filthy and septic. Have no dealings with them. Do not work with them, nor play with them. Horror and shame are with them. Their feet take hold on death. Frank Crane. “Did You Bring the Jell-O?” The “Delivery Man” finds that his visits are often awaited almost as eagerly as those of Santa Claus. And why not? Don’t the “Delivery Man” bring more good things to the aver- age home in the course of a year than Santa does? When mamma is ordering something particularly good for dinner—Jell-O, for instance—don’t you believe there are some anxious moments until the “Delivery Man” comes and empties his load in the kitchen? Just now, owing to conditions affecting the cost of raw materials, the price of Jell-O is 25 cents for 2 packages. Beautiful ten-color window display material of high quality will be sent to you, free of all expense to you, of course, if you can use it to advantage, and we believe you can. THE GENESEE PURE FOOD COMPANY Le Roy, N. Y. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 “ Y | a D> AA ex a 1 he : =— “59 3g. 33 44 95 33) 53 55 4 = a g ; = 8-98 39 a 8: BB AS Be ASA & “fe “m7 Bg & aie ae aa Jjaaee| 2 Zp sala aa aa as q3a5o aa The John Wanamaker Store, Philadel- phia. One of the largest, one of the ‘ busiest, one of the most perfectly con- ducted department stores in the world. ; The Grand Court in the John Wanamaker =~ Store, Philadelphia. Thousands of merchants visit this arcade every year to see how business is being handled. seis nee SUNT A se Ae At 2 RL AAO EM IE IP IR AAT aa sr ae a Breanne eNO ere ee a cement fa ae » December 18, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN more National Cash Registers to meet the present-day shortage of help. Mr. Wanamaker says: ‘A large number of people have been taken out of the big stores. The men have enlisted. ‘The women have gone into Red Cross work and nursing. “We are able to fill some of their places with improved cash regis- ters. [his frees very many persons for war work.” Mr. Wanamaker’s statement that cash registers save labor, is based upon critical investigation and upon experience with N. C. R. Equipment extending over many years. His recognition of the labor-saving qual- ities of modern National Cash Registers is plainly shown by a contract he has just placed for nearly $100,000.00 worth of machines. This order calls for 100 of our latest model clerk-wrap reg- isters. It is the largest single order ever placed with us for one store. } The high character of Mr. Wanamaker’s stores, the careful tests made by his executives, and the size of his orders, combine to make his personal endorse- ment extremely important to other mer- chants struggling with the present-day shortage of help. The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio Offices in all the principal cities of the world 17 18 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 — has not only caught up with them, y Ys ae but has passed them all. [= = = = = Ee = 3 No, it wasn’t price—not what he os = DRY GOODS, = = \ paid for his goods—that caused his The Book That fe ‘ =. 3 growth. ° ae F; AND ; = It wasn’t especially favorable cir- Takes the Risk = = ANCY GOODS NOTIONS: i cumstances in location or conditions, e a =. alae ~ = = = * for these circumstances were just as Out of Buying N BS SE G.--— So=-.J, 4 for his al tabli . ES) SS / 1. Se ays TT his already established ] = wy S 3 i 6 Ee / | \S seo. gee SOTO Se a And these competitors were good For many years “OUR : I: > —* RI I LD (xe merchants. They bought their goods DRUMMER” with its net Michigan Retail Dry Goods Association. President—D. M. Christian, Owosso. First Vice-President—George J. Dratz, Muskegon. Second Vice-President—H. G. Wend- land, Bay City. Secretary-Treasurer—J. W. Knapp, Lansing. The Evolution From Peddler to Merchant Prince. A young fellow carrying a big pack of the many various little things that women folk like was traveling over the roads in Central Michigan. He would stop at every farm house, open up his bundle and display his wares to the housewife and her daughters. His language was broken. He had difficulty in finding the right words to express the idea he wished to convey, but his manners were so pleasant and the way in which he would hold up and display a silk scarf or a pretty knit shawl was so suggestive that in most cases he made a sale before he strapped up his pack. He secured his stock from a house which made a specialty of supplying peddlers and the prices he had to pay were often much higher than any good retail buyer would consider, but notwithstanding this big handicap he made a good profit on what he sold, for often he would receive a better price than the same article was sold for in a store. During his travels he studied the various communities through which he passed, for some day he expected to locate permanently and open a store when he found a favorable place and had accumulated sufficient money to buy a stock of goods. After a couple of years he finally decided upon a town not far from Kalamazoo. The population of the town was made up to a large extent of people who were employed in the factories, and the country surround- ing it was settled by prosperous farmers. So he opened up for business with a small stock of tinware and house- furnishing goods. His knowledge of these lines, from the standpoint of a * buyer, was very limited, but his mer- chandising instinct was very strong- ly developed. He seemed to have a faculty of estimating the price which would appeal to the customer whose trade he knew he must secure if he was to make a success of his under- taking. His credit was limited. His capital was small. So naturally his stock was not as large as many of the old established stores in the town car- ried. But with all these handicaps he succeeded in selling enough each month to show a creditable record for the first year. With greater capital and better credit he increased his stock and added new lines, until after a few years he carried a general stock of considerable size. Then he had a fire. Being of a saving disposition he had much less insurance than he:should have had, and when he made his settlement with the fire insuramce people he had barely enough to pay his cred- itors. But because of his honesty and ag- gressive methods of seeking business he had established a good standing with the wholeale houses from which he bought and thus was able to se- cure a new stock with which he started out again—practically on the bottom rung of the ladder, and yet not at the bottom rung, for his repu- tation was good among the people. He had served them well. He had given them good value. He had treated them courteously and cordi- ally. He had something on which to build. So it was really no wonder that his business prospered, and that in a comparatively short time he was “on his feet” again. To-day he owns a three story building on the best business street. His stock comprises almost every- thing that man, woman or child will buy,:to eat, to wear and to use in the home. His sales amount to over half a million dollars a year. And he has built up this great en- terprise in spite of all his handicaps, in less than twenty years. He has outstripped every one of his former competitors, some of whom could have bought his business —if it had been for sale—during his early years as a retailer, without feel- ing a strain upon their capital. How did he accomplish this won- derful record? His knowledge of merchandise was not particularly strong. He paid a high price for many items in his stock when he ‘started. His stock was limited. And still—in a few years he had built up a business which was entitled to consideration, and in a few more years, his enterprise was one of the largest in the state. He did not gain it all by taking it away from his competitors, for there are three other stores in the town— all older than his—which are ‘doing well and selling from two to five hundred thousand dollars worth a year, Their growth has been steady and they have made money. Yet, he se etiam carefully. They paid the right price —often Jess than he had to pay. They carried more complete lines. They offered their wares at attractive prices. What then was it that gave such strong impetus to this newcomer? While he was carrying the pack he had learned this first principle of progressive merchandising. He had learned that in order to make as many sales as possible he must show his wares to as many people as pos- sible. He must display them, tell about them, illustrate their use— We are manufacturers of TRIMMED AND UNTRIMMED HATS for Ladies, Misses and Children, especially adapted to the general store trade. Tria! order solicited. CORL, KNOTT & CO.. Ltd. Corner Commerce Ave. and Island St. Grand Rapids, Mich. ir Ask about our way BARLOW BROS. Grand Rapids, Mich guaranteed prices has been famous for taking the risk out of retail buying. This is more than ever the case now in these unusual times. It not only makes buying se- cure from the price stand- point, but it removes uncer- tainty in the way of getting goods. Back of the prices in this book are huge open stocks of the merchandise it advertises. Butler Brothers Exclusive Wholesalers of General Merchandise New York Chicago St. Louis Minneapolis Dallas 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 Art Calendars on Short Notice We offer to merchants and bankers outside of Mason county a limited number of calendars with three color reproduction of one of Alten’s famous paintings. We have decided to accept but one order from each county, so there may be no conflict in the dis- tribution of this beautiful work of art. Sample and price sent on receipt of statement as fo number of calendars desired. ‘TRADESMAN COMPANY Grand Rapids, Mich. Rush Holiday Orders For your Christmas trade such as Ladies’ and Gents’ Neck wear, Mufflers, Ribbons, Dolls, Sweaters, Toys, Gar- ters, Arm Bands, Booties and Jackets and Xmas Trim- mings will receive our most careful and prompt atten- tion. Many of these are packed in special Holiday boxes. [| Quality Merchandise—Right Prices—Prompt Service Paul Steketee & Sons WHOLESALE DRY GOODS GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Ir x 18 Pr x December 18, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 19 and, last and most important of all, name his price. When he opened his little store he did not abandon his habits, but he sought out the people who might be induced to buy his tinware and house-furnishings. He knew he couldn’t talk with a great many in the course of a day if he should visit their homes. But he felt that they would come to his store if he would invite them to do so, and especially if he would offer them some special inducement for coming. While his stock was being put in shape he had a printer prepare a small circular in which a number of articles were described and priced at a definite figure. He couldn’t do it himself, for he didn’t know English well enough, but he could and did describe the various articles so well to the printer, that, between them, they managed to produce a very ef- fective piece of advertising. For jn his descriptions he was specific and suggested ideas to the housewife. He didn’t just say “14 quart dish pan, 29c.” No, he told about the heavy plate of which it was made, of the careful manner in which the handles were fastened, of the nice shape, and—then he named the price, in a manner which, combined with the description, made a very strong appeal to the women who tread his advertisement. He had about $800 worth of goods in his stock when he opened up, and after two days’ business he found it necessary to close the store while he went to Chicago to buy more goods. The two days had cleaned him en- tirely out of some lines, and he had no one who could be left in charge of the store. On his return he hired an assistant, and these two took care of the business for a couple of months when he was forced to em- ploy another clerk, and so the busi- ness kept growing. He didn’t worry about competi- tors. He knew that if there were no competitors in a place it would be because there was no business worth competing for. So when he decided upon his location, he sought out a town where there was lots of busi- ness and therefore also lots of com- petitors. He felt that where there was business to be secured he would get his share—if he went after it. There are very few communities in which the local retailers can not get more business and profit—if they will go after it. The average rural community sends away from one fourth to one half of the amount spent in town for things to eat, to wear and to use in the house, and in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred the local retail- ers could sell these various articles, at a profit, to the people who send away for them—if they would only go after the business. But so long as the local retailer allows outside concerns, like the mail order houses, to monopolize the ai- tention of the consumers, through their advertising, just so long will this money and the profits continue to be sent away. Every retailer—no matter how small he is—should set apart a cer- tan amount of money to be spent for real advertising. Let it be one of every one hundred dollars sold— whatever the amount is—it will in- crease his business, because it will help to induce the mail order cus- tomer to spend his money at home. But just so long as the mail order house continues to spend fifteen cents out of every single dollar taken in, for advertising of the right kind, while the local retailer spends little or nothing—just so long will the mail order house continue to look upon such a locality as its special pasture. The failure of the local retailer to go after business—by advertising, telling about his merchandising, showing it by illustrations, and nam- ing his price—is the reason and the only reason for the success of the mail order house, and the only thing which will put an effective stop to the mail order sentiment is efficient advertising by the retailer. With the advertising however, must be coupled—because of the widespread propaganda of these con- cerns, advocating the direct method of buying and selling—a campaign of education, showing the expensiveness of this misnamed “direct” method as compared with the method in which we believe—the regular trade chan- nel method—from manufacturer, through wholesaler and retailer to consumer. People have come to believe that certain articles at least, can be more economically handled on the “direct” plan. Many believe that all goods can be sold cheaper “direct.” It is this belief, created and fos- tered by the hitherto unopposed and uncontradicted statements of the sellers by the “direct” method, which must be combated—not by argu- ment, but by illustration—and the success of such a campaign has al- ready been proven, The mail order houses abandon the field the moment they find that the local retailers are awake to the situation and will co- operate to fight them. The mail or- der houses know that there are plenty of other places where their ad- vertising will bring them big returns, so they seek new pastures. But please bear this in mind—they are always on the lookout and the moment the retailers in a locality stop their aggressive work the mail order house is right back on the job again. “Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty.” This applies to mercantile success as well as to National or mil- itary affairs. The retailer must be up and doing all the time. There must be no let-up in his campaign to keep his people in line. The moment he does the enemy is sure to step in- to his preserves and carry away busi- ness the profits on which would have paid many times over for the adver- tising which he thought might be saved, Frank Stowell. ———_+-. The store with a definite policy and a popular policy is a store that will be popular because people will know what to expect from it. SERVICE QUALITY We are booking Spring orders. - The War Is Over We are on the eve of the promulgation of a lasting peace. The peoples of the earth have learned, and we have discovered, that the United States is capable of feeding and financing the world. With our resources and our proven ability to accomplish unusual tasks, our 120,000,000 of American people have their eyes trained straight ahead to the goal of the greatest prosperity that these United States of America have ever experienced. Are you prepared to participate in the new era of business prosperity with merchandise which shall reflect credit upon your business judgment? Exclusively Wholesale Grand Rapids Dry Goods Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan QUALITY SERVICE seas cian eae ona Cnet ce eee 20 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 ae WE BUY AND SELL a Beans, Potatoes, Onions, Apples, Clover Seed, Timothy Seed, Field iy Seeds, Eggs. When you have goods for sale or wish to purchase 4 = . WRITE, WIRE OR TELEPHONE US. ‘ D RA : . BUTTER, EGGS 4*> PROVISIONS | |_v=== Moseley Brothers, otnzanttsst f AN ques qe iit Cs SIS GEESE Minimum Weights For Car Lot mixed car at 7,500 pounds must be Produce Shipments. Recently there has been consider- able confusion among shippers and receivers of dairy products, as well as among railroad people, as to what minimums for loading dressed poultry, butter, eggs, etc. In commenting on the subject a few days ago, W. T. Seibels, business manager of the National Poultry, Butter & Egg Association, says: “The railroad tariffs and classifica- tions have not been changed, and probably will not be until some time next year, if the new consolidated classification is put in. So far as the railroads are concerned, they are ob- liged to furnish cars for loading the same as heretofore. “The rulings of the Food Admin- istration provide for 24,000 pounds straight or mixed loading of eggs, cheese, butter and dry-packed poul- try. This regulation governs licen- sees only and has nothing to do with the railroad tariffs or classifications themselves. A good many railroad men apparently do not understand this, and we have had quite a lot of correspondence and telegrams pass- ing on this subject of late. “Another point that is being over- looked is that if a shipper has not enough dairy to make the full 24,000 pounds, but reaches, say, 22,500 or 23,000 pounds, he can simply load as close to the minimum as possible and make notation on Bill of Lading about as follows: ‘This is all I have. Carriers can complete loading to 24,000 pounds if necessary.’ This is not suggested to use except where foodstuffs might deteriorate if a shipper attempted to hold up the en- tire consignment where he only lacked a small amount to complete 24,000 pounds. “There is still need for conserving railway equipment and manpower. I heartily agree that heavier loading should be continued and encouraged, but not to the extent of spoiling foodstuffs or compelling a shipper to abandon loading a car of close to 24,000 pounds that might ‘@s well move promptly. It should ‘also be noted that freight charges must be assessed on actual weight if less than 24,000 pounds that might as well ern markets. Some railroad clerks do not understand this and we are told there are a good many instances where receivers have been overbilled because of confusion on this point. “Another Food Administration regulation provides for carload mini- mum of 15,000 pounds where straight or mixed carloads of ice-packed poultry are shipped. But in event of ice-packed poultry, and the balance may be made up of other dairy. “Should association members de- sire detailed information or tariff references on above matters they can write or wire the National Poul- try, Butter & Egg Association, Chi- cago, direct. I desire also to suggest that because of recent rate changes it it highly important that all freight bills be audited, as we find many errors are being made in applying proper ratings carried in published tariffs. No doubt the railroad people are doing the best they can, but er- rors seem more frequent in the past few months than usual.” ——_—_—_»-.-2___- National Convention at Boston. The twenty-seventh annual con- vention of the National League of Commission Merchants of the United States, which will be the twenty- sixth anniversary, will be held in Boston, at Copley-Plaza Hotel, Jan. 8, 9 and 10, 1919, for the election of its officers, and for the consideration and discussion of all problems affect- ing transportation and the market- ing of fruits, vegetables, butter, eggs, poultry, etc. The scope of the League’s opera- tions and representation extending to forty-three of the largest and most important cities and marketing cen- ters of the United States, and the necessity for providing instrumental- ities for meeting changed conditions under the re-adjustment period fol- lowing our great world’s victory, will naturally make the discussions at this annual meeting of vital interest to all sections of the country. Its sessions are open to everyone inter- ested. A cordial invitation is tendered to kindred organizations, produce grow- ers and shippers, representatives of the press, including trade and agri- cultural papers, railroad officials and representatives, manufacturers of pro- duce packages, weights and measures officials, and officials of the United States Department of Agriculture, state departments of agriculture and agricultural colleges. As organization and co-operation are the greatest factors tending to protection and upbuilding of such in- dustries, it naturally emphasizes the importance of the twenty-seventh an- nual convention, for which this call is issued, and to which all interested will be heartily welcome. —o~ Because you are successful to-day is no evidence that you will be so to- morrow. To-morrow will call for an advance on to-day’s methods. We Buy We Store We Sell 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 all kinds. Get our quotations. KENT STORAGE COMPANY, Grand Rapids, Michigan 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 P I O WAT 7 QUALITY Largest Produce and Fruit Dealers in Michigan All Nut Margarines are NOT alike. Farrell’s A-1 brand has stood the supreme test. (The summer test.) 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. rarrell’s arrell’s f Bo) Nut Marcaame Nut Marcanmes 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 b Vinkemulder Company GRAND RAPIDS tet MICHIGAN Arsenate of Lead, Paris Green, The ‘Little Gem’’ Battery Arsenate of Calcium, Dry Lime Sulphur. Egg Tester Our Prices will interest you. Write for catalogue and prices. We have the best. Reed & Cheney Company Grand Rapids, Michigan S. J. Fish Egg Tester Co., Jackson, Mich. aS eae aren a > wings RRR RENNIN pb rar sh aOR NR ORURRL TIA AAW RaSATe ta eo oo 1 —_—. ses cre ia cee ao: wtb ien sak CNR EORTC ARUL ADEE EY December 18, 1918 Popularizing Dehydration of Fruit and Vegetables, New York City has established a food kitchen for the purpose of in- structing individuals in food economy and to popularize dehydration—a method of food conservation long used in other countries. Free de- monstrations, lectures, and lessons, to which the public is invited, are given daily. Results obtained in this city food kitchen show that the cost of dehydration is only one- quarter of a cent a pound for fruits and vegetables. The process of dehydration shrinks the fruits and vegetables to about one-seventh to one-fifteenth of ‘their original bulk, which solves trans- portation and_ storage problems. Moreover, this dehydrated food is practically non-perishable and is not affected by heat or extreme cold. It requires no containers other than pap- er bags, sealed to keep out dust, bac- teria, and insects, The process of reconstructing by soaking in water takes from 20 min- utes to 2 hours. It is claimed that nothing is lost in the flavor or even in color. A practical example that those in charge of this kitchen cite is that of dehydrated strawberries, soaked in grade B milk. The straw- berries absorbed all the water from the milk, leaving a thick, rich cream wth the reconstituted strawberries, which, spread on cake, made a straw: berry shortcake. By this method have shortcake with good berr'es in January for the price one has paid for the fruit in June. one may Through the co-operation of the New York Commissioner of Foods and Markets, it has been made pos- sible to secure for dehydration the unsold fruits and-vegetables left on the piers which otherwise would be wasted. It is estimated that the kitchen will save 1,000,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables a month in this way. Imperfect fruits and vege- tables are also dehydrated to be used as feed for animals. 2-2 Hen Wins Credt For War Effort. When the story of the war is writ- ten, there should be a page reserved for the achievements of the Amer- ican hen inthe fateful year that is drawing to a close. Toasts will be drunk to the Amer- ican Eagle—the praises of our heroes will be sung and everything from po- sters down to corn that helped win the war will be given just credit. At such a time the great American hen should not be forgotten. The annual report of secretary Houston, of the Department of Ag- shows what the hens did They had a fearful responsibility put upon them and did nobly. There were few slacker hens in 1918. The hens set up a production record that wipes all earlier marks off the slate. There were 1,921,000,000 doz- ens of eggs laid during the year, which reduced to figures that are un- derstandable, shows that the hen pro- duced every day between five and six eggs for every man, woman and child in the country. riculture, in the war year, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 21 The egg crop was 147,000,000 doz- ens larger than in 1914 and 226,000,- 000 dozens larger than the average for the five-year period prior to the war. —_——_.--- ___ Status of the Bean Market. The bean market is very quiet and demand is exceedingly light, which is probably due to the holiday season, when the attention of wholesalers is directed to Holiday goods other than staple commodities. This applies also to canned foods which practically eliminates the canning interest as buy- ers. Nineteen states produced beans last year, as against about four states five years ago, which means that other states than Michigan are enter- ing the bean industry as competitors, particularly California, which has de- veloped a very large bean growing business for the past two years and has proved to be the banner state for production of quantity. The Agricultural Department tells us that up to Nov. 16, 2,268,394 bu- shels were thrashed from 255,161 acres which is an average of about nine bushels to the acre in Michigan. This is a very poor showing for the State of Michigan in the way of prod- State of Michigan in the way of pro- duction . Elevator owners and dealers are doing their level best to hold the price up, that they may stimulate production and encourage farmers to grow beans. Unless there is some improvement in the demand, this may prove to be a difficult problem. Ernest L. Wellman. ——__+_++~.—_____ That’ more people in villages and towns should be producers—not con- sumers only—of eggs and poultry; that the cock should blow his early morning crow at the villager’s back door as well as on the farmer’s man- ure pile is the wish of the Govern- ment, While the war’s fighting may be ended, the after-war’s feeding is still our task, and every pound of poultry flesh we can economically raise, and every dozen of eggs we can produce at a profit properly add just that much tothe sum total of the world’s food supply. So the United States Department of Agriculture is keeping up its educational propaganda and is, through its effective organi- zation, not only asking all who: can to “keep a few hens in the back yard,” but are putting forth constant effort to increase farm production of eggs and poultry as well. Half a loaf is sometimes better than exhausted vitality due to over- work. eho sash tt Make every ounce of Sugar Count | Many paper bags of sugar break while being wrapped or in delivery. Many pounds of sugar are thus wasted. Domo Package Sugars will save this loss. No broken paper bags. No spilled sugar. No wrapping. No lost weight. Sturdy cartons and cotton bags weighed and wrapped by machine in the refinery— ready to put into customers’ hands. a American Sugar Refining Company ** Sweeten it with Domino”’ 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. Knox Sparkling Gelatine A quick profit maker A steady seller Well advertised Each package makes Watson-HigginsMls.Co. GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. Merchant FOUR PINTS of jelly Millers WM. D. BATT Hides, Wool Furs and Tallow 28-30 Louis St. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN t - Holiday Flavor | | ownedty Merchants ae for cakes, desserts and can- > dies. Products sold by Mapleine | |°"" p Brand Recommended The Golden Fiavor by Merchants i war-time reci- pes delicious. e wots zor pee | | NewPerfection Flour ples Life Bldg., Chicago, Ill. Crescent Mfg. Co. Packed In SAXOLIN Paper-lined (M-346) Seattle, Wash. Cotton, Sanitary Sacks or eras or Sere zn 22 Prohibition Increases Consumption of Tea. The marked increase in the impor- tation of tea into the United States lends interest to a statement made by a British tea grower that world consumption of tea is now exceeding production by reason of the reduced consumption of alcoholic liquors in many of the principal countries of the world. Prohibition, he said, is so increasing the consumption of tea that the world’s demands, especially after the reopening of Russia, “must far exceed any possible production for some years to come.” Whether legislation of this char- acter in the United States has or has not affected the consumption of tea, it is at least a fact that the tea im- ports into the United States are now far in excess of any preceding year. The quantity of tea imported into the United States in the fiscal year 1918 was 151,000,000 pounds against 103,000,000 pounds in the immediate- ly preceding year, and 115,000,000 in the high record year of 1909. The value of the imports of the fiscal year 1918 is also 5 per cent. greater than in any earlier year, aggregating $31,000,000 in value, against an aver- age of about $18,000,000 per annum in the preceding five years. Another extremely striking change in the “tea habit” of the people of the United States is the disposition to look to the Indies for our tea supply instead of to the China-Japan area as in the past. Prior to 1917 most of the tea reaching the United States came from Japan and China. Out of the 110,000,000 pounds imported in 1916, 53,000,000 came from Japan, 20,000,000°from China, 10,000,000 from Ceylon, 4,000,000 from India, and a little over a half million pounds from the Dutch East Indies. In 1917, how- ever, the amount from the Dutch East Indies advanced to 2,000,000 pounds, and in 1918 jumped to over 25,000,000 pounds. The receipts from India and Ceylon also show a marked increase, having been in the fiscal year 1918 45,000,000 pounds against 11,000,000 in 1917. Still more recent- ly this new movement was intensi- fied and in the eight months ending with August the quantity from the Dutch East Indies was 25,000000 pounds against 5,000,000 in the same month of 1917, and from British East Indies, 20,000,000 pounds against 3,000,000 in the corresponding months of 1917. ——_2--.—____ Heavy Purchases of California Beans Mail advices from California say that George A. Turner, president and manager of the California Bean Grow- ers’ Association at Stockton, Cal., re- ports 1918 beans of all varieties were purchased last week by the United States Food Administration Grain Corporation. These beans are be- ing assembled at Port Costa and will be loaded direct to vessels there. Last week’s purchases were quite ex- tensive and practically cleaned up the low-priced offerings from the market. The California Bean Growers’ Asso- ciation furnished the largest block to make up this order. All varieties were furnished at the market prices, and MICHIGAN TRADESMAN this will be the practice of the Food Administration in all future purchas- es. No prices will be fixed by the Government this year. This first or- der for California beans is not for army and navy requirements. These orders will come later. These beans are for our Allies and friendly neu- trals. The Government purchases have not been confined to California, large purchases having been made in Michigan, and late reports indicate that 75 per cent. of the Michigan crop has been sold. The Govern- ment has also purchased 10,000,000 pounds of Pinto beans, Release of tin ‘to the canners permits them te resume the normal canning of beans and large quantities have been pur- chased for these interests. Action of the United States Shipping Board in providing additional ships to han- dle California products will be of great assistance, and in this way overcome the difficulties occasioned by car shortage, all of which adds to the promise of better days for the bean growers. ucts on which these labels are placed misbranded articles of food. “We also hold that the expression ‘Eg’ cannot properly be used in con- nection with any product unless such product contains 50 per cent. or more of egg. “The proviso of sub-section 2 of 4601 provides for the sale of mix- tures or compounds if they are not adulterated under the provisions of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh specifications of section 4601, and which do not contain any filler or ingredient which debases without adding food value, and provides fur- ther that these mixtures or compounds may be sold under their own distinct names or coined names if they are properly labeled, branded or tagged as plainly to show their true character and composition. This law, however, provides that this does not require proprietors. or manufacturers of proprietary foods to disclose their trade formulas ex- cept so far as is necessary to secure freedom from adulteration, imita- in enforcing this Power? Member’s Signature WHERE DO YOUSTAND ON TRADING WITH FOE? Will you be one of one million red-blooded Americans to aid NO FEES. NO DUES.- All you require to become a member of 'the AMERICAN GUARDIAN SOCIETY is—Patriotism. Sign on the line for “Member’s Signature,” and mail the card in a sealed envelope. PLEDGE. I AM OPPOSED TO OPENING THE MARKETS OF AMERICA TO THE RRODUCTS OF GERMANY FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, AND SO FAR AS MAY BE PRACTICABLE, I WILL BUY AND USE NO GERMAN-MADE GOODS DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME. on pos 6000 0 ene 65006 0 8 09 60 9 Fest 908 0.62 69.0 0 8 20 208.0 a es 8 8 8 88 Oo BgGtess cee. Dated = 220. THE AMERICAN GUARDIAN SOCIETY For the Protection of Americans and American Industries. DAVID STRONG, Secretary, Box 49, Stat’n N, New York City, N. Y. All Signatures are Strictly Confidential. bee cee eee 19... Wisconsin Ruling on Egg Substitutes. George Weigle, State Diary and Food Commissioner of Wisconsin, has issued the following ruling con- cerning egg substitutes: “In order that so-called ‘egg sub- stitutes’ can be legally sold in this state it is necessary that these prod- ucts meet all of the requirements of the law. “Section 4601aa covers the ques- tion of proper labeling, By the terms of this section any article of food or articles which enter into the composition of foods (which in- cludes: so-called ‘egg substitutes’) which bear any statement, design or device regarding such article or the ingred‘ents or substitutes contained therein which shall be false or mis- leading in any particular are deemed to be misbranded articles of food. We hold that any expressions on a label such as ‘May be used in place of three dozen eggs’ or ‘Takes the place of eggs’ are false and mislead- ing and, therefore, make the prod- Se _ by notified tion or frauds. We therefore hold that when these so-called ‘egg sub- stitutes’ are sold under’ coined names, that the product be so labeled so as to show its true character and composition. Until further notice you are here- that all such _ so- called ‘egg substitutes’ not in com- pliance with law will be picked up and the legality of their sale tested in the courts.” _ 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 = Michigan December 18, 1918 Your Jobber 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 COLEMAN (rand) Terpeneless LEMON and Pure High Grade VANILLA EXTRACTS Made only by FOOTE & JENKS Jackson, Mich. HARNESS 9UR 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 CoO., LTD. Tonia Ave. and Louis St. Grand Rapids, Michigan eM AC Special Sales. John L. Lynch Sales Co. No. 28 So Ionia Ave. Grand Rapids, Michigan Rea & Witzig Produce Commission Merchants 104-106 West Market St. Buffalo, N. Y. Established 1873 United States Food Administration License Number G-17014 Dressed poultry sold extremely high for Thanksgiving, and equally as high prices expected for Christmas. Liberal shipments wanted. Shipments of live Poultry wanted at all times, and shippers will find this a good market. Fresh Eggs in good de- mand at market prices. Fancy creamery butter and good dairy selling at full quotations. Com- mon selling well. Send for our weekly price current or wire for special quotations. Refer you to the People’s Bank of Buffalo, all Commercial Agencies and to hundreds of shippers everywhere. a teint nee eee pert PE ee TT ra ee ea cecal ee sale nai cntiairily, cause ansaid ent scribd asa nent Seabank ARO isha sc sioeccucearannily, sh aco cause ansaid ent scribd asa nent Seabank ARO isha — December 18, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Ea ri 7 STOVES AND HARDWARE Z “an “= “ ( o)) Ba Zz => ees —_ = — 4 — — = = Michigan Retall Hardware Association. President—John C. Fischer, Ann Arbor. Vice-President—Geo. W. Leedle, Mar- shall. Marine an oe J. Scott, ty Treasurer—William Moore, Detroit. Last Minute Suggestions for the Christmas Campaign. Written for the Tradesman. As a rule, the hardware dealer stages his most elaborate window dis- play at the very close of the Christ- mas campaign—the last week or the last few days before the holiday. But one hardware dealer varies that familiar programme. As a rule his most Christmassy display is put on very early in the season. The last week, or the last few days, his dis- plays are very simple—just Christmas goods and price cards, with enough accessories to give a Christmas at- mosphere. “To get the campaign started, you’ve got to talk Christmas,” he ex- plains. “So I pull off my big Santa Claus and Christmas bells stunt early. Then, my aim is to stir up the Christmas spirit a week or so ahead of time. “But in the last week people are chock-fu® of the Christmas spirit. And they‘re rushed to death making their last-minute gift selections. What they want is, not an elaborate picture cf Old Father Christmas, but help in selecting gifts. And the thing that will help them most is a display oi a wide variety of articles, suitable. for gift purposes, and plainly priced, so that they can with the least pos- sible difficulty make the desired choice.” The last minute rush at Christmas time may be mitigated by an aggres- sive “early Christmas buying” cam- paign; but under the very best condi- tions there will always be a large number of late buyers—people who habitually postpone or people who, having made the bulk of their pur- chase, must still buy a few articles that have been overlooked. These people are often hard put to make selections; and the clerk who can suggest things, and the store which so displays its goods as to help the customer decide quickly, are sure to reap the benefit of this trade. Two factors which will be of great help to customers are systematic ar- rangement of goods, and classified lists of gift articles. Many merchants have printed lists of suitable gifts for various members of the family. Such classified lists will help the customer to make a selection of what he needs, and will save a great deal of the clerk’s time. Then, too, some merchants follow the same principle in display. A kiddies’ window, and inside the store counters for mother, brother, sister, father, etc., provide seasonable sug- gestions which are very helpful. Price cards on all articles will also save a great deal of work and need- less answering of questions, particu- larly in the last few days of the cam- paign when the sales people are sure to be rushed. In one store it was the practice for the merchant or one of his sales- people to open and shut the door for customers. This courtesy is particu- larly appreciated in Christmas week, when customers are apt to be bur- dened with numerous parcels. Some years ago the merchant decided on an innovation. He provided a polite boy in a neat blue uniform whose sole duty was to open and shut the door, and to help customers with their par- cels. The merchant found that by this means his salespeople, who were needed for the actual work of wait- ing on customers, saved a great deal of time. At the same time the in- novation attracted lots of favorable comment. Three things are important to re- member in the last rush of Christmas week. They are courtesy, the avoid- ance of mistakes in making sales, and prompt deliveries, where deliveries are made at all. Theoretically, every salesman tried to be courteous; but Christmas week imposes a heavy strain upon _ sales- people, and. it is often very hard to maintain an unruffled demeanor. After a merchant has been working practically day and night, and his clerks have been subjected to a strain only a little less arduous, it is diffi- cult to answer Foolish Question No. 3,879,614 without saying something short and snappy, with a sting to it. It will take an extra effort to re- main cool and polite, but the good salesman fixes in his mind each of these strenuous days that it is vital to keep cool and stay pleasant, no matter what the provocation. Christ- mas comes but once a year—that con- solatory feature of the situation should never be forgotten. Mistakes are annoying at all times, but they are more annoying at Christmas than at any other season. And it is not so very hard to make mistakes. People come in, turn things over, fail to replace them in the right position—so parts get mixed, and whole articles mislaid. The nat- ural sequence is that the goods hand- ed to a customer are sometimes in- complete. Then, again, it is easy in the rush of waiting on two or three people at once to wrap up the wrong: size, or the wrong article. Just take a deep breath or two and fix that idea in your mind: that what- ever happens you will be always on guard against mistakes. The delivery, too, is a source of frequent annoyance. A good many merchants in recent years have adopt- ed at least the second item in the “cash and carry” plan to this extent— that they do not offer delivery of small articles. But it is practically impossible in the ordinary hardware store to eliminate the delivery prob- lem; and in the last few days before Christmas it is assuredly a big prob- lem to handle. Usually a large pro- portion of the purchases made early in the Christmas season are subject to delivery at the last moment. Goods have been set aside to be sent here, “there or somewhere else on Christ- mas eve. The hardware dealer who does not breath a huge sigh of relief when the last Christmas delivery is off is superhuman and above such everyday things as fatigue, care and worry. In connection with the deliveries, impress on the salespeople the im- portance of spelling names and get- ting street numbers correctly, and ot writing them down legibly. A Christ- mas parcel left at the wrong address on the last delivery may lose the store a good customer. Some mistakes are bound to occur; but a lot of mis- takes that the careless individual may regard as inevitable can be avoided if proper care is taken. So watch the deliveries. Watch the stock, and put extra en- ergy into your pushing of lines which 23 seem inclined to move out slowly. Prices may not fall as rapidly as many people seem to think; but it is well to play safe, and to take profits while they can be had. In any event, Christmas lines sold before Christmas eve are worth more to the merchant than Christmas lines sold at a sacri- fice the week after or left upon the shelves. Keep a sharp eye on the seasonable lines; and see that your salespeople push them hard. The less you carry over to another season, the better. Victor Lauriston. a An enthusiastic meeting is that of two girl chums who haven’t seen each other for an hour. Jobbers in All Kinds of BITUMINOUS COALS AND COKE A. B. Knowlson Co. 203-207 Powers’ Theatre Bidg., Grand Rapids, Mich, Sand Lime Brick Nothing as Durable Nothing as Fireproof Makes Structures utiful TO Weather Proof Warm in Winter 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 Foster, Stevens & Co. Wholesale Hardware ws 157-159 Monroe Ave. :: Grand Rapids, Mich. 151 to 161 Louis N. W. Michigan Hardware Co. Exclusively Wholesale Grand Rapids, Mich. spe maaaeraciiga ste 8 pssaostamarencnt 8 5 24 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 Y Wunkesg SANA VENA LY) B = = a\.\\S The Sustaining Power of Salesman- ship. There are types of salesmen who are inclined to lean on the sales man- ager or the house for all the selling points of their proposition. They appear hungry for new ideas that will sell the goods for them and use all such ideas passed along, as they think, conscientiously—yet they seem to remain in the class of “‘sell- ing platers” and “also rans” in the race for business. The trouble with such men is that they use the thoughts and sugges- tions furnished by the office “as is’— they adopt them in a mechanical way and do not use their own power of imagination to elaborate on each point they get. Monotonous “repertoire” will not sell goods. The most exhaustive sales manual ever written will not in itself produce the business. It’s the Heart, Soul and Mind of the man who uses selling arguments that give to them their life and value. Selling ideas, old or new, become valuable to the salesman in proportion to his ability to analyze them and to apply them in an original way—clothing them in his own personality and put- ting steam and enthusiasm behind his efforts. Imagination—the faculty which represents a strong and virile men- tality—is innate in every _ brain. Through it we broaden and elucidate all thoughts and ideas that come to us—it is the subtle influence that holds a grasp upon the minds of others and bends them to our will. Through imagination you can make your thoughts penetrate all the in- stincts, passions and prejudices of those you meet. It enables you to detect their desires and regrets—to ascertain every human weakness and its sure decoy. Imagination is the great sustaining force of true salesmanship. Without asserting a fertile imagination you are seriously handicapped—it is the vehicle with which you carry your prospect through all the long range of human feeling in a sale—from at- tention to interest, then to desire, and finally to the last goal of de- cision, where he voluntarily reaches out for possession and signs your order. Through imagination you can in- vest the most commonplace thought, argument or fact with.a lure that is truly irresistible. It enables you to build your own selling talk around the prosaic facts that are clearly known to your prospective buyer. It adds the radiant colors that make your proposition stand out apart from others and win the choice and preference of the buyer. All the progress and accomplish- ment in this world is based upon the faculty of imagination—we are never more happy than when the mind is bent upon following a train of im- aginative thought that constantly un- ravels the many ramifications which represent the deep set roots of any proposition. The basis of imagination is an en- quiring mind—an analytical attitude toward the things we hear and see. When Newton saw the apple fall from the tree he exercised his imag- ination by calculating why it was that the apple shot straight to the ground instead of floating off on the breezes, he followed out his trend of thought and thus discovered the law of grav- itation. Watt, as a youth, stood in silent imagination when the steam lifted the lid on the tea kettle—and through his enquiring and imaginative mind he discovered the power of steam. His idea was accepted and broadened by other imaginative minds, until we have the fast trains and great steam- ships of to-day. All the improvements in methods, machinery, transportation, opera- tion, agriculture, buying and selling, are merely pyramiding of the idea of others through a process of refine- ment based primarily upon imagina- tion—and the fellow who does not exercise his imagination in life gets only the meager benefits of the second-hand ideas and methods of others in their worn state. 2 New Revenue Bill May Fail To Be Enacted. There is more than a chance that the Revenue bill will not be enacted at the present short session and that the Sixty-sixth Congress will be called together again next spring to frame a new tax measure and to at- tend to various other duties which the present Congress will have left undone. This possibility opens up a very interesting vista and it will be worth any business man’s while to consider what it means. The existing tax laws produce about $4,000,000,000 per annum. The Treasury must have at least $6,000,- 000,000 to run the Government dur- ing the coming year. If the pending bill fails, $2,000,000,- 000 must be obtained from some source and this may mean that a joint resolution will be rushed through both houses during the last hours of the present session impos- ing a very high war profits tax oper- ative for one year and calculated to produce the needed revenue. If this is done the present revenue law will remain in force until specifically re- pealed by the new Congress. This would mean that the big in- creases in individual and corporate income taxes provided by the pend- ing bill will not go into force. The man in moderate circumstances will thus save considerable money, as the pending bill more than doubles the income tax rates. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Roper is growing very restive over the failure of Congress to enact promptly the pending revenue bill and has written a letter to the Secre- tary of the Treasury pointing out the embarrassments he is suffering as the result of the delay. Income tax re- turns must be in the hands of local collectors not later than March 1 next, and the Commissioner must get out his printed forms early in Janu- ary. As there are many millions of these forms to be _ distributed throughout the length and breadth of the land, it goes without saying that they must be printed at an early date. If Congress puts off the passage of the Revenue bill until late in the present session, the Commissioner will be obliged to proceed under the old law and make his collections at the former low rates. Altogether it is a fine kettle of fish and at this writing no one can safely predict what sort of a dish the Congressional cooks will make of it. If Congress fails to pass the pend- ing Revenue bill the new Congress, when summoned next March or April, will pass into the hands of the Republicans, whose leaders are al- ready pledged to draft a new revenue bill in which tariff rates will be raised sufficiently high to produce all the way from $500,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 per annum additional revenue. Such an increase from this source would permit the framers of the new bill to abandon all vexatious miscellaneous taxes and even to whit- tle down somewhat the individual and corporate income rates. While there may be two opinions as to the advisability of making heavy increases in the tariff sched- ules, there can be no doubt that the Underwood-Simmons tariff law is sadly in need of overhauling. If the war had not interfered in 1914, thus creating an artificial barrier which kept cheap foreign goods out of the United States, we would have had an industrial situation here that would have precipitated a panic. The tariff must be overhauled in the near future to meet the new peace conditions, and possibly it may be just as well for the new Congress to consider the entire subject of revenues in a broad and comprehensive way. _—-_2.-2-a————_— Don’t expect your friends to do more for you than you are willing to do for yourself, 139-141 Monre Roth Phous GRAND RAPIDS, MICH OE it i ee ak a Re nee ttre ee a en na tad CODY HOTEL GRAND RAPIDS $1 without bath RATES {$1 So'up with bath CAFETERIA IN CONNECTION Bell Phone 596 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 Rates $1.00 and up EDWARD R, SWETT, Mar. Muskegon ans Michigan HOTEL HERKIMER GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN European Plan, 75c Up Attractive Rates to Permanent Guests Popular Priced Lunch Room COURTESY SERVICE VALUE cay a od 7 vadliels) A Hotel to which aman may Send his family 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 The United Agency System of | Improved Credit Service } i Unrrep 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, : ILLINOIS Gunther Bldg. - 1018-24 S. Wabash Avenue Feces en aaa iii ait ale ana neein sosntisatneeab — sana ehdencipic hata tasratsabaisstaitt sation December 18, 1918 Bottom Facts From Booming Boyne City. Boyne City, Dec. 17—The first through passenger trains between Boyne City and Alpena over the Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena R. R., left Boyne City at 11:30 a. m. and Alpena at 8:30 a. m., Monday, Dec. 16. This marks the completion of a pro- ject which has been in process of de- velopment for many years. Beginning with a little logging road, equipped with a little “one horse” engine and a few Russel logging cars, it has crept mile by mile across to Lake Huron against apparently unsurmountable obstacles, both physical and financial, until it links the two coasts of Lake Huron and Michigan. What the fu- ture holds for it, no one can prophesy, but it traverses a hundred miles of as good farming land as this North country holds. The Traction Engine Co. is show- ing its model tractor, a 35 horse pow- er motor. The machine behaves very well, indeed. In the trial stunts it showed its breeding by its facility in climbing, pulling and turning in small radius. Climbed a 45 degree grade on high gear without faltering, pulled three plows in a 12-inch deep furrow in clay ground and turned repeatedly on twice its width—not length. It is a four-wheel drive. Mr. Hemtze is giving its weak points a thorough study, preparatory to commencing quantity production. The steamer Griffin, which has been supplying the ore docks of Boyne City and East Jordan this season, completed her work last week and has laid up here for the winter. Several members of her crew will make their homes here during the closed season. The Steamer will receive a thorough overhauling while waiting for the opening of navigation next year. Judge J. M. Harris got the mem- bers of the Boyne City War Board MICHIGAN TRADESMAN together at a little supper at the Wol- verine last Monday night for a con- ference over the Red Cross drive. Every member who was in town was present and a very interesting gab feast was held, during which the pro- gress of the work done during the past year was informally reviewed. The loyal support given the organi- zation was very favorably commented on from every quarter. We seem to have reached the point in which we are in the same state of mind as the pioneer’s chickens. Possibly Mr. Stowe will remember the hoary old gag about the pioneer who moved so often that the chickens would all run out in the road and stick up their legs to be tied when the old prairie schooner drew up to the door. It has become automatic for us to “sign here’ when any war activity person looms on the horizon and we are peevish if they don’t loom. The Boyne City, Gaylord and Al- pena R. R. and the White Co. offices have resumed business in the W. H. White Co. office building, which was moved from its old site on Lake and State streets to the depot block on Park street. The building has been remodeled on the inside and faced with pressed brick and is an ornament to the business section of the town. The White Co. offices are on the first floor and the general offices of the railroad company are on the second floor. Chas. T. and J. M. are up in the air most of the time anyway, so they are right at home, while L. H. is on the bound so much that it would be a shame to make him climb to so high a perch. The compromise that the Board of Health tried to make with the ubi- quitous flu microbe did not work out very well. The partial opening of the schools which was tried resulted in an immediate increase in new cases. We are told almost every member of the high school who attended came down within a few days with the dis- ease, although the school was in ses- sion but three days. The people who knew that their children were sick would not keep them at home. This criminal neglect of, and refusal to comply with, the very lenient re- quirements of the Board has resulted in a strict quarantine of every infect- ed person and house. As usual, the innocent and law abiding people have to suffer because of the sins of the lawless. Our genial friend, W. W. Bailey, the Lake street druggist, says that he can not get any one to cut his wood, so he has to hike out in the woods and cut it himself. We don’t believe it. We think he is a victim of the itching palm. His palm itches for the feel of the old axe helve and saw han- dle of his youth, his nose itches for the scent of the dead leaves and his feet for the feel of the springy soil, although Uncle George does say that the itch had to be applied in a differ- ent place in the auld lang syne. How is it, Wallace? Gerrie says that his health officer business is no cinch—more kicks than ha’ pence. Maxy. ss Cull Potato Industry Receives an Impetus. Greenville, Dec. 17—Forty thous- and bushels of cull potatoes have been bought thus far this season by the management of the starch factory here. These have been brought from , radius of twenty-four miles. Twenty carloads have also been pur- chased elsewhere, which will be de- livered next month. About $50,000 in all have been paid to date by this company since coming to Greenville. We look for this to have an excel- lent effect upon the acreage planted to potatoes next year. There have been so many small potatoes this season, owing to the protracted drouth, that farmers, especially since grading has been established, would 25 be likely to conclude to turn to other crops, but now with a market estab- lished for any potato, however small, they may be expected to plant at least as much as usual to tubers. The Michigan Motor Garment Co. has introduced its line into Cuba, and so favorably have these “Outerall” garments been received there, the company is having its trademark regis tered in all the South American coun- tries. It now employs a force of eighty-five here and about thirty at the branch plant in Carson _ City. The season’s business now closing has far exceeded the highest expec- tations of a year ago. Albert Smith. Body Blow For Holder of Partin Notes. The defunct Partin Manufacturing Co. and the Commercial Credit Com- pany of Baltimore have received a staggering blow from the Circuit Court of Chippewa county, which re- cently held that notes given the Par- tin gang are null and void because there is no consideration; also that the Commercial Credit Company is not entitled to recover thereon be- cause it is not a bona fide “innocent third party,” because it had full knowledge of what the Partin Manu- facturing Co. was doing before it took over the notes.. A full report of the matter, including the charge of the presiding judge, who directed the jury to find a verdict of no cause of action without leaving their seats, will appear in the Tradesman next week. >.> T. DeVries succeeds N. G. Oster- house in the grocery business at 1013 Division avenue South. business. future delivery. Citizens Phone 4255 ow That the War is Over We become immediately interested in home problems and home finance. All of us desire that our dollars earn as much as possible and still be safely invested in stocks and securities which may be readily and without sacrifice converted into cash. The Seven Per Cent Preferred Stock ——of the—— Valley City Milling Company offers particularly attractive features to the conservative investor. Fifty-seven per cent of the Preferred Stock now issued is owned by Customers and Employes of the Company. The surplus of quick cash assets over quick liabilities exceeds the entire authorized issue of Preferred Stock. Average annual profits are several times the dividend requirements. Appraised valuation of Company’s assets exceed $1,000,000.00. Stockholders are further protected by $200,000.00 Corporation Life Insurance on the lives of, operators of the This Preferred Stock is a. 7%, Cumulative, non-assessable stock, preferred both as to assets and dividends. Dividends are payable quarterly. The next dividend date is January 1, 1919. As there are only a few shares unsold, reservations should be made immediately for either prompt or reasonable Communications may be addressed direct to the Secretary of the VALLEY CITY MILLING COMPANY : Grand Rapids, Mich. Bell Phone, Main 1194 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 Michigan Board of Pharmacy. President—Leonard A. Seltzer, Detroit. Secretary—Edwin T’.. Boden, Bay City. Treasurer—George F. Snyder, Detroit. Other Members—Herbert H. Hoffman, Sandusky; Charles S. Koon, Muskegon. Examination Sessions—Detroit, Jan. 21, 22 and 23, 1919 Michigan State Pharmaceutical Associa- on. President—J. H. Webster, Detroit. Secretary—F.: J. Wheaton, Jackson. Treasurer—F. B. Drolet, Kalamazoo. Next Annual Convention — Lansing, March 18, 19 and 20. Michigan Pharmaceutical Travelers’ As- sociation. President—W. E. Collins, Detroit. Secretary and Treasurer—Walter 3. Lawton, Grand Rapids. Wholesale Druggist Essential To the Retail Trade. The wholesale druggist is more nec- essary to-day than ever before. Mer- chandising is changing. The retailer is required to carry a greater assort- ment of goods and shipping facilities and the labor problems are such that direct buying from scores of business houses is out of the question. More capital is needed to-day than former- ly, and moderate purchases of varied assortments, quick shipments from the wholesale house and a quick turning stock are the only solutions to the merchandising problems of to-day. The role of wholesale druggist is of a double nature. His work is for the manufacturer as well as the re- tailer. He brings to the attention and counters of each of thousands of retail druggists the products from in- numerable manufacturers. Distribu- tion is the very keystone of successful business, and the manufacturer finds a quick and inexpensive distributing agent for his produce in the whole- sale druggist. Think of the manufacturer a mo- ment. Our country is filled with them—all kinds, great and _ small. Each one is filling an important niche. All are operating at a very low cost, must watch out for unnecessary over- head and selling expense. Many do no advertising, and are not known to the retailer and consumer. The cordial relations that exist be- tween the wholesaler and retailer pave the way for the manufacturer’s product better than any other medi- um. Goods are readily advertised. The mere fact that Messrs. Brown, Jones & Smith have the “Snap- Quick” camera in stock is prima facie evidence to the retailer that the cam- era must be a first-class product else they would not have stocked it. The saving of overhead and selling expense, which is affected by the wholesaler, for the manufacturer is of considerable importance from the producer’s standpoint. No selling or- ganization with its credit department is necessary, and no intricate and ex- pensive accounting system need be established for business is being done with a single wholesaler whose re- liability is above reproach. Thus we have noted the economic value of the wholesale druggist to thousands of manufacturers. This is by no means an unimportant reason for his existence, but let us consider his relations to the retail trade. One of the great advantages of the wholesale druggist to the retailer 1s the saving of time. One order placed with the wholesaler brings one com- posite shipment of assorted goods, that might otherwise of necessity be ordered and shipped from a score or more of houses, some of them great distances from the retailer. The time saved in ordering and receiving goods makes for a quicker and more satis- factory service, and service is the superstructure of all retail trade. Imagine, too, the time saved when it is necessary to keep accounts with a single company instead of a large number of concerns. There is less likelihood of a mistake in adjusting claims, and difficulties of any nature can be settled more readily, more quickly, and with much less effort if the retailer is dealing with a single company. The same amount of time spent in ' ordering and receiving goods from a wholesaler make it possible for the retailer to effect a frequent turnover of stock. The retail druggist orders only what he needs for the immediate future, because he knows that when the need arises he can order any necessary articles from his wholesale company and receive them almost im- mediately. Modern business success does not depend upon a mammoth stock, and quick service makes the retailing business a successful enter- prise. If we form our opinion of the economic advantage of the whole- saler to the retailer from the stand- point of business safety, it must enter into our consideration that wholesale prices are consistent with the good service rendered the retailer. All suc- cessful wholesalers employ the hon- est policy of holding to one price with all retailers. Many times a whole- saler will protect his customers on market advances as long as he is able to do so, and the same wholesaler will be found the first to lower prices when the market declines. By pur- chasing through the wholesale con- cern the retail may feel certain that he is doing business at a saving, and at the same advantage as other drug- gists in his locality. Another point that should be men. tioned here is the advantage to the retailer of the wholesale drug sales- man. The “see you next week” rep- resentatife of a wholesale concern is of vastly more value to the retailer than either realizes. In the salesman the retailer has a warm friend. The interest the salesman has in his trade, his good advice, his trade tips on prices, advances, declines, market con- ditions and what- not make for a splendid cordiality and help to build up an “over the top” spirit which is bound to win. This phase of the subject quite naturally leads to another. Co-oper- ation is an important item in any line of successful endeavor, and_ the wholesaler is of economic value tuo the retailer, because they can co- operate together. Co-operation on the part of the wholesale druggist is possible on account of his knowledge of local conditions. The retailer is not entirely dependent upon his own judgment in placing orders for goods, for the knowledge the salesman has of the needs and demands of the re- tail trade may be depended upon in those matters. The wholesaler keeps up the quality of goods for the re- tailer. He makes it his business to make a study of the quality of his goods. He studies different lines of goods; he becomes a “connoisseur” of quality, and he sees to it that all goods offered to the trade are of high- est grade. Thus, the wholesaler and retailer co-operate to give the best possible service to the patrons of the retail trade. Another consideration which “em- phasizes the essentiality and value of the wholesale druggist is the ques- tion of the retailers credit. Every retailer is dependent upon some sys- tem of credit in purchasing goods. [If there were no wholesale drug con- cerns the retailer would very likely be obliged to establish and maintain credit with a large number of manu- facturing companies. Such a condi- tion would entail a large amount of clerical work, long delays, misunder- standings and dissatisfaction to all parties concerned. On the other hand it is a comparatively easy matter to furnish references and make the necessary banking arrangements to du business with one company. The last big item of interest to us in the discussion of the economic value of the wholesale druggist is the 9 Chocolates Package Goods of Paramount Quality and Artistic Design satisfactory to our customers. deavors, we remain, ELLIE ELE EA BOLE ITT IR LE IEE 1918 Holiday Goods Druggists’ Sundries, Books, Stationery, Etc. We take advantage of this opportunity to thank our customers for the handsome orders which they have given us through our representatives for sundries and holiday goods for the season of 1918. When December 1st arrived we found that we had been able to ship all of our holiday bills and that each order had been filled with a degree of completeness satisfactory to ourselves and we believe also At this particular time we find that we have completed the orders that were taken for future shipment but we are well aware that there are many belated buyers and those who will find themselves a little short of some classes of merchandise, and to these we send the mes- sage that we are yet in a position to serve you and do so promptly either by parcel post or express. We shall expect many buyers who deferred coming to the market early in the season and can assure them that our stock will allow of a very liberal assortment of mer- chandise well arranged for business at this season of ithe year. Thanking those that have already been served and assuring those that may yet come to us that we will give them our very best en- Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan SPN CSSA A RE TS ea aan reer ere ree reer a eae eee acai ct ee 2 an cmanealll ae tisuninesanniae sn afleinesieiit 2 vai ea enc BE Seria chen at tnd eS! December 18, 1918 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 27 saving for the retailer in operating Drug Licenses To Be Revoked. WHOLESALE DRUG PRICE CURRENT expense. If there were no wholesale Drastic action in revoking the — concern and the retailer were obliged figenses of all druggists of Michigan rriccs quoted are nominal, bascu vi market the day on issue. d se 8 2 order goods from a score of manu- who are violating the liquor laws of Acids Conete ee of eee 75 —— seeeeee ot cturer je : ‘ i ; RISGPON eves ss < 4 50@4 75 Sardamon ...... acturers, instead of One order, he the State, in selling alcoholic medi- oo an bee 4 = Eucalyptus 1 25@1 35 Cardamon, Comp. @1 60 would mail twenty; instead of one ¢ines and preparati hich he Cappella 64@ 67 Hemlock, pure 2 00@2 25 Catechu ........ 1 60 a preparations which are be .. 64@ : : y oe = isc: he opiid rite (eee mene Citric : “""} 48@1 55 Juniper Berries 16 00@16 25 Cinchona ........ @2 35 , wenty, instea ing used as beverages by purchasers, uriatic ........ 3%@ 5 Juniper Wood .. 4 0@4 25 Colchicum ...... @2 40 of using one three-cent stamp, he js being taken by the Board of Phar- Nitric ...... on. Soe oe ot - Dinttelis seeeceees i = would make use of twenty such macy of Michigan, according to ai wee . Lavender Flow. 7 25@7 50 Gentian ‘eens @1 50 stamps. When these goods arrived fferbert H. Hoffman, law enforce- TORUATIG. «ns ee 1 1303 30 oc 2 5002 iS Gases somes a 90 ihe retailer would be charged with : Linseed, boiled, bbl. @174 Guaiac, Ammon. @1 80 dt ca - ment executive for the Board, who 1. ogaupon'@ 12@ 20 Linseed, bid less 1 84@1 89 lodine’.......... @1 50 D postage or express charges On js jn Detroit investigating conditions vater, 18 deg. ..10%@ 18 Linseed, raw, bbl @1 72 lodine, Colorless @2 00 twenty small packages instead of one of the city Water, 14 deg. .. 94@ 17 cond gn ea “s; os Ku cre nea oi & ‘ . s » OZ De FO BIMO eecesseveaes large one. There would be little effi- Mr Hoffinan, who bas spent a Ghee “eaedns. Bo a Mustard, artifil, oz. @165 Myrrh .......... @2 50 ciency in such a scheme, as compared age : : HAORNOGE assess 3 SORE O Eee YOR «+ See , great deal of his time since last April Balsams Olive, pure .... 8 80@ Opium .......... @7 50 to that one which makes use of a cc has “Hees the stustige < CopMee ac. . 140@1 65 Olive, Malaga, cent a Opium, Camph. @1 35 wholesale firm. To counteract the : : : I Kir (Canada) .. 1 50@1 75 on wk @ en gi . : there is worse than in any other dis- bir (Oregon) .. 40@ 50 , a, c—_s ‘ expense of frequent orders, the retail- ee Peru 3.5.5. 4 75@65 00 ae ees cee . trict in the State. paca di hae Orange, Sweet .. 4 50@4 15 Paint er attempts ordering in larger quanti- : ear apes cs *+ 1.76@2 0 Origanum, pure a 7 Leed, red _ ’ 14@14 : “ ae 75 ? ; vee ties. As a result, there soon appear There are twenty-five stores in Barks : Soerceni om? 2 soa2 75 lead, white dry 14@14% D Cassia (ordinary) 40@ 45 75 Lead, white oil 14@14% osses from excess stock—some be- + > ation. eppermin 50@6 75 1 f tock b etroit which are under observation Cassia (Saigon) 90@a 00 Pept Se 38 o0@ay i> Ochre, yellow bbl. ¢ 1% comes shopworn, some spoils and One such place, against which action ascypre nla psi toc} 6 ge Rosemary Flows 2 00@2 25 Ochre, yellow less 2, @ = & : : : ; Sassafras (pow. 40c) @ 85 SOSSh ey orn Rutty occ cues ceases to be salable. Another ex- is now being taken, is typical of the Suup Cut (powd.) aoe eon as 50@18 75 Red Venet'n ide ie pense which the wholesaler saves the ‘SOrt of thing that is going on among BOC se eeeereee -- 26@ 80 cossafras, true 3 50@3 = eee = *2e os i j i i i Sassafras, artifi’l 90@1 ’ . retailer is that of accounting. The these Detroit druggists. ok ren 6o@s 10 Spearmint ....-. 6 5 06 s foe ee. book-keeping necessary when the “This shop, a small one, in a poor- Fish ....-- aut as 1 00 aur seen snys see . L. H. P, Prepd. 2 9008 10 druggist makes use of the wholesale: er section of the city, has used 15 {MDIPOR scaprttst* “S = Tar, USP .....-. . 45@ 60 can be done easily and without in- gallons of alcohol to fortify 78 gal- ies Pocantne Reo Py 90 er convenience by the retailer himself. lons of wine, 18% gallons of alcohol Licorice eee go@ 65 Wintergreen, tr. 7 00g _ oor Pic « eeeat oh ne ia bwectod : ie : Licorice powd. .. 1 75@2 00 Wintergreen, sweet __ BAM Sos oc ec ces. 17@ 20 ,ag g . to manufacture liniment of a certain Biveh 5 occs.- cs 5 00@5 = Alum, powdered and In conclusion, the reasons why the kind, 27 gallons for another kind of Flowers Wintergreem, Ort ) eg 7g round. ....-... 18@ 21 wholesale druggist is economically iniment, 31 gallons in the manufac- ee Ss ao = Wormwood .... 7 50@7 76 — Subni- sence : : : : : 1 : PERG cui ce i valuable and a great necessity to the ture of the so-called ‘Hoffman’s Chamomile Rom. 1 50@1 60 Sadesations Viesax atal or retailer may well be summarized. Drops,’ and 20% gallons in the manu- Law um “a Bicarbonate .... 1 25@1 30 powdered ...... 10@ 15 ; ° . F J 4: ‘ cacia, [St coc. hr ate cae bee «6v Yg First, time is saved. In consequence facture of a ‘pain expeller,’ makingin Acacia, gnd ...... ae 6 eee ‘ a - Contnenden po 2 00@6 50 service is rendered more quickly and all 112 gallons of alcohol, used from @v#eids BOrts ss ae 60 Carbonate ...... 1 6q@1 45 _ CAlomel ...... - 2 69@2 76 satisfactorily. Frequent turnover of November 18 to December 18. There cites (heck on 300 40 pie A pegpbs = * ppb oe seas - stock is made possible because orders are five men and three women em- 4j0cs oo poe. 1 we) = haere §9@ & Cassia Buds ..... 50@ 60 ; : o Cyanide- ........<. @ ee re be placed as needs oe demand. ployed in the store, and they all glit- Asnfoctida veuae A ora 3 i. 4 5oGp4 46 Cloves .....6c6s. 77@ 85 Accounting is simplified. Th ole- : : POWs sececcees rermanganate 2 75@3 00 Chalk Prepared .. 12 15 g 1s simplihe “he whole ter with prosperity. The shop does Caanhee 3 25@3 35 Prussiate, yellow Git Cheik Precipitated bp 16 sale druggist co-operates with the re not even possess a permit from the Guauac ........ @2 25 russiate, red 3 75@4 00) GQ poem - 97@1 04 tailer concerning his business, by state to sell liquor for medicinal pur- yu?” powdered ao $s ot — Chloral Hydrate 2 ate: 42 means of a knowledge of local con- poses. nino, powdered 3 ° Roots Cocaine ...... 14 80@14 85 oe : : Myrihh ..sceceees Albanet 5... 2. 4 50@4 75 Cocoa Butter .... —— ae educational sine iin “Three Detroit druggists of this ain powdered es - Blood, powdered Ce x Corks, list, ‘loos wa" 60 oO e retailer concerning mar et : : PLUM .eeeeee @< Calamus .cccccece 6uq@w2 50 Copperas, bbls. .... 3 sort will have to account for their 4G 25 @3: ‘ ‘ . ce : : plum, powd, 31 25@382 00. Wlecampane, pwd. 15@ 20 Copperas, less .. 8 8 conditions, prices, etc., made possiblg¢ actions to the board December 30, Opium, gran. 31 20@32 00 Gentian, powd. 27@ 85 Copperas, powd. Inte + 10 through the wholesale drug salesman, nq many more will follow Se oe Oe ne es Cee oa = : i : ¢d ° » ’ OWUEPFEU .sseee Tartar ... is another economic item. Quality of pee Se : i Tragacanth ..... @5 00 Ginger, Jamaica 30@ 40 Cuttlebone ..... se — 00 ala de acu ees Coste 4 This is the only way in which Tragacanth powder 3 00 Ginger, J'amaica, Dextrine ...... 15 oe : . e Bee druggists «can protect themselves iu:pentine ...... 15@ 20 powdered ...... 22@ 380 Dover's Powder ‘5 1506 00 easily established and maintained. i ks cs ae insecticides Sere ggae aii coe, o a i — = And last, but not least, the whole- aoe ak ne a o Arsenic weseteases ve 2 RiGOOR isco. 50@ 55 Epsom Salts, bbls. @ 4% saler helps to cut the retailer’s oper- ness, an e ichigan armacis biue Vitriol, eee. ‘ Licorice, powd. 50@ 60 Epsom Salts, less 5@ 10 i re _ tie Vitrivi, less 12@ 2 Orris, powdered 40@ 45 Ergot ............ @2 75 ating expense. association and the Board of Pharm Bordeaux Mix Dry 20@ 25 poke, powered. 20@ 25 Ergot, powdered wa 00 a. is ee h h hel acy of the state have united in taking ivllevore, White Rhubarb ....... @100 Flake White .. 20 o it 1s obvious that the whole- e i ‘ : powdered ...... 38@ 45 Rhubarb, powd. "4 25@1 60 Formeldehyde 4 : measures against violation f thi ¥ g ehyde, Ib. i@is saler stands to the retailer in the Shes oe 5 So . ae ° Rosinweed, powd., 25@ 30 Gelatine eectes 1 75@1 90 ‘ : 9 f ; eC Ss $2 £ i " acaw same relation that the retailer stands eis are all too frequent in Lime and eo ae 20@ oe ek 25@1 40 Gigameaie. pot 50% 7 to the consumi ic. -. 7 wWhichigan, Solution, gal. .. Sarsaparilla Mexican, Glauber Salts, bbl. @ 2% suming public. He is, in Tes ee pine Greed’ 1. MeGuns ground ...... 100@1 10 Glauber Salts less 34@ 7 deed, a necessity, an economic asset, t has been estimated that about ed GOA co cv envacs 35@ 40 Glue, Brown ...... 25@ 35 é : 5 per cent. of th ool ; Squills, powdered 45@ 65 Glue, Brown Grd. 25@ 35 a possession of great importance and. 2.4 Cc . the druggists of this Piper Ice Cream Co., Tumeric, powd. 25@ 30 Glue, White . 30@ 35 great worth. O. B. Wells. State are guilty of illegal sales of Kalamazoo Valerian, powd. .. @100 Glue, White Grd. 30@ 35 thi Oat f th Bulk Vanilla ......... 95 Glycerine ......... 31@ 50 ———— 1s nature. nly 300 of them have Bulk Special Flavored : 00 BIOUG | cosa da cee +e» 60@ 75 Too many men reckon time by pay permits, authorizing the sale of Brick, Plain ......... 1 20 Seote Iodine .......... 5 60@5 90 ga. 5 f adel ” Brick, Fancy ...--.-. 160 Anise ........... 42@ 45 lodoform ...... 6 59@6 74 ays. iquor tor medicinal purposes. Leaves Anise, powdered 47@ 50 Lead, Acetate ... 25@ 30 : ee @3 25 a. We isis ciees ne a Leoomanans teen oS = 2 2 seceececes BYBEY cccccsiaees BOG ce ceeds Buchu, ‘powdered on oo Caraway, Po. .95 85@ 90 Mace, powdered 95@1 00 WE ARE ACCEPTING CONTR Sage, bulk ...... oS 70 Cardamon ..... 1 80@2 00 Menthol ....... 9 50@9 75 ACTS NOW FOR Sage, % loose ....72@ Gelery, powd. 1.00 90@1 00 Morphine ...- 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 a I ITT UES Sage, powdered .. 55@ 60 Senna, Alex .... 1 40@1 50 Senna, Tinn. .... 40 45 Senna, Tinn. pow. 50@ 65 Uva Ursi ......-, 45@ 66 Olls oe Bitter, cosecsee 18 50@18 76 suis itter, artificial ..... 7 00@7 20 Almonds, Sweet, TUG ce es 4 00@4 25 Almonds, Swee t, imitation ...... 76@1 00 Amber, crude .. 3 25@3 50 Amber, rectified 4 50@4 75 MAD NBO ne choos cus 2 50@2 75 Bergamont .... Cajeput ........ 2 00 Citronella ... 1 00@1 25 Cloves ......... 4 50@4 75 Cocoanut ....... @ Cod Liver ..... . 5 60@5 75 Cotton Seed .... 2 05@2 20 Croton 00@2 2% Coriander powd .30 224%@25 D 35 0@ — ecbesece: & 5001 20 ees cau aeee 10@ 15 Flax, ground 10@ 15 Foenugreek pow. 22@ ELGID cc ccceeces @ 15 Lobelia ......... - 40@ 50 Mustard, yellow .. 45@ 50 Mustard, black .. 30@ 35 Poppy 1 Quince . B06 45 i con cks ce Sabadiila Sabadilla, powd. Sunflower ..... 10%@ 15 Worm American .. @ 2 Worm Levant .. 1 65@1 75 eens Asafoetida Belladonna ...... Benzoin ...... Benzoin Compo’a BRUGRE ccisccsces @2 40 Cantharadies @ 15 O18 00 Nux Vomica ..... 30 Nux Vomica, pow. 28 35 Pepper black pow. 53 65 Pepper, white ..... 5 Pitch, Burgundy QuasSia .esccceees 7 16 Quinine ........ an 12 wa 13 Rochelle Salts 65 Saccharine ........ 1 25 Salt Peter ...... 36 $ 46 Seidlitz Mixture “48 65 Soap, green ...... 20 80 Soap mott castile 22% Soap, white cas CASE ...... @35 00 Soap, white castile less, per bar .... @8 75 Soda Ash ....... 4%@ 10 Soda Bicarbonate 39 8 Soda, Sal .......... Spirits Camphor ... 1 50 Sulphur, roll .... 4% 10 Sulphur, Subl. 4 9-10@ 16 Tamarinds ...... r a = Tartar Emetic .. Turpentine, Ven. 5096 00 Vanilla Ex. pure 1 50@2 00 Witch Hazel ... 1 36@1 75 Zinc Sulphate .... 1 16 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 GROCERY PRICE CURRENT These quotations are carefully corrected weekly. within six hours of mailing. and are intended to be correct at time of going to press. Prices, however, are liable to change at any time. and country merchants will have their orders filled at market prices at date of purchase. ADVANCED DECLINED Canned Apples Beans Some Milk Galv. Pails Galv. Tubs Rice Rolled Oats AMMONIA Arctic Brand Paar oss _ ce eeeee 1 85 sae = oonege _— 12 oz. 16c, 2 doz. box 300 Good... a. oe 2 16 oz. 2c, 1 doz. bux 175 Fancy ....... lca... [foe ee 32 oz., 40c, 1 doz. box 2 85 se Beeman’s Pepsin ...... 70 French Peas —— ec ieee ooo = Monbauun (Naturai Joublemint ..... seeeece _ AXLE GREASE a. Flag Spruce ........... 65 Mica, 25 Ib. pail ...... 1 60 Juicy Fruit ........... - 70 Gooseberries Sterling Gum Pep. saccade BAKED BEANS No. 2, Far ....... oe Spearmint, Wrigleys .. 70 No. 4) 222225553. 6ss 040 Yoentan |. 3.3. No. 1, per doz. ........ 1 35 Z 9 Hominy UO gece cutee sscncsecs 10 No. 2, per doz ........ 2 26 wtiewnaee 1 25 No. 3, per doz. ....... 360 Standard ............ CHOCOLATE i. eneecteal ca Walter Baker & Co. “ gets BRICK os 7 te anevet ret 53, German's Sweet ..... ; MEE ccc cecectseces OO 22 UE eee arene acess es ee 35 Picnic Flat ....... sco BOD (eltaas 2d BLUING Mackerel Walter M. Lowney Co. Jennings’ Mustard, 1 lb. ......-. 180 Premium, %8 ........ -» 86 ——— — ar Mustard, 2 lb 280 Premium, 48 ......... 36 Sma oz, bOX .... 3 * “PR meE ee Large, 2 doz. box .... 2 90 Soused, 14% Ib. ....... 1 60 CIGARS BREAKFAST FOODS Cracked Wheat, 24-2 4 Cream of Wheat .... 7 Quaker Pufted Kice .. 4 Quaker Puffed Wheat 4 Quaker Brkfst Biscuit 1 Quaker Corn Flakes .. 2 90 Saxon Wheat Food .. 4 Shred Wheat Biscuit 4 Triscuit, 18 ......02- 3 Pillsbury’s Best Cer'l 2 Kellogg’s Brands Toasted Corn Fiakes 4 20 Toasted Corn Flakes 4 20 Toasted Corn Flakes Individual ........ 2 00 Krumbles ............ 4 20 Krumbles, Indv. .... 2 00 Biscuit ...ccccccccccee & 00 Drinket .......c.cse0. 2 60 Peanut Butter ...... 4 40 EON ccc eeene eee 4 30 BROOMS Fancy Parlor, 25 lb. 10 00 Parlor, 5 String, 25 Ib. 9 15 Standara Parlor, 23 lb. 9 00 Common, 23 Ib. ...... 8 - Special, 23 lb. ....... 8 2 Warehouse, 23 lb. .. ll 00 BRUSHES Scrub Solid Back, 8 in. .... ~ Solid Back, 11 in. .... Pointed Ends ........ i oo Stove oe ee ee No. 3 eeceeescesesesen 1 60 No, 1 00 ececcesesecsesees Shoe vewpeewccecscces & Oe Sescccesncnesoss 1.00 orececccccenccce -o 1 No. 2 3 No. 4 BUTTER COLOR Dandelion, 25c size .. 2 00 CANDLES Paraffine, 6s ........ 1% Paraffine, 12s ....... 18% Wicking .::::..:..... @& CANNED GOODS Apples 8 Ib. Standards .. @1 60 Mo: 20 ....2..-.- @5 00 Blackberries 2 Ib. Standard No. 10 .. *"@10 50 Beans Baked ......... 1 25@2 25 Red Kidney .... 1 25@1 85 String .......... 1 90@2 50 Wax 1 80@2 50 . Biueberries No. 10 .........-.. @11 50 Clams Little Neck, 1 Ib. ...... Clam Bouillon Burnham’s % pt. .... Burnham’s pts. ...... 22 3 75 PB GU. nccec. 1 OO Soused, 2 Ib. ....00-.. 2 75 Tomato, 1 Ib. Tomato, 2 Ib, Mushrooms Buttons, %%s . Buttons, ls .. Hotels, 1s Oysters Cove, 1 1D: ....5...6- Cove, 2 ID. . bleh tate ano eves December 18, 1918 Red Crown Gasoline Gas a a Gasoline M. P, Naphtha 23.7 Capitol ynaee _ : 41.8 Atlantic Red Engine, | Iron Bblis. ......... 28.8 — Black, Iron ag Polarine, ‘Iron’ Bbis. 23.7 44.2 - 14.8 - 44.8 - Durkee’s Picnic. 2 doz. Quaker, 18 Regular .. 1 95 Quaker, 20 Family .. 5 20 SALAD DRESSING Columbia, % pint .... 2 2 Columbia, 1 pint .... 4 00 Durkee’s large, 1 doz. 5 25 Durkee’s med., 2 doz. 5 80 2 75 2 40 1 46 Snider’s, large, 1 doz. Snider’s, stall, 2 doz. ST ET: Seer catcert ERT ere eeaierai aRSERME CRETE eames f Soap Powder. SE PEGS. occas ss 4 25 Oak Leat oo Powder 100 p 5 Gusen oe Soap Pow- der, 60 pkgs. ...... 8 60 ar Gene Cleanser, SODA Bi Carb, Kegs Co.’s Brands Oakland apple cider .. 35 Blue Ribbon Corn .... 25 Oakland white picklg 20 Packages no charge. WICKING No. 0, per gross ...... 70 No. 1, per SS ...... 80 No. 2, per 8S ...... 1 20 No. 3, per gross ...... 1 80 10c size, 4 OZ, ..-..-0. 95 20c size, 8 0%. .....-- 1 90 80c size, 1 1b, .......5 2 90 75e size, 2% Ib. ...... 6 25 $1.25 size, 6. Ib ...... 18 00 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 29 HIDES AND PELTs PICKLES SALERATUS sPICEs WOODENWARE ARCTIC Hides Medium Packed 60 Ibs. in box. Whole Spices Baskete EVAPORATED MILK Green, No. 1 ......... 2 Barrels, 1,200 count 1200 Arm and Hammer .. 3 26 Allispice, Jamaica .. @12 TRUMNOIN coc cc cs esses 2 00 « Green, No. 2 ..;....:, Half bbls., 600 count 650 Wyandotte, 100 %s .. 300 aAtspice, lg. Garden @ll Bushels, wide band .. 2 25 aoe iis KCeeeceus weewies ‘2 Cured, No. °4 <4... 3 5 gallon kegs ........ 2 60 SAL SODA Cloves, Zanzibar .. 55 Market, drop handle .. 70 BADY «cc cece a >S 4 Cured, No. 2 ......... 18 Granulated, bbls. .... 195 Cassia, Canton .... @20 Market, single handle 75 __ Manufacture y Gran Calfekin, green, No. 1 30 Small Granulated, 100 Ibs. cs. 2 10 Cassia, . pkg. doz. -* oun, eee pieces : 2 edge ‘o. aitsKin, green, No. 2 28% Barrels .........+.- 1400 Granulated, 363 pkgs. 225 Ginger, African .... @ plint, medium ...... 5 Sold by all jobbers an Calfskin, cured, No. 1 32 Half barrels ....... .. 760 ALT Ginger, Cochin .... @20 Splint, small ........ 475 National Grocer Co., Grand Calfskin, cured, No. 2 30% 5 gallon kegs ....... 2 80 S Mace, Penang ...... Butter Plates Rapids. Horse, No. 1 ...... 6 00 Solar Rock Mixed, No. 1 ...... @17 Ovals Horse, No. 2 ...... 5 00 Gherkins 56 Ib. sacks <........... 63 Mixed, No.2 ....... @16 4 wp 969 in crate pe AXLE GREASE fe ee 5 00 Common Mixed, 5c pkgs. ds. @45 = ve Pelts Barrels ........ % Ib., 250 in crate .... 60 Old Wool 15@2 Half barrels ........ 13 00 Granulated, Fine .... 210 Nutmegs, 70-8 .... @50 To, See in erake 65 Y ceiten co ea ° 5 gallon kegs ........ 450 Medium, Fine ........ 2 20 ——} 105-110 . _ i. 2 Ib. ans ts crate ..... 8 Shearlings -.. 1! 1 00@2 00 ~~ Pepper, White .-... @40 Ib. 250 In crate ..... 90 Sweet Small co. Saree whee @15% Pepper, Cayenne .. @22 sp n crate .... i Tallow BOTVOlS .cceesc seas » 28 oa 2 Paprika, Hungarian Wire End PHMG oo 05000000, @11 5 gallon kegs ....... 5 00 Small, whole ...... @ . 1 Ib. “50 in crate ..... 86 NOSE eee @10 Half barrels ........ 14 50 al or bricks .. er Pave Ground ia Suk b., 250 in crate ..... 55 No. 2) 50 @09 jou ° — cland Herving Allspice, Jamaica .. @16 3 1b 250 in crate ..... 65 Woel Clas. Mo. #14, per dex Standards, thik Cloves, Zanzibar .. @68 5 lb., 20 in crate ...... 75 "Unwashed, med. .... @50 Clay, T. D. full count T. 36. bile. 5.3-.-00. Gas a oo Churns Unwashed, fine .... @45 Cob, 3 doz. in box .. 1 25 Standard, kegs ...... Mace, Penang ..... @1 0 2arrel, 5 gal. am vs 7 HONEY PLAYING CARDS ae srs Sts — = -. ne : A.C. Woodman's Brand. No. 90 Steamboat .... 2 SS. Pepper, White ..... @52 Round Head oz, per doz. ........ 0. , Bicycle .... aeaets Sesuae Cavasns .. One ‘6 toh tf oe 1 8 20 oz., per doz. ...... 665 Pennant a. 3 25 Spiced, 8 go sig sores 96 Pea eases ois Seton” 20- 36s, box.. 170 25 Ib. pails, per doz. ..18 80 ‘ou HORSE RADISH Babbitt’s, 2 dom. .... 2% No. 1. 100 Ibs. ...... STARCH Egg Crates and Fillers Per @06. 05. 90 Me ft 1 Wo cs Corn slumpty Dumpty, 12 dz. 24 KI’ | ‘CHEN PROVISIONS Bo. 2 16 We. 4.2... Kingsford, 40 Ibs. .. Hid No. 1 complete ........ = Barreled Pork No. 7 3 Ibs. 2 ese. Muzzy, 48 llb. pkgs. 9 No. 2 complete ........ — Itali Bon Bons 25 Case, medium, 12 sets 1 80 151b. pails, per pail .. Clear Back .. 52 00@53 00 Mackere! Kingsford 30Ib. pails, per pail .... Short Gut Clr’ 44 00@45 00 Mess, 100 Ibs. ...... 25 00 giiver Gloss, 40 llb. .. 9% Faucets cl 55 00@56 00 Mess, 50 Ibs. ........ 13 25 aie Cork lined, 8 in. ....... Jell-O regia ear @ Mess, 10 Ibs. ........ 29 95 Argo, 48 Bc pkgs 24 Cork lined, 9 in. ...... Assorted Case, 3 doz. 3 40 ie ‘ao 4g 00 Mess, 8 Ibs. ........ 230 giiver Gloss, 16 side... 9% Cork lined, 10 in. ...... Lemon, 3 doz. ...... 3 40 oo No. 1, 100 Ibs. ...... 24 00 Silver Gloss, 12 6lbs. .. 9% Mop Sticks Sache ge pose ; 4 Dry Salt Meats Do 1, 50 a Cs riles 12 75 Trojan spring ....... Stra wbery, 8 azz... 249 «SP Bellies ... 31 00@82 00 No. 1, 10 Ibs. ........ 2.80 ee once - gi Eclipse patent spring 1 60 Cherry, | : dom. vette 3 40 se © the “er — 16 81b. packages “a ° No. 2, pat. brush hold 1 Weight 11 lbs. to case. Pure in tierces .. 29@30 a . oo er 6% eo ian heade 3 60 ¥reight rate, 3d class. Compound Lard 24 @24% SREDs z Cone ee : Dp fe acoul! 16-0, 19s Gran Powder OF Ib tube .oeawames AMMO. Spars se SVRUPS nee ee ee ell-O tce Cream Powder . see Canary, a HO Ve. c. 28 sa Aewored Gang F don tie 8 tame ccagranee Berea ce $8 nate ow. eB GE Sanaa ocolate, Oz. oe ees .- Pp eos Cardomon. Matlahar 1 90 artes sersscrcs ste « ° ooce Vanilla, 3 doz. ...... 85 10 Ib. pails :..advance % Cardomon, “aisbar 1 ™sWHalf barrels eee. Si 14 at. Galvanized -... 6 Strawberry, 3 doz. ... 285 5 Ib. pails ...advance 1 Hemp, Russian Se 12 a ar Karo, No. 1%, - ae eecensccecsece Lemon, 8 doz. -...... 85 3 Ib. pails ...advance 1 Mixed Bird .......... 12% mice ties No.8, 3 ‘a 3 30 Toothpicks 4 cies Unflavored, 3 doz. .. 2 85 Mustard, white ...... 40 ‘Blue Karc, No. 2%, 2 WME occas, eu 85 80 can cases, $4 per cas Weight 15 lbs. to case. ancred Sear POPPY ..ccceseccvcere a to € 16 a cee ee ee 16 mt oteaias Ho 3 95 Trape _ PEANUT BUTTER J Hams, 18-20 Ib. 33 @34 SHOE BLACKING Blue Karo, No. 10, % Mouse, wood, 4 holes .. 60 ELLY GLASSES Ham, dried beef Handy Box, large 8 ds.3 80 doz. ...-....-....-. 370 Mouse, wood, 6 holes .. iv 8 oz. capped in bbls., oe 87 @38 Handy Box, small .. 125 Red Karo, No. 1%, 2 ee ee NO ns) POF dom. 6... cs. 36 California Hams 25 @26 Rixby’s Royal Polish 1 20 oe) Se ae, a0. Hat, wood ........0..0:- 80 MAPLEINE Picnic Boiled : Miller’s Crown Polish 90 Red Karo, "No. 2, 2 dz. 855 Rat, spring ............ 76 2 oz. bottles, per doz. 3 00 Hams -........ s on SNUFF yee ere 314, 2a. ‘ = ‘Tubs 1 oz. bottles, per doz. 175 Boiled Hams .. @ Swedish Rapee, 10c 8 for 64 eg » No. 10 % Ma; L HIKE .....-.6< 42 00 16 oz. bottles, per dz. 16 50 Minced Hams .. 22 @23 Swedish Rapee. 1 Ib. gels 60 = Bare. . Mo. ¢ Fitre ........ 38 00 32 oz. bottles, per dz. 30 00 Bacon .......... 39 @52 Norkoping, 10c, 8 for ..64 waneeasess ances ® ba. & Vibes ...- 75 — ee eens Snow Boy, 24 pkgs. .. 5 00 Hemp, 6 ply .......... 88 pee ie Snow Roy, 20 pkes, |. 636 Wi 100 Ih halen .... 30 BAKING POWDER eanuts, Spanish, Se ice 8 10 CALUMET 200 Ib. bbl. ........ eB Sian Powders VINEGAR soi al eee ancien alee Johnson’s Fine, 48 2 5 75 white Wine, 40 grain 20 ee Monarch, bbls. ..... 10 25 A 95 le Tags 100 .. 5 75 White Wine, 80 grain 25% rae tT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Rolled Avena, bbis. 1050 Nine OClock 1.7.7.” rap Welle Sine 18 aris a ron Barrels Steel Cut, 199 Ib sks. = TYauts Naphtha 60s __ kl Perfection. .....:..1.. 4a Monarch §0 th: sk. 5 00 rest Naphtha, 60s .. Oakland Vinegar & Pickle Per case, 24 2 Ibs. .... 1 80 Five. case lots .......:1 70 eee MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 UPPER PENINSULA. Recent News of the Cloverland of Michigan. Sault Ste. Marie, Dec. 1%7—Many favorable comments were heard from the Tradesman subscribers, particu- larly the local grocers, on the anni- versary edition last week. Special mention was made by many retailers on the remarkable article on figuring costs, which has been a help to many of the smaller stores that have not considered all of the main items com- prising the cost of doing business. The many friends of W. E. Wood- ing, the well-known lumber dealer, residing here for the past fifteen years, will regret to learn that Mr. Wooding expects to leave here for the Pacific Coast, where he expects to make his future home. He expects to locate somewhere in Washington. Mr. Wooding has made many warin friends among the Sooites who wish him every success in his new home. Albert H. Passmore, for the past year in charge of the J. L. Lipsett establishment, has severed his con- nection with Mr. Lipsett and is now devoting his entire time to the shoe business of Passmore & Paquin, of which he is senior member. The new firm is doing a very satisfactory busi- ness, being one of the exclusive shoe houses in the city. Charity is a cloak which covers a “multitude of amateur theatrical per- formances. Lieutenant Howard Griffith has asked for his discharge from the army, having done his bit to win the war. He has decided to enter the mercantile business, having taken charge of the candy department ot the Cornwell Company here. Now that fair retail food prices for Chippewa county are being fixed by the Fair Price Committee, there is little chance for the grocer getting any long prices in consequence, al- though in many cases it has helped the grocer to get a fair profit on what he has heretofore been handling at a profit. Richard Endress, of Detroit, a former Sooite, was a Soo visitor last week, greeting his many old friends who were more than pleased to see him. Dick; as he was commonly known, seems to like Detroit, but says that the Soo certainly looks good to him. Our sealer of weights and measures is doing some very fine figuring these days in looking around for victims and finds where a print of oleo has been exposed to the elements, light and air, for over two months has a shrinkage of almost one ounce. It looks as though business was getting scarce in that line when they find it necessary to get down to so small a business and prospects are fair to in- crease the force if tactics of this kind are what the sealer of weights and measures is looking for, making no allowance for natural shrinkage on perishable goods, regardless of the length of time which they are sub- jected to the elements. The Soo went dry again last week, about the dryest it has ever been, when the city water works system went on the hummer Thursday morning, caused by a broken crank on one of the pumps. What the city needs is an electrical water system, as we have all kinds of water power and it would seem as though the steam system should have been a thing of the past long ago. The merchants are all preparing for a large holiday trade. The win- dows are all decorated as usual with old Santa Claus much in evidence. The only difference this year from former years is that the quarter-off sales, Liberty sales and other bar- gains are being offered before the holidays, instead of January 1. It begins to look as though the mer- chants were becoming uneasy, fearing that the price may drop, leaving them with an excessive stock on hand. Safety first seems to be their policy and would rather enter the first of the year with a small stock if pos- sible. They say that nothing is impossible, but there is no man living who can wear a silk hat and run a steam riveter. There are very few travelers mak- ing Mackinac Island this season of the year. While the Straits are still free of ice, it only costs $12 for the ambitious traveler to call on_ his trade. William G. Tapert. Condensed Milk in Japan. Owing to the difficulty had in se- curing condensed milk during the war, the Japanese industry has been greatly developed, and the output is now valued at from 1,600,000 to 1,700,000 yen, or $797,000 to $847,000, a year, which has caused the imports to be largely diminished. At present the demand for condensed milk in Japan amounts to about 3,000,000 yen, or $1,495,600 a year. Before the war most of this was supplied by the United States and Switzerland, but wth the development of this indus- try in Japan the probability is that in the near future no foreign conden- sed milk will appear in the Japanese market. Butter, Eggs, Poultry, Beans and Potatoes. Buffalo, Dec. 18—Creamery butter, extras, 68@69c; firsts, 65@66c; com- mon, 63@4c; dairy, common, to choice, 45@55c; packing stock, 38@ 41c. Cheese—No. 1, new, fancy, 35@36c; choice, 33@34c; old, 30@33c. Eggs—New laid, 75@s80c for fancy and 70@72c for choice; storage can- dled, 53@56c. Poultry (live)—Old cox, 20@22c; fowls, 25@80c; chicks, 25@80c; ducks, 32@35c; turks, 30@35c. Poultry (dressed)—Turks, 40@42c; geese, 30@32c; ducks, 38@40c; chicks, 30@33c; fowls, 28@32c. Beans—Medium, $10 per hundred Ibs.; Peas, $10 per hundred Ibs.; Mar- row, $11.50@p2 per hundred Ibs. Potatoes—New, $2@2.20 per hun- dred Ibs. Rea & Witzig. ——_>-<____. Rug Famine in Prospect. Comment heard on the floor cov- erings trade, coincident with the naming of prices on Spring lines, is to the effect that a real famine in rugs is to be expected within the next year unless something now unforseen comes up to increase production. _ Recently it was announced that the spring production of the biggest fac- tor in trade would be but 20 per cent. of normal, and recently one of the other big manufacturers announced a probable production for the new season that was a little more than two-thirds below the usual amount. With the smaller producers’ the same thing is true to varying degrees. a B’g Demand for Silk Underwear. During the past year the demand for ladies silk underwear has been so great that some of the manufacturers are not taking any more orders for immediate delivery. One of the reas- ons given for the increase in the sale of these garments is that large quant- ities are being purchased by girls employed in munitions plants and factories who are making good sal- aries and feel that they can afford to wear garments of this kind. Three Soldier Deaths in the Trades- man Family. Ralph L. Whitney, son of E. E. Whitney, the Ann Arbor (R. R. 7) general dealer, died of wounds in France Nov. 22. He was a membei of Co. C., 112th Machine Gun Bat- talion. He went “over the top” for a second time Oct. 15. In the afternoon of that day he was hit by a piece of high explosive shell in the breast, near the right shoulder. The piece stopped just beneath the skin in the back, He reached the hospital before 6 o’clock and was operated on the next day. Oct. 26 he was taken by a hospital -train to Base Hospital No. 3, Montpont, in Southwestern France, and believed himself improved. during the trip. Nov. 1 it was necessary to remove liquid from the lung cavity, which made breathing easier. Nov. 5 he wrote: “Still in bed, weak, but gain- ing slowly. Best of care and good food.” Nov. 10 he wrote: “More com- fortable and expect to sit up any day.” Death came ten days later. He was a young man of excellent character, good habits and bright promise. Oscar A. Conklin, general dealer at Ravenna, has received word of the death of his son, Leo. J. Conklin, who was instantly killed by a high explosive shell while in the perform- ance of his duty as Ambulance Or- derly, Nov. 11. Two other boys were wounded at the same time, his being the first death in Motor Amb, Co. 35. He was one of the twenty-five who volunteered to go to Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga., and left Muskegon March 5 for training in the Medical Department. May 17 he took his over-seas ex- amination and it was found necessary to undergo an operation for hernia or stay at camp for detail work. He took the operation, after recovering suff- ciently he was granted a 7-day fur- lough, arrived home June 20. He left Ft. Oglethorpe July 27 for camp Merritt, New Jersey. He arrived safely overseas August 27 and was in training until Oct. 9, when he went into action, meeting his death while in the performance of his duty. His last letter written home Nov. 7 came with the official notice of his death. Fighting. with the 74th Co., 6th Regiment, U. S, Marines, Harold E. Stevenson, son of A. W. Stevenson, of Muskegon, (traveling salesman for the Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co.), received injuries which caused his death on Nov. 24 after having been in France a little more than a year. At the time of his enlistment he was attending the University of Iowa, which he left to enter military service when the war broke out in the spring of 1917. He went overseas in Sep- tember of last year and fought in some of the big battles in which the marines participated. It is thought that he fought in the battle of Chateau Thierry and other subse- quent engagements. Stevenson and Corporal Harvey E. Prescott, another Muskegon man, were both in a hos- pital in France after having ‘been severely gassed in one of these bat- tles. After being released from the hospital, he was put on- police duty because of his physical condition. Several letters have been received from him since that time by his parents. It is considered probable that this gassing was responsible for his death. —_—_2--.___ Newest in Millinery. The lines of the short-back poke are being shown in many of the ad- vanced models in women’s hats, ac- cording to the bulletin of the Retail Millinery Association of America. The front of the brim, it says, is usually very long, while the back is extremely short, A black satin model of this type has a high, softly draped crown, with a cuff of maline standing up around its base. An attractive clus- ter of flowers and fruit in chenille, georgette crepe, taffeta, and velvet in blended tones gives it a “Frenchy” finish. Another shape that is being shown in a new model has a separate upturned piece, which is either square or pointed at the ends, across the front. The back either has no brim at all or is a small rolled affair. A scroll design of cording softens this plain front effect. The bulletin also says that some of the large maline models that are now being shown here have jet crowns and are trimmed with jet, the whole being very effective. One “smart” model has an_ extremely ° large brim with drooping sides of ac- cordion-pleated maline. The crown is made of iet beads, with a gold beaded figure worked through it. French blue ribbon cut in points is laid flat on the upper brim, leaving about five inches of the maline ex- posed. A band of ribbon, with a soft bow at the back, gives the finishing touch. —_>2+.—____ Potatoes Plentiful in Canada. The estimate of the potato crop of Canada this year is put at 105,579,- 700 bushels, as compared with 79,- 892,000 bushels last year. A _ revised estimate of this crop from figures in the possession of the Canada Food Board shows an exportable surplus in six provinces of 28,433,000 bushels over all requirements for domestic use and seeding. Alberta, Saskatch- ewan, and Ontario have no surplus. This was due to the _ prolonged drought and early frost, which re- duced the yield below normal in these provinces. On the contrary, the provinces of Quebec, New Bruns- wick, and Manitoba show the re- markable surplus of 24,500,000 bush- els. The balance of 3,933,000 bushels is in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia, -_——->2-_- —_——_ Easter Baskets Selling Well. Nothwithstanding the prevailing high prices of fancy baskets, manu- facturers of these articles have had an exceptionally good season. Easter baskets in fancy patterns have been good sellers, and so many orders have been received of late that some of the firms are already oversold. . Colored sewing baskets lined with satin and silk have been very popu- lar with the holiday trade this sea- son, and in some instances it has been necessary to sell the sample lines in order to supply the needs of customers, ata RRMA ORE estima —— agen ee bo age tt tire i SF. ae wa eee Pe etre se Det eS Ss RSAS RISE AE sainilontincnntio sad Sstinpeigaeioatca December 18, 1918 WAR CREATES NEW IDEALS. That Mr. Hloover is making good his promise that he would drop meas- ures of food control as soon after the emergency as possible everyone agrees, but there is a growing fear that it may be dropped so thoroughly and suddenly as to cause trouble. There is a widespread feeling that it ought not to be done until the turn of a season allows the re-adjustment - without violent effects on stocks and prices and that this is a time for trade and officials to co-operate as never before. That permanent relations in admin- istration are desirable is reflected in an article by President Davies of the National Wholesale Grocers’ Asso- ciation, published in another column, and it is probable that as soon as Mr. Hoover is heard from with cer- tain disclosures as to the European situation, steps will be taken to bring about a measure of co-operated effort; not only during re-adjustment but probably in some degree continuing. It is surprising to what an extent the lessons of food conservation have taken hold of business men and com- pletely changed their appreciation of responsibility. In times past every competent business man regarded the end and aim of the mercantile life to be making money. It is not to be expected that that ideal has been eliminated now, but it is very prob- able that if a psychic photograph could be made to-day of the business man’s mind “service” would over- shadow dollars as his chief motive. Unconsciously the war has_ taught merchants, especially food merchants, another side of their existence than the mercantile and commercial. In the struggle to help win the war, they have come to see, as they did not before, how great is their place in the actual life machinery of the people. A new dignity has been vis- ited on the function of making and distributing food. Just how deep- rooted the new ideal has become it is hard to say, but that it is a strong factor to-day no honest grocer will deny. And if he realizes it during the transitional period, the rut in which the trade will run after the war will be quite different from what it was before. And if this is acceptable to the merchant, who shall say how different may be the lines to be followed by the official in his influence on mould- ing the new era? No one wants too much of the automaton in business, nor of the slot machine which oper- ates when controlling coins are drop- ped in at Washington, but if rela- tions are to be adjusted on the basis of service and value to the commun- ity, rather than the right of a free trader to exploit the commercial field for whatever of money he can make, the whole character of the problem changes. —_ +2. Late News From the Metropolis of Michigan. Detroit, Dec. 17%7—Detroit bank clearings last Saturday passed the $3,000,000,000 mark for the first time in the history of the Detroit Clearing House Association. The exact total of .clearings this year is $3,020,640,- MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 260.72, compared with $2,628,063,440.36 to Dec. 14, a year ago. Ralph Stone, President of the De- troit Trust Co., was elected Presi- dent of the Bankers Club of Detroit at their meeting at the Hotel Statler last Saturday night. James T. Keena, President of the Peoples State Bank, was elected Vice-President and Charles H. Ayers, of the Peoples State Bank, was re- elected Secretary-Treasurer. A num- ber of State bankers were guests of the Club. Capt. Edward Tupper, National or- ganizer of the British Seamen’s Union, recently arrived in this coun- try to help the campaign of the American Defense Society to boycott German-made goods. He is now on a lecture tour under the auspices of the Society, and will address a large meeting at the Board of Commerce at 1 p. m. Wednesday. His organi- zation represents 11,000,000 pledged votes to a boycott on German- made goods. The Detroit Trust Company has appointed Frank H. Gay an Assistant Secretary of the company. The office was created due to increase in vol- ume of the trust business of the com- pany. Mr. Gay has been with the company for nearly seven years. He was formerly assistant auditor of the Algomah Central & Hudson Bay Railroad, at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and is a native of Newcastle, Eng- land. The Michigan Railroad Commis- sion has authorized the Detroit ‘Edi- son Company to issue $2,600,000 of 7 per cent. gold bonds to mature in 10 years. The money is to be used in obtaining increased equipment for the distributing system of the com- pany and for additional working cap- ital. Some of the new equipment for which the bonds are issued has al- ready been installed. D. M. Hamilton, Assistant Treas- urer of the Detroit Brass Works for eight years, and W. C. Renshaw of the same company for eighteen years, part of the time as general superin- tendent and more recently factory manager for McRae & Roberts Co., have purchased the controlling inter- est in the U. S. Novelty Mfg. Co., changed its name to Acme Brass Works and increased its capital to $50,000. Mr. Renshaw will serve as Vice-President of the company and will have full charge of manufactur- ing and production, while Mr. Ham- ilton has been elected Secretary and Treasurer and will handle the sales and executive end of the business. The A. J. Detlaff Co. will hereafter confine itself to the production of clutches and control sets, which have formed a large proportion of its out- put since its organization in 1903. W. Kurtzman & Son have opened the Liberty Market at 25 Broadway, where they occupy three entire floors with a wholesale and retail market. W. Kurtzman has been located on Cadillac Square for more than forty years and was one of the original members of the Detroit Board of Commerce. In addition to W. Kurtz- man & Son, the following firms will occupy space in the new Liberty Mar- ket: Geo. H. Giddey, Beyschlag & Sell, Excel Market Co., Karle Pfaeh- ler and Otto Wester. J. Fred Lawton, cheer leader dur- ing the Liberty Loan and other patri- otic campaigns, has been appointed general agent for Michigan for the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co. His offices will be at 610 Far- rell building. >. A salesman who sells jumpers wears one when calling on his cus- tomers. Because the merchant re- members him more distinctly, he says, his sales are better than they were before he adopted this plan. Seen Assistant Cashier. 31 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 letters, double price. must accompany al! orders. No charge less than 25 cents. Cash BUSINESS CHANCES. SPECIAL SALES Conducted Intelligently January is the time to reduce your stock at top market prices. We are cleaning up stocks = closing out stocks entirely, at a good profit. References, leading wholesale houses and prominent merchants. MAY WE NOT HEAR FROM YOU? MERCHANTS NATIONAL SERVICE CO. 105 South Dearborn Street CHICAGO For Sale-—Clean stock hardware, furni- ture, wall paper and notions, in small town. Good farming country. Address No. 30, care Michigan Tradesman. 30 For Sale—Undertaking and garage in town of 1,200; new fireproof building; never been offered for sale until death of owner and must be_ sold to settle estate. Address Box 416, Lawton, _— For Sale—Stock general merchandise; will invoice about $2,500; doing good cash business; in rich farming section; post- office in connection; fine living rooms upstairs; can lease store building and fixtures or buy same. Address D. Ouel- lette, Everdell, Minnesota. 22 For Sale—One 5 drawer and one 6 drawer National cash register, at genuine bargains. Both in perfect condition. J.-A. Sandiford, Watseka, Illinois. 23 CAPITAL PROCURED—For new or go- ing enterprises on commission by stock house with active selling channels. Sub- mit particulars. Securities Sales Co., 29 “. LaSalle St., Chicago, Illinois. 24 For Sale—Stock of drugs, patent medi- cines, some sundries, stock of bottles and three sets scales. Cheap for cash. Ad- dress No. 25, care Michigan Tradesman. 25 For Sale—A good live grocery in fast growing suburb of Detroit. Doing busi- ness of better than $1,000 per week. Reason for selling, have another business that requires my entire time. Full par- ticulars upon request. This advertise- ment will appear but once. $3,000 will handle. Address No. 26, Tradesman. For Sale—Good clean stock general merchandise in town in Eastern Okla- homa. Well established business and large trade territory. Last year’s sales $70,000. Splendid opportunity for anyone desiring good location. Would take good Michigan farm property in part payment. Selling reason, death of owner. Address No. 27, care Michigan Tradesman. 27 Collections—Claims and accounts col- lected. Write me. H. . VanAken, Lawyer, 309 Post Building, Battle Creek, Michigan. 28 For Sale—Country store and stock; five miles from Grant on gravel road; good trade;-no delivery. Paul Brink, “ee 2 Michigan. SPECI AL S ALE To reduce stock or sell out entirely. Adver- tised and conducted for retailers anywhere. Write for date ~ terms stating size stock, . 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 ——_—— care Michigan 26 We can sell your business, farm or property, no matter where located. Cap- ital procured for meritorious enterprises. Herbert, Webster Bldg., Chicago, Ill. 1 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 Will pay cash for whole or part stocks of merchandise. Louis Levinsohn, i 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. 989 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. C. Vogt Sales Co., Saginaw, Mich. 906 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 _— working machinery will be sold at sacrifice. Write OLD OITIZENS NATIONAL BANK, Zanesville, O. 15 Attention Dry Goods Merchants—If 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, sae Minnesota. For Sale—120 acre farm near tas towns in Michigan or trade for stock or merchandise invoicing about $6,000. Ad- dress No. 20, care Michigan ——— COLLECTIONS. Cullections—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 Coupon Books They prevent disputes. They save book-keeping. They limit the line of the customer. They give the merchant in- terest on past due ac- counts. They put all credit trans- actions on a cash basis. Free Samples on Application naw, Michigan. 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 For Sale—Cne of the best grocery stores in one of the best towns in Michigan. Poing a splendid business. Only reason for selling, cannot stand the work. Ad- dress No. 6, care Michigan ene Tradesman Company Grand Rapids - Michigan yo eee ety esebrag torte - 32 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN December 18, 1918 OFFICIAL CHANGE OF FRONT. Whatever else the Federal Trade Commission has made clear to the average grocer, its own consistency is not one of the striking disclosures. Just now the board is basking in the sunlight of general grocery trade ap- proval for its recent stand in favor of price maintenance on branded prod- ucts, but while one praises it, he stands perplexed to understand why any board holding such plain views on a debated subject should be lend- ing itself to the prosecution of reput- able manufacturers on _ hair-splitting niceties as to unfair trading for doing the verv things it wants Congress to establish as the model of fair trading. The probable answer the Commis- sion will make—it did make it in the recent Cleveland convention of manu- facturers—is that the best way to abolish a bad law ‘is to enforce it. But if the remedy is a new enactment by Congress, on recommendation of the board, why is it necessary in the meantime to brand a manufacturer as a criminal and secure his indictment, just as one would a swindler, a thief or a pernicious violator of the law? In few if any of the recent actions brought against manufacturers in connection with price maintenance has there been any indication of un- fair intent, but rather the protection of the very conditions which the com- mission now asserts are worth while creating by Congressional legislation. The position taken by the Federal board is exactly the position taken by several manufacturers almost ten years ago. The writer knows of one who proposed a Congressional act al- most identical with the one suggested by the Federal Trade Commission back in 1909, but later abandoned his idea ‘because he concluded that any such right bought at the cost of hav- ing a Federal tribunal browse through his books, decide what was in its (po- litical) opinion expedient a fair price —and incidentally gather material for a sensational assault against him in the yellow press—was not worth what it cost. As outlined, however, the conclu- sions of the board as to fixed price justifications are identical with those held by manufacturers’ and _ distrib- uters for many years past. Here ina nutshell is its statement of premises: That producers of identified goods should be protected in their intangi- ble property right or good will. That the unlimited power both to fix and to enforce and maintain a re- sale price may not be made lawful with safety. That unrestrained price cutting is not im the public interest. These are precisely the points which backed the Stevens bill, with the difference that many who fa- vored it shied at the idea of having their prices vised by any govern- menta! functionary, preferring to let the open competitive field between products determine whether its profit was fair ornot. Itis noticeable in the second of the above conclusions thar there is difficulty in fixing a price “lawfully.” The trouble is not stated to be so much a matter of fairness or prudence, but of legal restraints, and suggests restrictions at the hands of some official, rather than a decision as to the fairness of price by the Supreme Court of Popular Open Mar- ket Competition, which is the plan most manufacturers have been willing to resort to. Admirable as most of the trade will believe the plan to be in its main intent, it is not at all unlikely that the curious situation may be present- ed of finding men who believe in their right to protect their resale prices fighting the bill as a protest against too much governmental and official supervision. In trade circles the be- lief is that the Federal Trade Com- mission is as yet only half convinced of the honesty and fairness of busi- nes men and still thinks Government office holders better judges of fair- ness of prices than men who have their money, their reputation and their position in the market at stake. No one need canonize the food manufacturer or the grocer to recog- nize that a very great change in their sense of public duty has come to them out of the war. Competitive conditions of the old type, in which one cut his neighbor’s throat before the neighbor did his, evolved many bitter things and unwillingly business men drifted far away from the ideals of business conduct and rectitude which they applied to their personal lives. The emergency of helping win the war as a National duty and the co-operative side. of food control strongly impressed the spirit of co- operative self-regulation on business men and their minds are to-day ready for ethical reforms. Of all the surprising things which have really become fixed in the gro- cer’s mind—and it surprises him as much as it does anyone else—is the conviction that speculative inflation of food prices is wrong in principle and immoral. In past years he was firmly imbued with the fact that merchan- dise was worth all that one could get for it and he saw nothing wrong in a situation where repeated selling of an article rolled up a steady advance in its market value. If he did question it, he found himself so helpless to change the situation that he drifted with the current. Mr. Hoover's policy of enforcing the cost-plus system, rather than al- lowing unbridled resale to create arti- ficial replacement values, was revolu- tionary in the extreme and its suc- cess has been evolutionary; nowhere more so than in the mind of the gro- cer. He may not be convinced that there is anything wrong in a rational application of the law of supply and demand to food values, but when ex- treme scarcity doubles and trebles in market value the goods he bought at a normally low price, he knows deep in his conscience that the inflation is not a fair burden to place on the con- sumer. But competition will not help the situation, for all similar goods at a given time are in the same position and if one follows the current, so must the other. Until Hoover did it, no one believed reform was possible. Even now it is not easy to see just how-it can be ac- complished permanently, but there is in the grocery mind to;zday a feeling that one of the remnants of wartime autocracy which should remain is a safeguard of some sort against aero- planing of prices. The grocer has been fairly well paid under the plan of the Food Con- trol. Although he has been limited in the margins he could exact, they have been applied to all his lines of stock alike, and virtually everything he sold paid its way. Before, owing to some heritage of stupid competition, he had for years sold over 40 per cent. of his goods at less than cost. He knew it was silly, but “they all did it,” and how could he desist? So he sold sugar at a loss, flour at cost and made up deficiencies by charges on articles of a less staple nature. Under the Hoover plan everything paid its way, and while speculative gains were not made, neither were speculative losses, and on the whole everyone did well. The feeling is that there should be a considerable meas- ure of perpetuation of the control plan, and one trade paper editor on the Pacific Coast appeals strongly to grocers to hold their gains under the editorial title, “Why Throw It Away?” It would seem that such ad- vice ought to be unnecessary, but evi- dence accumulates that you can’t easily teach an old dog new tricks. In fact, within a month after the con- trol of sugar has been relaxed jobbers are already throwing away their prof- it on it and are again peddling it out as something “thrown in for full measure.” How far the same reckless relapse will ensue is not evident, but the initial showing is bad. Trade leaders have prayed for some such abnormal influence as the Federal Food Control to get the trade started right, but it doesn’t look as though they can be trusted to stay right without a dic- tator. By and bye some one will conclude that the grocer doesn’t want to be saved, unless it be from him- self. —_~+2..>—____ The True Test of Repentance. Muskegon, Dec. 16—In your last issue I see you make a wholesale con- demnation of I. H. Co. blockmen. As a friend to your paper, I was sorry to see this. While not upholding any wrong act in any one, I wish to say that I personally know every block- man and special man working on the Grand Rapids sales force, also the general manager and his assistant; also many of the office force and call every man of them my friend. I do not think there is a squarer bunch of salesmen traveling out of your city. The writer. feels that he is better ac- quainted with and knows more about those men than anyone connected with your paper. I have often heard competitive salesmen for other imple- ment companies telling things con- cerning their dealings that were bare- faced lies and I knew it. There is not one implement manu- facturer in America who gives the farmer more for his money or more assistance in adjusting and operating machines and none other keeps re- pairs and experts so convenient to farmer and dealer. As a friend to you and your paper and a personal friend to every man on the Grand Rapids force, from man- ager to book-keeper, I ask you to make careful enquiry before staining all as rascals. I do not want nor hope to ever again be on their pay roll, but a spirit of fairness. which I know you also possess, prompts me to write this. t E. P. Monroe. The Tradesman has no controversy with the managerial or sales force of the International Harvester Co. The Tradesman detected the block- men, evidently acting under instruc- tions from the district managers, playing the sneak act and undertaking to secure contracts by unfair, illegal and contemptible methods, The Tradesman immediately brought the matter to the attention of the United States Department of Jus- tice, The Department of Justice imme- diately insisted on a plea of guilty or not guilty from the International Harvester Co. The general counsel of the Inter- national Harvester Co. immediately pleaded guilty, admitted that the complaint of thé Tradesman was justified, asserted that the violations of the law were due to the managers and blockmen misunderstanding in- structions and ptomised that the in- fractions of law and common decency should not occur again. The Tradesman has no_ pefsona) feeling in the matter whatever. It did its duty, gained its point and, nat- urally, feels very happy over the fact that it was able to rescue the trade from a very serious predicament. Many dealers insist that the plea that the managers misunderstood their instructions is all bosh, but the Tradesman is willing to take a char- itable view of the situation, providing the managers and blockmen recognize the service the Tradesman has rend- ered them by keeping them out of jail. If, instead of feeling thankful to the Tradesman, they say harsh things about us and act on the as- sumption that they have been abused and maligned, then the Tradesman will know that they were wrong in both thought and intent all the way along and that the humiliating admis- sion that they misunderstood their instructions is merely the cunning concoction of a shrewd lawyer to shield them from the consequences ot their wrong doing. —_>+2—__ The Government is not through with the grocery trade by any means. Traveling salesmen are out on the war path, ascertaining the names of those grocers who have not posted the food administration placards and signed the pledged cards, and to get these pledge cards signed. The trav- eling men have belonged to the food administration from the start. Their instructions indicate some sort of activity is on aimed at the slacker grocer and food merchants. —_+2 + —__ Make it easy for your customers to pay bills. Have your cashier near the door, not in some cubbyhole in the rear of the store which custo- mers must search to find. —~22>—__—_ Economy in store management is a fine thing when it does not go so far as to become stinginess. Learn where the line should be drawn. ome eaten ae Se of ed aid What We Might Do What We Don't Do What We Do Do === AND WHY = We might make matches out of cheaper wood We might save money by using cheaper chemicals But We Don’t. But We Haven’t. We might shut down our scientific department and cease : trying to make the BEST match ever made BETTER But We Won't. BECAUSE 40 years of pre-eminence as the leading match makers of , : the world is something to live up to, so ‘ rf We’re Doing It. The safest match science can produce is none too = for the greatest nation on Earth, and so Et That’s What We Make: There’s no such thing as standing still if one is determined : to march at the head of the procession nowadays, so . t We’re On The Move. Any American grocer whois progressive enough to place duty and responsibility above a mere fraction of a cent in price, in giving his customers the best and the safest and the greatest value for the money will pin his destinies to DIAMOND MATCHES 4 LITTLE DUTCH MASTERS CIGARS Made in a Model Factory Handled by All Jobbers Sold by All Dealers Enjoyed by Discriminating Smokers They are so good we are compelled to work full capacity to supply the demand G. J. JOHNSON CIGAR CO., Makers GRAND RAPIDS You have heard the old story of the lamp chimney you could throw in the air, let fall on the floor and it wouldn’t break—some- times. This is it PORTER’S “TUFF-GLASS” EXTRA HEAVY No. 1 weighs 5 oz. Sun Extra Heavy No. 2 weighs 7 oz. About twice as much glass in them as a crimp top. A very serviceable chimney for rough use. Tempered to withstand extreme range of temperatures. Your local jobber can get them for you. from you will bring a sample. A post card PORTER POTTERY CO., Inc. Clinton, Ky. Trade FRANKLIN ent ‘Standard To Avoid Waste In these days of con- servation avoid all bulk sugar waste and loss by using Franklin Package Sugars They save spillage, labor, paper bags and twine. The Franklin Sugar Refining Company PHILADELPHIA DWINELL-WRIGHT CO.’S Whi te House People Who Know —and you must have more than a few of that kind for customers— PREFER THESE PRODUCTS. Lots of folks have “convictions’’ a grocer may not be aware of; and every time a customer cannot find just what he is after, he has a sort of resentment against the dealer who did not happen to respond in a satisfactory way to his request. Distributed at Wholesale by LEE & CADY icin Distributors of DWINELL-WRIGHT CO.’S PRODUCTS Detroit—Kalamazoo—Saginaw—Bay City When Your Boy Comes Home you will be glad you gave the last dollar you could spare to keep him at the front and to keep him happy, well clothed and well fed. Shredded Wheat paid its heavy toll for doing a restricted business during the war and it paid it gladly. It was a patriotic privilege. Shredded Wheat Biscuit is the same breakfast cereal you have always sold— clean, pure, wholesome and nutritious. It is whole wheat and nothing but the wheat prepared in a digestible form. It requires no sugar—just milk and a dash of salt. Made only by The Shredded Wheat Company, Niagara Falls, N. Y. product does. the dealer. 17 Battery Place What does Mazola mean to the live dealer? It means a product which fits in with the spirit of the times as no other A pure cooking and salad oil from corn which many good cooks consider better than olive oil or frying fats. And—a tremendously forceful newspaper advertising campaign which is blazing. Big space, big thoughts, big results. Are you prepared to meet the demands of your trade? CORN PRODUCTS REFINING COMPANY SSeTT OT Lrrr oh Titehio rrr = eos NEW YORK