Newspaper Page Text
No. 1
THE NEOSHO PLAN EX
PLAINED BY G. R. LOWE
Tells Where Whole Commu
nity Benefits by Co-operation
The Neosho plan is one of inten
sive co-operation for the extension of
retail trade through means of build
ing a better understanding and re
lationship between the people who
make business life in a country town
and those who make up the rural
population. The work is based upon
the practical application of the Gold
en Rule in business; with the thought
of putting across to both elements,
town and country, the ideas that
Confidence and Good Will are the
most important factors. Here let me
inject this one thought; not one the
oretical statement or idea is ad
vanced, but simple, practical ideas
that have worked in Neosho for near
ly eight years, not only HAVE work
ed, but ARE working now in Neosho,
and scores of other towns over some
sixteen States. With these thoughts
in mind and for the purpose of pre
senting the PLAN in an interesting
and coherent sort of way, I have di
vided the work into three different
units.
The first unit is “getting the farm
er better acquainted with the farm
er.” It has for its reason the getting
together of the farmers for the dis
euseion of their own work; just as
you and I attend these conventions
ia order to talk over things that are
•f interest directly to us; talk
“shop,” if you please. If it is good
business for business men to talk
shop, isn’t it just as reasonable to
presume that it is equally good
business for the farmers to do the
same? So a community auction sale
is made possible by the merchants
for the exclusive use of the farmers.
On the first Monday of each month
the people of the country are invit
ed to bring to Neosho such articles
as surplus live stock, used form im
plements, second hand household
goods or anything they desire to dis
pose of. We sell them through the
auction ring, the farmer paying the
auctioneer’s fee. This is a business
proposition, not philanthropy, and
the farmer is made to feel that it is
HIS sale and he must run it clean
and above reproach, keeping out the
by-bidder and the unscrupulous
trader. That it pays in dollars and
cents is shown in Neosho. In over
a six months’ period (from mid-win
ter to mid-summer) an average of
$3,700.00 a month was exchanged
through this community auction sale.
I think any business man can readi
ly see that such an amount of money
turned loose in a country town on a
single day is quite beneficial to that
town. Naturally, we accomplished
what we set out to do in the begin
ning; we brought folks to town who
were not accustomed to coming, got
them acquainted, for furthermore,
we starter a sort of reunion that has
been the means of bringing them
back month after month. They don’t
always come back just to sell, but to
renew' acquaintances; and THAT is
what we are striving for; to make
the town a rendezvous once a month
for men interested in farming.
The second of these units is get
ting a better understanding built up
among the business fellows them
selves; and again, w here hang out
the dollar mark as the incentive;
MORE SALES, the thing the mer
chant is vitally interested in. In
every country town we find, as we
dU in Neosho, that trade is limited
er confined to a rather limited area
and that business as a whole couldn’t
expand and grow if we didn’t expand
Skat area.
On the first Monday ef each month
there is held a Golden Rule Sale, in
-which every merchant participates by
using the same amount of space in a
sperially designed circular that is
wailed direct. to, all the farmers in
the area we are trying to interest.
This circular is in the form ofa
double spread' of fhe' tovtffs newipa
per, but is sent direct by mail instead
•f in the paper because no paper
reaches everybody. The ads. are aH
GOLDEN RULE SALE NEWS
set alike, all same size type, big mer
chant and little merchant participat
ing to the same extent. By so doing
we get the interest of all and also
prevent the big man from dominating
the advertising.
These spaces carry one or two
specific bargains, at cost, or there
abouts, such bargains being of a
non-competitive sort, with the
thought of influencing the people to
not only come to Neosho, but, by
means of different bargains, bring
them into all the stores. No two
men in business are permitted to of
fer the same bargain nor are 'they
permitted to sell each other’s bar
gains. Competition among them
selves on the various bargains is for
bidden.
These sales are held on Monday be
cause they make too much business
on Saturday. Also, Monday is the
big day for mail orders to be sent,
owing to their having attention on
the day before, Sunday. Understand
these Golden Rule sales are run in
connection with the community auc
tion sale, and I don’t believe there is
a one of you men but who can see
what there is in this double attrac
tion, but tha tit is very conducive
to more and better business.
Then we hold ji couple of meetings
a month, so we can discuss this work,
and in these meetings we get right
down to grass roots, as we say in the
West; talk about the things we are
so vitally interested in (trade); get
ting competitors talking before each
other, laying plans for the next
month, etc. By doing this we get
men in same lines of business better
acquainted, which makes it possible
to co-ordinate their efforts for the
good of the whole town and com
munity.
Through the simple means already
explained, we see how it is practical
to build a better relationship and ac
quaintanceship, then between the
merchants themselves, so now let us
see about getting a better under
standing between these two ele
ments; the town man and the coun
try man.
This brings us to the third of these
units, the town’s relation toward the
farmer. Briefly, it is accomplished
by making ourselves see the farmer
in a way that pleases him, in his own
environment. By this I mean, we
men in Neosho hold our summer
meetings with the farmer, right on
his own farm. Twice a month, when
the weather permits, we take our or
ganization, the Advertising Clubs of
Neosho, out to the home of some
good farmer and conduct a meeting
of the club in his front yard. We
have,already insisted that he furnish
the drinking water, and fifteen or so
good neighbors.
At these meetings we talk over
things that interest the man on the
farm. A member would lose caste if
he talked business; it is purely a ru
ral meeting, with songs, fun and busi
ness interspersed; withal, a gather
ing so ordered that the whole sense
of the meeting is to put across the
man on the farm; that Neosho has
a greater interest than merely
“grabbing his dollar.” People in the
country are responsive to this sort of
arrangement; anxious to have us
meet with them and frequently
themselves do all the entertaining,
dinner as well being furnished.
Do you men need to look further
for a means of accomplishing an end
that promises more? More under
standing, more business, more friend
liness. We have gathered all these
for this Ozark town in Southwest
Missouri, and there isn’t a country
town anywhere but what can do the
same if they’ll simply take for their
cornerstone good will, confidence and
he Golden Rule. Sum it all up in a
Kipling quotation:
“It ain’t the guns nor armament,
’ nor the funds that they can pay;
But close co-operation that make*
them win the day;
It ain’t the' individual, nor the army
as a whole,
But the everlasting team-work ef
! ev’ry Meomtu’ sent”
NEWS-GAZETTE SUPPLEMENT
BARNESVILLE, GA., MONDAY, DEC. 12, 1921
ADVERTISING CLUB
FORMED MONDAY
MEMBERS NECESSARY SECURED
AND ENTHUSIASM PREVAILS
FOR THE PLAN OUTLINED.
The Bamesville Advertising Club
was organized Monday afternoon at
a well attended meeting in the City
Hall. There were merchants, bank
ers and other business men present
and after the object and plan of the
organization had been explained
nearly everyone present became a
member, agreeing to pay the annual
fee of $lO. The additional members
necessary to insure the organization
were easily secured from among
those not present, the number neces
sary being thirty.
Mr. G. R. Lowe, representing the
Atlanta Advertising Qlub, and the
originator of the Neosho plan, which
has worked very successfully for
•several years wherever tried, ex
plained in detail the plan and the
way it has worked elsewhere and
what was necessary to make it a suc
cess. He was listened to very at
tentively and made a convincing talk.
Dr. Frank L. Hardy of Newnan told
of how successfully the organization
had recently been operated in New
nan and gave it as his belief that it
would prove a good thing for Barnes
ville. Mr. J. F. Bazemore, agricul
tural agent of the Central railroad,
also told of how it was working in a
number of towns along the line of
the Central.
Involved in the organization is the
putting on in Bamesville a monthly
Golden Rule Sale, in which real and
genuine bargains will be offered the
public by the merchants who are co
operating in the movement. On the
same day it is expected there will be
an auction sale of farm" products by
the farmers of the territory. At this
time there will be offered anything
farmers may want to dispose of, such
as live stock, farm machinery or farm
products. All this will be given fully
to the public before the sale take*
place, so that everybody will have
the opportunity to participate, eith
er as sellers or buyers. These sales,
according to reports, have been emi
nently successful at many other
places, in the south and in Georgia
as well as in the west where the plan
was first put in operation and where
it is continued with enthusiasm by
merchants, farmers and other busi
ness men.
At the conclusion of the discussion
a ballot was taken for officers for
the coming year, which resulted as
follows: J. T. Butler, president; A.
H. English, vice president; D. E.
Kleckley, secretary-treasurer. —•
News-Gazette, November 24th.
FRANK AND HONEST
DEALINGS NECESSARY
When conditions such as at present
prevail it is absolutely necessary that
people be frank and honest in their
business relationship with each oth
er. Times are hard and it is going
to be difficult or impossible for many
people to pay what they owe. When
anyone fails to meet his obligations
someone else is thereby affected
and in this way farmers, merchants,
banks, and other business enterprises
and business men are some times
placed in embarrassing situations.
These conditions make it necessary
for everybody to stand together and
do their utmost to keep business go
ing with as little los* and hardship
as possible. These condition* do not
authorize anyone to ignore his obli
gations but it places upon him the
imperative duty of trying to make an
adjustment that will meet the situ
ation and be satisfactory to the peo
ple to whom he is indebted. When
he looks at it in this way and goes
as far as he can in nine cases out
of ten there will be a satisfactory
solution. This is not a time for deb
tors or creditors to act otherwise
than conseratively with the purpose
and determination to get our coun
ty and section through this critical
financial crisis with just as little loss
and suffering ae possible. Nobody
should lose their head or their nerve
sjmply because things are not like
we think they should be and
if we will keep fighting we will get
through all right. Any other course
wiH be worse than foolish.
THE
Golden Rule Sale
Offers the Customer
GUARANTEED GOODS
Every Merchant whose ad. appears on the big
double-page spread guarantees that the articles
offered are REGULARLY PRICED at the value
shown, and will be sold on the day of the sale to
any and all customers at the bargain price. That
the merchandise is good, and can be relied on to
be as represented.
BARGAIN PRICES
The merchants in the Advertising Club have
made theae BARGAIN PRICES specially low and
attractive so that every buyer in this section can
oome to Bamesville and find one or more special
•ffers worth while. By co-operating, purchasers
are offered.values that no one or two merchants
could afford to give.
REAL SAVINGS
If you will read over the list of the special bar
gains of the 30 merchants represented you will
see it is possible to effect REAL SAVINGS on
goods that are seasonable and needed NOW by
the average home. You can make the day one
of genuine savings at a time when savings mean
something.
A BUSINESS PROPOSITION
For every buyer in reach of Bamesville to come
in and take advantage of the savings offered on
Monday, December 12th. That’s the whole idea
*in a nutshell —to make it WORTH WHILE TO
ATTEND THE SALE by offering special prices on
goods you need NOW.
Golden Rule Sale One
Day Only,
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1921
Attend the Sale and Save
Real Money
BARNESVILIE ADVERTISING CLUB
V*L 1