Newspaper Page Text
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TIEARST’S SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, GA., SUNDAY, DECEMRER 7, 1013.
S> Merchants and Manufacturers’ Bulletin S
More Efficient Methods Are Being
Adopted by Progressive
Distributors,
The wide-awake jobbers and
wholesalers of dry goods and kindred
lines in the West are keenly alive to
the urgent necessity of making very
radical changes in the present meth
od of sampling dry goods, furnishing
goods and ready-to-wear garments.
The present method is burdensome
to the salesman and the cost is out
of proportion to sales. ,
With the change from the time
when the selling of dry goods in the
piece was the important end of the
business to the •'ready-made" era the
lines of the traveling salesman’s sam
ples have grown until to-day it is not
an unusual thing for large wholesal
ers to have on the road an average of
from twelve to fourteen trunks with
every general salesman.
In Other Important Lines.
The other important mercantile
!( nes _groceries, hardware, furniture,
queensware, clothing, etc.—have so
reformed their loose and expensive
sampling plans (or should one say
lack of plan that to-day if a sales-
I man would solicit an opportunity to
I present his wares—men's clothing, for
instance—on the strength of a state-1
ment that "he had fifteen trunks of
clothing samples on display at the
hotel." the merchant would tell him
he was representing a "back number" j
concern and that he felt no Interest
In looking at the line of a concern so
evidently unprogressive.
As an evidence of the great interest
there is in this new movement in the
dry goods trade to reduce sample
lines, a two days' convention was held
in Omaha to consider this subject
I in detail.
New Plans Shown.
The representatives brought wfth
them trunks of samples to show what
each one was doing in his own way to
help solve the problem of reducing
salesmen’s samples and the exchange
of ideas was very Instructive and will
undoubtedly lead to great reforms.
It was shown that such important
lines as blankets, duck coats, sheep-
lined coats, mackinaws, shirts, under
wear, sweaters, children’s dresses,
aprons, children’s coats, bath robes,
bedspreads, blankets, notions, muslin
underwear, ladies’ waists, knit hoods,
etc. (all bulky lines, which no house
can profitably sample in made-up gar
ments for Ailing in business), can be
represented by means of photographs
with snatches of the fabric and print
ed description attached.
Omaha* Houses Lead.
Some of those present were going
into their third season with the new
sampling plan and furnished compar
ative Agures showing not only sub
stantial reductions in the expense ac
count, but greatly in'ereased sales on
the very lines where the change in
method of sampling haS been most
radical.
The Omaha houses seem to have
gone farther along' the new way than
those from any other market, and it
was generally conceded that while
the “Omaha idea” was a novelty, now
it Would unquestionably set a new
standard.
It was a constant expression with
everyone that while the saving in
traveling expenses was an important
consideration, the point which would
count most in the movement for a
general adoption of the new plan was
the fact that it would greatly increase
the efAeiency of every salesman who
carried a dry goods line.
Shoe Manufacturing in
The Southern States
VITAL TO DIXIE
Secretary Houston Says Good
Staple Grower Suffers Under
Present System.
There Should Be a Factory
Every Large City—Great In
crease of Business.
We make Picture Mouldings and Picture Frames
for Whatever Purpose You Want Them.
Samples of Mouldings Sent to Dealer on Request.
Especially Prepared to Handle all Orders Same Day
Received.
BINDER FRAME MANUFACTURING CO.
Atlanta, Georgia. Chicago, Illinois.
/-
\
THE EDISON DICTATING MACHINE
SAVES HALF THE TIME, EXPENSE AND TROUBLE OF LETTER
WRITING
Mad© In Orange by Thomas A. Edison. Sold, demonstrated und guar-
* anteed in Georgia by
BAYLIS OFFICE EQUIPMENT C'0.
Office Furniture—Commercial Stationery
No. 1 South Broad Street. Phone 241
E. L. ADAMS CO.
WHOLESALE GROCERS
OUR MOTTO: First Quality Merchandise
and Prompt Service.
McCLURE TEN CENT COMPANY £ T E L 0 A ™’
Importers, Jobbers, Distributors
GOODS TO RETAIL AT 5c TO $1.90
Write us about opening a store or department of this kind for you
Vollmer Manufacturing Co.
We Cater to the Retail Jeweler Only
Manufacturers and Designers of Fine Jewelry. Engrav
ing, Diamond Setting and Watchmaking a specialty.
Special Designs in Platinum. Let us do your diamond
mounting and repair work.
Bell Phone
Ivy 1670
Moore Bldg.,
Atlanta, Ga.
rHE MAIL ORDER COFFEE ROASTERS
ATLANTA COFFEE MILLS COMPANY
Blenders of High-Grade Coffees
Special Blends
EUREKA, ATCO, SQUARE DEAL
Rich in Flavor, Fresh and Pur.
Ask Your Grocer.
Buy Your Coffee Direct From
the Mill—Roasted Daily
402 Edgewood Avenue, Atlanta, Ga.
GEORGIA PRODUCTS DAY
EVERY DAY WHEN YOU WEAR
ARAGON
SHIRTS---PANTS-“OVERALLS
MANUFACTURED BY
A. M. ROBINSON COMPANY
59 North Pryor St. Atlanta. Georgia
The suggestion of Secretary Hous
ton, of the Department of Agricul
ture, regarding a standardization of
cotton and corn should meet with
favor of Southern folk. He says:
“Several different standards of cot
ton classification are in use. Some
markets have adopted the official
gardes and use them. Others have
adopted them, but do not trade on
them. Liverpool has one set of
grades; New York another. The
former is a great market for both
spots and futures; the latter almost
purely a future market.
"Atlanta has its own grades; Au
gusta’s are different. Savannah, han
dling largely the same character of
cotton as the two foregoing, trades
on Liverpool grades, using Liverpool
middling as a basis. Atlanta middling
is equal to Liverpool good middling.
In other words, at the present time
the same grade name is applied to
two qualities that differ in market
vaiue as much as $2.50 per bale.
“The adoption and application of
one uniform standard would result in
a great simplification of all cotton
transactions, doing away with the
complex method of figuring buyer’s
limits.
Same Basis Grade Urged.
“It would not be sufficient to have
uniform grades, but the grade se
lected as the basis grade should be
the same in all markets.
"The local buyer knows the mar
ket cotton grades, the farmer does
not. Too frequently the local buyer
gets the cotton at practically a flat
rate basis on lower grades, grades the
cotton himself and sells it for what It
is worth. The middleman alone profits
from this transaction, the producer
is defrauded as well as the consumer.
“There is not only no incentive for
placing a good product on the mar
ket, but, as a matter of fact, a penalty
attaches to the cotton grower who
takes the pains to improve his prod
uct.
Uniform standards throughout the
I coton belt would result in the rapid
| building up of a body of common
knowledge on the part of the farm
ers, students in agricultural colleges
and others interested in the universal
set of grades.
“Practically the same results would
follow and the same evils would be
removed if standard grades for corn
were universally adopted. Definite
standards for the grading of commer
cial corn and the uniform application
of such standards ii\ all markets un-
1 der suitable Government supervision
would be of direct value to our corn
growers, in that such standardization
would encourage the marketing o'f
dry corn of better ctuality.
Makes Farmers Careless.
“Heretofore it has been the common
practice to pay practically the same
price for all corn delivered at country
stations regardless of its water con
tent or of its soundness. Farmers
have not be°n slow to grasp the situ
ation, and under such a system have
naturally made but little effort to
market com in a dry and sound con
dition. The system has placed a
premium on poor and careless farm
ing at the expense of farm methods
and practices.
“Under a definite system of grading
and the elimination of such terms as
‘reasonably dry’ and ‘reasonably
clean,’ the farmer, as well as the grain
dealer, will be able to know and fully
understand the requirements for the
different grades. With a knowledge
of the grade r°oui remits the farmer
who markets dry corn of good quality
will be in a position to demand a
premium for such corn. It will not
be necessary for him to accept a $4
price for corn which he sells under a
grade designation of $3. He will then
have fome encouragement to exercise
greater care.”
Penny Change of
Great Importance
In Retail Business
The importance of “splitting the
nickel” and making prices and change
on the basis of the cent is one of the
most profitable details of the retail
business.
“Make Penny Change,” “Spilt the
Nickel” or “Common Sense Merchan
dising.” Call it. what you may, the
net result for all those who use the
system remains unchanged and spells
thriftiness and prosperity
What constitutes the very corner
stone of a going manufacturing and
jobbing business? Satisfied custo
mers who meet their obligations
promptly. What, then, can be done
lo help improve the present status of
things and bring about to a greater
degree the above-desired condition?
Make "penny change.”
Why *is it that the business of so'
many apparently good retail mer
chants dwindles? Has it ever oc
curred to you that it was because he
iiid not “split the nickel?” The bases
from *which a business is figured are
sales, per cent of profit on sales and
per cent of expense to sales. The
difference between these last two
should spell net profit. He depends
on his ability to make up his short
profits, on evenrmoney sales, by long
ones on the same basis, and “thereby
i nangs the tale” which usually spells
isaster. His guess as to his average
1 \ fv cent of profit, sooner or later,
1 works the wrong way, and he be-
j comes, in the familiar terms of the
j jobber, “a lame duck."
This process of trying to strike a
satisfactory average profit by the
merchant on an even-change selling
-.asis is largely responsible for the
mail-order business which leaves our
nome towns. The mail-order houses
'earned the trick of “penny change.”
They figure a per cent of profit and
>n an item which costs 4 cents they
list at 7 while our dealers’ price is 10
er.ts. It is by a comparison of such
rues that the home customer loses
unfidence in the home dealer.
By J. K. ORR, JR.,
What of the progress and prospects
of shoe manufacturing in the South?
Its progress has been shown in an
increase of volume from Southern
factories of practically 500 per cent
in the past five years.
And why should its prospects be
seE at a single notch lower than that
accomplished by New England and
the Middle West?
Shoe making is a game in which
no one section has any natural ad
vantages.
The machinery used by all the fac-
J. K. Orr, President' of Ihe J. K. Orr Shoe Company.
tories all over the country is the
same, and is practically all made and
furnished by one concern.
Leather and other material is
bought in the open market and is
just as accessible to Georgia as to
Massachusetts; skilled labor natur
ally follows its own opportunities, so
that it is just as sane to say that
the South can not make its own
shoes as to claim that it can not
print its own newspapers.
The present season has been in
many ways a big help to the growth
of Southern shoe manufacturing.
Conservative buying during the
summer followed by a bumper cotton
crop caused a rush of business that
found the retail merchants of the
South needing shoes and needing
them quick.
Many dealers who had long bought
all their shoes in the more distant
markets, turned gladly to the newer
convenience of at-home factories for
help.
Repeat orders from many of the
most critical shoe stores show that
Southern-made shoes not only have
the call on convenience, but have
proven themselves up to the best
standard on syle, quality and value.
The Red Seal shoe factory, here in
Atlanta, has this fall pushed its out
put 40 per cent above its previous
high water mark, and we have been
glad to hear that other Southern fac
tories have had all the business they
could handle.
Shoe are now being made in Vir
ginia. Tennessee and Georgia, and
it is my opinion that within the next
few years there will be. at least ope
shoe factory not only in every State,
but in every progressive city through
out the South.
EARL! INCREASE III BRITISH RETAILERS
[
However, Prices Keep Up in the
South on Persistence of
Good Demand.
Although thus far only general con
ditions can be described, it is the
prevailing belief that the next three
months will show' a very substantial
advance in importations in a good
many branches of business. The ef
fect on costs of living Is still some
distance off, but forecasts made in
trade circles are to the effect that
current levels of prices in thin coun
try in a number of important lines
will be decidedly lower.
The importations of important food
stuffs that have taken place from for
eign centers of production, notably in
the case of meats, have had an appre
ciable influence already, in prevent
ing increases of cost that would
otherwise have occurred. Iri the man
ufactured goods, while changes have
been relatively small thus far, there
have been some distinct alterations of
prices and more important ones are
looked for when time has been given
for distributors to contrast prices
abroad and at home and to make
their purchases in the most advan
tageous markets.
Advices from a good many of the
manufacturing centers, particularly
in the South, supposed to be affected
by the new rates, however, do not
indicate any decline in business, but
on the contrary the persistence of
good orders, so that the stress of for
eign competition will make itself felt
only some time after the strengthen
ing of import business predicted in
consequence of the greater interest
now being shown. The new condi
tions will, however, produce a sharper
stress of competition.
One reason for the more active In
terest in the American market that is
being exhibited in Europe is the
slackening of business demand in
some lines, which has been generally
good heretofore and the consequent
effort to get better openings for busi
ness in the United States. Should
this condition continue and become
more intense, as it is predicted in
many quarters will be the case, the
result will be a steady advance in
importations of foreign-made goods.
This state of things applies not only
In textiles, but In crude and unman
ufactured lines such as cement and
various forms of metal products.
EXPORTS FOR WEEK.
Exports of domestics and cotton
duck from New York in the week end
ed November 22 were valued at $232.-
063, a loss of $273,901 from the week
previous. The greatest amount ship
ped to a single foreign market, valued
at $48,760, went to Central America.
Steps Taken to Set Prices That
Will Hereafter Yield Dealer
Profit.
Strange as it may sound, sewing
thread is sold in England by most re
tailer.*? or drapers, at a loss. Very
recently the J. and .1. Coats combine
circularized the whole retail trade of
England asking if it were not possible
to have the manufacturer agree upon
a price at which thread would he sold
in future at retail, so that a reason
able profit might be assured.
The returns from these circulars
showed that the retail trade of Eng
land was almost unanimously in favor
of the set price system oh thread, and
favored some similar plan whereby
losses on other staples handled by dry
goods men might be avoided.
One large manufacturer of cotton
goods entered upon a plan similar in
all respects to the plans in vogue here
of selling a finished and packaged
fabric at retail at a fixed price, or at
a minimum price. A cloth of stand
ard quality lias been taken for trial.
There is in England no counterpart
of our Sherman anti-trust law. and
the question hag not come up there as
to what extent the common law re
garding merchandising in the matter
of restraining competition may be
violated. Nothing in the way of suits
to vex merchandisers has yet come
forward, and where trials of the set
price system are being made care is
being taken to avoid all semblance of
conspiracy to hold prices on a mo
nopoly plane.
It is most interesting to note that
while manufacturers in this country
are trying to break down prices on
the theory that they enhance the cost
of distribution and give opportunity
for the sale of a great deal of inferior
merchandise at the highest accepted
retail price, over in England efforts
are under way to adopt the very sys
tem that is coming into strong dis
favor here.
Deplorable Condition Exists in Dry
Goods Trade Which Forces
Fight for Rights.
A deplorable condition exists in the
dry goods trade and perhaps in other
trades when merchants of established
reputation are forced to protect a
trade-mark from offenders who live
and thrive on imitation.
The viciousness of imitation will
certainly at some time react in a
radical way upon thousands of traders
in this country who are exploiting ihe
brains of other people for their own
profit and not for the ultimate benefit
of consumers or producers.
The pure {pod act was directed pri
marily at the wrongs that had crept
Into distribution of the necessaries of
life. And sooner or later legislation
is certain to be demanded for the pro
tection of consumers against the
wrongs that are being inflicted in the
field of textile distribution, unless the
trade itself soon undertakes a sane
method of correction.
In the past twenty years there has
developed all over the textile world
both her and abroad, a desire to buy
merchandise because of its construc
tion.
Flood of “Just-as-Good.”
A mill may bring out a cloth that is
new in all of Its important features,
and to safeguard It against imita
tion a trade-mark is placed upon :t
Merchants at once begin to imitate
the cloth, the trade-mark, and then
to debase the construction. Salesmen
are instructed to go forth and sell
something "just as good” as the other
man’s. And everything that is com
monly recognized as an established
trade description as it applies to Die
trade-marked article is violated.
As a consequence of doing business
in this way the markets become filled
with “plunder” that has been foist
on the jobber, the retailer and the
consumer, all designed primarily to
imitate something of character and
solely for the purpose of depriving
the original producer of a fair profit.
Advertising is steadily becoming a
handmaiden of truth, and in the pres
ent instance it can be used to correct
manv of the evils now existing. At
the present time many producers ate
depending upon secondary and reti'l
distributors to acquaint consumer-
with the facts they wish them to
know. In a great many instances the
facts are being distorted or sup
pressed.
New Advertising Foreseen.
As yet the advertising men of Me
country are not alive to thp difficul
ties producers are under in meeting
the competition of frauds. Happily,
perhaps, they do not care to know
much of the details of a trade art i
prefer to deal with the consumer is
having intelligence only in the matt r
of price, and price as It measures
quality. Should a time come when
the legislators and the advertising
men of the country emne together to
understand the technical frauds that
producers suffer from, there may
come into this country a form of ad
vertising that will make a new radi
calism with a real menace.
Dry goods men bear with many
things In their business that are trou
blesome because there Is a lack of
public spirit unless some matter out
side of the trade is at stake. They
will rise up as one man at the call of
charity and the leaders among them
are constantly at the service of all
sorts of movements designed for the
betterment of the community and
mankind in general. But when it
comes to the consideration of meth
ods to eliminate from the business
such a ranker as the violation of
trade-marks has become they are
slow to act.
Tradesmen Indifferent.
Those of them who are in toinh
with the producing end of the busi
ness feel keenly enough about any
thing that unsettles the financial
status of a producer or a dlstibutor.
And they lend all sorts of extraordi
nary aid to an honest man who : s
caught In troubles. But: the same
men when appealed to in any effort
to rid the trade of such a crying abu«e
as the violation of trade-marks and
rights to fabrics has become are
weak in their consideration of the
whole matter. This is plain speak
ing, but the truth should not hurt.
Demand Is Strong
For Dull Leathers
Tans Also Popular With Merchants.
Tango Pumps and Gaiter
Boots Moving.
The present demand for the better
grades <»f men’s shoes is about equally
divided between dull leathers and tans.
Patent leathers are not especially ac
tive in high shoes, although there Is a
good demand for tango pumps. The
dull and shiny leathers have the call
in the medium grade lines, and while
tans are active, the demand is not up
to last year’s mark.
Patent leather ami cloth top combina
tions lead the demand in women's
goods. Dull leather shoes, both plain
and with cloth combinations, come next.
Gaiter boots are also active. Satin
goods have started to move, and from
present indications the demand will ex
ceed previous figures. The kidney heel
Is favored for popular-priced footwear,
and the Spanish Louis heel for the
more expensive lines.
Lightweight welts are popular, while
the call for heavy footwear is limited.
Bronze shoes arc strong, both in high
and low cuts. Manufacturers in this vi
cinity report that spring orders are still
coming, and that the volume of busi
ness done to date exceeds that of the
same period last year.
Colonials lead the demand. White
goods are fair y active, with the busi
ness about equally divided between buck
and canvas. The demand for targo
slippers for spring is said to be greater
than that for the present season.
Co-operation Makes
Strides in England
Society in Existence 50 Years Pub
lishes Interesting Account
of Work.
In connection with the various notes
" hich are published about co-oper
ation in various sections on the Pa
cific Coast it may not be uninterest
ing to notice the progress the cause
ha3 made in England. The Wholesale
Co-operative Society of Engiund has
just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary
by publishing an account of its origin
and business.
The purpose of the society is to
furnish goods to Me retail, or Roch
dale stores which have made them
selves famous In Great Britain. It
was organized in 1363 with $10,000
capital and its first years business
amounted to $20,000. Last year it had
$40,000,000 of capital and its sales
footed up $150,000,000. This is an
astonishing growth, but it has not all
been made along strictly mercantile
lines.
Like many similar enterprises, the
Wholesale Co-operative Society owes
its success to the Impetus which it
originally received from a devoted
apostle. His name was J. T. W.
Mitchell. His fidelity may be esti
mated from the fact that his private
property amounted to $1,750 when he
died in 1895.
THE HIRSHBERG CO.
VVAY3
MtRt
5t&tionqr&n& Dru^tstoSunAria
O-IS-rr NELSON St..
AT LANT/S
FREE
TRIP
To Atlanta is avail
able to the mer
chant who buys an
adequate bill from
the members of the
Merchants’ Asso
ciation.
Write to
H. T. Moore
SECRETARY.
Rhodes Building,
Atlanta.
CAPITAL CITY TOBACCO CO.
176-178 Marietta St. Atlanta, Oa.
IMPORTERS AMO JOBBTSS
The Only Exclusive Tobacco House in Georgia
When in town come to see us or write us for new price list.
It will be worth your while
Our Efficient Mail
Order Service
•ENABLES YOU TO KEEP THE
ITEMS THAT SELL CONSTANTLY.
INCREASED PROFITS RESULT WHEN
STOCKS ARE FULL.
ORDER NOW.
RIDLEY WILLIAMSON WYATT CO.,
Wholesale Dry Goods and Notions,
Atlanta, Georgia.
1 low’s Your
Circulation?
They say there’s lots of money in the
country, and you know folks will
spend it at Christmas time.
Don’t you think on a season like this
it pays to push vour shoe sales'?
The forehanded man will he ready.
The Red Seal dealer is usually fixed on
sizes. He knows how to get them quick.
If you haven’t our 1914 catalog, say
so on a postal.
If von are interested in floor goods
under price, come to Atlanta and get
in on our December Clearance Sale.
We clean the decks twice a year.
These lots are sold for wliat they will
bring—and bring quick.
They might stimulate some stag
nant stock you may have and help your
circulation.
J. K. Orr Shoe Co.
Red Seal Shoe Factory
Atlanta
Merchants contemplating going
into business will lose nothing by con
ferring with us. No charge for con
sultation. Catalog or salesman on re
quest.
I