TOPICS FOR TRADESMEN

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15494, 21 December 1910, Page 2

TOPICS FOR TRADESMEN

[From Our Correspondent.] ('• Canterbury Times. 1 ’) LONDON. October 10. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN PRACTICE. Quite a flutter of excitement has been causer! in trade circles by the closing of the shop af Mr Tuprnan who won the first prize in the national examination of grocers’ assistants at the Grocery Exhibition in 1908. For his nlvl : .a the technique and theory ot the crSde, -Mr Tuprnan was awarded £SOO to stock and fit up a shop, arid the wholesale houses allowed him ample credit for the first six months of trading. Mr Tuprnan, who bad bad thirty years’ experience as an assistant, opened at Chiswick, and sank a considerable portion of his capital in fittings and incidentals so as jto get to work on allproved theoretical lines. This appears to have been an initial mistake, results proving that he ought to have sunk more capital in saleable goods. In consequence he had to take full advantage of the credit offered, and as the result of six months’ trading there was no net profit, although the concern had just paid its way. Then Mr Tupman found it necessary to cater more for credit customers, and as the result of bad debts and slow payments, lie had to close down finally rather than risk insolvency by further trading. Inc circumstance seems a direct challenge to the value of technical education in business, and though the supporters el the movement are finding many excuses for M.r Tupman's failure, his experience certainly * seems to bear out the old adage that there is no royal road to

success. WHY MR TUPMAN FAILED. The importance of this matter will serve as the excuse for devoting another paragraph to it. Mr Cupman a wont of success is ascribed primarily to his having opened a new business m neighbournood where the economic conditions were unfavourable, instead or having purchased a business wumo eome trade was already established, un the other hand, there must bs numbers of small grocers making a *- mg in similar districts who started less capital than Mr Tuprnan, ''H 10 ' 1 ’; his facilities for credit, who recci - technical education, and probabj. m many cases very little education > sort. Mr Tuprnan -«id clistri^

simply teemed with people whose sole desire was to obtain goods on credit, and then to ignore their liabilities. When pressed ior payment they withdrew their patronage. This is a situation that many traders have to face, and cannot be governed by any rule of thumb. No doubt if Mr Tuptnan had the chance over again, ho would have started on a more moaest scale, saving his capital to cover credit accounts, and improving his shop when results warranted tho expenditure. Another way would have been to have stopped the credit trade altogether and stood or fallen by a cash business. This has often been done with successful results by traders who have found themselves on tho road to insolvency. Anyway, if there is any lesson to be drawn from Mr TmnnaiVs experiment it is either that the opportunity for the success of the Fmall trader has passed or, more probably, that proficiency in _ technical education does not mean business acumen. of the sort that makes money. That argument holds good even though failure can he entirely ascribed to the site which Mr Tupman chose for his business, because one would think the first principles inculcated by business education would he a close study of tho conditions of the neighbourhood where tho shop was to be opened. CHURCH CHOCOLATE CLUBS. A section, of the Burnley tradesmen are complaining that they are suffering from competition in the shape of chocolate clubs with largo memberships which have their headquarters at religious institutions. It is stated that one Burnley church has a chocolate club with 2000 members, and that a very small percentage of the goods are ordered from local shopkeepers. On the contrary, these clubs are in direct touch with the manufacturers, and in some cases obtain bettor terms than the local retailers. Some of tho manufacturers have been written to on tho matter and liavo refused to serve the clubs, but tho local traders have not benefited as the religious institutions concerned have been able to transfer their custom to other manufacturers. It is computed that last Christmas 20,000 boxes of chocolates were distributed by tho clubs and only 25 per cent of them were ordered from local tradesmen. Strong representations are to be made to the churches which are offering this form of competition and to the manufacturers who continue to servo them, and if the protests fail, pressure will be brought to bear on the local authority to assess for rating purposes the premises on which such trading is conducted.

FILTHY RAG FLOCK. Reputable tradesmen concerned with the distribution of bedding have for a long time been advocating that the official inspection of the rag flock used for such purposes is essential. It is an axiom in the trade that a truthful description of filthy rag flock is the dread of its makers and distributors alike, and this class is naturally attempting to hush up the matter as far as possible. Responsible dealers are, however, now agitating for legislation in the matter, in order that it may bo possible for them to distinguish pure and wholesome bedding from that composed of suspicious material. These undesirable goods are advertised as “chemically purified,’’ “sanitary, “ sterilised,” without there being a particle of truth in the description in nine cases out of ten. Such goods aro often advertised in the following manner :—“ To couples contemplating marriage and setting up house we confidently recommend our ideal bed 6ot, including 6ft by 4ft wool bed, bolster and two pillows, at 5s 6d.” It is a matter of comment that authorities that are extremely easeful in matters of the public health in other directions have not taken up the question of filthy rag fiook, which for years past has been a subject of complaint in the furniture trade. “ PAYING OFF.” there was some straight tall; at the last meeting of the Bradford Drapers’ Association about club trading. One member boldly announced that he supplied clothing clubs, and that club business was legitimate business and had increased in Bradford since the subject was previously discussed by the Association. Probably he hit the nail on the head when ho said poor people must have credit somehow and this was almost the only way they could get it. The clothing club appealed to human nature becaus© people could get £1 worth of goods by laying down Is. There is, however, another form ni “poor man's credit”—if credit it can be really termed —which is called “paying off.” This system is practised bv* most traders in working class district's in London and probably elsewhere. If, for instance, a woman wants a particular hat or blouse and cannot afford to pay for it at once, the

obliging trader, on the reoeipt of V small sum—part of its value—will have it “kept” until, by small payments or otherwise, he has received the total value. There is nothing objectionable in this. The trader is not likely to make a loss because he holds both the article and the deposit as a security, while the customer is induced to bo thrifty until the balance owing has been paid. In fact, when articles really necessary are acquired in this way the practice* is to be commended, because i+ necessitates a certain amount of selr« denial to keep up the payments. GUARANTEEING WEARING APPAREL. A largo drapery store in London which is* to run on American lines lias instituted a system of guarantee with certain lines of wearing apparel. Tho scheme lias been largely advertised in the newspapers and is said to be a good business bringer, but its exact operation is a little difficult to trnderstand. For instance, in the hosiery department a guarantee is given with sis pairs of socks for six months’ wear. If this means anything it must mean that if the sock “evolops holes within tho period of the guarantee tha article will be replaced, but surely the life of a sock denends on the habits, of the wearer and the amount of friction it undergoes. If a man wore a pair of these socks on a London-tor Brighton walk their condition at the end would probably be such as to call, for a fulfilment of the guarantee. Again, a certain line o-f hats is guaranteed for a vear. Now the very cheapest hat will last that . time without developing innate defects, and it is difficult to see what is to happen ta these hats (which are high-priced) which necessitate a guarantee, vv ill it he changed if it is accidentally sat on and crushed? The guarantee may have some advantage in inspiring tha ! prospective purchaser with confidence in tho goods, but that seems about all. ; there is to he said for it Most trader* : will gladly make good any article which can ho shown to have developed soma defect not incidental to ordinary wear and tear, and a guarantee can scarcely 1 mean more than this.