THE PEOPLE’S COLUMN.

Northern Advocate, 19 June 1926, Page 4

THE PEOPLE’S COLUMN.

SECOND EDITION

[Our columns are quite open to the public for the discussion of matters of public concern. We invite respondence. but do not identify ourselves with the views expressed by .our correspondents.—Ed.] 1 'THE HOME FIEES. [To the Editor.) Sir,- —Tt was quite comforting to read your loader on Homo Fires. Wlien any business people meet those drfys the first question ashed is: “How’s business?” It depends upon how one'.regards the truth how one answers. Dull times and seasons of temporary depression come, and we make it much worse by bemoaning the fact. As soon as business conditions arc a little off, a marking down policy begins from one end of the town to the other. One starts it, and we all follow. What is the result? We’re simply educating the public up to a false idea of values, and making trading conditions harder for ourselves later on. When we start a slaughtering price w r ar, the only ones we are harming are ourselves. There are cerj tainly times when the public wants I cheap goods, and the present time is j an example of that condition, so stocks have to bo adjusted according to the present needs of the buying public. But, on the other hand, if a woman i buys a costume at eight guineas today, I land sees a similar article slaughtered | ■ at four guineas the next -week, she is j | not only dissatisfied with her pur- | chase, but with the shop that sold | her the article. In the long run, it is service and quality that hold a customer, rather than cutting prices in half. Then, again, when business is quiet, many houses cut down their advertising. Advertising' is worthless unless persistently and continually carried out, and is required more in the | dull season than any other time. There [ is a great advantage to be gained by • our all collectively doing our best to j promote business in our town. Firstly, do away with starting sales at the I beginning of the season, and, ivhen wc I do start, make our sale display as attractive as possible. Keeping our windows like “jumble” stalls won’t help to shift the goods. Then look at our streets after six o’cloek_ They’re just about as dark as “The Black j Hole of Calcutta, ’ ’ and as cheerful looking as the Morgue. If we all made a practice of lighting our premises from seven till nine each evening, we would find that the visitors and j the residents would get into the habit i of coming out at night, and I ..venture j to say it would benefit our turn-over | considerably. But this sitting down ! amongst the ashes of our dead-hopes, l and wailing how bad business is, will j take us nowhere, except to the Bank- j ruptcy Court. Solomon has always been regarded as' a very wise man. His versatility was, no doubt, due to his wisdom. He was a great ruler, j and also a merchant. I close my let- j ter with one of his wise sayings: “ Seest thou a man diligent in business, j He shall stand before Kings.” Thank- j ing you. I am, etc., ! A. PUEDIE, j Cameron Street.