FAIR TRADING POLICY Address by the President of the Dominion Retall Merchants' Association. By a standing vote, the members of the Kingston Retail Merchants' Association, at their annual meeting which took place at the Randolph Hotel on Wednesday evening, en- dorsed the plan to establish "a fair trading policy" as outlined by J. T. Crowder, Vancouver, B.C., Domin- jon President of the Retail Merch- * Association,' who was the guest vening. 0 aa: who is a druggist by P sion and owns a business in the eity of Vancouver, is making a dominion-wide visit for the purpose ¢f speaking to the members of all he association and showing the need of a "fair trading policy," be- tween the manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer which will guarantee to the retailer a reasonable margin of profit on trade marked nationally advertised standard goods. Mr. Crowder who spoke at con- siderable length, showed how ughont the dominion, goods are g sold in many stores for a price jw the cost price, which meant aster if this practice continues from year to year. He ' cited many cases where it was shown beyond a » doubt the retail merchant, who helps n pay the taxes of the town of city, is selling his goods at a lower price than the chain of stores or depart- mental stores in the large com- mercial centres who pay absolutely nothing toward the upkeep of th towns and cities. wie The speaker contended that a "fair trading policy" will benefit all as it will stop price-cutting, which would eventually lead to bankruptcy. Mr. Crowder's Address. Mr. Crowder in part said: The individual retailer is here to stay. The competition of the large department store, the large mail order house and the large chain store, would have eliminated the in- dividual retailer long ago, if he had not been a commuhity asset. He still persists even in the communities where these competitive factors are the largest. A community with but one store whether department store, chain store or mail order house would not be considered "a good town" accord- ing to present day standards. If we are to have retail stores in our dif- ferent Canadian centres the logical thing to do is to have them enjoy a reasonable amount of prosperity. The opposite of prosperity is bank- ruptey. Prosperity is built from net profit. Price cutting of standard lines to cost or less than cost abolishes profit, Price competition has become so keen that many articles sold to-day in retail stores do not carry their own overhead, When retail prices on standard goods get hampered down they stay down. | Price cutting leads the people to b, Young or Old Quickly banishes the troublesome cold or " Next to Actual Cash or Bonds DIAMONDS Form the best collateral of all { merchandise. We buy practically all our DIAMONDS unset and in this way obtain both wun- surpassed quality o and Napanee, Desoronto, Belleville: Trenton, Brighton, Colborne, Cobourg, Oshawa - and Toronto ' Truck Leaves Kingston Every Day: o Toronto Office: : 818 Victoria Lane for Information. : " ~~ ;stores dollar for dollar, believe that if it is difficult to make a Wing on a farm the best thing to do is to move to the eity where by virtue of the wonderful "bargains" cost of living is so much less. a He : omes Demoralized. When the retail business becomes demoralized the wholesale business becomes equally demoralized. Price cutting can be prevented and is be- ing prevented. Many Canadian manu- facturers do not permit their es- tablished prices to be cut. In Great Britain the manufactur- ing, wholesale and retail druggists have formed a joint association which permits the manufacturers to establish a selling price on his product which allows the retailer a living profit and the three units use their joint influence to prevent that retail price being cut. Over four hundred manufactur- ers distribute their wares according to this plan. Two thousand articles are listed with the retail prices, which is sect in every instance by the manufacturer. This plan has been under process of development for forty years. The speaker quoted a number of examples where the same articles were distributed in Great Britain on the maintained price basis were being sold at prices as low as or less than the same articles being sold in Canada on the open price plan. . Price maintenance was not the same as price fixing. In the principle of price maintenance the manufact- urer of a pair of shoes or a bottle of catsup or any branded trade-marked commodity established a selling price to the consumer. Any other manufacturer of a similar article can establish a higher or a lower price just as motor cars have their prices established to-day. 'The dif ferent manufacturers of different motor cars make different types at different prices. The same principle can be applied to shoes, or stockings or mattresses or canned pineapple all the retailer instisted upon was that if the pub- lic expected to buy these commodi- ties at a retail store he claims 'the laborer is worthy of his hire" for the part he plays in national tribution. 1 dis Fair Margin of Profit. Establishing a fair margin of pro- fit did not carry a group of individual stores against the department stores, or the chain stores or the mail order hourses. Insisting upon a margin of profit for a retail store would not put a department store out of business. If there was any opposition of one type of store against another type of store, so far as retail merchandis- ing went, it was between the mail order house and local institutions, not because mail order price cutting was worse than any other kind of price cutting, but because the de- velopment of mail order business fs contrary to community development, As mail order business gets greater and greater, the business in the var- fous communities must become cor: respondingly less. The utimate would be that all business would be done by the mail order house. Then there would be no further need for stores in 'the various communities. That condition would shrivel up local communities and instead of having community Hfe we would have isolation. Community lite is necessary for national development. The mail order house is not com- parable to the local stores in com. munity serviéé. They do not pay our taxes to build s¢hools, or roads, orl: water-work systems, or other pub- lic utilities. Their owners and em- ployees and families do not support Tocal churches or our other local utions because they do not live here. A' brilliantly lghted mail order house in Timbuctoo or some other distant city sheds no radiance on the streets of Calgary. In times of stress the local farm- ing and other communities are car ried by credit from the local stores rather than by credit from the mail order house. : There is no objection to a mail order house buying and selling on the open market bulk or unbranded goods and competing with the local value for value, That, creates a situation for 'which local merchants must com- pete to hold the favor of the local buying community. There is no de- sire to check any such competition. We object to mail order houses or/| | any au. business at expense of some 'manwdacturers 'other houses developing a big farmers of British Columbia have gone on record in favor of this plan and have expressed their willingness to co-operate with the retailers to sell OK. apples on & price mainte- nance plan. By having well known branded ar- ticles sold at the same price In all stores, the public can pick and choose among the stores according to service rendered. The store render- ing the more intelligent and compre- hetfe service naturally 'receiving the largest volume of business. The present campaign will prob- ably take till February or March to discover the thinking of 'the retail trade up to and including Ontario and Quebec, Every community yet visited has gone on record unqualifiedly approv- ing such a sales plan. Secretary Speaks. R. M. Douglas, secretary and gen- eral manager of the Retail Mer- chants' Association for the Dominion, was called upon by W. Y. Milly, the local president, for a few remarks. Mr. Douglas opened his remarks by congratulating the Queen's rugby team for the excellent sporting spirit which it displayed in Ottawa. He stated that the association has ac- complished some good Work during the past few years.including the re- moval of the stamp tax on state- ments, The sales tax was also taken off the druggist, who is acting as an agent for the photographer. The as sociation is taking up with the BOv~ ernment at Ottawa the egg grading regulations which are very unsatise factory to the country grocer. He contended that there was no class of men in the Dominion that needed representation in parliament more than the retail merchants. He stated that the department of the Trade and Commrerce was willing to co-operate with the retail merchants providing they were organized. Mayor Angrove Speaks. In opening his remarks Mayor Angrove stated that he could honest- ly say that he had not spent more than $50 ont of Kingston in his life- time. He referred to the fact that since the last meeting of the local as- sociation, Mr. Walters, the former president of the Dominion Associa- tion, had passed to the great beyond. He urged the merchants to interest themselves in the city council. The mayor stated that the retail merchants should be given better pro- tection against the transient trader, who comes to the city and leaves quickly. The tax should be increas- ed. He referred to the case of a transient trader, who recently came to Kingston and brought thousands of dollars' worth of goods, which were cold locally as well as the stock which was already in the store. J. C. Campbell, secretary, was called upon for a few words, but ask- ed to be excused on account of his Severe cold. Mr. Campbell, after Bearing the mayor speak, stated that be presented to the Ontario Législa- ture raising the license for transient traders. W. Y. Mills, the presidént of the body, presided in a very capable man- ner. 'Gordon Smith, secretary, was asked to read the report of the nomi- nating cominittee, which was as fol- lows: President, IL. T. Best; . vice- president; D. A, Shaw; secretary, Kd- gar Lockett; treasure, Frank Kin- near; executive committee, 'Willlam Cockburn, R. D. Sloan, Stewart Crawford and W. ¥, Roney. Gill Netting Discussed. tenac Fish and Game Protective As- sociation asking the retail merchants to endorse a resolution asking the Ontario - Government to prevent gill and hoop netting in the lakes and rivers in the County of Frontenac. W. F. Roney stated that he did endorse this resolution, but should be given by the new tive. He contended that many men were making & living be cut off if gill and hoop netting was stopped. A. H. Fair approved of the resolution. At the suggestion of the chairman, the meeting passed a resolution asking the Ontario Gov-| 'ernment to take any action it saw fit to make it better for the fighermen who fish for the sport of fishing. Letters and @' assoc was at 'the present time framing a new law which oat) not think that the meeting should | by fishing and their livelihood would 3 3 PROBS :--Northerly winds and colder tonightand Friday. ; nN FUERREENENNENEEE AREER EMER SEERA ORE REE RE NER NRE Ee A letter was read from the Fron- | em E $1.89 ea. Friday at Steacy's Every day is a super-bargain day for the balance of the month with bargains galore throughout the store. HARBINGERS OF SPRING ARE THESE CHARMING New York Hats at*5.00 &*7.50 Our buyer while in New York last week selected 200 new Spring Hats from such well known makers as Tenne, Luftig, Mabelle and Rosenberg. In a host of at- tractive, new style conceptions and colors. ad The regula? prices range from $8.50 to $15.00. We guarantee the styles to be the latest authentic New York modes, and the comparative prices exactly as represented. PLEASE NOTE--The Millinery Department is again under our own supervision. : hy Boys' Wool Sweaters $1.79 ea. 14 Boys' All Wool O. V. Sweaters, in colors Brown and Grey only. The sizes are 26, 28 and 30. And are regularly priced at $2.50 ea. ~~ Men's Sweater Coats 18 only, All Wool O. V, Car- digan Sweaters in sizes 34 to 38 only. The colors include Grey, Brown, Heather and Lovat. Sold everywhere at $2.95 each. : Anderson's Scotch Gingham Guaranteed genuine Reg. 45c¢. yard quality - SALE PRICE We were fortunate in securing this lot of beautiful fin- ity Scotch Ginghams from a well-known whole-