New Britain Herald Newspaper, September 23, 1922, Page 14

Better Distribution Necessary to Cut Cost of Living—Babson Wellesley Hills, Mass, Sept. 23 = “Any reduction in the cost of living must come through better distribution rather than cheaper oduction,'" says Roger W. Babson discussing the business outloolk It's strange how we concentrate on saving pennies and let the dol jars slip through our fingers. The officlals of every manufacturing com pany in the country are hunting fran to cut down the They lie awake cents an hour on an extra dollar or two on coal, or any other factor affect the cost of making | this duct. Once the goods are made out of the tfactory their efforts cease. The job of getting their product to the ultimate consumer be longs to someone else | All of us come so engrossed with the problem of cutting down the cost of production that we have let| distribution take care of itself We have saved millions at the bung but are losing millions at the spigot. In the past 50 years the amount of goods produced in the United States has increased probably ten times over The number of workers nece produce those goods have increased only about two and a half times. This means that, owing to new machinery and better methods, the average worker today ahle to turn out about four times as much goods in elght hours as the worker 50 years ago did in 10 or 12 hours. Allow for the cost of the machinery, fuel, etc, and even then you find the average unit producing cost today is less than halt of what it used to be In produc tion we have made wonderful prog- ress, because we have given most of cur thought and effort to it No Progress Seen “Turn to distribution and we find no such progress In fact, the per centage cost of distribution probahly has not been reduced at all With twice the production per worker we should expect that the wages for a day's work would buy twice as much goods as it used to. If distribution had been improved as much as pro- duction, a day's wages would buy four times as much as it did 50 years ago We all know that no such increase has taken place. In fact, it i1s debatable if the average family today is even half again as well off as it used to be. “This does not mean that the re- tailer or the jobber or the carrier are hogging the difference. It means to a large extent that we have not de- veloped our tastes so as to get the most for our money. It means that we have not educated the retailers and other distributors to most efficient methoAs of handling merchandise. In| short we have not made the same progress in distributing goods as we have in their actual production ““We have been devoting our efforts to building better factories, to getting a greater output from labor, to put- ting out more and better goods Much Research Work “We have done very little toward the equally important problem of getting those goods to the ultimate consumer. The government is spend- g over $100,000,000 a year in re- séarch to help the manufacturers and farmers, but it has never even taken | a census,of the retailers. Hundreds| of men are employed gathering in- formation on the crops Hundreds more are experimenting in chemic research for means of fighting pests| and blights which destroy crops, aml‘ instructing the farmer in their use “Simiiar werlk, is being done for the manufacturer to help him fin1 more efficiens tuethods of produc complete cengus of manufacturer: taken every five years, which shev the number of firms in each industry, their production, costs and profits These things, of course, cost money but they are worth it They are largely responsible for the fact that the United States stands head and shoulders above any other country in the efficiency of its production. TIs there any reason why we should not spend at least as much to help the retail distributor on whom we must depend to get those goods to us? “So far most people have been con- tent to point to the growth of the chain store and cooperative selling movements as indicating the short-| comings of the individual retailer .q(l the crying need of hour is that we all get behind the retailer and help him. If his methods are wrong, it is our misfortune and it is up to the rest of us to show him a better way. He sells at least 85 per cent. of all the consumers' goods bought in the Unit- <A States: he has more than a million stores in the country representing an investment of billions of dollars; 1n short, the individual retailer today is e TALIN TANICE Jhe Lincoln Rea[% Co. in tically for new w cost of production nights over few abor, or a ton which may of is The man who purchases real estate takes a comfort- able look at the future re- gardless of how the wind He knows that he will set ~long comfortably. HONE » &7 %, Pugo THE LINCOLN REALTY [ blows. [such a plan our majn and vital distri. bution artery of Favor Chain Stores “Many people thoughtlessly eay, ‘Do away with the individual retailer. Let the chain store or the cooperative | § association take his place' Anyone who studies the problem, however, must realize the shortsightedness of Both the chain store and the cooperative association are all right, but would we care to give any single organization a monopoly of our distribution ? Then there is another phase of the retall situation for which you and I consumers are to blame—the truth is we have grown lazy. We want our goods brought to the door, we want to run charge accounts, we want to have a wide variety of styles and grades of goods to pick from. When our wives select a pair of shoes they insist upon having twenty different lases to choose from. When we buy | sugar we prefer to have it come in a pasteboard box of the particular size which best suits our fancy; and so on throughout the line. But these things cost money. They are nice but are they essential? If we knew we could get good shoes for 25 per cent. less, would we not be willing to do with a smaller variety to choose from? Cer- tainly we should not grumble over the high cost of living, while we con- tinually demand service which {s in- creasing the cost of the things we buy, “The day is coming when this prob- lem of 4 ibution will be worked out Just as the developmgnt of our producing machinery has taken years, £0 the development of the best dis- tributing methods must take years to complete. Such changes come about gradually. Right now, however, there are three things we can do to help solve the problem and cut down retail price ing in a large stock of goods to meet the increased demand and guard against a shortage later this fall is up to us to get behind him and en- courage him. Let us cease destruc- tive criticism and turn our efforts to- ward building up the re giving us the most efficient serv- ice. Quit roasting and try boosting!" good service stay with it and boos it. If consumers will follow this pol- icy they will automatically build up the desirable stores and eliminate the inferfor retailers who now are sus- tained only, by a careless, transient trade Retailer Criticized “I know that many people are say- ing hard things about the retailers| just now. Much of the criticism, how- | ever, comes ‘rrnm.thnsn \\'h‘o do ,W?,.l Déver, Eng., Sept e 1a ta(a e iag| 4 Breas) = Charles Toth) 55 ekdiusiments "They nave Hesitatag \2Dosy Svimmaty; of pRIston to take lo in order to keep pz with lower acement costs, \ however, only ourselves injury TOTH TRIES AGAIN Some Suggestions 1 Urge the government to extend ite services to the retail field so that the retailer can have the same statis tical information and the e assist ance from scientific research as the|.areless and destructive criticism English channel producer now enjoys “The retailer has had tremendous| TPe captain of the mail 2. When buying select popular(probleme not the least of which have |TOM Calais upon his arrival grades of goods and avoid freakish : have given him. | styles. Encourage simplification Bf | retailers are stumbling along,|2ccompanied by a dlaunch. a merchandise. Pay cash for your 20048 | dazed by the rapid changes in condi. |TOTe than half way across the chan- and if possible carry them home YOUT- [ tjonc and blindly fearful of what the |0€l: There was a fine ecasterly wind, self. Don't insist upon ridiculous ex- | eyt ] At pres- | change privileges e 3. Select one good retail store bt Sine |parently making fair progress but the which will give you reliable service | attitude |S€amen believed conditions too ad- and stick to it. By this I mean take ¢, prepare for it. He s Sibe g‘mn: verse to allow of success. cne grocery store, one meat market, |into the fall ®husiness like fighting On his last attempt on August one clothing store, etc. As 10ng as|oock, but instead his attitude is fear.|TOth Wwas forced to quit when only the store you have selected gives ¥ou | (u| and defensive. He should he lay. |fOnr miles from his goal. “land Folkestone at 8:45 o'clock we n will bring forth | ent, we are on the vers ‘eral business improvem retailer is not in a me launch considerably. Toth e Tomorrow Is Inspection Day, and Numerous Valuable Gifts Will Re Presented to the Visitors By the Management Mr. Rent-Payer YOUR LAST CHANCE To Make Your Home At Beautiful PARK RESERVE ONLY 87 LOTS REMAIN Stanley Street Fronting Park Reserve A year from now, you'll be wishing you had hought a home site at PARK RESERVE—the State is now building the $750,000 NORMAL SCHOOL, dis rectly opposite PARK RESERVE—and the City is planning to spend thous- ands of dollars on the NORTH END PARK in the development of a play- ground and swimming pool—PARK RSERVE is right next to the PARK. Take North-End Francis Street Trolley Free Beautiful Gifts Will Be (Given On Sunday Afternoon Lots to sell from $450 to $600—Easy Terms—No Taxes and No Interest the first year—Your contract protects you if you hecome sick or if you're out of work-—You don’t have to take our word for it. _ Water, gas, electricity availahle—50-foot Graded Streets—and a Sewer is now under construction. i ’ Salesmen on the land every day during sales days, and Sunday, which is inspection day. ,—\1?.\' member of the New Britain Real Estate Board will serve as your agent in the purchase of any lots at Park Reserve by you. Following are members of the Board: John A. Abrahamson “45" The LINCOLN H. D. Humphrey P. J. Murray & Co Parker & Deming Geo. A. Quigley W. L. Hatch & Co. D. A. Riley It retailers who 23 (By Associat- long dis- started |from a point mid-way between Dover last “ night in another attempt to swim the steamer early this morning reported sighting Toth, little but the seas were heavy, tossing the was ap- AR T 623 ARCH STREET Owing to t[;e absence of the owner, this very desirable house offered for sale or rent. Complete in every detail. High ele- vdtion, with extra building lot. Fair amount of cash required. . _ Full details on application' to— T. W. O'CONNOR & SON —REALTORS— Booth’s Bldg. (‘ The Miller-Hanson Drug Company . The Popularity of— — SVEA BALSAM — s growing e\‘cry.yur, and s only 35c, Our excellent remedy for coughs and colds, its sales are steadily increasing. The pric: —FOR SALE 8 room house. Electric lights, hot air furnace, 1 acre land. Price 84,800, Easy terms. 7 room house. 2 acres land, 1 cow, 50 chickens, three minutes walk to trolley, schools and churches, H. J. FOIREN 140 MAIN STREET d “YOURE NO KIT- TEN, TOWSER” Milk will put health- . playfulness'in the chil- dren and vigor into your disposition. It is . a wonderful food, the milk we bottle for you. ESEIBERT & SONK “Your Milkman" PARK STRLLT, g PMONE 1720 1% PHONE 1700 One family house on Hart street. This loca- tion is always staple, right near the center. Room- lers can always be had here. * Good lots on most exclusive sections for sale. We have some good propositions to people who want to go into business. * CLAMS CAMP REAL ESTATE CO. 1 CRAB MEAT 272 Main Street Phone 343 Rooms 305-6 Bank Bldg, SHRIMP [ e i SCALLOPS ey HOUSES FOR SALE SHERMAN COURT—12 ROOMS. 3 FAMILY LOBSTERS HONISS’S FAMILY—135 COLUMBIA ST.—9 ROOMS. 24-30 STATE ST. FAMILY—HAMILTON ¢ HARTFORD ALL MODERN WITH GOOD. GARAGES. EVERYTHING IN FURNITURE H. D. HUMPHREY If you are about to furnish a home ROOM 208 NATIONAL BANK BUILDING we can outfit it completely. We carry a full line of Furniture, Stoves and | O ! spe Floor coverings a¢ prices tnat wit| FOr Quick Returns Use Herald Classified Advts, surely please. | ¥ A. LIPMAN New and Second-Hand Furniture | 34 Lafayette St Tel. 1329-2 OYSTERS 1 2 THE OLD HOME TOWN GIT FER HOME BRUNO! BY STANLEY -~ T (DIRNE 53 WILL PARADE HIM ROUND TH STREET T. W. O'Connor & Home Banking & Realty Co hultz & Costello Benjamin Solomon Watson & Jones " REALTY CO. < £y Room 212 N h Bl Co-Oper. Assn BOOTH'S BLOCK 259 MAIN STREET TEL. 1190 TILLHE GETS AWAY!! STANLEY IT WAS THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF HIS LIFE WHEN MARSHAL OTEY WALKER MARCHED THE SUSPICIOUS STRANGER. AND ALLEGED NOTORIOUS BANDIT PAST THE DRESSMAKERS SHoP For Quick Retun‘:smvse