has increased their business considerably by enabling them to fill orders: promptly from districts that were con-. sidered beyond their range with a horse and wagon. Each motor truck they have installed has replaced three horses and three wagons. em Launderers, too, place great phasis on the importance of being ableto deliver to distant parts of a city promptly and at low cost. One of the largest laundry companies in Chicago. -Davies Laundry Company-was compelled to refuse business from outlying districts simply because the cost of collection and delivery proved prohibitive. in time and money, and by reason of the physical inability of horses to cover such a distance. They tried the plan of maintaining transfer barns in various. parts at Chicago, but without success. Then they tried motor delivery. This. immediately opened up to them hitherto inaccessible trade, which is now col-lected and delivered from one central station. As to costs, Mr. Davies states,. "Motor delivery beats horses hollow." Τ' HAT motor trucks reduce the price of land for farmers seems a strange statement to make.. Yet it is so nevertheless. Here is the way it works out: Where a farmer grows vegetables or small fruits near a city or town, it is necessary to have land which is close in, if the produce is to be hauled by horse and wagon. A minimum time must elapse between. the gathering of the crops and ship-ment or delivery to customers. Every-. thing depends on the freshness of the produce. Farmers have found that if they go. out ten or twelve miles and use a motor truck for delivery, they are really just as close to market as if they were adjoining the city limits and. hauling their produce with horses. The result is that they can go ten or twelve miles out in the country, get. land for about one-third the price they would pay near the city, and by using motor delivery have extreme accessibility to markets. It is only recently that a scientific. study has been made of delivery problems. In the past a delivery system. was a delivery system, and that's all there was to it. To-day, however, the more progressive retailers have applied. the principles of efficiency to their delivery systems, and as a result have effected many remarkable economies. NEW IDEAS IN MOTOR DELIVERY TRUCKS 367 its proper and safe loading, has prevented the equipment from developing its maximum efficiency. In every instance where the equipment has been scientifically routed and operated as a railroad would schedule and operate its trains, most phenomenal savings have been shown." T HE Hub Store, Chicago, operates a system whereby its motor trucks seldom stop more than a few minutes for loading. The driver does not even need to leave his seat. Their trucks are fitted with detachable bodies -two bodies to each truck. While a truck is out on the road the duplicate body is in the basement being loaded. Simply by pulling a lever the body of the truck slips on to an elevator, and while this empty body goes down a loaded body comes up. This is then almost instantly slipped on to the truck, and it is ready to start out again. Other concerns apply the same idea but use a framework of wood or light metal instead. of detachable bodies. When a truck comes in the empty "nest" is taken out of it, and a loaded "nest" put in its place. The change is made in a few moments and the truck can start out again almost immediately. A grocer in Cleveland has developed still another plan for keeping his truck "on the go," and minimizing the time of each stop. His truck is operated by a driver and two boys; the boys stand on the running boards and take care of all deliveries on their respective sides. The driver never leaves his seat. Proper care of a motor truck plays an important part in its success as an investment. First in importance is the driver. The transportation head of a large packing house, which employs scores of motor trucks, says: "Seventyfive per cent. of the success or failure of a motor truck is due to the driver." A new truck should be "limbered up" gradually the same as any other piece of high-grade mechanism. Its maximum service should never be attempted until it has traveled at least a few hundred miles. Experience shows that the best allaround motor truck drivers are developed by taking experienced horseand-wagon drivers and schooling them in the motor truck. The firm from which the truck is bought will gladly attend to this. Under the right instruction it is a comparatively simple matter. Alba Ornamental Globes in William Taylor & Sons' Store, Cleveland, O., "make buying easy". Good Light for Profit Good Light to make buying easy for customers. Good Light to enable your employees to do their best-more work; better work. Poor light to hinder them-less work; more mistakes; more headaches and "days off". Good light for the best use of high-price equipment, high-price labor and high-price space. Poor light for the worst use. Good light for profit. Poor light for loss. Alba Lighting Equipment Alba for light that is easy on the eyes. Alba to distribute the light to where employees need it. Alba to help them see better, work better, feel better. for increased efficiency and fewer mistakes. Alba T HE cooperative idea has also worked out satisfactorily in connection with a delivery system. Three leading merchants in Minneapolis jointly purchased six trucks. All the trucks are cared for in one garage and looked after by one man. One of the trucks makes five calls daily at each of the stores, collects packages and takes them to a central distributing station. There they are sorted by districts and of which makes three delivery trips AKE a mental snapshot of that Red Woven assigned to the other five trucks, each Label, Tom, and you won't be fooled as I've been once. daily. Now, they can't sell me anything but B. V. D. Underwear. just as particular about my underclothes as I am about my outer clothes. I'm A HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENT writes to the Current Opinion Scholarship Fund: "I heartily endorse your Scholarship Plan. I earned $425 this last summer, altho I had no previous experience whatever. One of the features of your Plan is that it enables a student to work whenever he has spare time after school, and on Saturdays, as well as during vacations. "I know of no better proposition for self-supporting students, and I recommend it to all who may want to earn their way through college.' (Signed) FRANK KUEHN. The Current Opinion Scholarship Fund has enabled hundreds of High-School students to go through college on their own resources. The Fund is ready to help YOU. Send AT ONCE for our free booklet, "The Open Door to a College Education." CURRENT OPINION 134-140 West 29th Street New York City SCHOLARSHIP FUND, Dept. F, Merchants who feel that their business is not large enough to keep a motor truck busy all the time also.find a solution in the cooperative method. Says a merchant in a Michigan town of 10,000: "I made an arrangement with four other dealers in various lines of trade, and we bought a two-ton truck. Each man contributed capital in proportion to his trucking expense for the past year. Each draws six per cent. interest on his investment. We have a good, reliable man as driver. His office is at my store. My clerk attends to telephone calls from other members, and I get a reasonable compensation for this service. Early in the forenoon the driver receives reports from all of us covering work for the day as far as then known. He makes his plans and starts in. He has two signs for each firm, and attaches the signs to the truck according to the firm he is working for at the time. We pay him good wages and a higher rate for overtime. He does his best to accommodate us all, and makes out very well. When the demand is very heavy, he does some of the delivery work in the evening. "When work is slack he picks up all the outside jobs he can. We allow him ten per cent. of the receipts from such work, and the balance goes to reduce our expenses. The total expenses for the month are apportioned according to the work done for each member of the association. We find that it works satisfactorily for all, and that our delivery expense has been reduced from about twenty per cent. in one case to as much as thirty-five per cent. at the other extreme." CURRENT OPINION 369 "THE STEVENS BILL," FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF W RESALE PRICES HEN Congress again. convenes, one of the most important measures demanding its attention will be "The Stevens Bill." The passing of this bill will restore to the manufacturers of standard, identified goods, which do not constitute a monopoly, the right to fix the price at which the goods may be resold. This right of price maintenance for specialties and trademarked articles was recognized as a legal one until a few years ago. For years the decision of the Supreme Court gave countenance to the general principle that a manufacturer could sell his goods on condition that the retail price be maintained. Then a change ensued, and price maintenance, when directly challenged before the court, was decided illegal and in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law. The history of the Supreme Court shows that it has repeatedly modified its decisions to conform to settled public opinion and to changing economic conditions. In this instance public opinion was demanding measures which would decrease the cost of living. The abolition of price maintenance, instead of benefiting the consumer, has resulted in unfair competition and in injustice to manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and consumer. The American Fair Trade League, an organization representing many lines, has waged a relentless campaign against the unhealthy condition thus injected into business, and with these objects in view: First-To aid in the reestablishment and continuance of fair competitive commercial conditions. Second-To promote honesty in manufacturing, in advertizing and in merchandising, for the mutual interest of the consumer, the middleman and the manufacturer. Third-To bring to public attention the existing evils in merchandising methods which operate to the injury of society. Fourth-To act as a clearing house of information concerning trade practices and systems, and legislation relating thereto. Fifth-To aid in securing the enactment and enforcement of laws, state and national, that will (a) prohibit and penalize unfair competition; (b) prohibit and penalize unfair advertizing; (c) prevent the elimination of the smaller business man by unfair methods. Sixth-And secure to the public the benefits and protection of stable, uniform Mr. Newlywed sees only the new home, but Mrs. Newlywed alone sees the "Reception Committee," which plans to worry her for 25 years Dustless houses for brides! Most brides must wonderingly long to inquire why loving friends do not unite in a gift of the fairy-like, magical ARCO WAND Vacuum Cleaner, to do away forever with thousands of hours of the weary, time-wasting, dangerous task of sweeping and dusting. How much more sensible would be this cleaner, guaranteeing 50 years relief from cleaning drudgery and health risks, instead of gifts of fancy lamps that are never lighted, books never read, vases rarely to contain flowers, etc? Just connect the light-weight hose to an iron suction pipe in partitionwall-at base-board-and all dirt, insect-eggs, paper-bits, thread, lint, etc., are instantly drawn to sealed bucket of machine, set in cellar or side room. Noiseless-requires no watching or regulation; permanent, like radiator heating. Easily put into old buildings, or new. ARCO WAND Vacuum Cleaner protects furs and clothing, and prolonging the freshness and durability of carpets, rugs, hangings, upholstery, wall-paper, etc., cause the machine to soon pay for itself. A successful, built-in Cleaner, at $150. ARCO WANDS are proving great successes in homes, apartments, churches, schools, stores, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, libraries, clubs, theaters, barns, garages, etc., for the past three years under most severe tests. Backed by our reputation and full guarantee. Accept no substitute! Whether newlywed or longwed, save thousands of hours of cleaning work; write for free catalog. Public showrooms in all large cities. T a Machine is set in basement or side-room. Suction pipe runs to each floor. ARCO WAND Vacuum Cleaners, hose and tools are sold by all Heating and Plumbing Trade, in sizes at $150 up. Price does not include labor, connections and freight. TRADE-MARKS AND ADVERTISING HE ultimate value of a trademark, and of the advertising of a trade-mark, depend absolutely upon the merit of the goods which bear the trade-mark. Therefore you may depend upon it that when manufacturer brands his goods, thereby identifying them, and then advertises their identity, he is He going to put merit into them. knows that if he doesn't, his first sales will be his last. The consumer may buy the first time on advertising, but he buys the next time on satisfaction or not at all. The trade-mark makes it as easy to avoid the unsatisfactory as to re-pur chase the satisfactory. Therefore the presumption of excellence is always in favor of the trade-marked, nationally advertised goods as against the unbranded article of uncertain origin. The trade-mark of the known, established manufacturer is for your protection as well as his. In fact it is only because the trade-mark protects you that it is profitable to him. Trade-marks and national advertising are the two greatest public servants in business today. Their whole tendency is to raise qualities and standardize them, while reducing prices and stabilizing them. Current Opinion MEMBER-QUOIN CLUB THE NATIONAL PERIODICAL ASSOCIATION REGAL Power with Economy Unquestionably, if all Regal owners could give expression to their opinion of the dominant feature of Regal cars-the one outstanding fact would be their unlimited power. They are always hungry for the hills, and at a touch of the throttle leap forward as only an engine, with surplus power, and perfect balance can. Yet this power is secured with the greatest economy. Now, there are Three Regals, all of the same rugged design and construction, which has characterized Regals for eight years. Surely among them is one, suited to your needs and your pocket book. A Light "Four" 106 inch wheel base $650 retail prices upon all trade-marked and branded goods. Louis D. Brandeis, "the people's lawyer," said: "Your position is a very clear one; your aim is directly opposed to monopoly, and your policy one which, to my mind, is extremely beneficent, not only to business but the whole people." Congressman M. Clyde Kelly, of Pennsylvania, in discussing the bill on the floor of the House, said: "Cutthroat competition never did and never will help the business of the average dealer. I will admit that this may not hold good as regards mail-order houses, department stores, and so forth, because their interests seem to lie in the direction of putting the little merchant out of business and taking his trade. I am not anxious to help them do that and I am willing to let them take care of themselves, and without doubt they are perfectly able to do it. I take my stand on the side of the little corner store against the great combinations that threaten to wipe it out of existence. I stand with Littlefellow & Company, against the Soak-em-good mail-order houses. I consider the neighborhood store a necessity and I want it to have a fair chance, no more and no less, to grow greater and finer." for the manufacture of rolled steel, lock-seamed steel boats. CATALOG. Steel Rowboats, $20. MICHIGAN STEEL BOAT CO., Magnificent Steel Launch $96 Complete with Engine, Ready to Run 18-20-23 and 27 ft. boats at proportionate prices. All launches tested and fitted with Detroit two-cycle reversible engines with speed controlling lever-simplest engine made -arted without oranking-bas only three moving parts-anyone can run it. THE SAFE LAUNCH-absolutely non-sinkable-needs no boathouse. All boats fitted with air-ight compartments-cannot sink. leak or rust. We are sole owners of the patents Orders filled the day they are received. Boats shipped to every part of the world. FREE 1249 Jefferson Ave., Detroit, Mich., U. S. A. UNDER A PRICE-CUTTING SYSTEM First-Even when the producer's business is not destroyed outright, the property value of his good will is in a large measure impaired. In some cases the producer is entirely deprived of his business by the destruction of his own profits and the profits of his distribution organization. As a result, the inducement to producers as a class to devise new products is materially weakened. Second-The wholesaler under a pricecutting system (which involves quantity prices and direct sales) suffers in two ways. He loses a large volume of trade and the trade which is left him yields less and less profit. The eventual result of this is the annihilation of any except large, efficient and favorably located wholesale concerns, if identified merchandise continues to be an important part of the total volume. Third-The large retailer, who is the instigator of the entire "cut-price" practice, does not claim to make a direct profit out of the cut prices at which he offers identified goods. He claims that the advantage of the cut-price system to him lies in the advertizing values of a low selling price for goods protected in quality by a pro |