advertised to consumers at $1.25 per pair; the maker says the lowest
he can sell at and make a small margin is $8 per dozen. There is a
good margin between $8, factory price, and $15, consumer's price, but
how is it divided? A retailer is quoted the goods at $8.65 and the
jobber at $8. Don't you see that common sense would say $10 to the
retailer and $8 to the jobber? If the jobber wants to sell at less
than $10 let him do so (he is sure to do it), but the manufacturer
should not."

"Some houses ignore the jobbers altogether; what would you do with
them?"

"They are all right; I have no fault to find with them; I can meet all
of such competition, and without worrying. No factory can handle my
trade so cheaply as I can. A great deal of my trade no factory can
reach. Salesmen get higher salaries from the factories than we pay.
They only get the trade they drum; there is very little of mail orders
from the small trade sent East; what they need they want quickly. Both
Russell & Erwin and Sargent & Co. have drummed the retail trade for
years, but they have done jobbers no harm, and of late are very
anxious to get the jobbing trade. I don't fear the drummers from the
factories, but I do dread the low quotations they scatter around,
because I must meet their figures."

Mr. Shively seemed pleased at having a good listener, and had talked
as if enjoying himself. While I was very much interested in his views,
still it is probable I should have acted just the same even if I had
cared nothing about what he said. No higher compliment is paid to a
man than to place him over you as your teacher. I left him after
getting a fair order from him, and passed into a large retail store.