Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 189, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1915 — RECOMMENDS MAIL ORDER HOUSES [ARTICLE]

RECOMMENDS MAIL ORDER HOUSES

Circular Sent Out By State Board of Accounts Disregards Interests of Home Dealers. (Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 11.—Here is a piece of news for the merchants of Indiana. Under a democratic administration the state of Indiana, in effect, has become the agent for two Chicago mail order houses —Montgomery Ward & Co., and Sears, Roebuck & Co. Last week the state board of ac--eounts scattered broadcast over Indiana a pamphlet entitled “Price List for Guidance of Township Trustees.” While there are a number of Indiana concerns which manufacture playground material, not one of them is lifted in this official guide. However, the prices of the two Chicago mail order houses are listed on all kinds of playground material, including settees, swings, tennis rackets, footballs, tennis nets, rubber hose and a number of other things that are manufactured in Indiana and sold by hundreds of Indiana merchants. One of the Chicago mail order houses quoted a price of $4.50 on swings made out of beech wood. A representative of an Indiana manufacturer said today that he would be glad to sell a million made out of oak for $4 each. The Chicago mail order house quoted a price of $7.50 for a four passenger settee, and the Indiana manufacturer quoted a price on a six passenger settee of the same design of $4.50. When the members of the state board of accounts realized that they had made a big mistake in sending out these Chicago mail order price lirts they promised to not send out any more until an insert had been printed containing the prices of one Indiana concern. The representative of this concern questioned Gilbert Hendren as to why the board had seen fit to advise patronizing foreign concerns and he quoted Hendren as saying in explanation: “We did it because a majority of the township trustees in Indiana-have no knowledge as to where to buy or how to buy or how much to pay for such material.” It is not known whether the board decided to issue this price list only after hearing of the experiences township trustees in Clay and Vigo counties had with George M. Ray, publisher of the official democratic organ of Indiana, who was saved from going to the penitentiary after having pleaded guilty to a charge of “overcharging” by the interference of Governor Ralston, who secured freedom for him by writing a letter to the judge of the Clay circuit court.