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Show H A "MADE-IN-AMERICA" TRADE MARK H Our hat goes off to Detroit, for its people have H the right spirit. The Detroit Board of Commerce H is trying to give definite form to the "Made-ln- H the-U. fc. A." movement by offering a prize of $500 H for the best national trade mark submitted to it H by an American designer. The' purpose of the H contest is to secure an emblem for American H goods both in home and foreign markets, and H one that is suitable for use on all classes of Am- H erican products. H The rules of the contest provide that the ae-H ae-H sign shall bear the words: "Made in Detroit, U. H S. A." But Uie idea is by no means to confine B the use of the trade mark to Detroit. The instltu-m instltu-m tion offering the prize thinks that the manufacturers manufactur-ers ers of other American cities might desire to in-B in-B sert the name'-of their particular locality in 'the H trade mark, and for this reason the space occu-M occu-M pied by the word "Detroit" must bo largo enough m , to allow the substitution of the name of any other M city, such as San Francisco or Philadelphia, fl The design selected by the Detroit Board of M Commerce will be presented by them to other B boards of commerce, individual manufacturers of H the United States, the National Chamber of Com-H Com-H merce and the National Association of Manu-H Manu-H facturers, and all may use it to their hearts' de- H This is a very timoly idea. We need just such H a national trade mark by which American-made H goods may be recognized at sight, and we should 1 make such a noise about this label that at least H American consumers will not be satisfied unless H every article they buy bears it. It would, also, H give a very desirable distinction to our goods in H foreign markets. Our manufacturers may be de- H pended upon to supply a quality of goods that H will give the label more significance than the H mere attractiveness of design. The American wholesale merchant has long complained of the demand for foreign goods, for it frequently places him in an embarrassing position; posi-tion; it compels him at times to take hazardous chances. The time required for transportation of goods from distant points of production makes it impossible for him to respond at short notice to a sudden demand, hence he must base his purchases pur-chases on uncertain estimates; if these fail he may find himself overstocked with goods which he cannot dispose of. Aside from the outngnt financial loss to the jobber, this unnatural modus operandi entailB interminable discommodity. On the other hand, if the consumers would insist on American goods, the wholesaler, owing to the nearness of the producers, would always be in a position to fill all wants immediately, and the danger of overstocking would be out of the question. Another reason why our wholesale mercnant prefers to handle American goods is that every dollar he spends remains at home and adds to the purchasing power of his customers. A humorous instance of what the American craze for imported articles may lead to is recorded re-corded by a wholesale grocer of Chicago. A certain cer-tain brand of "English" pickled onions appears to be a favorite delicacy. The onions are raised in Illinois and exported to England, where they are pickled, bottled and labeled, and shipped to Illinois and sold at a high price! In the same manner we are paying freight on our cotton to England and back again, giving English manufacturers the profit incident to turning turn-ing the raw material into the finished product. Don't you think it is about time to stop fooling and give serious attention to home industry? We are looking foiward to that national trade mark which the Detroit Board of Commerce is going to select for our American goods; and to the time when every American consumer will insist on this ornamental distinction on all his purchasers. San Francisco News Letter. |