A Tie That Binds

For the past few weeks representatives of the Merchants' Retail Commercial Agency, of Chicago, have been in the cjty, organizing a branch under the above agency's system. Results already obtained by a number of the members have demonstrated beyond any doubt the efficiency of this system. The officers of this agency are as follows: A. L. Noble, President. Michael Staebler, Vice-Pres. Andrew Muehlig, Secretary. G. F. Stein, Treasurer. C. Eberbach, W. J. Kyer, Jno. Heixzmann, Anton Teufel, C. H. Cady, Executive Board. This agency uses no dishonorable means to forcé collectipns or settlement, but the merchants propose to exercise their legal right to refuse credit to a person who gains the reputation of not treating a member of the agency honorably. There is no law compelling merchants to sell their goods on credit. There is no law forbidding merchants refusing credit to any person they see fit, and when a merchant sells his goods on credit it is as an accommodation to the consumer, and if such consumer has no appreciation of the favor extended and willfully neglects to make a reasonable and honorable adjustment of his indebtedness, then he should be compelled to pay as he buys. It is better for him and much more itable for the merchant. Many a poor worthy man has been refused credit for the necessities of life because of the merchant's unpleasant experience with bad debtors, but this system will tend to obvíate all that, because the man who does respect his credit will be known and have a standing among merchants, while the "dcad beat" and others of his kind will also be known to the members of this Agency and be absolutely refused credit; no matter if he removes to another town or state his reputation as poor pay will follow him and the merchants in such new place of residence will also refuse him credit. This Agency issues a regular and legal Bi-Monthly Abstract of unsettled accounts. Each member agrees to forfeit twenty dollars to his branch as a penalty, in case he extends credit to a person whose unsettled account appears in the Abstract and no account can apI pear therein until the debtor has had a full and fair opportunity to go to the merchant he owes and in some way arrange such indebtedness. The man who can pay and won' i pay and and the man who cannot pay, but will not go to the merchant and state, his conditiou and make effort to arrange, is the person this Agency is after. This Agency does not interfere with the credit of men who deal honorably, no matter if they are slow; neither does it in any way regúlate prices. lts sole object is to compel men to be honest with merchants or to pay spot cash for goods purchased. Something of this kind has been needed for a long time and this system will work. "ín combination there is strength." The members have the success or failure of this system in their own hands. Wherever merchants have properly combined, the system has proven a great success. The U. S. is being carefully covered by this Agency, and the merchants in all small towns are visited and solicited to join the county branch. The following is a list of the Ann Arbor members: Heinzmann & Laubengayer, Caspar Rinsey, G. F, Stein, Antón Teufel, C. Eberbach, Michael Staebler, Overbeck fcStaebler, Geo. H. Hazelwood, L. C. Weinman, Washtenaw Times, Louis Blitz, A. L. Noble, Charles Speller & Co., Adam Meuth, Louis llhode, Brown & Cady, Frank Burg, Allmendinger & Schneider, Swathel, Kyer & Peterson, O'IIara, Boyle & Co., Pardon & Eschelbach, Dean & Co., E. C. Bassett, G. H. Wild, J. Henne & Co., J. K. Rogers, J. J. Werner, D. Rockwell, James Tolbert, M. T. Vogel, C. M. Vogel, J. C. & W. W. Watts, James M. Stafford, J. F. Iloelzle, Schuh & Muehlig, Reinhardt & Co., Wm. Herz, Scliairer & Millen, Rathfon & Damon, N. Eisle, J. J. Goodyear, Luick Bros., Wm. Biggs, J. E. Harkins, Koch & Henne, Fred Gauss, Joseph A. Polhemus, Walker & Co., Union Shade & Pole Co., Martin Halier, A. P. Ferguson, Herman Krapf, Wurster & Kirn, Grossmann & Schlenker, S. & J. Baumgartner, Wm. G. Burchfiéld, Wm. h. Frank, H. J. Brown, Wadhams, Kennedy & Reule, Wm. Arnold, X. Zachmann, Eberbach & Son, Ann Arbor Argus, Register Publishing Co., P. G. Suekey, Wagner & Co., E. F. Mills & Co., Allmendinger Piano & Organ Co., J. T. Jacobs & Co., Goodyear & St. James, Hutzel & Co., L. M. Bennett. Can the Key be found ?