Kresge Glasses

Sebastian Spering Kresge sells adhesive tape, artificial flowers, bloomers, brassieres, buttons, batteries, combs, cold drinks, dishcloths, envelopes, embroidery.

Sebastian Spering Kresge sells frying pans, false hair, gauzes, garters, hardware, hosiery, ink, jugs, jewelry, kettles, lamps, Listerine, marbles, needles, novels.

Sebastian Spering Kresge sells Odo-ro-no, oilcloth, paper, pins, ribbons, rods, soaps, suspenders, tacks, thread, ungents, union suits, valentines, vaseline, wire, xylophones, yarn, yardsticks.

But Sebastian Spering Kresge does not sell eyeglasses. He used to sell them to thrifty persons who, consulting neither oculist nor optician, sought to remedy faulty vision with selections from Kresge counters. Last week, however, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that an S. S. Kresge store in Boston, in selling eyeglasses, was "invading a field rightly sequestered ... to those possessing special training in a specified department of treatment of human ills."

''I think you could do a lot more for girls and women by paying them better wages than you can by subscribing money to rescue them after they have gotten into trouble." So, in 1926, wrote Senator James Couzens of Michigan when asked (by Mr. Kresge) to contribute $1,000 to a home for girls.* Accustomed, however, is Mr. Kresge to reflections upon his philanthropy. His gift of $500,000 to the Anti-Saloon League in 1927 was followed by a statement from the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment that Kresge stores were selling homebrew outfits, cocktail shakers and other accessories of Prohibition.

Mr. Kresge's fortune has been variously estimated at from $100,000,000 to $150,000,000. Of his 511 stores, 364 are 5-c- & 10-c- 147 are 25-c- to $1. In 1028 they sold $147,465,448 worth of merchandise. Mr. Kresge, however, has not forgotten boyhood days on a Pennsylvania farm when he rose at 4:30 a. m. and worked till dark. His clothing is still inexpensive, and he will search long for a lost golf ball. He is a solid, round, quiet man except when he is aroused against the Big Demon Rum or the Little Devil Tobacco or one of the many other worldly evils in combatting which the Kresge fortune has been freely expended.

He will not give any money to any church the pastor of which indulges in tobacco. Yet no fanatic is Mr. Kresge. Offered a drink, offered a cigar, he refuses, but politely.

Says he: "Hoping always to have my own views and opinions respected, I respect the opinions of others" He says also: "If there were any sound arguments to be advanced on behalf of the use of alcoholic beverages, I wonder if I might not have discovered them in all these years."

*But Senator Couzens accompanied his letter with a $2,500 contribution.