The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-02-14
Merrill law and turn him adrift:
what would be the result then

Merrill law and turn him adrift;
what would be the result then
Why, Mr.. Chairman, there are
in this State, according to Mr.. Burt's last
report, 157 ,476 scholars entitled TO appor-
tionment. Now under the Merrill law we
will say that each Of those scholars pur-
chase 81 90 worth of hooks a year, and
think that is ve-y moderate estimate. as
any father of a family will say; then it
would cost this people s157 AIS. But sup
pose you throw this lawover SO they can
charge the old price. what would be the
case then? Why, 50 90 instead of one,
and they would make s157, 900.
NOW SUPPOSE THEY PUT UP $40 900.
Suppose this school book ring come and
say, "Here are $40 600; now abolish Mer-
rill and his act and we will furnish these
books And suppose they did not, what
could you do? Where would you be
Forfeit the S40,O 900? Why, they could
forfeit that sum and making $751;, 900 in
one year it would still leave S117 900 profit
on one years business. Oh, but says some
gentlemen, if they played such a trick as
that we would go back and revive this
law. All, would you! But who would
you get to be fool enough to come up and
put his head into this lions mouth again
Mr. Merrill couldn't do it, because he
would be bankrupt and bursted Laughter.
He would never sell another book; nobody
would sell to him. Where are you going
to get another man that will
take his placer We tried here for four
years before single man could be found
who came forward and said: II will step
into the breach and do the work" And
now these men come forward and say
"Give us chance to perpetrate huge
theft and bust Mr. Merrill, and we will do
1t, and you can take the $4,000" And
they viii 90 on with their stealing for the
next twenty years.
''But," say some, this law is a fraud for
this reason: it processes to
REDUCE THE PRICE OF SCHOOL BOOKS
while it really only takes the profit made
by the retail bookseller. Well, let us con-
slider that for moment. | showed you
that in this Ring, reading from the speech
made by Mr.. Lienau, made year ago,
in copy Of their constitution, which we
then had On this floor, they bound them
selves not to go below SO per cent. on the
list price. Now, what are the list
prices? The retail prices at which the
merchant sells. Now have we done better
than that in the Merrill law? Yes; on
some or those BOOKS we nave made de-
duction Of 60 per cent; others, so; and
others IS. So much in answer to that
proposition.
Now, Mr.. Chairman,
ONE OTHER POINT
and will bring my remarks to a conclu-
sion. 1t is urged here that we should re-
peal this law and as a reason why we should
repeal it, that the occasion for it has already
passed, as the books are as cheap all over
the United States to-day as they will be
with the Merrill's law is in force,
and hence we could afford to repeal
the law with the certainty that
we would get books just as
cheap. Now, undertake to say in an
swer to that that such is not the fact. l
undertake to say, and have the figures
from the price lists at present published
by the publishing houses of this country,
rs used in other States. Let me read you
the figures.