Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-09-23
THE GREAT WAR
Now WasIng Between crocksry and
Tea Firms.
A Wheeling Merchants Views on Il
and on the Package Cost
Question.

and on the Package Cost
Question.
The great war" said Mr.. John Mcneil,
yesterday, when Intercepted on the sab
ject, "is still going on over the country In
relation to gift houses bat in our neigh
borhood the charges on packages Is OF more
Importance" Tie war mentioned il be-
tween the retailers and jobbers Of crockery
and glassware throughout the country and
the great tea firms and their allies the pot
teries and the glassware manufacturers.
The trouble began six years ago, when the
tea dealers inaugurated the system OF Civ
ing TO their patrons presents OF crockery
and glassware to increase their sales. The
scheme, according to reports, was first con-
served by q New York tea dealer, who pre-
scented one Of his customers with Q glass
goblet alter the purchase Of a pound Of o.
long. The idea then occurred to him, 30
the report says, that by giving something
useful IN the crockery or glass ware line
to those who patronized him, his business
NOulu DC OIldACE duO lie PAOAdo AnA6OAs
The result far exceeded his expectations,
as q few weeks after he had introduced this
novel plan his sales
BECAME ENORMOUS
and his customers so numerous that the
attention Of his rivals sroused, and in order
70 compete with him they adopted the
same system. Gradually the new plan
found favor throughout the city, and at
length the heavy tea firms, finding that
their retail trade was diminishing, were
forced into the business out of
sheer necessity. Country grocers caught
the prevailing injection, and to day
the system is in vogue throughout the
greater part Of the Union. At the start
the tea dealers and grocers bought their
crockery and glassware from city jobbers,
who for awhile made nc complaint. In
time they discovered that their sales were
growing less, and inquiry showed that the
potteries were selling ware to the tea men
and others not legitimately identified with
the trade on equally as favorable terms as
were accorded TO old and profitable jobbers.
The pottery men were appealed to and
were urged to discontinue their unfair
mode of business, since it was iDjuring the
crockeTy men in every section and threat
ened to ruin many who previous to the in
noyation were doing a good business.
TIE POTTERY MEN FIRM.
A deaf ear was turned to their pleadiugs
by the manufacturers, who found ia their
new customers a mine OF wealth. In New
York the crockery jobbers became so
wrought up by their heavy losses that they
determined To appeal to the law making
power for redress, and last winter had a
bill drawn up and presented to the Legis-
lature prohibiting the giving away OF
croCkeIy and glassware on the plan so uni
veIsally and successfully adopted by tea
dealers and grocers. Untortan ltely the
bill was so broad and so sweeping that q
hue and cry was made by its enemies and
it failed TO become q law. Had 1t been en-
acted, il would have, as its projectors an
ticipated, put an end to the gift scheme at
and would have brought the manutactur-
ers TO terms. Defeat, however, in this di-
rection, it seems, did not discourage the
crockery and glassware jobbers, as q meet
ing was held at Pittsburgh recently by the
representatives of the leading iobbiug firms
of the country to take further action. At
this conference, where
n NDRE MILLION DOLLARS CAPITAL
was represented, the following resolution
was passed, and ordered to be sent to the
crockery and glassware manufacturers:
ResOired, That the selling Of your goods,
or issuing price lists TO other than the ex-
elusive crockery and glassware dealers is
not considered by the association as legiti-
mate; that while it makes but little benefit
to you. the manufacturers, it does q great
injustice and injury to US, the legitimate
crOckery and glassware dealers Of the
United States and Canadas, and that while
we recognize your right to dispose Of your
wares as you think best, we as dealers must
protect our interest as best We can by re-
fnsing our patronage rs far as possible to
manufacturers who solicit other than the
legitimate trade.
1t remains to be seen what the final out.
come of this ultimatum will be. If the
past actions Of the manufacturer are to be
taken as a criterion it seems TO be pretty
certain that they will not make any con.
c~essions. In that event a wholesale system
of bOyCotting is inevitable until the
stronger side suCCumbs.
THE PACKAGE QUESTION.
Mr.. Mcneil says this is not very exten.
sively carried on in Wheeling, but cited
the gift tea house on Main street as an ex
ample: but he says the Wheeling firms
were interested more because OF belonging
10 the association containing firms which
were injured. The question of the cost
Of packages" he said, sis stirring up the
jobbers of glass and queensware, every
where. We have to pay 50 20, for instance,
for a crate, which is OF no earthly use to
US, and for which the country trade won't
pay" In relation to the other, a New
York merchant said:
A NEW YORK OPINION.
Mr.. James T.. Wright, of No. 225 Green
wiCh street, a large manufactures of and
dealer in crockery and glassware, in allud.
ing TO the present outlook, said: "rhere
is no use in Disgusting the fact that this
LESlRm nf DIVING awaU NrnnElFv and plaag-
ware by tea dealers is injuring the jobbins
trade in this city and throughout the
country. l don't think / would be out of
the way in saying that our losses from this
cause alone in this city for the past year
will foot up $500, 900. The whole system is
an abomination aud should be abolished,
and if the trade can do it, rest assured it
will be done. We are aroused, and will make
a determined fight, and l believe we will
succeed. IL the TreRton and East Liverpool
potteriss and the Pittsburg and Wheeling
glassware manufacturers would stop selling
TO these outside tea firms.at the rates which
they accord the Legitimate trade the system
would soon become too improbable TO
warrant its continuance. As matters now
stand the smallest cross roads grocery or
tea firm can buy $40 or $50 worth OF crock.
cry or glassware of the manufacturers at
wholesale rates, thus placing them on the
same footing with firms whs buy by the
thousand. By selling an inferior quality
of tea or coffee they more than make up
for the cost of the presents they give to
their customers"
Complimentary Reception.
One of the most delightful little social
affairs of the season was the surprise recsp.
ton rendered Mss Mamie Leighton, at