New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-10
CONTEST IN THE DRCG Trade.
A FIRM THAT DEFIES TIE UNION.

OPPOSED TO THE SALE or DRUGS II DRY-GOODS
sroRrs-vIEws OF PROMINENT DRUGGISTS.
The recent action of the New-Yorl, Druggists
Union aiming put stop to the cutting Of trade prices
the sale OF drugs, has met with great diversity oil
opinion among the dealers aud manufacturers. The
members Of the Onion bind themselves in substance to
sell drugs proprietary medicines only at schedule
rates and 10 buy from no wholesale house when sells
to cutters rctas at cut rate, over its counters
Out Of s97 druggists in New-York and Brooklyn, only
eighteen have refused 70 support the Union Many
makers of proprietary medicines sgnhcd their assent ht
once and the in their recent convention In TINS
city, accedcd to nearly al the demands Al meeting ot
wholesale druggists five out Of eleven firms signed u
contract to sell drugs or medicines to dIy-goods
firms OF to druggists who underscl Unibn rates ana to
retail no proprietary medicines In their own shops at less
than Union prices.
TRIBUNE reporter called several dealers to get
their opinions !. y. Heg3man, OF Hegeman Co., No.
75G broadway has been prominently connected with the
movement OF the Retail Druggists Union There IS no
Intention he said boycott; oim ~ ask that the
trade be put back into it. proper channels Tie practice
of Offering drugs for sale at less than cost OF production
make. dishonest substitution in the medicine necessary
and involves the employment OF poor labor. When
mistakes arc made and inferior preparations sold,
irresponsible dealers claim exemption Oh the ground that
the law docs not Affect them; but II injury be sustained
through phnrmacst'- error he Is held responsible.
dry-good7 that sells drugs hires it, clerk Tor -
eek
from $50 upwards The average gross pr1ht of Hrst-
class retail druggists ia 80 ID per cent and they
certainly cannot on tins compete with outsiders nor can
cutters do an honest business unless they employ
unskiled clerks, is that the Druggists Union aims to
prevent
ono OF the largest retail houses that has stood out
against the Union that % William B. Rier sons.
No 800 sixth-ave. W IL. Eiber asked what effect
the movement had had on their business II has not
Affected us in the least" be Iepcd and it viii not
iurc u, We do not propose 10 have any Organization
dictate TO rs IN business. II wc are able to mdeIscl
other druggists, custom viii come to us IN spite OF
them ...,., p, ,,,.,..., ,,o
reu0rter " II ali the manufacturers join the | nont
we may not DE allie to obtain our drugs and medicines
direct and may us some extra EXPENSE but they
cannot prevent obtaining them through intermediate
deirr- The wholesalers and manufacturer, unite with
them causo the majority OF their customers IN the
movement. and they 90 nov dale 10 OPPOSE ~ ou'
D. C. Robbins OF the wholesale house Of MchesSon
& Robbins. No. 81 Fulton-st., said a movement
aim ar to th, took place in London about years
ago TO prevent the cutting OF prices in proprietary
medicines by tho Civil Service and cooperative stores.
The l. 600 apothecaries combined to boycott every
iobber who supplied these stores win goous. Inc
oyemeut proved a failure Two OF the JObDers refused
70 he coerced and turned their attention 10 inc export
trade. III which they had great success, Inc other
iohbers Welded, but the result was more vigorous
pursuit of the business by the co-operanVc stores VINO
rosort suruiv the public at cut rates with about
tb,ce- fourths OF the consumption think that our
o,,.bccarIes are have the same experience We
Ti meeting OF eleven prominent Wholesale firms last
week AT which only three eynced disposition to accede
tn the demands OF tho apothecanes. They called a
UcefInc subsequently, and tho contract with the Union
was agreed up0n which las received up to tins tln6 the
.i',afIrp- al prominent distributing HOUSES ana
y'I.irL i'm All probability the others VIII sign.
'rIc retail druggists OF NewHork city, said W. a.
CelI,tIv of The wholesale house OF W. IL Scmchelln
90 are passtng through the same experience a. the
booi trade and tho small dry goods establishments The
ge bouse- are absorbing the business and by cutting
- ave dtaync away the trade OF the smaller stores
trbe DRUGGISTS suffer from this. and not being T0
roccaf business men, they rush ahead tnCOn-deraely
and demand uni ca Onabe concessions from tho whole
49, and manufacturers They will not recognize that
their interests and ours are practically Identical This
uoVement will. however, undoubtedly force the
cutter. ont of the business. For time the cutters
may be able to get their goods bu the enforcement Of
tbe CaupOu plan by the manufacturers VIII before
long make this impossible
q \ Crttentun. the large patent medicine manufac-
turer al No Il5 Fu0n-st, was asked now the manu-
focturtnp interests would be Affected lie said: Every
anufactror would be glad TO have no cutting or prices
Ifis svmnatIy is with the retailer But the druggists
are nt nursIng the wlsest plan. They prevent
fine cutters obtaining their goods III New ork
Lnses refuse TO sell Them there Albany dealers who
carry ON a travelling trade along the Hudson, ana who
oud he only too glad OF the chance To sell 10 New Ork
druggsts III the Union will leave the matter 10 the
nfscrers they will settle IL In their own way. The
dictate how they should be sold both 70 jobber and
sum.r By the CampiOn plan, the association OF man
ufcrcrs would have each OF certain chosen districts
suuerntendon who inquiries into every OF cutting
CONTRARY 10 the agreement and reports II 10 the manufac
rers when they promptly drop the cutter from their
t ~ customcr5 The secret or this whole druggist
excitement Is that there are too many druggists IN the