The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-17
GREAT MONOPOLY.
History of the Powerful Association o
Wallpaper Manufacturers.

rior decorators where estimates arr
made ON all the work connected with
fitting up a room, and the wealthy
customer considers prices no object
one seldom hears of the combination.
But in visiting the genuine wallpaper
stores where nothing but wallpaper i:
sold, the customer is often puzzled by
hearing the clerk speak of a certain
paper as being one of the "combina'
tom papers. To the existence of this
coordination" is due the wealth of the
American wallpaper manufacturers
and the rapid advance which interior
decoration has made within the last ter
years. Previous to that time the manu-
facture of wallpaper in this country
was in its infancy, and the papers made
here had no standing in competition
with those of foreign makes, especially
those of France and England. There
were only a few manufacturers here.
and most of those did not attempt to
make a very fine grade of paper. To
be sure. there were one or two firms
who made flock or velvet papers, in
which the figures were raised, and the
paper which had gold background
was perhaps better made then than
much of the same kind manufactured
now; but these firms were exceptions,
and most of the paper manufactured
was of very inferior quality.
French and English wallpaper was
imported for fine trade almost exclu
sively. Very few artists were en-
ployed by American manufacturers,
most of the American wallpapers be-
ing copies, and, in great part, wretched
ones, too, of French papers.
The combination, as it is termed
in the trade, is one of the greatest
monopolies in the country. 1t con-
sists of an association of the most i'm
portant wallpaper manufacturers for
the purpose of keeping up the prices
at which wallpapers are sold. both
wholesale and retail.
1t was started five years ago. Near
ly all the large manufacturers in the
country went into it. Laws and by
laws were framed, and each manufact-
urer who joined the combination
signed an agreement to abide by the
laws and filed bond of several thou
sand dollars. which he agreed to for
felt in case he violated any of the laws.
BY this agreement the prices of all the
grades of wallpapers were fixed. The
cheapest wallpaper, known to the
trade as ''brown blanks" it was agreed
to sell for not less than six cents per
roll; the ''white blank" next in grade,
was to bring nine cents; the bronze,
twenty-eight and thirty-two cents, ac-
cording to quality; and "gold grounds"
were to bring sixty cents. These
prices have changed but little since
that time.
But this was only part of the purpose
of the combination. An officer was
elected, at salary of $40, 900 per year,
whose sole duty was to decide, in case
of dispute, the quality of wallpaper
and the price it should sell for. 1t was
also agreed not to sell to any jobber or
dealer who did not sign cast-iron
compact, in which he agreed not to
sell any wall paper, whether bought
from manufacturers within or outside of
lllt lOl lCSS lHdl
combination" prices. The "combi-
nation also fixed the minimum prices
at which wall paper could be retailed,
which was several cents higher for each
grade than the manufacturer price.
The iobber or dealer had to deposit
$500 forfeit with the officers of the
combination after signing the agree
ment, and manufacturers and dealers
were closely watched to see that they
did not break the rules on the sly.
The combination became n power
at once, The few manufacturers and
dealers who did not join were squeezed
into a corner. The latter especially
suffered, as they could not buy from
the manufacturers in the ''combi-
nation at any prices, and those out of
it had not sufficient variety to meet
their wants. They soon repented and
joined the association, leaving out only
a few dealers who catered entirely to
cheap class of trade. Buoyed up by
this enormous monopoly the manufact-
turers in the scheme grew rapidly very
wealthy. branched out in new fields,
imported artists and machinery from
Europe and were soon manufacturing
almost as fine Wallpapers as the
imported; while the manufacturers
who stayed out lost all trade and had
to succumb The ''combination" used
all its tremendous power to crush these
unfortunate independents A woman
who had small factory on Long
Island received $4,000 to Join the
combination" She took the money
and shut down the works, declaring
that she had received more money in
one lump than she could ever hope to
make out of her factory. Several
others were bought out and the monop.
oily stood almost without competition.
In order to give manufacturers and
dealers chance to get rid of poor and
surplus stock, it was decided that dur
ing the months of July and August the
combination should be considered
off. That was one blow at its power,
for it enabled some of the dealers who
wanted to buy goods in those months
from all manufacturers without stipu-
lation, and after this plan was adopted
more retailers became independent.
Many other changes have been
brought about in the five years this
monopoly has existed. Dealers have
learned ways of getting papers at all
times from manufacturers in the ''com-
bination," although they themselves
did not join. Thus it has lately been
considerably Weakened Y Mail