The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-07-14
A GREAT MONOPOLY.
History Of the Powerful Association
WALLPAPER Manufacturers.

HI0C0fy OF tine ROWerful AA0OCtevlOn u
WALLPAPER Manufacturers.
In the stores of the high-toned inte-
rior decorators where estimates are
made on all the work connected with
fitting up a room, and the wealthy
customer considers prices no object,
one seldom hears Of the coordination.
But in visiting the genuine wallpaper
stores where nothing but wallpaper is
sold, the customer is often puzzled by
hearing the clerk speak Of certain
paper rs being one of the "combina-
ton" papers. To the existence Of this
'%combination" is due the wealth Of the
American wallpaper manufacturers.
and the rapid advance which interior
decoration has made within the last ten
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 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 q 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 wa.
elected, at a salary of $4,000 per year
whose sole duty was to decide, in cast
of dispute, the quality of wallpaper
and tho price it should sell for. 1t wa
also agreed not to sell to any jobber o.
dealer who did not sign cast-irol
compact, in which he agreed not t.
sell any wall paper, whether bough
i from manufacturers within or outside o
| the '.combination, for less thar
coordination" prices. The ''combi
nation" also fixed the minimum price
| at which wall paper could be retailcd
which was several cents higher for eacl
grade than the manufacturers price.
The jobber or dealer had to deposi
$500 forfeit with the officers of tn
"combination" after signing the agree
ment. and manufacturers and dealer
were closely watched to see that the,
did not break the rules on the sly.
The combination" became a powe
at once. The few manufacturers ant
dealers who did not join were squeezed
into corner. The latter especial,
suffered, as they could not buy from
the manufacturers in the ''combi
nation" at any prices, and those out O
it had not sufficient variety to NEE
their wants. They soon repented ant
Joined the association, leaving out onl,
few dealers who catered entirely Il
q cheap class of trade. Buoyed up b.
this enormous monopoly the manufact
turers in the scheme grew rapidly yer.
wealthy. branched out in new fields
imported artists and machinery iron
Europe and were soon manufacturing
almost as fine Wallpapers as th'
imported; while the manufacturer
who stayed out lost all trade and ha'
to succumb. The coordination" use'
all its tremendous power to crush thes
unfortunate independents. A womal
who had a small factory on Lon
Island received $4,000 to Join tn
combination" She took the none
and shut down the works. declaring
that she had received moro money II
one lump than she could ever hope t.
make out of her factory. Severa
others were bought out and the monop
oily stood almost without competition
In order to give manufacturers an,
dealers chance to get rid Of poor ant
surplus stock. it was decided that dur
ing the months of July and August tn
"combination" should be considere,
off. That was one blow at its power
for It enabled some of the dealers VIII
wanted TO buy goods in those month
from al manufacturers without stipu
lation. and after this plan was adopte'
more retailers became independent.
Many other changes have beel
brought about In the five years thi
monopoly has existed. Dealers hav
learned ways Of getting papers at al
| times from manufacturers In the "com
bination," although they themselve
did not join. Thus it has lately beel
considerably weakened.-M Y MAJ
and Erpress.
rs Ii Electrical Cremation.