The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-21
JeWeLRv TRADE TRUSTS.
A Dealer Tells How the Business Is Affected
HY MOn0nOlieS.

~ Dc0ier els HOW the BUSINESS Is Affected
by MOnopolies.
In recounting the difficulties of the
jewelry business dealer said: 1T
would seem that manufacturers were
bent upon minimizing the expenses
incident to the personal adornment of
the fair sex. If not this, they are
shrewd enough to tighten the coils of
monOpolistic power chiefly about those
articles that are in demand for their
utility as well as for their beauty. At
any rate. there is no trust among the
manufacturers of jewelry proper, but
the makers of watches and silverware
practically seek to dictate the minutia
of our business in so far as those
articles are concerned. In such art
icles as rings. brooches. pins and trink-
cts there is a generous rivalry among
manufacturers, which has tended to
be beneficial both in enhancing quality
and in reducing cost. The man who
buys jewelry to-day of a dealer who
does not demand an eXorbitant margin
OF profit pays pretty nearly normal
PTice iOF WHhJ ne gets.
"With articles of utility, however.
the matter is different. For four years
the watch trust has been growing in
power. and most dealers. especially
the proprietors of small stores, have
been made to feel it's influence. Most
OF us had our profits greatly reduced
and not few have been run out of
the business. / will venture to say
that when the Merritt antitrust bill!
was introduced into the House there
were few jewelers. in the State who
were not wishing it would pass, so as
to bring the needed relief The Amer
lean Watch Manufacturers Associa-
ton and the Jobbers' Association, by
system of rules and a policy of sus-
pensions and boycOtting, have held an
iron hand over us to such an extent
that the amount of our purchases. the
places at which we deal, the rates
at which we sell. the discount we al
low and even the time we sell on are
dictated to us. Retail jewelers. are
forced to buy of the jobbers unless
they can make first purchase of
$4,000 net and buy at least $40, 600
worth of goods during the year. II
they can make such purchases they
are regarded as jobbers and can profit
by the manufacturers prices, and job.
bers are discOuntenanced and expelled
from the trust if they sell at II lower
rate of profit than % per cent. In
short. the whole purpose of the trust
is to keep up prices and secure patron
age to the members of the trust. In
doing this the smaller dealers are
frozen out remOrselessly.
''In the matter of silverware, the
trust, | think, is not so iniquitous
There are few styles in the market,
however, which are not in some
way or other covered by monopo-
lies. That is one of the great
reasons why novelties in silver
come SO high. 1t is one of the
latest fads for young ladies to decorate
their dresses with all sorts of fancy
pieces, the styles of which are cor
stantly changing and the prices Of
which are consequently far beyond
the actual value of the goods. With
watches the cases and the movements
alike come under the power of the
trust. but with silverware it is ONLY
the designs that the trust has control
OF. While | think that watches and
silverware are much lower than thew
used to be, | am certain that the min.
lmum price consistent with good
workmanship and quality is not yet
reached, and that it would be vastly
for the benefit of the public, as also
for the dealers in jewelry, if some
scheme could be devised or law passed
by which competition could have its
natural influence and we dealers be
freed from leading-strings. Chicago
News.