New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-29
cOSVEYANCES.
crr1,y,. B1TEs on PATENT MEDICINES.
FRANTIC, But FUTILE EFFORTS OF THE MAN
UFACTURERS TO STOP 1T.


For several months the druggists Of this country
have been trying to devise ways OF phths all Gnu
cut prices on patent medicines several S'heue.
have been devised by different manufacturers Oh
natonted remedies and by the National "hoiesho
druggists Association at its meeting IN Washington
last wear but these attempts like previous ONES soh
destined to failure. They have aroused good us"i
of stir among the jobbcrs and retailers OF uS Guy
,ndood 81 great a one that a leading patent medicine
jobber whea asked concerning H. oecia'eu Ni'' -
further nstation of the subject went on "a 10"
,,na,c asy,uu. will be made necessary for the whole
pharmaceutical trade
Last February conference committee Vi 'io
manufacturers the wholesalers ana inc ieuaiers 'o
I'm this city and PROPOSED plan by winch ara" odoh
s,ampsr we're to be attached to each ootte Oh Pu'e
n,odirine sold for which the retailers were TO be
charged the full retail price, and which they must sell
ot full price By tearing of the stamps from inc
o,tice and forwaring them 10 central bureau to be
established for the purpose, retailers were 10 receive
a certain percentage Of the pncc ciEarSen' "h'h was
10 constitute their profit. This complicated plaa "ouiu
necessitate the opening of accounts Win each oe Va
20 600 or 900 retailers throughout the country Oh
c,rb line Of patent medicines sold and the establish
ment Of sort of detective agency, covering the "hoIe
countI TO make 1t certain that the goods were really
d NJ fulI prices and IL would require also the in-
vestment Of nearly 30 per cent more capital by those
cnracng i'm the drug business. II Is needless 10 say
that il /, REGARDED visionary and impracucaole Dy
the leading drugmen and has been dropped
Al least some of the leading dealers in patent me'i-
cine including Charles y. Critenton W. H. schetehn
a Co and McKeson Robbins, declare that they nave
heard nothing of il since it first proposed nearly
two months ago The story that there Is big com
bnation7 among propretors of patent medicines TO
fore. an abandonment Of cut prices Is very
generally discredltod by the same firms Tho
nearest approach to it is an attempt by tho
National Wholesale Druggists Association TO establish
bacg list of cutting retailers all over the country
Th, LIST is presented to manufacturers OF patent mcd
cncs By the committee OF the association who trust
AS they say that all direct orders from the cuttors
viii be declined and to wholesale dealers requesting
them also to refuse supplies TO the cutters But In
ouiry shows that this black list is by no means 30
formidable it seems. There Is small proportion
Of the manufacturers who appear in support OF IT, and
~ hos Their. il good reason believe that several
tnne 10 furnish customers with their goods. whether
they cut the price or not !,
Nany manufacturers have for a long time required
contracts Of their jobbing customers not 10 sell at cut
rates under penalty Of iOreitng the usual discounts
But these contracts IA inc sreat majority Oh III.
returned and tn, discounts demanded. Recently,
however, several manufacturers have adopted syStem
NJ doubc contracts, requiring one from the I0bbcr not
To- sell at less than scheduled discounts and not to
cutting retailers at all, and another from the re
Snonsbc for the retailers fulament OF his contract.
and is to agree to give notice TO the manufacturer OF
one OF the manufacturers in question is said to
have men i'm this city following the disposition q.
"vcry invoice of his goods received, to that no
cntng retailer gets any OF them The result of these
things has been the refusal OF several large jobbers to
| deal I'm these goods at all W. L. Brewer, Of
schleGcILn ~ Co.. characterzes such methods
, trely uncommerciai and Il. G. Wells. manager for
C. T. Crittenton. that such speculative methods
result only In injury. Both Of these houses, while
trongly In favor o. any plan which Will protect the
retailer In the enjoyment of fair profits are opposed to
| the employment Of methods which cannot permanently
benefit the trade. several other leading wholesalers
are also ,aid to have taken the same stand. Accord
ing to their statements. the return o: the good old
days OF full prices for patent medicines is about as
| far off ever.