Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-04

waited, that is, if the dental supply
trade is reputable and safe business,
| for it is hard to believe that the manu-
| facturers would like to have the dealers
load up at the present prices in the face
OF what now seems to be certain de-
cline.
In reviewing the recent history and
attitude of the American Dental Trade
association, il seems very queer that
they should ask protection. They are
protected by trade secrets which have
been, and will always be, the best pro-
| tection. 1t has bean protected enough
ia the past, go that the s. s. White Den
tai Manufacturing company can state,
''it is not necessary TO state our claims
as to superiority; that has been passed
from the sphere of argument to that of
demonstration, and is too generally ac-
knowledged TO make it worth our while
to discuss it."
In all csndor, let me ask you what is
the use of protecting anything so good
as that. The production of our dental
manufactures are not duplicated abroad.
No gum teeth are made outside of the
United States, and they constitute the
bulk of the teeth used. Our dental in
struments are protected by patents.
The most trivial of our instruments
being patented, therefore there can be
no competition on them. The rise in
porcelain teeth is but rent in the COW
ering OF the trust that shows the wolf
inside; it has been q sheep
long enough. With combina-
tion and legislative protection,
why shouldn't they milk the market for
all the traffic will bear? There are very
few dentists that object to paying the
price placed upon the various articles
used by him, and would not object to
paying more, provided we were getting
something better; but to have some 81
per cent rung out of us upon pretense
so fiimsy as the one we have now to cub
NIT to makes man feel that little
honest competition is what the Ameii,
can Dental Trade association needs
The articles used by dentist are OF
such nature that their manufacture
does not bring cheap labor in competi-
tion, and if it did it would be interest
ing to know what proportion of this ad-
vance OF 30 per cent the laborers in the
various tooth manufactures of this
country received. We opine that the
advance in platinum used up all the mar
gin. Dental goods require skilled labor
to make; skilled American tooth
maker cannot make English teeth, and
vice versa.
The English house in New York re-
minds one of the sporteman who has ar
rived in the field with gun and other
accouterments, but no ammunition.
They are in the field, the game plenti-
full. but they are without ammunition
and to cap the climax they throw the
gun away by joining the American
Dental Trade association. The dental
profession will always be subject to the
fuctuation OF platinum and other things
until they put their shoulders to the
wheel and cooperate. The Dental Pro-
tective association has shown what can
be done by CO operation in litigating
fraudulent patents, and an increase ic
membership and funds would undoubt-
edly show greater results in money cav
ing to the dentist If they were in shape
to prevent these combinations. A re-
duosion of 10 per cent for one year on
the present price of dental goods would
effect saving to the average dentist
amounting to three times the cost Of
joining the protective association, and
to expect at least 25 per cent reduction
on all material is under, rather than
over, the mark. II fortunes represent
ing millions can be made in manufactur-
ing dental goods, the dental profession
should, as man, stand in ard share in
the profits. The Mckinley bill was not
the cause directly OF the 50 per cent ad-
vance it was but an incident, but one
that has made the rise possible. With
10000 members OF the Protective asso-
citation, such an incident would not
occur.