Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-31

lcaQ w N06ellldn lOf llle DCllGlll OL iliN PNi- son who is just about to buy for $40 wheel as high grade as any on the mar ket; or at least, that is what the dealer tells him:
 'The extraordinary demand for bcy- cles has caused the turning out of all kinds of truck labeled bicycles and all sorts of irresponsible people-including prison labor manufacturers-who have unloaded on the unsuspecting public goodly lot of two-wheel affairs which they call bicycles If a law can be enacted which prevents people calling butterne butter, and making it a penal offense II same is not properly labeled, the movers in the crusade against the makers of pretended bicycles think that the legisla- lures will protect them against imltators: They further say that the new law Will compel bicycle manufacturers to label their product and give purchasers a de- tailed statement as to ingredients used in construction. The maker will have to say Gf the law is enacted) what material is used in the makeup of the bicycle they seek to sell. The workmanship will also be inquired into and the quality arrived al will be fixed into grades, so that no one will be misled. If a purchaser wants cheap bicycle he can buy one, but at the same time he will not be deluded into the belief that he is buying $100 high grade wheel. New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania will probably be heard from first; then Illinois, Indiana and Ohio will be tackled. Many profess to believe that the different legislatures will respond to the idea"
 When you buy your wheel see that it is made by factory which has reputation above reproach, and do not take the word of a dealer who Is trying to palm off on you worthless wheel for the sake of a few dollars profit.
 A novel proposition is on foot which should interest all bicycle manufacturers, and which may improve the health of the trade. Many of the older and reliable manufacturers have commenced to LOOK with more or less alarm on the continued increase of manufacturers of the any thing to sell a bicycle" order. They have commenced to argue this way: They say, We make a good bicycle; we guarantee it. make fair profit and do legitimate business. We have to compete against firms without any reputation, and thelr guarantee don't amount to anything. I et they continue to guarantee them. We want to protect both ourselves and the buyer from interruptions competition. The interruptions competitors advertise bicycles which they claim are high grade and equal to the best at price which we cannot touch, simply because they use shoddy material and we use only the best"
 A flea ture of the new proposition Is an
 
 legislation proposed and that is, they will ask the different important bicycle man. ufacturlng states that life and limb be made more secure. Several fatal acc- dents have occurred owing to the collapse of poorly constructed bicycles, which gave way and either killed or maimed the rider.
 Regarding the rumors which have been in circulation for some time past that 1e4 4lE&I Ia. a n a r. ers are in financial straits, the Referee one of the largest cycling papers, mas the following to say:
 "There seems to be an idea that the next month or two will see number or financial crashes in the cycle trade, this opinion having been frequently ex- pressed of late by several who are, per- haps, in a position to know whereof they speak, The fact that one or two con cerns of more or less prominence have found themselves little short or ready cash seems to be the grounds for the rumor It is at this time of the year that many of the smaller makers, and not few of the larger ones, are forced to ask little time on their bills, and 1t is the rule that wild rumorS are set afloat ac- cordingly-either by the minimizing or perhaps by some rival in the same line Of business. After carefully inquiring into the matter the Referee is inclined to be- lieve that the trade is in a far more healthy state at this time than at sim liar period in any previous year. It is fact that many of the makers are Just now using all of their available cash in order to buy stock, pay wages and pro vide for the other expenses necessary in turning out the number of wheels de- manded by agents, who, however. are not expected to remit for the same much inside of ninety days There have been few failures at this time of the year among manufacturers. The demand for wheels is so great that any maker can secure capital for three or four months, or until the agents remittances are in sight As the Referee has before stated, the prosperity of the maker hinges upon that of the agent, while that of the agent rests with the weather man. Good wealth er and dry roads will bring returns to the agent he will have ample money with which to pay the maker, and the maker will then be abled to keep up his notes, if he has any outstanding The prospects are that every wheel made in this coun- try this year will be sold which leads one to think that the stories about the weak ness of any bicycle makers are but the idle tales of those who have nothing bet ter to do than talk"
 During the past week or ten days the person who reads the stereotyped arti- cles in Sunday papers has had plenty of chance to "buzz" the wheelmen regard . ing the purchase of 100000 bicycles of all makes at $25 a piece by John Wana- maker, who proposes to offer them at his store in Philadelphia for $26 It will be remembered that about a year ago it was reported in all the prominent jour- nals that Stakeholder, the wagon mag nate, had erected factory for the pur- pose of building bicycles and placing them on the market at the astonishing figure of $50. He was to build 10000 and they were to be strictly high grade. It might be said that these machines have never yet made their appearance, and it is out of reason to suppose that they will. The manufacturers of high grade machines have more orders on their books for '96 wheels than they can hope to fill th.s season, and it is absurd to suppose that they would sell to the eX postmaster-geEera or any one else their output at figure that would be ruinous to them How these fake stories orig mate is a mystery, but it is safe to say that the up-to-date wheelman will think a long time before he will put any faith in them.
 The first meeting of the Birmingham W