New-York tribune., 1896-05-24
PRICE.CUTTfNG HAS STARTED IN EAR
NEST
c,prrr.p FROM THE rorr COMPANY crrr
RIMS TO-DAY TIE sew YORK 4 g HAS
1, TIAN

CYCLE RA'lNF ltA"
tn. manufacturers q many OF IL" standard
makes of BICYCLES are much concerned "' '"' f''
o,,,,r vrhicb f.. becoming rather prevalent 30 ih'
,r,ao The cutting 70 date has boon confined as a
.,o~,l thing to the cheaper or second fIiH"
u.boote 4, number o. iho manufacturers We're seen
,es,ordav and while jAoy a2miiirl ih'' ''"'-
was gong on at an alarming rate h'"' ' '+' ''
could give any plausible reason i'r iH' i''"'.
l.. ,to ,,ri,e ~ wheels : number oi the concerns
,a,., ,n,,, order, % catch mp WITH. ana 90" firm.
u.,,b nl,oa ~ business in Warrcn-st. showed me
~o,,r,e- conclusive proofs ihat they were more
than nvo thousand whco.s behind IT, tH'F "''''S.
While the eating has not been cohined I'D 'H' "'"
makers exclusively. it viii likely have disastrous
oooc, an many irresponsible firms who nave en-
tered the business for purely specHl"ilN" r''-''''
and who have turned ont a wheel 10 sell. n'' caring
,sr,iculariv whether "stood up a week or year.
one n the largest makers IN summing up tHe
situation yesterday. said: THE real trouble Is JUST
this: Many mushroom concerns have p9pi,I up ~
tbe las, few years. and thcir wares are ~ ir.f r
cascs Of the cheapest and yilcsi sDri oi stun In'y
hung through he winter ara n. r cnilre ditphf
q, tbe month OF April. OF course. they dil not 30
t, and hey are ffSns t Kno%hP Know anI rmy esab
lisbcd firms but II viii get rld OF l9t % concerns
which have been real menace 10 Inc ""'' any
way"
The Pope Manufacturing Company issued cir
cular from its Office. at Hartford conn yesterday
and it is given in full below:
There arc hundreds OF bicycle manufacturers In
the field looking for a market for the product Of
their factories. The competition among them is
such that cutting Of prices Is goinS on 10 great
extent Most Of these makers list their machines
at the highest price and then sell them for the
most money they can, according to the shrewdness
Of the buyer and the skill Of tho seller. some OF
these bicycles are good some Indifferent and some
had We DO not consider any OF them equals OF
the Columbia which stands in class by itself. the
standard Of the world. price 800 TO everybody, a
nrce which will be maintained 10 the end OF the
season.
But in order that our agents may be able TO meet
this line OF competition and give 10 the buyer bet
fer value for his money than he can get by taking
other machince many of which are made by IN
experienced manuiacturers We haNe d'iihel 10 re-
Cuce the list prices Of Hartfords as follows: nos.
! and from SO To- So Nos and from SO to 81.
Nos and 6 from 50 10 $i5,withyour regular dis.
count These bicycles are made by the Haruorl
Cvcle Company. which We have controlled from the
beginning and which was established for The pur-
pose of making bicycles for competitions Last
exclusive sale OF HartiOrds At the opening OF
l,96 we made prices on them that were equitable
dealers cutting, We prefer 10 reduce the prices
SO that they viii successfully compete with amy
made by others and that all shall be treated alike
I'VE do this rather than give large discounts ana
allow our agents to sell at cut prices; the former
plan gives a certain Iroht to the agent. the latter
Uncertain profit. and makes the customers dis
satisfied. This change will take effect on receipt
of this letter This affords you an uneGuallei
for medium and Ow-pr!ccd bicycles. II you have
any new bicycles Of these patterns still in stock
p.oasc send I'm at your signed statement OF the
make the proper rebate. There VIII be no rebate
on machines sold used This revokes the extra
discount offered Hartfords In our circular OF
May IL"