Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-29

criu,ina tioa between cash customers anu
the stamp customers. and really makes the
dollars of the cash customer worth less
than that of the other customer. Besides.
the trading store gets the entire behen. o.
the transaction, because IT gives ar artlc!e
worth a dollar that is marked at a muCh
greater price, and then 1t also gets the
benefit Of the unredeemed stamps which
the dealer has to pay for. The scheme also
reduces the merchants net profit one-hali
IT is a matter of regret that the trading
public should patronize scheme that IS
only of benefit to the trading store
clark & Co. said: I'VE were asked to go
into the scheme but We refused. After
looking into the matter we did not see
how we could do ourselves and the people
of Washington justice by giving an outside
concern per cent of our profit. as we are
thoroughly satisfied with a . per cent pront
from our business, and to increase that
we would have to add to the price OF our
goods. which would not be fair to our Gus
toners" :
Mr.. Seaton Perry said: 81 am decidedly
opposed to the trading stamp. and APP
prove of the position taken by The Even
ing Star in relation TO this scheme:
Star Expressed His Views.
Mr. James F. Oyster said: 1.-The Star ex-
pressed my views exactly in the matter
When 1 can afford to sell my goods for )
per cent less than the regular prices
would prefer to give it to all my patrons.
/ Del1cEe Cndl II one man Is eNlllleu W y
Ger cent all are, but, according to this
scheme my customers would be discrimi
mated against. 1 believe in treating them
all alike. Unfortunately many merchants
do not keep an accurate account of their
business, and as a result they do not real
ize what a trap such scheme is
Mr.. w. H. Mcknew said: Il was waited
on early in the year and invited to go into
this scheme. but 1 refused, as the plan did
not meet with my approval. any more than
the other cooperative schemes that are
presented. 1 have but one price. and that
is uniform to all alike and therefore do
not feel justified in making concessions to
any particular class of customers as / de-
sire to treat all alike. l regard the stamp
scheme the least desirable for the GUS
toner, because a large share of the bonus
granted goes into the treasury of the Trad
ing Stamp Company and not to the con-
sumner"
Shrevvd Money-MakinR Scheme.
Mr.. F. Crocker's views: 1T is unreserved-
ly my opinion that the Trading Stamp
Company has inaugurated one of the
shrewdest Honey-making schemes that has
ever come to my Eotice-at least, as far
as the Trading Stamp Company is con-
cerned. The effect with the merchant
will be that he must get excessive profit
on his merchandise. No man can long pay
) per cent of his profits to outsiders without
going to the wall"
j. Karr's Sons said I'VE are glad to see
the publication in The Star in regard to
the trading stamp scheme. We positively
refused to have any connection with it when
it was first proposed for the reason that
it was not. in our opinion. legitimate busi-
ness. II there is any reduction to be made
in prices We prefer to give our customers
directly the benefit of it,
Glad Scheme is shown Up.
d. ]. kaufman, clothier-"I started to sell
clothing at the smallest margin of profit
Of or
afford to give 5 per cent Off Those i'll the
scheme would better have given it to their
customers direct and not to an outside con-
Germ Glad to see The Star showing up
DHhe matter in its true light"
+ MIR: RoDt. Castelberg of the Castelbergs
National Jcwelry Co. says: 1.-The Stars
article was right to the point. The. mer-
be-giveA to customer. cannot afford to
Eyt 5 per cent of my business; but IL
could E5would give 1t to the customer in
cash at time of sale.
Mr.. Charles r. Edmonston Said II did
not go into the scheme, and I think that
those who have should be willing to give
a per cent rebate to all their cash Gus
tcmers. In other words, this scheme in my
opinion. means that the merchant gives S
per cent of his profits to this stamp COM
pany. Now. as i said, Think 1t would be
fairer to give it directly to the customers"
Mr.. James s. Topham said: IT appreciate
very much what The Star has done in ex-
POSING this scheme. What this stamps selling
device means is to require business men to
pay a percentage of their profits to keep a
concern afioat in which they have no in
terest whatever. 1t promotes fictitious
prices, because the merchant has to adj
vance the prices in order to meet this tax
on his profits.'
W. L. Douglass Shoe Co. said that they
had not gone into the scheme, but they
believed IL it was confined to q limited
number of merchants it might be of ad-
vantage. In our line of business where
the patrons are mostly men. the results
of such a scheme might not be as great as
| where there are lady customers. for this
stamp craze seems to have more vogue
with the women than with the men,