The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-14
MERCHANTS FAIL TO AGREE
DIFFERING REPORTS SUBMITTED
 ON TRADING STAMP PROBLEM.


 panies Are Transactiug a Legitimate
 Rusiness-The Merchants Guilty.
 It was 9:20 last night when the third specialmeeting of the Retail Merchants association, for the consideration of the troublesome trading stamp and coupon question was called to order by Pres- ident Howe. There was large attend ance. President Howe vacated the chair, and Second Vice President c, E. Hart was called to preside. The majority report of the board of directors was read by Secretary John- son. It was as follows: Resolved, That the Retail Merchants associa- tion adopt the cooperative sys- tenn as proposed by MT. Beckwith and that any member of the association can use this system upon payment of $5 to the treasurer and such books and stamps as are necessary will be furn- ished by him.
 Six of the nine directors signed the majority report. The minority report, which was very lengthy,was as follows: At the general meeting of the retail Merchants association two weeks ago, the board of directors was appointed committee to consider the duty of the association in regard to the various trading coupon schemes in operation in our city, and report some plan by which these schemes may be opposed and de- stroyed.
 This committee held two meetings. the last one week ago at which a quorum was present, viz, nine members. After due consideration majority re- port that you have heard was passed by six votes, three of the committee dissenting from it's recommendations. The minority in calling attention to the fact that less than one-third of the whole committee make the majority re- port, do not try to belittle the value of their conclusions because they were not responsible for non-attendance of more than one-half of all the commit tee. Moreover, all present knew that the association expected a definite re- port and recommendation from the committee, and both the majority and minority reports are plans of pro- ceedure deemed proper for the associa- ton. We also desire to state our con- victions that the proposed cooperative stamp method is the best of all schemes that uses stamp or coupon because there's is no gift enterprise, with un- known or uncertain values connected with 1t. But we do dissent from their recommendation that the association take any steps to inaugurate stamp schemes however free 1t may be from illegitimate methods. We believe this association should stand for the best interests of all the merchants in the city, whether members or not; that the association should be conducted on broad general lines of action so as to grow in favor with those not now with us and cause them to become members. Any action of this association that will result in the organization of any advertising or mutual trading schemes among any of the members, be they few or many, resulting probably to the disadvantage or detriment of other merchants, members or not, will, we think, tend to destroy the influence of this association and probably introduce 1 discord and disintegration.
 l We believe, moreover, that the scheme presented, if adopted, will, from | the use of stamps, be considered by the 1 public as another stamp scheme adopt l ed by the association after denouncing those already in the field. We further | believe that this association, compris- 1 ing over 125 business houses, the first of it's kind in the state, with influence befitting it's location in the largest city, should give forth no uncertain sound when such questions come before it, but should maintain the mercantile l honor of the city and hold aloft our 1 declaration of fair play and equal | rights under the law and no toleration | for illegal business methods or mis- | cllievous schemes
 l We therefore recommend that the as- sociation assist, by all proper means, any merchant in our city, whether a member or not, in ascertaining his le- gal obligations, should he have Suffi- cient reasons for considering himself entrapped into signing any contract with a stamp or coupon company, through fnisrepresentations or by any unlawful method.
 We recommend that sum of $500 be raised at meeting by subscription for this purpose and handed to the board of directors, who shall have charge of it and shall return any amount not used as specified to each subscriber in | proportion to his subscription.
 We further recommend that a com- mittee of three, to be appointed by the i chair, shall confer as soon as possible with the city attorney and ascertain what amendments or additions to our city ordinances are necessary to aid in l the suppression of all lotteries or gift l enterprises conducted under the guise of regular business methods. We learn that the city of San Francisco has pass- ed an ordinance to thisoeffect and that | another city conten1plates such action | at the request of it's merchants. This committee shall report to the board of directors information thus ob- tained, and the board of directors shall have full power to act in endeavoring to obtain such legislation through the court of common council" This report is signed by c. F. Hart, J. c. Johnson l and S. 4. Howe.
 | Next was read the opinion or the at +ornav If the associaIion, James ID.