The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-11
The TRADING STAMPS.
Both Delegations are Given Hearing at
Dover, Thursday.

The delegations which consisted Of those
IN favor Of giving away Trading Stamps
and those who were opposed to tho scheme
each were given hearing yesterday after
noon In the House by the General Assem-
bly,. Chairman Donaldson who has
charge Of the bill presided.
Wilmington Trading Stamp Company,
said his clients believed they were IN q le-
gitimato business with which the Legisla.
turs had no right to interfere. They wculd
like to know what the objections are.
Chairman Donaldson said that the Com
mittoe wanted to hear tho Trading Stamp
people as tho opposition had hearing sew.
eral weeks ago
William Ii Davidson of the Whining
ton Trading Stamp Company, explained
the modus operandi Of tho coupon
scheme, how the merchants purchase the
stamps the contracts they sign, and the
books in which the stamps are sold to the
merchants and then pasted in the BOOK
provides for tho customer ; that his COM
pany had l76 contracts, and that the com
pany obligated themselves to advertise in
two papers twice month. The company
handled chairs, pictures, lamps, bicycles,
sewing machines, dishes, carpet sweepsis
anu siiyerware.
Mr. Dempsey asked If any article could
be selected from the store, to which MIR.
Davidson answered in the affirmative.
j. II. Hopkins asked II was true that
one merchant In a block was allowed to
give stamps and another in the same
block was not.
Mr. Donaldson said tho merchants In
some cases insisted upon such contrac To-
One now has the exclusive right to use
stamps in the clothing business.
W. +. Smalley. Jr., asked Mr.. Davidson
II he considered his scheme an advertising
plan and he said that was the object of the
agency. Also If the contract 10 advertise
the merchants twice q month In the news.
pnpcrs had been carried out. Mr.. Donald
son said no. not since the.agitation began.
Mr.. Cooper said the newspapers had said
moro about the matter than public sonti-
ment warranted. He did not think the
public was greatly interested. Merchants
have given coupons for II long time This
is the difference from that plan. There
are some people who want to DO relieved
from their contracts. The Legislature mas
no right to say that merchant cannot OF
shall not give his customers "a premium.
He did not belieyo the Legislature mad q
right to pass such law. This Is species
of foolish legislation and should not have
been brought here.
EDWARD BLAN vs.
of the Home Coupon Company, said the
opposition came from the newspapers and
those who first refused to 60 into the COM
pany. William Lawton was one OF thom
He has been giving coupons. and Is now
Jealous. There are number or mer-
chants who have come Of their own accord
to tel how the plan benefited them. ne
considered that they were in Legitimate
business and did not think they should be
interfered with.
JAMES II. WRIGHT.
said that he had advertised in the news
papers that he would give trading stamps.
The whole matter was done fairly. He had
gone into the plan on condition
that no other clothing man should have
tho stamps This condition was u yerbh!
one. He got tho wer Of his money out
of it. Ec contended that the Legislature
had no right to take the stamps from MIN.
THOMAS Finn
Who carries on gentleman's furnishing
store said he was heartily in favor of CIV
ing trading stamps. He citou tho fact OF
Lippincott giving away furniture by cou.
pons. He said the people wanted the
stamps.
WILLIAM NJ HAMMOND
or Bralway g. Hammond, laundrymoD,
said his firm was satisfied with the
stamps. lie thought they should be al
lowed to give stamps if tho Cinnamon arc
allowed to give tea and tho tea men
China.
LEWIS -.
Said he had only been in the grocery
business but Il short time. and he consider
ed the stamps q goou thing. He was Ger
tainly in favor OF them.
JOHN BOYLE,
EGrocor said he thought the stamps
good thing as they bad increased his bust
ness and he was now doing cash busi-
ness.
Isaac Bullock. Henry Monahan, w. H.
Pyleand q. X. Benge also spoke of the
good the stamps had done their particu-
lar lines of business.
IN FAVOR OF THE BILL.
William F. Smalley, Jr., said that ho rep
resented more than II handful Of merchant
as had been charged. 1t was not consid-
cred necessary to bring a long list of speak
ers AS the opponents of the bill had al
ready had h caring before the General
Assembly.
A. B. GILLESPIE
Grocer, said that petition signed by 900
merchants in tho city had been presented
asking that the bin be passed, and these
stamps abolished He had given trading
stamps and considered that they did not
help hiss bn siness in fact. it was detr-
ment TO it if anything. He would like to
sec the bill passed; that If q man can
make over per cent in tho grocery busl-
ness he is doing well. He had made Il
contract with the Wilmington Company,
which lie had kept and which they had
broken.
PROFESSOR WE'LL
Said he was an optician mud that he was
driven into giving away trading stamps
owing to the means adopted by his COM
Eettora.
ME-. wOLCOTT
read several decisions in reference to
stamps or prize plans in other states. Such
acts ire unconstitutional There can DO
no distinction between the coupon and tho
trading stamp bu.ino:s. He cited the
law in Maryland, willis tho Senate yester.
day passed bill to prohibit the giving Of
trading stamps.
Mr.. smaller replied ana said that he
Represented 800 store keepers IN the city of
Wilmington who were opposed to the Civ
ing Of coupons. If he did not believe the
bill VIII, constitutional he would not ask
Tor It's fh:"hSh III ms hecn Ntclared TO
be constitutional in the District Of
COlumbia, IL the State Of Missouri and in
the State Of Ptnnsy lyania The best
people to speak in the uattcr are tho store
keepers themselves the ones who pay tho
tribute to these stamp companies
not the paid lawyers, on either side.
ono half OF those giving away trading
stamps had signed the petition because
they were losing money.
GOyEENOK's FIRST VETO.
Governor Tunnel made his first veto
thu! afternoon. 1t WIS the bill to amend
the law in reference to the State detectives
and provided THAI thoy should DO appoint
ct rs heretofore, except that ono might be
appointed IRON anywhere in the State
The new bill left ont the section which
provided, in the existing act, that detec-
tiyrs might DO removed by the governor
under certain conditions.