The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-29
GRoCERs TALKED 1T OVER.
They Have Little to Say About the
Probable War In Prices

A meeting of the Retail Grocerss Associa-
ton was held yesterday afternoon. and the
withdrawal of the Drayton Grocery Com
pany furnished matter for discussion.
The advertisement by the new manager
of the grocery Company. Mr.. George Van
Horne, Of his prices, started the members
of the association to talking when IL FIRST
appeared three or four days ago. and the
meeting was the first the association has
held since
The question in many of it's phases, as 4
effects the grocers, was discussed. and it
was decided they would not allow the
Drayton Grocery Company TO take away
any of their customers. BY this 1t was
meant that the grocers in the associa ton
will meet any cut in prices that may be
made by the firm withdrawn from the CON-
pact. One of the grocers said there are as
yet no cuts to be met. as the advertised
prices of MIR. Van Horne are. with one or
two exceptions, those at which they all sell
their goods.
Collectively the members OF the associa-
ton took a purely business view of the
retirement of the Drayton Grocery Com
pany, one of the members saying the thing
was considered in a dispassionate way,
but, individually, they were very much
wrought up. Many of them think the
Drayton Grocery Company should not
have remained in the association, as they
| say ii did. deriving for a long time what
ever benefits IL offers, to try to catch the
| customers of the rest OF the grocers by
Withdrawing and adopting methods it had
| agreed to let alone.
Mr.. Van Horne was seen. but he had
nothing more to say about the matter He
had been doing a much greater business,
he said, since he had been advertising his
prices.
The following statement, signed by c.
W. West, president, and John T. Evans,
| secretary of the Retail Grocers' Asso1ia-
ton, was sent to the Morning News last
night with the request that it be puD-
| lished:
"An article in the Morning News of Sun
day last. under the head of Break in Gro
| GERS Union" is calculated to mislead the
| public. The retail grocers of Savannah
| have combined as merchants, not to cs-
tablish high prices, but to regulate equi-
| table prices, and to consult together for
the best advancement of the grocery in
| terests of our city. We carry expensive
stocks of goods, run several wagons each.
send for orders to all parts of the city,
| in every kind of weather, and deliver the
goods few hours after. We have many
losses to sustain, which the public ere
not acquainted with, and 1t Is
to look into the working of
our business that this association was
formed, and not for the purpose of in
| creasing prices. The wholesale mer-
| chants and many other classes of bus ST.
ness have their respective organizations.
| Our association is not broken, and It's con
tinuance will result in the mutual benefit
of the merchant and consumer"
| Hopsekeepers are interested in the pros
| pect of a fight with lower prices. and are
| waiting to see what the grocers are going
| to do. The Morning News has already
| given concisely the facts of the withdraw
al of the Drayton Company and the reas-
| CTS which caused it,