New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-01
DRUGGISTS N 4 oTANDARY.
MANY DOUBTS FXPRESsFr As 70 WHAT ART
CIEs REQUIRE THE STAMPS

When tho bill goes into effect he druggists viii
he their wits erd The wholesale dealers ~
medicines and proprietary articles have rot been
able 20 secure anything like the number of stamps
they require and those which they have procured
are generally Of denomna ions ior which they have
l!tte use The retailers have besioged the whole
ssiers enGesvorirg 70 induce the latter 10 share
their small allotr'onts Of stamps With them. The
wholesalers. however have obtained 80 Few stamps
rha, IN most Instances they have been unable 20
comply with these .cquests. and the retailers Will
sinply have to.for,go the sale Of articles on which
the stamps are required until the latte are forth
coming
From all accounts. no one has been able to learn
when that viii h and the druggists are in a guam
dary IN consequence. There IS also considerable
douh, expressed rs To whether certain articles re-
quirA stamp or not. as for example. infant foods.
The druggists that II these articles are 20 come
under the tax there is No reason why special
brands ~ cereals sold In groceri'e should not he
taxed Cod-ver o!l Is article that is sold largely
IN bulk but many druggists also pu' y up ln spe-
cial bottles under thciy own labels NON. according
20 the druggists. ood-livcr Of Is cod-Iver OIL no
matter what the label and ought not tc 10 taxed
az a proprietary article. bat the druggists are IN
clned to he opinion that Il they 10 nor put on the
stamps they viii get into trouble
One drugcis, said yesterday shat during ~" Civil
War IL the label waa printed BLANK & 60 = Goa
Liver OIL" the stamp was demanded. ~ II y read
God Liver oil PIT mp by BlaHk & co." The article
was not considered proprietary on" SevcrAl
members Of the wholesale drug trade GaiG yesier.
DAY that they would have been better satisfied :
they had been obliged 10 PAY q }. ,. and per cert
tax instead Of the fractional amounts af the large
stocks make necessary much figuring and great IN
convenience
A. the ONCE Of McKesson & Robbins g. was SAID
thai the firm had secured In al Two hlndr'1
stamps Of the fOur-ccni variety. These ~ nav"
little use for. said M Kesson. hu' " pa. ~
an order several weeks ago FOR MY thousand ea,l
Of the one-eigh;h-cent gnd tVo-eicn' hs-cent kinds
Va have not e'cived = single one OF IN" latter.
and no ore say when We viii get ihem, IN me
mean tine means practical ctesltion q large
part Of our buslnctF.
a representative Of Schicfclin q GO reiterated
this stat ment. He said the troubl" was ihat the
au.h0rities at Washington had overlooked ne
enormous growth of the proprietary business,
which e. many Zines as !aTe. as u was curing
The civil War. He also sald - al TIC retailers
would be seriously Inconvenience.
There wa a diversity Of opinion IS to how IN"
tax woulG be construed with reference 10 ioi"'
eoaps most dealers believing that !; would Apply
only 70 those fox which medical ViFtu's "ef"
claimed. ], VIII however. apply to iOlIet waters.
face powders. cosmetics and perfumc'N Mos
dealers IN these goods have already been intorinc1
by the manufacturers that the tax Will be added ~
the Wholesale price Of The articles. The druggists
that ,hc margin Of profit Is small that th!s vi"
result in the retail price being raised as they can,
no, afford 20 pas tho tax themselves. Inc genera!
opinion IS that the TAX and consequent chahs IN
prices will result IN general rise al! along me nhe
as prices nave been cut down 50 by competition
that all dealers will welcome the opportunity no"
offered increase them