Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-08
HAVE A HOT MEETING
ANTI-TRADING-sT BILL DIS
CUssED IN A LIVELY MANNER.
PERSONALITIES ARE INDULGED In.
The Chairman Has to Make Several
Appeals For Order-Feeling shown
On Both sidcs--No Action Taken by
the Committee.

slider the trading-stamp bill, could not D.
called tame In any sense Of the word
| on the contrary, it was exceedingly
warm" and the atmosphere grew quiu
hot before the body adjourned, at lz;z
| o'clock. There were times when some
the more peaceable ones present hei'
themselves I'm readiness to give clean
omen space between certain of the advo
Gates and opponents Of the measure. Per
sonalities were INDUCED in frequently.
To use the expression of one OF th'
legislators. who was present. though no.
a member Of the body. there was no
time in the committee tonight After
four hours had been consumed in argu-
ment. the committee went into eNecu1N'
session, and decided to postpone the
further consideration of the measure un'i
next Thursday morning. Ihe SENATE
chamber and the gallery were crowueu ~
the utmost capacity, ana seoie o'
ladies' were present to witness the pio-
ceedings. Ii was an exceedingly Demon
stratiye audience. and more thah on0e
the chairman had TO request that oluel
be observed Every point mace ei1"ei
I'm favor of or against the measure, "aS
received with outbursts OF applause
rhoae in favor of the bill seemed 10 oe
rather I'm the majority, though at times'
Judging from the demonstrations IL "p-
peared that the sentiment was apou'
evenly divided. There was an uiuei s'"l'u.
ing at the beginning that each siue Na'
to be given an hour TO present ai 81
ment but as the sentiment Oh the Oo'"
mittee seemed 10 be to hear the 1"S0
thoroughly. this rule was not opsei'eu'
ITS PATRON SPEAKS FOR 1T.
Mr.. Murphy opened the discussion ne ~
starting his reasons tor ny ma ~ tie re-
hin. He had done so, he salu, AZ itdno,,ino-
ouest of several merchants. upoh had
into the matter himself, however .rndinos- me no
come TO the conclusion that ny .ngg, ,'olicy
stamp system was against pun - oa ri
AR Nurnhv asked II any one ever ~ II, 10
~ a merchant obtaining license " ~
business. opening his store, anu . tn." ,hts
fusing 10 sell goods. 1hat was VIZ ~o,,or
Trading Stamp Company ana; npMrrth, npMM,r,h,,
In answer to the queStioh, NJ VI. 90 eold
was informed that morphine VIZ "o' cose
to every one. and that was such y 80, 49,
The natron Of the measure lmhleuilai.e,y
rcDlied by making the cOmpdilson 30 - a
and stating that the goods one.eu ~ 20 as
public by the company wSIe jus ureferred TO
noisonolis as the deadly drug relel lISo ~ ~
Some of the merchants VINO useu 'no
sramps did not treat their cusloinets i9h tha
lv. as unless they were askeu ~. L., Il,
commons they did not give theiil; tiuo - -,
reality taking advantage OF the pu p.l,
chascr who was ignorant of the system
10 Grated that a police offlcer nau ~
sented stamps TO the company ,aI. au 10
cause they were not all in one D1s. DoOh W
was told that he could NOT sst a. RR,o The
When. however. he showed ms pauSe, ,.,eht eht
stamp company quickly mace u a' ''s"'
with him. 1,,r,ruc
PETITIONS FROM MANY CITIES,
Mr. George Med. Blake next spoke aiso
In favor of the bill. lie first explained the
system. which is well known Inc speaNTl .l.er
declared that he had petltions ilvni 1 Srote
chants in many of the cities ot 4 ne $50, nsaso
favoring the passage Of the Dill: lheSS
r,ere as follows: Manchester, l6 mer-
chants: Hampton. "a; Newport NcNsi 10 90
Norfolk 1S: Portsmouth. a; Alexanuii;n, a.,
A. ont of the COO retail merchants III
Diotnec,,d 200 were I'm favor of the Dill.
Mr. Rlake then read from several Jvul
nails showing that the trading-stamp sys-
tom had spread over the whole country,
from New York to California. anu ,. tna'
everywhere II was being 0Ppossu ny y,iaces Ia'
chants and the public. and in many plasceS
n had been wiped out. The nrm cOhuuO.lhs
the business received an income OF nan Il
million a year. They had carried lle,a 1,
stamps into every business, untl, IL etSi w
Included that OF the undertaken, Ine
nonopolv only stopping at the grave. ! ne
sneaker said he held a communication,
over the signature OF Mr.. Blo0mberB, III
which the latter declared that the sSseSmi
n,rt the small dealer on the leVel WIZ
Inc GREAT department stores Ana TINS
assertion was made I'm the face of the tact
that the only department store IN the city
had the exclusive rieht 10 use the sldnPS,
i'm onpOsition TO all other ury-sopus
stores. Mr.. Blake had large paper gag
on the front Of his desk. from whlch ne
drew several of the presents various Gus
toners had received. None OF tnem were
worth probably over S2. Mr.. MAYS,
drummer. who had received one OF these
oifts stated that n jewellcr had valued
II at So The gift was his own cholce' Du1
he had to take that or nothing.
SPEAKS FOR THE STAMPS.
Mr. Sol. Bloomberg. who represented
the Trading Stamp Company then lhlIo-
duced Mr.. b. c. Flood. the Virginia man
ager of the concern. Mr.. Flood thotouSh-
ly explained the system drhy rhey TrJ hnsi,ees ne
vas . legitimate one The statement
that the company had stocked lts store
with more expensive presents since the
bill was introduced was nor cotIecl, Mt NJ
Thalhimer. who had made TINS state
ment. was, he declared. handling lamp
for which was paid 2.75 and was selung
the article for s.. Was that lesltlntte
profit? Mr.. Thalhimer had a license n6 ior
conducting the dry-gOOds business, ana
was selling crOckery. was that leSiu-
mate? Mr.. Flood made the assertion that
some of the people who had signed the
petition referred TO mad done so uhuer
the impression that IL was merely TO
hiring The matter before a committee.
MIR Blake denied this. and took u as a
reflection upon him. as he nad secured
the signatures. The manager OF me
STAMP Company passed over the matter
nv stating that Mr. Blake did not handle
the truth very carefully. a.,
Mr Blake Immediately jumped to his
feet to resent the remark, when several
Of the committee interrupteu sut
were being indulged In,
which was contrary 10 the rules OF the
body. -,
Harlan. of New York city, i'm which he
sustained I'm a test case, the Tracing
Stamp Company. In conclusion, the
speaker said If the merchants did not
wish their stamps they need not lake
eight city and eight State licenses and
spending $4,000 a year in conducting the
business. excluding newspaper adVeruse-
ments.
Check Company, made a brief statement,
i'm which he explained their system.
which was similar to that Of the stamp
SORRY HE USED THEM.
Mr.. Woody. a merchant. who used the
stamps. stated that he was sorry he did.
He was opposed TO the system The COM
pany had asserted. however, that they
were here to stay. and would spend $780,
DO TO do SO.
Mr.. w. =. Caudle OF j. H. Busby *
CO.. furniture dealers, next addressed the
committed He said he did not have &c
be asked by customers to give stamps
when he sold goods. He did so without
being asked He did not believe In crush
Ing out a legitimate business that had
located IN Richmond.