The San Francisco call., 1899-11-04
KODAK MAKERS
BEGIN WAR ON
SMALL DEALERS
Cut Rates on Photo
Supplies.

The Eastman Kodak Company has
started a rate war on this coast TO force
the smaller retail dealers out of business
and TO compel some of the larger East
ern manufacturers to enter into a trust.
The company has sought IN more ways
than one TO gain absolute control of the
trade. From time TO time II has alb
sorbed smaller concerns that threatened
10 become competitors for the business of
the amateurs. Some OF the concerns re-
fused to be absorbed and grew on apece
until their proportions began 10 worry
the Eastman people Some few months
ago propositions were made to these In
sttuttons 10 enter into a combine Ne
gotiations we're evidently not satisfactory
and compact was not effected.
On this coast there are more than
twenty thousand amateur photographers.
and they form very important factor in
the business Of the competing Eastern
companies The Rochester Optical Com
pany' the Rochester Camera and Supply
Company, the Western Camera Company
(the chief rival Of the Eastman Com
pany) and tho Adlake Company of Chi
cago have been making frantic bids for
the patronage Of the coast These are the
concerns that the Eastman Company has
peen trying 10 force into a trust
On october q the trade received notice
a
one-third in the price of all of the goods
soid by the company would be inaugu-
Ialed on this coast on November l. The
leading dealers got together Wednesday
night and after a lengthy discussion de-,
Ciueo 10 abide by the cut and advertise
the reduction on the Eastman goods.
Inc result Of this is going to be-" said
a prominent dealer yesterday, that the
smaller dealers-especially those in the
interior towns who have been handling
the goods OF other concerns-are going to
be frozen out Of business by the Eastman
people. This is the greatest rate war in
Photographic supplies that has ever been
lnauR urated in the country, and there is
no telling where it Is going TO end There
d tight to finish. II the smaller CON
Germs are able to hold out against the
Eastman people compromise may be
reached after all of them have lost a
great deal of money, but if the agrees
ors win out trust will undoubtedly be
formed that Will force the prices of anna
teur photographic supplies up to a fig
ure where the pastime will become one Of
the greatest luxuries in the country
The great card of the Eastman people
has been their film process OF photog-
raphy- The dry plate process has given
them considerable uneasiness. They have
bought out several small concerns, but
have been unable to shut off all opposi-
ton. The war is inaugurated on this
coast for the reason that Pacific Coast
amateurs have the reputation among the
manufacturers of using the better quail
ity and higher price Of goods than those
OF any other part Of the United States
The war will not affect the larger deal
ers who make speciality of several lines
of amateur Photographic supplies, but
there are more than 400 small dealers who
have been selling the goods of the oppo-
sttion to the Eastman Company which, Il
the latter wins out in the war that was
started yesterday morning, will be forced
out of business.
This is the first time in the history of
amateur photography that a cut in the
prices of the material used has been
dreamed Of The Eastman Company has
had such a monopoly of the business thai
on many occasions where dealers have
cut prices their supply has been cut of
entirely and they have. been compelled to
retire from that branch of trade
Press the button" machines are down
to bedrock prices on the coast since
yesterday, but when the figures go up the
dealers assert that all the losses OF the
war will be made good and great deal