The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-19
COMBINE IS A GO
WHOLESALE HARDWARE JOBBERS
TO FORM AN ORGAN
IZATION
LARGE PROFITS, LESS EXPENSE
A Move to CurtaiI Competition, Cut
ting of Prices, and Reduce
Operating Expenses to
Minimum.

"The hardware combine is practically
an established fact said a large Twin
Citv iobber Yesterday afternoon to L
Globe. The promoters have options on
all the large wholesale hardware stores
in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, De
troft. Kansas City, Omaha, Dubuque, 81.
Paul and Minneapolis
"They have filed their articles of in
corporation, and are now prepared to go
ahead and consummate their plans.
There is no question about the project
being launched and that in the very near
future
One of the leading Twin City jobbers
was asked if he would consider
proposition to go into such scheme. He
said "Of course we would. We thlnk
the idea a good one" Then do we under
stand that you are in favor OF trusts
was asked "Why, no, not exactly; this,
Won understand is not a trust; it is
simply a business proposition, and one
that should appeal to any business man.
You must understand that combinations
and consultations are possible now, that
could not be considered even as a remote
probability ten years ago: at this time
everything seems to favor closer Work!llg
relations of allied interests, in order to
be successful and we look upon the
scheme as one that may prove of great
benefit
When asked how long this matter had
been under consideration, the jobber
sad: about two months ago repre-.
sentative of the promoters, Mr.. Jonn
Bindley formerly president Of . the Ma
tional Association of Wholesale Hard
ware Jobbers, came to the Twin Cities,
looked over the field, and before he left
had conditional options on three Of the
largest establishments in the Twin
Cities
Nothing has been said from that time
until the present, and it is not dehnltely
known, whether the proposition made
Two months ago will be accepted by the
promoters at this time or not, but it is
fair to presume that if such a combine
is launched that the Twin Cities are q
center which must be reckoned with, and
now that the articles of Incorporation
have been filed, the so-called trust Is
very nearly sure of the houses which
1t will have under it control and
from now on it will simply be a matter
of arranging the working details, and
getting everything in running order fol
the new concern to take hold, and direct
the movements of the various houses
which it will control.
The plan is to have a general office,
presumably in Chicago, and from there
the different branches will be operated.
It is also understood that the present
firm names of the different houses Which
will come under their control will be be
retained SO that apparently the mer-
chants will do business with the same
firm that they have always dealt with.
The benefits which will result from
such a combination will be the cutting
down of an enormous expense of doing
business For example, the three largest
houses In the Twin Cities employ about
$50 travelling men. They all practically
cover the same territory, and under the
Few arrangement one man could take
the place of three, thereby reducing the
cost of doing business nearly one-half.
1t also would do away with price-cutting
in order to secure business. This same
rule would apply to other cities that in
wade the same territory.
1t is understood that the president of
the National Association of Wholesale
Hardware Dealers, who is q member of
a large st. Paul firm, is one of the chief
promoters Of the scheme, and is very
anxious for its contamination. 1t is I'M
derstood that any who wish may sell
their business outright to the new or
ganization, but in doing so they bind
themselves not to again engage In the
wholesale hardware business; if they do
not sell out, they can remain as stock
holder in the new organization, which,
no doubt, would prove more satsfac-
tory.
The combination of the hardware inter-
estS in the West is one easy of accom-
plishment, as there are comparatively
few of them to reckon with, and pros
poets of holding them together are more
inviting than in any other line of job
bing business. strange thing about