The Portland daily press., 1901-02-27


stores with the single department Wit
ness said ne had.
Asked II department stores werent
comparatively new, witness said that tae
first store he ever worked In was more
OF department store than his. 10 was
q country store. lLanghter.)
Mr.. Foster and MIR. Libby argued IL
out very spiritediy, scoring mauy sharp
raps, and mir. Libby was several times
appiauders.
Florence #. Driscoll Of Portland, told
OF q case where chair was secured by
trading stamps and fell to pieces when tat
upon. lie related how he had found that
customers who had been fitted, after the
transaction was over, threw up tine trade
because they could not get stamps. j. IL.
Rines OF Portland said that the system
took away o profit from the dealers. No
legitimate business could afford to pay
i've per cent. IL clerk sold fifty dollars
In day, OF this ~ 80 went for stamps.
stamps were given 20 one, they should be
given to all. AS to profit. the customers
should pay the merchant enough to en-
able him to pay his expenses and profit.
III a trading stamp concern gets " 90 a
day from every clerk selling $50 worth OF
goods It Is easy to see how much easier
the stamps concern get its money than
the merchant. who must pay large rent
and carry heavy insurance. The effect
OF trading stamps is illustrated in the
case OF one man who frankly tells his
customers that without stamps the prl ce
is one figure. With trading stamps an
other. The dry goods merchants OF Port
land are nited In this matter.
MIR. Seiders, In opening for the remon-
strants against the bill regretted that 1t
should be found necessary for people to
founded on fraud. The company for
which he appeared had been doing
legitimate business In Portland for three
years. The trading scamp Is q means OF
advertising. The state is full OF means
OF advertising. March ants individually
adopt the means Of the trading stamp
companies. The bill would strike at
them all. 1t seemed to MIR. Seiders that
this means OF advertising was as proper
as that OF newspaper advertising. Mr.
Seiders said that out Of over 400 petition
ers for ths bill from Bangor, only thirty
iive were merchants. The same proDor-
ton was found In other places. OF 2lo0
petitioners In Portland only thirty-one
were merch ants. IL this was such fraud
aud humbug ne asked If these petitioners
would be here. In many states laws
against this bu siEess have been passed,
but in no case where the law has been
taken to the courts has 1t been declared
constitutional. The Rhode Island law
which has been declared unconstitutional
IL similar TO the pending bill.
Mr.. Hers said that nd ge Foster and
himself represented Oren Hooper's sons
and Watson, Miller company of Portland
and other Maine merchants who used
trading stamps. He reai letters from A.
j. Robinson 81 Son OF Bangor and Oren
Hooper's Sons OF Portland by Fred n.
Hooper, president, strongly advocating
the uss OF the stamps. Mr. Hooper said
ths stamps were used by all Glasses OF
people. He thought they stimulated cash
payments and thus deferred Deople from
buying more than they could pay for.
IL. Il. Orters of Bangor, who runs a
branch of the Portland Trading Stamp
company then described the manner of
doing business.
MIR. Watson of Watson, Miller " Co.,
Portland, testified TO the success of his
Iirm in using the stamps. They are given
to customers when asked for. They ars
used to supplement the newspaper advsr-
tising. There has been little complaint
about the goods. They had found the
stamps an inducement to cash trade
Signs are hung ON the store saying the
stamps will be given,
Several merchants told of the use of
trading stamps in their business as an
incentive to cash trade. On oross-ex-
animation each said that he had the ex-
elusive use OF the stamps in his line
Mr.. Heard presented the case OF the Bid
deford petitioners in brief remarks.
Mr.. q. #. Libby recalled Two witnesses
to bring out the fact that the use OF the
stamps war limited to one man in each
line or to several In large places.
The case was then briefly argued by
mr. O6lu6kbt JuQkc ObteE anu oANs A-Ab-
by. 1t was l O'Clock when the hearing
closed.
COMPELLING TRANSFERS TO CAPE
The act authorizing the Portland
Railroad company 20 Issue transfers
from its lines In Cape Elizabeth to
its main line was vigorously opposed
nv Hon. Charles f. Libby of Portland
He said that considering til length OF
the rides given for cents. the bill was
wholly unfair. He realize1 that there
were those who expsot and would like
to ride miles for cents ana he even
thought there were those who would
ike to ride from Portland to Augusta
for that amount, but he desired to pro-
test against the bill on the part OF the
Portland Railroad company.
Mr.. Moulton, who introduced the bill,
said 1t was one he had received from
Mr.. Hartford for Introduction.