Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-08-02
BOOK Fight AN
ECONOMIC STUDY.
MIR. Chandler States Position OF
CHM & Co. in Controversy.
WAR Of DETERMINATION BY BOOK TRUST,
Believes Acts and Speeches by Few IndlvIdu
ais Responsible for CdtIci,m Of Late
Supsriniend,nts Meeting.

Mr.. George b. Chandler, who Is the
representative Of CHM d Co., the COM
pany which was assailed ON the floor OF
the meeting Of the county superinten-
dents, has made the following state
ment OF the position Of his firm In the
matter.
Mr.. Chandler win be remembered az
one Of the Republican speakers in the
last campaign ana IS a writer on econ
omic and political subjects. His pres
entatIon Of this phase OF the subject
viii doubtless prove Of Interests
AS an incidental feature OF the
present controversy over the selection
of school books, there has been afforded
u striking Illustration of the larger
economic struggle that Is lnstOsSlnE
the minds OF ala tnougntful men. Nntt
is generally known as the trust Queo-
ton has been presentcd In plCtur-
esque and instructive manner As tnt
individuality OF some publishing hOu5 aa
has been brought into the controversy
and as the firm Of CHM 4 CO. has Deel
singled out by certain parties as
special target for rebuke and Ganunc.-
alton, II may not be improbable to tn
ter into some explanation Of ne UNDER
lying principles involved. ! believe the
public Will bear in mind that this as
pect Of the question has been forced
upon me by the public attacks made
upon my firm.
The firm Of CHM & Goa which |
have the honor of representing, is a
typical example Of individual in.tla-
tive In commercial life II was found
ed by one man, Edwin CHM, who stiIl
personally directs It's policy and super
ylses It's interests, 1t IS not even
corporation, bur preserves the earlier
perhaps some would say antiquated-
form of partnership
Its impriut hJS Dcea familiar to the
eyes Of two generations Of college
graduates, 1t is a firm with traditions,
associations and an inherited policy
About the year 1889 a striking change
was developed In the school book pub
fishing business Of the country 1t
marked the formation Of the so-caled
School Book Trust Edwin CHM was
asked and strongly urged to become a
party 10 this new movement but he
persIstenty declined preferrng 10
stand or fall with the institution he
had founded and which bore his name.
Very soon after the organization Of
the Trust CHM & co. began to stand
out as It's most aggressive and power
ful competitor and the officers Of the
Trust saw that one powerful factor
which had been left out OF their origin
al computation. That was public sem
timent They found that the affection
Of the people for the business methods
OF their fathers was no slight con-
sideratiOn to a company which aimed
TO secure business through public chan
nes
II was then that there was evolved a
plan which reflects high credit upon
the resource and sagacity OF the Of
hcers Of the School Book Trust, 1t
was that Of secretly acquiring by the
purchase Of a majority Of the stock. or
In some other way the control OF other
firms and merging them as ostensible
competitors Of themselves. This pro-
cess has been going on for a long time
and still continues. The relationship
between the parent firm and two
or three OF Its chief feeders
is pretty generally understood
among such school men as care 70 in
form themselves. But lust how far
these qualifications have extended to
other firms supposedly independent
is somewhat a matter Of conjecture. II
can only be inferred by the manner In
which these firms work together toward
a common end In such an adoption Of
books as has just been held in Utah.
1t was evident to any discriminating
observer that six or seven firms were
in collision In that contest,
This device TO disarm hostility on the
part OF the public and maintain the
semblGnce Of competition is not easy 10
expose. Each Of the allied houses
sends out separate sets Of agents; each
submits separate bids and samples,
each demands an equal share OF the
time Of the individual members Of the
or commission; and each
makes a special plea for a separate
share" Of the business. With a GER
tain kind OF a board OF adoption, and
barring accidents Of exposure or per-
sonal disagreement among the allied
agents, this is a tremendous formidable
organization for any individual firm to
cone with. Under these conditions IL Is,
indeed practically invincible.
The coalition. when successful, Il al
ways especially disastrous to CHM &
The constantly increasing
strength Of that firm and its continuous |
nroads uuon the holdings Of the Trust |
louse makes II especially desirable |
hat II be forced 10 the wall and |
brought to an understanding. Former |
y that firm could count upon some en-
and cooperation from the |
,maller and independent firms. But |
,lnce It has become the great compe- |
itOr NJ the Trust. the agents Of that |
often treat with those Of |
mailer houses and establish n basis Of |
IlvlsIon upon which 10 make common |
ause against CHM & Company Il |
hus sometimes happens that II IS
practically a case OF that firm against |
he field,
with this introduction. we are In
position 10 approach undersiandlngy
he present controversy In the state Of
-'tgh For 10 years prior 20 the adop-
ION of 1897. the firm Of CHM q Com
lany had been knocking for admission
n The doors OF your public 81 )ols
3ut the business was held firmly by the
original houses. In the textbook con
-entlon OF 1897 this monopoly was
,roken and CHM q Company secured
he adoption OF a considerable lst OIL
looks among which were Frye's Geo
,raphles. II has been the fortune Of
hese books since the date Of their pub
icatlon to possess the special ermlty
Il the trust houses. They were along
lew and original lines and almost I'M
nediateIy upon their publication as
umed the leading position among the
Of the country. Every
.ain they made was taken directly |
rom the field Of the enemy. several |
tates were taken away from the trust
oddly. These books have been ana
I'm continue 10 be the storm-cg ger
Il every sch0ol-book fight Every ae-
ice conceivable to human ingenuity
las been employed 10 arrest their ca
eer. In one respect the people nave
enefitted by this, because II has COM
III I ITO Qualification ~ caVpTql other |