The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-10
PREDICTED BY JOBBERS.
Continued from First Page.)

reluctant jobber equally unwilling to
give an unknown quantity inside in
formation as to the state OF his bus
iness.
MIR. Amin B. Palmer of the Palmer
Hardware Company said yesterday he
believed that whatever would happen
must happen within thirty days. The
dispatch to the Morning News from
New York. announcing the formation
of tho trust shows that Mr.. Palmer is
a prophet.
Il believe said Mr.. Palmer that
unless the formation of the combina-
ton is finally consummated within
thirty days it will not be consum-
organization will be formed"
Further Mr.. Palmer declined to
discuss the situation. He did not
deny, however, that offers had been
made his house. and that these offers
had been given consideration. On the
contrary, he admitted that the PROPOSE.
tions of the trust had been considered
very carefully and prayerfully, and
that developments of the situation were
being watched by him and his business
associates, as by every other hardware
jobber in the country. just as closely
as circumstances and the available
SuRpriAed Either Way.
Mr.. w. D. Krenson of 7. d. Weed
& Co. discussed the movement in more
detail.
Il shall be surprised, l think, no
matter which way the plan to combine
the jobbers results was the way Mr..
Krenson, perplexed by the seeming
contradictions and the actual uncer-
tainties and difficulties of the situa-
ton, expressed. the conclusion he had
reached.
"On the one hand" he said, ARE the
large difficulties that must stand in
the way of such combination. The
jobbers are so numerous, the amount
of capital invested so large, the terri
tory they cover so widely scattered,
the. interests of those engaged in the
business so diverse and conflicting in
many cases, it seems scarcely posi-
HE the movement will succeed.
ION the other hand, and pointing
the other way, are facts equally po-
tent. Movements looking to industrial
consolidation, of even greater magni-
tude than this, have been successfully
contaminated The men behind this
movement are among the brainiest and
the wealthiest of the hardware jobbers
of the country and they are absolutely
in earnest. Evidently they believe they
will succeed and they are bending
every energy towards effecting their
purpose. They are headed by E. C.
Simmons, president of the Simmons
Hardware CO., CT st. Louis which is
the largest business of the kind in the
world, and by John Bindlay presi-
dent of the Bindlay Hardware Com
pany, of Pittsburg. 1t is said they are
backed by almost unlimited capital
and they are prepared to offer cash for
the businesses they purchase. Look
ing at the matter from this standpoint
and in the light of these facts 1t seems
scarcely possible that the movement
can fail"
Mr.. Krenson was asked If it is not
true that almost any business can be
bought if a large enough price is Of
fered.
One of the Big Obstacles.
I'm a measure that is true" he an
swered, but there are many consid-
erations that would make a man hest
tate to sell for what is apparently or
perhaps actually the real value of the
business.
Take my own case, for instance. l
am making at least a comfortable liv-
ing in this business, and l am very
well satisfied as 1 am. If it should be
sold and be required to sign an agree
ment not to engage in the same bust
ness for term of years, l should be
forced to look about me for something
else to do and finally to embark in
a line of business about which l know
little or nothing. The years l have
spent in acquiring what / know about
hardware jobbing would go for naught.
1t can be understood / would not face
q situation of this kind without very
earnest thought.
There are two classes of persons"
said Mr.. Krenson, who are particu-
larly anxious to enter this combine.
One includes those who have reached
the pinnacle of business, feel they
can't go any higher and realize that,
as nothing stands still. their business
is about to begin it's decline. The sec
ond class includes those whose bust
ness has already begun to run down
hill"
while your business" the re-
porter began. to suggest.
rs still going up the hill" said Mr..
Krenson. Therefore, l don't want to
SELL"
Smaller Houses Not Worried.
The younger and smaller houses in
the business do not seem to have been
consulted about the combination, and
evidently it is not the purpose of it's
promoters to get them in just now, at
any rate. They do not seem to think
the trust will be able to destroy their
business.
A member of one of these firms said
yesterday he did not view the forma-
tion of the trust with particular alarm.
1.-THE trust would be able" he said,
ito control the heavy hardware trade,
by debating to the manufacturers of
these goods, themselves practically or
actually consolidated into trusts the
terms upon which it would handle
their goods. The profit upon heavy
hardware is exceedingly small, and the
jobbers not IN the trust would be in
a position to abandon this relatively
part of their business
and devote their attention to light
hardware. upon which the profit is bN.-
ter. This the trust could not con-
troll.
II take it that the people would pre-
fer to patronize us rather than the
trust, and that we would thus receive