Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-12
Chicago Publisher Claims a
"Gentlemen's Agreement"
Exists In the Trade
HAVE DOUBLED THE PRICES
One of the Representatives Admits
Working Agreement on the Cheaper
Grades of Bibles Has Been in Force
For Some Time Past-Rusiness Pro-
fitable.

Chicago, May PA Bible trust.
which has raised the prices on the
books 40, per cent in three years and
which threatens to drive competitors to
the wall, is in existence, according to
George w. OgiIvie, of George w. Ogil-
vie & Co., Isl Monroe street.
AS evidence of it's existence Mr.. Ogil-
vie says he has a letter in which one
of the firms in the trus. asks him to
Join in their working agreement" and
a photograph of a check with which his
expenses to New York we're paid when
the alleged threat to fight his firm was
made. In ten days Mr.. Ogilvie expects
to publish two editions of the Bible and
ne is awaiting the action of the So
called trust.
The firms which Mr. Ogilvie says
have joined in the agreement" which
he declares practically amounts to a
trust, are John c. Winston & Co, Hol-
man d Co., Philadelphia; James Pott
& Co., the Oxford University Press, E..
e j. B. Young, and Thomas Nelson &
Son, New York.
In speaking of his experience with
the Bible publishing firms, Mr.. Ogilyie
said:
Two years ago, when | bought the
assets of the George NJ. Hill Company,
there was set of Bible plates, and
started publishing Bibles. A few months
later l received a letter from James
Pott, Jr., informing me of the organiza-
ton of the Bible publishing houses. The
letter stated that the firEls had work
ing agreement, but were not in a trust
They invited me to join them, and when
i refused they invited me- to New York,
offering to pay my expenses.
Il went and have photograph of the
check with which my expenses We're
paid. still refused to enter an agree
ment with the firms and they threat
ened that, If persisted, they would sell
the Bibles at less than cost and force
me out of the business. ! have paid no
attention to their threats. but have gone
ahead and added two more sets of
plates from which / am TO publish the
books.
Since the firms joined in an agree
ment there have been uniform prices,
and they are 40 per cent higher than
before. This seems pretty serious bust
ness to me. Heaven, l believe. ought
to be made cheap instead of expensive"
William w. Mcintosh, representing
the Oxford press, who is at the Palmer
House, admitted that there was a work.
ing agreement between the firms but
only regarding the cheaper grades of
Bibles.
about three years ago competition
was so strong between the firms that
they decided to agree on a scale of
prices" he said. The prices on the
grades of Bibles on which competition
was strongest were raised at that time,
and have been raised twice since, until,
presume, Bibles are about 80 per cent
higher than they were, on the cheaper
grades.
There is now fair profit in the
business, where before we were losing
as much as 20 per cent on certain
grades. The agreement was what
night be termed a 'gentlemen's agree
rent
The firms, believe, have not threat
,ned any one. Mr.. Ogilvie has been |
selling Bibles below cost, and suspect |
lie has some motive in fighting the COM
,anies. Perhaps he wishes to sell his |
olates"