The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-23
USERS OF STAMPS
WILL FIGHT HARD.
INTIMATE GROCERS' AsSOCIATION
OCCUPIES GLASS HOUSE.
They Deny that Trading Stamps De-
moralize Trade and Point to the
Character of Firms Using Them to
Disprove Charge that Stamps Affect
Business Morals. ..s..,.s

War between the Retail Grocers'
association and those retail merchants
of Minneapolis who purpose to con-
tinue the use Of the trading stamp
has been declared, and the firing of
the associations first gun in the pub
lie prints yesterday is followed to-day
by a counter attack which takes the
form of an assault on the center Of
the position.
The firms using trading stamps have
signed statement in which the legal
ity of the Retail Grocers' association
is questioned, the life Of that asso-
citation threatened and an expression
given to the signers determination to
stick to the trading stamps. The
statement follows: es.
'"The trading stamp people believe
that the Grocers' association is con-
Quoting a campaign Of misrepresenta-
ton which must be stopped.
"As evidence Of this they point to
the fact that William Furst, attorney
for the grocers, was quoted yesterday
as saying that 80 per cent of the 500
members Of the Retail Grocers asso-
citation had at their meeting Monday
night signed an agreement not to use
the stamps, when as matter of fact,
not to exceed eighty-fve of their men,
berS were present. .-..-s
''This plan Of Misrepresentation is
| in line with the campaign of SANDER
against the trading stamp, which
started with their unsuccessful en-
deavor to use the state legislature for
| the furtherance Of their plans to stif1e
| competition in the grocery trade, and
! eliminated in their bold-faced at
to pass an ordinance which bears
! every evidence Of unconstitutionality
on it's face.
"For an organization which sue
ceeds to-day in maintaining in Min
neapolis retail price on staple brands
of flour manufactured in this city OF
from 80 to 40 cents a barrel in ex-
cess Of the price charged for the same
| brands in other cities Of this state, to
ask the state or city to pass laws
which their own attorney admits is in
| tended to bolster UP the finest card
system in use anywhere is a piece
Of monumental impudence almost sub
lime.
''The trading-stamp people also
4 point to the statement that fully sc
/ per cent of the stamps are never re.
deemed as one that no honest mar
intending to be fair could ever make
and claim that if this state of affairs
existed, it would Of itself kill the trad.
ing-stamp business, as the people
would soon cease to be collectors, thus
i depriving the trading stamp Of 1t!
| power as a means -Ol WlIlIlS LFdue.
"They insist upon it that the rep.
utable trading-stamp companies nee6
but point to the list of merchants
recognized as leaders in their various
lines of trade, who are handling
stamps, as an evidence Of the fac
4 that all the talk Of trading stamp:
. being harmful to good principles /:
utterly unreasonable and uncalled for
They further insist that the Grocers
association recognizes that the trading
stamp is to be factor in the retail
4 business from now on, and that theil
only object in endeavoring to secure
the passage of unjust and unreason'
i able laws, which could never be en-
forced, is simply to frighten tinit
merchants and cast discredit on thu
stamps in the minds Of the collectors
From this species of petty perse
cution they claim that the state law
give them ample protection, and from
now on they say the grocers mus
expect from the friends Of the stamp
as relentless a war upon their asso
citation as they themselves have waget
q upon the trading stamp"