Evening journal., 1904-09-17
WAR ON
TRADING STAMPS
Mercantile Association De-
cides to Abolish This Evil
After November
WILL GET AFTER PElDLERS

The Mercantile Association Is going
to fight the trading stamp evil to The
last ditch
This action was decided upon az a
largely attended meeting Friday even-
ing. The members are very unanimous
in their decision and they have form
ALLY agreed to stop on November 1. For
many months the retailers have been
planning TO do away with the stamps
and their present action Is only the cul-
mination Of a recent very successful
canvass among the merchants Of the
city The chairman will appoint conn
mittees IN each of the various lines in
the city, each committee to work on the
merchants In the same line in his neigh
borhood who have not signed the con-
tract and to get them to add their
names to the list.
Combine Against Premiums.
The largest retail merchants In the
city are unitedly against trading
stamps and a combination is being ar
ranged by the heads Of the local de-
partment stores TO drop all schemes
OF this nature. With the big stores un-
animously against the stamps Il seems
altogether likely that the smallest re-
tailers win not hesitate to drop them.
There Is "a remarkably strong senti-
ment against stamps among buyers IN
Wilmington and the storekeepers feel
that II Is time to call a halt on the
system.
The trading stamp companies all
seem confident that the movement will
amount 10 very little and that they can
hold the merchants up TO the mark.
One member of the association detail
ed last evening a conversation he had
with the new manager Of the Hunt
Stamp Company which recently bought
out the Porter Company.
This Is what the Hunt manager said.
we don't mind these merchants as
sociations. We have broken them up
| I'm several places and they won't bother
as here. They have no effect on our
business and I know we will have no
J trouble In Wilmington.
You. see. we came to Wilmington
With our eyes omen. We knew the Mer-
camille Association was trying to nght
the stamps IN a small way but really
those organizations carry very little
weight The people Of Wilmington are
certainly crazy over stamps and we
figured we could 90 a good business
here before we bought out the Porter
r ANNllhHNs
I'VE thrive on opposition and I think
IN a few months we will be doing pret-
!, ty nearly an the business IN the town
ana that the merchants win dlsband. "
The merchants don't approve Of this
bold statement, one OF them declaring
that the stamp people were using all
manner Of subterfuges to hold their
business. The head OF the biggest firm
in Wilmington said;
Those stamp people certainly are
getting scared. One OF the managers
is running around town saying that
he has new contract with US. It's not
true, OF course, but he's using the story
for all it's worth. I've tried trading
stamps and I'm done"
The committee appointed 20 wait on
the Police Commission regarding the
people who peddle articles on the
streets without a license reported that
they thought their efforts would be sue
cessful. There had been several ar
rests and convictions and the work Will
be pushed with vigor.
The committee appointed TO try and
adjust the differences between the
brcklayers and the Mason Builders
Association reported that they could
not get either side to come to terms
and they had given up the task as a
failure.