The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-28
MAYNARD, MERRILL 4 co. ADMIT !
ovERcHAReE.
BELIEVES IT is JUSTIFIED
Firm Writes Letter Explaining Why
Lower Price Is Given Georgia
Than Montana. %

One of the publishing houses hav-
ing contracts with the state for sup
plying textbooks admits the charge Of
Superintendent Welch and confesses
that it is supplying the schools Of
Georgia with a certain book at cost
below that which it requires Montana
to pay. 1t pleads justification, how
ever. The firm pleading guilty is
Maynard, Merrill & Co. of New York,
and announces it's readiness to make
the necessary reduction, if the Mon
tana authorities hold that it is under
any moral or legal obligation to do
so after they have examined fully
into the facts alleged by the COM
pany
A. Explained by Firm.
Following is copy OF the letter the
concern has written to Mr.. Welch:
1--WE have this morning received
your letter Of the 14th, addressed to
us in care Of our Chicago manager.
1--WE heard last week that one OF
the publishers under contract to fur
nish books to the state OF Montana
had been charged with q violation Of
his contract by reason of the fact that
he had offered to sell his books in
Indiana at a lower price than he is
selling the same books in Montana.
This report prompted us to write to
Mr.. Williams giving him the following
facts in regard to a contract we recent-
ly made in the state of Georgia, tell
ing him that while we did not regard
this contract as in conflict with. the.
Montana contract, we wished the facts
reported to the Montana authorities,
and expressing our willingness to-.
modify our terms to Montana If, with,
a knowledge of the facts, the Montana
authorities claimed that we were un-
der any legal or moral obligation to
do so. Mr.. Williams desires us to
answer your letter direct and We
therefore write to confirm what we
have already said to him.
I'm our Montana contract said sec
ond party further certifies and guaran-
tees that the prices given. and for
which said books will be furnished,
do not exceed the lowest wholesale
prices in Chicago f. o. b. to any state
in the United States That was true
then and it is true still.
I'm Georgia we were bidding for the
supply of a population of over two
millions for a period of five years;
in Montana for the supply Of . popula-
tion Of 250,00O for a period OF four
years. In Georgia we were not requir-
ed to ship from Chicago. The freight
rate from here to Georgia is something
less than one-third the rate from
here to Montana, and in view OF all
these considerations we felt justified
in offering to furnish Graded Lessons
in English for 35 cents per copy retail,
and at wholesale for % cents per copy.
Our contract with Montana makes the
+, O. b. price in Chicago 80 cents, in.
stead of % cents.
Left with Textbook Commission.
"Our contract with the state OF
Georgia was December II, 1903. We
had some books delivered on consign-
ment in the early part Of the year.
We understand that the general intro
duction will be made at the opening Of
the schools in the tall.
"As we say, it seems to us that the
conditions are so widely different that
the two contracts are not in conflict,
but we also say that if you and your
associates feel that we are under
legal or moral obligations to reduce
the price of Graded Lessons in Eng
lish, we will be governed by your
views