The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-01
0LDGRAFT BBAGk
Effort Being Made to Revive
Premium Stamp.
Little Encouragement Met With
in Topeka.
A CANVASS Is MADE.
Stores Using the Stamps Must
Pay Big License Fee.
An Old Thing That Has Been
Threshed Out.
/ CANVASS IS MADE.

The old premium stamp graft is fight
ing vainly to come to life in Topeka
again. A representative of Spurer &
Hutchinson OF New York who are in
the premium stamp business is in the
city trying to secure merchants in the
city to agree to re-establish the use of
premium stamps. He has, however,
failed to meet with much encourage
ment The majority of the largest
merchants in the city won't touch
premium stamps even if they are done
up in indicated cotton.
They have had enough of it.
THE people pay for the premiums
but they don't realize it, said Harry
NfcAIain of the Jones Dry Goods com
pany. 1T adds to the cost of the goods
from to 4 per cent and the merchants
put that on to the cost so that the
people are paying just that much extra
for their goods. The people pay for it.
We don't believe in this trading stamp
business, We have never had anything
to do with it for the simple reason
that we prefer to give the people the
benefit of the saving. We think that
when we make low price to the people
that that should end it. on the surface
it looks as if the people are making by
these premium stamps but in reality
they don't; they are paying extra for
whatever they get in the way OF
premium.
Graft, that's a good word for it,
said E. H. Crosby of Crosby Brothers
we were approached but We would not
go in for it at any price Inefe Is
nothing in it for the merchants ana
simply makes a whole lot of trouble,
bother and excitement which Is nor
profitable. We had cur experience with
it in years past and that Is enough;
we don't care to get into it again.
w. w Mills of the Mills Dry Goods
cOrnDanv said: Yes, we were asked
to go into the premium stamp business
by a man who came into the store
day or so ago but we told him that we
could do nothing for him. Ihere was
a kind of craze for that sort OF 1nlhg
which swept over the country few
wears ago. but that has since died out
We don't believe in an advertising
policy of that sort"
I r. Crockett. of the Crockett Dry
Goods company. has about declaeo 70
become a member of the circle OF ner-
chants who intend to adopt the
premium stamps. Il understand that
it is to be a 60" said he don
know how soon it VIII start Up but /
have about decided that I would go
into it. There are arguments for as
well as against premium stamps.
VIM. Green was a member OF the To-
cal stamp company which was FORMED
among local merchants for the pur-
nose of ousting the out of town stamp
comDanv which did business here
seven or eight years ago. The local
COMPANY. succeeded in its attempt and
then voluntarily went out OF business
itself 1--WE thrashed this all out years
ago" said Mr. Green. There IS nOIh-
ing in it. Premium stamps are suicidal
to the business man. The first stamp
company came in here about twelve
wears ago and short while AFTER thaN
A nl1mb Der of US on Kansas avenue here
got together and formed a stamp com
Danv Of our own. We cut things down
to such a narrow basis of profit that
we finally drove out the other com
panv. Then about six years ago we
decided to give it up and signed
mutual agreement to get out and not
give away any more premium stamps.
I wouldn't have anything to do with
thing of that sort now at any cost we
had all sorts of trouble Some people
quit because we used them and others
got mad because we didn't give them
premium stamps upon every condition
That sort of thing is part Of past his
tory"
w. G. Hindman said that the stamp
premium was too old to be revived.
1.-THE premium stamp has had its day
and I don't think that 1t would be
profitable to take up with 1t again,
said he I'VE are not going into it
though we were asked to by a man
who came into the store Yesterday
understood that he would establish a
premium stamp store here if he could
secure several of the dry goods stores
to get into it."
The city council has regulated the
business of premium stamps and pro-
vides that every store engaging in that
sort of thing must pay an annual
license of 500. A number of the mer-
chants are probably not aware of this
The ordinance follows:
Every person. firm or corporation
engaged in any gift enterprise or in
selling. giving away or in any manner
disposing of premium stamps. cou-
pons. or tickets of any kind, or in any
way offering or enhancing their own
or any other persons trade, 800 per
year, payable quarterly"