Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-08
HARDWARE MEN HOLD BACR
Resolution that Would Make Association
Trust Lost BY One VOta
IOssERs waO sELL cONsUMERs IAReE1
Drastic Action IN Case Proposed and
Organisation splits Even, Leaving
President 20 Decide in
Negative.

1 ETpn1dant-EE9nk AacEafs EIAsnu-
FIRST vice Prssidsnt-Aleo =. Meyer,
HastingH-
Second vice Prssidsus-wmiam wisdA,
| Lexington
Third vice Prsssasnt-Prsd Estngsr,
P1alnvi0w.
| Executtve Communicative thrse-year-.
term. Dan cavanaugh, Fairburys tvo-year
/ term. =. q EAyhurEt, Loup CITY; one-year
term, J. W. Armstrong, Auburn Dele
gates TO the national convention; J. Prank
Barr, Lincoln; H T. Kau, Etncolni Ma
1 than Roberts, Omaha
J. Frank Rarr Of Lincoln ana n J.
/ Hau Of Lincoln were recommended 90 the
| executive committee TO succeed them-
selves as secretary and treasurer, re-
/ spectively.
BY the majority Of single vote the
Nebraska Retail Hardware association yes
terday decided not TO become trust.
/ One member offered a resolution. the
adoption of which would have been a
move toward boycotting hardware jobbers
who sell direct to consumers, contractors
and any others not classed as retail deal
ers Hot debate ensued for about afteen
minutes. some speakers fervently declar-
ing II was the only way for the dealers
to protect their interests; others caution
ing their hot-headed fellows to go little
slow. inasmuch as strong antagonistic
sentiment has developed in Nebraska
against anything that looked the least like
restraint Of trade
vote was taken and the count showed
It a tie. The question settled by
| President Nathan Roberts Of Omaha, who
voted against trust methods. The fearful
ones of the convention breathed huge
sigh Of relief.
Secretary TO Gather Data.
The resolutions were to the effect that
LIT should become the secretary's duty to
obtain information from retail merchants
and from whatever other sources possible
regarding sales by jObbers to others than
retail merchants. and to furnish to all
members Of the association and TO the
hardware associations OF other states a
list of all 5obbers and manufacturers who
sell direct 10 the consumer in Nebraska
why, that would be a boycott" de-
clared a timorous merchant.
| oh no." said the man who introduced
the resolution. I'VE will say nothing
about boycott. Your secretary viii say
nothing about boycott when he sends out
the list Each merchant will know for
himself what to do. We must have some
way to curb the jobber."
Each side of the question had warm sup
porters, and every time q man spoke he
was given loud applause. When the vote
! proved a tie the entire convention watched
the presidsnt with breathless attention
ssGSntienen." ss8d- President fe0Berts. II
want you to understand that am in hearty
sympathy with all Of you. and am aware
of the unfair practices OF some of the job
bers. but fear we would be going little
too far should we pass this resolution 1
am afraid it could be shown that We were
attempting to restrain trade. Therefore
cast my vote in the negative"
Legislative Committee IL Free.
No resolutions were passed on legislative
matters, but the legislative committee was
given entire power TO work for the passage
by the legislature of such measures
! would beneht the members of the sssocia-
tion This committee IL composed OF ]. c.
Cornell of Ord. Ernest Hoppe OF Lincoln
and Max Uhlig Of Holdrege. Among other
things they are supposed TO work for a
law to restrict peddling in the country.
The only resolutions adopted were a for
NAL set thanking the local Jobbers the local
retailers. the exhibitors. the press and the
ofncers OF the new association
MeetinE Held I'm secret
The meeting Thursday afternoon was con-
Quoted with the utmost secrecy, though in
formation leaked out to what was done.
A doorkeeper was placed at the outside
door of the Auditorium with instructions TO
admit no one but members. and the ser
Reants-at-arms had charge Of the ap-
proaches from the arena to the stage.
where the session was held. When the
meeting was called TO order President Rob
erts asked II all present were members In
full standing. and the other officers looked
over the crowd to make sure.
1t was said afterwards that the reason for
such precautions was the fear that boycott
measures would be taken
How TrusT Crashes Infant
How the American Cereal company wiped
out a factory at Seward by means of the
premium plan and then boosted the price
OF package goods In Nebraska was told
by Fred GoehneT Of Seward at the morning
session.
we had a plant at Seward that cost
$1,000 and were doing a nice business until
the American Cereal company got after
us" said Mr.. Goehner. I'VE put hve
pounds Of actual goods In package, while
the American company put IN three and
One-half pounds and made up the remainder
OF the fve pounds with articles such
many of you hardware men carry in stock.
The people preferred 70 be humbugged and
the premium goods were most popular. but
even with that we were doing nicely until
the big concern began TO cut prices
In order TO make anything. we had TO
sell our goods at s cents I went 10 the
Omaha 5obbers TO sell them our product.
and they told me they were getting Ameri-
can Cereal company goods at g cents.
went 20 Lincoln and the Jobbers todd me
there they were getting goods from the
American Cereal company at . cents
Trust steps In.
The trust sent q representative 20 Sew
ard AID offered TO buy or lease our plant
We would not sell. but after long considers-
! ton We decided 10 lease. provided the trust
would keep the factory going. They YER
baily agreed 10 keep II running. but would
not make a written agreement We leased
the plant TO them for ninety-nine years Al
500 a year. which is more than We could
make by running IL ourselves
Il was In lincoln few days ago and
asked one OF the 5oboers how much he
had 70 pay for the goods the American
4 Cereal company sold him a few months
ago for - cents He replied IS cents."
This story from Mr.. GOehner was brought
out BY a discussion OF the recent action 81
l.some OF the railroads IN making a low
elassihcatioa on sO0ds containing premiums
4 4