The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-10
ADVERTISEMENT
REPLY TO J. A. VAN HOOSE

March o. 1907.
Mr. J. A. NanIoose. Southern Wholesale
Grocers' Association, Birmingham, Ala:
My Dear Sir--On February %, 1907 you,
as president of the Southern Wholesale
Grocers' association, addressed to the
statesmen of the Southern Wholesale Gro
GERS a circular letter on the subject of
tips" which has since been published in
the daily newspapers of this city. This
communication has so grossly prejudiced
the minds of the reading public by its mis-
information that | am constrained to be-
lieve, that while you ought to be fully
conversant with the facts that surround
the subject which you attempted to write
upon, you are not.
Your Statement.
Any person reading your circular let
ter would come to the conclusion that
some manufacturers had been inducing
employed statesmen of the Southern
Wholesale Grocers to carry the manufac-
turers goods as side lines, and by brb-
ing the statesmen, was getting their goods
pushed. to the detriment of the wholesale
merchants who are paying the expenses
and regular salaries of the statesmen.
Nothing less than this can be construed
from the following language which l take
from your letter.
Again, as men of honor, your time,
your most conscientious efforts belong to
your own employer. You would be re-
creant to your duty to him and to your
selves il you take his money and divide
your loyalty of time with some one else"
This in substance. is the purport of your
plea to the statesmen whom you have
addressed, and /. therefore, since you are
ignorant wish to inform YOU as to the
correct facts that surround the subject
in question.
The Facts.
The manufacturers of tobacco, SNUFF and
other commodities enter into contracts
with the wholesalers to get them to carry
the accounts of all sales made of the
manufa cturers goods in the territory COW
cred by the wholesalers salesmen The
consideration of ten per cent 90 per cent?
of the price of the goods sold is paid by
the manufacturers of tobacco and etc.
to the wholesalers for carrying these ac-
counts and the additional price of 80
cents per one hundred pounds Din the case
of tobacco goes as a commission to the
travelling man who makes the sale. This
is the contract in vogue with all the first
class wholesalers and jobbers in this
territorr With this explanation to you
and to the public, as a travelling man, L
wish to say that ] think you have done
the statesmen of this district gross in
Justice in the way in which you have
sought 20 put us On IL pidilc Will 5itit-
ers" and negro Pullman porters." This
matter is one of contract and CUSTOM and
has been pursued for years past by many
of the most prominent manufacturers in
this country and at least tolerated by
the wholesalers and iobbers. This you
should well know.
Where the Shoe Pnches.
When / received your communication
I paid no attention to answering same
directly to you at that time. The letter
created smile" in the wholesale dis
trict of this city since it is well under
stood that your firm not only gets your
10 per cent on the character OF the sales
in question made by your statesmen, but
further require of your men to turn over
to YOU as your own the extra 90 cents
per one hundred weight which the manu-
facturers propose to pay to your statesmen.
OF course the attitude of your competi-
tors in business of criticising you Tor
YOUR cheapness with your employees may
be unjust in principle and also wrong in
fact. do not care to dispute either
point. / am simply reciting to your incon-
sistent position before the travelling men
of this district. But what really goes to
make up a true man and an American
gentleman, both in point of heritage or
respectability I want to say for the
statesmen of the Southern Wholesale Gro
GERS that 7 know of no one among their
number who need take off his hat to any
man. Yours very truly.
CLARENCE NJ. TARDY.
- -
OUR NEW MINISTER
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