Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-05-15
SIDE LIGHT ON METHODS.
Little Side Light on How 1t Is
That Catalogue Houses Are
Able to ''Sell Cheaper" Story
of Law Suit.

There has been an interesting suit
just completed in the Chicago courts.
The testimony divulged how it is
that occasionally the catalogue houses
are able "To sell the same goods
cheaper than any body else."
In 1906 the catalogue house of
Sears, Roebuck & company, entered
into a contract with the Chas. A.
Stickney company of St. Paul for q
quantity of gasoline engines. The
engines were all to be delivered with
in two years. The catalogue house
did not sell the number of engines
that it expected to and at the end OF
the two years refused to take the
balance of the order. The Stickney
company began suit to compel the
Chicago firm to take the engines. 1t
was during the progress of the suit
that sidelight was turned on cata-
logne house metoods. Sears, Roe
buck & company were defeated and
the Stickney company secured judg-
ment for $4,000 and costs. The cata-
logre house set up that it could not
sell the engines as they were not up
to requirements. The engines were
sold under the names Howard"
"Kenwood' and "Universal." In re-
butting the contention of the cata-
logue house that the engines we're not
up to standard, the Stickney COM
pany introduced as evidence some
letters that had passed between the
catalogue house and themselves. 1t
seemed that after the Sears, Roebuck
company got its first shipment of the
engines, they raised the horse power
ratings on them. A 21a horse power
Stickney engine was advertised as a
horse power engine; the ~ horse
power engines were listed as horse
power engines; the 6's as horse; the
9's as 10 horse, the 12's as 13 horse and
the Is horse engines were listed at 16
horse, In accordance with the adver-
tised guarantees of the Sears Roebuck
catalogue, they were guaranteed and
warranted" to develop the horse
power indicated.
All went well in a general way un-
til there came calls for repairs and
extras from the purchasers. Such
calls got the catalogue house into
trouble and letters were introduced
by the Stickney company from the
catalogue house asking the Stickney
company to alter its repair charts and
instruction books to correspond with
the new ratings given their engines
by the Sears, Roebuck catalogues.
The Stickney company refused; to do
this and succeeded in convincing the
jury that it was it's refusal to thus
misrepresent their engines that was
back of the catalogue houses conten-
ton that the Engines did not make
good" The jury awarded the Stick
ney company $40, 900 damages.
It also appeared from the testimony
that the engines the Stickney com.
pany made for the Sears, Roebuck
concern were special engine made
after requirements furnished by the
catalogue house company and were
much cheaper built engine than the
regular Stickney engine.
The information regarding this
suit is reliable and The Leader will
stand for its truth and accuracy. We
have it from reliable sources.
The difference in cost between en-
gines of one-half and one horse
power than others is from $3.50 to
S25. The catalogue house company in
offering nine horse engine for
ten horse engine was offering an en-
gine (even if all other things were
equaD that was actually worth ap-
proximately S25 less. In misrepre-
senting its engines in this way it was
able to "undersell" the honest dealer.
The evidence was conclusive that the
catalogue house had deliberately sold
and charged for horse power that was
not in its engines and that it had tried
to get the manufacturing company to
aid it and abet it in the misrepresenta
ton.
The circumstances throws an inter-
esting light on the business ethics of
the modern catalogue house. Sup
pose a jeweler bought 10 year watch /
cases and then put them out as 20 |
year cases. He could of course sell |
his "20-year" cases cheaper than
could the honest dealer but he is per-
petrating fraud on the buyer and |
swindling him.
1t is well known fact that the big
catalogue houses contract with the /
large manufacturing plants for about !
everything they offer for sale. If the !!