The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-17
Officials Do Not Countenance
His Contention That Agree
ment Among Dealers Is
Very Necessary.
HIS ADVANCES ARE
NOT cOUNTENANCED
Supply Man Is Now Being Re-
pudiated by the Other
Agents in the States His
Latest Letter.

What is regarded as further egotism
on the part of its author by recipients
of letters from w. l.. Baker. of the
met with rebuke by the township trus-
tees of Wayne county. Baker writes
to further his contention that a COM
bination or agreement among the
school supply dealers is necessary for
the protection of their business. The
trustees do not countenance Bakers
advances and Supt. Jordan stated he
believes they will refuse to answer his
letters.
It will be remembered Baker acted
as spokesman and chief organizer in
the combination among the supply
men, when they tried to break into
the contracting in this county. He
did not hesitate to admit there was an
understanding and the purpose was to
keep the prices of supplies high, SO as
to provide fair" profit to the deal
er. AS the result of his and his as
sociates' attitude all bids were reject
ed by the Wayne county trustees.
He 10 Repudiated.
Baker now is being repudiated by
other dealers of the state. who are
engaged in the same kind of business
as he. Supt. Jordan has received let
ters from about half a dozen supply
men and they say they do not favor
the combination. which is attempted
to be organized. Among these deal
ers are B. F. Batchfield. OF New Cas-
tie: Milton Mccormack. of Indiana
polls: Columbia School Supply COM
pany; ]. D. Adams and B. Wilson
Smith.
All speak of the meeting that was
held at Indianapolis for the purpose
of deciding upon the price list. Some
say they were in attendance but will
not abide by tba plan of Baker. 9th
ers say they were invited but refused
to attend. B. Wilson Smith writes
the superintendent: Il never have
been, am not now and never will be
in any combination
The letter received by township
trustees follows:
Bakers Letter.
Dear Sir and Friend
II you are in sympathy with our
! efforts to have one price prevail,
please write me and tell me so to help
curb the insanity of price cutting.
Buying goods at two or three prices
might be all right while you are on
the spot to tell that it was the result
when 1t gets on the books in black ink
and you have been out of office for
twelve years and there is no one near
to explain then that is when your
memory is assailed. Wheat can't be
raised and sold for IS cents a bushel
then why should we be expected to
sell dollars worth of goods for Is
cents?
| We are not expected to and no buy
er asks us to, but some greedy seller
who would like to hog the whole thing
persists in cutting prices. There is
no reason why the township should
buy its goods for less than cost and
they have never asked to sell them
this way. Indeed most trustees look
on us like We are a pack Of fools be.
cause We do not have our business
well in hand before we are called be-
fore you to give prices which should
be fair living prices. You can help
us make the business better for all
concerned by discouraging irregular
bidding, which means nothing to you
Please write me and tell me what
|you think about this. I enclose en-
Ivelop for reply which l hope to eel
lsoon.
Very truly,
l. w. L. BAKER,