Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-13
BUSINESS MEMS
WAR ON STAMPS
Secretary of Rock Island Asso-
citation Says Fight Is Won
in Tri- Cities.
EFFORT TO CONFUSE PUBLIC
Claimed That Merchants Have Found
Premiums Giving Drawback
Instead of Benefit.

(By Charles Goff, Secretary of the Rock
Island Business Mems Association.)
Considerable comment upon the pres
ent trading stamp situation has devel
oped with the public of the tri-cities
since 1t was announced several weeks
ago by the Rock Island Business
Mems association that the &c largest
Rock Island, Moline and Davenport
would quit giving trading stamps after
April 1, 1910.
The public has been misinform-
ed through various unauthenticated
sources regarding this action of the
merchants, but the exact facts are
here, direct from the secretary Of the
business mems association, who has
been working on the stamp question
since last March In response to an al
most continuous appeal from merchants
in all lines of business.
Stamps Go April L.
/ 1t has been rumored that there was
nothing to the acton of the merchants
In entering into an agreement to dis
pose OF stamps, but this rumor has
Originated with a person who is totally
Ignorant Of the exact facts. And let
| 1t be further understood that the 26
merchants referred to in this article
are not the only ones who are scram-
bling either 10 get out or to keep out
OF the stamp business. There are as
many merchants in other lines who
have been in an agreement for months,
and in addition to this there are 40 gro
GERS who are fighting to keep rid of
stamps in Rock Island alone.
In Moline, after April 1, it will be
almost necessary to use a microscope
to find a trading stamp merchant,
while In Davenport, by careful search,
one might find dozen, although none
of them has yet established a name in
the trt-cites among retail dealers.
Forced Into the Game.
AS a matter of fact, most OF the
stamp handlers were forced into the
game and only handled stamps to keep
their competitors out. That's why
nearly all Of them are so anxious to
get out of it, and that's why it was
necessary to have both users and nom
users of stamps enter into the agree
ment. Dozens of merchants of Rock
Island alone became so disguised with
stamps that they were thrown out
within a short time OF their adoption,
regardless Of the result.
According to reports made by con-
sumers to merchants handling stamps,
the consumer is just as we'll satisfied
to see stamps go. The merchants be-
lieve that a great percentage of the
stamps arc not redeemed. In order to
make them a drawing power they have
had to offer double and triple stamps
on different occasions, and even this
failed to bring the supposed cash re-
suit. Many of those who could not
pay cash, and are really the ones who
would consider a premium a luxury,
were often offended when they were
refused stamps when settling an &C
count. For just such reasons the mer.
chant has concluded that this profit
sharing system can be equalized so
that all will be treated the same, and
instead of intrusting the distribution of
their premiums to other concerns, they
will distribute whatever prizes they
have for the consumer themselves.
Better bargains to oRer.
Some merchants handling stamps
have been doing this, and even they
have reached the conclusion that they
can offer their patrons better bargains
in numerous other ways.
The list of department and furniture
stores that have agreed not to give
stamps after April 1 follows:
Davenport. H C. Petersen's Sons,
Harmed & Won Maur. the Bee Hive III.
& ]. Deutsch), Jungk Bros, Emerson
company (the Fair), Sol Moritz (the