The Washington herald., 1910-06-05

mented by the national act. are in about
! as safe position as they possibly could
be where stamping is moi compulsory.
and the buying public is protected in
the purchase of both gold and silver
goods. as the penalties attached in both
State and national laws fully protect the
consumer; but there are number of
States that as Yet have passed no such
law and where its citizens are unpro-
tected against the INSCRIPTIONS retailer
and manufacturer within those particular
States.
The Manufacturing jewelers. Assocla-
ton, OF Newark, having among its men,
bers many firms who produce the very
highest grade of gold jewelry TO be found
anywhere in the world have taken up the
matter of stamping with an ultimate aim
of getting into line the delinquent States
having no stamping law. and to educate
the public, through the retailer. TO ask
for stamped gold goods just as il now de-
mands sterling quality stamp on silver
The Newark manufacturers maintain
that vast harm develops out OF the fact
that manufacturers in a State having no
stamping act may produce any low grade
of gold jewelry. and If 1t is 10 be sold
within the confines of the same States
may stamp it IN any dishonest fineness
they see At. The result. they say. is
dishonest competition and detrimental
to those manufacturers producing in
other States which compel honest stamp
ing, and who send goods into a State
having no stamping law
Not only does the honest manufacturer
suffer but the consumer as well. while
the honest retailer is bound to feel the
ill-effects of such a condition OF affairs
as soon as the buying public in that par
ticular locality learns that IL has been
swindled by an article OF inferior quality.
but which has been marked. We will say,
l4-karat OF course, a retailer may place
the blame or try to- upon the shoulders
of the dishonest manufacturer. and say.
We'll. 1 didn't know-it was marked IA
karat and is manufactured by So-and-
So" but the explanation doesn't help the
consumer a bit
Just assume the scene to be laid in a
State with no stamping act A retailer
OF honest motive, buying a line of gold
goods from a manufacturer in another
State having a stamping act feels con
fident that the stock is precisely what It
is stamped. Were 1t not so the manu-
facturer would run up against the ma
tional stamping act. and probably be
prosecuted for sending dishonesty mark
ed goods out Of his State The retailer of
honest motive places his price upon the
goods-enough to make a fair margin Of
prof1t-and offers them for sale
Near by is dishonest competitor who
buys his goods-a similar line to that of
HIS honest oompetitor-from local manu-
facturer. who may because no State
stamping act exists in that particular
State stamp his goods as he pleases- He
does mark them. we will say, with the
same stamp that the honest manufac-
turer has upon his goods, although they
are inferior as to quality but similar in
appearance. In consequence OF this in
feriority the dishonest retailer places a
price upon them far below that OF his
honest competitor, and the buying public,
looking over the two lines. noting that
to all appearances the goods are alike
and stamping the same. naturally decides
in favor of the low-priced retailer.