Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-31
Threatened Clerks

In this connection he mentioned that
one means taken by the Retail Grocers
Association. acting through the indi
vidual members of that association, Wa,
to threaten government clerks who had
been customers, and VINO still owned them
a balance. with suit If they continued
their connection with the guild. Another
method was to offer clerks who mad
formerly been their customers, but VINO
had taken UP with the guild, 10 and ID
per cent discounts to return TO them on
the monthly basis once more.
According to Mr.. Holmes, the guild
was organized June 90, 1907. and No
vember 90 opened for business with eX-
ecutive offices in the Colorado hui :
ing and stores at 9th and 9 streets
business was s93, but by March l the
days business averaged 500 Feo-
ruary /, 1909, the guild went into the
hands of a receiver. an
month. Mr.. Holmes testified. before it
became apparent that everything was not
running smoothly. He read from the
minutes of the board of directors, under
date OF December "a, 1907. report from
the secretary of the association to the
effect that certain bakers had refused to
deliver bread, having been prevented
from so doing by threats of the Retail
Grocers' Association. Letters were sent
to these bakers asking them what was
received.
MI. Holmes Opinion.
Mr. Holmes said that in his belief the
Retail Grocers' Association, working to
put the guild out of business, had helped
to do SO through a combination working
through the individual. He admitted
when c'osely questioned by the commit
tee that on-efficiency in management
1irrl,+ y laco a continuing
The committee members who We're ap-
parently much interested in the subject
matter of the discussion by TINS time.
asked DIR. Holmes to get back 10 the
trouble over bread. He he said that, after
the bakers had refused to deliver bread,
the guild demanded to know why NO
replies were received from letters on this
subject sent to bakery company under
date Of December - and -.
A few days later DR.. Holmes said, one
of the bakers, with an attorney, called
on officers Of the guild to explain that
the business of the baking company was
being ruined because the company was
selling bread to the guild. that the COM
pany's business already had fallen off
from one to two thirds, that members Of
the Retail Grocers' Association refused
to buy bread from the company a. long
as that company continued to serve tn"
guild and that in order to break this
boycott the guild would have to gets It's
bread somewhere else.
Received No Replies.
About this same time the other bakeries
took the same action. No replies were
returned by these concerns to letters
from the guild demanding explanation.
For a time, DR.. Holmes said. the guild
was able to get bread in roundabout
and surreptitious manner by having thes
bakers deliver to some friendly address
But the Retail Grocers Association put
spies to work, he sald, ana soon us
covered this method.
Then the bakers refused to sell bread
to the guild, even lover the counter"
When the situation got this serious the
officers % the guild called on one of the
bakers he said. and. IN an interview with
hands and pleaded with us not to insist on
buying bread saying that it was ruin
ing his business.
4 letter from the manager of the guild
to the president was read by Or. Holmes
and It contained the statement that the
National Biscuit Company were the only
peopIe who had kept d stiff upper lip and
announced that they would sell to whom
ever had the money to buy. Later the
same statement was maze concerning
the sugar trust and the beef trust
Provision Company Involved.
concern against whom a boycott was
threatened by the retailers. according to
todav's testimony, and this company
asked that buyers for the guild keep
away from their stand, as the retail
grocers of the city had made threats The
same thing happened, DR.. Holmes saiu'
IN connection with the purchase of butter,
and various commission men selling vege'
tables, etc. :.
Today's testimony was also to the ef-
feet that all over the city retall grocero
had lowered thei prices in order to hurt
the guild, and that wholesalers who did
sell to the guild charged higher rate
than they did to other customers IN the
Retail Grocers' Association; IL was ~
Holmes who also made the statement
that retail g.ocers had successfully fought
the r1,ild by allowing discounts on month
ly bills and by threatening OLD customers
With suits on balances due II they con-
tinued to deal with the guild.