The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-23

noolI agency would hc givcn 70 onl,
! one dcAicc IN town. thus limiting
f! conpcti,,ou ANA tnsurinS more profit
/ MIR. Stucltdcu Was asked IL II was
F.! not The policy OF the company 10 hay,
! few dealers. and IT the letter did not
| Indicate clearly Il monopolistic tend.
, envy.
Mr.. Stockdoll repliod that 4 was
their prActicc to place the agency
with only one dealer In II small COM
munity, for II was the plan that
worked best. |: enabled such deul-
or to carry Il complete stock OF be oks--
a thing that was found to be 'npos-
siblv with n number OF dealers in Il
small community. In large towns he
said. no such limitation was placed.
The company attempts to effect the
best plan of d.strIhutton, ana has
found that fewer dealers with digger
stocks. meet the situation better than
q srsat many with partial stocks.
othrr witnesses.
X. u. Bel. president aud treasurer
OF tie Sell Book and stationery COM
pauy. iaChmond, stated that lac WAS
secretary and treasurer also OF the
Virginia Book Company. lie repeated
the main points brought out in The cN-
animation of sir. Slockdell. The Viz
GINA Book Company. hc said. in reply
10 question, mad forced OF, OF the
business oi ichbinE textbooks, two pr
three tirips which were in the field be-
fore tho company was formed. Most
OF them wre losing money at II. he
thought. and We're not sorry to see
that branch oil their business so.
James II. Price. Il Richmond at
torney, and president OF the Beverly
Book Company, of Staunton, testified
10 having Il purely formal connection
with the Virginia Book Company. as
one OF its ineorporators. but knew
nothing of It's contracts either with
the publishers or dealers. Speaking
from the standpoint of the retailer, he
thought that the business of selling
school books at retail was seldom
profitable and often conducted at q
loss.
clyde W. Saunders. representing
Richmond publishing house, declared
that his iirm had no connection with
the Virginia Book Company. 1t print
ed books for several Northern firms,
and often supplied them TO the Vir-
ginia Book Company. upon order from
New York.
An Ideal Arrangement.
Harry NJ. Holden. general agent for
Houghton. Mnin & Company, who
interested. outsider, gave the View
point of the publisher The Virginia
Book Company, he said. was modelled
after similar organizations in most of
the southern States. He did not want
TO be understood as either champion
ing or denouncing the company Under
examination, as ne know nothing of it
beyond that which he had heard since
coming to the city.
The plan of centering the whole
school book trade of a state with
single company, he thought, was an
ideal arrangement. 1t eimplifed the
business of the publisher, made over
stock on the part of the dealer i'm
possible. eliminated the possibility of
overchargc to the consumer and re-
suited IN better distribution. The
most progressive States of the Union.
he said, had adopted the scheme as the
only practicable one.
Another Meeting To-Morrov.
The committee went into executive
session immediately after the eSam-
nation of the witnesses and decided TO
hold another meeting tomorrow
morning Mt o'clock Attorney Gen
eral Williams. who was present at the
opening of the meeting, asked for time
in which to prepare data he had to
offer. and will submit his information
Wednesday.