Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-04-23
Bill Would Make
All Prices Uniform

Washington, April 22.-To make the
Stevens price Standardization bill (H.
R. 13305) ironclad in It's anti mon
opoly features and to remove all pos
sibflity Of the proposed law being EN-
ployed in the interest of the capital
istic aggregations it aims to. restrain,
Senator Clapp Of Minnesota a few
days ago introduced an amendment
which he will urge when the measure
reaches the Senate for consideration.
The introduction of amendments in
one house of Congress to measures
under consideration in the other
house is almost unprecedented and
the incident shows the prominence
and: growing strength of the uniform
price idea. Like the bill itself the
proposed Clapp amendment is brief
but sweeping, requiring as a condi-
ton OF the right to a resale prices,
afidavits by producers that they have
not and never had sany monopoly or
control of the market" and are not
and never have been parties tsto any
agreement, combination or under.
standing with any competitor In the
production, manufacture, or sale Of
any merchandise in the same general
class fin regard to the price at which
the same shall be sold
This is the first indication of any
disposition of congress to change the
original form of the committees have
treated the subject Of price standard
~ization in a general way, hearing the
testimony of consumers and business
men who favor legislation to cover
the matter. Doubts as to public sen
timent have been largely removed by
the fact that more than three-quarters
of all the testimony taken by the
house judiciary committee on anti
trust legislation has related directly
to the one-price-to-all plan Of mer-
chandising standardized and trade
marked goods.
i III w lJIl IL Stanudta pllCS 4ACpJlOu
now established as the most warmly
contested issue in connection with
antitrust legislation, there is a grow
ing tendency in both houses to scrut-
inize the Stevens bill more closely
and consider the merits OF its various
provisions.
Unrest In Country Districts.
AS usual, the approaching elections
are causing congressman to give more
than ordinary attention to complaints
that are pouring in from country
merchants in regard to many mail or
der house practices. They are being
shown that the catalog enterprises
are able to compete only by the use
OF two Legitimate weapons: the abil-
ity to mislead by the lure
of standard merchandise at cut prices
and secret rebates Or Quantity dis
counts which manufacturers have
been forced to grant under threat OF
excessive price-cutting in certain lines
adding to the swollen profits Of the
mail order magnates and forcing the
manufacturers to recoup themselves
through the small dealers.
Under the provisions of the Stevens
measure. independent producers will
be allowed to protect small dealers
against discrimination the public from
Misrepresentation, themselves from
intimidation. Upon producers would
be placed a clearly drawn restriction
against allowing the mail order house
secret rebates of any sort. The relief
lof manufacturers FROM quantity dis
count holdups'' would under compe-
titiYe conditions, result in lowered
prices to small dealers and thus work
to the benefit and advantage Of the
great mass Of consumers,
---
The righteous eateth to the satisfy
ing Of his soul. !