New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-30
CIJT-PRICES LAW
STIRS MERCHANTS
Percy Straus, OF Macy y D.
Condemns Bill Aimed TO
Fix Retail Rates.
INSISTS 1T WOULD
CRUSH COMPETITION
Stevens Measure Both Criticised
and Upheld in Hearing OF the
Merchants Association

The committee on commerciai 10"
a.. Merchants Association gave 'e"'
d. Yesterday on the bill presented u
congress by Representative stevens %
-. HAMPSHIRE. who seeks 10 prevent
.r,,,rq OF prices Of patented or
.o,vr,shted goods by enabling the
..,rar N make valid contracts
Oh. exact price AT which his prod
NAV =. retailed Under recent de-
.,.,,r. ~ tho Supreme Court OF the
e..,os such contracts are invalid
and non-enforceable'
percy straus, representing r. H. Macy
,ode the principal argument
ocot,st the measure, which ne oecia' co
% on attempt 10 make distributors Vi
80 ,ho EMPLOYEES Of manufacturers
mr.. American Fair Trade League t"e
,so~s for the bill. had been most uh-
fsir IN its propaganda. he salo, ueli' 80
,hoss who opposed such laws inc
20 hoard at meetings called 10
discuss the matter. Ia NJ
strous. there will be no such INNS
retail competition. in advocati"s ''."
measure YOU are asking permisslo"
aho,,sb a trade custom sanctioned by al
-. ~ economy and business. You are
going 10 put a premium upon o"i,
r,,ntcv bv this bill. According 10 II inc
orlv way n dealer who needs money can
.alr. below the retail price OF an arucle
exea nv the manufacturer Is to fall. 10y
I, con ara irving 70 bolster up the III
efncient man who cannot meet coihpe
tion. II would be as dangerous LOT 'ii7
association 20 indorse the Fair 1rdue
League as IL would be TO indoFse 'ne
Free Trade League
= w Bloomingdale. representing '"e
Retail Metchants' Association sara '"0
voice of the general public had not oeeh
raised in favor Of tho bill when . f'
Rothschild. Of Abraham & Straus oe-
nounced as monopolistic. G. d. Beatty
OF the Aeolian Company. said the OIL
would hamper his business.
Harry Balfe. Of Austin. Nichols & CO.
said that under the bill his house coulu
not handle twenty thousand items II no"
carries.
Gilbert IT. Montague who drafted the
bill. said the sentiment among retailers
was growing in favor Of the abolition OF
the practices the bill would stop. ana
William H. Ingersoll. president OF the
Fair Trade League. denied that 1t was
monopolistic in its nature. Under the
law as proposed a manufactures would
be free TO permit his prices to be cut or
not. as he might decide best.
The Yale & Tovne Manufacturing
Company. through L. ". Porter. favored
the principle Of the bill. though object
ing TO some provisions as weak.
Carl l. Alderman said the retail
photographers supply trade favored the
measure. which was also advocated by
W. II. Childs, Of the Coal Tar Products
Company: by T. H. Outerbridge. who in
sisted that It is absolutely necessary TO
protect the manufacturers Of specialties.
and by Charles E. Butler. representing
the book trade.
Representative Herman a. Metz, who
also has bill IN Congress TO prevent
price cutting. Jinted out weaknesses In
the Stevens measure. II is absolutely
necessary. lie said. TO protect the small
retailer.
The committee took the matter under
edvisement ard will receive briefs from
those who may be interested.