The Washington herald., 1914-02-14
Oppose Clssins llines.

i there win be no shutdown Of the mines
pending the solution. OF the problemi
under consideration.
The convention also adopted unani
mously a resolution condemning legisia
ton which aims to exempt certain classes
from prosecution under the Sherman act
q resolution urging the adoption of {
plan for q nationai budget to increas.
the efficiency and economy Of the govern.
ment: q resolution authorizing the board
Of directors to consider the advisability
of establishing q department of socia
welfare; q resolution protesting against
tariff discrimination by certain foreign
countries against imports from the United
States. and q resolution directing thu
4 president Of the national chamber to ap.
point q committee to Investigate the fix.
ing and maintaining Of resale prices on
| standardized articles.
1 wheeler Gives Dinner.
| Harry A. Wheeler. the retiring rresi-
dent, and Mrs. Wheeler gave dinner
last night to the outgoing and incoming
boards of directors, the members Of the
Washington Office of the national cham
Der. and the field secretaries
| Those present were A. B. Farquhar. II.
E. Miles, Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick Bode.
James G. Cutler. r. c. Phett, W. II.
Douglas. former Secretary of Commerce
and Labor Charles Nagel, Ralph Stone.
Elliot H. Goodwin. Mr.. and Mrs. ID. A.
Skinner. Mr.. and Mrs. G. Grosvenor
DAVE, Basil Miles, J. NJ. Redpath. E. F.
Trefz, H. +. Atwood. W. E. Doriand. II.
c. Coles. John Lind. and Allan Walker.
The dinner was given in the cabinet room
Of the New Willard.
| A discussion of the maintenance OF re-
sale prices occupied the morning session.
\ which was held In the Pan-Amerfcan
Union Building. William II. Ingersoll. a
New York merchant. was the chief
speaker. his topic being Protection from
Price Juggling" Having told how dis
honest retailers sell staples, such as cof-
1 fee, from the same bin at different prices.
according to the quality demanded by the
customer. Mr.. 1ngersoll said that the
great financial interests, having con-
quered the Industrial field. now are striv-
ing to monopolize the retail business Of
the nation.
Trade Is Diverted.
THE process used by certain classes of
retailers, not only threatens the existence
OF we'll known brands themselves" he
said. but tends to divert trade from the
local centers to the great stores Of the
big cities, oppresses the thousands Of
small merchants in little towns and Is
bringing about that same concentration
of business in the retail field which has
thrust upon the American people the
trust problem in the industrial field.
"The present unscienttic, unfair scale
OF quantity discounts allowed generally
to large buyers is turning the retail busi-
ness into one, not Of merchandising, but
of financial manipulation to combine out
lets so as to gain buying power and be
able to under-buy the general run Of
merchants.
"A premium is put upon mere size, per- |
hitting wastefulness of management |
through unearned buying advantage. PEN |
alizing the small independent dealer.
closing the way to the newcomer and |
making it impossible for the individual |
retailer to compete regardless OF how |
capable he may be"
That there is strong demand for legis- |
lation giving manufacturers right to fix |
prices. despite decisions of the Supreme |
Court holding price-hxing Illegal was
the assertion of Joseph E. Davies. COM |
missioner of corporations, Of the De-
partment Of Commerce.
Priee-axins Question.
'.The Bureau Of Corporations is study
ing the price fixing question from an
economic point of view" said Commits /
sioner Davies. "The question vitality af-
fects the mass Of consumers. In pro-
cesses Of production from raw material I
to consumer, extraction, manufacture, and /
] find distribution one OF /
the greatest factors In the high cost Of /
mo sane man wants fixed price on
a Paris hat of latest mode" declared
Donald Dey, of Syracuse, but price,
cutting on nationally advertised goods
has become a menace and retailers should
reach a saner method Of doing business
The law permits the fixing Of hours Of
labor and why shouldn't the fixing Of
prices be allowed when merchants NAV
agree on a fair price minimum without
injury to the consumer? The Sherman
law was not designed to prohibit an
Agreement to sell thread at cents a
SPOOL"
At the afternoon session reports were
read on fire waste by Powell Evans, of
and on vocationaf educa-
ton by H. z. Miles. Of Racine, Wis The
election Of directors was the final busi-
ness before the report Of the; committee
on resolutions.
Directors Are Elected.
The following were elected directors to
yerve for 1874 and 1sl5: Frederick e,
Portland. Me-; John II. Fahey,
Boston; James @. Cutler. Rochester, N.
T.; W. II. Stevenson. Pittsburgh: Frank
in Conlklin, Newark. N. J.; Willoughbyl
v. Mccormick, Baltimore: Homer L
Ferguson, Newport News Va; John n. ,,
Parker, New Orleans; Charles NaSel, St
Louis; T. L L Temple. Texarkana, Ark;
=. J. Petit, Milwaukee; Frederick Bode,
Chicago. and Hovey c. Clark, Mime
polls.
The following were elected to I'LL the
terms Of directors who died 4
,r resigned in 1913: William H. DouGlas, | i
Sew York City: John e. Reynolds. Rome, /
IA: Charles 9. Keith. Kansas City, Mo. I
aalph Stone. Detroit; L. C. Boyd, In ,
lianapolis. and C. z. Yost, Omaha, Nebr.
The board OF directors elected In. the /
Ifternoon met In the evsning and chose
'ohn H. Fahey. Boston editor and publ
Isher. ~ president to succssd Harry A.