The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-05-23
GOODRECN COMPhNY
WINS LEGAL FIGHT
In Refusing to Sell League it Pro-
tectS Dealers.

1t is because we believe in an abb
solutely square deal for the automo-
bile supply houses" says an official
of The B. F. Goodrich Company in
! explanation of the victory recently
won in the United States district
court in Cleveland over the Aptomo-
>lie Cooperative association Of Amer
! ica.
There are $4,000 of these supply
houses throughout the country. If
we sold the various consumers lea
gue at our jobbing price, a@d if other
tire companies did the same, it would
result in putting out of business a
tremendous number of our pros
porous merchants who have invested
heavily in the automobile supply
ousi&ess This would, in the end, be
misfortune, not only to the indivld-
,;al dealer, but would hurt every man
who owns and operates a car.
eff you own car yourself or If
any of your friends own car and
you take your wives and children out
for an a!l-day outing, one of the con-
tributing factors of our pleasure is
the knowledge that almost anywhere
along the road, if you ran out of gas,
or if you have a blowout, or If yoI
need various little supplies or assist
ance of any kind, you can drop into
a country garage or a little supply
house aed get fixed up so that you
will be able to continue on your way
rejoicing.
These dealers throughout the
country, who make auto touring
pleasure are not making enough prof
it out of the sale of any one article
to make a living. They must make
their profits in selling a little Of this
and a little of that If you take away
from this dealer his earnings on tires
and accessories the chances are that
95 per cent of them would be forced
out of business, and yet the man who
Joins a consumers league doesn't
stop to consider that in 50 doing he
IS really knocking the man who
makes a long automobile trip pleas
ure and a possibility for him.
"The significance of our victory is
the fact that we are saving the deal
ers for the ultimate benefit Of the
consumer even despite the desire OF
ve~y large body of these same con-
sumers."
In connection with this victory,
the following letter sent out by The
B. F. Goodrich Company to their
dealers is interesting:
Suit Of Importance to Dealers.
On March 81, 1916. there ended in
the United State district court, il
Cleveland, Ohio, trial which has
lasted for three weeks, and is OF
vital interest to the dealers through
out the country.
The suit was one brought by q
consumers league known as the Au-
tomobile Cooperative association OF
America, which was organized in New
York in 1908 and went out Of busi-
ness in 1911. The suit was against
The B. F. Goodrich Company, line
Diamond Rubber Company, The Fire
stone'Tire and Rubber Company, The
Republic Rubber Company and The
U. S. Tire Company.
The consumers league-the plain
tiff-complained that these companies
had refused to sell tires to it at deal
ers' prices; that such refusal was the
result Oh a COulDlAOU .<aSIAOAA VI wa
spiracy on the part of these compan-
les. and that the result of such con-
spiracy had been to cause this con-
sumers' league to fail in business.
The suit was brought for s450,OOOOO
damages under the Sherman Anti
Trust law.
At the conclusion of the plaintiff g
opening proofs, The Firestone Rub
ber Company and The U. S. Tire Com
pany we're, by the direction of the
court, dropped out Of the case.
The fight was continued by the
Goodrich, Diamond and Republic
companies.
It appeared from the evidence
thereafter taken-consisting of testi-
mony of a number Of prominent deal
ers and of officers and branch man
ayers of the tire companles-tnat
the Goodrich company had always
b coll m