Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-06-03

solutely square deal for the automo-
mobile supply houses, says an official
OF The B.. F. Goodrich Com any in
explanation of the victory recently
won in the United States Court in
Cleveland over the Automobile Co
operative Asso citation of America
There are $4,000 of these supply
houses throughout the country II
we sold the various consumers leagues
at our jobbing price, and if other tire
companies did tile same, it would /
result in putting out OF business a |
tremendous number of our prosperous
merchants who have Invested heavily |
in the automobile supply business.
This would, in the end, be misfort-
une. not only to the Individual dealer,
but would hurt every man who owns
and operates car.
IF you own car yourself or il any
of your friends own a car and you take
your wife and children out for an
aIl-day outing, one of the contribut-
| ing factors of your pleasure is the
knowledge that almost anywhere
along the road, if you ran out of gas,
or if you have a blowout, or if you
need various little supplies or assist
ance of any kind, you can drop into
a country garage or a little supply
house and get fixed up so that you
will be able to continue on your
way rejoicing
These dealers throughout the
country, who make auto touring a
pleasure are not making enough pro-
fit out of the sale of any one article
TO make living They must make
their profits in selling little of this
and little of that. If you take
away from this dealer his earnings on
tires and accessories the chances are
that % per cent of them would be
forced out of business, and yet man
who joins consumers league doesn t
stop to consider that in so doing he is
really knocking the man who makes
long automobile trip pleasure and
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 of very large
body of these same consumers.
I'm connection with this victory
r the following letter sent out by The
i B. f. Goodrich Company to thei
: dealers is interesting.
l. SUIT OF IMPORTANCE TO DEALERS
d On March 81, 1916, there ended in tn,
l. United States District Court, in Cleve
e land, Ohio, trail which has LASTED
r for three weeks, and is of vital interes
y to the dealers throughout tn
/. country.
The suit was one brought by a con
IS sumers' league known as the Auto
n mobile Cooperation Association O
8 America, which was organized in Nes
}. York in 1908 and went out of bushes
d in 1911 The suit was against til
s. f. Goodrich Company. damon
t Rubber Company, Firestone Tire an,
Or Rubber Company, Republic Rubbe
Or Company and The o. S. Tire Compan,
The consumers league pIair
tiff-complained that these companie
had refused to sell tires to it q
n. dealers prices; that such refusal VIZ
the result Of a combined action {
conspiracy on the part of these con
papies, and that the result of sue
conspiracy had been TO cause th
consumers league to fail in bushes
The suit was brought for $3.50, 900, 90
damages under the Sherman Ant
ed Trust Law
ae At the conclusion of the plaintiff
re opening proofs, The Ffrestone Rubb'
tie and the q. S. Tire Company we're, I
p the direction of the Court, droppe
ee out of the case
y, The fight was continued by I'll
Goodrich, Diamond and Republ
Companies.
so 1t appeared from the evidence ther
R. after taken-consistiug of testimoI
of a number of prominent dealers an
of officers and branch managers of Il
"a tire ompanies-that the Goodric
- Company had always and consistent
refused to sell to clubs, consumer
leagues and kindred organizations
nd dealers prices, recognizing that TO
a so would be unfair to, and wou
F. undermine the business of. the lie
itimate dealers.
ay Through the Court, at the conclu
so ion of the evidence, decided-ar
w subsequently SO charged the jury
ae- that no damages were proven
could be recovered even if the defen