Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-24
|0PP0SE STEPHENS BILL
| AS BEING PERN|C|OUS
Local Retail Merchants Vote 81 to
% Against Passage OF Re.
Sale Measure.
ALLEGED Glass LEGISLATION
Action of Richmond Association In.
dicatcS Its Attitude Toward Pro.
posed Law Favored by Chamber OF
Commerce Board of Directors.

by vote OF 81 to rs the Retail
| Merchants Association. in ouartcrl,
session last night at the Masonic Tenn.
pie, went on record rs being oppos,d
to the stephens resale bill. now pcnd
I ing In Congress. which proposes TO
guarantee to tho manufacturer OF
trndc-marked goods the. right to saw
at what standard price his goods shall,
! be sold by those who handle them
| The association indicated its ntti-
tude toward the measure which b,a
already received the hearty rccommen-
dation Of the board of directors Of thc
Chamber Of Commerce, by tho ,don
non OF resolution offered ms a s,,h
stitute by l.. O. Miller. in which ~.
hiii is characterized as class lec;sla
ZION. calculated 10 materially nurt tho
retailer and The public for the beuef,
OF the manufacturers. no proylsio,, oe
| which in any way safeguards the in
terest and the right OF either tho ruh
lie or the retailer"
ASK VIRGINIA DELEGATION
! TO OPPOSE MEASURE
The resolution provides that each of
the states Senators and. Representa-
! uNes be sent a copy. urging that they
not only vote against the pcrnicious
! provisions of the bill. but exert thei.
influence in every way to cause its
defeat, and that the president of the
richmond association urge the prcs:-
dent of the State association TO notify
each allied association in the State of
the hurtful provisions of the bill"
and request that each association PASS
IKE resolutions protesting against its
passage.
John G. Corley and T. a. Miller ap-
peared as the champions OF the meas
ure. Its enactment into law, they
said: would prevent predatory price
cutting, which is the means of other
merchants losing, not only the sale Of
those particular articles on which the
price has been cut. but the confidence
OF the public as we'll
me bill, they argued. is intended to
safeguard the small retailer who can
not successfully compete with his
larger competitor on a cut-rate basis,
and the buyer, who has no way Of
knowing the real value of the goods
he Is purchasing. It is strictly n moral
issue, they said, and deserves the sup
port of every man and every associa-
ton Interested in the man who cannot
DEFEND himself against tremendous
CHARACTERIZED AS
PERNiCIOUS MEASURE
Edward Schmidt characterized it as
the most pernicious piece Of class
legislation ever offered in national
legislative body, the effec. OF which
would he to bankrupt every retailer in
the United States. Its provisions, he
said. steals from the retailer the in
a!ienahlc right of the American citi-
Zen 10 conduct his business as he sees
TT. and are designed TO benefit a few
manufacturers against millions of
buyers.
Furthermore" said Mr. Schmidt,
the bill is unconstitutional. The Fed
cral government can control only in
,ersiate shipments. This phase of it
alone would cause chaos untold"
Mr. Corley held that no bill is un-
constitutional when IL is not manda-
tory. This measure" ne said. does
not attempt 10 force the manufacturer
to enter into n contract with the job
her or retailer. under the terms of
which his goods cannot lie sold except
AZ n standard price. 1t simply gives
the manufacturer that right. If you
do not care 70 buy them under those
conditions you need not"
Others who opposed the bill included
Isaac Cohen and julius Levitt
Before going into the merits OF the
stephens hill. the association was adj
dressed by DR. y. Il. Anderson, of
Richmond College. who urged the CO.
operation of all classes Of citizens for
better CITY government"
''Ail Of us" he said. ought TO be
in search If new ideas in govern
mcnt. The business man is always
looking for better way in which to
/ conduc, his business. II ought TO he
, so with the good citizen. II we see a
| form of government that is better than
our own. ought 20 acknowledge il,
and try 70 profit by our newly acquir-
ed knowledge"
AnNrn nno-aI os,uHtoN