The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-05
Complaints Against Trading
Stamp Users Are Turned In.
Summons Issued for S. and III.
Co. and Crosby Bros.
WOMEN TO Be WITNESSES
Present Plan of Crosby Broth
ers Said to Be Illegal.
Store Buys Coupons From
Trading Stamp Company.

Action was brought in the district
court today against Sperry & Hutch
inson and Crosby Brothers for alleged
violation of the anti-trading stamp
law. Summons calling the heads of
the firms into court were prepared
by Robert D. Carver, county attorney.
The action was t--ken following
Crosby Brothers initiation of a new
system of dispOSing stamps 1t Is
claimed that the present method of
redeeming stamps is not in violation
of the law.
Names of many of the most prom
inent women in Topeka appear on a
to testify Among these women are:
Mrs Charles Blood Smith, Mrs. A
NJ Fuller, Mrs J. y. DOlley, Mrs Lila
Day Monroe. Mrs Emma Sells Mar
shall and Mrs. Clad Hamilton.
Merchants Sign Complaint.
Eighteen prominent merchants
signed the complaint. They are: c.
pany; c. W. McCord. Palace Clothing
company; A. p. McKown, Pelletier
Stores company; c. A Harlan. HARLAN
Furniture company; L. G. Thorpe, w
W. Mills company; John E. Lord, flor
list; Ralph R. Peterson, jeweler; Hen
ry EndIich, The Outlook; w. E. Brels-
ford. Payne's Shoe company; William
Connors, Connors' Furniture company;
Charles Adams, Warren M Crosby
company; H. r. Nachtigal, Berkson
Brothers company; A T. Waggoner of
Waggoner & Goodrich; James Hayes
florist; James E. Mcfarland, Tul1y &
Mcfarland; A. S. Thomas, Santa Fe
/ Watch company; J. c. Emahizer
Emahizer & Spielman Furniture COM
pany; George W. Stansfield. drug
| gist-
The prosecution insists that the new
arrangement for redeeming stamps
made by Crosby Bros is a violation
I of the law. Following is the conten-
/ ton of the prosecution:
Crosby Bros. Co. has entered into
/ a new contract with the trading stamp
company for the purchase of such
stamps as they may need at $3.50 per
/ thousand, redeemable at $2.25 in cash
i or $3.50 in merchandise, to be selected
( by the customer from the Crosby
/ Bros. general stock, at regular retail
/ prices This eliminates the premium
parlor entirely. In fact, it is under
stood that the Sperry & Hutchinson
Co has closed all its premium parIors
; in the state, and are removing the
/ goods beyond the Jurisdiction of the
/ Kansas courts.
Present Plan Illegal?
1T is insisted, however that the
! present arrangement is a violation OF
the law Justice Mason. in the sec
/ ond paragraph of his opinion says:
shows that the subject of legislation
| IS the furnishing of stamps by one
/ person, to be used by another
This cannot be done legally Furth-
er on in the opinion is a quotation
from Washington. d. c.. case in
which it is stated that the primary
! object Of this class of legislation is TO
cut out the 'superfluous middleman.
Crosby Brothers could devise and
| install a system of stamps or coupons
of their own, furnish them to their Gus
toners. and redeem them as the Law
authorizes. 1t is urged that the dom
inant purpose of the legislation was to
exterZninate the stamps companies
Upon the trial of the case in the
| supreme court, evidence was intro
! dueed to show that the Sperry &
| Hutchinson company did more thar
Sc. 900. 600 worth of business ii
1916; that it took more than $4,000
out of Kansas, and $26,227.50 from
Shawnee county: that it paid in taxes
in Shawnee county. only 1896, and
had in the city of Topeka, all told
$1.645 worth of property