The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-01-10
Maddox SEES DEATH CALL
Each and Every 1918 Stamp Has Cash
Value of One and Two Thirds Mills
Old Stamps Redeemed in Premiums
New Stamps Redeemed in Cash.

The trading stamp is still sticking in
Kenosha. It's hold, it is true, is not as
firm as it once was, and it has changed
it's tactics somewhat, but 1918 still finds
it ION the job' in this city. The main
change in the plan of the company in
order to make it within the limits Of
the law, recently held constitutional by
the Wisconsin Supreme Court, is to do
away, after a reasonable time, with the
premium parlors and to establish an
office where the stamps may be re-
deemed in cash. The new books and the
new stamps have arrived in Kenosha,
and several Kenosha merchants, rely
ing on the statement of the officials of
the Sperry and Hutchinson Company,
that they would guarantee the ls-
gality Of their use, are already
issuing the stamps which will be
redeemable in cash.
'ETwo methods are being now used
to redeem the S. and Fl. stamps said
Miss Florence Smith, who is in charge
of the Kenosha Office of the company.
/" If the customer has a completed book
of stamps issued in 1917 he must re-.
deem it in premiums and we will con-
tinue our premium parlors on Wisconsin
street indefinitely to accommodate such
patrons. If the book is partially filed,
the stamps may be exchanged for a
new book and 1918 stamps and these
in time will be redeemed at the cash
value. All stamps which bear the 1918
mark must not be mixed with those is
sued prior to January first, but we now
have a plan whereby each and every
stamp will be redeemed
The S. and j.. Gottlieb store is the
only business house which has thus far
received an allotment Of the new trad
ing stamps. They are similar to the
stamps heretofore given but across the
face is stamped WISCONSIN 1918" and
on the back are the words aCash value
l25 mills-redeemab by the party is
suing The trading stamp company
maintains-th they are the company
issuing the stamps and as such they
will be entirely within the law by act
ing as a clearing house for the redemp-
ton of the stamps.
cit is the beginning of the end of
the trading stamp in Kenosha," said
H. G. Maddox, the secretary of the
Kenosha Retailers in regard to the new
plan now put into operation here. He
said that the plan was a subterfuge'
and "side-stepping'' of the law which
would finally lead to the departure Of
the trading stamp as an advertising
medium. The merchants, who have
taken a stand against the stamp, have
pointed out that it will lose whatever
value it ever had when redemption in
cash becomes reality and are firm iii
their belief that enough Kenosha mer-
chants will withdraw from the custom
of using the stamp to make it dead
letter in Kenosha
Their stand is clearly stated in the
complete statement made by Secretary
Maddox this morning in which he says:
THE trading stamp people are at
tempting to get around the law by re-
deeming their stamps in cash. SAID
Mr.. Maddox, "but this is distinctly
provided for in the act forbiddi ~ the
use of trading stamps, which are moth
ing more than carefully concealed tax
on the consumer. Section one of the
law states plainly that any stamp or
coupon issued tShall bear upon its face
stated cash value and shall be re-
deemable only in cash for the amount
stated thereon, upon presentation in
amounts aggregating twenty-five cents
or over of redemption value, ami
only by the person, firm or corpora
tion issuing the same.
"That means that if your grocer Is
sues a coupon to you it must be re
deemed by that same grocer and by
him only. No trading stamp company
or any one else is permitted TO redeem
a stamp given out by another merchant.
The merchants of the city realize this
and are not going to be fooled into
participating in law breaking by any
smoothed tongued stamp salesman.
They also realize that no one gets any
thing for nothing and that the giving
of trading stamps must of necessity be
paid for by the consumer, either in in
ferior goods or higher prices And
every one knows that the present is no
time to be adding extra burdens to the
already high costs. Start the funeral
dirge, for the trading stamp is dying