The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-09-09
Mark Prices in
Plain Figures

mated appears to be not clearly known.
me reason why 1t was adopted is also
something of puzzle, although plaus-
ipie solutions are offered About the
only thing regarding it that is at all
uennlte Is that it came into being
years ago. when it was the custom of
the manufacturers and wholesalers TO
Dulld a kind of Chinese wall around
tnelr business and station a regiment
vi soldiers at every gate. In those
days, according to trade veterans.
commercial spying was a high art
ana more than one man had his paIm
crossed with silver for posing as n
buyer and thus obtaining price data
Vi the competitors of the merchant
VINO hlred MIN. In those days any
thlhg approaching the open-price as
soclations that had their being here
curing the war would have been
looked upon as madness, for then. TO
all lntents and purposes, every mer.
chant regarded his competitors as per-
sonai enemies.
one of the favorite codes used in
the early days, it is said, was the one
based on the old motto, "In God We
Trust" This had the advantage Of
containing but twelve letters, with no
Implications in the first ten. Tins
oy dropping the final "st," something
like this was arrived at:
INGOD WE TRU
~ As 7SQO
With this arrangement worked ont
the rest was easy. If a man were SELL
ing broadcloth at $3.50 yard, on his
price ticket would appear the more
or less crytic sign o D U. Were be
selling an overcoat at $37.25. the MARI
on the ticket would be G E ND. Some
times the code would be varied by
placing the figure l under the U and
numbering in sequence to the left in
stead OF to the right. Thousands of
codes and variations Of original ones
have since been devised.
Frequently Abused.
Whlle there seems to be little doubt
that the code system was adopted orio.
lhaily as a protective measure, it was
not long before it began to be used for
more Interior purposes. What was
there, somebody evidently argued 70
prevent the use of the code to fool
buyers as to the real price? In ire
carry days, at least, wholesale busi- |
ness was no more conducted on a |
one-price basis than was re.
tall selling. Therefore, not only did |
code price frequently mean differ
cent quotations to different BUYERS
but 1T often meant the minimum flo.
are at which yard of goods or a
garment could be sold The sales
men were permitted to get ANYTHING
lhey could above the figure indicated
oy the code, and as they were paid
IN comparison with what thev sold
they tried to get all the traffic would
pear. That way of doing business pre-.
vailed In one of the biggest wholesale
houses IN the country for years. If is
Said, and the gentle art of buving
mere was rendered more difficult hy
ne fact that practically every kind
II merchandise sold by the concern
lad a different code.
instances like those noted ahova
nave been paralleled many fines 40.
'ording to the buyers heretofore mon.
loned. In late years, however sales.
men nave had less leeway. If any a.
H. IN connection with fixing prices
6ecause of this the double-price svs.
EN- to different buyers is "worked,
more In the salesrooms than on tbe
oad. Also. 1t is asserted. the nrac.
,ee reierred to Is now very largely
onnned to the garment trades In
ne hands of smooth worker, usual,
lnemDer Of the firm or the so.
allied general representative ths
: code letters can mean $3.50
= one buyer and 1925 to another
aean even less. Sn'