The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-04-27
NO USED CAR
TRUST" HERE
KenOsha Members of AS
ISOLATION Not Hit by
New Ruling.
NO PRICE FIXING
Local Men Declare They Turn
ed Down Effort Made to
Have Agreement.

Members Of the Kenosha Automobile
e Garage Dealers association will not
be greatly alarmed by the "bomb
shell" which was thrown into the trade
in Wisconsin by the attorney generals
office today when decision was hand
ed down holding that: "the organiza-
ton of Wisconsin Automobile Asso-
citation of Dealers for the purpose of
fixing prices for used cars through
the dissemination of trade information
was In restraint of trade and illegal
under the Wisconsin antitrust law.
The opinion was given by Attorney
General Morgan and it is understood
to preface the beginning of actions
against associations which have sought
by agreement and by the dissemination
OF trade information to fix prices on
used automobiles. 1t is said that the
practice of fixing prices by such or
CARNATIONS has been prevalent in Wis
consin.
Local Organization Not Sitting In.
1t was strenuously declared today
by prominent members of the Keno
sha association that this organization
was not Sitting in" on any movement
to nix the price of used cars and it
6as declared that no such an effort
had been made at any of the meetings
of the Kenosha association which met
with the sanction of the members. "We
were advised long time ago that such
an action would be in violation of the
state antitrust laws" said one of the
members today. "Our organization has
agreed on prices to be charged for
staple accessories of the automobile
trade solely with view of preventing
price cutting but we never have dab
bled in any agreement as to the value
to be placed on used cars. The Ke-
nosha members have been given some
Information as to what was considered
fair value for used cars of the type
handled by some of the dealers but
this has been for the sole purpose of
guiding the trade and not for fixing
prices. There has been no obligation
of any kind on any members of the as
ISOLATION to hold these prices and the
members have been free to sell used
cars at any price they saw fit"
Effort to Sign Agreement Quashed
cat one of the meetings of the as
ISOLATION" he continued, zone mem
Der brought up plan by which a
signed agreement was to be made as
to the price to be charged for certain
types of used cars. The other mem
bers promptly vetoed the idea and re-
fused to have any part in it. Right
now several of the larger manufactur-
ers of cars are giving out lists show
ing what they consider their product
worth in the used car market and these
quotations have been published in the
metropolitan papers. These quotations
are not absolute sale prices and even
the factories have no rule which
would require dealer to be bound by
them. The used car is something of
drug on the market and all dealers
are making big concessions to get
their garages cleared of the used pro-
duct, but this very fact shows that
the Kenosha dealers could not have
an agreement as to price to be asked.
In Kenosha there is no scale of prices
on anything in the used car line. Ma
tionally published guides suggest the
value of cars when they are one, two,
three years or older and undoubtedly
the prices fixed in this catalogue are
given consideration but if any one
wants to see how flexible these prices
are in Kenosha he can find it out by
letting any dealer know that he is in
the market for a used car"
Z
general had not been received by the
officials of the Kenosha association to-
day but it was expected to reach Ke-
nosha before the day is over. 1t is
probable that a careful reading of it.
will bring careful scrutiny of methods
followed here with the idea of getting
insurance that all are within the pro-
visions of the Wisconsin law
Nine Combinations Under Fire.
Nine combinations of dealers in
various sections of the state will be
asked to/dissolve their organizations
or face prosecution for violation of
the anti trust law, as a result of this
decision, the attorney general said,
The names of the organizations are
withheld. Court actions, according to
Mr. Morgan, would involve the social
ed Saginaw plan for disseminating
trade information which has not pre-
viously been tested.
The opinion describes how through
weekly meetings and by exchange of
statistical information, dealers have
established classification of prices to
be paid owners of used automobiles.
Competition is said to have been re-
stricted although there is no com