Evening star. [volume], May 02, 1926, Page 21, Image 21

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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CHAIN STORE FIGHT
GROWING STRONGER
Manufacturers and Inde
pendent Merchants Seeking
to Curb Cut Rates.
BY HARDEN (OM AN
Manufacturers and independent re
tail merchants, fighting what they de
scribe as a menace to their continued
existence in the growing systems of
chain stores and in certain classes of
cut-rate stores, appear to have lost,
temporarily at least, their fiftht for
legislative assistance. It is not prob
able that the House committee on in
terstate and foreign commerce will
report the so-called price maintenance
bill, on which intensive hearings have
been concluded.
But the fight over what methods of
distribution shall he followed In the
United States will he continued, it is
entirely safe to prophesy, whether
within the halls of Congress or with
out. and with rather strong indica
tions that there will result radical
changes in settled practices and pol
icies of selling merchandise to the
consumer.
Terror of Chain Store.
Over the head of the independent
merchant there dangles the terror of
the spreading chain store, with its
enormous buying power and reserve
resources. Over the head of the in
dependent manufacturer there is a
sword in the form of fear that the day
may come when the outlets of his
products will he limited to a few
great systems, which he must please
mi their terms or go out of business.
This is the picture painted hv advo
cates of such measures as the price
maintenance bill. Opponents of this
and other legislative proposals declare
any such picture entirely too futuris
tic and the result of nightmares, to
1"' laughed away with the coming of
dawn.
Out of the increasing struggle
which marks the retail field, the con
sumer is much more likely to receive
benefit than injury, for the search to
lower costs of distribution, which now
accounts for an average of nearly 50
cents of the purchaser's dollar, is
progressing in a dozen different di
rections.
The price maintenance hill is no
stranger to Congress, but it has been
pressed before the House committee
recently with unprecedented vigor
and opposed with an equal intensity.
The bill, in brief, would permit the
producer of trade-marked merchan
dise to fix by contract with the dis
tributor the price at which the goods
should he sold to the consumer.
May Refuse to Sell.
Under the present law. any such
contract is in restraint of trade, al
though a. producer may rtfuse to sell
to anv one he chooses and thus may
eliminate from his list price cutters if
he desires, but he cannot threaten
them with this action in advance.
Powerful firms, for whose goods there
is strong demand, thus already can,
and do, dictate resale prices by their
known policy, but less powerful man
ufacturers and those who distribute
through johbers have a difficult time
enforcing their desires in such mat
ters.
It is contended by the American
Pair Trade League, supporting the
price maintenance hill, that only
through a fixed resale price on stand
ard. trade-marked goods can the pro
ducer protect his good will and the
independent distributor protect him
self against cut-rate sales by com
petitors on standard goods. It is
argued that the competitors make up
losses or low profits In this direction
by high prices on goods vho c e normal
price the consumer does not know’.
On the other hand, it is contended
by opponents of such measures, not
able among whom are the members of
the National Retail Dry Goods As
sociation, representing several thou
sand department stores and specialty
shops, that such a law’ would give a
few producers the power to combine
In secret and control the price of any
given commodity, and that merchants
would lose their individuality and be
come mere agents for manufacturers.
Opposing the bill also are the Ameri
can Federation of Labor, the National
Grange and the American Farm
Bureau Federation, which fear the
result of such legislation would hit
the consumer in his pocketbook.
Many Chain Stores.
Whatever the merits of the contro
versy, it is plain that there Is a
change in merchandising. Figures
given the House committee showed
that whereas 20 years ago there were
few' chain stores in this country, the
latest statistics established that there
are now’ 1,300 systems of grocery
stores. 1,279 systems of drug stores,
1.058 systems of dry goods and mil
linery stores, 215 systems of cloak and
Important
Announcement
It has always been the object of this store to so conduct
its business that it will be of greatest possible service to the
people of this community—our customers. Tn selecting mer
chandise it is our policy to adhere rigidly to this one stand
arf]_that we must sell only those products which will render
the greatest measure of service and give the greatest degree
of satisfaction to those who honor us with their patronage.
Jt is in keeping with this policy that we have added a line
of paints and varnishes, which, after thorough investigation
and tests, have convincingly demonstrated their superior
work.
We are the exclusive distributors for
Lowe Brothers Paints
and Varnishes
We feel that our customers will welcome this move on our
part. It has required a considerable investment. It is a step
forward. It puts us in a position to more completely and
more satisfactorily serve the decorators of this community
than ever before. It enables us not only to render greater
service through finer merchandise, but also to provide our
customers with decorative plans, color harmonies and worth
while suggestionsnn the use of paint, varnish and wallpaper
for every purpose.
The Foer Wall Paper Co.,lnc.
1105-1107 Seventh St. N.W.
Phone Main 7988 and 7987
OIL POLLUTION PROHIBITION
STUDIED BY MARITIME NATIONS
Conference Here June 8 Will Seek to Protect Shores
hv Preventing Ships From Discharging
Oily Matter.
Oil pollution prohibition, resembling
in some respects that raised by law
and treaty against rum runners, is
in the making.
Thirteen nations are supporting oil
pollution baits and their representa
tives have been invited by the
United States, leader of the reform
movement, to meet in Washington
beginning June 8 to consider the
formulation of proposals for dealing
with the problem through the inter
national agrement.
Should the conference succeed in
its mission effective means will he
devised to protect ocean and river
communities in the United States
from losses involving damages to
bathing beaches, ‘ shore proi>erties,
public health, fire hazards and de
struction of marine and wild life.
Such losses have been estimated by
Federal authorities at millions of dol
lars annually and found by them to
constitute a real menace to the
nation.
Before Secretary Kellogg issued the
invitations to Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, Great Britain,
Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands,
| Norway. Spain and Sweden, he was
convinced that it was necessary to
eliminate pollution originating on the
high seas in order to rid the terri
torial waters of this country from oil
pollution. The Secretary's conviction
on this point was reached after lie
had painstakingly studied the volu
minous findings’of the Government's
inter-departmental committee on oil
pollution of Navigable waters, just
made public by the State Department.
Complaints More Numerous.
The committee's report, submitted
after exhaustive investigations of
pollution in American waters, inland
and coastal, showed the Secretary
that more complaints of oil pollution
have been made since Congress passed
the Oil Pollution act in 1924, than had
been made previous to that enact
ment.
Os the 69 Atlantic units reporting
only 27 showed a complete absence of
pollution in w’aters in their vicinity.
On the Gulf Coast the eight stations
reporting showed waters of about four
of their number to be free of pollu
tion.
The same condition was found to
exist along the Great Lakes shores.
while the Pacific Coast stations re
suit stores and 205 systems of flve
and-ten-cent stores. Some of these
systems are local to a single city,
others are sectional, and still others
are national in scope. The committee
also was told that of the $35,000,-
000,000 annual retail trade of the
country, one-third is done by 15,000
concerns, leaving two-thirds to be
divided among 1,263,000 concerns.
Independent dealers recently have
increased the tendency, to form to
gether for common purchases of
stocks as one means of meeting chain
store competition. It is more likely
that future developments will he
along this and similar lines than
through laws.
(Copyright. 1026 >
The High Grade EttahlUhed 1842
Pianoe Sold Direct from the Factory
We Invite Too to Ytslt Our
Warerooms
1340 G St. N.W.
J. C. CONLIFF. Mgr.
II THE PAGODA |
Albert J. Osgood
1720 H Street N.W.
Brocaded Chinese
Silk Crepe, 28 in., CO OC
per yard «P<Je4.«J
Chinese Colored
Pongee, 33 in„ per $1.50
Japanese Pongee,
12-momme, 33 in., SI.OO
THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. fi„ MAY 2. 1026-PART 1.
ported that out of 25 areas investi
gated only 5 were free of pollution.
According to the committee, prac
tically all agencies engaged in the
production, transportation, handling
or use of oil must be regarded as
•actual or potential land sources of oil
pollution of coastal territorial waters.
The principal sources are listed nu
merically as follows: Oil field opera
tors, oil terminals and loading points,
refineries, gas plants, industrial
plants, ship repair yards, railroads
using or transporting oil and sewer
systems discharging waste automo
bile oils and greases.
The marine sources are enumerated
in this sequence: Sea-going oil-burning
and oil cargo ships: other floating
craft, including coal burning ships,
tugboats, oil barges, floating dry
docks and inland water oil-burning
and oil-cargo vessels. “Sea going oil
burning and oil-cargo ships are be
lieved to be the only important direct
cause of oil pollution in non-terri
torial waters,” the report said.
Property Values Hurt.
Effects of oil pollution upon bath
ing beaches and shore properties, the
committee declared, were "frequently
injurious" and tend to "Injure the
value of property, since non-lndustrlal
seaside property derives its value
primarily from the recreational and
esthetic advantages of a clean beach
and clean water.”
"Oil pollution increases the fire
hazard to shore structures and float
ing craft. A survey of coastal condi
tions indicates that marine and wild
life have been adversely afTected by
oil pollution.
“Investigations indicate that the
fishing Industry suffers from oil pol
lution primarily due to the driving of
fish from their accustomed spawning
and feeding grounds and the fouling
of boats and fishing gear. Birds com
ing in contact with masses of heavy
oil may become so fouled that they
cannot resume flight and may subse
quently perish.”
The committee held that since its
studv had been conducted primarily
with a view to stimulating interna
tional prohibition of oil pollution, it
would not attempt to recommend pre
f FRANKLIN |
Ityeu) Prices On Series 11 Cars I
Sedan Aow *2790
£ V- F. O. B. SYRACUSE <
(j This model sold a year ago for than those of* either the fine car field s
2 #3200. The new prices and improve- or the industry as a whole. And 1926
> ) ments place it on the highest value sa * es arc ahead of 1925. That is <
jjj v level obtainable. The same is true popularity. <
1 throughout the entire Franklin line. The sales record is also recognition |
$ \ of the quality represented by the J>
| The Franklin is the fastest car over Series n Franklin, which becomes {
| the road. Nothing can equal it in even more notable at today’s prices. 0
\ ridingcomfort,handlingease,depend- \
f , ability and economy. men t, even to spare tire, tube, cover <
2 Franklin sales in 1925 ran 42% and lock. Budget payments arranged, 4
. 5 ahead of 1924, and increased faster if desired. <
i FRANKLIN MOTOR CAR CO. |
y IIARRY W. BURR J /
Salesroom—lso3 Connecticut Ave. N.W. Service—lßl4 E St. N.W. /£/
\ yRw Other Franklin Dealers in This Vicinity
Culpeper—Coons Bros. Motor Co. Richmond—United Motors, Inc. p
f Baltimore—The Franklin Motor Car Co.
ventive measures for pollution origi
nating on land. That phase of the
pollution problem, it said, "can be
dealt with so far as may be deemed
advisable by national or local law or
regulations.”
Decrease in Pollution Held Possible.
Regarding pollution originating on
the high seas, however, the commit
tee expressed the conviction that the
elimination of high seas pollution
matters by International agreement
would result in a decided decrease of
pollution.
Three recommendations designed to
achieve* the elimination of pollution
on the high seas were submitted to
Secretary Kellogg and are virtually
certain to be brought to the attention
of the conference when it convenes
next month. They are:
1. That ships be prohibited from
pumping out oil or oily mixtures at
sea, and that they be required to
utilize facilities in harbors for the
collection and disposal of such ac
cumulations.
2. That the discharge of oil or oily
mixtures within a stated distance of
any shorn be prohibited, and that ship
officers he required to make suitable
log entries covering discharges of
oils.
3. That each oil burning or cargo
ship he equipped with a device which
would separate out the oil or oily part
of the mixtures.
In connection with the third recom
mendation, the report cited the de
velopment and successful employ
ment of the oil separating device.
"Special attention has been given
to separating devices,” the committee
said “Extensive investigations of,
and experiments with, such devices
have been carried out. A study of
such oily mixtures Indicates that they
may he usually separated without un
due difficulty by comparatively simple
separators.
“The indications are that the oily
mixtures discharged from ships at
sea contain about one-fourth of 1
per cent to 1 per cent of oil. In
vestigations show that, when such
mixtures are passed through the more
successful separators, the effluent
does not usually contain an average
of more than .01 of one per cent of
! oil.
, “It thus appears that more than
95 per cent of such oil ihay be re
covered. Aside from the prevention
of oil pollution, the installation of
separators on individual ships will
result In the conservation of oil, and
may yield a profitable return to ship
operators notwithstanding the invest
ment required for installation.”
The rate for electricity in homes of
Jerusalem now Is 40 cents a kilowatt
hour,
Youthful Movie Entertainer Injured,
Sister Killed, When Machine Explodes
Special Dispatch to The Star.
SOUTH ORANGE, N. J., May I.
AVhen Louis Delong, jr., rushed down
the stairs of his home Christmas
morning and found awaiting him a
wonderful motion picture machine,
electrically driven and projecting
films In the same fiishion as the ma
chines of the big theaters, he quickly
decided, with the openheartedness
that comes to boys of 14, that all the
neighbors’ children, rich or poor,
should share the Joys of the gift.
“Dad,” he said to his father, of I/e
--long Bros., a big refinery of the
Oranges, “I’ll fix up a theater in the
laundry and have a regular movie
show every Saturday.”
Since then the laundry has been
crowded on Saturday mornings with
his playmates while Ixmis proudly
ran the machine and watched the pic
tures—changed weekly. The children
gathered this morning, hut only for
a few minutes.
Hardly had the picture started when
they rushed out—all but Louis and his
sister Mary, aged 3. They reached
only the steps amid smoke and
flames from an explosion of the
THE JACK OF ALL TRADES
_. , _ , ~7T CAN NEVER COMPETE WITH
* THE SPECIALIST
*lo** *l3?* *2o.® *I0J» ur dental work here. Our co-operative nyt- f
_ - * tom haa but one aim, to render the very hlgh
ret and most complete service possible to the
T I !_JJ GOLD CBOWH AND WHPOB WW«. MB
V * LJ -i—i-J TOOTH f« AND *». OTJAJLANTHEO.
Huine* riuw sur sperteltty, -... ■■■■■— ■■-■ ■ 1 *"
' TZ £ttns,Z&o m>am *' im - 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Twenty-fITS years of good, honeet dentistry i* our rerord. Thousands of
katlsfled patients In Washington and surrounding cities and towns Is positive
proof of our reliability and for dentistry that Is natural looking, tasting and Is
guaranteed.
:& DR.FREIOT m
407 Seventh St N. W. 407
■NTBANCN WOT TO HAT'S IXWKLMT STOSS
Tatar lares reesptt— rooms, sight opoesrtna. satiesttng. and raws
The sntlro (Moot floor of two satins balldlaas (tom nr to •—*■*!«• sad
nwchaaloal dentistry. Everything pertain log to tbs ssafsrt of —r fsthsti res
will find hers. _. _
Or—l hi ass b Obs of Oar X—y Mtttbg (Mans
Tory Special AMsnttoa to Nerve—Pa—ls
No Charts far Ext resting Whan Other Work Is Bstsjr Sa
nson: • A. M. to 6 T. M. S—daysi 1* A. ft. Is 1 T. M.
Leek for ths Nsms ML TMBOT sad Address
Bs 8m Too Get lato the Sight Office. Pko— Mali 18
MS—MB—M— —m^—mm i
machine. They were taken to Orange
Memorial Hospital, hut a few hours
later Mary died and doctors hold little
hope of saving Louis’ life.
The children who fled were so fright
ened when the machine and film ex
ploded that they did not even stop to
tell Mrs. Lelong. They just kept run
ning. It was 10 minutes later that
she smelled smoke, ran to the laundry
and dragged out her unconscious son
and daughter.
Little damage was done to the
laundry. The machine was Just odds
and ends after the explosion. Fire
department officials presume It is the
old story—a short-circuit.
Gets Hawaiian Post.
First Lieut. Albert J. Lubbe. Signal
Corps, of the office of the Chief Signal
officer. War Department, has been or
dered to Hawaii for duty.
A proof copy of the Treaty of Ver
sailles. signed by Lloyd George and
M. Clemenceau, was recently sold at
auction In Paris for >470.
Benefit of the Doubt.
From the Pittsburgh Chronicln-Teleifraph.
Quizzing a boy is not always so easy
as it seems. Here is an instance in
which a New Yorker came out second
best in a passage of repartee with a
lad named Richard, who looked after
the hat room in a well knowm case.
The diner started out of the case
after his meal and was seized, as
Richard' handed his hat, with an im
pulse to quiz the lad.
“Is this my hat” he demanded.
I BLANKETS CLEANED !
By the Carmack Method
—insures you cleanliness and appear
ance that cannot be excelled and, we
believe, not even equaled in this city.
TO INTRODUCE THIS
NEW KIND OF SERVICE
We Are Doing This Work at
Half Regular Prices
Double Blankets, 75c
Single Blankets, 50c
Carmack Dry Cleaning Co.
1120 Queen St. N.E.
Phone for Estimate, Lincoln 239
OFFICES:
2469 18th St. N.W. CoL 636
No. 6 Dupont Circle Franklin 5232
I
*'l don't know, sir.”
“Well, then, why do you hand It to
me if you don’t know whether it is my
hat or not?”
"Because it Is the one you handed
to me when you came In,” said
Richard.
Maj. O'Leary Transferred.
Maj. Herbert O'Leary, Ordnance
Department, has been relieved from
duty at the War Department and or
dered to duty at the United States
Armory, Springfield, Mass.
21