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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1909)
THE OREGON DAILY JOUKNAU PORTLAND, TUESDAY EVENING. APRIL 7. WW. mm ' ' - ' ;. '! I' .: T 13) I? . Vlr f , ag, v ' Have West Side Furniture Dealers ivIiqsc former Trust CombinaUori was cmnshed by Uic heavy Iiand of tlie law, inaugurated a new movement? Are local furniture factories being threatened with a boycott by those dealers unless said factories compel us to sell Oregon . made furniture under a minimum schedule agreement prepared by the inanuf acturer ? '"' y: : (r:'' w: v;V;v".V . '--'-Kt '-r,'-K -V 'V ' - v'','t- ' 'vv-' C: ' V,. -v ''' '''''"'VV;'-i,?.:; f-' . ',;.' Ov'v- '' ' - V'''. '.' ;',k '.'' -. i' " v''1"; -; ?'? , What other meaning can you interpret from the letter from the Oregon Chair Company, which we have reproduced on this page? Is it reasonable to think they would do this of their own free will? Is this merely the beginning?-JWiir other factories' submit ' minimum schedules to us? Whafs the matter with the commercial world, anyway? If we are satisfied with legitimate profits shall we be compelled to hold up our customers? Read our answer and you'll just see Where We stand. A. 4, tlNMilT, S777: crsXZ ffrj mo jtfcrfi Hanufacturtn of FlnijChalrt , . April 19, 1909. . Morgan-Atchley Furn, Co., tiGentletnent ' 1 '1 ' v Enclosed herewith a minimum retail selling price upon a portion of our patterns to be sold in the. City of Portland on and after Monday, April 26th We can only sell you these chairs upon your acknowledging receipt of this list and your agreeaent to maintain the prioe as a minimus) .selling price. The list does not apply on Hotel. Restaurant and Hall business in quantities. , ' : In order to maintain our high quality of chairs and for mutual benefits, we find the above action necessary.: ; We appreciate the business you have given us and trust ' . i this me et s with your approval and that . you" will- be able ? to push our chairs. We' beg to remain, , - . Yours for, 500,000 in 1912, S y i : OREGON CHAIR CO. ' -1 1 x W. 1 MOROXK CSO, T. ATCHLET STOVES ; v ; RANGES ORANITEWARE CARPETS RUGS LINOLEUMS . CURTAINS v-4- T7 rcoonccTTicct V 8. H. MOROXK xnxnwnn Xut S93fl 42409 Oregon :Chair; Company," t Portland, Oregon. Gentlemen? 7' , ' ' ' . '.I,'. ' - - ' v , : " f .We have your letter of April 19, enclosing a minimum retail price on a portion of your chairs, to be sold in the City of fortland on and after April 26, which prices are from 15 ,to 20 per cent higher than we have been selling thea at. We also note that you "can "only sell us these .chairs upon our acknowledging receipt of this list, and on an agreement to maintain the price stated therein, as a minimum price. In reply, we will say that it is not for us to say how you shall oonduot your business, and we also propose to continue our own business as we may see fit. In other words, we have been selling goods to f the people of Portland without skinning them, or joining - in any association to boost prices, and do not propose to be dictated to by any person, firm, or combination, as to wnat price .:We;shall:''aell;:-at. .. i r ; ? . We have been' pleased with your goods, and would like to continue to handle them, as we very much like to patronize home industry, and shall continue to give you orders fori same but we will sell them at whatever price, we deem a proper and legitimate profit. f " ' Kindly advise us at onoe ' if your letter is an ultimatum, so that we may know what course to pursue. ; ( J: . - , Yours truly, v . " y SIEiiOER ML m MM . LS MM m COIIPANY - . - ' . f Suppose we submitted to having our hands tied is there another dealer who would stand between the people and Big Prices? Some time ago an eastern firm, manufacturer of the Hoosier Cabinet, gave us an ultimatumto either sell the cabinet at West Side prices or lose the agency. ' Our answer then, as U will ever be, was that no firm or combination of firms shall compel us to wring from the public what we consider an illegitimate profit So they cut us out. Who was . behind that?. -Was it of 'their own free will? . ' -'- . - v ? . -' ;v -v . ; j - - ' ' ' -. "."' Now comes a local factory, with whom weJiave had the most cordial and friendly business relations ever since we have been in business, and whose goods we have been buying at the rate of over $4000 annually, and plainly tells us we must increase our prices on their goods or be cut off. President Kingsley was in our office more than an hour yesterday, after having received our answer, trying to persuade us to follow the minimum schedule, and was very badly disappointed that we would not do so. He very, kindly volunteered to fill out any broken sets we had; or to make us a special pattern, but so far as the regular patterns were con cerned there was nothing doing we. can't buy them. Now, what do you think of that? : Great country isn't it? Local dealers may or may not think us fools for our unwillingness to stand in and make a quick clean-up. as they did in the old trust days. But if anybody thinks we will stand for that kind of business, they un- . derstand little of the business principles that actuate us. WE STAND FOR LEGITIMATE BUSINESS AND LEGITIMATE PROFITS. OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPLY THE DEMAND FOR GOOD FURNITURE AT REASONABLE PRICES. Just how well we have fulfilled this mission is best answered by last Sunday's announcement of the fact that we must begin at once the erection of a LARGE NEW BUILDING," COVERING A QUARTER BLOCK. Our business has reached such vast proportions that we den't have to make even a net profit of 5 per cent on our sales to satisfy us. And we absolutely, refuse to GOUGE the public, no matter what combinations may be formed against us! If a combination all along the line is brewing, perhaps this expose will put a quietus on it; but, no matter, the people may count on us to stand between them and extortion.- cent h' dDliliiiegs Fay-Rem We CdDieea ISeMU ro w tCC o.rinir:iin:zzcjc Wle 'CaM Sell Sue CEneaesS? I , vry' .e4J