State Legislation 199 



and by threats to withdraw their advertisements from hostile 

 newspapers.^^^ 



The second device was to boycott the auctions. The members 

 of merchant associations ag"reed to purchase no goods at auction 

 and to deal with no one who did. The United Dry Goods Asso- 

 ciation of New York in 1821 adopted unanimously a strong reso- 

 lution against auctions but found after a short trial that its 

 boycott was not respected by its members and repealed by 

 close vote so much of the resolution as bound them to boycott.^*"' 

 In 1S30 165 dealers in New York pledged themselves for one year 

 not to purchase at any sale by auction where endorsed notes were 

 required because they believed auction sales should be on an 

 equality in this respect with private sales. Another large list 

 of dealers pledged themselves not to deal with auctioneers who 

 at a package sale exhibited dry goods in lots or parcels of less 

 value than $150, except in original packages, or who offered for 

 sale duplicate packages not declared in the catalogue, or refused 

 to sell a sample lot that had been exhibited. And a third long 

 list of signers agreed not to attend, or be concerned in any pur- 

 chase made at, auction after two o'clock p. m.^*^^ Boycotts of 

 this limited nature which sought to correct specific abuses were 

 more successful than omnibus boycotts against the whole auction 

 system. 



The third method of opposition was legislation, by the State 

 and federal sovernments. 



STATE LEGISLATION. 



The colonies had from very early dates regulated auction sales ; 

 the regulations pertained to the places and times of auctions, the 

 appointment of the auctioneer, his commission, his bond, the 

 goods salable, reports, etc. In 171 3 New York laid a duty on 

 auction sales^*^- and auctions were taxed almost continuously 



''" Xiles, 36 : 186. 

 ''" Xiles, 21 : 103. 

 ^^ Xiles, 37, 410. 



"'Act of October 23, 1713, chapter 267; cf. Act of July 5, 1715, 

 chapter 294; cf. Act of May 14, 1717, chapter 326, and Act of June 24, 



