The Strong Trade Position of Manufacture. 81 



thirds of the oppressive monopolies of the present day 

 are the direct result of the prevention of foreign compe- 

 tition by the tariff. And this robbery of the people does 

 not stop at production, but is often carried on through the 

 various channels of trade down to the consumer. Here 

 is some interesting reading touching. on this point from 

 the Iron Age of Oct. 10, 1901: ^'The question of the 

 grading of prices to the various classes of trade has 

 always been a difficult one for manufacturers to deter- 

 mine." "The manner in which this question has been 

 decided bv the multitude of consolidations and combina- 

 tions of the past few years is significant. AVith signal 

 unanimity they have adopted a policy in the grading of 

 their prices which recognizes the jobber more thoroughly 

 and completely than before. This has been done by not 

 only establishing a wide differential between the jobber 

 and the retailer, but by making a list of who, are to be 

 ranked as jobbers and to whom alone jobbers' prices can 

 properly be given." ''To have adopted a different pol- 

 icy would, moreover, have alienated the wholesale trade 

 and put an immediate and troublesome obstacle in the 

 way of maintaining the high prices which had been estab- 

 lished. The jobbers, too, were prompt in making earnest 

 and emphatic appeals to the associated manufacturers 

 for ample protection." To the arrangement made the 

 retailers objected, as formerly they could buy close to 

 what the jobbers had to pay, now "under this system 

 called to pay a broad jobbers' profit on these goods." 



From the Iron Age, same date as above. The 

 Seventh National Hardware Convention was held at 

 Cleveland. From the Treasurer's Keport: "Our atten- 

 tion has been called to the system adopted by some man- 

 ufacturers of notifying the trade on postal cards and 

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