Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1910 — “THE BARBER’S TRUST” [ARTICLE]

“THE BARBER’S TRUST”

Of Rensselaer Stands Alone In Its Schedule of Prices. In entering into a combine to boost the price of Shaves from 10 cents to 15 cents, the Rensselaer barbers, in the opinion of The Democrat, made a very serious mistake. They were already charging a nickel extra for a neck , shave, which is included in almost every town in the country with a shave at the customary price of ten cents. Ten cents for a shave is the standard price the country over, including neck shave, and while the amount of the raise is infintismal. there is something about human nature that rebels at a “hold-up”, regardless of the amount involved, and a man will kick over an overcharge of nickel who will go out and blowin a dollar or two and have nothing whatever to show- for his money. This thing of combining to raise raise prices above the normal, just because it can be done, is abhorrent, and people will not stand for it if they can get around it. To say that one must pay more in Rensselaer for a shave than he has to pay in any other town in the entire country,

and the combining of the barbers to enforce the imposition.* is putting it on a little thick, to say the least, “and the extortion will result in driving dozens of men to shaving themselves,’ and if continued will Certainly mean another barber shop in Rensselaer “not in the trust.” While it is true that there is an occasional 15-cent shop in the cities—there are two, we understand, in Indianapolis, one of which is in the union station —practically all are 10-cent shops, and are not to be compared in capital invested or accommodations, with the small shops in Rensselaer, and in saying this we do mean any disr paragement to our local shops. Our barbers have sought to justify the combine in price by alleging that several other towns in this vicinity have been charging 15 cents for a long time. The facts are, however, that Rensselaer, stands alone in this boost of prices, all statements to the contrary, notwithstanding. Bai» bering business is paying the best at tfhe present time that it ever did, for the reason that the barber gets more out a customer than he used to. The business man w*ho patronizes the barbei nowadays gets shaved not less than twice-a-week; some three, four or five times. He gets a hair cut- ever few weeks, a shampoo,, seafoam, face massage, etc., etc., and many farmers get a twice-a-week shave. Now as to prices in other towns: At Monticello, with six shops, tfhe price of a shave, including neck shave, is 10 cents. An attempt was made two years ago, when the barbers here did the same, to charge 5 cents extra for a neck shave, but the patrons wouldn’t stand for it, custom fell off and tfhis was dropped. At Delphi 10 cents a shave and neck shave. At Frankfort, a town twice or three times larger than Rensselaer, with twelve shops, a shave and neck shave costs 10 cents. Two of the twelve shops give a shave for five cents and a haircut for 15 cents. At Lafayette the Lahr House shop charges 15c for a shave, but other shops are 10 cents, and there are several 5-cent shops, with 15 cents for haircut. *