Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1900 — The Trading Stamp Robbery. [ARTICLE]

The Trading Stamp Robbery.

Editor Republican: Noticing in your last issue that the merchants of Rensselaer are suffering under the yoke of the Green Stamp Co. I send you a copy of our “Daily Bulletin,” containing some items regarding that business. All Merchants here, excepting ourselves, have paid tribute to these companies for the pastyear or two; in the larger stores it costing single firms many thousands of dollars. One store paying them to my knowlege over $5,000 this year. As all the merchants were in the scheme, not one of them profited by it, for the simple reason that no one of them could, by giving stamps, induce his competitor’s customers to desert him. (The customer could get them any where.) As no merchant in this day of sharp competition can afford to give away 5 per cent of his business, that frequently being as much as he can clear for himself on a large stock, there was nothing to do in ihe case but to add the 5 per cent, to the cost of tbe goods and thus rob his customers of that much, or to cease paying tribute to the stamp companies. They always got the 5 per cent no matter how the merchants or his customer prospered. A merchants’Association was formed by a few independent merchants and a oomittee of three, appointed to see all merchants and try to induce them to join with us in abating that and kindred nuisances. All have joined, with one or two exceptions, and the articles in the “Daily Bulletin” will show the result. Rensselaer merchants should do likewise and protect themselves from such impositions. Another good effect will be the promotion of better feeling among ;he merchants and more harmonious working together for the best interests of tbe individual and the city. Trusting that I have not ;aken too much of your time and space and that Rensselaer merchants will soon break away from the “stamp nuisance.” Omar C. Ritchie. Anderson, Ind., Nov. 30, 1900.