16
Tune 6, 1925.
PRESTO
petition, do not thereby engage in unlawful restraint
of commerce."
Justice Stone distinguished the difference between
the two associations in question and the circumstances
in the lumber and linseed oil cases. He said:
"We do not conceive that the members of trade
What Does and Does Not Constitute a Re- associations arc conspirators merely because they
gather and disseminate information, such as is here
straint of T r a d e Is Shown in
complained of, bearing on the business in which they
Supreme Court Decision.
arc engaged and make use of it in the management
In two decisions of far-reaching importance, the and control of their individual businesses.
Supreme Court of the United States this week held
"The court held that the defendants (in other
that the gathering and dissemination of information cases) were engaged in conspiracies against inter-
by trade associations on costs, pricej, production and state trade and commerce because it was found that
stocks, do not necessarily constitute a restraint of the character of the information which had been
trade in violation of anti-trust laws.
gathered and the use which was made of it led irresis-
The court, in decisions written by Justice Stone, tibly to the conclusion that they had resulted, or
former attorney general, reversed decrees of lower would necessarily result, in a concerted effort of the
courts directed against the Maple Flooring Manufac- defendants to curtail production or raise prices of
turing Association and the Cement Manufacturers' commodities shipped in interstate commerce."
Protective Association. Associate Justice McRey-
Justice Stone held that restraint upon free com-
nolds, dissenting, declared that the activities of these petition begins when improper use is made of infor-
manufacturers were illegal under the rules laid down mation through any concerted action which operates
by the Supreme Court in the hardwood lumber and to restrain the freedom of action of those who buy
linseed oil cases. Chief Justice Taft and Justice and sell.
Sanford also dissented.
Me Reynolds filed a single dissenting opin-
This week's decisions form a notable victory for ion Justice
applying
to both cases. "These cases disclose
trade associations which have been seeking a clarifica- carefully developed
plans to cut down normal compe-
tion of anti-trust laws as applied to their activities. tition/' he said. "Long
impelled by this purpose,
For the first time the Supreme Court affirmatively appellants have adopted various
expedients through
lays down a course of conduct which the trade asso- which they evidently hoped to defeat
the policy of
ciations may legally pursue.
the law without subjecting themselves to punish-
The two associations gathered and distributed to ment."
members and furnished to the Department of Com-
merce statistics of production, unfilled orders, prices
and stocks, and published a freight rule book. Many
other pending cases instituted by the Department of
Justice against various kinds of trade associations
will be affected by the decisions.
"We decide," said Justice Stone, "only that trade
associations or combinations of persons or corpora- Time Purchase System, Brought From France in
1825, Considered Good Thing.
tions which openly and fairly gather and disseminate
information as to the cost of their product, the
The British music trade is celebrating the first
volume of production, the actual price which the centenary of the time purchase system, or the install-
product has brought in past transactions, stocks of ment plan as it is called in America. According to
merchandise on hand, approximate cost of transporta- Samuel J. Sewell, secretary of the Time Traders'
tion from the principal point of shipment to the points Protective Association, credits Margaret Power
of consumption, as did these defendants and who, as (Countess Blessington) with bringing the scheme to
they did, meet and discuss such information and sta- England from France in 1825 and writing a book
tistics without, however, reaching or attempting to about it called "The Idler in France." The time pur-
reach any agreement or any concerted action with chase system originated in France in the period of
respect to prices or production or restraining com- stagnation following the revolution and the Napo-
leonic wars.
An Irish paper recently celebrated the advent of
the installment plan in verse, as follows:
"When frost is lying on the loam,
And Dick the shepherd's nose is red
In comfort warm I stay at home
And snuggle closer in my-bed;
For home have I, tho' cash I lack,
Thanks to Maggie's gift to man;
My house is full from front to back,
I've couch and sofa, pot and pan.
Hey nonni, nonni no!
I got it on instalment plan."
FUNCTIONS OF A
TRADE ASSOCIATION
CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARY
OF THE INSTALLMENT PLAN
The Lyon & Healy
Reproducing Piano
A moderate priced reproducing piano,
beautiful in design and rich in tone.
Write for our new explanatory Chart,
the most complete and simple treat-
ment of the reproducing action.
Wabash at Jackson - - - Chicago
QUALITY
in Name and in Fact
TONE, MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION,
WORKMANSHIP, DESIGN—all in ac-
cord with the broadest experience—are
the elements which give character to
Bush & Lane Products.
BUSH&LANE PIANOS
BUSH & LANE CECIUAN PLAYER PIANOS
take high place, therefore, in any com-
parison of high grade pianos because of
the individuality of character which dis-
tinguishes them in all essentials of merit
and value.
BUSH & LANE PIANO CO.
Holland, Midi
"Built on Family Pride"
Doll & Sons
Represent the Artistic
in Piano and Player Piano
Construction
JACOB DOLL & SONS
STODART
WELLSMORE
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc.
Southern Boulevard, E. 133rd St.
E. 134th St. and Cypress Ave.
NEW YORK
Becker Bros.
Manufacturer* of
HIGH GRADE PIANOS
and PLAYER PIANOS
Factory and Warerooms
767-769 Tenth Avenue, New York
STR1CH & ZEIDLER, toe
GRAND, UPRIGHT «i
AND
HOMER PIANOS
740-742 East 136th Street
NEW YORK
A CABLE MIDGET DISPLAY.
A recent piano display which attracted scores of
passersby in Chicago r was that of The Cable Piano
Co., Jackson and W abash, Chicago, featuring the
Cable Midget instrument. The little piano is espe-
cially designed for use in places where the saving of
space is important. It has so many uses that it is
called a "New Piano for Unusual Places." Some of
the many places where it is a fitting instrument were
depicted in the display, in which was shown an in-
strument of old ivory case design with a bench of
the same finish. The coloring harmonizes perfectly
with the piano and bench.
KREITER
The Leading and Most Popular
Pianos and Players
Grands, Players, Uprights and
Reproducing Pianos
The Results of Over Forty Years'
of Experience.
Kreiter Pianos Cover the Entire Line
and no Piano Dealer who tries these in-
struments would supplant them by any
others. A trial will convince.
Kreiter Mfg. Co., Inc.
310-312 W. Water St., Milwaukee, Wis.
Factory: Marinette, Wis.
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essentials of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
This Trade Mark Is cast
In tho plate and also ap-
pears upon the fal] board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all Infringe™
will be prosecuted. Btware
cf imitations such as Schu-
mann & Company, Schu-
mann A Son, and also
Shuman, as alt stencil
shops, dealers and users of
iianos bearing- a name in
mltatlon of the name
Schumann with the inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to fne
fullest extent of thn law.
New Catalogue on Request.
f
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, 111.
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