“FULFILLING THE PREDICTIONS OF ITS ENEMIES RATHER THAN THE HOPES OF ITS FRIENDS."

After several years of agitation the middle-class merchants of Prussia succeeded in having the Diet of 1900 pass a measure which should afford them protection from the large department stores which were seriously threatening them with annihilation. By the provisions of the measure all ordinary articles of trade were divided into four groups, and all stores which should sell articles belonging to more than one of the designated groups, and which should make sales aggregating more than $95,000 in a year, were made subject to a progressive tax which should increase rapidly with the total amount of sales.

The law went into effect the first of the present year, and has therefore been in operation long enough to determine with approximate accuracy whether it is destined to afford the relief expected of it. That it has failed to do so is made clearly evident from a report recently rendered by Frank H. Mason, our consul-general at Berlin. The experience of a few months has shown that the law is a boomerang, returning and hitting many of those for whose very protection it was designed. This is because many firms of the middle class, who do a business far exceeding the taxable limit, sell articles which under the law are grouped in separate categories. "As an example which will illustrate hundreds of similar cases," Mr. Mason cites that of a firm which, selling a line of highclass petroleum lamps, and finding it necessary, because of the condition of the oil market, to enter into the supply of the superior quality of oil which the lamps required, fitted up at great expense a fire-proof establishment for the purpose. But oil and lamps are in two groups; to handle both renders one subject to the blighting tax; and so this firm was compelled to relinquish the oil department which it had created at a large expense only a short time before. After giving another instance or two, Consul - General Mason dismisses this phase of the matter with the statement that "such surprises as to the actual effect of the statute might be extended almost indefinitely."

But while thus many of the dealers whom the law was designed to protect have been seriously damaged, the department stores which the law was designed to damage have apparently not been suriously hurt. Possessed of great resources, and being able to a large extent to dictate terms to those of whom they buy goods, the department stores have been enabled successfully to use the special tax as an argument why they should be sold supplies at a closer margin, and have thus saved enough to offset the tax. That the law has not, so far at least, had the effect desired of it is made evident by the fact that "a large and superbly appointed new department store, equipped and managed in American style," has recently been opened in Berlin, "and the original and

principal establishment against which the new law was especially aimed has doubled its capacity within the last few months, and put forth greatly increased efforts and attractions." From these facts Mr. Mason is led to close his report with the statement that "in so far as the effects of the law have yet developed, it is fulfilling the predictions of its enemies rather than the hopes of its friends.”

Similar efforts have been made in the United States, particularly in the city of Chicago and the State of Missouri, to abolish the department store, or at least to minimize its operations; and they have all met with the same results. Finally, the Cook County Retail Dealers' Association, after years of vain effort to lessen the operations of the department stores in Chicago, has decided to start a cooperative establishment in opposition to those already in existence; and it may be said that this is the most rational effort to secure protection against the department store which has ever been made.

IT WILL INTEREST AND PROFIT YOU!

We do not know how many people read extended accounts of even important association proceedings, but we are sure that every pharmacist, whatever his tastes in this direction, would be directly profited and interested by reading our review of last month's annual meeting of the A. Ph. A. on other pages in this issue. Numerous practical and commercial ideas that can be applied to one's business will be found there; and these are all classified and arranged, and supplied with subheads, so that the busy man can read what interests him and ignore what does not, using exactly the same discrimination that he uses in reading a journal generally. A great wealth of eminently practical suggestion was made at the St. Louis meeting, and we have taken great pains to reproduce it in such form that our readers could reap the advantage of it.

The BULLETIN has been interested during the present season in noting the frequency with which the druggists and doctors in many places have organized ball games and had merry contests with one another. This is of course no new thing, but it appears to us to have been far more general this year than ever before. For instance, we believe that the doctors and druggists of the Southwest Side in Chicago have had regular monthly games all summer. It may seem pedantic to moralize on this, and yet we believe it worthy of mention that such cooperative sports can scarcely fail to bring pharmacists and physicians into closer union. Sports link men together in good fellowship as almost nothing else does; and we believe these games have not failed to develop incidentally a desirable spirit of cooperation between physicians and pharmacists.

THE OBSERVER'S COLUMN.

There are truly many kinds and conditions of humanity, and the druggist certainly comes in contact with more varieties than almost any other man in the community. The Observer was impressed with this thought one evening recently as he and his wife wandered into the store of one of his friends and sat down at the soda counter for an orange phosphate. Seated to the left of the Observer were a couple of women; and they had evidently just asked the clerk for a bottle of cathartic pills, for an instant later he came up with a package in his hand. Now it happens that these pills are made by the Observer's friend himself (though it is necessary to mention that for some reason he does not give to them his own name, but instead calls them "Blank's"). It follows therefore that these pills can be gotten in no other store in the universe. Well, as the Observer was saying, the clerk came up to one of the women with the bottle of pills extended in the act of exhibiting it for her judgment.

"How much are they," she said, as she continued to sip her soda.

"Fifteen cents."

"Why, I can get them down street for ten."

for it, and I cannot do any differently.' The woman wouldn't pay the quarter, however, and after some further parley went out. The clerk saw that she was headed for Clark's store two blocks away, and so called up Clark on the 'phone and stated the circumstances. Well, you wouldn't think it, but that woman went into Clark's, and, when she was told that the price of the plaster was twenty-five cents, said she had just been offered it up to 's for twenty!"

The druggists of Philadelphia, as was intimated in the BULLETIN a month or two ago, are having something of a controversy with one of the two large tele

"Can you get these same pills-Blank's pills-down street for ten cents, Madam?" he inquired suavely. "Yes, the very same kind-Blank's. I got a bottle only a short time ago."

A quiet but exceedingly suggestive smile broke out on the proprietor's face, though the Observer did not appreciate the significance of it until his friend told him, after the women had gone out, how he manufactured the pills himself, and thus made it clear that they could be purchased nowhere else.

"But how can a woman so far forget herself as to resort to such deception," exclaimed the Observer's wife in great indignation, her womanly ignorance of the dishonesty and trickery abroad in the world making the act seem well-nigh inconceivable.

The proprietor laughed. "Why, we have an experience of this kind almost every day," he declared. "Let me tell you an incident that occurred only yesterday. A woman came in here and asked for a certain kind of plaster. In answer to her question the clerk told her that the price was twenty-five cents. 'Twenty-five cents!' she exclaimed; 'Mr. always sells it to me for twenty.' She knew I was away for the day and that there was no danger of my suddenly appearing on the scene and refuting her statement. "I can't help it,' replied the clerk; 'my instructions are to get a quarter

druggists seem to be getting rather the worst end of it. It would appear that the telephone method used in the Philadelphia drug stores is this: the druggist pays no rental for the instrument; every person sending a message pays five cents for it; and of the sum realized the druggist gets a certain percentage. Just how large this percentage shall be is the question which has caused all the trouble. The Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists decided some months ago to stand out for 25 per cent of the receipts, and by united effort to compel the company to meet this demand. It was found upon investigation, however, that a large number of druggists in the city had made signed contracts with the company on a basis of 20 per cent where the annual receipts exceeded $100, and 10 per cent where they fell under that figure. These contracts were an ugly obstacle, but legal counsel was called in to determine whether they were binding or not. The decision of the counsel was that the contracts could not be altered save by the consent in writing of both parties. Mearwhile, a committee of the P. R. D. A. had called several times upon the company, only to be met each time with the declaration that the company could not afford to grant the request for 25 per cent of the receipts, and would therefore not do so. Consequently, at last month's meeting of the association, it was decided to continue the fight no further at present, so long as so many contracts existed, but to concentrate all efforts upon an attempt to secure a 20 per cent commission.

THE ENGLISH P.A. T. A.

The Proprietary Articles Trade Association, which is to English pharmacy what the N. A. R. D. is to American pharmacy, held its fifth annual meeting not long since in London. The general testimony was that of gradual, if slow, advance, with clear possibilities of continuing in the same path. Splendid support had been received from the wholesale trade during the past year; there had been a gratifying decrease in the number of proprietors on the black list; and price conditions were better than ever before. In short, the association had abundantly shown, after six years of work, that it had a place to fill, and that it was filling it with a large measure of success. More might be done, true, but the association was prevented from doing this only from the apathy of a considerable proportion of pharmacists who could not be spurred into perfecting local anticutting arrangements. Thus it is seen that humanity is pretty much the same everywhere, and that the P. A. T. A. of England is suffering the same handicap that has been suffered so severely by the N. A. R. D. of the United States. Mr. W. S. Glyn-Jones, whose picture we print herewith, was the chief founder of the P. A. T. A., and has always acted as its secretary. He has become very prominent in England through his valuable and heroic work in attacking the cut-rate evil so ably and successfully.

MR. W. S. GLYN-JONES.

PHARMACISTS' DEFENSE ASSOCIATION.

After several years of activity in anticutting reform, the P. A. T. A. of England last year organized a subordinate body known as "The Chemists' Defense Association, Limited," the object of which was to take charge of damage suits or legal proceedings brought against its members. At the recent annual meeting of this body its success from the start was shown to have been very decided. Nearly 1300 pharmacists had already become members, while over 1500 £1 shares had been subscribed for an achievement which President Cooper thought had never been equaled in the history of the English drug trade. Meanwhile, nineteen cases had been defended during the year, twelve of them successfully, which was regarded as an unusually high percentage of success. "Indeed," said President Cooper, "I have no hesitation in saying that, in the majority of cases we have won, there would have been a conviction had it

not been for the help the defendant received from us." There had been but one appeal case, and that was won. Moreover, besides this large majority of cases successfully defended, there had been numerous other cases which, arising from bogus claims, had been abandoned by plaintiffs as soon as it was seen that they would be defended by so influential an organization. One man was even going to bring suit for £50 on the charge that alum was given him when a pennyworth of borax had been called for! This sort of thing is quite common in England; and official prosecutions for adulterations are also much more general than in this country. These conditions render defense associations more necessary in England than in this country, and yet, as we have said before in mentioning the English association, we believe that here is an opportunity for thriving local associations in the United States to increase their influence, and to develop a stronger feeling of cooperation among their members. BULLETIN readers will remember that two or three local associations have already undertaken this work.

ONTARIO AND THE TRADING-STAMP.

Ever since the trading-stamp evil made its appearance several years ago a strong opposition to it has been manifested in the Province of Ontario across the border. Finally, the Ontario legislature, at its last session, passed a permissive amendment to the Municipal Act by means of which municipalities will be enabled to enact by-laws for the suppression of the trading-stamp nuisance, such by-laws not to become operative until three months after their passage, the earliest time for their operation being placed at January 1, 1902. Accordingly, the city of Toronto, the chief city in the Province, has moved in the matter, a by-law having been introduced which will be put through in time to make it operative by January 1. Inasmuch as the trading - stamp evil is quite firmly rooted in Toronto, the by-law has been drafted with great care by the lawofficers of the city and the solicitor of the Retail Merchants' Association; and, lest the measure may not prove enough of a deterrent, provision is made for a penalty of fifty dollars and costs for each offense, which may be levied by distress and sale of the goods of the offender in case of failure to pay, or, both failing, the offender may be committed to jail for a period not exceeding six months, with or without hard labor! Meanwhile, the trading-stamp corporation fully expresses its determination to test the constitutionality of the parent act passed by the Ontario legislature, claiming that the Province has taken a step beyond its power. Let us hope, however, that the act proves both constitutional and effective. The trading stamp is an evil which ought to be exterminated, root and branch; and it may be added that the extermination cannot take place any too soon.

POISON CASES IN WISCONSIN.

At the recent meeting of the Wisconsin Pharmaceutical Association, the State Board of Pharmacy reported that of sixty-two cases of poisoning which had occurred in the State during the past year, fifteen had recovered. Carbolic acid, as usual, headed the list of poisons, this substance having been used in forty cases, six of which resulted in recovery. Opium had been used in eight cases, with four recoveries. Other agents used were Paris green, "rough on rats," "wood" alcohol, chloroform, strychnine, aconite, belladonna, and sulphuric acid. No information was given as to whether these cases were suicidal ones or not, but doubtless most of them It was stated that no case of poisoning from the error of a pharmacist had arisen during the past year. ་ * We may remark that the number of cases in which carbolic acid figured reminds us of a discussion which developed at this year's meeting of the Michigan Pharmaceutical Association. It was made evident that pharmacists are often confronted with cases of poisoning by this agent; and the testimony indicated that by all means the most effective antidote yet discovered was alcohol, which may be used in the form of whiskey, and which may be administered liberally without fear, there seeming to be some neutralizing action between the alcohol and the acid which prevents the development of alcoholism from overadministration of the whiskey.

were.

THE

N. A. R. D.

Shortly after this number of the
BULLETIN reaches its readers the
N. A. R. D. will meet in annual

convention in Buffalo, the date of the meeting being October 10, 11, and 12. Hotel headquarters will be at the Buckingham Hotel, but all meetings will be held at Convention Hall, one and a half blocks away. Delegates and their friends who desire accommodations in private residences in the vicinity will be assisted to their selection by the local entertainment committee, of which Mr. H. J. Dimond, of 330 Connecticut Avenue, Buffalo, is the chairman. * * * In a bulletin issued last month from Secretary Wooten's office the statement is made that "the national organization now numbers 414 associations; of these 34 are State and 380 local associations; 34 States are represented by the latter societies, the number ranging between one and 58, the largest number being in Indiana." The work accomplished during the past year is mentioned briefly in the following language: "In many localities prices on proprietary goods have been restored to full figure; in others price schedules bearing a satisfactory percentage of profit have been adopted where formerly price demoralization reigned supreme. The advance in prices has not been on proprietary goods alone, but also on counter goods and prescriptions. Large and small associations alike, county associations numbering but a few

members, and cities of the first class whose druggists number hundreds, have shared the benefits of the association's efforts. The advantages gained are manifested in all parts of the country." One of the chief subjects which will come up for discussion and decision at the Buffalo meeting will be the "Worcester" plan. There is a strong demand from all parts of the country that this plan be adopted in place of the present one, but on the other hand some of the officers of the N. A. R. D. and others disbelieve in the plan and will doubtless oppose its adoption. In this connection we would call attention to page 412 of the present issue of the BULLETIN: in that place a review will be found of a paper by Professor Beal on the legality and soundness of the Worcester plan, which was read before the A. Ph. A. last month.

JACOBS WINS THE

FIRST ROUND.

Unlike the other decisions which have been rendered in similar cases, the judge acting on the Atlanta injunction suit brought by Joseph Jacobs, with the circumstances of which our readers are familiar, has decided in favor of the plaintiff. An injunction was last month given forbidding the defendants from continuing their efforts to prevent Mr. Jacobs from getting goods. The $50,000 damage suit which was brought at the same time by Mr. Jacobs has not yet come to trial. The defendants declare that the injunction suit is by no means ended, and that the matter will be carried to the higher courts. Meanwhile, the judge acting in the case in Wheeling, W. Va., where a number of druggists have been sued for conspiracy, in preventing a cutter from being supplied with goods, has overruled the demurrers brought forward by the druggists, and the suit will therefore be brought up soon on its merits.

DEATH OF WM. S. THOMPSON.

Just a few days before going to press we learn by wire of the sudden death of Wm. S. Thompson, the prominent pharmacist of Washington, D. C. This message, besides being a very sad one, is exceedingly surprising in view of the fact that Mr. Thompson was in attendance at the recent meeting of, the American Pharmaceutical Association and was then in apparently good health. As usual, he took an influential part in the proceedings of the association, particularly in the work of the Council, over which body he presided as chairman; and, so far as we know, he suffered no physical ills during the meeting. To hear of his death during the very next week after seeing him about in apparently good health and condition, and performing important work, is indeed a great shock. Mr. Thompson had been a prominent and influential member of the association for perhaps thirty or more years. During this time he had filled many offices, including that of president, and at the St. Louis meeting

was reelected chairman of the Council and made third vice-president as well. As a practicing pharmacist in Washington he had made a notable success, and for years had enjoyed the patronage of the inmates of the Executive Mansion, near which his pharmacy was situated. As a man Mr. Thompson was what is generally known as a gentleman of the old school, blending politeness and grace of manner with an exceeding dignity which expressed character and strength. LATER-We learn by a more recent message that Mr. Thompson's death was caused by heart failure, brought on by an acute attack of indigestion, and occurring only two hours after he had arisen in the morning in apparently good health and spirits.

PHARMACEUTICAL

FACULTIES.

*

THE CONFERENCE OF This new body, formed at the Richmond meeting of the A. Ph. A. last year on a temporary basis, had several short sessions during the St. Louis meeting last month. Nothing was done, or attempted, except to organize on a stable and permanent basis, in order that work might be done next year and at future meetings. The list of colleges which have applied for membership was gone over in executive session, and it is understood that a few colleges were stricken from the eligible class. Professor Prescott, elected last year president of the body, was not able to be present, but sent a short address in which he outlined briefly the subjects with which the conference might profitably concern itself. Among these were preliminary standards, curriculum standards, teaching and laboratory methods, the question of credit for final examinations, etc., etc. The Executive Committee was given power to arrange the programme for next year, and papers on some of these or allied subjects will doubtless be called for and presented at the Philadelphia meeting. The serious work of the body will then have begun; and that this work will in time result in the elevation of standards and the perfection of teaching methods is earnestly to be desired. The new officers of the body are as follows: President, J. P. Remington, of Pennsylvania; vice-president, Ed. Kremers, of Wisconsin; secretary and treasurer, Wilbur L. Scoville, of Massachusetts. Executive Board: J. H. Beal, of Ohio, chairman; Oscar Oldberg, of Chicago; William Simon, of Maryland; L. E. Sayre, of Kansas; E. A. Ruddiman, of Tennessee.

effected, and plans were made for a more largely attended gathering next year, at which time a permanent organization will, it is hoped, be created. Several committees were appointed, one to urge the different boards to send representatives next year, one to discover what the present requirements are, one to draw up an outline of what preliminary educational standards should be demanded by boards, and one to see that space on next year's programme is accorded the conference. It is certainly to be hoped that interest will be shown in this movement, and that a permanent organization will be effected next year. There is much that such a body could do in the elevation and unification of standards, and in the elaboration of more perfect examination methods. BULLETIN wishes the movement Godspeed!

AN
ADMIRABLE

PRICE SCHEDULE.

The

Copies of a thirty-two page schedule of prices on counter goods, surgical dressings, mineral waters, proprietaries, pharmaceuticals, and everything upon which druggists are likely to disagree as to prices, may be secured of Secretary Wooten, of the N. A. R. D., at 153 LaSalle Street, Chicago, at 10 cents per copy. The list is very complete and contains blank pages for additions, changes suitable to the particular locality, etc. Each member of every druggists' association should have one of these with the prices changed to suit the members of his local association. It is a pronounced success wherever used and has been extremely valuable in correcting the bad trade conditions of many communities. Secretary Wooten reports that "many are the expressions of satisfaction we have received from druggists who say they are becoming convinced that for years they have been giving away their profits needlessly through ignorance of what their neighbors were getting for goods."

FROM

THE SOUTH.

A REPRESENTATIVE We have before us the proceedings of this year's meeting of the Georgia Pharmaceutical Association; and a recommendation that Mr. H. H. Arrington, the well known jobber and retailer of Rome, makes at the close of his report as delegate to the Detroit meeting of the N. A. R. D. strikes us as being worthy of consideration. We quote Mr. Arrington:

In conclusion I wish to press the importance of having a member on the Executive Committee from the South. This is a matter of such vital importance that to neglect it would be a serious mistake. In the event that we are represented at the next annual meeting I would strongly recommend that the Southern delegation come to some definite understanding and work with all ardor to that end. We should and can have a member if there is concert of action among the Southern delegates. We can never derive the full benefit of the National Association until this has been accomplished.