[D8535ZBE], Letter from Francis Robbins Upton to Thomas Alva Edison, July 9th, 1885
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Title
[D8535ZBE], Letter from Francis Robbins Upton to Thomas Alva Edison, July 9th, 1885
Editor's Notes
I have received a signed memo from Rau as follows: Memorandum of agreement between Mr. Upton, on behalf of the Edison Lamp Co. and Mr. Louis Rau, on behalf of the Comp. Continentale Edison of Paris. [Lays out rest of contract, in which Comp. Continentale agrees to offer indiscriminately American lamps to their customers outside of France at the same price, Lamp Co. will sell exclusively to Compagnie Continentale in Europe, except in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Protugal, and to invoice such lamps to the Compagnie Continentale, the Compagnie Continentale will buy from the Lamp Co. all lamps for other countries in Europe, except Germany, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Russia, Spain, and Belgium, the Lamp Co. agrees to bind parties to whom they sell in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Portugale not to sell outside of these countries, and that agreement is made for 5 years, and afterwards until either party has notified the other with 6 months notice of its termination.] ##I think very well of this agreement as it prevents them from keeping us out of the European market. We give up very little, as the German and Italian Co can obtain lamps of the Paris Co. at the same price we sell at. We cannot hope to come into France for five years. ##They want the figures of our sales to enable them to collect the royalties properly. If you approve, cable me "Edison Paris Upton agree;" if you disapprove, let me know your points of disagreement. ##I cable you this evening [quotes telegram] to send me or Siegel powers to ratify the German contract. Increase his power, French fusion covering small changes. ##If Rau is reasonably honest, the European Co. of NY are going to have an honest royalty. Siegel is thoroughly outside of any ring here and is only instructed to have all he can for the NY Co. He can be trusted fully. ##There is the strongest desire to fuse, as there are 2,000,000 francs promised them on fusion. "We never did a better stroke of business than when we held stricly to the letter of our proposals. Now to finally conclude it is needful to let up a little on the strict powers given Mr. Siegel, as he cannot now do anything more than sign his name, and there are a few little points that should from mutual interest be modified." ##I leave for Holland tonight and go to Berlin next week. [TAE Marg:] "Sammy ##Better telegraph Upton ##'Edison Paris Upton agree' ##Would who [give?] Siegel full powers ##Edison"
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1885-07-09
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8535-F
Microfilm ID
78:202
Document ID
D8535ZBE
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University