Address of the Honorable Charles H* March,

Member of the Federal Trade Commission,

Opening the Trade Practice Conference

for the

Resistance Welder.Manufacturing Industry

April 30, 1940.

Members of the Resistance Welder Manufacturing Industry:

It is indeed a pleasure for me to attend this conference and extend to you the assistance and cooperation of

the Federal Trade Commission in weeding out unfair trade

practices from your industry* By maintaining healthful

competitive conditions in your industry, you will be

serving your own best interests as well as that of the

consuming public*

The Federal Trade Commission combines in a unique

way the interests of competing business and the consuming

public* We are equally concerned with the problems of

all, and we welcome the opportunity to be of service in

these matters*

Your industry has a great opportunity before it in

this trade practice conference procedure. It has the

opportunity of demonstrating the value of cooperative

endeavor under the Federal Trade Commission auspices in

maintaining business on a high and irreproachable plane
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of fair and ethical conduct* There has been much said

of late about cooperation between government and business.

This trade practloe conference procedure affords an

effective way of achieving this.

It is much better for the members of an industry to

sit down around a conference table in a fair and sensible

discussion of their problems with competent representatives

of the government and there arrive at a satisfactory

and workable solution under the law, than to go their

wilful way engaging in unlawful and unfair trade practices,

which course must inevitably result in compulsory corrective proceedings at law by the government. With a unity

of purpose, we can rightfully expect to speed progress

toward the goal of fair service for the common good of

all. For this reason we are met here today; and to this

purpose are our efforts dedicated.

This conference affords the members of the industry

opportunity to assemble for the purpose of formulating and

submitting proposed trade practice rules for the approval

of the Commission. The rules proposed here will be

submitted to the Commission for its consideration in the

course of the proceedings. After preliminary consideration
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in the Commission, the rules in appropriate form will

be made available and all interested or affected parties,

upon due public notice, will be afforded full opportunity

to present any views, suggestions, or criticisms which

they may have concerning the trade practice rules proposed

for the industry. Therefore, under this plan, no one

need fear that this conference today will be his last

chance to be heard for there will be still further opportunity afforded by the Commission upon the public notice

mentioned* The rules that are approved by the Commission

must, necessarily, be within the law and to the public

interest* Illegal acts or practices cannot and will not

receive sanction by the Commission* This is in harmony

with the reasonable and wise governmental policy of

protecting honest business and the consuming public*

The Commission proposes to see that the rules for your

industry, when finally promulgated, neither work inequities

or hardships nor give undue competitive advantage of

one member or group over any other member or group*

These rules must meet the test of fairness and justice

and your legal rights under them will in no way be

jeopardized* In cooperating under good rules, all members

of the industry are on the same fair competitive basis
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and are given the protection of the Commission's

authority as a disinterested and impartial umpire to

see that the game of competition is played fairly and

within the requirements of the law. Whatever unfair

and dishonest practices may be prevalent throughout your

industry as the result of circumstances rather than

deliberate design or unscrupulous scheming, can be easily

corrected at a single stroke by this conference we are

beginning today. This has been the history of these trade

practice conferences. Unfair trade practices have been

abandoned. Dishonest methods of competition have been

discarded. Industry has developed the habit of selfdiscipline and the selfish interests of the unscrupulous

few have yielded to the broader interests of the fair

minded majority. The experience of the Federal Trade

Commission has shown that compliance with trade practice

rules has not been difficult to obtain. Most businessmen respect and abide by their agreements. However,

compulsory statutory processes are available at all

times for the enforcement within Federal jurisdiction

of all Group I rules against any offender even though

he has refused formally to accept these rules or has

refrained from taking any part in coifcrenoe proceedings*
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This if so because the practices prohibited by Group I

rules are violative of law*

The law requires that there be no collusive prioe

fixing or monopolistic combination* A healthy growth

and expansion of business, as well as the public welfare,

demands that industry be protected from their blighting

effects* The Federal Trade Commission Act is the

legislative expression of that public policy by Congress

which supports the American competitive system* It means

a civilized competition governed by fair rules and not a

brutal, unscrupulous warfare in which the powerful may

wantonly destroy the weak* It means that monopoly and

monopolistic practices must relax their grip and allow

business to develop and expand in an atmosphere of

freedom and fair competition*

In conclusion, I express the confidence that this

will be a harmonious and helpful conference. No charges

are brought here against individuals or Individual

concerns* The subjects discussed are intended to relate

to unfair practices or methods; not personalities* This

is a place where competitors come together in a spfc*it of

mutual cooperation to the benefit of the industry as a
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whole. Personal grievances should be laid aside that

each may the better assist in this cooperative effort

to eliminate unfair trade practices and to condemn all

trade evils or trade abuses that may be stifling your

industry's improvement and progresa. With this spirit

prevailing, among you, I know from experience that the

resulting rules will bring new hope and inspiration

for fairer and more enlightened competition in your

industry. In furthering this purpose, it is a pleasure

for the Federal Trade Commission to cooperate with you

and place at your disposal all of its facilities for

bringing about a better day in your industry.