The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-08-14
Deception In DeaIers
IBoston Herald

The attention Of the western press has
been given to an abuse In connection
with the sale of advertised articles by retail
dealers which is not peculiar to thar section
Oh the country. There are many standard
articles OF general consumption, the value of
which has been brought before the public by
extensive advertising. The names of these
articles will readily suggest themselves to
the public. Very large sums of money have
been spent in this way. The merit of such
articles is, OF course, to be tested in the end
by those who use them. and the proprletors
are fully content that this should be the case
The wrong under which they labor is that
there Is conspiracy to prevent their being
so tested. The dealers in many cases hold
them back from the public. and substitute
another article. spurious, and often to a
great degree valueless, for them.
The operation Is in this way: The adver-
| tised article is made of valuable material,
and 1t is we'll adapted to its purpose. 1t has
been proved to answer the ends claimed for
It.. In short. 1t has established itself repu-
tation. This Is the fair capital Of its owners.
The knowledge that it Is everything they
claim 1t to be justifies their advertising it.
The public are DESTROYS of possessing it.
| They go to store to make its purchase.
There, under the operation of the fraud we
are, exposing, they find themselves fore
stalled. Some other manufacturer, appre-
ciating the favor which merit and advertising
| in combination have brought for the article,
is there to rob its proprietors of the fruits of
their Legitimate outlay. :, He has appeared
| counterfeit; that the law might reach. But
| it is got up closely to resemble the genuine
product. How is he to get this substituted ?"
we may be asked, He does 1t In collision
with the dealer. Sometimes, indeed, he is
the dealer himself. In the first place, he
presents an article which costs nothing like
as much as the genuine one. OF course,
under these circumstances, he can sell 1t for
considerably less, and at the same time
of the dealer being thus appealed to,
genuine conspiracy against the real article
and the customer is established. The Gus
toner asks for the article of reputation which
has been advertised. The reply is made to
| him: 1--WE have not this article, but we
have one that is as good. or better, which we
will sell you for lower price. Take this
home and try 1t. We know all about it, and
will insure that you will like it.
Now, see the double wrong there Is in such
a proceeding. 1t Is the advertising and the
| reputation that have brought the customer.
| The advantage of these is stolen away from
| the man who has paid for them, to be used
by somebody else. And then, in addition, an
inferior article having been palmed upon the
customer, he finds 1t to fall short of his ex-
pectatlon, and is very likely to become dis.
gusted with the whole affair, and to be pre-
JUDGED against the really meritorious article.
ThlS practice has gone much further than
people suppose. There is but one way to
deal with 1t. 1t is to refuse to take any but
the article advertised. That may, as rule,
be relied upon. 1t is not worth while to
spend the large amount of money required In
general advertising upon any except mate
rails OF merit; but connections designed In
fraud have prima facie evidence In them
selves that they are inferior or worthless.
They ought to be Stunned, and the men who
undertake to introduce them should be
viewed with suspicion.