The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-24
LOCAL. CREDIT MEN
HESITATE ABOUT ACTING ON A
SUGGESTION FROM THE Ma
TIONAL BODY
ABOUT FAKE ADVERTISING"
COPY OF PRESIDENT SCHUR-
METERS LETTER REPLYING
TO PRESIDENT CANNON.
ABOUT FAKE ADVERTISING.
TALKS ON. BUSINESS FAILURES
Nj. ID. Mum and NJ. ID. Grover En-
terrain thc Members ut the
Local. Association.

held at the Minnesota club last night,
the members @efSthe st. Paul Credit
Mems association took up and acted
adversely upon a suggestion from the
president of the National Association
of Credit Men that the subject of
Fake Advertising" be given to the
consideration Of a special committee,
and later listened to interesting talks
on Business Failures" by two of st.
Pauls representatives Marcus D.
Mum and Marcus D. Grover.
The letter from President Cannon, of
| the parent organization, set forth in
effect that it would be well to appoint
a committee to investigate the accur-
aey of any advertisement, appearing in
the community, which might be called
into question, and to adopt such meas
ures as will protect the general public
and legitimate business houses from
deception and injury following untruth-
full commercial announcements At
tached to the letter were the following
resolutions bearing on the subject of
fake advertising::"
Whereas, advertisements are frequently
made of sensational character for the pur-
pose of attracting trads5SSwhieh, are mis-
leading in 2their intent and false oftentimes
| Whereas such publications have tendency
| to shake public confidence in business meth
| DDS, and in the integrity of business men,
| thus calling into question the honesty of
| commercial dealings and bringing into dis
| repute all trade announcements; therefore
| be it
Resolved, That this association indicates its
| positive disapprobation of flake advertising"
and records its intention of using its full
powers in protecting the public from any
| such imposition, and be it further
hat n al n
| pointed by the president for the purpose of
investigating all announced fire sales, 4"
bankruptcy sales" damaged goods sales, !"
| Especial bargain sales" and such other
| "sales" as may, from time to time, be ad-
! vertised in our community, and about the
! legitimacy of which any question may be
| raised and be it further
| Resolved, That such committee be author
| lied to take such steps as may be deemed
! by them judicious, either in looking to pros
! ecution of such offenders of equity and JUS
! tice. or in announcing in public print the
falsity of such advertisements
To this communication the following
reply was dispatched to President Can
non by President Schumacher:
st. Paul, Mimi, Nov. 81. G. Cannon,
Esq, President National Association of Credit
! Men, New York City-Dear Sir: After care
! full consideration of your letter suggesting
the appointment of a special committee on
| fake advertising" as the subject matter for
| our November meeting, our executive COM
/
| the public interest nor to the benefit, in our
! opinion, Of either the local or the general
association, to make this the topic of dis
| cussion.
While there are undoubtedly some evils
! connected with the practice to which you
! call attention, they do not seem to us to be
| sufficiently general or grievous, at least in
| this section of the country, to warrant such
| attention and exploiting on our part.
1t is not improbable that, in few large
cities of the country, the advertisements Of
| GdnT0 Cd dc h0T
! gain sales" and the like, may be used for
! the purposes of eception and fraud. If so,
/ it is a condition of trade, in our judgment,
! peculiar and limited to a very few cities, and
must be remeded, if at all, by specific and
| local reforms. 1t would, in our opinion, be
| as idle for our association to engage in such
| a debate as to talk about the quality of New
! York journalism, and propose its elevation
| through advice from the Credit Mems asso-
! citation.
! AS far as our observation goes, we do not
| find the evils referred to in your letter so
prevalent in the Northwest as to deserve Sc
| rious mention.
We have all of us watched this matter in
the past with careful attention, since it has,
as you state, a direct and important bearing
upon our own business interests. We are sat
| isied that practically all the commercial ad-
vertising done in our city and section, and in
| all citiesSef the United States, with two or
three possible exceptions, is genuine and in
This is not true, doubtless of patent medi-
| cine advertising. but that is a speciality to
which our association would not care to direct
its labors.
Speaking for trade advertisements in the
broad and general sense, we fail to recall,
in recent years. a single instance of the
abuse of it that is referred to in your circu-
lar letter.
Advertisers, like all men who succeed in
| business, make the best case for themselves
that they can The merchant selects an en-
ploye to drape his front window who can so
arrange it's contents as to most surely at
tract and please the public eye. He puts
there the best quality and the most felicitous
designs in his stock, and no one blames him
for that, or suggests that. if he has behind
his counter any goods of inferior style or
make, he is guilty of fraud upon the public.
In the same way our merchant advertisers
everywhere set before the public the most de-
sirabe bargains which they have to offer, in
order to draw trade. AS long as they are
without actual misrepresentation, and this
is almost the universal rule. this is not only
unobjectionable, but it is good business.
There are in these cities, and in the small
er towns of this section, in all the territory
in which we are interested and in the coun-
try in general, outside of perhaps fcs in
fected points, absolutely NO fraudulent 9lles,