The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-15

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/ papers an article entitled That Dinner
in which they were commenting upon
the dinner given to the editor of one
| OF the State papers.
1T was referred to MS a notable and
Historic occasion. as 1t was the first
Of such gathering of newspaper men
that had occurred in the Valley of
1.-THE Connecticut since 1864.
| Then it goes on to state that such
assemblages are of great value. and
that journalism needs moro of the pro-
| fessonal spirit.
1--WE can apply that to ourselves and
say our business needs a wider mu-
\ tual acquaintance and exchange of
| communication.
More than that. sometimes wish
there might be. an organization recog-
mixing standards of commercial con-
duct similar to that which in profess
| sions exclude unworthy men from full
fellowship with their associates. Per-
! haps no formal attempt has ever been
made to establish such standards, al
| though the idea does not seem inher-
emily impossioie. but It suggests tol
| our minds that gatherings like this
| have their influence in some directions
| by holding, up to honor and admiration
| men who have pursued their CONNER
! tiai career for many years in high
minded and dignitied manner.
Unfair Competition.
| II took occasion to write to prom
| inent commercial man in Germany In
our line, asking him what the facts
| law against unfair competition.
He writes me that the law is one
part of their Civil Laws Code. and tnat
| the matter is handled in about the Iol-
lowing manner:
IF one person thinks another per-
son harms his trade by misrepresenta-
| ton, humbug or lies, personally or
advertisements, etc. he can go to the
public prosecutor (StaatsanwalD and
complain. This is a government ofi-
| cials whose chief work is to follow
any crime or act against the security
of persons and the welfare of the State
and its subjects which comes to his
| ear.
petition, YOU have to bring certain
proofs against your competitor, and II
the public prosecutor thinks them JUS
tilted to eertain degree he gives
courts (Strafkammer) in which the
case is followed and judged as any
other case, only that certain person
is not the plaintiff, but the staatseh-,
/ anv charge.
IF you, as the plaintiff, think that
his unfair competition, which you can
express in provable sums, YOU, at the
same time, go, TO the law courts as
secondary plaiptif ,lNebe,nklager), ana
private case) are Judged together.
unfair competition also is. If your
competitor says in advertisements that
he has already sold 5000 machines. or
copies a day, and II that is not true.
you can complain.
Or If q house adVertlses TO sell
their stock under cost prices, and If that
i is not true, you, as competitor, can
/ go to law, and so on:
But it Is not considered to be un-
American machine is copied here, be,
cause everybody has the right and
opportunity to protect himself by. pat
ents for new things and good ideas.
Appeals to Higher Honor.
ITO have fair competition In any
strength-evcry competitor must per-
/ form under exactly the same condi-
lions. And, insofar as our laws are
/ just. they give every one an equal
chance. Every sinceer attempt at re-
form or enactment of new laws is
prompted by the desire to have every
man have an equal chance. And inso-
far as this end is sought, all agita-
tion and disturbance of existing con-
4 ditions are Justified
ter an unfair advantage has been taken
" and detected. Laws cannot prevent
! much that goes on in the way of in
equality of competition.
What Is better than all laws and
4 checks is this--a spirit of "sportsman-
like" honor, such as prevails in all
4 fields of clean, manly competition, such
as we, as nation are proud to be
, called leaders in.
Sportsmanshp,' manly acceptance
of.certain rules of the game and manly
faith IN playing only according to
those rules can be encouraged best by
coming together more often in such
meetings a $ this and using the great
force of public opinion, such as a
gathering like this possesses
} IF YOU know man we'll, know him
personally as an individual. and not
J as name on sign or letter-head,
! thinks of YOU, and he cares a great
9 sight more what YOU think of him.
TAI moral standards (far more potent
than statute laWsl arc made up of the
sum total of neighbors' opinions. And
7 your neighbor is most clearly thought
OF as this or that man whom you know
by look, act and word, and With whom
. you've shaken hands. We're all neigh
J this once. And we grow more neigh
porly the more we meet one another
s Commercial Fraternity.
u Two men who have put their legs
under the same board and eaten from
: me same table are more potent judges
y tGoSiI fllldn amy distant law
! court in the land. Many man who
9 can stand the adverse comment OF
thousands Of unknown people in the
!, press of the land could not, and would
q not, face the dislike of half dozer
: men he has known and seen daily 70,
ten years.
Disgrace Is only thought Of In terms
OF those whom we know as men ant
women. Abstract disgrace is as weak
a thing as l know of.
And so commercial fraternity is 6
, very real and very great blessing, ant
a Very near and Very great need AND
inc great power of commercial frater
nifty Is that the man who doesn't pla,
me game fairly, cannot have that fra
ternity; and the man who does pla,
the game fairly, has it in abundance
L Loneliness Is the worst curse on earth
= the punishment we give our criminals
Is only enforced loneliness--and no ma,
can stand IT, In or out of Jail.
y Let us make our commercial frater
n nlty something of prize-and w
t, snall no longer need paternal laws
/. so-called In restraint of trade
J. Civil Pride aud Patriotism
g Politics, word so sneered at b,
man, must be recognized as a grea
Il Ma. tNN