The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-10
MAKES HOT REPORT
AGAINST FAKE
ADVERTISING
Destroys Newspaper Readers' Conf
(. dence and Has Bad Moral Influence
on Community, Says Investigator
For Adcraft Club.
Exhibits Samples Of "Pure Deception
and Untruth" Culled From
Detroit Publications.

r. G. Banker, Of the Campbell
Ewald Co.. named by the Adcraft club
to investigate the question Of fake
advertising in Detroit newspapers,
submitted his report In a special meet
ing of the club. called for this partic-
ular purpose, Thursday night. The
meeting was largely attended and the
manner In which the report was re-
ceived showed that the crusade insti-
in Detroit newspapers has aroused
genuine interest.
The accepted definition OF fake
advertisement is an advertisement
that gets somebody's money under
false pretenses." said Mr.. Banker in
his report. There are two funda-
mental reasons why this sort of adver-
tising should be speedily stamped out
The first Is it's moral influence on the
community at large, and the second is
q business reason of vital Importance,
because 1t involves the confidence Of
the public in advertising 1t is fact
that the pulling power OF your adver-
tisements depends chiefly for volume
on the confidence Of the reader In ad-
vertising In general, and how much
confidence are the readers of our
and your advertisements
going to have left when the unscrupu-
lous nostrum makers get through with
them?
do you realize that II Is conserva-
lively estimated that fully 80 per cent
or the customers of Detroit's large
downtown drug stores are purchasers
and users Of patent medicines In some
form or other? It's fact. and the
druggists can't help sthemselyes. Why?
Simply bec9use the newspapers OF this
city lend themselves to the manufac-
turer1kfor = mach per inch, preferred
positious fhus creefI1x - = demand
which II Is. ana AiWHys ha1 0een, The
drug stores place and duty to fulfili
But, you ask, Why don't the drug
stores throw out this stuff and refuse
to sell Il? Because, gentlemen, the
same lack Of cooperation exists In the
drug business as among the legiti-
mate advertisers In this city today.
Tt Is q fact that II any one OF the
big downtown drug stores took def
mite stand and refused to handle
these nostrums, they might Just as
well close their doors. Public opin-
ion, created and nodded by the press,
Is responsible for this state OF affairs:
and the druggist must keep and sell
what Is asked for even II he loses 10
per cent on every sale, which he actu-
ally Is losing on most patent medicine
sales today.
The inaugural address OF the new
nf AAt
severe indictment of fraudulent ad-
vertising. Mr.. Osborn made the state
ment that there should be state slegisr
lation, holding publishers accountable.
for printing the palpably dishonest
of unscrupulous adver-
tisers. who seek to betray the read
ers' confidence In the integrity OF the
press. Perhaps many of you wonder
why this isn't done. Simply because
the backing of the newspapers Is such
n tremendous asset to most present
day legislators that they dare not act
on bills detrimental to the newspaper
busines for fear OF losing their sup
port.
1T has been proved that the Pro
prtetary Association Of America, an
organization OF patent medicine MAX
ers, has representative In many leg
islative centers, who reports the intro
duction of such bills to central CON-
mittee, they In turn informing the
newspapers and urging the latter to
get after the legislators from their
districts to Kill the measures"
In support of his contention that
Immediate and intelligent action
~