The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-09-30
JEWELRY FRAUDS
TO Be CONSIDERED
Representative Tavenner Says sPurs
Watch Case Bill Has Been In
troduced Before Congress.
10 COME UP IN DECEMBER
Interesting Analysis Of Several Guar
anteed Cases Made and surpris-
ing Results We're Obtained.
BY Congressman Clyde H. Tavenner

Washington, September 3O-Prob-
ably the next great fraud that Con-
gress will attack Is the jewelry
fraud. For years the country has
been flooded with spurious jewelry
especially watches, and through the
sale of these articles the credulous
public has been swindled out of mil
lions of dollars. Some months ago
Representative J. Henry Cooke, of
Ohio, introduced "pure watch CASE
bill, prohibiting the shipment of
watch cases when fraudulently STAN
ped as to their gold content, and pro-
viding for watch labelling law. Mr..
Cooke has assurances that the Com
mittee on Interstate Commerce will
give hearings on the bill in Decem-
Der. In all probability the measure
will become law during the next ses-
sion of Congress. IT,
The hoary old frauds that still ex-
ist in the patent medicine trade and
flourish in the manufacture of cloth
ing and shoes, are also doing much
business in the jewelry lines. AL
most everyone is familiar with the
mail order advertisement which
reads in smudgy type: SOLID GOLD
FINISHED WATCH, Guaranteed rs
years, 1886" If anyone has been
foolish enough to waste money on
such an advertisement, he has found
to his sorrow that even at 1855 the
dealer has made a big profit on the
watch. An official analysis of many
of these sheap mail order watch
cases has shown that often they con-
tain no gold at ALI II md at the most
have only thin wash of: gold over
the brass. =
But these are palpable frauds. A
much more insidious sort is the
spurious gold watch sold by I'M
scrupulous retail jewellers, or by
jewelry auctioneers. For these
watches when new have the appear
ance of gold, and they are accom-
panied by strong guarantees of their
wearing qualities. The hoodwinked
purchaser, when the gold begins to
wear off and expose the brass, US
ually finds that the Company
which guaranteed the case does not
exist nor never did exist. -
An interesting analysis of several
OF such watch cases has been sub
mitted to the House Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce
by an association of honest jewelers.
anxious to drive INSCRIPTIONS manu-
facturers and dealers out of business
A number of beautiful appearing
watch cases were submitted last
spring to the assayers' department
of the Philadelphia mint, with the
following results: ..a
Watch No. /, stamped on the case
SPRINGFIELD, Warranted &c
years." was found on analysis to con.
tain just four and seven-tenths
cents worth of gold. Another case
was stamped, NEW YORK, War.
ranted 20 years." and it contained
1872 cents worth of gold by analysis
On the six watches analysed, the bes
one contained but 26.6 cents worth
of gold. All were thinly washed with
gold over brass or some other infer
Tor metal. These were all watches
which sold for good prices in reta;
stores. There are also extensive
frauds practiced in the marking o.
the number of jewels in watch move
ments.
While most jewelry is a luxury
the use of watches is so widespread
as to take them out of that class, ant
in a number of trades the working
men are compelled by their work t,
own watches. The public ought t,
have protection from frauds in thi
trade.
The Cooke bill is designed to Civ,