Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1913-10-17
FRIDAY. OCTOBER IL. 1913.
Legislation for the Small Dealer.

have reached point where the more observing
state and national officials have concluded that
something should be done to protect the small
dealers in the country towns, is evidenced by
which has leaked out at Washington respecting
the intention of President Wilson to have the
matter considered at the next session of Congress.
A New York letter has this to say respecting the
matter:
'Thatithe President will reopen the entire
trust question and review exhaustivey antitrust
legislation of years back in the of series
Of conferences to be held in the near future, is
now definitely conceded by those close to the
White House. 1t is further understood that the
opening of the regular session of Congress on
December l will witness the introduction of
trust revision bill (which the administration in
tends to describe as supplementary legislation")
along the lines of the New Jersey "seven-sisters"
laws. Veteran statesmen anticipate in the COM
ing legislation along antitrust lines, the same
leadership the part of the President as atteded
the passage of tariff and currency Hesitation In
terest in the subject is enhanced by various new
aspects of the monopoly problem, which have of
late been brought presistently to the notice of
President Wilson and his close advisors.
Chief among these latter developments is
official and political consideration of the lone
prce-to-all'' doctrine Inasmuch as the subject of
retail merchandising is of more intimate and in
telligible import to the people at large and be-
cause it is more or less involved with "honest
advertising" legislation, greater popular interest
is anticipated than has been evidenced in the con-
sideration of the tariff and currency bills.
'The main point of controversy will doubt
less lie in the public policy of enabling man.
ufacturer of trade marked and standardized goods
to set uniform retail price and legally compel
retailers and middlemen to observe it. Under
present laws manufacturers and retailers are left
to fight it out themselves with no well established
code of ethics or laws to guide them. This condi-
ton has resulted, according to many of both
sides, in confusion .and cross purposes. Besides
tending towards unstable conditions of trade, this
state of things is held to be largely responsible for
fraudulent advertising and consequent mulcting of
the public
"A very considerable force in the movement
for the legislation under discussion has developed
in an organization known as the American Fair
Trade League, whose membership now extends
throughout the country. In its statement of
objects and program this league has committed
itself to laid in the re-establishment of fair COM
petitive commercial conditions and to promote
honesty in manufacturing, in advertising and in
merchandising, for the mutual interest of the
all individually pledged to work for laws, state
and national, that will prohibit and penalize un-
fair competition, dishonest advertising and the
elimination of the smaller business man by unfair
methods. and to secure to the public the benefits
and protection of sable, uniform retail prices upon
all trade marked and branded goods" The men,
bership includes many of the most influential of
all business classes.
ut is the Leagues contention that the retail
situation is tending rapidly toward monopoly and
that monopolys old weapon, wanton and predatory
price-cutting, is being used to eliminate the indie
pendent dealer. The favorite means of accom-
plishng this end is said to lie in the practice of
advertising nationally exploited brands at or be-
low cost. the deficiency being recouped by ex-
orbitant profits on unknown goods. In this pro-
cess. it is contended the smaller dealer is des-
troyed, the public is defrauded and the man
ufacturer of standardized merchandise suffers
serious injury to the good name of his wares.
'Inasmuch as the mail order houses. the chain
stores system and many sensational and unscrup-
ulous big-city department stores are bitterly OPP