New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-11
DISCUSS TRUTH
IN ADVERTISING
Retail Drygoods Men Say
Trade Honesty Is Every
where on Increase.
SEE GREATEST YEAR
IN HISTORY OF TRADE"
Hapgood Cites Germany's War
Efficiency as Argument for
Minimum Wage.

Honesty IN advertising was the key
note Of a speech by Percy s. strsus' OF
r. II. Macy & Co., last night at the
fourth annual dinner Of the Nationsi
Retail Dry Goods Association at the
Hotel Kniekerboeker.
Mr.. Straus decried advertising based
on premium gifts and deprecated the
falsity which sometimes, he said de-
spite the greatest care, ehsrscterizss
department store advertising.
They buyer must be made to see
that a half truth Is lie" said MI
strsus. at Is difficult TO impress on
large body Of employees the Importance
Of honesty In advertising. In many
large department stores now there are
no merchandise men. All merchsn-
di,e must pass the scrutiny Of mem
Der Of the firm itself before IL is sd-
vertssed.
"The trouble with the Advertising
men Of large retail establishment
Mr.. strsus continued, sis that they are
told continually TO be truthful But
their enthusiasm makes them. fire.
ousntly. juggle with the imaginary DIFF.
ference between truth as genera
principle and accuracy IS q thing not
10 observe too closely. Half truths re-
suit.
tanning honesty in advertising IS that
buyers always believe the goods tney
have purchased have greater value
Irrespective Of the price paid for them,
than any similar goods. This explains
the frequent abuse Of the 'marSeo
down advertisements. Retail estao-
lishments which observe honesty N
their advertising-and these are IN,
creasing-never allow 'marKea Gown
advertisement 70 be written unless the
HIGH figure quoted is based on pur-
chase of similar goods in competitive
stores or on previous price lists In the
same store"
In introducing Mr.. straus Arthur
Let's, Of Los Angeles, toastmaster'
described 1914 as the greatest con-
structive year the retail business has
ever known, despite the European war
Following Mr.. Strauss speech Nor
man Hapgood and Rome e, Brown, OF
Ninneapolis. conducted a debate on the
benefits 70 employers and employees OF
minimum wage standards: Mr.. Hap
good. who took the place Of Z. J. Frost,
Of Boston, on the Affirmative side, cited
Germany's efficiency in the present war
as the result of a policy, based on min
imum wage and other laws, which does
away with destitution and makes every
citizen economically comfortable. lie
contended in favor of minimum wage
laws as a necessary step toward the
voluntary specialization OF society By
employers 70 prevent the spread OF So
cialism.
MIR. Brown, in replying, told Of th'
burden placed on employers by MINI
mum wage laws and OF their mem
cheney, even for the purposes for which
they have been devised.
More than 400 attended the dinner
among them Borough President Marcus
NJ. Marks and Mrs. Marks, Miss Ann'
Morgan, Mrs. Lucinda ". Prince
founder and head Of the Boston Schoo
Of SalesmAnship, who told of the worl
Of that institution; Paul Kellogg, Wal
ter Lippmann, Hamilton Holt and Mis-!
Virginia Potter.
At meeting yesterday morning ir
the Knickerbocker directors for the
year were elected, who in the after
noon chose as president Of the associa.
ton Alfred B. Koch, Of La Sale &
Koch, Of Toledo. Arthur Let's, Of the
Broadway Department Store, Los An
geles, refused a denomination.
The directors chosen are c. Herr
field, OF the Phillipson Com
pany, Milwaukee; Alfred B. Koch, Of
La Sale & Koch, Toledo; Frank Nc
Dermott, Of the Bon Msrche, Seattlei
J. S. Mitchell, Of the L. S. Donaldson