The Washington times., 1915-12-11
'AD' VIGILANCE BODY.
WILL Be INCREASED.
Heads Of Thirteen Citizens As
soolatlOns IndOrse Move
I Against False Advertising.

Having received Endorsement from the
heads Of thirteen citizens associatlohs,
the Retail Merchants Association
now laying plans to increase It's aoVel-
tisinE vigilance committee to incluue
member from each of forty-fve civic
bodies. The purpose OF the comnhttsse
viii no 10 eliminate false and misleau-
inc statements from all forms OF aoVer-
Using in the District
AZ an organisation conference OF the
merchants committee, and the presl-
dents and secretaries Of citizens asso-
Citations called by Chairman Joseph Ser
berich last night at the Raleigh repre-
sentatives from thirteen associations
were present.
while the majority of the citizens
representatives came uninstructeo
and were unable to act as offictal
deleeA tes, they uuanimously Endorsed
in their individual Capacities the pur;
pose of the movement ana comlnenueu
The public spiritedness OF the mer-
chants association in fostering the
nrofeTt, The motion for indorsement
was made by William II: Harr, presi :
dent OF the Columbia Heights Citi-
zena' Association.
A Big Problem.
Secretary Columbus, of tho mer-
chants association. was directed to
aand to eSch citizens association a
copy of the Printers Ink" law,
which covers the subject of false I'D
vertising and has been adopted in
twelve States. and also to forward
an outline OF the plan under which
the joint committee will be perfected.
The plan is to have the committee
consist of six merchants and forty-five
delegates from the associations. A sub
committee would be constituted from
this body, containing ave merchants
and ten delegates. to whom complaints
as to advertising would be referred.
This Is one of the big problems OF
the day said Chairman Berberich ir
outlinin gthe plan for curbing mislead'
ing advertising ut will do more pub
lie good than anything OF similar nature
that has before been attempted. We
must protect the public IL we want e
continue to live on the public. Truthful
advertising saves time and money Of
the public and brings better results L
the merchant. False advertising hand
caps the merchant who desires to givt
the public the truth"
A. ]. Driscoll. Of the Mid-City Citi
zens Association. proposed that thu
lection to. residents of nearby sections
OF Virginia and Maryland. Alfred T
Gage. president of the Connecticut Ave
nue. Association. expressed the belle
enough to include not ouly merchants
but professional men also, the move
ment would receive the support OF tn
Patent Law Association, Of which he Il
a member.
Would Provide Penalty.
John Hadley Doyle. of the George
town Association, urged the adoption o
law providing penalty for publica
ton OF false statements in advertising
declaring that IL would be Impossible
to reach the willy advertiser with &C
ercion or moral suasion. Others VIII
expressed APPROVAL of the movement wer
G. J. James. of the Petworth associa
tion; M. J.. Mcnamara, OF the Centre
association. and Dr. L. F. Kebler, whC
while not member of any association
was invited to join the committee.
It is expected that a meeting will /
called by Chairman Berberich within
month in which the delegates who Al
to be selected by the citizens associG
tons will take part.
The associations represented lal
night included Bradbury Heights. CeI
trail Columbia Heights. ePtworth NJ
Pleasant, Connecticut Avenue. Nortl
eastern, Suburban. Park View. Nit
City. Georgetown. North Washington
Northeast Washington. and the Federi
ton Of Citizens Associations.