The Washington times., 1915-07-07
Commercial Organizations Are
Ready to Back Up Corpora.
ton CounseIs Efforts.
RETAIL DEALERS IN LINE
Secretary Columbus Tells Of
HarmfuIness of Certain Auc-
F, ti0n Sales Rooms.

That the commercial organizations OF
Washington stand ready to back up
the campaign of the Corporation Coun-
sells office and the office Of the Dis
trict Attorney, to bring the auction
rooms of the city under better control,
and so to weed out certain establish
ments which indulge in sharp practices,
came to light today.
The Retail Merchants Association Is
the first one to swing into line. Charles
]. Columbus, secretary Of that organi-
zation, declared that not only have the
members Of the associetion taken a
deep interest in the problem. and ex-
pressed themselves as willing to aid in
the fight, but that an attempt will be
made to outline some definite plan of
campaign at the next meeting of the
association, to be held July 20.
Hurt Legitimate jewelers..
The Retail Merchants Association
possesses first hand knowledge of the
sharp practices indulged in by some
of the less reputable auction rooms
which have sprung up almost over
night in the downtown section of the
city, under the proprietorship of out
of-town men who have established
themselves solely for the purpose OF
doing what business they can in a
short time through the medium. the
District officials suspect, Of "cappers'
and "puffed' sales.
Complaint has been made to the asso-
citation time and time again. according
to Mr.. Columbus, that the practices IN
dulged in in some of these rooms are
working a great hardship upon the le-
gitimate jewelers. of the city
Some of our jewelers. have learned
of the misrepresentations which we be-
lieve are indulged in by a certain class
of these cheap auction rooms through
the visits to their shops of patrons of
the auction sales, who sought to have
their purchases valued and the state
ments of the auctioneer checked up"
said Mr.. Columbus. In one instance
the association instituted a prosecution
of one of these men. It failed for the
same reason that all other prosecutions
that is, the defense against misrepre-
sentations in the spoken word contain
ed in the printed guarantee given when
the sale Is made.
At the Salesman's Mercy.
1.-The jewelry business. perhaps more
than any other, must be founded upon
absolute and undertaking honesty. A
man purchasing suit of clothes may
have some idea of the quality of the
clcth offered him, but the average lay
man has absolutely not the slightest
idea whether a ring the purchase OF
which he contemplates is a clever imi-
tation, poor diamond, or a good dia-
mond. Therefore, he Is at the mercy OF
the jeweler. and that fact more than
any other speaks for the reliability OF
the gold and slversmiths of Washing
ton,
ITO say the least, the manner in
which these cheaper auction rooms con-
duct business is not good for the hon.
est and reputable merchandising classes
of the city.
"One of the most evil of the influences
on local trade from these auction sales
rooms Is the tendency they have tc
raise a doubt in the minds Of the pub
lie as to the proper prices of jewelry
For instance. man may only be
spectator in one of these shops, anC
see a case full Of tableware. repre-.
sented to be solid silver. knocked dowr
man goes into a reputable shop to look
for silver service. his idea of the
price he should pay for 1t is sub
consciously associated with the price
paid for the inferior article sold in the
auction room by false representation.
Might Turn City Into Bedlam.
"One complaint which was made tt
the association called attention to thu
manner in which many of these rooms
are attracting patrons. One Of oul
members, who was formerly in the
amusement business. cited the practice
of some of these pla@s which depend
upon a piano and a cheap vaudeville
program to attract customers. He told
the association that, on one occasion, ir
order to call attention to the motion