The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-11
BUSINESS MEN
|NTERESTEDA
STEPH..E.NSB|LL H.E
Matter Up Before the Cham.
Der Of Commerce TO.
morrow Night.
VILLA OFFICER caught
Idea Has Been Extensively
Endorsed by Business
Organization

+ & iffkaIt .|
OF all the matters that Will be be-
fore the Fairmont Chamber of Com
merce meeting tomorrow night prob
ably the one that will cause the eSwarm.
est discussion among those preseul
will be the referendum submitted by
the United States Chamber OF Com.
merce concerning the Maintenance Of
Resale prices and'the protection Of the
public against dishonest merchandis.
ing. This question has already besn
the subject OF many heated discus
sions from the time the idea WAS orig
inally formed and the principle advo-
Gated by the National Association Of
Retail Druggists to the present day.
when practically every. retail trade as
sociation in the United States is back.
lug tho principle and working In co..
operation with the American Fair
Trade league, which association in.
ciudes the majority Of all imanufactur-
ers and wholesalers in the country.
The principle was presented to Con-
gross number OF years ago and In
the form OF Stephens Bill has been
under consideration for some time. II
the business men Of the country ex-
press their views TO Congress- through
the various Chambers Of Commerce
and show that they, desire legislation
on the matter the bill without doubt
will easily pass both houses. ~
The present form OF the bill as in
troduced in the oHuse OF Representa-
tives by Mr.. Stephen Of Nebraska.
March 2"2, 1916, is onsiderably
changed and modified and Is far from
being radical and drastic Iii Its orig
inal form: The Bill however provides
for manufacturers ofistrade marked
and branded goods TO specify and
retailers i, 3
maintain a uniform price at which hfs
article or produce may be- sold by re-
tailers. The law makes provision for
retailers, however, to sell such arti-
cles at reduced price when they are
sllopworn or soiled or}iotherwise do
preciated in value. This law by only
a superficial reading appears not to
be Of vital interest to the average cit
izen and only affecting the retailers
and manufacturers, but when The ap-
plication and working ofSsuch legis-
lation is thoroughly understood!it II can
readily be seen that twill atfect prac.
tically every consumer Of any kind Of
merchandise sold In the United States
Il will do away with dishonest ad.
yertising and all false pretense In
merchandise and will destroy the
evils OF cut prices and other mislead-
ing practises that. are in use by GER
tain classes OF retail stores for the
attraction of the buying public.
Trevy Nutter, secretary OF the Fair
mont Business Mems association. Is
the chairman Of the Glovalf Chamber Of
Commerce committee that viii report
on the referendum and every business
man in Fairmont is Interested In the
matter. Many OF the members of the
Chamber and other business men Of
the city have expressed their viewb
on the subject and 1t IS now the chief
topic OF conversation when any two
o fthem meet. The; action OF the local
Chamber as a whole will depend toa
certain extent on the report Of this
committee and when the vote iss de-
termined the sentiment OF the local
Chamber will be besconsidered with the
vote frcm the other Chambers Of
Commerce In the United States and
will have much weight with Congress,
who will likely take whatever action
on the bill that Is recommended by
the United States Chamber