Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-11-09
THE STEPHENS-ASHURST BILL
To Protect the Public Against Dishonest Advertising
and False Pretenses in Merchandising
h is the ~"Stephens-
Ashuyst'' Bill?

Whot is the "stephen,- \ bill introduced in Congress by
A'h""" Bill? Senator Henry F. Ashurst of Ari-
iona, and by Representative Dan Y. Stephens OF Nebraska
providing a remedy for the unfair competition of great trading
monopolics.
What . the eha'aeter@ Chiefly in advertising at "ent
this ""f~, competition? prices" ~wel-known goods as a
means Of inducing the public to buy unknown goods OF doubt
ful quality.
What is the srrpo's of the TO use the reputation of a reliable
cut-pree eoncerns? article as a bait to catch the con-
suners, and deceive them into believing that all their goods
offered for sale are sold at the same low rate OF profit.
Are the expense. Of the No. Trade Investigations agree that
great trading mOnooofe' the cost of doing business by these
less ha" those ~ m @'e'' big city concerns is approximately,
- so per cent, while the cost OF the
average small merchant is 1G per cent.
Hew then can the predn- They can't: they only seem to. They
tory price cute'' u"de'seN sell things that people know at cost.
the independent merchant? On unfamiliar goods they over
charge. The consumer is deceived by the false representation
that their mass of unknown goods is sold at the same price
reduction offered on IL few %wcl-known articles.
What l. the effect Of this 1t destroys the Independent mer-
unfair a's'tdd"sp practice? chants of the towns and small cities
builds up great chain-storc and nal-oraer systems, and co"pe'S
tic sale of inferior goods by all classes of dealers.
Il, Price cutting in the in No. 1t means the destruction of the
te'e.t IF the public usual retail channels by which goods
reach the consumers to their best advantage. 1t forces the
sale of unknown articles, often of cheap and sloddy quality
instead of reliable goods which have their maker Sepu'a-
ton behind them. 1t promotes substitution.
What will be the result of Tie ruin of hundreds Of thousands
the general extension" OF of independent merchants; the COLI
the practice fhr0"s"0"t" e centration of trade in vast monop-
eou"'''' olies located in a few great cities;
a decline in prosperity and population Of tie villages, towns
and small cities and the ultimate injury Of the consumers, by
placing them at the mercy Of monopolcs which will then be
able to extort such profits as they please for the sale OF such
goods as they choose to handle.
How uHt the bill aid in si. BY preventing the ur.air and dis
ing relief from cut. honest Use of wcu-known goods as
throat monopoly e'eo"s advertising bait, ard guaranteeing
"e"'" a uniform price to all consumers.
WWthe bill op.rat. in any Not at all. The bill explicitly states
~oy to glue trad .ma'ked that its provisions shall not apply
good q monopoly! to any article that is produced or
controlled by a monopoly. If any manufacturer asked hlsi'ef
prices than his goods were worth, the public would REFUSE
to buy, and new makers would quickly enter the held.
Hou can all who are infer BY writing at once to the L. 3.
eHed in the prosperity and Senators from their State, and the
eroufh Of ur uNages .mnm, frr, tbo;r District
towns and small cities aid "s A. g..
- how,o n. bin Do,,ed? urging them to support the Ste
,Icns-A sburst Bill. and use their influence in its favor.