New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-19
The Facts.
The Law.
Untrue and misleading adver-

agent employee thereof, with
intent 10 sell or IN any Wise us Untrue deceptive msead
pose Of merchandise,
t,;n, makes pubLbes dis ing placarding Of the goods,
seminates, Cculales. places
before the public causes d. Untrue deceptive misead
recy or indirectly, to be made,
published disseminated no e
lated or placed before the pub
hc III this state, a newspaper, Label Juggling
magazine other publication,
or in the form of book, notice. Marked-up prices
circular pamphlet, letter. hand
BILL poster, BILL sign, placard "Flers sold as Matthews
card, label, tag, any other L
way an advertisement, announce
statement OF any Sortre- ,
gardlng merchandise, Danidgeo eoou'' '''0"'' anu
which any assertion defective articles disposed of
representation statement OF
fact that untrue, deceptive HeSh' ne" "ei'''0'''
/. misleading such
person. corporation or asso Articles sold Pcence OF re-
caion the members Of such ~ II figures which no rea-
hm or the agent OF such person,
corporation, association m sonabe appraisal can JUSTIFY
shall be guilty OF a msdemeanor,
punishable by lne OF not less Bargains the special sale
, than twenty five dollars H.
than thousand dollars, by at prices mSne' " 0'
Imprisonment og not than CHARGED at the regular Geenhut
one year. or by both such fine
and imprisonment Coun'ei''
The department store situation New York to-day better
than il ever has been Geenhus remains plague spot has
proved its policy the year through which The tribune has
watched it pursue It's course.
That policy deceit
The honest advertising law was intended reach and pun
h those who are knowingly responsible for the practice OF such
deceit In that qualifying word knowingly 1t occurs IN the
law the Greenhu concern may hope has been claimed
that its presence offers obstacle to the successful prosecution
of such corporation as the Greenhu Company, because of the
difficulty Of bringing home to individuals actual knowledge OF
the deceptive or misleading methods followed in the business
1t may be
Yet the law has been upon the statute books nearly year.
It was in force before the present Ceenut Company
Jed That the men behind Greenhus should be ignorant Of
incredible That they should be Of any knowledge of
the stores practices theory for the charitable weakminded
The continuance of typical Greenus methods the face of the
law can be regarded only actual defiance of the law
If their confidence that guilty knowledge cannot be proved
against any particular persons who profit by it, be weIfounded
then the law will have failed of its vital purposes Similar
laws have proved effective other states What the auho-
ties going to 90 about testing the Empire State?
Such the Indictment Of the Greenhut merchandising methods
which The censorship Of the law has kepom the columns of this
paper for SIX weeks In that time there has been opportunity
for the store to reform lis practices The advertising shows EVIL
dences of increased caution Of reform But the poison Of
deceptive misleading representations through the Geenh
system Even with the fear of The nbunes announced expos
ureS hanging over men, Wne nef lawyers
and earth stop publication the Greenus people were at their
old tricks Within a week after the advertisement announcing
my article there appeared Geenhuts advertisement offering
Gray Enameled Steel Cooking Utensils "a cents with this
conspicuous line:
All GuaraneedWe Never Sell Seconds IN The House Fur
nshngs Department"
The Tribune possession of articles from this
sale both of them purchased from the house furnishings depart
ment where we sell seconds. One is dihpan which
might have from the Shrapne or some other
etha missile has drilled four holes clean through besides which
EXHIBITS about dozen other but not necessarily fatal wounds
The second purchase foot tub This uten has merits Ii
would do nicely to grow plants carry up coal from the
cellar As tub 1t has defect Owing to failure Of the
bottom to onto the side could not be expected to hold
2 water
30 much Tor the Greenhus which prayed for an Injunction