The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-08-10
STANDARD PRICES
AID COMPETITION
The Stephens Bill Encourages
Rivalry In Quality.
REAL BENEFIT TO PUBLIC,

70 OcStVOy 0UDdu uOwnS@OISUOUeStt
Can't Benefit Consumers.
The true competition is between
rival articles, a competition in ex.
cellence, which can never be main
tanned it, through the perfidy Of
the retailer who cuts prices for
his own Interior purposes, tho
manufacturer is forced to compete
in prices with goods Of his own
production, while the retailer re-
eoups his losses on the cut price
by the sale Of other articles at, or
above, their reasonable price. II
is A FALLAcY TO ASSUME
THAT THE PRICE CUTTER
POCKETS The LOSS. THE
PUBLIC MAKES IT UP ON
OTHER PURCHASES. Fixing
the price on all brands Of high
grade flour is very different thing
from fixing the price on one brand
Of high grade flour. The one
means destruction Of all competi-
tion and Of all incentive to in
heightened competition and inten-
sified incentive to increased sx.
ceIIsnes.
This language. used by the supreme
court Of the state of Washington in Il
unanimous decision Of the case Of the
Fisher FIGURING Mills Co. versus c. A.
Swanson. clearly sets forth the inter-
est the consumer has in maintaining
the highest form Of competition-that
Of quality. Competition in price re-
suits in inferior quality and the evil
of substitution. Dishonest advertisers
use cut prices on standard and widely
known merchandise to lure customers
into their establishments, where an
effort will be made to sell anonymous
goods
The genuine bargain is used as bait"
to spread the impression that all mer
chandise is sold at the same low mar
gin Of profit. If this impression can he
created the cut rate merchant can sell
unknown goods at as high a figure as
his conscience will permit him to
charge-and his conscience is elastic.
Nearly every mans is more or less so
where profits are concerned
! A Bill to Protect the Public.
I Representative Dan Y. Stephens Of
Nebraska and Senator William +. Ash
urst Of Arizona have introduced In
congress "a bill to protect the public
against dishonest advertising and false
pretenses in merchandising" A SINH
lar measure was introduced in the last
congress by Representative Stevens Of
New Hampshire.
| 1t ought to he automatic that the pub
lie cannot profit through dishonesty or
through false pretenses. The indivd-
ual may make pecuniary gain;
thieves. burglars and confidence men
occasionally escape paying the penalty
of their crimes ana are pecuniarily bet
ter off. But the public, the victims Of
the successful criminals, loses.
The Stephens Ashurst bill provides
for standard and uniform prices on ar
cial brand. with the widest possible
publicity for buyers and sellers. OppO
nents of the bill-adherents of dishon
est advertising and users Of false pre-
lenses in merchandising-have de
clared that it will encourage monopoly
ana prevent competition. They have
tried to make Consumers believe that
it will increase the cost Of living. tina,
it will raise the price Of everything
sold in any sort Of store
No Monopoly Possible.
The bill does not encourage mOnop
oily. because producers who have mo
nopoly of any particular line or VIII.
vr,tfh iksN,
to maintain prices are barred from
taking advantage of the privilege Of
preventing discrimination by contract
ing for the resale of their goods at uni
form prices. A monopoly. no matter
how it is gained. cannot do bushes,
unter the terms of the Stephens bill.
On the other hand. cutthroat compe
tit.on in price has always been thu
chief weapon of monopoly.
The bill will not raise prices and in
crease the cost Of living. Producer
already have the right to sell thei
goods at wholesale at any price the,
can get. ut what they are worth. TIL
proposed legislation merely permits tn
producer to control the retail price. an
II he puts this too high-higher THAI
the public is willing to pay-then hi
goods will not be sold and he loses.
The cut price storekeeper that sell
goods at loss does not stand the loss
he passes 1t on to his customers. VIVA
he loses Oh one article is made up, O
more than made up. on another. Th
use of cut prices on standard article
for the purpose Of drawing customer
into the store with the intention {
: selling them something else. that
where dishonest advertising is foun
and where false pretenseS in me-
chandising" Injuries the public.
Cut rates 10y big department store
enable them to kill off the small stor
and the small towns. Those resident
of rural communities. villages and tn
lesser cities who want to see the
home folks in iurcd that the LARGE elite
ma: grow richer and larger sioul
naturally oppA;e the Stephens bii