New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17

E.,o
rs.s do that Among the inducements offered TO PaPae
LII ,o,d famous wrestler billed wrestle With the
special purpose of seeing that wrestler wreste roaho
naid his dollar and took his seat But the famous wrestler ~
s as advertised He could wrestle advertised because
+. war far far away suffering from broken leg or neck
tract or something Upon peceiving feeble and faheo rn
of his hero appear ring the Portland admer OF wrestling
lifted I'D the of aenaton and announced tha' ne
his money back. To which the manager made instant
lifting No the voice denuncaon and declaring that the COM
r,nant could be identified the circus would forthwith throw MIN
t and break his leg neck contract something Non
ceivns that his implied in his dollar ticket hao
been broken the Portandan quietly emerged took ana
bd The circus arrested convicted and hned 3D.
Do YOU appreciate the profound import OF that gene
pt,ond fined circus for fake audersng. was accomplished
through the Portland Advertising Club which backed up the COM
plainant and brought the case into court Aer WHICH,
nothing is mpraccable advertising CLUB that means JUDI
ness, The Portland Advertising Club means business and means
it hard Before advertising vigilance work even hao maine
Prnd was doing it. So far have been able to determine
the local club the pioneer along these lines is no
persons firms corporations 1t takes them large small o
In it by no means the 'os' pop
business organization in town. 1t 49, however o"e u ~ ~
and about the most useful r.
Locally they give credit A. o. Clark now secretary Oh
the Home Industry League for initiating the campaign against o
honest ads AS president of the club 9Z he nsuga'ed suit
and conviction and later chairman OF the oVe
sno a and Ethics he brought other prosecutions
In those days censorship criticism OF advertising was
as an interference with the other feio" business
Threats bodily harm made against the Pencousy acuVe
Clark Some of the respectable merchants OF the city, lacking
the intelligence to that the club fighting tor their best IN
teress tried to block his work by complaining to the hm by
which then employed But his firm stood by HIM and the
work went on in spite of occasional Interruptions until to-day
under the presidency of S. c. Batton confirmed and militant
believer in vigilance work. has organized its energies in Better
Business Bureau paid and carrying on one
of the most vigorous campaigns have yet encountered
Not counting minor adjustments corrections and advice
given the Better Business Bureau has handled the eight months
ons in and brought five prosecutions with result OF two
convictions split jury acquita and one verdict OF MOI
guilty. but get caught again critces newspapers
acts on behalf compliments against stores which advertise
fairly and doesn't the least hesitate to after Its own mem
her, when occasion arises 1t distinctly fighting organization
not yeas for combat but because any organization
standing mercantile honesty this particular city sure to have
sb, forced upon it. Fortunately the necessities of the
the bureau got the right kind of secretary Charles W.
English Mr. English experiencehe has been both adj
verng manager and salesman OF merchandise dealing with
large soreshe has and patience and he cheerful
disregard of what and toerodden advertisers threaten to
do to him.
All of this equipment he needs for the work Of the Bureau
diverse trying In other have found vigilance
work going beyond the realms of the present life But Mr. English
the trail doesn't the He recently
suspicious Of moruary advertising the OF
an undertaken who employing the public prints exploit
the superiority with which he handled his deceased clients One
of these cadavers which, Mr. Undertaken announced paid print
he had prepared the appreciation of the bereaved family
No such death could be found the
file which would have been for the bodys ship
ment Confronted with these facts the undertaken admitted that
the corpse product of his necromanc imagination.
Choice given him between quitting and to jail He quit
Very far from dead another subject Of the Bureaus
legations Aronson who conducts of the largest every
the city He advertised solid gold cuff links bargain
price which, upon purchase and analysis proved be cheap
plated stuff The jury of FIVE stood three to two for conviction
Upon the of the Advertising Club that the
would be pushed another trial Aronson secured injunction
restraining the authorities from proceeding against him under the
city ordinance upon which the suit had been brought declaring
that violated the right Of free speech and the freedom Of the
Further when the Honest Advertising bill backed by the
Ad Club up before the Legislature Aronson counsel
sought kill off by the substitution of emascuaed law. 1t
might be nferred-by and suspicious mind-tha
chant whose business would be hampcred by honest adver
Using and whose Interpretation of free speech and freedom of
the press involved license lie unesanedy would be good
person not TO do business with
Convictions difficult here because in spite of