The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-04-04
NATIONAL FIGHT
!. AGAINST FRAUDS
ELIMINATE cRooKEDNEss TO
CURB X. c. OF [.
WORK or CREDIT ASSOCIATIONS
Vigorous Campaign Against Crooked
Business Men Launched BY Wide
spread Organization For lnVesti-
cation and Prosecution.

| spread STSdHl<dllON W h''SSN
cation and Prosecution.
New York, March Undetermined
to eliminate commercial frauds, thus
reducing the high cost of living, the
Investigation and prosecution depart
nent of the National Association OF
Credit Men today launched a vigorous
campaign against crooked business
men who have been reaping a fortune
through illegal trade practices.
The situation brought about by the
war has increased the number Of COM
mercial frauds, says a statement is
sued today by Freas Brown Snyder,
chairman of the committee, who
points out that the present drive is
aimed to reduce the losses of legiti-
mate tradesmen and prevent unfair
competition. Once the trade crooks
are wiped out there will be decline
in the present high prices. Of merchan-
disc, the committee holds.
Calling upon the 140 local credit as
sociations throughout the United
States to cooperate, Mr.. Snyder has
sent the officers of these organizations
communications asking that they par
ticipate in the educational work of
conveying to the 100000 credit men in
this country the information that the
investigation and prosecution depart
ment of the National Association of
Credit Men is at their command to
follow up all reports of cases in which
there appears to be evidence of COM
mercial fraud. Immediately upon
hearing of such instances, the depart
ment will assign representative to
look after the matter and, if the evil
denee warrants, to prosecute. No set
Elements will be made once it becomes
manifest that a crime has been COM
mitted.
Easy to Obtain Credit
because of the present high prices
that are charged for merchandise to-
day the crooked dealer finds it particu-
larly attractive to obtain goods on
credit for which he never intends to
SETTLE" says Mr.. Snyder's statment.
"Once the crook obtains goods on cred
it he finds no difficulty in disposing
of the merchandise at less than the
market value. This means that not
only does the man who sells his goods
to the dishonest dealer lose mis- wares
but the honest merchant who is COM
peting with the rogue is at disad-
vantage. Of course, the legitimate
merchants cannot sell at prices equal
to those of the man who never means
to pay for the goods he obtained on
credit. -r.
1.-The dishonest dealer is foe of
efficiency. He clogs up the wheels of
business progress. J. H. Tregoe, sec
rotary treasurer of the National As
ISOLATION of Credit Men, has sounded
the keynote of our sentiments in de-
claring While we are cleaning up the
world, let us clean it up right and
start clean in business also after the
war; +'f'
Campaign of Education
"We intend to educate the credit
men in this country, through our ma
tional and local associations, to be
more careful in giving credit, and,
when a crime has been committed, not
to accept offers of a settlement. When
settlement is effected in case in
volving crime it is an injustice to the
honest merchant, for the crook can
go ahead and repeat the performance.
We want to protect the competing
honest merchant through constructive
work We do not intend TO persecute
people who cannot pay their bills but
to prosecute those who deliberately
seek to deftaud honest business men.
when business men for the first
time put aside their competitive pref
udices and began to exchange credit
facts about mutual customers with
growing freedom, new epoch in
business began The national bank
ruptcy act is further yielding of in
dividual benefits to cooperation, for
it means on the part of credit cred
itors, giving, up the advantages of
their legal position to participate
equally with the distant creditor. The
adjustment bureau and the credit in
terchange bureaus are further devel-
opments. The investigation depart
ment is the latest, the longest, and in
some ways the most difficult step.
Trying Days to Come
"The national investigation and
prosecution department will justify its
existence in the trying days to come
when business reacts from imitation
!. and the false prosperity of war prof.
Tits. The knowledge of its existence
will then keep many a weak man from
yielding to the temptation of an easy
and profitable way out and will deter
many of the criminally inclined from
making a getaway under cover o.
4 the increased number of honest ant
inevitable wrecks, marking the path
way Of the passing storm.
my contact with the work of thi
department has impressed me with thu