The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-11-21
TRADE COMMISSION
DEFENDS ITS ORDER.
If MERCHANTS SHOW IT UN-
WORKABLE THEY WILL MOD
IFY RULE, THEY ASSERT
NEWS OF THE CAPITAL CITY
State Disposes Of Two and one-half
Million Acres of Land in Year.
Fire Marshal Warns Parents
Not to Lock up Children

Helena. Representatives of ner-
chants associations and individual
dealers have besieged the Montana
trade commission the last few days
with complaints. protests. comments
and inquiries concerning the commits
sion's general order No. 4. requiring
merchandise to be marked in plain fig
ures with the invoice cost to the deal
er and the selling price to the con-
sumner" members Of the commission
declared. following a meeting with rep
resentatives of the merchants.
MANY merchants express desire
foecomply with the order, but aver
that. the requirement that they shall
post sheets. exhibiting all their stock
of merchandise with cost and selling
figures opposite each item, will mark
"a great hardship on them by occasion
ing additional labor and expense in
order to meet the time limit. Deem
Der 1. In consequence they are now
asking the commission for cO-opera-
tion by way of time extensions, and
other notifications of the order The
commission, since its inception. has
used its utmost efforts to secure CO.
operation from the dealers in enforc-
ing the provisions of chapter 81, laws
of the extra session.
Very early in the game. last Au-
gust, the commission earnestly solicit
ed the cooperation of the merchants
in arriving at a graduated scale of
profit margins. suggested that the
margins so arrived at be tested out
for period and if found unreasonable
or not workable. that the commission
would thereafter modify same.
1.-THE merchants, however, refused
fhe suggestion and flatly declined to
cooperate at all. With each new sug-
gestion their unwillingness to cooper
ate has been more pronounced. But
1t is not too late to cooperate, even
now The commission is ready to CO.
operate now. and if the merchants
will point wherein that portion of the
order in reference to posting print
ed Or typewriter list is unavoidable
or occasions undue hardships, the COM
mission will be glad to consider sug- |
gestions for it's modification. AS for |
marking the goods with cost and sell |
ing prices. the commission sees no !
merit in the cry that it will occasion
higher prices because of expense.
Most establishments now mark
each. item with the selling price, or
with cost price In secret cypher and
selling price In plain figures. Instead
of adhering to the old practice, the
only change will be In adding the cost
figures. in plain Arabic numerals on
the tag. For the stock on hand this
means extra work, but certainly no
Judging from the response receiv-
I'd from consumers, the commissions
order meets with their complete APP
prevail They feel that for the first
line in their lives they are now on
equal footing with the merchant in ar
living at a bargain
1.-THE commission is not COMPOUNDED
" suggestions that the trade commits |
sion act is unconstitutional. 1t has
,een advised that the act is constitu
ional and since the people have charg-
d the commission with its enforce
nent, and are themselves solidly be-
lind the law, the commission proposes
0 go ahead without quibbling."