New-York tribune., 1919-01-11
Bill to Protect
Small Merchandise
Buyer Introduced
Redfeld Measure to Guar
antee Quality of Goods Is
Placed in Hands of
Congressional Committees
Financial Bureau
Staff CorrespOndence

Staff Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-Secretary
Redfield has sent to Congress the plan
of the Department of Commerce to
enable small consumers TO purchase
commodities scientifically. 1t is pro-
posed in the draft of a bill, which is
in the hands of the appropriate COM
mittees Of both houses, to have the
government guarantee the standard of
goods that are made by American
manufacturers who are willing to sub
scribe to the innovation.
Influential trade and banking in
terests are known to have Endorsed the
suggestion, which, if adopted, would
have q special relation to foreign
commerce, as we'll as domestic. The
plan is to get the Bureau of Standards
here to determine standards in mer-
chandise, and to put the departments
stamp of approval on the products of
all factories winch voluntarily agree
to comply with the new arrangement.
Would Penalize Violations
The chief legislation necessary is the
granting Of authority to attach a
criminal penalty to violations of the
standards adopted by manufacturers
who of their own volition have agreed
TO follow them. Advocates Of the new
arrangement assert that it would put
the scientific equipment of the govern
ment behind the great masses of small
b11U f,u
give them as good facilities for in
telligent purchasing as large cor
poratons and the government depart
ments have.
In foreign trade the buyer in the
, antipodes or elsewhere in distant
places would be protected against un-
scrupulous exporters, and the con-
fidence the foreign buyer would gain,
it is argued, would rebound to the
benefit OF all American exporters,
augmenting their good will and build
ing up their commercial standing.
Standards could be decided on, it is
said, for every conceivable kind of
commodity. In clothing, for example,
the proportion of shoddy permissible, if
any. could be determined, and cloth
any or not. Then the buyer would
ment certificate to ascertain what
grade he was buying.
In explaining the plan, Secretary
Redfield sad "The whole matter
should be voluntary action on the part
OF manufacturers. When, however, a
certificate has once been issued, the
standard Of all goods bearing the GER
LITIGATION must be kept up to the stand
ard certified, with heavy penalties for
violation. 1t seems only necessary. in
order to bring this about, to have legis-
lative authorization for the depart
ment to issue such certificates with a
penalty clause dealing with the i'm
proper use of them.
Difficulties Not Great
ut is analogous to the fixing of grain
standards by government authority.
Inc official grading of grain permits
a precision in handling grain through
all domestic and foreign commercial
transactions that is now indispens-
able. 1t is no more difficult, to say the
least, to provide a standard certificate
Tor manufactured articles than if is
for grain.
1T will be evident that such a GER
tlfication would provide authoritative
knowledge to all buyers concerning the
iitiIeilals bought. The government to-
day has means, by analysis, manv.
and large business houses have
smaller facilities for their own use. The
ordinary buyer, however, whether in
connection with business or personal
purchases, is denied accurate knowledge
NO means are open to him to determine
the quality of the goods he purchases.
and the tendency of competition is
OFTEN toward reduction of quality as
well as price. The fact, of course is
that the individual buyer to-day must
purchase on appearances, or upon in.
terested assurances of the sel1e,.
rather than upon any true KNOWLEDGE
OF what it is that he is buying. An
enormous saving is possible. if bv
the means suggested we can all of ns
come to buy on the basis of ascers
tanned and known quality.n