The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-11-14
MERCHANTS FORM
Continued from page y

on the enforcement of order No. 4
of the Montana trade commission
which provides chat all goods must be
marked with cost and selling prices.
Legal action will be taken at once
by the associated industries of Mon
tana, who will carry their protest into
courts. Such action, they declare, de-
feats the purpose of the trade commits
reduction Of the high cost of living.
Its enforcement, they say, only
would serve to add to operating ex-
penses. An establishment the size
of the Montana Hardware company
would have to practically increase by
one-third it's force Of clerks, John
H. Mcintosh, secretary of the meet
ing, stated by way of example.
The public cannot determine be-
tween the cost and selling price of a
commodity whether or not profiteer-
ing is going on because the cost of
doing business must be taken into
consideration, he said. With no atti-
tude of defying the law but of wishing
to test it's legality, that action in pro-
test will be brought into the courts,
according to the merchants. The fol-
lowing are the resolutions formulat-
ing the merchants stand in regard. to
the enforcement Of the rule of the
Montana trade commission which be-
comes effective December 1:
Whereas, The Montana Trade Com
mission has publicly given notice of
it's intention to enforce the statute reg
ularly known as House Bill No. IA,
a so-called regulatory measure passed
at the special session of the Six
teenth legislative session; and,
Whereas, The commission has issu-
ed notice that it will start enforce
ment of what it has termed rule 4, on
Dec. 1, said rule 4 in effect demanding
that merchants shall tag each article
for sale with the invoice cost and SELL
ing price, and further that all mer-
chants shall keep complete lists Of
goods in stock, together with invoice
cost and selling price, such list to be
posted each day not later than 10 a. m.
and,
Whereas, The regulatory measure
under which commission claims auth
ority to proceed is believed to be I'M
constitutional in that it is class legis-
~lation, confiscatory, destructive to a
vital part of the economic fabric of
the state, and therefore illegal; and,
Whereas, The merchandising inter-
ests of Montana have been wrongful
ly attacked, libeled and unfairly ac-
cused of being responsible for the high
cost of living, which, in fact, is pri-
marty due to worldwide economic
causes over which Montana merchants
have no control; and,
Whereas, To satisfy the public clam
or, largely based on ignorance of the
facts, certain politicians were success
full in enacting into law a prejudicial
measure which is, as h~ereinbefore set
forth, in u Judgment, unconstitu-
%tional; and,
Whereas, Despite such obnoxious
and unjust regulation the merchants
of Montana willingly complied with
the regulations, including the pay
ment of licenses, until such time as
the commission promulgated rule No.
4, which cannot be met and complied
with unless the merchandising inter-
ests of this state are to be forced out
of business; and,
Whereas, The enforcement of this
measure, if possible to enforce, would
not reduce the cost of living, but would
greatly add to the merchants owe
head and thus increase living costs
to the consumer; and,
Whereas, The merchants have met
with the commission in an honest en-
deavor to arrive at a just basis where
by the measure may be enforced to
the satisfaction of commission and
merchants, and such meeting proved to
be of no avail despite the fact that
the representatives of all Montana
trade organizations assured the COM
mission that they desired to comply
with the law if possible; now there
fore, bet it
Resolved, That the people of Mon
tana shall know the true attitude and
feeling of the merchandising interests
in the following words:
Section No. 10 of the law creating
the trade commission provides with
out qualification that the "commis-
sion shall have power to regulate bus
mess" This is an unprecedented .ex-
tension of the police power. If car
ried to its logical conclusion it would
give the state power to regulate every
business and to fix charges and fees
of every kind, for no exceptions can
lawfully or constitutionally be made.
This is state socialism. This should
be recognized by all the people of the
state. The matter is one which at
fects not only the interests of every
citizen of Montana. The question is
"Sha1 tho paon1o IF Mop+opo oy,borl-