The Washington times., 1920-06-29
.COLvER TALKS
.T0D.C. ADMEN
Railroads Must Move Goods Be.
fore They Can Be Sold,
He Tells Diners.

ties, which is tising UP hundreds OF
miiiions OF dollars In merchandise In
dds-tracked cars. 10 the greatest
problem that oonfronts adverusing'
Chairman william b. Colver. OF the
Federal Trade Commission declared
To-day before the Washington Ad Ciuo'
.When the railroads cease TO De-
liver goods. advertising ceases to de-
Ner results" Chairman Colver warn
"a the advertising men; "and when
supply 10 unable to reach and satisfy
demand, then the law Of supply and
demand 10 not working any more
than II Is with respect to the green
cheese market and the moon. For
though the moon be made OF green
cheese, IL cannot be gotten to an
earthly market. and II might just as
well be made OF putty.
n IF the chastity transportation tan
gle can be cleared up. Advertising
stiIl would have remaining In It's path
an obstacle which II must surmount,
or better still remove. before II can
reach q 100 per cent delivery OF re-
sults--which, 10 its end and aid.
MUST CONSIDER TAXATION.
at would have to meet and over
come an unreasonable, unhealthy and
Indecent price structure before II
could return full results to the adver-
tiser. so, advertising men should be
and must be interested In the subject
of taxation"
Another guest at the luncheon was
F.. 8. wolly, now chairman OF the Bet.
ter Business Bureau Of Boston, ana
who is likely to head q similar bureau
in this city. r. B. II. Lyon, who pro-
eidAh tutrodncAd Mr.. COlver.
Transportation Is the connecting
link between supply and demand de-
clared Mr.. Colver. "and unless, supply
can be carried to demand. the law OF
supply and demand Is paralyIed and
the mighty main spring OF advertis-
ing Is powerless to make the wheels
60 around"
Citing the position Of the head OF
one Of the greatest advertisers In the
country, who finds himself today
with his stock over-sold on his books
and yet with over q million dollars
worth Of finished products unable TO
be moved for lack Of transportauon'
Mr.. Colver said:
ar this concern shall continue its
national advertising. 1t will only 40
so on the basis of faith, II cannot GET
results. 1t cannot reap the results
from the Advertising already done
and tho money already spent
THAT Is true from one end OF the
country to the other. and 1T touches
every commodity.
MILLIONS TIED Up IN CARS.
Hundreds Of millions OF dollars
are tied up in merchandise which is In
side-tracked cars seeking .vatniy to
function As the supply which VIII
meet the demand which has been
definitely created. Money Is tight ana
getting tighter and the working capi-
tai Of American business fs TIED up IN
stocks which cannot be moved, while
scanty stocks which can be moved
are bid for at ridiculous prices.
"Here we are at the END OF June.
One-fifth of the season Of lake navi-
CATION 10 gone, and one-tenth OF tho
headed coal for next winters supply
has been moved to the head OF the
lakes. This, unless remodied, means
untold suffering and industrial shut
downs in the Northwest next winter.
1.-THE industries Of Now England are
actually closing down now, IN mid
summer, for lack OF COAL
SINGLE SYSTEM BEST.
Touching on transportation prob.
Mems. made acute by car-shortagc. Mr..
coivsr said that, so far as he knew.
there 10 just one thing on which the
believers in private ownership OF rail-
roads and the believers In Govern
ment ownership fully and absolutely
agree. 1t 10 that maximum efficiency
San be had from the railroads Of the
pcountry oaly when these railroads
are one operating unit
"So long a. the railroads are oper-
ated separately, with separate own
ership of motive power and rolling
stock. no railroad. not even the rich.
est ono, can operate prohtably and
with reasonable rates II it has to sup
ply Nself with . motive power and
rolling stock equipment capable Of
liking caro- Of its peak load"
!. W,"If the Government Is to aid the
railroads in obtaining more locomo-
tives and more cars, II would seem to
mo that the interest OF the public and
Of tho roads would be best served by
having this additional and Govern
ment supplied equipment handled ~
q unit. 80 that II may be mobilixed In
those sections Of tho country where
seasonal movements Of freight are
on"
FACTORY BETTER THAN r. O.
Mr.. Colver declared he was for pub
lie works "only in reasonable proper
tion to the total national expendi-
ture," and that he would rather see q
NEW factory built in . town than q
ktofhce, and q new road leading
a mill to = freight office than
the sherin's office to the ceme-
vertising was absolutely essen
in dealing with the problem OF
bly and demand" Mr.. Colver
ed out. and Is the "mainspring"
h gives tho impulse which sets
aw Of supply and demand In op-
on.
fithout advertising. demand is q
.ish current, moving slowly in a
ed. rock-strewn and wood
ed channel. with advertising,
nd becomes q rushing torrent,
within rigid banks and running
Eht to Its destination. with
Or and an energy capable OF turn
The wheels of Industry and Of en-
king the volume OF production and
seding up distribution.
Advertising itself, however. rests
pom one single foundation stone.
that 10 results. And results are the