Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-03
Get RICH QUICK
PLANS Fooled
Vigilance Committee Of Adv.
Club Get Busy

Z NEW YORK, March 3:-Tngenious
usc of advertising schemes by get
rich-quick" men are being run down
by tie National Vigilance Committee
OF the Associated Advertising Clubs
OF the World, which keeps q corps
OF mon at this work almost constant
~. Richard III. Lee. special counsel
of the committee. who s~upervises the
work, tells mapy stories Of confidence
men and the methods used to combat
and convict them. O.
One man. he says, formed a league
Of automobile users. The league IS
sued a price list of accessories, all
quoted less than possible for the
manufacturer to make them, Nheh
a member ordered an article, an
other wa substituted and q circular
letter explained that because OF the
great demand the factory was behind
In It's orders. In some cases the SUD
stitution was attributed to the rare
ness of the object desired. The sub
stitute was a cheap affair, made for
the read of the league, but the
member was satisfied, temporarily at
least. by the explanation that while
It's price was higher h that order
ed. the league would sell 1t to him
for the same sum.
This man built up a good reputa-
tion by means of preferred" Gus
toners, whom Mr.. Lee describes as
''plants" who tnnocently furthered
the designs of tho swindler. A group
of these men was established in each
town where the league did business.
As an illustration, Mr.. Lee cites
the case of n of the most prom1-
nent surgeons in an Ohio city, who
was persuaded to Join the league. lie
bought a tire, which an agent op-
tanned from q local dealer at the
usual retail price, and then held I'M
I'll the proper time a elapsed FOR
shipment from headquarters. The
doctor was delighted. In a few days
the agent dropped around to see him
and asked how the tire was holding
up. On inspection the agent found
an imaginary flaw, and insisted upon
replacing the tire with n new one
also bought at the usual retail price.
He left the supposedly defectlve TIRE,
saying that the doctor could use II as
IL spare" and refused further pay
IF you really feel so grateful, doc
Tor" he said. write the Old Man a
letter about it and tell him how you
keel."
The letter was used for advertising
purposes.
Brought suit against the league, with
out success, for tho defendant would
nut his ''preferred' customers, all
men of unquestioned reputation on
the stand, and the case would be as
missed. ~
This man reduced circular letter
writing to a science. He dictated a
set of circular letters answering every
conceivable sort Of question pertaining
to his business, indexed them and
then dismissed the greater part or ms
clerical force.
Mr.. Lee told one amusing result
A customer complained that a drip
pan was missing from a shipment
The inexperienced girl who answered
the complaint looked up goods IN
the index and followed it down until
she found tho word lost" She then
sent out a circular letter saying that
the league always took the greatest
care to see that there was no shortage
shipments. and II the consigned
''would shake up the excelsior in the
of the box" he undoubtedly
would find the missing object.
After a years fight, the vigilance
committee obtained conviction. and
sent the head of the league-o prison.