The Washington times., 1921-06-13
BY AD
men IS DRIVING
FRAUD TO COVER
Better Business Bureaus Also
Cooperate to Throw Fake
From Newspapers.

4 ATLANTA. Ga, June l3.---Frominent
merchants and manufacturers. a. we'll
as active workers in the truth-'n-
advertising movement which II fos-
tered by the Associated AdvertisipS
Clubs of the World. are In conferences
hero this afternoon discussing ways
and means for the further extension
Of this work. Conferences on this i'm
portant subject are one of the lead
ing features OF the annual world con-
vsntion Of advertising. which opened
in Atlanta this morning.
Most Advertisements are true. If
they were not 80 there would be no
such thing a. Advertising. the adver-
tising association says. II 10 growing
harder and harder for takers to buy
advertising space in newspapers and
other legitimate advertising mediums.
because. through the national vi9i-
lance committee OF the Associated Ad-
vertising Clubs, through better busi-
ness bureaus in thirty-two important
cities, and through volunteer local
vigilance committees, dishonest adver-
tisers are being exposed and pub
fishers and others. unwilling to for
ward the interests of such advertisers.
are cooperating TO free the business
OF them.
AGAINST ADVERTISING FRAUDS.
Through the efforts OF the advertise
ing clubs, with the aid of other organ
ixsations In many cases, legislation
against the use of deceptive advertis-
ing has been obtained In nearly every
pA In cftfaA md
territories outside the United States.
In the following States, tho model
law. known as the Printers' Ink model
statute. has been adopted: Colorado.
Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ken
lucky. louisiana, Michigan. Minno-
sofa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey.
New York, Nevada, North Dakota,
Wyoming, Ohio. Oregon. Oklahoma,
Rhode Island. Washington. West Vir-
giniA-
States as follows have passed law.
other than the model statute. against
untruthfui advertising: AriEona, Ala
bama, California, Connecticut, Illinois,
Maryland, Massachuseetts. Montana,
North Carolina. Pennsylvania, Tennes-
see. South Carolina Utah. Wisconsin.
Texas.
MACHINERY TO ENFORCE LAWS.
Reports at the conference this aft
ernoon, however. show that the ad-
vertising clubs have gone a good deal
further than merely to obtain the
passage of laws. Machinery has been
established, through the cooperation
of legitimate business. for the en-
forcement of the laws. II was shown
that every business house of I'm
portance In thirty-two cities now
having better business bureaus is CO.
operating. a. we'll ss moro than 800
advertisers, newspapers and others
that are carrying sustaining member
ships in the Association and cooper
ating closely with the work.
The following cities have Better
Business Bureaus: Baltimore. Chi
cago. Cleveland. Des Moines. Detroit.
indianapolis, Kansas City, Los An
geles, Louisville, Milwaukee. Minne-
apolis, Oakland. Philadelphia, Port
land, San Francisco. Spokane, St.
Louis, st. Paul. Toledo. Washington.
Akron. Boston, Columbus, Dallas Fort
Wayne. Peoria, Richmond, Sacra-
mento. San Diego. Seattle, Tacoma,
Tulsa.
BUSINESS MEN COOPERATE.
In outlining the policies of the
Work, H1chard Ii. Lee, OF new fork
city, general director of the move
ment, explained that II IL not the
practice OF the committees to prose
cute offenders except as a last re-
sort. I'm nearly every case. he said,
IL is necessary only to call the at
tention of an advertiser to the fact
that his advertising statement 10 not
true. He does the rest, for no one
could be as much interested in the
protection of the good will of .busi-
ness as the owner of the business
In an occasional case. prosecution
is found necessary. and when such
a necessity arises, Mr.. Lee showed,
the prosecution Is most vigorous
He showed, too, that the advertising
association Is able to handle such
matters at a much smaller cost and
with much more certain results than
would be possible for individual flrms
or associations representing any one
line of business, because the adyer-
tising association cannot be tarred
with the stick of competition. 1t
acts in the public interest, he de-
clared.