The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-06-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
BY ]. E. JONES.
WHAT is UNFAIR
COMPETITION?

WHAT is UNFAIR
COMPETITION?
Ever since the challenge to big
business was Issued IN the early
Roosevelt days which dispute it's
rights to dictate the country's me-
thod of carrying on commercial
trade, there has existed feeling of
uncertainty and indecision among the
smaller business enterprises of the
country regarding many of the fun
damental rights that they possess
and exercise in carrying on their
business affairs. The injustice of
such a condition was so apparent
that the Bureau of Corporations was
reconstructed eight years ago into
la greatly enlargely body that was
ushered into existence as the Fed
eral, Trade Commission. In it's
early days this Commission carried
on "gum shoe" policy intended to
operate along the lines of "get to-
gether, boys" This beautiful the
DRY was one which might have sue
ceeded if applied to small city or
county but when it was sought to
make it effective throughout the Ma
ton it was not even slime bird shot"
| in it's effect.
For ten years business interests of
the country have been treking to
Washington for the purpose of hav-
ing their rights in trade and COM
merce defined. About the only
thing that they learned is that "price
fixing" and unfair competition are
illegal. But if they have learned
what these terms mean they have
been able to discover more than the
Government itself. Several de-
partments of government issue sta
tistical reports that show trade con-
ditions and prices in the different
industries. The Federal Trade Com
mission issues these very kind of
statistics with regard to coal and
paper production, ostensibly for the
purpose of checking unfair methods
of competition. The Agricultural
Department is a regular trade in
formation shop and, an all year round
booster for maintaining the prices
on farm products. Everyone be-
lieves this is right, and apparently
everyone also hopes that the Federal
Trade Commission will succeed in
busting the trust that is run by the
coal barons.
The commercial interests of the
country in their endeavors TO keep
within the meaning as well as the
spirit of laws regulating commerce
have turned to associations" COM
posed of their own members. Prac-
tically all of these organizations have
as their purpose better business me-
thods for the American people. In
only a few instances have these
associations sought to maintain So
called "open prces-a policy that
has been condemned by merchants,
manufacturers and others. Now
comes the new Attorney General
with the announcement that four
hundred associations maintain sys-
TENS for the interchange of informa
ton, and he says that it is the in
tent of his Department to prosecute
some of these organizations that
"served good purpose during the
war;" but which now "stifie competi-
tion." There is good deal of dis
tress likely felt among the different
members of the associations through
out the country which have attempted
to bring their affairs more clearly in
accord with fair trade conditions
through organized efforts that have
been more effective than their former
individual policies.
After having unsuccessfully tried
to follow the changing methods of
the lawyers in Congress and in adj
ministrative positions who are re-
gulating them from Washington.
The business interests of the country
are liable to think that doctors are
not alone in the class described by
Pope, when he asked: "Who shall de-
eide when doctors disagree, and
soundest casuists doubt, like you and
me?
"HARVEY SPILLED THE BEANS"
There IS no Disgusting the fact
that the Republican leaders in Wash
ington believe that when Colonel
Harvey, the new Ambassador to
Great Britain, made his speech in
London on Pilgrims Day, that he
threw q monkey wrench" into the
foreign relations policy of the United
States Government. President
Harding in his Memorial day address,
undoubtedly sought to express a
more conservative sentiment that