New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-19
3 u 8 mess News
Business Men Deny U. S. Trade
Boards Charge of High Prices
Deplores Lack of Accuracy

Depiores Lack Of Accuracy
My first impression of the com
MISSIONS report" said the counsel far
several open-price associations in the
steel, metal manufacturing. textile
c:nemlcal and other industries. as thai
II the commission had availed itself
=. INC honest open invitation from a
la number OF these associations, the
aeductlons might have Approximately
the facts with more accuracy. So fsr
as Know, there are no such orcan;za-
tlons IN the wholesale or retail trades
so that 1T should be feasible to arrive
IN short time at comparative fignrcs
TO show whether the manufactured
members of these exchanges have
main!ained prices. either with uni
aorhlty or at point unduly above the
IN the course of preparation in sew.
elai oasic industries will, l feel con-
ldent, show, first, that in a few lines
40 the manufacturer members d. more
IMAM from 40 to so per cent of tho
business in one line; and, second that
IN 1alr proportion Of these the man
olacturers, who are members have re-
sponded to the demand for lower nr;ces
~ ~ reiehe months to the extent that
they;, aase neen, and are. underselling
Ihslr competitors who are not mem
oefs. These data also should show no
uniformity of price. They should
snow snow that in nine out of Ten cases
these manufacturers have cut tho;,
prices to the bone. very generally much
IN excess of the reductions in lahor
anu raw material, and in some. to NV
nmoM,ieoRe' oelow the present cost Of
tp;iouueeIon. Just how far these reduc
ult;,, aae Ienected in the cost of the
ultlmate consumer is questionable
mo I8ult Whafpvcr oor
eelther with the commissions nrocran.
lor remedies so far as it is fonnd i',ll
vi mature understanding. of indus
orial and commercial conditions w.
WIN WIN the recommendation for 'a
enorough investigation, nor viii, +ho
statement of the real Necessities thai
prompted the Presidents request"
Trade Association View
race associations in the nancy
1pn n1'y' according to DR.. Hugh
6aker, secretary of the Amer;,s ;,
faper q Pulp Association. are nnn
forming absolutely with the reop; ra-
menus OF the Federal Trade Comm;s-
sion; he says that many of them arc
senolng all OF their reports to the
., 1T ai is reasonable to assume he
saio, chat the trade association should
Federal government as are a ss tno
tlons of farmers. There is no more
reason why the farmer should be- al
lowed to talk prices and put out omen
price reports, as the government itself
IS dong through its Bureau of Mar
kets, than for the trade association to
be allowed to do the same thing.
Where associations do not exist
there, Is no spirit of developing craft
manship, there is no concerted effort
TO conserve raw materials, but there is
Suspicion and distrust, which might
unfortunately at times benefit the con-
sumer, because one manufacturer not
knowing anything of what other manu-
facturers are doing, might cut and
slash prices merely to hold a market,
to his own injury and to the injury of
the entire industry. An ignorant slash
ing of prices may be as disastrous to
general business as extreme imitation
of prices"