Great Falls tribune., 1922-03-11
The HQSkin Letter . sfssss:s1 as2a
BARGAIN LOVING NEW YORK.

feet condition, they are taken by sur
prise and are easily convinced that they
are getting great bargain. In one
week / sold three Queen Anne desks
each desk for $40 more than it would
have cost in certain large depart
ment store"
| Taking advantage of the public in
profitable that there are now concerns
who are willing to supply merchandise,
on credit basis, to private individuals
who will agree to advertise and sell it.
One of these concerns recently adver-
tised for "home workers" who were
later circularized in the following
frank manner:
IF man puts an ad in the paper
| like those we mention above, and the
people rush to his house and buy him
out just because they believe he is
really selling some of his personal ap-
parel or furnishings, and they think
they are getting a wonderful bargain,
the party selling the goods is justified
and you cannot blame him if he is go
ing to advertise like that right along
and build up big bank account because
he knows how to take advantage of the
big money in this world you have to
study human nature and take advantage
of what you learn. We are writing to
you just as plainly as though we were
talking to you face to face.
I'VE buy up large jobs of goods
from bankrupt concerns, from estates
which are being settled, from the big
gest jobbers in the country. What we
buy we buy at such ridiculously low
prices that yod would net believe it.,
We have bought goods under the hala-
mer in some of the big auction houses
Of New York at such low prices that
to sell because he needed the cash,
and who happened to be standing by
watching the sale of his goods, actually
had tears in his eyes. But this is
business. If we didn't buy, someone else
would. This merchandise we ship to
our clients who advertise in their daily
papers just as we advise them. We
coach them. We train them. We prac-
tically lead them by the hand. We show
them for the first time in their lives
how to make big money in smart way,
and. what is more. they do not have
to give up their employment, because
them in the evening. or else there is al
ways some one at home during the
day to take care of them"
Fraud Laws Evd060
This is only part of the letter. but
it is enough to show that the men who
wrote it are wholly aware that they
are urging the perpetuat1on of a
fraud, But by their very impudence
in thus acknowledging it. they place
themselves beyond the reach of the
torney's office. to which a copy of the
letter was recently submitted. it was
asserted that the concern could not be
reached through the postal regulations,
because it was merely suggesting fraud
to others and was perfectly candid
concerning its own methods. Anyone
who enters into negotiations with it
could not possibly be deceived as to the
unscrupulousness of its character.
In the case of those who accepted
the contract and who actually did mis-
represent their merchandise to the pub
lie, it was said, there might be ground
for criminal action. They could prob
ably be prosecuted both for fraudulent
advertising and for using the mails to
defraud.
But how is this to be brought about?
The newspapers cannot investigate the |
character and real intentions of every |
person who places a small, 3o-cent ad
in their columns. In some cases, where |
the same kind of ads are printed by |
the same person for considerable |
length of time, it is true. their sus- |
picions may become aroused, and in |
some New York daihes such ads have |
been carefully marked with the title
dealers yet the chances of discovery
are obviously slight
As for the public. it has seldom any /
reason TO complain. because it does not
know it has been deceived. The peo-
pie who are taken in by schemes of
this kind rarely discover their own
gullibihty. They are the same people
who buy factory-made antiques; who
purchase neckties from street peddlers
at prices double those prevailing in the
stores, and who buy oil wells in the
Cobb desert. New York is full of
them.