The Columbia evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-20
PEOPLE LOSE
MILLIONS TO
FAKERS' RING
Recent Nationwide Investiga-
ton Will Result in Bet
ter Business Bureau,
Saws II. ]. Kenner.
BUSINESS IS PROTECTED
Comparative Prices in Retail
and Other Advertising
Has Abused Conf
dence of Public.

b. IH.fed FFess =
MILWAUKEE. June 20.-It has come TO
light. at the convention Of the Associat-
ed Advertising Clubs Of the World,
which closed here recently. that recent
nationwide ''bucket-shop" investigations
and exposures we're made with the close
cooperation Of the national vigilance
committee Of the advertising organization
and with the aid Of leading newspapers,
officers Of the law and other agencies.
II. ]. Kenner of New York City, di-
rector Of the national vigilance commit
tee. announced in an address here that
as a natural ouigrowih of these and 9th
cr Investigations Of fraudulent stock
.leals. a better business bureau is being
organized in New York City, backed by
leading business houses. and that it will
devote its entire attention, in the be-
ginning. TO the investigation Of financial
advertising frauds Literally millions up
on millions Of dollars are taken from the
people by takers annually. he said.
The vigilance committee" Mr.. Ken
ne: said. was in a position TO render
service to District Attorney Banton of
New York in his fight on bucket shops,
early in 1922. through information de-
vcloped by vigilance Investigations in
New York and other cities, and by plac-
ing the committees extensive files at
his disposal These cases were aggres-
siyely handled for the District Attorney
by his assistant. Jerome Simmons, and
have had a wholesome effect in curb
ing activities of the bucketeers. The
committee was fortunate enough to OBJ
tain Mr.. Simmons as its counsel when
his bucket shop Investigations were COM !
pleied.
The committees bulletin. in Febru- |
AIRY. on the danger to the public and
10 the aeronautical industry which lurk-
ed in the organization of air transpOrta- 4
tion companies by professional promo
tcrs." he continued, was given wide /
publicity by the New York Times and /
prominent newspapers in other parts OF /
the country. The Aeronautical Chamber
Of Commerce expressed its appreciation.
Chief among our aggressive, definite /
actions was that of the committee in /
placing facts before District Attorney
Banion, dealing with the practices of /
ring Of directory takers, who were said
10 have swindled business men out of
more than a million dollars in the past |
fifteen or twenty years by collecting for
space in directories which had never
been published.
In numerous other fields the commit
tee has been active" he said. 1T has
materially checked the activities Of vari- /
Gus publicity schemes designed to get
money iraudulently from crcdulous busi-
ness men, mainly retailers, in the form
Of coupon redemption bureaus, electric
fash-sign companies, and self-colleciion
letter systems. One Of the worst offend
ers among the hash-sign companies is
being made the object of vigorous action. .
One problem which has engaged the
attention Of the committee and its affili- 4
aicd bureaus is the abuse Of compara- .
tive prices in retail and other adyeriis- /
ing. wherein an 'S85 value coat is offer /
ed at $3.50, or pair Of shoes, regular
ly retailed at So or less. is advertised
as worth So While recognizing the
legitimate uses Of the comparative price,
truth forces are enlisting the co-opera- !
iion Of national retail associations and .
individual retail advertisers in an effort /
To curtail wrongful practices developed
oul Of this use of the price appeal in
advertising"