Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-29

was played up in capital letters in
the contract. Then again, figures
are figures, whether juggled by an
oil stock salesman describing the six
thousand barrels from one we'll null
tiplied by twenty wells, or a dollar
a month per sign multiplied by TWEEN
ty signs. Twenty dollars month.
two hundred and forty dollars a
year. membership in an association.
attractive advertising practically
free-and the final step Of action on
the dotted line was simple.
Statesmen of the Point of Purchase
Association appear to have used little
if any caution in their representations
concerning national advertisers.
Names of outstanding business houses
were mentioned with familiarity. In
many cases the first intimation they
received that their names We're being
used to sell signs came from the ma
| tional vigilance committee. Retailers
| had been led to believe that contracts
had been made with these concerns to
use space. When performance failed
to square with promise. numerous in
| top of which came the report later
verified that the statesmen were victim
| izing the Point Of Purchase Advertis-
| ing Association itself. Many of the
| companys representatives trained
"gyp" artists Some of them sold
memberships, collected the money and
| failed to report the transactions to the
! home office. In a few cases they dis
continued their connection with the as
! ISOLATION and sold memberships them
selves on any representations that
brought results, getting as muca
money as possible out of retailers on
whom they would call only once. never
to be heard of in those parts again.
Perhaps this accounts for the instances
| where memberships were even sold to
stores which did not have electric
| light service necessary to operate the
signs.
Few cases have so strikingly illus
trated the nationwide protective serv-
| ice of the misunderstanding move
mcnt as the Point Of Purchase Adver-
tislng Association. BY rea son of bet
ter business bureaus in So cities and
1
munities. contracts were available i'm
mediately in practically every city
| where the scheme attempted to operate.
Working in cooperation with these
bureaus and clubs. the national vigi-
lance committee was able to comb the
country for instances of fraud and de-
ception in the promotion of the move
| ment as the Point of Purchase Adver-
I Using Association. By reason Of bet
ter business bureaus in IS cities and
| advertising clubs in the Sma Ter com
| munities, contracts We're available i'm
mcdiately in practically every Point of
Purchase Advertising Association and
then. through warnings and action,
protect the good Will of national adver-
tiscrs and prevent wholesale fraud
among retailers The prompt hand
ling of the case on the part Of the
! United States district attorney of the
middle district of Pennsylvania. Au-
| drew Dunsmore and his assistant, A.
! A. Nosburg. had the further effect of
| checking the operations of the concern.
| The wildtire growth of the Point of
| Purchase Advertising Association in
communities lacking the service of the
extent to which the fraud would have
| f1ourished had not the nationwide
! protective service of our organized adj
| vertisng been active over a wide and
CLOSELY knit territory