The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-03-30
BUSINESS BUREAU
PLANS REACHING
DEFINITE OUTLINE
Organization To Promote
Better AdvertisingAd
Club To Sponsor
BODY TO INCLUDE
TRADE INTERESTS.
To Protect Public From
Buying Goods Under
Fraudulent Claims

~
Plans for Birmingham's Better Basi-
ness bureau are reaching definite shape
and will be presented to the Birming-
nam AID club, sponsor and organizer
OF the movement, at its meeting Mon
day. As a member of the Associated
advertising Clubs of the World, the Bir-
mingham AID club rs behind the move
ment for Better Business bureau for
Birmingham, and committee on orr
ganization has been at work on pre-
hminary details. q
The Better Business bureau is one
or the new movements in commercial
life for strict honesty in business, and
it is based on the idea of truth. Truth
SPOUT merchandise and products of all
kinds, and hence the advertising end
OF the movement. Better Business bu-
reaus are already functioning in a num-
Der of cities in the country, and the
Birmingham Ad club plans to make
the one here las efficient as it is pos
sible to be.
While it will not be a part of the
Ad club, Its sponsoring and organiza-
ton by the club is a natural develop
ment, since advertising men are most
familiar with the needs of truth in
advertising. The bureau will be estab-
iished to see that all advertisements
are truthful in order that the public
ana advertisers may profit alike
Organization Plans
According to the present plans the
organization of the bureau will be com
pleted within the month and it will
start to function Immediately. The
formation of the Better Business bu.
reau here is to aid the honest mer-
chants who use truthful advertisements,
according to the gAd club, and it stresses
this point. The Better Business bureau
aim will be to elevate the standards
of honest advertising to the highest
possible level
The composition Of the bureau win
be representative of all the business
interests, the four main groups. being
represented on the board of directors.
These groups are, the leading retail
stores, industrial concerns, banking and
general financial interests and news
papers.
What these offshoots of the adyer.
tising clubs, these Better Business bu-
reaus, have been able to accomplish
in communities where they are now
fnnctioning, is said to be truly remark
able. What powerful trade and pro-
fessional associations have not been
able to do, the. bureaus have accom-
pliEhed more 81 less readily. This Is
due TO the fact that the bureaus may
seek to remedy evils without being
considered an interested party. In trade
organization, the charge Of jealousy
: may be brought against any competitor
who files complaint. No such thing
b possible against the Better Business
rxyhsoh AZ. -
and all lines.
s Suggestion and general educational
work are the mediums whereby the
Better Business bureau achieves sue
cess. Results have been obtained and
are being obtained in this way, and
they are classed as remarkable in those
cities where bureaus are functiOning
in the manner that is planned for the
Birmingham institution.
Charges Unbiased
Investigation has showed that the
charge of fraudulent advertising in so
per cent of the cases has been due
to ignorance. This is where general
educational work is of special value,
instructing the ignorant who have been
led into misstatements. There are fradu-
lent advertisements, however, which are
fragrant and must be reached by more
stringent methods. Against these, when
suggestion and argument fail, the pow
err of the press will be brought to
bear. And this power is being used to
much greater effect than prosecution
by law, because publicity kills many
a scheme still aborning. The Better
Business bureau will be fitted to in
Sestigate such advertising and to take
the necessary steps to stop it..
The Better Business bureau will
function not only for the benefit Of
A those who read advertisements to buy
but also for the benefit Of those who
buy advertising space to sell their wares.
The honest merchant, listing his goods
eqditably and yelling about them fair
ly, cannot compete with the firm which
knows no confines of fact In its claims,
30 that the honest merchant apparent
1y is continuously oversold.
To Protect Public
The public will be protected from
the results of buying goods under
fraudulent claims, and all will be bene-
fitted by the Better Business bureau.
The AID club committee on Organi-
sation Of the Better Business bureau
of birmingham, is composed of:
Frederick j. Holberg, general chair
mani fauNCAtAoAA6 10ALSCtOFS .A4DQlS kJdkc
Clothing company.
4. Barton Baird, Southern Bell Tele-
phone company, finance and budget.
Baxter Eastburn, advertising mana
ger, J. Biach and Sons; information
and introduction.
John Henley, Birmingham Publish.
ing. company: educational campaign.
III. ID. Cullen, Cullen-Bethea Adver.
tising Agency: direct advertising and
publicity.
Tompkins Irish, advertising mana
ger, Loyeman, Joseph and Loeb i; news
paper publicity.
Clarence Lloyd, Birmingham Water
Works better business banquet.
Herbert j. Baum, general agent, Pro-
tective Life Insurance company presi.
dent Birmingham Advertising club.
Thad Holt, advertising manager
Wofford Oil company secretary ,Bir-
fningham Advertising club.