Evening star., 1924-07-12
PRESS Of CAPITAL
|SLAUDED ON ADS
Cool of Better Business Bu-
reau Says Papers Protect
Confidence of Readers.
CONDITIONS IMPROVED
Doubtful Schemes Put Out of Exist
ence-Board of Trustees
Named.

The work of the Better Business
Bureau was outlined by Howard NJ.
Cool, director, in his annual report
before the trustees at a meeting YES
terday at the City Club
Activity in clearing up many
doubtful financial schemes in the Dis
trict, the betterment of advertising.
the cooperation of the city mer-
chants in the truth in advertising
movement" service or complaints
made by the public, warnings of
crooked schemes, and a general i'm
proVement in the confidence of the
public in business conducted in the
National Capital were among the
many things brought out by Mr.
Cool
He stated that during the year
17o1 Investigations of retail adver-
tlslng were made, and it was found
1,035 We're wrong" He explained
that some advertisements contained
technical errors, some violations of
the principles upon which the Better
Business Bureau is based, and some
were direct misstatements of fact.
Cooperation Is Encouraging.
Mr.. Cool declared that few adver-
tlsers in Washington hold that the
principle of the bureau is wrong and
that the cooperation is Immensely
encouraging" Praise of the Wash
ington newspapers in protecting the
confidence of their readers in adver-
tiSements and the effectiveness of
their support in truthful and proper
advertising also was emphasized in
the report.
The report stated that the Wash
ington merchants had from time 10
time held conferences in an effort TO
eliminate all misleading advertising
and to improve il generally. Sales OF
various description where suspicion
has been aroused has been under the
scrutiny of the bureau, which has in
several instances forced discontinue
ance of the sales by merchants in
dulging in unethical practices.
Home building contracts, misleading
window signs, bond selling schemes
and such matter has been given at
tention, and in many instances theSc
operations were forced to suspend.
Many Stock-SeIling Inquiries.
The bureau. during the last eight
months, has had inquiries on an aver
age of fifty-three per week from the
public in regard to companies selling
stock. Three and per cent loan
companies were the subject of these
inquiries to the extent of one out OF
every nine queries. 1t is estimated
that these companies sold 5000 build
ing contracts in the District, receiv-
ing about 100000 for them. There
is none of these now in operation
here In speaking of these contracts,
Mr.. Cool declared: The contracts
they bought were insolvent, the COM
pany's operation lottery and doomed
to failure and loss.
Mr. Cool pointed out that of 425 in
quiries from the public, some were
from people who had already lost
their money. Much credit was given
in the report to the Washington busi-
ness men who had spent their time
and money in bettering conditions in
Washington through the bureau.
Personnel of Trustees.
The following board of trustees
were elected for the ensuing year:
Joshua Evans, jr.; Algernon S. Gard
ner. r. 3. H. Lyon, Stanley Lans-
burgh, Malcolm Gibbs, l. E. Rubel,
Sylvan King, William G. Galliher. r
Strauss, A. C. Flather, B. B. Bur
gunder. Harold H. Levi. l. L. Cold
helm, John F. Slavin, Isaac Behrend,
Harry W. Hahn, Anton Stephan,
Ralph W. Lee, George b. Ostermayer.
Morton Goldenberg, J. H. Johnson, w.
w Spaid; Howard NJ Cool. director;
Louis Rothschild, merchandise man
ager: Francis G. Addison, jr.; Gus
Bucholtz, Louis S. Levi. Howard
Waller, Herbert T Shannon, j. w.
Laird, and Maurice kafka, represent
ing the Washington Advertising Club.