Evening star., 1924-09-23

sentiments into action and thus JUS
titles it's existence with the public as
well as with the trade.
Upon invitation. we joined In this
federation of national retail asso-
Citations, as there seem to be posi-
bilities for constructive work of i'm
portance in the solution of problems
common to all lines Of retailing. Nine
national retail associations are rep
resented in this council, with a COM
bined membership of 10000 retail
| merchants
The druggists of New York State
have pointed the way to the fimita-
ton of ownership of pharmacies to
pharmacists by securing the passage
| and enforcement of State legislation
| to that end. 1t does seem that public
health and public interest are in
volved in this proposition and that
restrictive law is not only logical but
desirable from the public standpoint.
| When the pharmacist owner has
| to meet high requirements in order to
qualify as a pharmacist, why should
unqualified men enjoy the same privi-
| leges merely because they are in
| position to hire registered pharma-
cists? Pharmacy for pharmacists is
entirely logical. Other States should
follow the example set by New York"
Cut Rate Evil Persists.
No abatement in cut rate evil has
| been noticed and there will not be
| until some legal means may be found
! whereby this serious situation may
| be remedied, said the report of the
executive committee, read to the con-
vention by it's chairman, Julius H.
| Riemenschneider. The other members
| of the committee, who signed the
| report, are James F. F'inneran, G.
p. Gladding. Ambrose Hunsberger,
Charles II. Huhn and J. j. PoSsehl.
This committee also found busi-
| ness conditions bad, adding that lack
| of employment in the larger cities
and industrial centers and the low
price of farm products in agricultural
| districts have all had a distinctly
| harmful effect upon business in gen
eral.
The committee recommended that
| the full force of the association be
directed against the cut-rate evil.
The action of the Boston conven-
| tion, condemning that pernicious sys-
| tenn known as cooperative or subsi-
died advertising, has had a decidedly
helpful effect in curtailing this par
| ticularly obnoxious form of unfair
| competition" said the report. We
| are pleased to report that most of the
| larger manufacturers who were using
| this form of advertising have follow
/ ed your wishes, as expressed in the
| resolution adopted at the Boston
! meeting. and discontinued this prac-
| tice. For the benefit of those who are
still going contrary to the expressed
| wish of the retail drug trade. we re-
peat: Why should any manufacturer
having general distribution single
out any individual, chain or depart
ment store, permitting such concerns
to advertise his products at cost or
| less. while he pays the advertising
| bill? Again we say, this is grossly
unfair to retail distributors in gener-
| al, and the practice cannot be too Sc
verely condemned. The manufacturer
who continues this policy after hav-
| ing his attention called to the matter
cannot expect nor should he receive
the cooperation of other retailers.
Work Of Advisory Board.
| "Regulations 60, revised. became ef-
! fectiye May /. 1924. That these reg
| ula atoms as revised did not carry ad
ditional burdens for legitimate busi-
ness is due very largely to the sound
| judgment of the commissioner OF in
! ternal revenue. Mr. David H. Blair.
j in appointing the alcohol trades ad-
| visory committee, On which the retail
/ drug trade has able representation in
| the persons of DIR. J. II. Beal and
Secretary Henry. This committee has
been untiring in it's efforts to relieve
the trade of all unnecessary burdens,
! and, while the relief obtained to date
! cannot be said to be complete, we at
least secured many notifications
! which but for the work Of the ad-
| visory committee could not have been
! hoped for, and. what is of even
| greater moment heavier burdens
would have been imposed upon all
| alcohol using industries.
! Among the outstanding accom-
| plishmentS we desire to mention the
| fact that H permits are now per-
| petual and no longer require annual
| renewal as heretofore. The question
| has been asked, why was a similar
concession not granted to holders of
| ''T' permits? The answer will be
| found in section s of the national pro-
| hibitfon act, which specifically pro-
Vides that permits to sell intoxicat-
| ing liquor may be issued for one year
! and shall expire on the 31st day Of
December next succeeding the issu-
ance thereof. We were also given
assurance that the regulation requir-
| ing the physician to place the name
| of the druggist on the official pre-
scription blank would be rescinded,
but for some unexplained reason the
prohibition unit experienced a change
| of heart. and this unusual and un-
| reasonable requirement. is still effec-
| tive.
"A determined effort was made to
remove from the intoxicating liquor
class the official preparations so
classified, and, while these efforts
| met with but partial success, we at
| least prevented any extension of the
list, there being two deletons and
| one addition. net gain of one in the
right direction.
"As the Legislative committee will
later report in detail concerning leg
| islative matters, this report will but
briefly touch upon a few of the out
| standing features.
Stay Out of Narcotics Fight.
You are doubtless all aware or
the amendment to the Federal mar
cotic imports and exports act, passed
| in the last session of Congress. which
prohibits the importation of opium
for the production of heroin. In re-
| gard to this amendment we would
| advise you that the legislative COM
| mittee. with the advice and approval
| of the executive committee, declined
| to participate in the discussion be-
fore the ways and means committee
of the House, holding that the ques-
ton as to the use or non-uSe OF
| heroin in the treatment of disease
| was purely medical one and, as the
medical testimony was largely to the
! effect that 1t was nom essential, the
amendment was adopted. The supply
of heroin for future medical use Is,
| therefore, limited to the stock on
| hand.
1--WE are considerably disappointed
in not being able to report more def
mite progress in the campaign for
price Standardization legislation. At
the time of the Boston convention
we were assured of early hearings on