Evening star., 1925-05-21
Federal Trade Commission.

The Federal Trade Commission has
aroused u storm which may or may
not sweep it away. Created in Il
measure to regulate business, the
commission has never been regarded
with entirely friendly eyes by busi-
ness. If there is one thing that
business likes. it is to be let alone.
And now, because of changes in its
rules of procedure, the commission
is losing friends among the progress
sives in Congress. Assailed from
both f1anks, the position of the Trade
Commission may indeed be precari-
GUS when Congress reassembles
Senator Borah of Idaho, a power
in the Senate, is quoted as saying
that the best thing that can be done
with the Federal Trade Commission
Is to abolish it; that it is perfectly
apparent 1T is not going to be of
service to the country, and that in
such circumstances economy demands
It's official head. He is backed in
this position by Senator Norris of
on agriculture, and other members
Of the Senate
When the Federal Trade Commits
sion was created, in the early days
of the first Wilson administra ton. It
was for the purpose of preventing
unfair methods of competition in
business. In the decade the commits
sion has been at work it has con-
demned many methods of competi-
ton as unfair and unlawful. includ-
ing misbranding of fabrics, adultera-
ton of commodities, bribery of
buyers, making false or disparaeing
statements and the use of misleading
advertisements. There are numerous
other methods of competition which
have been placed under the ban of
the commission, and justly so.
Publicity was one of the weapons
lodged in the hands of the Federal
commission to rectify conditions. The
new rules of the commission, their
critics declare. curtail publicity and
make for star chamber proceedings.
This is denied emphatically by the
majority members of the commission
all Republicans. 1t happens that the
commission has split over it's rules
along party lines, three Republicans
against two Democrats. This has
given rise to the charge that the COM
mission is politically dominated. The
inc
that no more than three members of
the commission-there are five alto
gether-may be of one political party,
Which to a certain degree invites a
political division in the commission.
Commissioner Humphrey, whose re-
cent appointment has made possible
the changes in the rules Of procedure,
in an address yesterday before the
United States Chamber of Commerce
defended the position taken by the
majority Of the commission. He went
further, however, and attacked reso.
lutions adopted by the Senate calling
upon the commission to investigate
this or that industry. Politically this
was scarcely wise move by Mr..
Humphrey. He who attacks the Sen.
ate is likely to get slapped.
The battle now seems to be Joined.
The commission will be called upon to
show cause why it should be contin.
ued. 1t must make it's record Of
service clear to all. and i'm such a way
that the demand for the continuance
of the commission will be strong. The
commission has one great advantage
in the struggle. Government Jobs
once created and filled are maintained
tenaciously by those through whose
.fnffuence they are filled The United
States Commerce Court, created un-
der the Taft administration, is a glar-
ing and unusual example Of a govern
fnent agency that has been abandoned.