Evening star., 1925-02-15
The Federal Trade Commission
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

| chain and cut-rate stores i. workinp
considerable hardship on the corner
grocery and neighborhood drug store
and they are accordingly OBLIGED to
exert every energy to combating this
competition.
Fighting Chain Stores.
a group of independent Erocers go,
together and made the proposition IN
large manufacturer of crackers tha,
they would buy in carloads. fhe asams
as the chain stores, and would buy
under the same terms The manu-
iacturers. however. declined to meet
.ner PROPOSITION and they sled com
piaint with the commission. @s
The commission made. an tnyesti~,
ton and advised the cracker nro.
oucers to the effect that If they. were
gong 10 sell to this group of srocArs
al all they must do so under the same
terms which they gave to the chain
| stores. In other words, they mus,
not discriminate in price. or course
the commission could not tell tn.
company IT must sell to certain per-
sons. In this particular case, how
ever, the courts upheld the company
ana the commission was unable to aid
the small dealers.
Any one may file a complaint with
the commission simply by writing J
letter. 1t Is not necessary to EMPLOY
| = lawyer or 60 to any expense what
| ever. The commission will investi.
gate the case, render a decision and
take IL through the courts, alt with
out cost to the complainant Also
the name of the complainant IL no,
| divulged.
A great many complaints OF at.
.empts al monopoly are brought
| and some of the largest cases now
oelng Investigated are of this nature
II Is interesting to note that while
the Federal Government is opposed
| to monopoly in domestic trade. II an.
courages 1t in foreign trade. This /,
Tor the protection of American manu-.
facturers selling their goods In for.
| eign countries.
| 1t appears that most Euron.ar
manufacturers of a certain product
when entering foreign markets. will
get together and send one representa-.
| tive for the whloe trade, instead o,
| each manufacturer sending some ont
from his own plant. Therefore, It be
comes Immediately apparent the diff
Guilty an American salesman would hays
! II he had to bid against not only hi,
| foreign competitors. but other Amer.
lean representatives. 1t would be
! practically Impossible Tor him tt
compete with the European concerns.
In addition to the work of seeins
| that fair play" prevails In America \
| business, the commission makes man,
special Investigations. 49,,
There Is considerable criticism O,
| the Federal Trade Commission, some
people going so far as to suggest tina,
| the moneyDapproprfated for its sup
port is q total loss. The report OF
the commission, however. shows that
the farmers Of IL Western States
| were saved $50, 100000 on their steel
bills by the. order to cease and desist
| issued in what Is known as the
| Pittsburgh plus case. Under this
| system a., man in the State OF Ne.
| braska who ordered steel was charged
the Pittsburgh price, plus freight
| charges from Pittsburgh. while the
steel was made in Omaha The steel
| company has complied with the. order
and discontinued the practice Of add.
I ing an imaginary freight bill to the
price. The money saved by; this one
| order would support the commission
| for many years to come. ~.