The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-07-22
WASHINGTON LETTER

Washington, July 14-The FEEDER
al Trade Commission has split on the
proposal originating with Commission
er William E. humphrey that respon-
sibility for fake or misleading adver-
Using be divided between those who
accept it and those who place it..
Commissioner Charles w. Hunt is
among those who believe the Com
mission would be exceeding it's au-
thority if it were to issue blanket
order against 'low-grade" magazines
and other publications which permit
"quack" advertising to seep into their
columns.
The Commission has, however, Or
dered a test case to be made of two
socalled "health" magazines which
carried lost manhood" and other adj
vertisements of similar type. Com
missioner Humphrey is of the opin-
ion such advertisements are both OBJ
jectionable and illegal.
Other members of the Commission
do not, however, seem inclined to go
as far as Mr.. Humphrey. The two
magazines cited by him have been re-
ferred to the Commission law de-
partment. Unforeseen obstacles to
the issuance of a complaint against
them have arisen. The whole Hum
phrey proposal may collapse unless
these obstacles are overcome.
At first it appeared as though the
Commission would be united on the
proposal. But difference of opinion,
common among the Commission mem
bers, arose as to how far the commits
sion could or should proceed in the
matter.
In the meanwhile Commissioner
Humphrey has left on an extended
vacation in the West. He is not ex-
pected back until September. Com
missioner Vernon w. Van Fleet, who
shares none of Mr.. Humphreys en-
thusiasm for the proposal, has ten
dered his resignation and plans to
step out about August l. Commits
sioner John F. Nugent, the chairman,
is running for his former seat in the
U. S. Senate. He has stated if he
wins the Democratic Senatorial nomi-
nation in his home State of Idaho he
will retire promptly from the Com
mission. Commissioner Huston
Thompson's term expiresin Septem-
Der and he has said he will not seek
reappointment. AS he has been in
conflict frequently with the Admin
istration it is not considered probable
the President would reappoint him.
With Thompson's departure it is ex-
pected the Commission will become
distinctly pro-Coolidge. This would
leave only Mr.. Humphrey and Mr..
Hunt.
In the meanwhile the Commissions
famous advertising case involving
the right of newspaper and magazine
publishing interests to deal with adj
vertising agencies of their own choos-
ing awaits still final decision. There
is little indication one will soon be
Forthcoming. If the present COM
mission splits up, as now seems III
evitable, and President Coolidge is
called upon to fill three vacancies out
of a total membership of five, the
complexion and policy of the Com
mission may be changed materially
by the time snow flies.
Certainly the chance of the Hum
phrey proposal being accepted by the
full Commission as now constituted
does not appear to be nearly so pos
sible as when we wrote yu about it
last week.
Congressman William w. Crest, of
Lancaster, Pa, member of the Joint
Congressional postal committee, and
chairman Of the House Committee on
Post Office and Post Roads, dismisses
briefly and lightly in the latest Con-
gressional appendix July IL, 1926.
pages 13027 to 1929 the anticipa.-
ed failure Of Congress at the late
session to provide any legislation
which was advocated by the newspa-
per publishing interests.
Mr.. Griest refrains carefully from
an extended discussion of postal rate
legislation insofar as it affects sec
ond class matter and in describing the
failure of even the emasculated postal
bill reported by his committee to PEGS
comments upon the fact that its Us
provisions included only ssthose mat
tiers upon which there is entire agree
irent among members of The joirt
committee, and the matters NOT re-
ported upon are to be the subject of
q further report at the next regular
session of Congress in Dece mbef.
He adds this enlightening informa-
ton: 'It was expected that the bill
would receive favorable considera-
ton before adjournment. Unfor-
tunately, it was not reached in the,
House, and under the precedent cs-
tablished in the last Congress, hold
ing that postal-rate legislation is
revenue-raising' legislation, no action
could be had in the Senate until the.
House measure reached that body
What a highly informative alibi
this may be considered to be in view
of the repeated admissions by both
Mr.. Griest and Senator George H I
Moses, chairman Of the joint COM
nittee, and Of the Senate Committee