Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27
BY EDWARD c. STONE.

BY EDWARD c. STONE.
Louis Rothschild, director Of the
Better Business Bureau, in his annual
report, made Friday, declared that the
bureaus activities during the past
year have been educational as well as
protective. Close study of his report
reveals many points of special interest
10 the business and financial interests
of Washington. Among other things,
Mr.. Rothschild said:
During the fiscal year the mer-
chandise section handled 2.4S3 cases;
of this number 1.126 involved shop
ping reports. The method of opera
ton in the merchandise department
has been that of gathering together
groups within specific trades for a
round-table discussion of the problems
and evils in their particular advertis-
ing. These groups have worked out
their own standards. which have been
In the form of joint agreements.
Higher Standards Adopted.
Furniture was the largest field I'M
dertaken during the year. Washing
ton furniture merchants were among
Sne first TO join in the Nationwide
An.ovement fostered by the forty-odd
VBerter Business Bureaus to name the
woods in advertising. These stand
II
the cooperation of the Washington
Carpet. Upholstery and Furniture AS
sociation.
tine campaign itself is embodied in
IFS name-that is. furniture advertisers
In Washington are naming the woods
IN their advertising Of furniture. Re
Spouse from the trade as well as the
public, has gratifNingly raised the
ethics in this field.
her ol'oln that haS mr.
Eanization given splendid cooperation
is that of the retail jewelrN firms.
Fundamental standards in this field
We're adopted several years ago and
have proved themselves very satisfac-
tory. During the past year uniform
standards for advertising Warehouses;
were adopted and have been rigidIy
adhered to. These standards have pro-
tected the public from the advertising
and selling of inferior Weaknesses as
gold filled.
Store Managers Meet.
Another field of bureau activity
which eliminated in the group meet
ing was that of credit store adver
Using. This type of establishment
has come to Washington in the past
few years. and with their new type
of advertising a number of evils have
arisen. They have been the subject
Of intensive investigation, and, in
acme instance, newspaper co-opera-
ton was invoked to prevent mlsrep-
Iesentation
"a meeting was held Of the man
ayers of these stores, and gen
A-al AGREEMENT outlined which would
Eliminate many misleading statements.
these establishments are mainly
branches of a chain and the agree
Iment has never officially been ratified
hv the executive officers However.
noticeable Improvement has taken
place in the advertising.
.There still exists in credit store
advertising such phrases as 'Sl.O0 gets
the goods The bureau lnVestga-
lion has shown that in the vast ma
sSritv of instances $500 merely re
eerzes the goods ard a. more sub
stantial cash payment is required 10
obtain the merchandise.
Comparative Price Evil.
The burerh's shopping department
ann the MERCHANDISE manager have
devoted Considerable effort in the past
wear TO IA curbing of exaggerated
comparative prices. This field is one
that prest{hts a problem. not only to
the mercA ants and to the Better Busl-
ness R.sreau of Washington, but TO
he Serchants and the bureaus
thro1 xghout the country The bureau
noie x is not against the use. bnt lhe
abl se, of comparative prices
Sthe bureau has criticized. not olly
90 Imperative prices that are lnFesu-
hted and found TO be incorrect. out
e. has also criticized comparative
hrices which, in their extraVasdnce--
mo matter how truthful-do not III
snire respect, belief or confidence.
.,The use of the obnoxious term
up to- in quoting comparative prices
has been almost completely done away
with in Washington. This Is reai
constructive step forward. It's Ell
fect is to make comparative prices
more definite and, therefore, more
inspiring.
Florida Situation PrObed
1T is to be pointed out that the
Retter Business Bureau does not cflti-
cize or question all the real SO t"a &c
activities in F1orida-only small per
centage were characterized by mis-
representation, fraud and trlckery.
The guns of the bureau have been
and are trained on this group, VINO
have not only injured the investor
but have also jeopardjZed the Iegltl,
mate interests of Florida, and wasted
MANY thousands of dollars which are
now being saved for legitimate invest
nents.
4.Iundreds of Westinghouse ne
qIscted TO investigate before they in
vested in a Florida subdivision pro
NOTED bv a local company. with the
result that many are complaining 10
day to the Better Business bureau
that the promised resaleS nave not
materialiZed, that the beautiful PIC
lures painted by the high-pressure
lecturers have lost their color.
Mo-. do Snx
bureau found this subdivision 10 ne
about four miles from d little town In
central Florida. The property was
purchased by the company Tor pe-
tween SIS and 800 an acre. Lots
were sold for as much as $500 10
l. date. ths sSoFnised improvements on
the land have not been placed
Thousands Saved During Year.
.These are just a few of the numer-
Gus companies which have come un-
der bureau SurveNance ana winch
have been the subject Of injuries.
To-day the bureau office has inforina-
ton and files on over 5000 oniefeht
ventures. The questionable issues
r.arI from fox farming schemes, won
derful machines that ride IN water
on land or in the air: inventions 1or
getting gold out of rivers; fuoDer
plantations, mining prospects, motioll
nicture frauds. bucket shops, SWIM
ming pool schemes and many DINERS
that try the imagination.
..Nashington is not free from the
financial parasite That Utopia is
never to be expected. Substantial
. and tangible progress has been made,
! however. with the result that hun
dreds of thousands of dollars have
been saved That money, it is rea-
sonable to expect, has found its way
toto LEGITIMATE investment that has