Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-02
TRADE PRACTICES
WATCHED CLOSELY
Industry Showing Good Spirit
of Cooperation in New
Conferences.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
NEW YORK, August 2. (N.A.NAD.-
The growth of the trade practice con-
ference IN industry is an outstand
ing sign of the times.
Instead of waiting to see whether
they have violated the Sherman act
various industries now meet with men,
bers of the Federal Trade Commission
to discuss alleged unfair practices.
Two such conferences were held re-
cently-the cut stone industry. at Chi
cago, and the grinders and packers OF
the spice industry, in New York. Each
was under the auspices OF the FEDERAL
Trade Commission, assisted by one Oh
the commissioners.
There is nothing the Federal TRADE
Commission can do that will be OF more
benefit to the people of the country
than to hold trade practice confer
ences." said Commissioner Marsh at
the New York conference.
Under old methods firm had TO go
ahead blindly. It never knew but that
any moment the Federal Trade Com
mission might take it to task for Violat-
ing some law of which it was unaware
applied to its case.
big Stick" Denied.
The changed trend is further re-
iected in Commissioner Marsh's re-
marks:
The commission does not intend TO
hold the big stick over any industry
On the other hand We want TO en-
courage every line of honest business,
TO make business bigger and better and
oli,D iichnnPCt nractlcPS IN
trade" /,
The conference of the cut stone in
dustry adopted resolutions condemning
such practices as breach OF contract.
secret rebates, price discrimination ana
selling below cost.
The New York conference drew up
resolutions condemning "slack-hlling as
the greatest evil in the trade. Dennlte
specifications regarding weight, con-
tainer, contents and methods OF packing
spice and pepper were set 1orth.
These two practice conferences are
merely examples of this great forward
movement in industry.
Quite a contrast to the old cut-throat,
devil-take- the -hindmost attitude OF
years ago!
Planes Getting Safer.
You pick up your paper and read OF
another airplane accident. what IS an
ajrplane built for-to smash up?" in
quires a friend of mine who has never
been up. AS a matter of fact very
small per cent of the total mileage has
ever come TO grief. It's getting safer
every month to travel by air.
Herbert Brucker, New York writer.
said recently that of 1872 accidents IN
civilian flying in the United states Tor
1923. only a small portion happened to
licensed crafts in properly controlled
flying"
For the last six months of 1928 Sched-
uled flying in regular planes showed only
7 per cent of the total number OF deaths
and injuries.
Compare that record with the grade
crossing accidents alone last year, TAX
ing 2568 lives and injuring 6,667 per-
sons.
1t is Mr.. Brucker's contention that al
together too much emphasis has been
placed upon casualties in the airplane
field because it's new and
pioneer industry and commands news
value lacking in other modes of trans
portatlon.
Yes. the youngest of the big indus
tries, but already the safest" answers
the plane manufacturer.
Britain on the Sea.
Great Britain is intrenched firmly in
first place in merchant marine, and is
moving ahead of all the rest rapidly in
its development and expansion.
The construction of merchant vessels
throughout the world by all nations
during the second quarter of this year
aggregated 2838.225 tons as against
2,8378l2 tons for the first quarter of
the year
The United States is poor seventh
in the picture
Great Britain is first with 453,0Oo
tons, then Germany with 272,000, Japan
third with 179 900, little Holland fourth
with $4,000, France fifth with 10000
Russia sixth with $4,000 and then the
! United States with $4,000.
While this does not show up in Amer
lean tonnage, the American increase in
tonnage for the second period was
greater than at any time during the last
two years.
Putting this in a different form,
Great Britain and Ireland have under
construction more tonnage than all the
rest of the world combined, 5l.2 per
cent, while the United States has only
40 per cent.
Russia's showing comes from the fact
that she is now building tankers. largely
for the carrying of her oil into Euro
pean centers. and the Russian oil situa-
ton is one that may expand into gi-
gantic business in the next few years.
Vending Machine Exports.
The United States is by no means
the only country i'll which coin-operateo
machines are increasing in popularity
The first vending machines were in
troduced into the United States from
! England in 1888 by an American gum
manufacturer to distribute his products
/ 1t has been only in comparatively re-
cent years. too. that the industry has
progressed from the small machines