Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
COLLAR BUSINESS
SHOWS BIG GROWTH
Development Has Been Rapid
Since Inception in 1927.
Troy Is Center.
BY JOHN. F. SINCLAIR.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November 23-Every
business has had its own peculiar start
Take the collar industry, now in
cluded among those of big business
In 1927 Mrs. Hannah Montague, Troy
ruined collars attached to his shirts
She noticed that the shirts did moi
need laundering as often, as the collars
Soc she cut the collars of all his
shirts, attached tape to either end and
hemmed the edges Likewise she hem
med the edges of the shirt band. and
then, full Of thrift, she made extra col
three with one shirt. He was de-
lighted.
The first detached collar had beer
produced, and without Mrs. Montague
knowing it she had uShered in q big
industry. The first laundry in the world
was established in Troy eight years later
and now Troy" laundries are found In
nearly every city in the United States
Troy maintains its leadership in the
collar industry. Cluett, Peabody a. Co.,
with 5000 employees and an annual buSi-
meas of $4,000, 900, is located there.
This company, founded by Alfred
Cluett and his brothers, George and
Robert, Immediately after the Civil
War, wrote all letters to statesmen and
customers in long hand. This custom
still prevails In many European corpo-
rations. 80
81 believe prosperity is largely men,
tai" said c. r. Palmer, Iowa farm boy,
who has just been made president of
Cluett. Peabody & Co. mo one can ex-
pect to get ahead thinking about 1t,
however. I never saw a firm prosper
that way. And don't care whether the
goods are Of superior or poor quail
ty. Given a high quality of goods and
driving sales organization, backed by
proper advertising, and there's some
thing wrong with any f1rm that can
not make good"
This is the Palmer way Of stating the
case You can guess that he was for
merly general sales manager.
Representative Tinkham, Massa-
chusetts, wants Congress to give the
Federal Trade Commission supervisory
powers over all contemplated mergers
and consultations in the industrial and
banking fields.
Mr.. Tinkham would provide for the
Federal licensing of all corporations in
interstate commerce. The certincate
given a corporation would constitute
complete defense against any prosecu.
ton or proceeding under the antitrust
laws. unless it had been revoked.
Here is where the Federal Trade
Commission would come in. Before any
revocation order was entered the COM
mission would have TO determine wheth-
er the Sherman ANTITRUST laws had
been violated.
Such suggestions to deal with new
era of mergers have been made before.
The Sherman ANTITRUST legislation was
placed on the statute books in 1890
nearly 40 years ago. 1t aimed TO pro-
hibit monopolies and all restraints OF
trade. The Department Of Justice has
no authority to change or tighten the
provisions in any way. 1t must en-
force them.
The .Tinkham bill would give the
Federal Trade Commission, now q gov
ernmental agency, power to ascertain
all facts in connection with every mer-
ger and to decide whether 1t was in
the interest of public policy.
Eventually some legislation viii be
enacted to meet the new conditions,
For today one corporation. merging
with another. does not know whether
on the following day it may not be In
dicted for breach of the antitrust laws.
copyright, 1919. by North American News
paper Alliance.l