Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-04-10
WHAT is THE BETTER
BUSINESS BUREAU?


Frequently am asked" said Henri
Parmelee, manager, Better Business
Bureau of Spokane Just what is
the Better Business Bureau and what
does it do to make business better 7"
| am always glad to have an oppor-
tunity to answer this question be-
cause so little is understood about
what the Better Business Bureau is
and does and because the more the
public knows about the work this or
ganization is doing, the more oppor-
tunity we will have to be of service
to the public.
The Better Business Bureau is an
organization Of business men formed
for the purpose of improving their
methods Of doing business and Of re-
moving from-husiness, practices that
are detrimental to good business.
While the purpose of the organization
is ITO make their own businesses bet
ter, at the same time the public is
the gamer when business practices
are corrected and improved.
In the past certain practices grew
up in business which had a tendency
to destroy the public's confidence in
business in general Progressive bust
ness men realized this and sought
remedy. They found this remedy
in the organization of Vigilance Conn
mittees which had for their purpose,
checking up false and misleading
statements in advertising. As the
work of the Vigilance Committee en-
larged, the Better Business Bureau
movement was born.
The checking up and correcting Of
misleading and false advertising con-
tinues to be the major work Of the
Better Business Bureau and in re-
cent years better results have been
accomplished through working out
standards of practice for the various
lines of business, such as furniture,
furs, radio, automobile tires, jewelry,
women's wear, etc.
In establishing standards of prac-
tice for the fur industry a very I'M
satisfactory condition, from the
standpoint of the public as well as of
the fur industry, was corrected. Ger
tain trade names have become estab-
lished by which furs of lesser value
masquerade under names that would
give the impression they were of
more valuable materials. The unin-
formed buyer of fur garment
might easily be misled unless the fur
dealer were frank in telling her what
the fur really was. For instance, a
large number of these fur trade
names such as Bay Seal, Northern
Seal, Sealine, etc, are really rabbit
fur dyed and processed TO look like
sealskin. While there is no intention
to reflect discredit upon rabbit fur,
the buyer Of a fur garment has a
right to know if fur is rabbit or
seal or imitation Of seal, when max
ing purchase.
Under the standards Of practice
adopted by the fur dealers and manu-
facturers, whenever you see a trade
name such as Bay Seal, Northern
Seal, etc. you will observe the words
"Seal-processed rabbit" or "seal-
dyed rabbit" either in parenthesis
following the trade name or promi-
nently mentioned in the body of the
text Of the advertisement. This tells
you that that fur garment is rabbit !
fur and you buy the garment knowing
exactly what you are getting.
The Better Business Bureaus con-
duct financial departments as we'll as
merchandise departments and main
tain extensive files Of information on
a vast number Of financial promo
tions. This information is available |
to the public without cost.