Evening star., 1933-11-12
MERCHANTS PLAN
RETAIL CODE GROUP
Policing and Enforcing Of
Business Practices to Be
Among Its Duties.

| Formation of a Washington Retail
Trade Council, to include representation
of all groups affected by the retail code
OF the N. r. A, is now being fostered
by the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association and the Washington Better
Business Bureau.
The new organization, which prob
ably will be headed by a representative
retail business man, will consist of be-
tween Is and 20 members, it is under
stood. Conferences have been held be-
tween representatives of both the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
and the Better Business Bureau, and
further meetings will be held this week
The council would serve as the local
| affiliate of the National Retail Trade
Council, representative body from the
retail trade in the administration of
the N. r. A. retail code, and set up at
the instance Of the N. r. A.
win Adjust Complaints.
The general functions of such local
councils, it is understood, include re-
ceiving and attempting to adjust COM
| plants, excepting labor complaints; I;
serving as an information center in ex-
planning the retail code and, in general
acting as representative body from
Wiz u ooS WAtAAAAA bAAC 1OCdA d0l1lk III cas-.
AS soon as organization plans have
been completed, the council will be re-
| quired to submit certain designated
data, including proof of its representa-
tive character, to the National Retail
Trade Council, which in turn will rec
ommend to the administrator of the
N. r. A. the approval of the local COM
mittee. A certificate authorizing the
council to commence operations will
then be issued.
The functions of the Washington
council will include the policing and
enforcing Of provisions of the code, in
cluding fair trade practices and truth
! in advertising" which duties largely
| will fall to the Better Business Bureau
group. The Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association will devote itself to
lnterpretative problems and other
features.
Won't Discuss Wages.
It is emphasized that the council will
not attempt to deal with matters of
wages and hours of work, such problems
now being dealt with by the District
Compliance Board. They will be re-
ferred to this board by the council
Included In the membership of the
council will be department stores shoe
stores, furniture establishments, limit
ed price variety stores (including and
10 cent stores), music stores, hard
ware stores and wearing apparel retail
ers. AL seven national associations
who sponsored the retail code will be
represented.
In the trade practice section of the
code, the Better Business Bureau Is
given a weapon to compel retailers
to adhere to truth in advertising and
under the council the bureau expects to
blot out Misrepresentation of merchan-
disc, and other inaccuracies, designed
to mislead customers. 1t has been ef-
fectively engaged in this work since its
organization, points out Louis Roth
schild, director, but its service viii be
expanded under the code.
Participating in the conference look
ing toward the establishment of the
Washington Retail Trade Council have
been James E. Collihower, president,
and Edward d. Shaw, secretary of the
Merchants and Manufacturers Associ-
alton: Francis G Addison, jr, chairman
Of the board Of the Better Business
Bureau, and Mr.. Rothschild