Evening star., 1933-12-17
II. S. ALWAYS AT WAR
WITH NATIONS FAKERS
Federal Postal and Trade Authorities
Strive to Protect People
Against Frauds.
BY JOSEPH A. FOX.

- statistics, and his historic or
- n apocryphal-estimate on the
IL sucker" birth rate was way
out Of line.
The Post once Department and
Federal Trade Commission will affirm
100 per cent that the great Snowman
was guilty of understatement II and
when he said that there's a sucker
born every minute" and that Barnum,
or whoever else it was that added to
the original premise land two to take
'em" was only shooting in the dark.
Furthermore, they can prove it, with
as weird a collection of contraptions
and preparations as ever assembled
good for man or beast"-to say moth
ing of supporting literature advancing
claims that are bounded only by the
limitations of the English language.
This memorabilia is the fruit of un-
remitting warfare waged through the
years against the tricksterS and takers
who trade on the endless quest of the
human race for health and pulchri-
tude; q warfare that has been pro-
ductive of stiff prison sentences for
some, where fraudulent use of the
mails could be proven, and that has
in addition blocked many others out
of the ordinary channels of commerce
when they were lucky enough to di-
vorce themselves from the tinge Of
criminality.
In the past fiscal year the Post Office
Department obtained IA fraud convic-
tionS out of Is arrests, with resultant
sentences totaling IT years; in the
previous year, the same number OF con-
victionS brought sentences aggregatlng
so years. The past year also saw rs
fraud orders issued, under which the
use of the mails was barred to those
implicated.
Fake Cures"
Virtually all of these were the So
called medical cases" in which fake
''cures" were being offered a gullible
public.
In the same period the Trade Com
mission issued &c cease and deSiSt"
orders halting commercial miSrepre-
sentation under threat of punishment
for contempt of court for violation,
which also included medical cases.
Among them, in two instances, were
the ever-recurring ''radium treatment"
which came into notoriety some months
ago at the time of the death of the
unfortunate Eben Byers. the million
aire Pittsburgh golfer, whose condition
was disclosed by the commissions in
vestigation in this field
In many instances, the "cures" and
aids to health or beauty, are only
humorous-or would be if it we're not
tor the implicit confidence repoSed in
them by the users who so often are
1l-ahle to afford their price. In other
cases, they are downright vicious
The search for youth is the spot in
which the takers find their widest op-
portunity and conduct their most lucra-
tive operations, according to Postal In
spector D. F. Angler. who. obviously
enough, has been nicknamed DOC" by
mis- associates because of the vendetta
he long has carried on against these.
And financial returns that have ac-
crued to this class of promoter in a
number of outstanding instances are
past belief.
In a Midwestern metropolis about
'Our years ago the head Of one outfit.
whose associates were his wife and
other members of his family, was
vanked from. position of riches and
prominence to a number at Leaven-
worth through the medium of sales
Of pills guaranteed to work wonders in
almost any direction. These tablets
could be produced for 10 cents a thou
rand, and retailed at 50 for 48, but the
Judge had no faith in them, and the
manufacturer got two years and fine
Of $4,000. Needless to say, the prod
uct also was barred from the mails.
Hair Growth Guaranteed.
In another case the vendor of hat
hke device, which reputedly shot off
"infra-red rays" (coSt, delivered, SID,
fell afoul of his own expert witness
and the fine was $4,000.
The rays were portrayed as able to
grow hair, cure toothache, or what
have-you, particular emphasis being
laid on their great power of pene-
tration."
Government counsel was leading the
witness along through examination, and
casually asked:
"And these rays will penetrate down.
ward?"
''They will not" came the unex-
pected reply.
"But it's contended that they will
it's right here in black and white
holding up some advertising literature
for inspection.
WON'T the witness insisted.
That ended that.
In another cure-all case, the three
sponsors, who, II was estimated, had
cleaned up half-million dollars, got
off with fines totaling $500. and this
Q1Qn SO W6A Will pOSId4 a0CA1OA AIACS-
The prosecutor was little afraid, how
ever, as lack of funds had delayed
trial until some important witnesses
had died or dropped out Of sight, and
ne accepted a plea of guilty.
It is really the field of devices though
that shows ingenuity and gullibility at
its highest-or lowest-plane.
Height Increaser."
There's that old hardy perennial, the
"height increaser," composed of a COM
bination Of pulleyS, which bobS up every
now and then and is as promptly sup
pressed. In its time. it has fallen afoul
of both the Post Office Department and
the Trade Commission, and is respon-
sible for a humorous incident creeping
into these proceedings.
The small stature of one Of the sellers
s-he was only feet tall-caused the
natural question of investigators as to
why he had not taken advantage OF his