Evening star., 1934-03-18
N. r. A. Concerned as
To Quality Standards
BIZ HARDEN COLFAx.

Increasing insistence on the neces.
sity for the acceptance and enforce
ment OF quality standards for retail
commodities, so that the consumer
can get the honest worth of his
money, has become one of the driving
detectives of the N. r. A. campaign.
At the experience meeting" Of the
recovery administration held in Wash
ington representatives of various
consumer organizations stressed the
necessity for standards of quality to
be worked out, where they do not
already exist, largely through Gov
ernment and private expert agencies.
These standards, 1t was insisted. must
be applied to products which are
labeled for public sale and which aid
the purchaser In making selections on
the basis Of quality-st "a fair price"
For some years now O widening
range Of commodities coming under
the provisions of the pure food and
drug act, administered largely through
the Department Of Agriculture, have
carried labels which have given the
consumer a growing confidence.
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At the preliminary code hearings,
1t was declared by representatives Of
the Consumers Advisory Board, "in-
dustry has paid very little attention"
to standards. They have been AL
most entirely ignored in code formu-
lation." In the first 220 codes, the
boards representatives asserted. cov-
ering the most important American
industries" only about 10 contain
clauses having anything whatsoever
to do with standards, grading and
labelling" and. moreover, most Of
these clauses are absolutely woth-
less" from the point Of view Of con-
sumer interests.
In the main the codes have been
written by and for sellers, whereas
standards are generally drafted by
buyers AS q result of the rush Of
code writing, many Of the well-known
rules used in the establishment Of
standards by industry itself, as shown
in the work of the American
Standards Association, have been ig-
nored. Industry itself, 1t was pointed
out at the Washington meeting. al
WAYS buys on the basis of specifica-
tions. So do the Federal Govern
ment and the better managed State
and municipal administrations.
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The consumer now has at his COM
mand q substantial amount Of evi-
dence collected by the National Bu-
reau Of Standards, the Federal Trade
Commission. the Consumers Research
Organization and the American Medf-
cal Association which shows that, left
to itself, private enterprise will not
protect the purchasing public. The
Consumers Advisory Board apparently
is becoming increasingly concerned
over this question.
Women, as the chief purchasers c.
retail goods, should know the many
factors that enter into quality and
price standards. As many Of these
consumers already know. 1t was
brought out at the hearings, manu-
factlrers are constantly being tempted
to disguise price increases by de-
manding the same prices for goods
WHOSE QuA1lty 8UdllQHlu 10 ldVO OCCA1
lowered. Women are reminded by the
Consumers Advisory Board that
competition for sale on q rising
market tends to put q premium on
this shoddy practice"
Just how quality standards could be
used by the same purchaser In re-
tail shop Is being demontrated in q
number of tests made by private
agencies. One of these surveys classi-
fes and interprets the replies from
more than 1000 consumers In 80
Eastern States. The analysis shows
that a majority Of these consumers
would buy by standard If Federal
Government standards were available
but would favor advertiser brands
within the quality grade.
More than 20 per cent Of those re.
plying to the questionnaire indicated
they would be inclined to be g,nded