The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-18
GALLANT FIGHT
FOR CONSUMER
NEARING FINISH
Aims Are Lauded Despite
Small Benefits Gained
for Buyers.
BY RODNEY BUTCHER
Times Special Writer


WASHINGTON, July 1s.-That
unusually noble experiment in
which the New Deal undertook to
recognize the consumer-and even
give him a tiny voice here's Ian
gushing close to the point of death.
Consumers never did get organ
ized-as farmers, workers. and in
dustries have organized. Thus their
official representatives in NRA. AAA.
and NEG found themselves only a
group 81 brave generals with no
army TO support them when the
fighting grew hot.
That was a bit embarrassing, be-
cause every time the boys and girls
devoted to the consumer cause have
stuck their necks out, the tendency
of the rest Of the government. rein
forced by sneers from the lobbyists.
has been to regard them as a gen.
eral nuisance.
Never Did Get Going
The consumer advocates learned
in time that this was a government
for producers-farmers. wage earn
ers. manufacturers - although they
did get in some pretty good ticks.
Now the NRA Consumers Ad-
visory Board, which used to oppose
price fixing and production control
in NRA enthusiastically with
some success-has withered on the
vine with the rest of MIRA.
The consumer division of the Ma
tional Emergency Council, whose
chief Job was to foster some 200
county consumer councils over the
country-most of which never did
get going-and furnish them with
facts and advice, is officially dead
until further notice, if any
Mail from the several-score coun-
ellis. some Of which operated bril-
liantly in preventing gouges in milk,
coal, and other products in big cit
les, goes unanswered.
Rumsey Death Blow
There has been a movement to
make the NEG division a strong
unit, co-ordinating consumer pro-
lection activities. and give its chief
a chance to speak up for consumers
in major New Deal councils. This /
lost much of its strength when Mrs. |
Mary Rumsey died.
The NEG unit collapsed when an |
executive appropriation ran out. /
Atty. Gen. Homer CUMMINGS is said |
to be trying to decide whether it /
might be continued with NRA or I
NEG funds, but he doesn't seem to |
be working very hard at it.
All that is left is DR.. Calvin B.
Hoover. consumers counsel at AAA, |
and his staff. DR.. Hoover succeed |
ed DR.. Fred c. Howe after the AAA's |
purge" Of several vigorous consumer
defenders.
He's Voice of Conscience
Perhaps because OF the adverse
public reaction to the purge" and
DR.. Hoover's value as an adviser, |
AAA chiefs have taken him into !
their councils and listened to him |
respectfully.
Standing out almost like a sore |
thumb. DR.. Hoover, while stunning |
publicity has been the AAA's voice |
of conscience.
Thanks to DR.. Hoover. the AAA |
high command has pretty well &C |
cepted the principle that domestic |
consumption of foods mustn't be |
cut and that agriculture must con-
tinue to provide as much food per |
capita as we've been accustomed to |
eat.
Nevertheless, farmer groups and |
distributors have shown increasing
tendency to work together. In face
of such combinations, which seldom |
do the consumer any good. the AAA
usually has to bow.
Wage Gallant Battle
DR.. HOOver'S friends. who regard
him as one of the most honest and
conscientious officials here. doubt
if he will stay on the job much
longer. His departure might lead
AAA to junk this last remnant Of
the consumer experiment.
Whether or not the consumer
cause is rescued from its present
sad state. the economists and re-
search experts and others who have
labOred in the consumer agencies
will have left their marks.
Through all this bedlam of
struggle by special pleaders, in
which the din of those seeking spe-
cial privileges and advantages
whether for farmers. laborers. poll
ticianS. or corpOrations-is always
loudest, those crusaders for the in
tereSts of $4,000. 900 consumers have
put up as gallant and unselfish a
battle against odds as any waged
NNxr- nao1