Evening star., 1936-03-05
MERCHANTS ASK
PRESIDENTS AID
OF LITTLE MAN"
Fight for Legislation to
Curb Chain Stores
by 20 Groups.
MEMORIAL RECALLS
PLATFORM PLEDGE
Real Threat Of Monopoly Held
to Exist Because of Failure
to Revise Laws.
President Roosevelt today was asked

to aid the little man" in business.
Carrying on their fight in behalf OF
legislation to curb certain chain-store
practices, representatives OF score of
independent organizations in as many
lines of trade today called at the
White House to ask for support.
Quoting the Democratic platform Of
1882, which advocated strengthening
an impartial enforcement of the anti
trust laws and q promise to prevent
monopoly and unfair trade practices
and to revise the statutes for the bet
ter protection Of labor and the small
producer and distributor, the delega-
tion presented memorial to the
President. which said:
"On this third anniversary of the
Inauguration Of the present admins
tration, there remains untitled the
pledge to strengthen and revise the
antitrust laws for better protection of
the small distributor and producer.
There are no equal rights to ALL
There are special privileges to few at
the expense of many. There is a real
threat of monopoly.
Only Equal Rights Asked.
1.-THE little man in business, the
small merchant and manufacturer
here in conference asks only equal
rights to all. He asks no special privi-
lege-he wants no special privilege.
He asks an opportunity to compete
on an equal basis with all his COM
petitors, both large and small
The delegation conferred at some
length with the President. and while
nothing that transpired was given out
for publication, spokesman said the
conference was satisfactory.
The independents gathered here yes
terday about 5000 strong, and intend
to get in touch with many members Of
the Senate and House in behalf OF the
legislation they seek.
The delegation today was headed
by ]. A. o. Preus, former Governor Of
Minnesota, who is counsel for the Ma
tional Association of Retail Druggists.
Others represented at today's confer
ence were the National Association of
Retail Grocers. the National Associa-
ton of Independent Tire Dealers, the
United States Wholesale Grocers' AS
sociation and the National Food
Brokers Association.
Representatives Here.
Members of the delegation said that
the conference had attracted repre-
sentatives of the TO-, IS and 20 groups.
The memorial presented to the
President said that the 1882 platform
promised aid to agriculture, labor and
to the veteran, and that much has
been done toward carrying out these
pledges.
Now, it was added. the other interests
for whom the platform spoke. under
its declaration of equal rights to all,
special privileges to none." are now
seeking their day.
The delegation asked particular sup
port for the Robinson and Patman
bills, emphasizing that no appropria-
ton would be involced inasmuch as
the Federal Trade Commission and the
Department of Justice with existing
personnel can make the proposed
legislation effective.
Meanwhile, the chains themselves
have not been idle, and a statement
today struck out at three of the more
than 20 bills aimed at them, asserting
living costs would be raised hundreds
of millions of dollars.
Taking up the Robinson, Patman
and Utterback bills, the statement
said:
Widespread Affect Seen.
IF the principles proposed in these
bills are enacted into law. practically
every business in the United States
will be affected. Such law would
affect the sale of coal in Kentucky "a
low-cost brand of, watches in New
York. electrical appliances in Illinois,
blankets in North Carolina, shoes in
Massachusetts,, oil in California and
food products from one end of the
country to another. To large ex-
tent, it would substitute the arbitrary
control of a Federal bureau or the
infiexible provisions of the law itself,
for the discretion and judgment which
heretofore have been exercised by
business men in the conduct of their
own affairs"