Evening star., 1938-10-02
Correspondence Schools
Flourish in WASHINGTON
Three Agencies Protect Students
From Sharpers Who Wish to
Profit From Home Study.

q Job is held out before them with
rainbow promises.
And right herein the role Of
watchdog on the sharpers-is where
Washington, d. c.. enters the picture,
with not one, but three nets, 50 to
say, ready to enmesh the individual
or firm that does not follow recos-
nized ethics in the home study field.
THE first and perhaps the most
important one Of these controls
is the Federal Trade Commission.
From the legal standpoint, when q
correspondence school sells its course
to an individual not residing In the
same State As the home ONCE Of the
school. it has automatically entered
the arena Of interstate commerce and
its activities are subject to regulation
and scrutiny Of the Federal Trade
Commission.
A short time ago the Federal Trade
Commission published q List Of trade.
practice rules to govern fair COM
petitive conditions" In the private
home-study industry. Group one Of
these regulations embraced rs rules.
such as prohibiting deceptive and false
statements or advertising, mbrepre-
senting opportunities, Issuing diplomas
or degrees misrepresenting the course
OF study, employment of help wanted"
or blind" Advertisements to get Ia
touch with prospective students, or
utilizing pictures OF Uncle Sam, the
Federal buildings. etc, to create the
impression that an oflicial connection
exist-all such practices are banned,
Group two deals with lesser sins.
Any person, or group acting in his
behalf, who feels . correspondence
course by means Of . sunrise opti.
mism sales Psychology, including fam
boyant advertising, has fleeced him,
may hle complaint with the Federal
Trade Commission, which thereupon
institutes finding Of the facts" ana
conclusion, and may put the arm
out Of business If the findings sub
stantiate the complaint. A large mum.
Der Of dy-by-night correspondence
"nrms' has been put on ice this way
by the Federal Trade Commission.
ESS cumbersome, and perhaps
more lethal in its immediate ef-
fects. Is the second dragnet for catch.
ing the slick gentlemen in the home
study industry. It consists Of invok.
ing the fraud order and finding Of fact
process through the ofice OF the solici-
tor Of the Post Once Department.
Offenders laid low by this method
are guilty Of violating the United
States Code. Any one who Is "en-
gagged in conducting scheme or de-
vice for obtaining money through the
mails by means Of false and frAudu-
lent pretenses, representations and
promises" has all mail matter and
letters addressed to him returned to
original sender with the notice fraud
ulent." Payment Of postal money Or
ders to such blacklisted individuals
or firms IS forbidden.
An actual case in which the Post
ONCE Department took action under
these provisions was against . firm
with resonant sounding name with
headquarters in leading Pennsyl-
vania metropolis. This outfit had
lured more than 900 students to
sign up for . course" which was
purportedly to fit them for q '.reven.
ue inspector" in the Internal Revenue
Bureau. The course sold for 373.26
and in q period Of less than . year
not . single student" had obtained
q Government job. Furthermore, no
positions Of revenue inspector" (or
similar nature) were then available
in the Internal Revenue, nor was
there any prospect at the time Of
any examinations by the Civil Service
Commission for positions in this cate.
CORY.
There is, however, the SUMMER, and
more typical, side Of the correspond.
ence-school industry, which deals with
the majority Of the Arms that have
something real to offer and operate
legitimately. Here lies the third
method of purging the ranks Of the
home-study industry Of "undesirables"
that Of self-policeing and maintain
ing high standards. The National
Home Study Council, with permanent
headquarters in Washington, has
been organized since 1926 with the
purpose Of promoting Of sound edu-
cational standards and ethical bust.
ness practices within the home study
field"
HIGH standards for membership
are required by the council, and
out Of about 400 private home-study
concerns In America. only some 12S
per cent Cor 80 In number) have quail.
ned for membership. The other $50
schools, while they operate legally,
DO not reach the standards imposed
By the council.