Evening star., 1941-07-20
Enactment of Wool
Labelling Law
BIZ Frederic J. HdSkin.


law which requires that all wool PROD
ucts be properly labeled as to their
true fiber content, is not an isolated
bit of legislation passed on the spur OF
the moment. On the contrary, it is part
of movement that had its inception
many years ago, and now Will vitality
affect all consumers and most businesses
throughout the Nation Briefly, it is part
of a changing philosophy Of the rela-
tionship between buyer and seller, and
as such it is of interest and Importance
to every one.
In olden days the buyer dealt with the
seller at his peril. Haggling and bar
gaining were part of every purchase and
the Devil habitually took the hindmost.
The seller was often some itinerant
trader who was here today and, fortu-
nately for himself gone tomorrow. While
this unfettered state of affairs may have
served its purpose then, its value now
has been relegated to a mere source Of
amusing stories about Yankee horse
trading.
In the complexities of modern life,
businesses have become firmly rooted,
and consumers are confronted with a
bewildering array of articles, good, bad
and indifferent. The former, to survive,
| must build and guard an enduring repu-
tation for honesty and fair play, and
the latter no longer have the time nor
| the knowledge to protect their interests
| without help. So a new order, embrace
| ing a definite responsibility on the part
| of manufacturer and seller toward the
ultimate purchaser, has come into being.
Many factors have contributed, indi-
| vidual businessmen of vision and un-
| derstanding have co-operated, certain
| legislative action has helped, but back of
| it all, giving strength and direction to
the movement, has been a constantly
| growing consumer demand.
| One of the first great landmarks in the
| proper protection of the buying public
was the passage of the original Pure
Food and Drugs Act in 1906. This law
! was enacted over the protests Of the food
and drug purVeyors, who insisted that i
would ruin their business. Time h..
shown the fallacy Of these OblectlOnS
Today no housewife would give up the
right to know the true contents Of the
bottles on the shelf, whether they b.
patent medicine or ketchup, and no
legitimate manufacturer or dealer voice
a desire to do away with this law. The
have grown and prospered under its re-
gime.
There is very close analogy between
the wool-labeling law and the law gov
erning the sale of food and drugs, both
in the intent of the legislation and IL
the futility Of the objections brought
forth by various manufacturers prior to
passage. AS far as needed protection for
the public is concerned, they are both
integral parts of sweeping trend.
Agitation for a Federal law that
would compel truthful disclosure in the
marketing Of wool products is not new
AT intervals for approximately 35 years
bills were introduced in Congress, had
their hearings. and then vanished. These
bills differed in scope and definition per-
hapS, but were similar in primary pur-
pose. They were sponsored by a few
individual consumer groups, and by a
small number of forwsrd-looking manu-
facturers, but chiefly they were be-
fnended by the wool growers associa-
tions. They were opposed then as al
ways by those mills whose business de-
| pended on the undisclosed use of adul-
terants. These bills failed of passage.
partly because of the pseudo technical
arguments of the objectors. but more i'm
portantly because the proponents were
unorganlzed and, in certain respects.
poorly informed. The consumer move
ment was growing. but it still was not
large enough
1he admlXture of cotton in part-Wool
1aorlcS Is no new story In more recent
years however the use of ravon with
wool has progressively increased. But
important as these two substitute flbers
may be in their deleterious effects on
the fabrics of which they form a part.
the most subtle deception is reserved
for the use of reclaimed wool in place
Of virgin wool.
Virgin wool is new wool never pre-
vlouSly manufactured or worn. As
consequence, the individual wool f1bers
are relatively long, unbroken. resilient
and hfelike. These characteristics are
| -AAPO4 0oiiO OCCouSe lIleN give Ine 1dbrlc
beauty, uneXcelled tailoring qualities
and. most vital of all. long variability.
Because the fiberS are undamaged thev
retain their natural thermal qualities,
and afford the protection against ex-
tremes III temperature which virgin wool
| alone can give
Reclaimed wool is wool that has pre-
VlouSly been manufactured, and in soma
cases previously worn Before being re-
| spun and rewoven, it must be ground
INTO flbrous mass. This tearing process
inevitably damages the f1bers and makes
them relatively shorter, weaker, less
resilient and less lifehke As a direct
| consequence, fabrics containing re-
claimed wool have poorer tailoring quail
ties, hold line and pressing less readily
and afford less variability than COM
parable fabrics made of virgin wool,
| Because reclaimed wool fibers have been
damaged, their natural thermal qualities
are impaired, and clothing made from
such wool provides less protection to the
wearer. These important differences
affect the purchasers health, satisfac-
ton and pocketbook.
The General Federation of Women's
| Clubs, the United Textile Workers of
America, the America Federation of
| Women's AuXiliarieS of Labor, the Union
| Label Trades Department of the Amer