Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-06-03
Management, Labor
Attack Grade Labe|ine
special to THE DETROIT TIMES

away with private advertising OF private
brands denying the consumer the opportunity
to pick his favorite kind. That would leave
to the government the promotion of sales Of
standardized grades, according 10 DR.. Gal
braiths volume, which says:
THE machinery for consumer publicity
could start gradually with extension of
present government work grades and
standards Progress has already been
made In the bureau of standards and In the
department OF agriculture, but enlargement Of
these services would be highly desirable
Rep. Charhs A. Halleck, Indiana Republi-
can, sponsor of the present committee investi-
CATION, said:
administrator Brown must decide II =
man with DIR. Galbrath's beliefs should be In
position in which he can attempt TO give his
beliefs the force of DEGREES.
GIT is becoming increasingly apparent that
DIR. Galbraiths attack is not only against
business-it is an attack on the press through
elimination of advertising and. beyond that,
an attack on the very freedom Of America"
DR.. Galbrath's book was introduced TO the
committee by witness Lew Hahn, general
manager of the National Retail Dry Goods
Association, who had this to say about il
'Dr. GaIbrath laboriously explains that II
Is the differentiation In the products Of manu-
facturers which gives such producers price
jurisdiction. DR.. Galbraith also claims that
by adopting brand for his products and
making the consumer think that IL Is different
from the product of other makers, he in
creases this price jurisdiction.
when a man who thinks in this wise n
given the authority to dictate the policies Of
great, powerful agency like OPA, what could
mine to stamp out those brands and reduce
all hosiery Ia one standardized Grade 4 so
that no consumer could possibly believe that
the product of one maker was different from
that Of another
THE philosophers Of the Galbraith group
are totalitarian.
They consider the American people ~
1870 900, 900 robots who must he told from day
to day what to do. what to buy-and must he
told what they like.
lT KNOW some college presidents. They
i are good business men. And arm sure
that these assistant professors Of economies
who have entered the OPA would never IA
given chance to run a great university. Yet
they are allowed To come here and run whole
nation,'
Hahn charged that the OPA had refused
10 listen 10 practical suggestions from the
nations retailers.
ITO what can OPAs failures he attrih-
uted." he said 10 the committee and answered
his own question. They have been due pri-
mary TO the recruiting under the OPA Of
every disgruntled crackpot, every theoretical
refOrmer and every half-baked young law stu
dent who could be enlisted in that service
"All this might have been avoided II some
where near the top Of OPA there had been a
real conviction that the men Of business are
a. capable of patriotic devotion a. any young
lawyers and assistant professors who have
been set over them.
Opposition did not develop against the
OPA until il became apparent that In OPA
were powerful interests who were not so much
bent on preventing imitation a. they were on
compelling far-reaching changes in the Ameri-
can business system.
1.-THE OPA hosiery Standardization regula-
ton has made il clear that retailers can con-
form to OPA DEGREES only II they are willing
to have the American distribution system
socialized.
THE little group Of serious thinkers in
OPA are sacrificing small business in their
fight to control the nations economy.
sSNI even the need of conducting great
Y war is sufficient excuse for the scrap
ping of the proper democratic process.
Retailers themselves have been the
strongest factor in fighting price rises and
imitation"
Another witness before the committee, A.
+. Stevens vice president Of the Frosted
Foods Sales Corp. had this TO say
1T Is not the function of the label a. the
OPA seems to think, Ia control the require
ments or to standardize the taste of Ameri-
cans.
ut Is. however the function Of the label
TO facilitate a free selection Of goods TO insure
to the buyer that his taste and requirements
will he satisfied.
THE OPA would leave practically all
qualities of attractiyeness. taste and whole.
someness out of its grade labelling. Standard
ization would make IL impossible for every