The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-04-03
SOUND ADVICE
ABOUT BUYING
nj A G. A Yin E S
By MRS. BINA G. ROBERTS,
Hyde Co. Welfare Supt.

One day recently, like a swarm
Of locusts, one legged and one
armed solicitors descended on Hyde
County, and like that "pestiferous'
insect, their business was picking
clean every one who fell for their
line. By using their physical hand
leaps to play on human sympathy
these men are exploiting the pub
lie and violating the law as it is
contrary to the statutes to use the
personal type of approach. The So
icitor who asks You to subscribe
for magazine SO he can win a
scholarship or pay his way IN
school, as well as the one who
plays US his infirmity, is trans
crossing the law. When you sub
scribe for the magazine-or what
not-he pretends to be selling, you
risk the loss of your money as
well as aiding him in his trans
gression. More and more this type
Of person is plying his trade in is
olated sections such as this. The
reason is obvious.
Last week, | saw such a one leg
ged salesman in Engelhard. | stop
ped and talked with him. When l
asked him what he was doing, he
sold me he was selling magazines
to buy an artificial leg" | explain
ed vocational rehabilitation and
asked why he didn't get limb
through that source. He told me he
nad tried and had never been able
to get anything done. l asked him
where he was from and he said
Rocky Mount and gave his name as
Howard Harris. | asked to see his
license to solicit and explained the
North Carolina law. He said he
didn't have a license but his man.
ager did. He gave his managers
name as Bob Fortner. Mr.. Fortner
and his car load of solicitors were
representing Union Circulation
Company, Inc, 5 Columbia Circle,
New York. Mr.. Harris claimed that
they had license to solicit any
where in the United States.
Because of the violation on a per-
sonal appeal basis and because Mr..
Harris could not show North
Carolina license to solicit, l, on my
return to the office, wrote the State
Department of Welfare (from
which license for soliciting are Sc
cured) concerning the incident. Ex-
corps from the answer to that let
ter are quoted below:
"The Union Circulation Company
ras long and unsavory record of
unethical practices, and violation
of laws in North Carolina. During
recent years this company has been
lined several thousand dollars by
the National Association of Maya
zine Publishers for such practices.
The fact that they continue to use
tfem in violation of law and the
standards of the National Associ-
alton seems to indicate that their
pity appeals" pay off pretty well.
AS soon as possible after receiv-
ire your letter and checking our
records, we wired the secretary of
the National Association of Maya
azine Publishers informing him of
the operation of Manager Bob
Fortner and the five crippled sales
men in eastern counties. Apparent
ly this company in recent years
has found it advisable to operate
chiefly in rural counties because of
tire fact that there are fewer law
enforcement officials to arrest
them and curb such practices as
you indicate in the last paragraph
Of your letter.
We also have cleared with the
Division of Vocational Rehabilita-
ton of the State Department OF
Public instruction the name OF
Howard Harris, who claimed to you
that his address was Rocky Mount
and that he had never been able
to get anything done BY Vocation
al Rehabilitation. We are inform.
ed by the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation that they have nc
record of this man, and we think
it quite possible that he gave botf
fictitious address and is probab'
ly the resident of another state"
Again let me ask you to beware
of any magazine salesman or GROUP
who attempts to make sale OF
obtain subscription for any Other
reason than the merits of the mag
azine.