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This industry is not advertising minded, for as far as known there
is but one, a high style house, who spends advertising money.
Therefore there was no trouble in this direction, except upon the
retail side, and over this the Code Authority could not exercise
control. Even here, however, realizing a bad effect if allowed to
continue, the Code Directors brought pressure to bear upon the of-
fending stores management and succeeded in checking it.

With respect to misrepresentation, however, there was occasionally
another stcrv. The Directors using co-"rective rather than punitive
measures brought about meetings between buyer and seller so that
such goods were withdrawn or properly described in their selling.

An amusing instance of misleading labeling, or marking with intent
to deceive, was discovered shortly before expiration. One bag item,
carrying a patent registration number tag, was noted in a retail
store. The Directorate,familiar as they were with their industry,
knew nothing new under the sun of a patentable nature, had been de-
veloped for man.v years. Note was made of the registration and on
an early visit to Washington, call was made at the Patent Office.
There, it was learned, the registration covered a patent issued some
fiftv years earlier. Of course a stop was put to use of the fradu-
lent label but for a period, the manufacturer had succeeded in keep-
ing ever- one else off his particular grass.

Our own files carry nothing covering such matters as this, but refer-
ence was had to the Code Authority files in New York as well as to
the Code Directors.

Section 2: "No member of the industry shall use selling methods or
credit terms which tend to deceive or mislead the customer or pros-
pective customers.

We do not find arny record of the operation of this provision, but
the writer knows that pressure from retail outlets particularly the
powerful bixving groups was always being exercised to force a change
in selling terms by changing the actual prices marked.

Section 3: "No member of the industry shall withhold from or insert
in any quotation or invoice any statement that makes it inaccurate
in any material particular."

Impossible to check.

Section 4: "No member of the industry shall brand or mark or pack
any goods in any manner which is intended to or does deceive or mis-
lead purchasers with respect to the brand, grade, quality, quantity,
origin, size, substance, character, nature, finish, material con-
tent or preparation of such goods."

One notable instance of violation of this provision was gleaned from
the Code Authority Directors.

A well known New York Department Store mislabeled and advertised a
line of bags stating they were of a certain high quality skin.
Failing to get satisfaction from either the manufacturer involved


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