5 ISSUES AN ACTION - ERIC · · 2013-10-241976 Mrs. Helen B. Power, A.B., Litt.D., L.H.D., ... Troy Buffalo - Purchase New York Queens Brooklyn Rochester Glens Falls ... The reaction

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Mendenhall, James E.Consumer Issues and ActionOne of a Series inExpanded Programs of Consumer Education.New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau ofSecondary Curriculum Development.7259p.New York State ERIC Service, Room 468 EBA, StateEducation Dept., Albany, N. Y. 12224 (microficheonly; free to N. Y. State educators)

EDRS PRICE MF-S0.65 HC-$3.29DESCRIPTORS *Adult Students; *Consumer Education; Purchasing;

*Resource Materials; *Secondary Education; *TeachingGuides

ABSTRACTThis module, one in a series relating to consumer

education, is intended as a teaching guide. Topics covered by theguide are: What Should Consumers Know and Do in Order to Get TheirMoney's Worth?; What Should Consumers Know and Do about Advertising?;What Should Consumers Know and Do about Product Warranties?; WhatShould Consumers Know and Do about Product Safety?; What ShouldConsumers Know and Do about Labeling and Packaging?; What ShouldConsumers Know and Do about the Safety and Quality of Food?; WhatShould Consumers Know and Do about Consumer Frauds?; What ShouldConsumers Know and Do about Consumer-Producer Relationships?; WhatShould Consumers Know and Do about the Consumer Movement?. The guideis formatted in three colamns; Understandings; Suggested Pupil andTeacher Activities; and Sources. (DB)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,EDUCATION & WELFAREOFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO-DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG-INATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN-IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILYREPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU-CATION POSITION OR POLICY.

one of a series for expanded program

CONSUMER EDUCATION

5 ISSUES AN ACTION

The University of the State of New YorkTHE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTBureau of Secondary Curricuium DevelopmentAlbany, New York 122241972

CONSUMER ISSUES AND ACTION

-One of a Series in Expanded Programsof Consumer Education

PRINTED THROUGH THE USE OF ESEA TITLE I FUNDS

The University of the State of New York/The State Education Department

Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development/Albany 1972

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Regents of the University (with years when terms expire)

1984 Joseph W. McGovern, A.B., LL.B., L.H.D., LL.D., D.C.L.,Chancellor

1985 Everett J. Penny, B.C.S., D.C.S.,Vice Chancellor

1978 Alexander J. Allan, Jr., LL.D., Litt.D.

1973 Charles W. Millard, Jr., A.B., LL.D., L.H.D.

1972 Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr., A.B., M.B.A., D.C.S., H.H.D. -

1975 Edward M. M. Warburg, B.S., L.H.D.

1977 Joseph T. King, LL.B.

1974 Joseph C. Indelicato, M.D.

1976 Mrs. Helen B. Power, A.B., Litt.D., L.H.D., LL.D.

1979 Francis W. McGinley, B.S., LL.B., LL.D.

1980 Max J. Rubin, LL.B., L.H.D.

1986 Kenneth B. Clark, A.B., M.S., Ph.D., Litt.D.

1982 Stephen K. Bailey, A.B., B.A., M.A., Ph.D., LL.D.

1983 Harold E. Newcomb, B.A.

1981 Theodore M. Black, A.B., Litt.D.

New York

White Plains

Troy

Buffalo

- Purchase

New York

Queens

Brooklyn

Rochester

Glens Falls

New York

Hastings onHudson

Syracuse

Owego

Sands Point

President of the University and Commissioner of EducationEwald B. Nyquist

Execut-jve Deputy Commissioner of EducationGordon M. Ambach

Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Secondary, and Continuing EducationThomas D. Sheldon

Associate Commissioner for Instructional ServicesPhilip B. Langworthy

Assistant Commissioner for Instructional Services (General Education)Bernard F. Haake

Director, Division of School SupervisionGordon E. Van Hooft

Chief, Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development

r-

4.19;

FOREWORD

In 1967 the State Education Department published "Consumer EducationMaterials for an Elective Course." This material has since been introducedinto more than 400 of the New York State high schools. As a result of theinterest in Consumer Education in the State and Nation,the Department hasbegun the preparation of a series of modules Expanded Programs in Con-sumer Education. This module, Consumer Issues and Action, is one of thefirst to be produced. It i ,,xpected that other modules will be preparedin the fields of:

Special Problems of the PoorBeauty Products and the ConsumerThe Consumer and Transportation --Aside From

the AutomobileThe Consumer Looks at Automobile InsuranceThe Consumer and His Tax DollarEducation and the ConsumerThe Consumer and RecreationThe Consumer and His Health Dollar

Unlike the original syllabus, where 12 units covering various phasesof Consumer Education were bound together, the modules in Expanded Programsof Consumer Education are being prepared as separate publications to pro-vide greater flexibility. Each of the nine modules in the series may beused as a discrete unit, separate and apart from the other modules in the

series. On the other hand the nine modules may be presented as a semesteror part of a semester course, or presented in conjunction with the originalsyllabus which covers such areas as the purchase of food; shelter; appli-ances; automobiles; and a consideration of credit; money management; fraud,quackery, and deception; banking and savings; life and health insurance;security programs; and consumer law.

It is hoped that the presentation of the modules as sel Irate publica-

tions will tend toward flexibility in theliv '4- R'di-cuurse ,n

fields as social studies, business education, nome economics, industrial

arts, agriculture, and other areas of the curriculum.

The suggestions to the teacher found in "Consumer Education --Materialsfor an Elective Course," pages 1-4, apply equally to each of these moduLes.The reaction and suggestions of those using these materials in the fie1,6will be helpful to the Department in planning further materials for ConsumerEducation and in making necessary revisions of the material.

James E. Mendenhall, with a distinguished lifetime record in theconsumer field as a writer, teacher, educational director, and consumerrepresentative, developed and wrote the material. He currently holds theposition of assistant professor of home economics at Queens College of TheCity University of New York. Hillis K. Idleman, associate in secondarycurriculum development, prepared the module for publication.

Qor,n E. Van HooftDirector, Division ofSchool Supervision

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

What Consumers Should Know and Do About:

Getting Their Money's Worth 4

Advertising 6

Product Warranties 13

Product Safety 19

Labeling and Packaging 28

The Safety and Quality of Food 32

Consumer Frauds 45

Consumer-Producer Relationships 49

The Consumer Movement 50

Summary 54

Page

1

ID

INTRODUCTION

Consumer issues are as many, varied, complex, changing, and vital as

the lives of consumers themselves. A number of these issues are predominant,

pervasive, persistent. They, moreover, are highlighted by such overridingquestions as these: How much should consumers do for themselves? How

much should producers retailers, manufacturers, privately owned public

utilities, for example do for consumers? How much should governmentat local, state, and federal levels do for consumers?

In recent years, consumer rights have come sharply into forefront,

focus, and forcefulness. In the early 1960's, it will be recalled,President John F. Kennedy announced four major consumer rights, as follows:

1. The right to safety2. The right to be informed3. The right to choose4. The right to be heard

To this list of four, of course, there is an extended list of consumer

rights rights that Also demand and deserve public attention:

5. The right to good (and safe) products and services at fair prices6. The right to an income that is high enough to provide at least a

minimum decent standard of living7. The right to financial security8. The right to good food and nutrition9. The right to good housing10. The right to good health care11. The right to good transportation12. The right to good education13. The right to good recreation14. The right to good legal counsel if needed15. The right to a healthful and enjoyable nonpolluted environment

16. The right to government protection and information when, as, and

if needed or wanted

Consumers, producers, and government may all agree that consumersshould have the aforementioned rights. But they may disagree as to the waysand means whereby consumers achieve and fulfill these rights. Such diagree-

ments, of course, are the source and essence of consumer issues.

For each of the aforesaid consumer rights, there is a correspondingor accompanying consumer responsibility. To cite one illustration only:consumers by law now have available auto safety belts. But, according to

Consumers Union (Consumer Reports, April 1971, p. 221), "...somewherebetween two-thirds and three-quarters of auto occupants don't fasten their

shoulder belts." That is, consumers have achieved the right to have safetybelts in their cars, but the overwhelming majority of these consumers are

failing to meet their responsibility to make use of this lifesaving device.

1

During the 1960's and early 1970's, as implied earlier, consumerissues, rights, and problems have come to the forefront of public attentionand concern. Consumer movements, dubbed "consumerism," by the press, andconsumer leaders and spokesmen, dubbed "consumerists," have been the sub-jects of a growing number of news reports and commentaries. Consumerists,most notably and noticeably the consumer advocate Ralph Nader, have beencalling for new consumer legislation and for strong enforcement of existingconsumer laws.

In reviewing the foregoing discussion, the teacher will note the widerange of content that might appropriately be included in the module ConsumerIssues and Action. From this wide range, the content of nine specificunits has been selected for presentation in the pages that follow. Theseunits represent significant consumer issues. They also appear to be ofinterest and concern to high school seniors and juniors.

In developing the module with pupils, the teacher of course will feelfree to elaborate, supplement, or even replace the units now included inthis module. The teacher, furthermore, will want to make the module aschallenging, meaningful, and timely as possible. To do so, the teachershould bring in consumer articles and stories that appear in print andover the air and should encourage the pupils to do likewise.

How to use the news to make the module come alive can be illustratedby the consumer stories that appeared in just one issue of The New YorkTimes (September 17, 1971). One front-page story referred to the 90-daywage-price freeze; its headline read, in part: "Nixon Promises EffectiveCurbs on Big Industries. Says Post-Freeze Program 'Will Have Teeth.'"Another front-page consumer story was headlined "Caustic Soda May BeBanned by U.S." Previously, U.S. government officials had urged consumersnot to use laundry detergents with high-phosphate content because thischemical was polluting rivers and lakes. In this story, these officialsrecommended that consumers use phosphate-containing detergents instead ofsubstitutes for them hazardous caustic soda-containing detergents. Andon the first page of the Times' financial section was still anotherconsumer-interest story. Its headline: "F.T.C. Pushes Fight on BorderlineAds." The story noted that the Federal Trade Commission was acting torequire advertisers to publish in their future advertisements correctionsof any false or unprovable claims that had appeared in their pastadvertisements.

Further to enliven the module, the teacher should encourage pupils tocite their own consumer experiences or the consumer experiences of othersparticularly, experiences that have raised issues between a consumer and aproducer. Such experiences might involve warranty fulfillment or nonful-fillment with reference to a new car, the quality and cost of a repairservice, and the disparity between the seller's representations of aproduct and the prüduct's quality or performance in the hands of theconsumer.

2

As a result of the study of this module, pupils should be able to:

State the four major consumer rights as enunciated byPresident Kennedy and other consumer rights as determinedby class discussion

Find the best value of a product in terms of both priceand quality

List, and rate in terms of objectivity, sources ofinformation about consumer products

Give evidence that price alone is not a reliable guideto quality

State both the benefits and the costs of advertising

List and illustrate appeals used in advertising

Know what the terms "warranty" and "guarantee" mean.and howthis information may be used to insure consumers' rlghts

Describe the protection afforded by governmental agenciesto achieve product safety and list unmet needs in this

area

Use unit pricing to effect savings in food buying

Use USDA grades in buying food

State the arguments for and against the proposal thatpull dates be shown on packaged perishable or semi-perishable food

Recognize the common consumer fraud schemes and knowhow to protect themselves against these schemes

Recognize the rights of both consumers and producersand realize that fair dealing entails responsibilitiesof both parties

Realize the potential for change that lies in theconsumer movement and use this power to effectuatedesirable reform in a manner that is fair to all parties

SUGGESTED PUPIL ANDUNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES

WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW AND DO IN ORDERTO GET THEIR MONEY'SWORTH?

The consumer shouldhave the right to gethis money's worth inthe marketplace thatis, the_right to buya good product at afair price. Here, forexample, are some ofthe things that youas a consumer shoulddo:

To find the bestvalue in terms ofquality and price,inform yourself inadvance about thevarious brands andmodels that areavailable in retailstores.

After you havedecided upon themake and model of theproduct and the priceyou can afford to payfor it, shop around.Go from store to storeuntil you find "theright product at theright price." Try toget "the best buy"for the money thatyou are able andwilling to spend.

To save money onyour purchase, paycash if you possiblycan.

If you buy the pro-duct on the install-ment plan, make aslarge a downpayment

With reference to"getting your money'sworth," have pupilsdiscuss the followingquestions:

1. What is the mostexpensive product thatyou are planning tobuy during the nextfew months? (Examples:a new car or a usedcar, a portable TVset, a camera, astereo hi-fi recordplayer.)

2. What make and modelare you thinking ofbuying? Why?

3. About what price areyou thinking ofpaying? Why?

4. Will you pay cashor will you buy theproduct on theinstallment plan?Why?

5. At what retail storewill you probablybuy the product? Why?

6. Will you buy theproduct at its regularprice or at a specialsale price? Explain.

Some pupils might wantto make a thorough studyof the products thatthey plan to buy in thenear future. Anindividual pupil (or asmall group of pupils)might investigate andprepare a written reporton a product. Such areport, of course, would

4

SOURCES

Some product andbrand informationmay be obtainedfrom advertisementsover TV and radioand in newspapersand magazines. Suchinformation may alsobe obtained fromretail-store clerksand managers andfrom printed tagsand booklets suppliedby manufacturers.Information from thesources just men-tioned is importantand valuable toconsumers. Typicallyand expectedly,some of this informa-tion is not freefrom commercial bias.

Reliable and unbiasedinformation about anumber of consumerproducts can beobtained fromgovernment publica-tions for instance,from the books,booklets, and postersissued by the U.S.Department ofAgriculture.

Unbiased informationabout the test-ratedqualities of variousbrand-models ofhundreds of consumerproducts can beobtained from non-commercial sourcessuch as:

Consumer Reports,Consumers Union,Mount Vernon, N.Y.10550

UNDERSTANDINGS

as possible. Also,pay off the unpaidbalance in as shorta period of time aspossible.

Try to buy the prod-

uct when it isoffered at a saleprice instead of atthe regular price.Many times theregular price is "themanufacturer'ssuggested retail listprice."

According to a NewYork State law, amanufacturer has theright to set theminimum price at whichany retailer canoffer his product toa consumer-buyer.Often this law isreferred to as "afair trade law."

Price alone is not areliable guide toquality.

Brand name alone isnot a reliable guideto quality.

SUGGESTED PUPIL ANDTEACHER ACTIVITIES

include: what to buy,where to buy it, whento buy it, and howmuch to pay for it.

Why do small retailersgenerally favor the so-called "fair trade law"?Why do some large re-tailers oppose this law?Why do consumers whoknow about the law'seffect on the pricesthey pay oppose such alaw? In short, is thislaw really "fair" toconsumer-buyers?

Have pupils discuss thepros and the cons of thefollowing questionableyet widely held beliefs:

1. "You get what you payfor" that is, pricealone is a reliableguide to quality.

2. "You can be sure ifit's...." that is,brand name alone is areliable guide to

quality.

5

SOURCES

Consumer Bulletin,Consumers' ResearchWashington, N.J.07882.

A good way todetermine whether"the price is right"is to look up theproduct in a recentmail-order catalogfor instance, acatalog issued bySears, Wards, orPenneys. The entryusually describesthe product andgives its retailprice (to whichshipping chargesmust be added). Tothe catalog or mail-order price add15-20 percent forthe services aretail store furnishesin the form of salespeople, instantavailability of goods,

store "atmosphere,"etc.,and you willhave a rough guideas to whether theretail store priceis "right."

For examples toillustrate thatprice and brandname are not alwaysthe best guides seethe annual buyingguide issues ofConsumer Reports andof Consumer Bulletin.

In Consumer Reports,Dec. 1970, toillustrate, note the

following:

UNDERSTANDINGS

WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW AND DO ABOUTADVERTISING?

How much doesadvertising cost?

In 1970, advertisingcosts totaled nearly$20 billion. Thisamounted to about$100 per person in theUnited States.

SUGGESTED PUPIL ANDTEACHER ACTIVITIES SOURCES

1. "Color TV Consoles"(pp. 362-365).Among 11

brand-models testedand rated, thehighest-pricedset at about$825 was onlysixth in overallquality. The setrated first inquality was pricedat about $730, ornearly $100 lessthan the mostexpensive set.

2. "AM Clock Radios"(pp. 340-343)and "Table Radios"(pp. 343-345).Among 16 U.S.A.-made models ofAM clock radios,Brand X, arelatively un-known brand, wasthird (very high)in quality. Amongeleven table

radios, Brand Xwas fifth (aboutaverage) inquality.

Have pupils write down For up-to-date andon paper their answers to reliable informationeach of the following about the differentquestions: aspects of advertising

one of the best1. About how much money single references is:

altogether didAmericans spend onadvertising in 1970?

2. About what percentageof America's grossnational product the For publications thattotal dollar value of give information inall goods and services support of brand

Advertising Age(a weekly), 74(..,

Rush Street,Chicago, Ill. 60611

UNDERSTANDINGS

During the same year,the gross national

Product that is,the total dollarvalue of all goodsdnd services pro-duced was about$1,000 billion

(one trillion).Thus the $20 billionspent on advertisingwas only about 2Percent of the dollarValue of the grossnational product.

. The percentage ofthe retail pricethat goes to adver-tising varies widelyfrom product toproduct. For new

automobiles, thepercentage is verylow --in fact,less than 2 percent.For cosmetics, thepercentage is very

high.

Consumers, of course,pay the cost ofadvertising whenthey buy advertisedproducts.

Many times consumersbuy national brandsbrands that are wide-ly advertisedbecause they believethat such brands arebetter in qualitythan are the less-advertised privatebrands.


was spent on advertisingin 1970?

On the chalkboard, recordthe pupils' answers.Make sure to include thehighest answer and thelowest answer to question1 and to question 2.

Discuss: Are we spendingtoo much, about theright amount, or toolittle on advertising?Why do you think so?

Have pupils take a pollof the brands of break-fast cereals eaten bytheir families. Discuss:Why does your family usethat particular brand?(Note that answers mayinclude advertisingappeals and claims,box top premium offers,attractive packaging,or last but not leasta liking for thatcereal.)

Have pupils participatein a survey of thebrands of processedfoods consumed by theirfamilies. This surveymight cover thefollowing foods (thoseon the list used by thenational food marketingcommission):

Frozen orange juiceconcentrateFrozen green beansCanned green beansCanned green peasCanned cling peachesCanned Bartlett pearsCanned applesauce

SOURCES

names as a guide toconsumers, write to:

Brand NamesFoundation, 477Madison Ave.,New York, N.Y.

A highly importantstudy of the impactof advertising onfood prices was:

Food From Farmerto ConsumerReport of theNational Commissionon Food Marketing,June 1966. Super-intendent ofDocuments,Washington, D.C.20402. $1.25According to thisreport (p. 67):"Cereal manufac-turers spendapproximately 15percent of theirsales dollars formedia advertising;more than 80 per-cent of theseexpenditures gointo television."Also according tothis report (p. 92):"In a Commissionstudy of such well-established foodsas canned peas andfrozen orange juiceconcentrate, retailprices of adver-tised brands aver-aged 21 percenthigher than retailprices of retailerbrands of generallycomparable quality."


In order to get thehighest possibleprices, some adver-tisers --of processedfoods, for examplemake distinctionswhere no realdifferences in qualityexist.

Whatever the adsstate or imply, theconsumer's es'Amataof the value of afood product, forexample, dependsupon its price andits quality.

"The proof of thepudding is in theeating" no matterwhat the ads say ordo not say aboutthe product.

CatsupEvaporated milkTuna fish

At the right of eachfood product (frozenorange juice concentrate,frozen green beans,etc.), have each pupilwrite (1) the name ofthe brand that hisfamily typically buys;and (2) the designattonof that branxi as NB(a national brandro-as PB (a private orchainstore brand).In a class discussion,have pupils summarizetheir findings also,have them comment on thereasons why their familiesbuy the particularbrands that they do.

Have pupils make aprice survey ofnational brands andprivate brands of thesame processed foods ina local supermarket.Then have them make areport of their findingsto the class.

To check on the validityof consumer preferencesfor a national brandversus their preferencesfor a private brand ofthe same product, havepupils, in school or athome, conduct a tastetest of four differentbrands of frozen orangeconcentrate. For thetest, purchase 6-ouncecans. On the cans andon the bottles holdingthe water-diluted

8

SOURCES

Of special interestand pertinencehere is: "How toSave $200 a Year ina Supermarket,"Consumer Reports,Feb. 1961, pp. 64-67.According to thisreport by ConsumersUnion, a familyover a period of1 year could save$200 (tax-free, ofcourse) by buyingthe private(including chain-store) brands in-stead of the nationalbrands. Up to thattime, ConsumersUnion (CU) had testedand rated some 50different processedfoods. CU had foundthat, on average,private brands andnational brands wereabout equal inquality.

SUGGESTED PUPIL AND

UNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES SOURCES

Does advertisingbenefit consumers?

Advertising that isinformative benefitsconsumers in a numberof important ways.Such advertising,for example, tells

concentrate, mark thecode letters A, B, C,and D, respectively. (N.B.By using code letters,brand names are concealed.Thus br-nd names cannotinfluencL )-aste-tester

for or apia.-.Lt

particular brarl.)

Have each nuplu who isin the tast7.5--cent parel

look at, smell_ andtaste each of Ine fourdifferent branca. As-he

does so, have 1ir assIgn

an overall compa.rativef-preference mar'cng toeach of the Jrands. Apupil, for example,might assign the followingoverall raris to thefour brands: Brand A --

Rank 3; Brand B --Rank 1;Brand C --Rank 2; and

Brand D Rank 4.

For the pupils who per-formed the taste-tests,tabulate the datathat is, determine theoverall rankings of eachof the four brands....Finally, next to thecode letter and actualname of each brand,write (1) its comparativeranking by pupils on the

taste-test panel and (2)its retail price.

9


consumers (1) whatnew and old productsare available to themin the marketplace,(2) where these productscan be bought, and(3) what the retailprices of theseproducts are.

Advertising that hasnonsensical andimpertinent appealsto buy or that hasexaggerated andunprovable claimsis of very littleif any help toconsumers, and may bea detriment.

What appeals and claims Have pupils find anddoes advertising use? bring to class

printed ads and reportsof TV or radiocommercials. Thenhave them discusswhether these adsbenefit consumers.

The goal of adver-tising, of course, isto sell products toconsumers. Towardthis goal, the adsuse such appeals andclaims as follow:

1. Get more fun outof life. (Used,for example, bycola and noncolasoft drinks,chewing gum)

2. Get your man oryour woman. (per-fumes, skin creams,after-shavelotions)

3. Prevent or get ridof bad odors.(mouthwashes, tooth:-pastes, deodorants,toilet soaps)

During the pupils'presentation, ask:

1. Do you like the ad?Why? Do you dislikethe ad? Why?

2. Do you own orwould you buy theadvertised brand?Why?

3. Does the ad giveyou any facts aboutthe product? If so,what are these facts?

4. Does the ad containanything that hasnothing to do with

10

.16

SOURCES

. For a consumer-oriented approachto advertising,see:

Gordon, Leland J.& Lee, Stewart M.Economics forconsumers. New York.American BookCompany. 1967.Chapter 9, Seller-Made Wants: Adver-tising. Chapter 10,Consumers Look atAdvertising.

Packard, Vance.The hidden persuaders.New York. DavidMcKay Company. 1960.

SUGGESTED PUPIL ANDUNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES SOURCES

4. Have a whiter- the real quality or Packard, Vance.

than-white wash. effectiveness of The waste makers_

(laundry detergents, the advertised brand? New York. David

bleaches) McKay Company, 1A60.

5. Does the ad tell you

5. Be strong and anything that is For a producer-

healthy. ( dry useful? If so, what? oriented approacm

breakfast cereals, Anything that is to advertising,

bread, milk useless? If so, what? see:

products, fruitjuices) On the basis of ...he Bachman, Jules.

class study and dis- Advertising and

6. Reduce weight. cussion, have pupils competition.New York.

(yogurt, nonfat select products that New York University

milk, instant they especially are Press. 1967.

diets) interested in and thentry their minds-and- Britt, Steuart

7. Get ahead of hands at preparing Henderson.

the Joneses. advertisements for The spenders.

(automobiles, these products. (Note: New York. McGraw-

floor polishes, This activity might be Hill. 1960.

window cleaners) developed in coopera-tion with the school's Dichter, Ernest.

8. Save money. art or music department.) The strategy of(gasolines, desire. Garden City,

compact cars, Arrange an all-school New York. Doubleday.

special sales) assembly on the pros 1960.

and the cons of

9. Get quick relief advertising. Have For consumer-

from pain. speakers present interest publications

(aspirins, different views: the of advertising

antiacids, laxa- consumer's view, the associations, write

tives, medicated advertiser's view, the to:

salves) retailer's view, andthe government's view. American Association

10. Enjoy your leisure Include some students of Advertising

hours, (portable on the panel of Agencies, 200 Park

radios, color TV speakers. Ave., New York, N.Y.

sets, stereo 10016.

record players)Association ofNational Advertisers,155 East 44th St.,New York, N.Y.10016.

UNDERSTANDINGS

Should advertising beregulated? To whatextent? By whom?

Consumers can andshould try to pro-tect themselvesagainst advertisingand other sellingpractices that areunfair or deceptive.They can do this inthe following ways:

1. Inform themselvesabout the prod-ucts and servicesbeing advertised.

2. Question theappeals and theclaims that appearin the ads.

3. When in doubt,show some salesresistance towardthe ads and otherkinds of promotion

Individual advertisersand advertisingassociations havetaken a number ofsteps toward assuringtruth-in-advertisingand toward avoidingfalse and misleadingadvertising.

Many consumers andtheir organizationsbelieve thatadvertisers can andshould make theirads more nearlytruthful and moreinformative than theyare today.


On the chalkboard, writethe following deffnitionand have pupils diiscussits meaning:

Education is the transi-tion from cocksureignorance to thoughtfuluncertainty.

Ask pupils to cite someads that tend to develop"cocksure ignorance"among consumers. (oneexample: Ads for gaso-lines often claim thattheir brands are betterfor instance, producemore miles per gallon.But objective testsindicate that d'fferentbrands are very muchalike in quality andperformance.)

On the chalkboard, printthe heading: Re adver-tising and other sellingpractices that may bedeceptive, here arethings that the consumershould look for andlook out for:

1. "You just know thatthis price seems'too good to tetrue'."

2. "You have beenespeciallyselected...."

3. "You should buynow --otherwiseyou'll be losing thechance of yourlifetime."

4. "You can earn up to$$$ a week...."

12

t18is?!

'JRCES

For -AblicationsaboLt advertisingand ..''Ther selling

pract ces, write:

Ame ican Adver-tiE g Federation,

Connecti cutAve, j, Washington,D.

CoJrc1 of BetterBusi-iess Bureaus,Inc,, 1150 17thSt. N.W., Washing-ton,. U.C. 20036.

See "i ring Gasoline,"Consur-2r Reports,Oct. -,968, pp. 524-528. This reportrecommended: Buythe lowest-pricegasoline that meetsyour car's octanerating requirements.Buy an independent'sprivate brand insteadof a national brandand save 4 centsa gallon or about$28 (for 700 gallons)a year.

For copies of thefollowing publica-tions write to:Federal TradeCommission,Washington, D.C.20580

Here Is Your FederalTrade Commission

Guard Against PhonyAds

Fight Back! TheUngentle Art of SelfDefense

UNDERSTANDINGS

The Federal TradeCommission (F.T.C.)has the legal power toact against interstateadvertising andother sales practicesthat are unfair ordeceptive. (Note:Established by lawin 1914 and givenincreased authorityby the Wheeler-LeaAmendment in 1938,the F.T.C. now has thepower and the directive"to prevent persons,partnerships, orcorporations.., fromusing unfair methodsof competition incommerce and unfairor deceptive acts orpractices incommerce.")

WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW AND DO ABOUTPRODUCT WARRANTIES?

A warranty is aguarantee that aproduct will serve itsintended purpose asit is represented andfor a reasonableperiod of time.

A warranty may be

"expressed" that is,in written form. Or, awarranty may be "im-plied" that is, in un-

written form.


From ads for new cars, For a critique of

find and discuss some of the F.T.C., see:

the manufacturers' claims. Cox, Edward F.,

Ask: "Is the claim et al. Nader's

true, false, or doubtful?" raiders. New York.

"Can the claim be sup- Grove Press, Inc.

ported by facts, figures, 1969.

or other objectiveevidence?" "Why do you During 1971, te

think so?"

Have pupils considerwhat a warranty is andmeans also, the samefor a guarantee. (Note

that a warranty and aguarantee, in fact, arethe same.)

A manufacturer's

Ask pupils to give representative who

examples of products that is concerned with

they or their parents warranties

have bought fairly re-cently. Ask: "Was the

product satisfactory?"

F.T.C. ordered automanufacturers tosubmit evidence insupport of theiradvertising claims.To illustrate, itrequested GeneralMotors Corporationto supply "alldocumentation andother substantiation"for the followingadvertising claim:Buick Electra-9erll mount thesetwo delicate glassesto the side of the

car and fill them

with juice....driving, turning,on the road or off,the liquid stayssmooth even whenthe going gets rough."

Local retailers whohave been concernedwith their ownwarranties and with

the warranties of

manufacturers

13

19

Nev

, Yor

kJu

ly 1

8,

Soft

enin

gU

p th

eH

ard

Sell

Tim

ede

r fa

lse

colo

rs, t

he F

.T.C

. wan

tsto

req

uire

them

to g

et h

ouse

-w

ives

to s

ign

card

s th

at c

lear

lyde

fine

the

selli

ng m

issi

on. T

hen,

to p

rote

ct th

e ho

usew

ife

who

may

hav

e be

en s

wep

t off

her

feet

by

a pr

ofes

sion

al p

itch

into

a bi

ndin

g co

ntra

ct, t

he c

omm

is-

sion

wan

ts a

10-

day

cool

ing-

off

peri

od d

urin

g w

hich

a c

ontr

act

may

be

canc

eled

.*T

heA

mst

arC

orpo

ratio

n(D

omin

o an

d Sp

reck

les

suga

rs)

hear

dits

adve

rtis

ing

labe

led

fals

e be

caus

e it

calle

d its

bra

nds

the

"off

icia

l" s

ugar

s of

the

Na-

tiona

l Foo

tbal

/ Lea

gue

and

maj

orle

ague

bas

ebal

l and

impl

ied,

the

F.T

.C.

said

,nu

triti

onal

valu

e.T

he m

ove,

whi

ch w

ould

app

ear

toth

reat

enth

efa

st-g

row

ing

busi

ness

of

prod

uct e

ndor

sem

ent

by a

ll m

anne

r of

ass

ocia

tions

inth

e fi

eld

of a

thet

ics,

see

ms

to b

ete

lling

the

mar

ketin

g co

mm

unity

that

thei

r hi

red

athl

etes

had

bet

-te

r fi

nd o

ne p

rodu

ct b

ette

r th

anan

othe

r or

of

genu

ine

heal

thva

lue

befo

reth

eypu

tth

eir

stam

p on

it. "

A g

roup

end

orse

-m

ent h

as to

dep

end

on m

ore

than

mon

ey,"

sai

d an

F.T

.C. l

aw-

yer. T

he g

iant

cor

pora

tions

that

supp

ly th

is c

ar-h

appy

cou

ntry

'sw

heel

s w

ere

give

n th

e lis

ts o

fad

vert

ised

cla

ims

(suc

h as

"Pl

y-m

outh

Sat

ellit

eAm

eric

a's

low

-es

t-pr

iced

two-

door

sed

an."

) fo

rw

hich

they

mus

t pro

vide

wri

tten

subs

taat

tatio

n. T

hey

had

been

war

nedt

heco

mm

issi

onan

-no

unce

d its

sub

stan

tiatio

n pl

ans

a m

onth

ago

and

even

the

F.T

.C. i

s su

rpri

sed

at th

e pu

b-lis

hed

repo

rts

on h

ow q

uick

ly

1971

The

new

and

impr

oved

, act

ion-

pack

ed, t

alen

t-en

rich

ed, s

trea

m-

lined

Fed

eral

Tra

de C

omm

issi

on(I

t Sca

res

Adv

ertis

ers

12 W

ays)

had

a bu

sy ti

me

last

wee

k, a

s it

has

for

the

last

yea

r.Z

ap, z

ap, z

ap. I

t str

uck

an e

n-cy

clop

edia

com

pany

,a

suga

rm

aker

and

the

who

le a

uto

indu

s-tr

y, h

acki

ng a

few

new

pat

hs in

the

area

of

cons

umer

pro

tect

ion

and

fair

com

petit

ion.

"Dur

ing

the

last

yea

r,"

said

asp

okes

man

, "w

e've

bee

n ex

plor

-in

g th

e ou

ter

limits

of

stat

utor

yau

ther

ity a

nd in

nova

tive

and

imag

inat

ive

rem

edie

s."

The

ad-

vert

isin

g in

dust

ryin

fea

r an

dtr

epid

atio

nwou

ld a

gree

.T

he c

omm

issi

on's

trai

l-bl

azin

gan

d ne

ws-

mak

ing

activ

ities

of

iast

wee

k:G

rolie

r,In

c.,

whi

chge

tsm

ost o

f its

enc

yclo

pedi

a in

com

efr

om d

oor-

to-d

oor

sale

s, le

arne

dth

at th

e co

mm

issi

on w

ould

like

Gro

lier's

bel

l-pu

sher

s to

cha

nge

thei

r se

lling

way

s. I

n or

der

topr

even

t the

alle

ged

prac

tice

ofsa

lesm

en g

ettin

g in

to h

omes

un-

the

corp

orat

ions

pla

n to

com

ply.

But

it s

houl

dn't

be s

urpr

ised

.T

he in

form

atio

n is

alm

ost c

er-

tain

ly th

ere.

A m

ajor

adv

ertis

eror

adv

ertis

ing

agen

cy in

thes

egu

n-sh

y da

ys h

as a

toug

h tim

ege

tting

an

ad w

ithou

t ade

quat

esu

bsta

ntia

tion

past

its

batte

ry o

fla

wye

rs. "

The

que

stio

n is

, will

the

subs

tant

iatio

n th

at s

atis

fied

them

sat

isfy

the

F.T

.C.?

" co

m-

men

ted

a co

mm

issi

on w

atch

er.

The

com

mis

sion

,ho

wev

er,

does

n't p

lan

to ju

dge

the

mer

itsof

the

subs

tant

iatio

n (u

nles

s it'

sou

t-an

d-ou

t tre

ad),

acc

ordi

ng to

Rob

ert P

itofs

ky, t

he 4

1-ye

ar-o

ldla

wye

r w

ho to

ok o

ver

as d

irec

-to

r of

con

sum

er p

rote

ctio

n la

stN

ovem

ber.

It w

ill ju

st f

ile a

nd in

dex

the

info

rmat

ion,

he

said

, and

mak

eit

avai

labl

e to

the

cons

umer

and

the

pres

s. T

he h

ope

is th

at th

ead

vert

iser

, kno

win

g th

is, w

ill b

eex

trem

ely

care

ful

abou

thi

scl

aim

s, a

llow

ing

the

cons

umer

toha

ve m

ore

faith

in th

ose

clai

ms.

Mr.

Pito

fsky

was

esp

ecia

lly a

nx-

ious

that

the

pres

s av

ail i

tsel

f of

the

mat

eria

l so

that

adv

ertis

ers

will

be

doub

ly c

aref

ul, f

eari

ngpu

blic

exp

osur

e.T

he c

omm

issi

on, w

hich

pla

n-ne

d to

go

afte

r su

bsta

ntia

tion

from

a d

iffe

rent

indu

stry

eve

ryth

ree

mon

ths,

now

thin

ks it

can

hand

le o

ne a

mon

th, a

ccor

ding

to M

r. P

itofs

ky.

For

the

last

yea

r, th

e 57

-yea

r-oI

d V

.T.C

., w

hich

onc

e se

emed

tobe

dev

otin

g m

uch

of it

s tim

e to

polic

ing

chin

chill

a ra

nche

rs a

ndm

anuf

actu

rers

offl

amm

able

swea

ters

, has

bee

n at

tack

ing

the

bigg

est a

dver

tiser

s it

coul

d fi

nd.

"You

don

't ha

nd o

ut a

par

kin;

ticke

t whe

n th

ere'

s a

bank

rob

-be

ry g

oing

on,

" on

e co

mm

issi

onof

fici

al h

as s

aid.

The

F.T

.C. h

as a

bout

1,3

00w

orke

rs s

prea

d ac

ross

the

coun

-tr

ywhi

chis

inad

equa

tefo

rth

orou

gh p

olic

ing.

So

its p

hilo

so-

phy

has

beco

me:

By

hitti

ng th

ebi

g gu

y, s

care

the

little

guy

.R

eorg

aniz

eddu

ring

asi

x-m

onth

str

etch

in19

70 b

y th

eth

en c

hair

man

, Gas

par

W. W

ein-

berg

er, a

nd f

orce

fully

led

sinc

eby

the

curr

ent c

hair

man

, Mile

sW

. Kir

kpat

rick

, the

F.T

.C. h

as a

t-ta

cked

adv

ertis

ers

who

've

mad

eth

erap

eutic

, nut

ritio

nal,

envi

ron-

men

tal a

nd u

niqu

enes

s c/

aim

s.It

's g

one

afte

r to

y ad

vert

iser

s fo

r"u

nfai

rly

expl

oitin

g"ch

ildre

nw

ho a

re u

nsop

hist

icat

ed a

bout

ads,

and

is n

ot o

nly

seek

ing

con-

trol

ove

r sw

eeps

take

s (a

fav

orite

mar

ketin

g to

ol)

but t

ryin

g to

get

rest

itutio

nfo

rw

inne

rs w

hoha

ven'

t che

cked

to s

ee it

they

've

won

.Pe

rhap

sth

em

ost

unus

ual

wea

pon

unle

ashe

d by

the

Fede

r-al

age

ncy

isits

dem

and

that

erri

ng a

dver

tiser

s us

e 25

per

cent

of

thei

r ad

vert

isin

g bu

dget

sfo

r a

cert

ain

leng

th o

f tim

eto

be d

ecid

ed b

y th

e co

mm

issi

onto

era

se th

e re

sidu

al e

ffec

ts o

fth

eir

prev

ious

mis

lead

ing

adve

r-tis

ing.

In w

hat t

he F

.T.C

. con

side

rs a

"lan

dmar

k" c

ase,

IT

T C

ontin

en-

tal

Bak

ing

Com

pany

rec

ently

agre

ed to

do

that

for

a y

ear

with

its

Prof

ile b

read

. It h

as n

ot,

how

ever

,re

ache

dan

ysu

chag

reem

ent

with

itsH

oste

ss

Snac

ks a

nd W

onde

r B

read

("I

Bui

lds

Stro

ng B

odie

s 12

Way

s":

All

of th

is n

eiv

mili

tanc

y ha

mad

e th

e F.

T.C

. the

"ho

t age

ncy'

amon

g yo

ung

law

yers

, acc

ordi

n;to

Mic

hael

Pert

schu

k,ch

icco

unse

l of

the

Sena

te C

omm

ero

Com

mitt

ee (

whi

ch o

vers

eas

thi

activ

ities

of

the

com

mis

sion

) am

a ha

rdlin

er o

n co

nsum

er p

rote

ctio

n. O

nce

a cr

itic

of th

e F.

T.C

.he

now

cal

lsit

"gre

at"

amno

tes

that

its

new

thur

st is

dui

in n

o sm

all m

easu

re to

the

thre

(R

epub

lican

son

the

five

.mar

com

mis

sion

.N

ot e

very

con

sum

eris

t is

itlo

vew

ithth

eco

mm

issi

onth

ough

. Jam

es S

. Tur

ner,

law

yei

and

cons

umer

con

sulta

nt w

iltha

s w

orke

d w

ith R

alph

Nad

er"!

Cen

ter

for

the

Stud

y of

Res

pon.

sive

Law

, has

a w

ait-

and-

see

at.

titud

e. "

Doe

s it

real

ly f

ight

ot

does

it f

old

it's

tent

and

gc

hom

e?"

he w

ants

to k

now

.W

hile

he

cons

ider

s th

e fi

ght

agai

nst d

ecep

tive

adve

rtis

ing

wor

thy

one,

Mr.

Tur

ner

is c

on-

cern

ed th

at it

is o

bscu

ring

the

com

mis

sion

's o

ther

job

of a

na-

lyzi

ng th

e co

ncen

trat

ion

of in

-du

stri

es in

pur

suan

ce o

f fr

ee a

ndfa

ir c

ompe

titio

n.M

r. P

erts

chuk

was

ask

ed if

the

F.T

.C.'s

act

ions

are

ple

asin

g th

ear

dent

cons

umer

ists

,"T

heag

ency

does

n't

satis

fyR

alph

[Nad

er],

it ne

ver

will

," h

e re

-pl

ied. Whe

n th

is w

as m

entio

ned

toth

e co

mm

issi

on's

Mr.

Pito

fsky

,he

sai

d, "

Goo

d. T

he d

ay w

hen

Ral

ph a

nd I

are

bot

h sa

tisfi

ed I

'llkn

ow s

omet

hing

's w

rong

."PH

ILIP

H. D

OU

GH

ER

TY

7ruth or Consequencesa New Game for the Ad Men

j'ord

A A 4#

II

Nevi York Times, July. 18, 197:

s the sarne 'steering systpa rad.

Audi

Plymouth

LLI

The"G4(kie"Syslent.An pension, .steering, andOldsmobile exclusive'. new, puperihocks." YouWs a tombination.aaci-!, 410 imootber

1

corneri vanoet:,in' phasIfr'suai;r ::kettert, are lessalleOted

P4

by etifi crossivinds. Feautured in every 1971 Delta88. Take a deMonstration",

, ditto teal soon.',:' ".

14'

01-94;1114r.744111:MCML:..":'. 4

1

r

Oldsmobile

The "new and improved" Federal Trade Commission last week ordered automobile companiesto provide substantiation of claims made in ads such as these. The action was one of several takenby the F.T.C., "hacking a few new paths in the area or consumer protection and fair competition."

1971 by The New York Times Company. Reprinted by permission."

1 5

2 1


When a consumer buysa product at areliable retail store,that store in effectgives the buyer animplied warranty.Thus, if theconsumer finds thatthe product isdefective or doesnot work properly,he can return thatproduct for repair(without cost),replacement, orrefund of hismoney.

Before purchasinga product, aconsumer shouldcarefully read theprinted warrantythat is provided bythe manufacturer. He

should also carefullyread the printedinstructions on theoperation, use, andcare of the product.

A consumer shouldkeep in mind that awarranty or otherrepresentation of aproduct made orallyby a retail salesmanmay or may not behonored at a latertime by the seller.To insure protectiona consumer shouldinsist that anywarranty made orallyshould also be putin writing.

If the product wasunsatisfactory, ask:"What did the retailerdo about it?"...."Whatdid the manufacturerdo about it?"

"Did the manufacturerprovide a warranty withthe product?"...."If so,what did the certificateor other statement ofthe warranty say?"

To make specific thestrengths and weaknessesof warranties fromthe consumer-buyer-userview read aloud anddiscuss the followingwarranty for an AM/FMHigh Fidelity SolidState Portable Radio.(The name of themanufacturer has beenchanged to "XYZ.")

XYZ Warranty

XYZ Television andRadio Company (referredto herein as XYZ)guarantee to theoriginal retail pur-chaser that we willrepair, or at ouroption, replace throughthe XYZ distributor-dealer organization anypart of this instrumentthat we find to havebeen defective undernormal use, WITHIN ONEYEAR of the purchasedate. XYZ-approved re-placement parts must beguaranteed for thebalance of the one-yearperiod.

16

.22

SOURCES

See "A Close Lookat Warranties andGuarantees"- (Part I)April 1971, pp. 38-40, and (Part II)May 1971, pp. 20-21, ConsumerBulletin, ConsumersResearch

See "Guarantees andWarranties;' ConsumerRe orts, Dec. 1970The Buying GuideIssue), pp. 236-237.

Fisk, McKee & Snapp,James C. Appliedbusiness law.Cincinnati. South-Western PublishingCompany. 1960.See the chapterson "Warranties,"pp. 211-222; andon "Rights andRemedies," pp. 223-234.

Crabtree, Arthur P.You and the Law.New York. Holt,Rinehart, Winston.1964.

For news releases,booklets, and otherpublished informa-tion on warrantiesand guarantees,write to:

Federal TradeCommission,Washington, D.C.20580

Council of BetterBusiness Bureaus,1150 17th St.,N.W., Washington,D.C. 20036

UNDERSTANDINGS

A consumer should beskeptical of anywarranty, oral orwritten, that says"lifetime guarantee"or "unconditionalguarantee."

A written warrantyusually statescertain conditionsincluding, forexample, a timelimit on theseller's liability,a guarantee as toreplacement ofparts, and as tolabor costs or arequirement that thebuyer pay shippingcosts for repairpurposes between hishome and the factory.


SERVICE, LABOR ANDTRANSPORTATION CHARGES,AS WELL AS DAMAGERESULTING FROM CAUSESBEYOND OUR CONTROL,ARE THE RESPONSIBILITYOF THE PURCHASER.

THIS WARRANTY CONTAINSXYZ'S ENTIRE OBLIGATIONAND NO OTHER WARRANTIES,EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED,ARE GIVEN.

Ask: "Under the warrantyabove, will the manu-facturer pay for thecost of labor and thecost of a defective partwithin 1 year of thepurchase date?" (Yes.)

"If you bought this

A manufacturer's writ- radio secondhand fromten warranty of his a friend I month after

product is typically he had bought it at a

presented in technical retail store, would youand involved legal be protected by the

language. All too manufacturer's warranty?"often the warranty (No.)

through its statedlimitation on liabil- "During the 1-yearity serves to protect warranty period, suppose

the manufacturer-seller that you accidentallyrather than the dropped the radio and

consumer-buyer. then found that itwould not work. Then,

After buying a prod- according to the warranty,

uct, a consumer would the manufacturershould make every be responsible for re-effort to follow the pairing the radio at his

instructions or expense that is, with-

direction of the out any cost whatever towarranty as to the use you?" (No.)and care of the productand as to any requiredinspection or check-ups. If a car buyer,

SOURCES

For a comprehensivestudy of the natureand problems ofwarranties, see:

Report of the TaskForce on ApplianceWarranties andService. Preparedby: Federal TradeCommission, Depart-ment of Commerce,Department of Labor,and Special Assis-tant to thePresident forConsumer Affairs.Jan. 8, 1969.(Order a copy from:Special Assistantfor Consumer Affairs,The White House,Washington, D.C.20506.)

. For informationabout committeehearings and pend-ing legislation rewarranties, writeto: your U.S.Congressman; eachof your two U.S.Senators.


for example, fa41s tobring in his car forspecified inspectionsand servicing, he mayfind that themanufacturer's warrantybecomes null and void.

Here, according tothe Task Force onAppliance Warrantiesand Service, are someof the factors thatresult in failures ofproduct performancefailures that are ofparticular concern tothe consumer-buyer-user:

1. The product is notsuitable for itsintended use or doesnot have thequalities it wasrepresented to have.

2. The retailer orthe manufacturerfails to replace "thelemon" that is, theproduct that has notbeen properly manu-factured and cannotbe made to work prop-erly.

3. The retailer or themanufacturer's serviceorganization failsto make the necessaryrepairs with reasonablepromptness.

4. The consumer is unableto get the productrepaired because theretailer goes out ofbusiness.

5. The consumer has topay excessive labor andother charges when suchcosts are not coveredby the warranty.

Have pupils report examplesof product failure toperform to consumerexpectations. For eachperformance failure listed,ask the class to try todetermine what went wrong.For example, was it thefailure of the consumerin that he did not readand heed, the instructionsthat acOmpanied themerchanWse? Did theconsumer,fail to considerthe intended use of theproduct and thus purchasedgoods not designed for theintended purpose? Was theproblem that advertisingmislead him by false orexaggerated claims? Dida salesman mislead theconsumer to believe thatthe article was suitable?Did the retailer or manu-facturer fail to providereasonable service?


WHAT CONSUMERS SHOULDKNOW AND DO ABOUTPRODUCT SAFETY?

Product safety concernsthe manufacturer, theconsumer, and thegovernment. For safety's Have pupils make surveys

sake that is, to of the products used in

prevent accidents and around their homes

that cause deaths and that are or that may be

injuries --each has dangerous to adults,

responsibilities, youth, and children.Then, on the chalkboard,list the products andtheir potential hazards.

To be more specific,the manufacturer hasthe responsibility ofproviding a safeproduct; the consumer,of using that prod-uct safely; and thegovernment, of makingsure the productand its use are madeas safe as possible.

What about car safety?

For many years, car-safety organizationshave emphasized therole of the driverthe need for safety-knowledge, skills, andpractices the needfor driver education,for observance oftraffic laws, rules,and regulations. Afoolish or stupiddriver was commonlyreferred to as "thenut behind the wheel."

Important as the drivercontinues to be as afactor in the cause andprevention of automobile

accidents, the publicsince the early 19603

Have the driver-educationteacher discuss (and, ifpossible, demonstrate)safe driving, car safety,and road safety.

Invite a local car dealerto describe and show themajor safety features ofone of his most recentmodels.

Have a committee ofpupils take a poll on theuse of lap belts andshoulder belts. Thequestionnaire might ask:

1. Does your car havelap belts? Yes

No

19

SOURCES

For reliable andcomprehensive pre-sentations of theneed for productsafety and of therecommendationsfor achieving it,see:

Final Report ofthe National Com-mission on ProductSafety. 1970.Order from: Super-intendent ofDocuments, Washing-ton, D.C. 20402,$1.75.

The person and thebook that focusedpublic attentionon the built-inhazards of carswere:

Nader, Ralph.Unsafe at any speed.(The Designed-InDangers of theAmerican Automobile).1965. Simon andSchuster, 1 West39th St., New York,N.Y. 10018. Paper-bound. $1.00.

See also "Safety:The Argument OverAir Bags," ConsumerReports,April 1971,pp. 221-222.


has paid increasingattention to otherapproaches: safer roadsand safer cars.

2. How often do youuse a lap belt?AlwaysUsuallySometimesSeldom ; Never

3. If you do not alw4ysuse a belt,statewhy.

In its report ofApril 1971,Consumers Unionstated, in part:

. "The thirdapproach makingsafer carsappears the mostpractical and themost certain ofproducing positiveshort-term results.Indeed, it's likelythat the recentdecline in auto-mobile fatalitiesis largely due tocar-safety mea-sures bothlegislated andvoluntaryeffected since thepassage of theNational Trafficand Motor VehicleSafety Act of1966....

"Lap and shoulderbelts do anadmirable job ofpreventing thesecond collision.(Note: In the firstcollision, the carstrikes anothercar, for instance.In the secondcollision, almostinstantly afterthe first, theoccupant's bodystrikes the insideof his own car.)The trouble is thatsomewhere betweentwo-thirds andthree-quarters ofauto occupantsdon't fasten their

SUGGESTED PUPIL AND

UNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES

In conformity withFederal laws andregulations newcars now have a numberof effective car-safety featuresfor example, lap beltsshoulder belts, energy-absorbing steeringcolumns, high-penetration-resistantwindshields, andfreedom from interiorprojections that mightprove injurious.

In prospect for 1972and 1973 are improvedbrakes, better bumperssmoother interiors,and side-impactbarriers.

With further referenceto the nap belt and theshoulder belt, discuss:"The consumer has theright to safety. Healso has the responsi-bility of acting safely."

List suggestions ofpupils to encourage wide-spread use of lap andshoulder belts.

Have a panel of pupilsdiscuss the problems ofand the actions requiredfor (1) safe driving,(2) safe cars, and(3) safe streets androads. In the discussionraise such questionsas: "Were car manu-facturers in the fore-front of those who wereworking for the develop-ment of safer cars?""Why do you think so?"

21

SOURCES

lap belts and 96to 98 percent ofthem don't fastentheir shoulderbelts.

"The most importantnew standard onthe book is onerequiring 'passive'restraints for thefront seatoccupants of allpassenger cars byJuly 1, 1973, Endfor all seatincpositions of aT1passenger cars,multipurposepassenger vehitZesand truCks ayear later."

According toConsumer Reports,April 1971, carsshould be equippednot only with lapbelts and shoulderbelts hut alsoshould have"passive restraints"such as inflatableair bags. Such bags,of course, operateautomatically when .

a car collides withanother car or witha stationary object.

For informationabout Federal car-

, safety standardsand regulations,write to:

National High-way TrafficSafety Adminis-tration, Depart-ment of


"Was it necessary forthe Federal Government tostep in to require certainsafety features in cars?""Why do you think so?"

"What can and shouldconsumers, car-makers,and government do towardachieving safer driving,safer cars, and saferstreets and roads thanat present?"

SOURCES

Transportation,Washington, D.C.20590.

For publicationson safe drivingpractices, writeto:

What about the safety Have pupiils make surveysof household substances? of the household sub-

stances in their own homesto determine which ofthese substances havewarnings, instructionsfor use and storage, !andfirst aid directftns.

A number of householdsubstances includingcertain drain cleaners,dishwasher detergents,and furniture polishesmay be dangerous,particularly to smallchildren.

Have pupils bring toclass, discuss, and dis-play a variety of house-

The Federal Government hold substances thathas two laws to help have warnings and in-protect consumers: structions on theirthe Hazardous Substances labels.Act of 1960 and thePoison Prevention Here, for example, isPackaging Act of 1970. the information thatBoth acts are en- appears on one brand offorced by the Food liquid laundry bleachand Drug Administra- whose active ingredienttion (F.D.A.) is sodium hypochlorite:

Under the HazardousSubstances Act, F.D.A.requires manufacturersto put prominent warn-ing labels on certainhousehold chemicalsincluding those alreadymentioned and alsohousehold ammonia,liquid chlorine bleach,oven cleaners, andaerosol-spray cosmetics

"CAUTION: MAY IRRITATESKIN OR EYES. READCAREFULLY ADDITIONALINFORMATION ON BACKPANEL.

"KEEP OUT OF THE REACHOF CHILDREN.

National SafetyCouncil, 425 NorthMichigan Ave.,Chicago, Illinois_

For publicationsthat pertain tohazardous sub-stances, write to:

Food and DrugAdministration,Washington, D.C.

(Note: On thefollowing page,read and discussProtect YourFamily AgainstPoisoning, FDALeaflet No. 2.)

For an account ofwhat F.D.A.and manufacturershave done, havenot done, andshould do further,see:

"CAUTIONNOT FOR PERSONALUSE If splashed onskin or in eyes, rinseimmediately. If

accidentally taken

22

SI2, 8

"Why Should aChild SwallowDrain Cleaner?"Consumer Reports.Sept. T971, pp.528-531.

FDA Leaflet No. 2.

Food and Drug Administration

PR

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fter

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cle

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that

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llow

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or

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to b

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usin

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sect

spr

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kille

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agen

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Dat

e al

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pplie

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you

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not t

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med

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on th

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time

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Giv

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ung

child

ren

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s on

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by

your

My§

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not t

ake

or g

ive

med

icin

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the

dark

. Be

sure

you

can

clea

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6ad

the

labe

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the

cont

aine

r.

Whe

n M

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giv

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yow

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mea

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med

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way

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ake

the

bottl

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orou

ghly

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Saf

egua

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blet

s w

hich

are

can

died

, fla

vore

d, o

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lore

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ince

chi

ldre

n ea

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them

fike

can

dy.

Wee

d ou

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left-

over

s re

gula

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om y

our

med

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est

espe

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ly a

ny p

resc

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ug th

at y

our

phys

icia

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part

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ness

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Whe

n yo

u th

row

aw

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rugs

or

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mat

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ntnn

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anno

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reac

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by c

hild

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or p

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In th

e ev

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f an

acci

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, fol

low

any

firs

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onth

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and

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tely

cal

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(Doc

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SUGGESTED PUPIL ANDUNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES '3OURCES

The labels must have internally, aAministerthe vc)rd "DANGER" on milk or white of eggsubstances that are or feed cooked cereal.highly flammable, toxic, Call physician. Pointor corrosive and the mouth of container awayword, "WARNING" or the from you when removingword "CAUTION" on cap.

other hazardous sub-stances. If the "AVOID TRANSFER TO FOODproduct is extremely OR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS.toxic, the labelmust have the word "KEEP CONTAINER UPRIGHT"POISON." IN A COOL PLA:E TIGHTLY

CAPPED.Whichever warningword appears on the 4 "DO NOT USE WITH TOILETproduct's label, that BOWL CLEANERS, AMMONIAlabel must also OR OTHER HOUSEHOLDcarry instructions on CHEMICALS."first-aid treatmentand on the handling Have pupils consider whatand storage of the other products, if any,product. not now labeled hazardous,

should have warninglabels.

CAUTION' DO NOT USE BLEACH WITH AMMONIAOR TOILET BOWL CLEANERS.

THIS PRODUCT WILL IRRITATESKIN OR EYES. r_OODAND RINSE IMMEDIATELY WITH PLENTY OF WATER.IF TAKEN INTERNALLY. DRINK MILK, WHITE OF EGGOR FEED COOKED CEREAL. CALL A PHYSICIAN.

AVOID TRANSFER TO FOOD OR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS.KEEP CONTAINER UPRIGHT IN COOL PLACE TIGHTLY CAPPED

USDA Rev. No. 1453-29

A

I I I I I

I. 1

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24

3.0

SUGGESTED PUPIL ANDJNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES

What about the safetyof toys?

Federal Child Pro-ter.77on and ToySa7fty Act ((effectiveJan. 1, 1970) em-powered the Food andDrug Administrationto ban the sale ofany toy that it foundto be dangerous tochildren.

Under the law, F.D.A.has set up somerules defining cer-tain kinds ofmechanically hazard-ous toys. It also

has ordered anumber of thesetoys off the market.

Under present law,F.D.A. must prove thata toy is dangerous tochildren before it canorder that such atoy be removed fromthe market. Someconsumer-interest or-ganizations are strong-ly urging that the lawbe strengthened in thefollowing way: thata manufacturer be re-quired to prove toF.D.A. that his toyis safe before F.D.A.clears that toy forsale in the market.

Have pupils examine andreport on the built-inhazards of the toys thatchildren in their ownhomes or in the homes ofrelatives or friends nowhave.

To indicate what pupilsmight look for, here isa list of the types oftoys and the hazardswhich 39 toys represented,that led to the F.D.A.action ordering themoff the market:

1. Four toy rattles withparts that couldcause puncture woundsor that could beswallowed or suckedinto the lungs

2. Eighteen breakabledolls, stuffed animals,and similar toys withsharp pointed parts

3. Ten noisemaking toyswith detachable noise-makers that could cut,puncture, or beswallowed or inhaled

4. Seven lawn darts andarchery games whosesharp points mightwound children play-ing with them

25_

SOURCES

Final Report of theNational Commissionon Product Safety.1970

From th-ris report,

here are twopertinent quotations:

"'A child has toexperience someminor injuries, someminor experiencesof trauma in orderto learn,' accordingto the Child SafetyConsultant of theNational SafetyCouncil. We do notconcur. The U.S.Public HealthService estimatesthat toys injure700,000 childrenevery year; another500,000 a year areinjured on swingsand 20,000 on slides."

"Through its tradeassociation...thebicycle industryconducts extensivesafety campaigns,although manyindividual companiesemphasize dragracing, speeding,and stunting intheir advertisements...In explaininginjuries from bicy-cles, the industryprimarily blamesuser failure andmisuse --misusewhich company ad-vertising encouragesand user 'failure'which improveddesign could fre-quently prevent."


Three Presidents ofthe United States have,in turn, declared theconsumer's right tosafety. And towardthis right, the Con-gress establishedthe National Commissionon Product Safety.Its purpose was toinvestigate and reporton the inherent hazardsof products offeredby manufacturers tothe American public.

Here is some back-ground informationfrom the foreword tothe Final Report ofthe National Commissionon Product Safety.

"Perhaps a case can bemade for the accepta-bility of willfulpersonal risk-takingby an occasional well--.4nformed consumer,

but there is nojustification forexposing an entirePopulace to risks ofinjury or death whichare not necessary and

are not apparent

SOURCES

With reference toF.D.A.'s allegedactions and allegedinactions re toys,see:

The National Commission -

on Product Safety foundunreasonable hazards amonga number of makes, models,or types of: architecturalglass, color televisionsets, fireworks, floorfurnaces, glass bottles,high-rise bicycles, hot-water vaporizers, house-hold chemicals, infantfurniture, ladders, powertools, protective head-gear, rotary lawn mowers,toys, unvented gasheaters, and wringerwashers.

Pupils might considera number of the afore-mentioned products thatthey now have in theirown homes. For eachselected product, ask:

1. Did the product haveany instructions forsafe care and use?If so, what were they?

2. Did you read and thentry to follow theseinstructions?

3. Have you been injuredor had a near-injuryfrom the use of theproduct? If so, tellabout your experience.

"Uncle Sam Moves onUnsafe Toys (Slowly),"Consumer Reports,March 1971, pp. 143-144

Final Report of theNational Commissionon Product Safety.1970

For a summary ofthis report as wellas for a commentaryon the report'sfindings and rec-ommendations, see:

"Product HazardsWhat Can Be DoneAbout Them,"Consumer Reports,Sept. 1970, pp. 559-564.

In its report, theCommission pointedto the magnitudeand urgency of needfor setting up aConsumer ProductSafety Commissionin the FederalGovernment:

"Americans 20

million of themare injured eachyear in the homeas a result ofincidents connectedwith consumer prod-ucts. Of the total110,000 are perma-nently disabled

SUGGESTED PUPIL AND

UNDERSTANDINGS TEACHER ACTIVITIES

to all. Such hazardsmust be controlledand limited, not atthe option of theproducer but as amatter of right to theconsumer% Manyhazards described inthis report are un-necessary and can beeliminated withoutsubstantially affectingthe price to the con- Have a representative of

sumer. Unfortunately, your community's Safety

in the absence of Council talk to the class

external compulsion or to an assembly on the

it is predictable that subject of safety in

there will continue to the home, at school, on

be an indecent time the street, in cars,

lag between exposure elsewhere.

to a hazard and itselimination." To get a copy of the

U.S. Senate bill toestablish the ConsumerProduct Safety Commission,write:

Senator Warren Magnuson,Senate Office Building,Washington, D.C. 20515.

In a wide-ranging andthought-provoking dis-cussion, have pupils con-sider such questions asthese:

4. In using the product,what precautions doyou take or should youtake to avoid accidentand injury?

5. How might the producthave been improved tohelp protect the con-sumer-user againstinjury?

The report goes on torecommend that theFederal Governmentestablish an inde-pendent agencythe Consumer ProductSafety Commissionthat has the powersto:

"Enforce compliancewith consumer productsafety standardsthrough a broadrange of civil andcriminal sanctions

"Enjoin distributionor sale of consumerproducts which violateFederal safetystandards or which areunreasonably hazardous

"Require notice to

1. What individuals andorganizations mightoppose the passage ofthe Federal ConsumerProduct Safety Act?Why?

2. What individuals andorganizations mightsupport the passage ofthe Consumer ProductSafety Act? Why?

consumers of substantiallydefective products, and

27,

SOURCES

and 30,000 arekilled. A signifi-cant number couldhave been spared ifmore attention hadbeen paid to hazardreduction. Theannual cost to theNation of product-related injuriesmay exceed $5.5billion. Theexposure of consumersto unreasonableconsumer producthazards is excessiveby any standard ofmeasurement."

For booklets, posters,and other materialson safety, write to:

National SafetyCouncil, 425 NorthMichigan Ave.,Chicago, Illinois.

According to theFinal Report of theNational Commissionon Product Safety.,some consumer-pro-tection laws donot at present pro-vide sufficientprotection. In

this connection,Howard A. Heffron,former chief counselof the FederalHighway Adminis-tration, stated inhis report to theCommission:

"The facade ofconsumer protectionprograms but notthe reality has

UNDERSTANDINGS

recall of productswhich violate con-sumer product safetystandards or whichare unreasonablydangerous

"Make reasonableinspections of manu-facturing facilitiesto implement com-pliance with safetystandards and regu-lations"

To provide forproduct safetythrough the FederalGovernment, consumersneed (1) an adequatelaw, (2) a law thatis enforced by theauthorized agency, and(3) an agency that issufficiently staffedand financed.


3. Consumer-advocateRalph Nader has fromtime to time referredto certain laws as"a no-law law." Whatdid he mean by this?

(Some answers: The lawis very weak. The lawallows for many andlong delays. The lawprovides too littlemoney for an enforce-ment staff.)

been created. Onlyone fulltimeemployee withinthe Food and DrugAdministration'sBureau of Com-pliance has beenresponsible forenforcing thebanning or label-ing of thousandsof potentiallyhazardous productsunder the Hazard-ous Substances Act.Congress appro-priated no fundsto implement thebroad, new flam-mable fabrics pro-gram during thefirst year....TheNational HighwaySafety Bureau hasnever been pro-vided the funds toconstruct its ownresearch and testfacilities."

WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERS Have pupils bring to class. See "ProtectingKNOW AND DO ABOUT packages (full or Quality," ConsumersLABELING AND PACKAGING? emptied) of processed All The Yearbook

foods that their fami- of Agriculture,To get their money's lies typically use. 19656 pp. 429-431,worth, consumers needto know what they arebuying and how muchthey are paying for it.Toward gettinginformation about aproduct a processedfood, for examplethe consumer shouldalways read the label.

According to Federallaws, the label ofa processed food mustgive:

For each of thesepackaged foods, have apupil read aloud andthen discuss theinformation (includingthe picture) that ison the label. Some ofthis information willbe factual, as: thename and style of thefood, the net measure,the name of the manu-facturer, and the in-gredients. The rest

See also thebooklet, Facts forConsumers FoodStandards.Superintendent ofDocuments,Washington, D.C.20402. Preparedand issued by theFood and DrugAdministration

UNDERSTANDINGS

1. The common or usualname of the food

2. The amount of foodin the package

3. The name andaddress of the manu-facturer, packer,or distributor

If the food has twoor more ingredientssuch a,..; macaroni-

and-beef, theseingredients must belisted on the labelin the order of theirpredominance that

is, macaroni, beef,etc.

If the Food andDrug Administrationhas established adefinition andstandard of identityfor a staple food,the label does nothave to list theingredients. (ExamplesNoodles (they mustcontain egg yolk orwhole eggs). Macaroni(it does not have tohave an egg ingredi-ent). Mayonnaise (itmust have a minimum of65 percent oil).Salad dressing (itneed not contain morethan 30 percent oil).


of this information willbe promotional, as"finest quality,""delightful," and"ideal for."

To highlight why andhow to read the label,reproduce on the chalk-board or otherwisedisplay the followinglabel for analysis andevaluation. (N.B. forthe actual brand name,the designation XYZ hasbeen substituted7)

XYZ Brand. Our FinestVine Ripened TOMATOES

with salt and traceof calcium saltsadded Net Wt. 16 oz.(1 lb.)

Our Finest QualityGrade A

The tomatoes in this canare Our Finest Qualityvine ripened, picked atthe peak of perfection,and handled with greatestcare to insure theirdelicate, fleshy whole-ness, excellent flavor,natural color, and nutri-tive value. They aresolidly packed with thenatural juice of thetomato. Delightful servedas a hot vegetable or inomelets, in combination

The label, according to with cheese, spaghettilaw, must not deceive or macaroni,soups,the consumer-buyer as casseroles, or scallopto what is inside the dishes. Ideal for

package a can, bottle, chilled salads.carton, or other The XYZ Co., New York,

container. N.Y."

29

SOURCES

For the producers'view re labelingand packaging,write to:

National CannersAssociation,Washington, D.C.or GroceryManufacturers ofAmerica, Inc.,1133 Avenue ofthe Americas,New York, N.Y.

An interestingnote:

F.D.A. has adefinition andstandard of identitythat applies toa product labeled:PORK AND BEANS.

Accordingly, apacker is permittedto 1ab21 a can ofhis product asPORK AND BEANSalthough that prod-uct is predominantlybeans, not pork.

UNDERSTANDINGS

The Fair Packagingand Labeling Act of1966 brought certainimportant improve-ments of benefit toconsumers forexample, the netcontents of a packagemust be printed inlarge type on theface of the package;there must not be toomuch air space atthe top of a box orbottle,

Consumers still findit difficult to makeprice comparisonsbecause of the widevariety of packagesizes.


Have individual pupilsor committees of pupilsmake quantity-price sur-veys of various foodproducts in local super-markets for instance,of cola drinks, potatochips, corn flakes,canned peaches, and fro-zen green peas. For eachproduct, the followingihformation should becollected:

1. Brand name2. Package size (net

weight or netvolume)

3. Price

SOURCES

"Some Truth-inPackaging....ButNot Enough,"Consumer Reports,Feb. 1967, pp. 113-115

"What's Happenedto Truth-in-Packaging," ConsumerReports, Jan. 1969,pp. 40-43

"Simply EncloseOne Boxtop....,"Consumer Reports,Nov. 1959, pp.595-597. "Premiumoffers make apoor source forgifts, and theyare a doubtfulbargain at anytime, CU discovered."

EXAMPLE: Shown below are the data collected and computed for apopular brand of cola drink:

No. Package SizeTotal

Price oz.

Price in Cents:per oz per qt.

8 10-oz. bottles $1.25 80 1.56 49.96 12-oz. cans 1.03 72 1.43 45.86 16-oz. bottles 1.45 96 1.51 48.32 26-oz. bottles .49 52 .94 30.1

In the above data, note: (a) the use of odd Measures, as 10 oz 12 oz.,and 26 oz.; (b) the arithmetic required to figure out for each size theprice per ounce and the price per quart; and (c) that the price perquart of the 12-oz. size is lower than that of the 16-oz. size.

Consumers need foodand other products ina limited number ofstandard measuresfor example, onepound and one-half


pound; one pint andone-half pintin order to be ableto determine quickly,easily, and surelywhich brand and whichsize is the lowestin price.

Many manufacturersopposed the passageof the Fair Packagingand Labeling Act of1966 by the U.S.Congress.

Consumer-interestgroups favor thestrengthening of theFair Packaging andLabeling Act so thatmanufacturers will berequired to usestandard measuresinstead of oddmeasures and to havefewer numbers ofsizes.

Discuss such questionsas:

Consumer groups alsofavor the use of unitpricing --that is, theposting by a retailstore of the priceper pound or the priceper pint near wherethe package is dis-played.

Consumer groups favorlower regular pricesinE-tead of cents-offoffers printed on thelabel; cents-off cou-pons; box-top premiumoffers, as on breakfastcereals; specials, asfour for the price ofthree; and tradingstamps.

1. Why have a number ofmanufacturers opposedso-called "truth-in-packaging laws"?

New York City nowrequires largesupermarkets topost the unitprices on a largenumber of packagedfoods and house-hold sundries

2. From the consumer view, (such as laundry

should manufacturers detergents andhave more or fewer toothpastes).sizes of their products? For informationWhy? about this consumer-

aid program,

3. From the consumer write to:

view, should manufac-turers use standardmeasures instead ofodd measures? Why?

4. From the consumerview, should a super-market post unitprices? Why? Shouldthe law require this?Why?

31

Department ofConsumer Affairs,City of New York,80 Lafayette St.,New York, N.Y.10013


WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW AND DO ABOUT THESAFETY AND QUALITY OFFOOD?

What about food safety?

The safety of America'sfood supply dependsupon producers:(farmers, manufac-turers, retailers);Federal, state, andlocal governments;and consumers them-selves.

The Federal Govern-ment regulates thesafety of foods thatare shipped inter-state that is,across state boundaries

Three Federalagencies are re-spu;:siW for theinspintion of foodsfor safety andwholesomeness:

1. The Food ane DrugAdministration(F.D.A.) inspectsa large number andvariety of foodsfor safety andfor labeling.

Have pupils look for andbring in newspaper ormagazine stories of foodsthat government agenciessuch as the F.D.A. havefound to be contaminatedby harmful micro-organisms.

Note: On July 18, 1971,The New York Timescarried a front-pagestory entitled: "GrimDetective Case: Searchfor Vichyssoise." It

told how a local physician, FDA Fact Sheets,a local public healthofficer, and F.D.A.investigators trackeddown the cause of deathof a man 15 hours afterhe had eaten soup from

. a can that had beenimproperly processed atthe plant. The soupwas contaminated withthe deadly botulintoxin.

SOURCES

Food and DrugAdministration,850 Third Ave.,Brooklyn, N.Y.11232

Write for thesepublications:

How the FDAWorks for You,FDA PublicationNo. 1 (June1970)

Discuss: Under the law,the F.D.A. has the powerto obtain a court orderwhereby it seizes anyfood that it has foundto be dangerous toconsumers. Why is thispower to seize soimportant?

2. The U.S. Depart- Consider: During the U.S.ment of Agriculture Government's fiscal year(U.S.D.A.) inspects ending June 30, 1971,-itmeat and poultry spent about $85products, fresh Million on F.D.A.and processed fruits or, about 43 cents perand vegetables, person. Ask: Areeggs, cheese, Americans spending toobutter, and other much, about the rightdairy products. amount, or too little on

F.D.A.? Why do you thinkso?

as follows

FDA Publicationsfor Health andConsumerEducation

Food ColorsFood StandardsFood LabelingPricesSome Q & AAbout Canned Food

Fair Packagingand LabelingAct

Enforcing theFDC Act

For a critique ofF.D.A. by one of"Nader's Raiders,"see:

Turner, James S.The chemical feast.New York. GrossmanPublishers. 1971.Paperbound, 95cents.

UNDERSTANDINGS

What about food safety?

Here are some of the high-lights in the historyof the Food and DrugAdministration.

HOWTHE FDAWORKSFOR YOU


For food safety's sake,look for these inspectionseals of ti:e U.S.Department of Agriculture.

1897, The Tea Importation Act was passed, providing for in-

spection of all tea entering U.S. ports. 1906, The original Food

and Drugs Act passed Congress and was signed by President

Theodore Roosevelt. 1912, The Sher ley Amendment prohibited

labeling medicines with false and fraudulent therapeutic claims.

1923, The Filled Milk Act prohibited interstate traffic in milk or

cream containing any fat other than milk fat. 1927, A separate

law enforcement agency was formed, first known as The Food,

Drug, and Insecticide Administration. 1938, The Federal Food,

Drug, and Cozrnetic Act was enacted. 1945, The FDC Act was

Here are the marks of Federal inspection

AtiEVI,;L:R7

amended to require certification of the safety and efficacy of

penicillin. 1951, The Supreme Court ruled that a standardized

food which does not meet its standard of indentity cannot be

sold legally unless it is marked "imitation." 1954, The Miller

Pesticides Amendment streamlined procedures for setting

safety limits for pesticidal residues on raw agricultural corn-

modities and greatly strengthened consurner protection. 1956,

The 50th anniversary year of tribute and rededication on the

part of the Government and indl,stry to the cause of effective

food and drug protection. 1960, The Federal Hazardous Sub-

stances Labeling Act was passed to require prominent warning

labeling on hazardous household chemicals. 1965, Drug Abuse

Control Amendments were enacted to deal with problems caused

by abuse of three groups of dangerous drugs. 1966, The Fair

Packaging and Labeling Act was enacted to require that con-

sumer products in interstate commerce be honestly and infor-

matively labeled. 1967, The St. Louis District converted into a

national center for drug analysis to study intensively the Nation's

drug wpply. 1969, Reports on oral contraceptives dt,note current

vital statistics on the efficacy of the drugs.

33

U. S.INSP TED

AND PASSED BYDEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE

EST. 38

DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE

P-42

This is the skimp put onmeat carcasses. It is

only stamped on themajor cuts of the car-cass, so it may not ap-pear on the roast orsteak you buy.

You will find this markon every prepackagedprocessed meat prod-uctsoups to spreadsthat has been Fed-erally inspected.

This is the mark usedon Federally inspectedfresh or frozen poultryor processed poultryproducts.

UNDERSTANDINGS

3. The U.S. Departmentof the Interiorinspects fresh andprocessed fisheryproducts.

The Food and DrugAdministration checkson:

1. The sanitation offood processingand storage plants;

2. The presence ofharmful micro-organisms in foods;

3. The safety of foodadditives suchas preservatives,artificial flavorsand colorsalso, of the maxi-mum tolerances tobe allowed forpesticide residuesin foods;

4. The truthfulnessand accuracy of theinformation onfood-packagelabels, net weights,ingredients, and thelike.

What about foodquality?

In buying food, con-sumers may find thatbrand names are oftena helpful guide toquality. But brandname alone is not asufficient guide to

quality.


. Invite the consumerspecialist of yourdistrict office of theFood and Drug Adminis-tration to talk to yourclasses, or even better,to address an all-schoolassembly. Arrange fora question and answeropportunity at the endof the speech whenstudent questions may bediscussed.

. Discuss: "How can you asa consumer find out thequality of the food thatyou are buying? Freshbeef? Chicken? Eggs?Cheddar cheese? Cannedtomatoes? Frozen peas?Frozen orange juice?Fresh fruits? Freshvegetables?

34

In an article in

The New York Times,Aug. 25, 1971,Charles C.Edwards, head ofthe Food and DrugAdministration,indicated the sizeof the food in-spection job andthe manpower andmoney availableto his Federalagency to do it."Dr. EdLiards,"The Times reported,"stated that Lhedrug agency hadonly 212 in-spectors over-seeing the outputof 60,000 foodmanufacturing,processing, andpackaging plantsin the nation withan output totaling$100-billion worthof food."

How To Use USDAGrades in Buying.Food. Consumerand MarketingService. PA-7.U.S. Departmentof Agriculture,Washington, D.C,20250

Food --The Year-book of Agricul-ture 1959.

UNDERSTANDINGS

Consumers shouldrealize that the U.S.Department ofAgriculture hasworked out grades formany food products.These grades aremeasures of quality.

Consumers are mostlikely to find theUSDA grade shieldon beef, lamb,chicken, turkey,eggs, and butter.The shield means thaan expert Governmentgrader has examinedthe food and hascertified that itmeasures up to adefinite standard ofquality.

The USDA grades arevoluntary, notmandatory. That is,a food packer orprocessor uses thesegrades and putsthem on the labelsof his products onlyif he wants to do so


"On what foods does yoursupermarket have qualitygrades such as USDA GradeA or Grade A on thelabels? On what foodsare there no qualitygrades? Why? Shouldquality grades be placed

on all foods?"

Toward answering theforegoing questions,have pupils make asurvey of the foods with

USDA grades on theirt package labels. Then

have them report theirfindings to the class.

Food growers, packers,processors, whole-salers, and retailersmake widespread useof USDA grades. Butmany packers and pro-cessors do not putthese grades on thelabels of their foodproducts so thatconsumer-buyers canknow what these gradesare.

To demonstrate whatUSDA grades mean, buythree cans of tomatoescans that are labeled,respectively, Grade A,Grade B, and Grade C.Open the cans and havepupils examine thecontents.

In this connection,note that U.S. Grade A(or Fancy) "indicatesan excellent qualityin processed fruit andvegetables, uniformityin size and color,virtual freedom fromdefects, and theproper degree ofmaturity or tenderness.This grade is suitedfor special uses,as desserts or salads,

where appearance andtexture are impor-tant." (Consumers All,

p. 426.)

SOURCES

U.S. Departmentof Agriculture.Superintendent ofDocuments,Washington, D.C.20402. $2.25. See"What Grades Mean,"pp. 344-352; also,"Fish and theFishing Industry,"pp. 353-370.

Consumers AllThe Yearbook ofAgriculture 1965.U.S. Department ofAgriculture. Super-intendent ofDocuments, Washington,D.C. 20402. $2.75.See "USDA Grades,"pp. 423-427.

The Final Reportof the NationalCommission on FoodMarketing (p. 109)issued June 1966made the followingamong its proposals"to provide con-sumers with thechoices and un-biased informationthey need to getthe most satisfac-tion for theirmoney:

"Consumer gradesshould-5e developedand required toappear on all foodsfor which suchgrades are feasible,that are sold insubstantial volumeto consumers, andthat belong to a

reco nlzed rod-uct.... The grades

UNDERSTANDINGS

A number of foodpackers and processorswant consumers tobuy according tobrand names ratherthan according toUSDA grades.

If consumers knewthe USDA grades ofall foods, theywould be betterable than otherwiseto judge the qualityof those foods, tocompare prices ofdifferent brands,and to get the mostfor their money.

In buying food, thewise consumer con-siders brand name,USDA grade, andprice.

MEATA mark like this may be

starnped on meat. This is thegrade (Choice) you are mostlikely to see.


DAIRY PRODUCTS

This is the USDA grademark used on butter. It isprinted on the carton and onthe wrappers of quarter-poundsticks of butter.

N. S. WHENGRADE GRADED

PACKED CNDER INSPECTION OF

TR U. S. REPT. OF AGRICULTURE

Debate: "If consumersbought according tothe USDA grades of foods,packers and processorsmight move away frombrand-name competitionand toward more pricecompetition and morequality competitionthan at present."

USDACHOICE

Several kinds of meat are gradedbeef,lamb, veal, and calfand this shield is usedon them all.

Main grades are Prime, Choice, and Good.There are lower grades, but you are not likelyto see them marked on the meat. Some storesmay have beef marked with the Standard orCommercial grades.

EGGS

LARGEGradr1 UnOr

FederelSlitu Supervision

PROCESSED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Th:s is the grade mark usedon canned, frozen, and driedfruits and vegetables. It isalso used on a few relatedproducts like honey, jam, andjelly.

36

should prominentlyappear on consumerpackages if theproduct is or-dinarily sold insuch packages bymanufacturers....The grades shouldbe in the form A,B, C.... as estab-lished by theresponsibleGovernment agency."

POULTRYStr--.

LARGE24 OZ.

PER DOZ.

U.S. GRADES AT A GLANCE

(Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture)

*Note: (see below)

Product 1st Grade 2d Grade 3d Grade 4th Grade

Beef USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Good USDAStandard

Veal USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Good USDAStandard

Calf USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Good USDAUtility

Lamb USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Good USDAUtility

YearlingMutton

USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Good USDAUtility

Mutton USDA Choice USDA Good USDAUtility

Poultry U.S. Grade A U.S. Grade B U.S. Grade C

Eggs U.S. Grade AA U.S. Grade A U.S. Grade B U.S.Grade C

Butter U.S. Grade AA(U.S. 93 Score)

U.S. Grade A(U.S. 92Score)

U.S. Grade B(U.S. 90Score)

CheddarCheese J.S. Grade AA U.S. Grade A U.S. Grade B

U.S.

Grack2 C

SwissCheese U.S. Grade A U.S. Grade B U.S. Grade C

U.S.Grade D

NonfetDryMilk

U.S. ExtraGrade

U.S.StandardGrade

ProcessedFruits andVegetables

U.S. Grade A(Fancy)

U.S. Grade B(Choice or

Extra Standard)

U.S. Grade C(Standard)

*Note:

There are lower grades (USDA Commercial for beef, USDA Utility for

veal, USDA Cull for lamb and mutton) but meat of these grades seldom

appears in the retail market and is generally used in processed meat items

such as frankfurters.

37

UNDERSTANDINGS

What about the qualityof meat?

The quality of freshmeat depends upon anumber of factors,such as:

1. its cut (as indicatedby the part of theanimal from whichthe cut came)

2. its grade (asindicated by USDAgrades, forexample)

3. its wholesomeness(as indicated bythe USDA inspected-and-passed stamp orseal)

4. its leanness (asindicated by theproportion oFedible meat toinedible fat, bone,gristle, and otherwaste)

5. its freshness (asindicated byappearance andodor, for example)

. Consumers need to knowwhen shopping for freshmeat how much lean andhow much waste is inthe package. Theycan readily find outthis information if thepackage has a clearplastic cover and asee-through plastictray.


After referring to the How to Buy Beef"Beef Chart" on page 40, Roasts. U.S.a committee of pupils Department ofmight visit a local Agriculture. Ordersupermarket or meat from: Superinten-market and try to dent of Documents,identify the various Washington, D.C.cuts of beef that are 20402. 10 cents.on display. The committeeshould note and write "A Close Look atdown the information Hamburger,"that appears on some of Consumer Reports,the beef package labels. Aug. 1971,pp. 478-The committee, of 483. This reportcourse, will want to presents:report its findings tothe class.

In buying hamburger fora class, club, or familycookout, interestedpupils might use "AShopper's Checklist," aspresented in the columnat th, right. Whenbuying the hamburger,pupils might talk withthe manager of the meatdepartment or the meatstore in order to get hisideas on how best to obtaingood-quality hamburgerat a reasonable price.

A Federal law in Canadarequires that the windowof a package of bacondisplay in full one com-plete slice. To indicatewhy such a display isimportant to consumers,a pupil mightbuy a one-pound package of bacon,a package in which thecontents seer to beleanest. The pupil thenmight:

"A Shopper'sChecklist

"All thingsconsidered, ouradvice for any-one shopping forhamburger wouldbe:

"*For ordinarybroiled ham-burger, buythe cheapestcuts or piecesof ungroundbeef you canfind. But ifyou're goingto cook themeat in sucha manner thatthe fat isn'trendered out,you'll getmore pleasingresults withleaner, moreexpensivecuts.

UNDERSTANDINGS

In the case of somemeat products, con-sumers are "buying apig in a poke" inbuying packaged bacon,for example, where thewindow shows only thelean edges of thebacon strips.

Consumers need andwant better thanat present qualitycontrol of freshmeat products by

packers, wholesalers,and retailersby government meatinspectors,and byother governmentofficials.


1. Take a Polaroid pictureof the bacon as seenthrough the packagewindow.

2. Then take a Polaroidpicture of the firstfull slice of baconafter its removalfrom the package.

3. Make a poster thatdisplays the twophotographs andthat includes anycomments by the pupil-photographer.

Discuss: "Should a meatpacker show a typicalfull slice of bacon inthe window of his package?Why? Should there bea law requiring him to doso?"

"*Take the beefhome forgrinding inyour ownmachine, orhave yourhamburgerground toorder pre-ferably infront of you.In CU's sur-vey, ground-to-order meatgenerally costmore thanpregroundmeat; it alsowas generallycleaner.

"*Be alert forupcomingsales. We'vefound thatadvertisedbeef specialsin supermarketsare likely toyield realand substantialsavings."

"Bacon," ConsumerReports, Sept.1969, pp. 510-513. Gives rank-order qualityratings of alarge number ofbrands of bacon.The top-ratedbrand at 69 centsa pound cost$3.29 a poundwhen cooked.Edible yield only21 percent.

THE COMMON NAMES FOR THE CUTS OF BEEF AND WHERE THESE CUTS COME FROM

BEEF CHARTClubStric

0T-BoneSteak

4

® Pin BoneSirloin Steak

0Round Steak Standing Rump

6Top Round Steak

©BottomRound

" Steak

Sirloin Tip Roast

SirloinTip Steak

00Filet Mignon

Tenderloin Steak(also from Sirloin 1,2,3)

0 Eyeof Round

Roast orSteak

C)

Heel of Round

0 Fresh Brisket0

Short Ribs

MOWN=

® Stew Meat orGround Meat

(.2) Stew Meat orGround Meat

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

40

46

0 Flank Steak

Some figures and facts about Americans' most popular meat --*

About half the beef eaten in the United States is eaten in the formof hamburgersome 11.3 billion pounds of it a year, or a yearlyaverage of about 55 pounds of hamburger for every man, womanand child in the country. If what CU recently found in one cityis at all typical of ground meat sold nationwide, the heavy con-sumption of hamburger looks like a great, but often unwar-ranted, act of faith. A shockingly large perc.entage of the ham-burger we purchased was well on the way to putrefaction. Agood number of our samples contained more fat than unadul-terated hamburger would normally; some samples contained

more fat than the law allows. And our resultshint that at least some ground meat labeled as

chuck or round may be something else.

Ning Features Syndicate, Inc., 1971.

A CLOSE LOOK AlaHAMBURGERConsumer Reports, Aug. 1971, p. 478.

To test your H.I.Q. (HamburgerIntelligence Quotient), answerthese questions:

I. Why is Wimpy weeping?

2. Why will Popeye probablykeep up his strength withspinach?

*Page is reproduced with the permission of Consumers Union and KingFeatures Syndicate Inc.


What about the freshnessof foods?

Consumers, of course,can determine thefreshness of fresh fruitsand fresh vegetablesby direct examinationby appearance, touch,and odor, for example.

Consumers at presenthave no easy and sureway of knowing therelative freshness ofa packaged food product.

For many products,the manufacturer printsthe pull date on theliel of the package

date when the prod-uct should be removedfrom sale to consumers.

Typically, the pulldate is in code a

code that the manu-facturer and the retailerknow but that the con-sumer does not know.

Consumers need andwant to know what thepull date is --not inthe form of a codethat they do not under-stand but in the formof an actual date thatthey do.

A committee of pupilsmight visit a localsupermarket and find outfrom the manager whatpull dates are Lialso, whether thesepull dates are in codeor in actual dates.

In its report to theclass, the committeemight display a numberof different foodproducts and their pulldates.

Discuss: Some retailsupermarket chains arenow informing consumersabout their pull dates,as through a specialbooklet that is avail-able to all customers.

Ask: Should manufacturersand/or retailers informconsumers as to the pulldates of fiod products?If sellers do notvoluntarily inform con-sumers as to their pulldates, should governmentrequire these sellers todo so? Why?

The National CannersAssociation argumentsagainst the proposedamendments to the FairPackaging and LabelingAct of 1966 tc require apackaged perishable orsemiperishable food toshow a pull date includethese viewpoints:

"Many factors influercethe quality ofwhich are more importantthan time. Temperatureis a primary factor.

42

How To Buy Food-Ca series of 11booklets onselection, qualityand use of foods).Conswiler andMarketing Service,U.S. Departmentof Agriculture.Order fromSuperintendent ofDocuments,Washington, D.C.20402. $1.25 perkit.

For a copy of itsbooklet entitledFreshness Codes,write:

Grand Union,100 Broadway,Patterson,New Jersey

"Cracking theSupermarket Code,"by Claire Berman.New York Magazine,Dec. 21, 1970.For a copy of thereprint of thisarticle, order"New York Handbook:A Guerilla Guidefor Consumers.Cracking theSupermarket Code"New York Magazine,207 East 32d St.,New York, N.Y.

SUGGESTED PUPIL AND

UNDERSTANDINGS TEACR ACTIVITIES SOURCES

"Heat or humidity,or a combination ofthese two conditions,will cause metalcontainers to breakdown or food todeteriorate....Inaddition to tempera-ture, differences inthe variety offruits and vegetablesinfluence shelf life.

"The shelf-lifeprediction of foodcompanies may differeven for the sameproduct; all may becorrect, dependenton the variablesof specific appliedtechnology ormethodology.

"The date would havea definite effect onmarketing becauseconsumers wouldchoose one date overanother,causing anaccumulation ofpackages with olderdates and increasedfood cost. Eventuallythe retailer wouldhave to return packagesto the manufacturer ordispose of them insome other way. Some-one would have to paybecause prices wouldhave to be increasedto offset the lossesprovoked by themanufacturers andretailers' increasedcosts in providingfood."(For activities basedon these argumehts,see top of page 45.)

CO

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on's

she

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a c

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on ft

. The

cod

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stab

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es a

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tly s

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ovid

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and

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or

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prim

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ntor

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. The

one

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that

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Com

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and

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effo

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at a

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All

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atin

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The

re a

re tw

o as

pect

sof

datin

gto

re-

mem

ber

the

mea

ning

of t

he d

ate

and

the

form

of t

he d

ate.

Peo

ple

tend

to c

onfu

seth

ese

two.

The

re a

re s

ever

al c

ode

datin

gte

rms

that

mea

n qu

ite d

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s. H

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:

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Dat

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Cod

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acka

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ode

Dat

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he d

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afte

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houl

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used

,as

sum

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prod

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as b

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stor

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ndha

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der

"nor

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" co

nditi

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*"P

ull"

Cod

e D

ate

The

dat

e a

prod

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shou

ld b

e re

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2


WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW AND DO ABOUTCONSUMER FRAUDS?

The wise consumertries to protecthimself against fraudsby learning aboutand by watching outfor such appeals andpractices as thefollowing:

1. THE BIG BARGAIN(This may turn outto be no bargainat al1.1

2. A BUY THAT IS TOOGOOD TO BE TRUE(Often it's neithergood nor true.)

3. BAIT-AND-SWITCHADVERTISING (Thebait: you areoffered somethingat a low price.The switch: youare sold somethingelse,instead,ata high price.)

4. A LIFETIMEGUARANTEE (Whoselifetime? That'sthe question to'ask.)

How valid do thesearguments seem? Isthere a reasonable com-promise between thedesire of consumersto have fresh productsand the reluctance ofprocessors to revealthe informationrequested?

Have pupils give examplesof certain advertisingand other selling ptices that seem to bEfrauds. They may findsuch examples by talkingwith their parents andwith others in theircommunities the cityattorney, the head ofthe local Better BusinessBureau or Chamber ofCommerce, the communityservice thairman of alocal labor union, ora reporter on a localnewspaper.

Discuss the followingsayings as they applyto self-protectionagainst consumer frauds:

"An ounce of preventionis worth a pound ofcure."

"To be forewarned is tobe forearmed."

"Fool me once, shame onyou. Fool me twice,shame on me."

Committees of pupilsmight plan,write, andstag0 skits that

differentkinds of consumerfrauds also

For further cr_s-cussion of thistopic see:

"ConsumerEducation -Materials foral ElectiveCourse, Unit 8,Fraud, Quackeryand Deception,"pp. 115-126.From:PublicationsDistributionUnit, StateEducationDepartment,Albany 12224

For bookletsabout consumerfrauds, write:

Better BusinessBureau ofMetropolitanNew York, 20Church Street,New York, N.Y.

Your ABC's ofCareful Buying:A Guide for theConsumer. Bureauof Consumer Fraudsand Protection,Department of Law,State of New York,

UNDERSTANDINGS

5. A FREE GIFT ("A freegift" that leadsyou to buy somethingthat you can'treally afford oryou don't really needor want is in facta very expensivegift.)

6. YOU HAVE BEENSELECTED....(You may be "thefall guy" for thesalesman who isplanning to sellyou something veryexpensive.)

7. MAKE EASY MONEYFAST (You may,instead, lose yourhard-earned moneyfast,)

8. WHY IT WON'T COSTYOU ANYTHING IF TENOF YOUR FRIENDS BUYONE, TOO. (Butthe chances are amillion to onethat they won't.)

If defrauded, theinformed consumerknows where to _y.) for

assistance.


different methods where-by consumers (1) can avoidbeing "taken" by suchfrauds and (2) can secureassistance after being"taken."

Discuss the anti-fraudwork of the fllowingconsumer aids: localBar Association; LegalAid Society; New YorkState Bureau of Consume.-Frauds and Protection;New York City Depart-mPnt of Consumer Affairs.

SOURCES

80 Centre Street,New York, Mew York_(Note: From thisoffice you canobtain an ex-cellent 25-minute16mm color soundfilm entitled"The Fine Art ofFraud" --to showto your classesor to an all-school assembly.)

Wise Up! KnowYour Departmentof ConsumerAffairs. Depart-ment of ConsumerAffairs, City ofNew York, 80Lafayette Street,New York, N.Y.10013. Anotherof its publicationsis: How To Sue ina Small ClaimsCourt in NewYork City.

Federal TradeCommission, 26Federal Plaza,New York, N.Y.10007. Has anumber ofpublicationsincluding:

List of Publications

Here Is YourFederal TradeCommission

Guard AgainsiPhony Ads

(Continued onpage 49)

From: Your ABC's of Careful Bu in A Guide for the Consumer. Bureau ofConsumer Frauds and Protection, Department of Law, State of New York,

80 Centre Street, New York, N.Y.

10 POINT BUYING GUIDEFOR CONSUMERS

1 DON'T be misled by the dealer wholures you to his establishment with an

attractive advertisement of a standard brand itemand then tries to talk you into a higher pricedoff-brand article. Be wary of the story that he isall out of the advertised item, or that there willbe a long wait for delivery, or that what he nowis trying to sell you is better than the advertisedarticle.

6 DON'T use the article delivered to youif you find that it is not the same as you

ordel'ed, but immediately notify the seller. If afinance company is involved, and your complaintis not sat:shed, inform the finance company inwriting of your complaint within 10 days afteryou receive the notice the finance company isrequired by law to give you. This is importantbecause if you fail to do so, you may lose valu-able rights and find yourself obliged to pay forsomething you do not want.

2 DON'T be blinded by "bargains" offeredat prices which are hard to believe. Check

prices of the same quality merchandise or serviceoffered by other dealers and make sure that theadvertised article is what it is claimed to be.Such phrases as "reduced from," "made to sellfor" and the like should act as a warning signalkr you to Fheck further.

7 DON'T accept an oral guarantee Get itin writing. Make sure you understand

what it says and that it protects you fully. Besure that installations of appliances and suchfurnishiwp: as carpeting are guaranteed by adealer, because a manufacturer can claim that aproduct's warranty has been voided if it has notbeen installed properly.

3 DON'T be rushed into buying anythingby talk of a "golden opportunity" or per-

suasion that it is a "last chance" to get in on a"good thing." Take your time, investigate, andmake up your mind carefully.

8 DON'T sign a contract without readingit carefully . . . especially the fine print.

Insist that all details of the sale be in writing.NEVER SIGN A BLANK CONTRACT ORA CONTRACT WITH BLANK SPACES INIT. Demand and get a copy of the contract.Check with a lawyer if you don't understandit. Never sign a statemmt which states thatwork is finished until it actually is.

4 DON'T allow a door-to-door salesmanto kave merchandise with you on an

"approval receipt," until be,Leturns. He may notcome back and you will find yourself receivinga bill for an article which you do not want.Always ask for the salesman's credentials.

5 DON'T peimit a household applianceor television or radio set to be taken from

your home for repairs without first receiving inwriting an estirrate of the probable repair cost.Obtain written assurance that no additionalcharges will be made without your consent, andthat if yovl do not want the "extra" repairs theart' will be returned to you immediately.

9 DON'T make financial commitments.-,thich you cannot possibly meet. When

buying on the installment plan, remember thatif you fall behind in your payments, the sellerusually has a legal right to repossess the mer-chandise and sell it for whatever it will bring tomeet part or all of your remaining indebtedness.

47

03

10 DON'T hesitate to inv, stigate beforebuying. If you have any doubt 'about a

dealer, check with the Attorney General's Office,Better Business Bureau in your area, your localChamber of Commerce, or some other commu-nity organization which works to protect theconsumer and the legitimate business man.

From: Wise Up: Know Your Department of Consumer Affairs,New yorK city

ConsumerProtection Laws

Words tothe Wise Shopper

Advertised items must ce truthfully described andavailable at the advertised price.

Prices must be marked either on themerchandise itself or on a sign near thedisplay.

Scales must be between seller and buyer;allow unobstructed view; carry thrDepartment's seal; start at zero; cometo rest before weight or price is quoted,

Customer's 'male must he within 30 feet of prepackagedfood products for customer's checkingpurposes.

Net Weight niust be computed without wrappingmaterials or containers

Meats ground to order must be ground in a meat grinder in fullview of the public.

Ready-madeground meat must be labeled with types of meat

contained; only ground beef may belabeled "hamburger"; no chemicals,dyes, or any additives, exceptcondiments, are permitted.

Lights that enhance the appearance of 'meatare illegal.

Eggs must be marked with grade, size, andweight on container or on a sign nearthe display.

Bread, wrapped or unwrapped, must be labeledwith kind of bread, net weight, name andaddress of manufacturer and distributor.

Packaged commodities must be labeled with identityof product,net weight, measure or count of contents,name and address of packer ordistributor.

Items packagedby the retailer must be labeled with price per pound,

net weight and total price.Prescriptirm cost must be stated by pharmacist, upon

request, before filling prescription.Gasoline pu -lip must start at zero before each purchase;

price per gallon on the face of the pumpmust be the same as price on the signattached to the pump.

48

Buy only what you need. Don't let yourself gethigh pressured.

Buy from a reputable concern. Shop around tocompare price and value.

Read tags and labels; check sales slips; keepwritten guarantee in a sate place.

Get all guarantees in writing. Don't rely on oralpromises

Insist on seeing advertised merchandise. Carry adwith you arid hold it until delivery.Uon't use article delivered if not asadvertised.Don't let anyone 'bait and switch' you.

Beware of "Golden Opportunity", "Last Chance","As Is" or "Final" sales.

Be suspicious if the price is too low.Are guarantees and services included?Are there hidden charges, such asdelivery, installation or other servicecharges?Can your order be cancelled?Can merchandise be returned, if notsatisfactory?

Be wary of door-to-door salesmen: think twice,don't sign in haste.

Before allowing household appliances, radio -.)r TV setsto leave the house for repairs, get anestimate of cost in writing, and getwritten assurance that there will be noadditional c --nes without your consent.

Wise Up:

5 4

If you have any questions or cornciaints,call us,

964-7777

or visit or writeDepartment of Consumer Affairs80 Lafayette StreetNew York, New Yoi-k 10013


WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW. AND DO ABOUTCONSUMER-PRODUCERRELAT:ONSHIPS?

Consumers have theright to expect thatproducers will beinformative, honest,ethical, and courteousin their advertising,business transactions,and other relationshipswith consumers.

In their relation-ships with producers(retailers andman!' acturers), consumershave the responsibilityof being truthful,honest, ethical, andcourteous.

Retailers offer consumersa number of importantprivileges for example,the privileges ofexamining a productclosc), of returninga product that theconsumer considersto be unsatisfactory,of getting a replace-ment or a money refundfor the product returned.

Have a loca. ietailertalk to the class or toan assembly about con-sumer-retailer relation-s)ips.

After the retailer'spresentation, pupilsmight consider suchquestions as:

1. What might retailersdo to provide betteradvertising, products,and services toconsumers than theydo at present? To offerproducts at lowerprices?

. What might consumersdo to encourage or tohelp retailers toprovide more informa-tion, better productsand services, andlower prices?

3. How mig)t retailersand their employees(particularly salesclerks) give custmersinformative andreliable descriptionsof consumer products?

49

0 0

Fight Back: TheUn9entle Art ofSelf Defense

Beware: It'sYour Money

See also: Margo-lius, Sidney. Th=innocent consumervs. the exploiters.New York. TridentPress. 1967.

For references onconsumer-retailerrelations, lookfor articles innewspapers andmagazines.

Re the widespreadand growing problemof shoplifting,see the following:

Hellman, Peter.One in ten shoppersis a shoplifter.Th..: New YorkTimes MagazineMar. 15, 1970,p. 34 on. Fromthis article hereare some salientquotations:

"Retailers claimprices could becut 15 percentacross the boardif.-..it werenot for storethefts, (theftsinclude those bycustomers andthose by storeemployees ) whichare up more than150 percent since1960: a risegreater than that


Consumers at timesabuse tilese privilegesfor example, by damaginga product while exam-ining it, by returningas unused a product thathas been used, and lastbut not least, by shop-lifting - that is, bystealing the productfrom the retailer.

When consumers shop-lift --that is, stealsomething from aretail store theyof course risk legalarrest and punishment.They also make itnecessary for the storeto charge higherprices than otherwise.Thus shoplifters notonly steal from thestore but also, in areal sense, pick thepockets of the storsother customers.

Consumers need to knowthe jurisdiction ofagencies and to whatagency to apply forcorrection or redress.Some agencies havepower to revokelicenses (city orState), some tomediate for theconsumer, ,.nd othersto act oniy for thegeneral welfare.

WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERSKNOW AND u0 ABOUT THECONSUMER MOVEMENT?

The consumer movementis actually manymovements --movementsoutside government andnside government aswell.

Have a class discussion:

1. Do high school pupilsshoplift? If so, how?If so, where? If so,what? If so, when?If so, why?

What can and shouldhigh school youth doto dea: with theproblems of shop-lifting?

Have an all-schoolassembly on "Shop-lifting --What It Is andWhat To Oo About It."On the panel of speakershave persons who repre-sent: students, parents,teachers, retailers,youth organizations,religious groups, andlaw-enforcement author-ities.

Have students inquireabotd: the jurisdictionof public consumera_ericies. [Note: TheFed2ral Trade Commissionis not allowed to seekredress for an individualconsumer but may issueStop and Desist orderswithout proof of intentto detraud. The StateBureau of Consumer Fraudsand Protection and theNew York C.4 Departmentof Consumer Affairs canmediate between individualconsumers and businessfirms.]

A committee of pupilsmight write to eachof the following inde-pendent nonprofit non-commercial membcirshiporganizations forpublications that describeits purposes and workn behalf of consmers:

50

SOURCES

for any crimeexcept purse-snatching."

"One shopliftertold the author:'There isn'tmuch that won'tgo into a purc:e:a split ofchampagne; a nicegold-platedflashlight Ifound in a giftshop on MadisonAvenue: a copyof Hemingway'sshort stories.It all goes inthe bag --plonk,plonk, plonk.'"

"Small storesare as plaguedby shopliftingproblems asthe big ones."

. Davis, Ralph S.Youth in trouble:shoplifters,Today's Education,T7-7! 1971, p. 31

NationalE.::::ation Associa-tion, 1201 16thSt., N.W.,Washington, D.C.20036. The authortells about theantishopliftingcampaigns conduct-ed in theChampaign-Urbana(Illinois) area.

Business Week,April 22, 1939,stated n anarticle entitled"The ConsumerMovement":


Toward protecting andadvancing their inter-ests, producers(businessmen, workers,and farmers, for example)have their ownorganizations; for thesame reasons, consumersneed to have theirown organizations.

In the past, consumerorganizations, ingeneral, have beensmall, poorly financed,and weak. S.Ace aboutl',160, such organizationshave been gaining inmembership and ineffectiveness.

Within New York City,the Consumer Asseilblyof Greater New Yorkan organization whosemembers include laborunions, consumerhousing cooperatives,consumer supermarketcooperatives, creditunions (another kindof consumer cooperative),-and religious groupsworks for local, State,and Federal laws,regulations, and candi-dates for public officewho are devoted to theadvancement of consumerinterests.

The Consumer Federationof America, organizedin 1967, brought togethera large number ofnational, statewide,and local consumerassociations; laborunions; credit unions;and consumer supermarket,

Consumer Assembly ofGreater New York, 465Grand St., New York,N.Y. 10002.

Consumer Federation ofAmerica, 1012 14thSt., N.W., Washington,D.C. 20005.

United Housing Founda-tion, 465 Grand St.,New York, N.Y. 10002.

Consumers Research,Inc.,Washington, N.J. 07882.

Credit Union League ofNew York State, 2045th Ave., New York, N.Y.

Consumers Union, 256Washington St., MountVernon, N.Y. 10550.

Why has it usually beendifficult to form,finance, and strengthenorganizations ofconsumers?

Why is it important tohave strong, adequatelyfinanced, and activeconsumer organizationsthat is, organizationsthat are completelyindependent of bothbusiness and government:

Who is Ralph Nader? Whathas he done in behalfof corsumers? (Note:Nader has become anoutstanding consumeradvocate. Sometimes heand other consumerspokesmen and leadershave been referred toas "consumerists."

"Why do you buyone make of auto-mobile ratherthan another?Why do you drawup beside afilling staticnpump which ispainted redrather thanyellow? Powcan you tell whattype of J=lectricrefrigeor istechnically thebest within therange of whatyou can affordto pay; or oilheater, orvacuum cleaner,or electricwasher, or radioset?

"In 1927, when acertified publicaccountant namedStuart Chase anda mechanicalengineer namedFrederick JohnSchlink put thosepowers to thehibernatingconsumers inparagraph oneof a book calledYour Money's Worth,they could nothave known thattheir book wouldbecome the hand-book of hundredsof thousands ofembattled house-wives, farmers,teachers, pro-fessionaleconomists, and


housing, rural electric,and credit-unioncooperatives. TheFederation works toinfluence Congressmen,the President,executive departments,and independent agenciesto take consumer-beneficial actions.

increasingly, govern-ment officials,fjected and appointed,are paying attention toconsumer problems.

In 1962, PresidentJohn F. Kennedy set upa Consumer AdvisoryCouncil to the Councilof Economic Advisors.

In 1964, PresidentLyndon B. Johnsonestablished the Pre-sident's Committee onConsumer Interestsmade up of thesecretaries of con-sumer-concerned execu-tive departments andthe 'heeds of indepen-dent agencies such asthe Federal TradeCommission. In theWhite House, thePresident also set upthe Office of theSpecial Assistant tothe President forConsumer Affairs.

Early in 196c.' e-sident RicharoNixon acted tocontinue the con-sumer interests'committee and theoffie of the specialconsumer assistant.

See: Duscha, Julius.Nader's raiders is theirname, and whistle-blow-ing their game.Stop! In the PublicInterest! The New YorkTimes Magazine, March 211971, p. 4 on.

Also see: Armstrong,Richard. The passionthat rules Ralph Nader.Fortune, May 1971,p. 144 on.

In February -964, Pre-sident Johnson stated:"We cannot rest contentuntil the consumer isin the front row, notdisplacing the interestof the producer, yetgaining equal rank andrepresentation with thatinterest."

What did PresidentJohnson mean in thisstatement? Do you agreewith his statement?Why? Please explain.

For information aboutwhat the State of NewYork is doing to protectand otherwise aidconsumers, write:

Bureau of ConsumerFrauds and Protection,Department of Law, Stateof New York, 80 CentreSt., New York, N.Y.

all the otherspecial interestsrepresented in theconsumer movementtoday."

, Some 30 yearslater BusinessWeek, Sept. 6, 1969,published a specialreport entitled,HOW businessresponds toconsumerism..."Spurred by fearof customer re-volts or even morelaws, industryoffers simplerproducts, newwarranties andservice."

- This report said,in part:

"First Banana:'Hey did xou hearabout the man whocrossed a_parrotWiTETETqer?

"Second BananaTNR What did heget?

"First Banana11-don t know.But when it talks,you better listen!

"Whatever else, con-sumerism is, it'sbeginning to looklike a tigerishsort of parrot,and business, itseems, would dowell to listen.


Voluntary consumer-concerned organizationsand a number ofCongressmen have beenworking for effectiveand coordinated repre-sentation of theconsumer interest ingovernment. Towardthis objective, forexample, they havemade proposals that theCongress by law(1) make permanent theOffice of the SpecialAssistant to thePresident for ConsumerAffairs, (2) set up aDepartment of theConsumer in thePresident's Cabinet,(3) provide a ConsumerAffairs Commission asan independent agencysimilar to theFederal Trade Com-mission, and/or(4) establish an inde-

For information aboutwhat the Federal Govern-ment is doing or shouldbe doing for consumers,have a class representa-tive write to suchconsumer-concerned legislators as:

U.S. Senator JacobJavits, Senate OfficeBuilding, Washington,D.C.

U.S. CongressmanBenjamin Rosenthal,House Office Building,Washington, D.C.

What can and shouldyoung people on theirown and through theirorganizations andthrough government doby and for consumers?

What information shoulda dissatisfied consumer

pendent consumer submit when requesting

products' foundation for redress?

the testing, rating, and [An informed consumer

publishing of the over- knows how to complain

all test-ratings by brand effectively; that is how

name of products to submit information to

publications that will an agency. Complaints

be informative and should be well documented.

useful guides to Contracts, documents,advertisements, and otherpapers which relate tothe transaction shouldbe saved and appropriatesections copied whenmaking a claim.]

SOURCES

"Some businessesare not onlylistening, theyare doing something.Appliance makersare starting toprint theirwarranties inclear English.Auto makers aretrying to get newcars to customerswith all thescrews tightenedand all theweatherstrippingin place. Textilemanufacturers arelooking moreclosely at theclothes theirproducts end upin, to make surethe fiber isreally suited tothe suit."

consumers.

Have students preparewell documentedcomplaints againstbusiness firms and ad-dress them to theappropriate agency.

53

5-3

. For a reprint ofthe articleentitled Howbusiness respondsto consumerism,Business Week,Sept. 6, 1969,write (and enclose50 cents):

Business Week,330 West 42d St.,New York, N.Y.10036.

. For a report onthe consumer move-ment, see:

Warne, ColstonE. Protectingthe consumer,1971 Book of theYear, pp. 502-506. EncyclopediaBritannica.

SUMMARY

This module has dealt with a number of areas of consumer experience.It has stressed what consumers should know and should do about each ofthese areas. But equally important is the stress that has been placedupon consumer action regarding the unsolved issues. If it does nothingmore, such a study should have awakened consumers to the consciousnessboth of their power and of their resorilit.

Great events are taking place within the consumer movement. Studentsnow in school will be deciding how issues still unresolved should beresolved. Among the items currently being debated which will be determinedby the people in the next few years are these matters:

Shall there be an independent Consumer Protection Boardwith power to act in the consumer benefit?

Shall this Board have the'power to intervene on behalfof the consumer in proceedings before Federal regulatoryagencies?

Should the Food and Drug Administration be more adequatelystaffed and financed so that it can better provideprotection, inspection, and enforcement?

Should enforceable warranties on performance and productsafety be made a matter of law?

Should there be a stronger law on flammable products?

Should no-fault automobile insurance be enacted?

Should there be improved fish inspection?

Should action be taken against exorbitant "closing costs"in the purchase of real estate?

Should "tel-tags" describing the qualities and expectedservice life of products be attached to consumer itemssuch as clothing, draperies, rugs and carpets, andhousehold appliances?

Only as the students become informed and concerned in such mattersand voice their concerns will the true measure of the success of thismodule be known.

54

ERIC Clearinghouse

FE 1.3 1972

On Ath7 T;T. r'.:2 141_ nn

Lairs"....14.1/.anww-mrre.