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Show inrir onsumer hi,-.. &. By DON C. WOODWARD Deseret News Business Editor For centuries, the relation- ship between buyer and seller was summed up in the Latin phrase, "caveat emptor (Let the buyer beware). That isnt good enough today for Sen. Frank E. Moss The Utah Democrat, as new chairman of the Commerce Committees standing sub- committee on consumer affairs, will have much to consumer say of leg- islation in the years ahead. Ilis mail is running heavi- I think the imposition on consumers built up to a point where someone had to step in, he said. "The disadvantage of the consumer increases with the bigger marketing schemes and product lines. He just hasnt had the means or the time to protect As an ly in favor of consumer legislation outlined some of the areas he expects to get into and talked about the growing interest in consumerism. himself. DOESNT WORK The idea of caveat emptor doesnt work any longer because were more divorced from a confrontation with the guy who makes the product, he added. about the d i rection ' Moss and against what many people interpret as the impersonality of big business. GROWING INTEREST In an interview in his Salt Lake field office recently, example he pointed to recently - concluded hearings on toy safety, where he says some shocking examples of unsafe toys were brought before the subcommittee. "We saw a sizable baby rattle that when you pulled the top off, had about seven long spines sticking out of it. It looked like a weapon. 600 DEGREES in a "Someone brought child oven with an element that would heat it up to 600 much higher than degrees your oven at home will go. He concluded that a lot of but toys were dangerous, there was no way the parent could know this since toys carried no warning labels. He suggested that a new warning symbol be developed and placed on any package or product that would be dangerous to children. The symbol would be a stand-ifor the old skull and crossbones, although it would have a greater circulation and, Moss hopes, widespread acceptance from parents. Sales Act passed by the Congress was rather limited. This allows a person to rescind his contract to buy something after thinking it over for a provided it was day or two a contract where his property was put up as security. be expanded to packaging. If you have a package, she (the housewife) cant do the figuring that enables her do to comparison good shopping. MANY CRITICAL HAVE STANDARDS . The Toy Safety bill win also contain standards for manufacturers which should help do away with many of the problems aired at the hearings, he said. "This will be extended he somewhat, predicted. "The sellers are very much opposed to it, and this is a little unsettling. I would think it would have a salutory effect on business generally. for moving into consumerism an area they feel begins to infringe on the free market n Many businessmen are cal of the government door-to-do- fast-talke- "Some magazines are reputed to be offering ads for chemicals, and when you send away for them you get instructions on how to make LSD, speed and other drugs that are worrying us now, he said. "So were going to have a look at this and determine whether the Post Office can get jurisdiction to confiscate such items, or whether the drug makers themselves can control it. with a third party. Moss emphasized that the problems didnt come from Consumer merchandisers like Avon, Watkins or Fuller Brush, who are generally in favor of eliminating the shady operators. WARRANTIES Im sure going to take a look at is this field of warranties," he said. "Everyone becomes involved often with them. Theyre One of the things depended upon by the consumer and later found to be worthless. We want to see if a simple and straightforward warranty can be written to back up the product. He said the Fraudulent ;,V .. .. ' be to correct any deficiencies in the original law. LABELING DILEMMA For example, he said, al- j. .A.E&y'.y i 4 v s Affairs should Equi By ARNOLD IRVINE Deseret News Business Writer A group of New York stockholders in Equity Oil Co. have opened a proxy contest to attempt to gain control of the firm. Salt Lake-base- though the country now has a Truth in Packaging Law, its still difficult for the housewife to figure out if she is getting her moneys worth. We want to find out if we should be more explicit in our labeling, Moss said. The meat counters have used a basis for selling meat, and maybe this could d d Henry H. Patton, Manhattan stock broker who owns 33,000 shares of Equity stock is the leading figure in the be gronup which, in aggregate, controls about 70,000 shares, according to Paul M. Dougan, geologist and secretary of the company. Speaking for the present management, Mr. Dougan said, "We intend to maintain control. There is about 40 percent of the stock in the State d of Utah. It has been a intend we and company to keep it that way. We dont like the prospect of a proxy contest. It is expensive and but we intend to fight and to win. He noted that there were natural resources and environment subcommittee and positions on the Interior Committee, the Post Office and Civil Service Committee and the Special Committee on Aging. However, he said, "Consum- shares of common stock that can be voted in the annual meeting May 14. Mr. Patton objected to the sale in 1967 of part of the companys oil shale holdings to Atlantic Richfield Co. for 326,666,666.70. He, with John Tilney, has filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colo., seeking cancellation of. the sale. The action they have filed contends that the sale caused a drop in the price of Equity stock. The plaintiffs are seeking $86,150 in damages and ., an order that the company buy all of their stock at $31.50 per share. They hold that the sale should have been submitted to the stockholders for ap1,499,973 Utah-base- er affairs are taking more and more of my time. Its an and its an abadded load sorbing and depressing problem." proval. The company is preparing to defend itself against the suit. ' A letter sent this week by Committee the Stockholders for Better Management of Eq- -' uity Oil Co., Henry H. Patton, chairman, asks shareholders to delay execution of the proxy being requested by the company management. The committees proxy material is being reviewed by the Securities and . Exchange Commis- -' sion and will be mailed to shareholders soon. "The committee is concerned with what it believes to be the Inadequacy of the companys management. the letter states. The letter indicates that the following will be proposed as nominees the to board of directors; John E. Kilgore Jr., New York City; John R. Benke, director and consultant, United Nuclear Corp.; Scarsdale, N.Y.; Henry H. Patton, director, Deltec Securities Crop., New York City; C. Henry Roath, attorney, Denver, Colo. sv , ; Arthur A. Seel-igso- n Jr., managing partner, LIFT-U- P Reflect heat onto utensils . . . lightweight, clean in the dishwasher, stay bright a lifetime. ALL-GLAS- a.'.. Fight Looms Over whole new cabinet, but you might have an Office of Consumer Protection, he said. He has other things to occupy his time including vice chairmanship of the energy, Frank E. Moss . . . toys to drugs CHROME BURNERS W ' ' criti- - JET-GLO- .., &$ ; Wednesday, April 30, 1969 rrr ll: x - ' s' 6B designed this gas range with you in mind v '! fi & EMIPISE&m: - V. Ait. created. "It seems to me that it might not be wise to have a door-to-do- DO LITTLE His mail runs against television repairmen. Theres a good deal of dissatisfaction with the business and it draws most erf the fire, he said. People feel they do very little and charge exorbitant prices, with no way to check up on them. He added, wryly, "My own wife got nipped on this. Some of his work will involve follow-u- p hearings, or "oversight hearings, as he termed them. The intent will I ' vt, Moss, however, sees the federal governments jurisdiction as clear-cu- t, growing out of the Interstate Commerce Act. He is not optimistic that individual states would pass adequate consumer legislation, and says this is one reason the federal government has made its move. PREFER OFFICE He is not certa!n that a cabinet-leve- l Department of The biggest problem in this comes from selling schemes where a perd son is into buying a service he later discovers he doesnt want. By then it is often too late, because the seller negotiates the contract area t ..i " '' system. SELLING SCHEMES Mass admits that "consumcan erism be broadly defined to include almost anyeven thing a person buys some drugs. . 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