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HARRY MENDENHATT executive vice presidenl

QeNnfOn Cranston, in his July \J Newsletter. expounds on the need to back Ralph Nader and Senator Ribicoils Bill S 707 which will establish a Consumer Protection Agency. Cranston states that airlines] food processors. and utility companies are adequately represented when the decisions affecting their industries are made but there is no one to represent the buying public. Cranston furiher states that he will do his utmost to insure Senate passage of the Consumer Protectron Agency.

We all know what this will mean to our own business. The end result will be more Gestapo-like tactics. Worse than OSHA. It will also mean that onefederal agency can bring suit against another. (Many more openings in Washington for attorneys).

WhaJ is really needed is a Retail Protection Agency. We have always. been the one caught in the middle. During the price controls we were the ones that suffered the public abuse when^they reported to IRS that they thought oui prices were out ol line. We are the ones that tried to explain why there was no lumber. We are the ones that trv to i:xplain ihe current weekly increase in prices.

The manufacturer and wholesaler does not face the buvins public as we do and they cannot appreciate the pacificaiion that the retailer must attempt every working day to explain to his customers that he is not the one that is gouging ihem.

The manufacturers are insulated liom customer displeasure. Now the customer is going to be protectedl Against what? The Product Safety CommissJon, recently organized, is running full steam in establishing new safety sfanda-rds for all producti ultimately used by the ionsumer.

There are other federal agencies controlling air and ground fares,.food and fuel prices.-grain prices. etc.l lt appeais then that the main purpose of the Consumer Protection-Agency is to protect the consumer from the retailer. Ifthe consumer buys a product he feels does not live up to his interpretation -of w_arranty or h.is interprelation of longevity. he is going to comp-lain abbut the deali:r from whom h1 purchased'the product. (You are his primary contact with merchandise).

What we need now is the Retail protection Agency. This should be an organization thal will protect the reta'iler lgainsi the abuse of .the buying. public. ir will protect us alainst shop.ltltrng. robbery. products damaged by careless consumer nanclltng. agarnst bad checks, against delinquent accounts. It wrll protect us against distributors making us buy add_ons if we want the basic product we need, against low grude lumber, agarnst belng lgnored because we are not high volume buyers, agu.inst rail and truck transports damaging goods, againsi un_ ethical sales tactics by some manufactureliand dis"tributors, :rgai nst bei ng,forced to .pay. escalating un ion deman ds, againsi berng lorced by the lederal government to provide moG and more lor the employee while receiving less and less employee prooucuon. agatnst Inventory taxes, against other federal agencies such as OSHA and against the ever increasing ilmount of administrative red tzrpe required by state ani l'cderal governments.

How about it Senator? We Really Need protection!

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