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there has been a good deal said about the
fact that some of our best friends are con-
sumers, and then some indication in regard
to some aspects of my best friends.
I would like for you to note that funda-
mentally the people who have been push-
ing harder for this proposal have been
those in the area of social welfare, like Mr.
Borom, those in the area of education, and
there have been some minds that have been
concerned with the legalistic aspects and
the legalistic doubts. I spoke to Mr. Nor-
man Polovoy over the holiday in connection
with what could be done if this were in the
Constitution that could not be done now,
and here are some pointed remarks that he
made in this respect: He said that he han-
dles 300 cases a week, largely concerned
with business practices. Other states have
moved in this area, the sort of thing which
was referred to, which will give economic
security to the poor, aged, and sick. It is
true that in Congress they have attempted
for a period of eight years to pass legisla-
tion and have not moved ahead. It is also
true that those in the congressional halls
have made it clear that you need comple-
mentary bills, those passed at the federal
government level, and those passed at the
state level.
All one need do is read Dr. Koployitz'
study, THE POOR PAY MORE. If you had the
privilege of reading this book you would
know the poor have no real choice in re-
gard to prices, that they pay a great deal
more for the commodities that they pur-
chase, and they are of lesser value. You
should look at this.
There is a second point which Mr. Polo-
voy made, and that is that the whole area
of the legislation which we do have in
Maryland could be expanded. Those of us
associated with colleges and universities
know the significance of acts which would
deal with hallucinatory drugs, and they
would be able to place their finger on this
matter. Then this matter of lending: I
would like to relate one story to you.
At our own college we have some stu-
dents who are spending more time at work
than they should, and they are doing this
because they need to pay out debts of the
family. You are all familiar with the in-
tegrated loan agencies, which take a whole
host of loans and integrate them into one;
but when they do, they commit the wife of
the family and the young men and women
and children of the family to take on new
job responsibilities. Students who are al-
ready carrying out too great a workload
endanger their scholastic work.
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I have talked with them personally.
Mr. Polovoy said the whole area of gim-
micks in super markets, bingo, Tigerama,
in terms of gasoline stations — six States,
if you have ever watched TV have state-
ments which say they cannot permit this
sort of thing, and if we in Maryland could
move in this area, prices would be lowered
instead of the gimmicks which are held
before us.
Now, finally this matter of voluntary ac-
tion: The Better Business Bureau in Bal-
timore handles 75,000 cases, and they han-
dle them in the main very well. But they
can only deal with those ethical businesses
that are part of the Better Business Bu-
reau. They cannot say to those unscrupu-
lous business groups that are not members,
you must follow the law.
Cav Darrell, a wonderful person, said
this week that a year ago he would have
voted against consumer protection, but now
he realizes that the best for the ethical
merchandiser is to have laws which protect
them against the unscrupulous. The better
businessmen whom we know comprise 95
percent of the merchants and are ethical,
but they need this constitutional provision
which would say once and for all that along
with voluntary action you need this other
action.
Just one word to my very good friend,
Dr. Winslow, who I just think is tops, and
that is: It may well be that this holds out
a promise that cannot be fulfilled, but I
say to you as one who studied school laws
in Maryland and developed a lot of them
that in 1867 there were some who rose in
this very hall, this building, and said that
you are holding out the hopes for public
education for large masses of people, the
kind of hopes that will never materialize;
and those of you who know how hard we
have worked in education to make this
dream become a reality know that it would
never have been possible, had not the hopes
been held out.
We have nothing to lose by this, and a
whole lot to gain. We give a good deal of
endorsement to what the General Assem-
bly has done, and this will give them a
little push which they themselves want.
Thank you.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any other dele-
gate desire to speak?
Delegate Weidemeyer.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Mr.
President, under the rule, a delegate for
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