Law in the news; Nixon's council on consumer protection

The National Education already own network presents a law in the news with Professor Joseph R. Julan associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School. Our subject the Nixon administration's program for the protection of the consumer our informant a member of the president's consumer advisory council. PROFESSOR WILLIAM J pierce this council was once headed by Betty FURNESS. It is now headed by Virginia not our bill. What changed because of the change of the chairmanship of this council is likely to occur. And originally the Nixon administration did not have any fixed view as to what to do with the consumer problem at the federal level. And as you perhaps recall during the last presidential election campaign the platform of the Republican Party was not very specific on the consumer issue. However a great deal changed inside the administration once the white house was occupied by the Nu-Wood Republican forces. They learned immediately the great volume of

correspondence that is being received every day within the president's office regarding consumer problems in America. This brought about a rethinking of the whole situation and the first attempt by the admitted Nixon administration was an attempt to decide what should be done at the federal level. They were faced with a large pro-Europe aeration of agencies dealing with consumer affairs in which there were 17 that can be identified as being major roles in consumer protection and a host of other agencies at the federal level that have fringe programs that affect the American consumer. As you perhaps recall President Nixon first appointed Willie Mae Rogers to undertake a study of the situation. But Mrs. Rogers connection with the. Private industry in this particular area the Good Housekeeping Institute resulted in her withdrawing from the post resigning before she ever took office it was to be a part

time effort on her part to make recommendations. Just recently now the president has appointed a special assistant to the president the same position Miss Betty Fernandes held in the Johnson administration. She is Mrs. Virginia now or who has had a considerable amount of experience in running the State Consumer Council in the state of Pennsylvania. She was formerly a city councilwoman in Philadelphia. She is has as her first obligation a major study of what should be done at the federal level and she is undertaking that study with a great deal of earnestness and sincerity. I might say that the initial reaction is one that she is as interested in protecting the consumer as any prior occupant of that office. And she has a wealth of experience. But the study remains to be done in order to decide what should be the role of the federal government. The consumer advisory council has proposed the creation of a statutory office within the office of the president

which will have major coordination functions for the consumer. Among these federal agencies the proposal does not contemplate that these functions would be removed from these agencies but that there would be a coordinating agency within the office of the president. Meanwhile the Department of Health Education and Welfare has attempted to coordinate within its establishment their consumer program so that within individual agencies an effort is already being made to bring about some coherency and coordination of the efforts that are being made in the name of the consumer. Bill let me interrupt here and ask you whether or not the appointment of Mrs. now or suggests that there will be a Ralph Nader in the president's office. Well no I don't think it will be up to Ralph Nader in the sense that Ralph Nader is protagonist's am Tyga missed. I think Mrs. Nowra will watch of course many of the same things in this worried about many of the same problems as Mr. Nader

such as safety problems for the American consumer quality goods etc.. Finally I should mention that Sen. Redbook office is a major proponent of the creation of a new Department of Consumer Affairs a departmental status. This is gathering a concert an amount of support including support from Mr. Nader. But I have to believe that the next administration will attack this problem and we will see a reorganization at the federal level. That was Professor William J Pierce a member of the president's consumer advisory council. Professor Joseph Farr Julan associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School as presented law in the news recorded by the University of Michigan broadcasting services. This is the national educational radio network.