20. Consumerism-Governments & the Consumer,, 1927-1981

Summary: Documents consumer protection and representation by governments including the United States, the U.S.S.R. and other governments. This series tracks several legislative proposals, presidential councils and congressional hearings relating to federal protections of the consumer in the U.S. Also included is material documenting the government actions and plight of the consumer in the U.S.S.R. and other countries. Includes newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, and publications. Subjects include CR's proposal for a Federal Department of the Consumer in the 1930s (with F.S. Schlink's letter to FDR); a proposal for a Select Senate Committee on Consumer Interests (1951-1953); the Fair Packaging Act (1966-1975); Senator Phillip A. Hart's Anti-Trust and Monopoly Sub-committee (1960s); JFK's Consumer Advisory Council (with CR report on Council's members past alleged subversiveness); LBJ's Committee of Consumer Interests; the Nixon Administration's consumer interests; proposed Consumer Protection Agency (1970s); Department of Agriculture's consumer interests (1960s-1970s); and reform of regulatory agencies (1975-1980). Also includes material on consumer administrators such as Virginia Knauer, Esther Peterson and Betty Furness; state and municipal governmental consumer agencies and their actions; consumer products and issues in the U.S.S.R.; and foreign consumer publications from Britain, Canada, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Italy, India, and Trinidad and Tobago.