Re: POLITICS - money and health - independent testing

[Guest guest]

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 14:13:14 EST

ChrisMasterjohn@... wrote:

>Judith wrote:

>>How many people would have to die in earthquakes before others realized that

>>the fault was a particular builders?

>

>There's no reason there wouldn't be consumer organizations meant to supply

>consumers with information. Such organizations not only provide an incentive

>for suppliers to manufacture good products to get their good ratings, etc, but

>provide information to customers so that they are educated enough to require

>certain things in a contract.

>

>Such organizations exist in our society today, despite the government's claim

>to be taking care of everything. They exist as non-profit entities, but

>there's also no reason a *for-profit* entity could not arise to do the job,

>providing information to customers in exchange for membership fees or

whathaveyou.

The premier certifying agency in our country is Underwriters

Laboratories. They are privately financed although I don't know if they

are for profit. Below is a portion of an article about them. The full

article is at the link listed below.

What Keeps Us Safe?

http://www.mises.org/freemarket_detail.asp?control=193

Look at the back of your computer monitor, the bottom of your table lamp,

or the label on your hair dryer. Chances are you will see the symbol " UL "

with a circle around it. It stands for Underwriters Laboratories, a firm

headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., and an unsung hero of the market

economy.

Most people don't realize that dozens of products in their homes--toasters,

fire extinguishers, space heaters, televisions, etc.--have been tested

by the Underwriters Lab for safety. The Lab also tests items like

bulletproof vests, electric blankets, commercial ice cream machines, and

chicken de-beakers, among thousands of other products.

But the Lab isn't an arm of the government. It is privately owned, financed,

and operated. No one is compelled by force of law to use its services.

It thrives, and makes our lives safer, by the power of its excellent

reputation. For that reason, its ideologically driven enemies on the

left despise it.

The firm was formed in 1894 to deal with the dangers posed by the dramatic

increase in the use of electricity. Today, it employs 4,000 scientists,

engineers, and safety specialists to render an independent verdict on

hundreds of thousands of products.

The very existence of the Lab debunks the common civics-text view that

without government intervention, private businesses would seek profit

without regard for safety. Thus, bureaucrats have to police markets to

impose a balance between private interests and the common good. The

government, then, is the only thing standing between us and unceasing

fatal accidents.

The truth is the opposite. The market is well equipped to regulate itself,

and does a fine job of it. It's the government that operates without

oversight. To discover the quality and value of products, no one would

trust the advice of the scandal-ridden Commerce Department or the

Federal Trade Commission.

Unlike quality and price, safety isn't always at the forefront of the

consumer's mind. But that hasn't kept manufacturers from seeking out the

Lab's testing services. For those who appreciate the virtues of private

enterprise, the UL insignia is an inspiration.

The Lab was the first to set standards for certifying the safety of pilots and

planes before the government intervened. It set the standards for

building materials, fire fighting equipment, air conditioners, and

household chemicals. It employs safecrackers and pyrotechnicians to test

safes, and a variety of unique machines and devices to test thousands of

other products each year. It has been testing multicolored Christmas

lights since 1905, and entered the building code business right after

the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Despite its unparalleled experience and success, the market economy

keeps the Lab innovating. As engineer Drengenberg of the Lab said,

" There's always some little twist in a new product--an innovative

feature or something to make it cheaper--to keep us busy developing the

appropriate test procedure. "

[Guest guest]

Quoting slethnobotanist@...:

> The premier certifying agency in our country is Underwriters

> Laboratories. They are privately financed although I don't know if they

> are for profit. Below is a portion of an article about them. The full

> article is at the link listed below.

This brings up an interesting question. Most people have never heard of

Underwriters' Laboratories, or have only a vague idea of what it does. Why,

then, are manufacturers willing to pay for its certification? Is it, as the

name suggests, a requirement for obtaining liability insurance?

--

Berg

bberg@...