Letters.

Velcro Dangers

I am writing to you on behalf of Velcro USA Inc. (VUSA), manufacturer of Velcro-brand products. VUSA is the exclusive licensee in the United States of the various registered Velcro trademarks and has the sole tight to use these trademarks in U.S. commerce.

VUSA has become aware of an article ("Marvel Legend Teams Up With Rotor for Programming," July 24) that contained a reference to either "Velcro wall," "Velcro suit," "Velcro jumping" or a related term. It is our understanding that these terms refer to an activity in which the participant wears a suit covered with hook material and leaps or is propelled into a wall covered with loop material.

VUSA cannot confirm or deny whether a particular sponsor actually uses genuine Velcro-brand hook and loop fasteners for its wall jumping activities. However, VUSA can confirm that it did not sell its hook and loop product to such a sponsor with the foreknowledge that it would be used in this manner.

As a company, VUSA is concerned about the use of its products and its trademarks in connection with what it regards as a dangerous activity. Wall jumping is not an intended or appropriate use of Velcro-brand hook and loop materials. It is VUSA's corporate policy not to sell hook and loop materials to persons who intend to use the product in connection with wall jumping or similar activities.

VUSA cannot control the ultimate use of its products. Clearly consumers are free to use VUSA's hook and loop products as they see fit. Nevertheless, VUSA wishes to inform persons who are using hook and loop materials for wall jumping or similar activities that such use is dangerous and inappropriate and may result in severe injury or death to persons engaged therein.

VALERIE A. APRIL 

Legal Assistant

Velcro Group Corp.

Manchester, N.H.

Getting Over It

I often disagree with columnist Mitch Albom's comments, but was sincerely moved by his column on the loss of his dog ("Losing Man's Best Friend Really Hurts," Oct. 16).

As one who has had and lost several dogs over the years, I offer a little

gratuitous advice: Get another dog. You need another dog more than you need to dwell on Elvis. Shelter and rescue dogs are great. You may have outgrown puppies, though.

Love is wonderful but sometimes the greatest love is being able to say goodbye. No offense, but putting a big, old dog through brain surgery is imprudent love. I always hold our dogs when they are put down. I want them to see me last.

Always have a new generation coming up in case of sudden loss. Also, a young dog will add years to an old dog's life.

TERRY E. QUINN

Van Nuys

Dig Deeper

Your article in the Oct. 9 edition ("Garment Industry Mired in Conflict") was good, but it did not delve into the problems that "sweat shops" or "illegal shops" create for the legitimate shops.

We have all the licenses, workmens' compensation, minimum wage, overtime after 8 hours each day and OSHA. Just to name a few.

First, workmens' comp has gone sky high, and it's something we cannot pass on to the customers. These illegal shops keep cutting prices to the point we can't compete. They pay sometimes less than minimum wage, no overtime and they pay in cash.

Companies send monitors out at least once or twice a year to check our time cards, our payroll, our licenses and to talk with as many of our workers as they choose to. Some companies don't send the monitors to many of the illegal shops because they get better prices and the illegal companies will work overtime, Saturdays and Sundays and not pay overtime because they pay in cash.

As you can see, there are a lot of problems that could be exposed if you really look into this matter. Not only are we blessed with illegal shops, then NAFTA comes into the picture. A lot of the production has gone to Mexico: no taxes, no workmens' comp, no OSHA and on and on. NAFTA was proposed to help the economy in Mexico, raise the wages of the workers, but down there they pay their workers in a week what our workers are paid in a day.

So, who has it helped? Big business. The same goes for the Caribbean pact and the Chinese pact. Again, who benefits but big business? Since they still are not paying a living wage in Mexico, the influx of illegals will still go on and on. They need to correct that problem.

Right now, I guess I don't blame all the illegal shops, because they are the ones making profits. We are struggling to make any kind of profit. I think your article certainly could have delved a lot further and made a real article out of the topic. You need to concentrate on illegal shops and what effect they are having on legal businesses, not only on the workers in some shops.

LEADA MC KELVEY

Sunland