The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-18
TIE STATE GROCERS
Thslr Orranl1atlon BIds Fair TO be Big
saeeras.

Thslr Organization BIds Fair TO be Big
saeessS.
The visiting delegates to the conven-
tlon OF retail grocers that resulted
"wednesday in the formation of the West
Virginia Protective Association of Re-
tai Grocers, remained in the city yes
terday almost withou. exception and
tool part IN the celebration OF Grocers'
Day. They were unanimous IN their
satisfaction over the organization OF the
new association and are firm in the be-
lief that II will accomplish much good
for the retail mercantile interests OIL
West Virginia.
Most important. perhaps. Of all tina
work OF reform that viii be taken up by
the state association Is that OF forming
a credit bureau which will issue credit
lists and in n great measure protect the
retail merchants OF the state from tha
dead-beat class that has made such IN
roads into the profit and loss accounts
Of the retailers. Steps are TO be taken al
once to organize this bureau.
What was generally conceded to be
the most Interesting paper read at the
afternoon session OF the state conven-
ton was that OF Mr.. George +. Work, OF
Slstersville. formerly OF Wheeling, on
@shorter Business Hours" In II he de-
picts the life OF the average grocer with
great realism and with frequent inJec-
lions OF humor Mr. Work said:
at has been said that the present adj
ganced condition OF progress and clvili-
zation prevalent In the closing hour OF
the 18th century mny be attributed to
the action Of the three grea. forces OF
religion. education and organization. By
their combined force and power, we
have been gradually elevated from the
darkness OF the error and tradition and
superstition and semi barbarism OF the
Middle Ages, gaining ground decade by
decade, until We have by successive
otepa, by a continuous and incessant
onward and upward movement, finally
reached the climax OF human civiliZa-
fIol IN the full and brilliant Bplendor of
the enlightened and advanced condition
Of the world to-day. OF the agencies
named as the probable factors In this
wonderful human transformation, or
ganizatlon has probably been the most
potent. II has been the mighty lever
BY which education, resting upon the
OoIId and stable fuicrum Of religion. has
elevated the nations OF the earth. BY u
human effort has been systematiZed and
crystallzed and trained and directed
UnLNN Will lAlNlllGlWlC LbANE anu sAAAAARoN
supernatural skill II has demolished the
ramparts OF fogyism and conservatism,
and has taken by storm the cltadels of
Ignorance and Of fossilized conformity
10 the things OF the post. Organization
So the one great power in this country
to-day.
Organization Power.
RAILROADS organize. and we, the re-
tailers. pay the cost thereofin additional
freight Contractors and builders or
Eanize, and our stores cost more without
being better Labor organizes md we
hire union employees, or lose their trade
and suffer some OF the detrimental and
annoying effects OF boycott. Lawyers
organize and pull our pocket books for
additional fees Newspapers organ
ize, and rates OF advertising shoot up TO
the roof. Everybody organizes, and we
submit to the results OF such orgnnlza-
tlon, but still sit sulking over 1t In our
stores without learning that the effects
Of such organization upon us should Inn
pel US TO follow In tholr footsteps. Sim
Gle handed, wrapped In the conviction of
our own individual superiority, we go
Il alone" and because OF our failure TO
J Incorporate any element OF the vast
power Of organization into our own bus
mess. we are the defenselcss victims Of
ell other organizations
''Llke young doctors. we Hre one after
another fieeced by every "dend-beat'
that strikes the town. Our lcdgcrs
.RToW and our bank accounts disappear.
Our stock dwlndles md no lucre rests
IN the exchequer eagerly waiting to
spring into and MI the llmltlcss and
everlasting leak known Ha ,thlrty-day
settlements. All sorts Of accommodn-
lions and rates arc given by the rail-
road. and we are afraid TO open our
mouths for fenr that determination viii
give some competitor the advantage. All
this because By proper organization we
do not touch each others shoulders with
mutual help and sympathy. Credit.
prices, customs. everything pertaining
IN stores in this gthtS could be much
better regulated by our merchants II
they understood each other. and had thu
aid Of n well regulated organization.
I'VE arc not even well acquainted with
each other. Arc we fearful Of each 9th
er'H touch? In every other business,
men long 10 learn OF each other. Their
frnterbnl intercourse IN tho pleasant
mart Of their business. with MS n hur-
Tied "hcllo" In the limit Os we hurry to
the store In the morning. and In the
evening, nB we wander YEARLY home
ward, We feel like reversing the sylla-
bleH Of that exclamation II anybody
speaks 10 u.s. No mutual sympathy In
our business. Every other trade has II.
Why not wei The only answer 10 the
echo Of the question itself
my object to-day II 10 consider for n
few moments tho shortening OF the