The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-09
Annual Meeting Is Now in Progress at Fort
Worth.
THE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT HARRISON
shows the Great Success of the Or
gnnixation--Good Reduction In
Insurance Rates Secured.

tion Is being held in the Huffman hall,
President Harrison delivered his adj
dress, which was as follows:
Gentlemen OF the Convention: As my
past record has never shown any attempt
at speechmaking, 1t would be useless for
me to undertake now anything more than
a plain, business talk
Without anticipating the secretary's re-
port, will now briefly review the course
Of our association to date. Something
less than year ago, or, to be exact on
the 10th day OF August, 1898. the Texas
Grain Dealers association came into OK
istenoe On that date sixteen dealers net
in the warehouse of =. Y. Andrews in this
city. Undaunted by the small attendance,
that Spartan sixteen effected permannt
organization. appointed a committee or
constitution and by claws and adjourned TO
reconvene on September 16, at which time
this committee reported and the constitn-
ton and bylaws were adopted.
BY the time OF this meeting our member
ship had increased to forty nine. Today
we have an enrolment of 100, and we nave
not reached the limit vet.
To say that ! am gratihed with thia
showing Is to put 1t mildly,
The association has about reached the
point where Il becomes the arbiter OF tue
grain business in Texas, and TO certain
degree in the Indian and Oklahoma Terri
tories. That such arbitrament Will re-
dound to the credit OF the grain lade IN
Texas have not the slightest doubt, We
are strong enough IN numbers 20 connne
our purchases almost exclusively u the
membership of the association, ana /
would earnestly recommend that this he
done so far as possible. | believe, tvo,
that buyers from all sections reached ny
our frain trade will henceforth oonttne
purchases from Texas and the Indian rer-
ritory almost exclusively to our memner-
ship
As to the results for the past year, I
consider them far greater than would at
first appear. The work, with attendant
results, will be set forth by the several
committees in their reports
1 shall only briefly refer to the work OF
these committees: Beginning first with
the committee on arbitration am pleased
/ to say that but few claims have been
/ brought before this committee for ADJUST
I ment; this would argue either that there
had arisen but few differences during the
/ year or that these differences had been
adjusted without resorting to arbitration.
/ In either case, I take 1t that the moral
effect of a board for the purpose OF arhi-
/ trating such differences is responsible for
/ the very few claims that this committee
has had to consider during the past season
| 1 believe that a great many members car
report the satisfactory adjustment o.
claims for which the mere suggestion O
submitting the case to the arbitration
committee was responsible.
Secondly, I would call your attention .
the work OF our insurance committee II
securing for us a reduction OF from 30 K
40 per cent on all insurance. This saVini
alone Will pay the cost of membership II
the association many times over
Third. would speak of the efforts o
our TRANSPORTATION committee, resulting u
our free trip to Galveston, when prove
both pleasant and instructive; It's lniluene
in effecting a settlement between the stat
railroad commission and the railroads re
sulting in the restoration oil commisslo'
rates. and its arrangements for the pleas
ant-and trust, prodtable-trlp 10 MeNic
after our adjournment.
trust that the past season has proYe'
profitable to you all. and as our s9 gran
crop will soon begin moving conndenu
predict smoother sailing, and more sat
isfartory seasons business TOR the mem
bers Of the association than heretofore eN
perienced by any of us.
II must be remembered that the useful
ness OF our association ls Just IN its IN
cepion We are young yet,
We already have majority OF the mos
en- serpr,slng grain men OF the State an
Territory enrolled as members.
AS subject for rejection to those wh
are net members, ] think 1t pertinent 7
say that from a business stanupollt non
of ms could afford to give time and stud
10 the uphuilding OF this organization un
less orr faith In its power to better con
: ditions surrounding our business was abso
lite 1.-THE non member VIII please pom
der ever that proposltion) :,
we have improved some OF these condl
lions. We seek 20 Improve others, an
will surely succeed. Our cause should !
a common one, and your cooperation
: invited BECOME one Of us, and | conf
IDENTIFY predict that you VIII never fesr'
we shall presently have the pleasure (
having read and discussed by differer
! members of the association papers OF VIII
! Importance TO Texas and Territory dea
/ ers. These papers will suggest to us a
. outline o. the work the association WI
: doubtless map out for Itself the ensuir
: year
There Is one practice that our dealer
are compelled to submit TO OCCASIONAL
which ne association should make an e
fort 20 abolish refer % the "payab
k on arrival" domestic shipments which
course Is equivalent to privilege OF e.
/, aulI9 ion. With an inscriptions buy
the stat OF the market may possibly ma
II an influence in the acceptance or the r.
n tecti3n NJ the shipment II wrongfully r
~ jeetci the shipper has no recourse
on the other hand. one OF our membe
% should prove 10 be interruptions In h
! sldpmerts. the aggrleved purchaser has
:. Hast recourse to our board Of arbitratio
d The moral effect OF this board viii CO.
tinue to Influence our members to Il
II honest fulfllment OF contracts. The juri
+, diction OF this committee is virtually CO..
y fined to the association membership al
y in consequence the pay on arrival pu
e chaser has every advantage over our mer
70 bers. and II that purchaser chooses 10 de
e unfairly his opportunities TO do 50
a rarely wanting
I would recommend as another leadl
"a subject for your discussion the advisable
/ OF concentrating all Of our shipments
&c much as possible through either New Q
leans, Yicksburg aud Memphis. and plaei
al the selected point competent inspe
tor 10 look into the quality and conc
81 ton OF. all shipments destined TO points
n the Southeastern States, and whose certi
! Gates of Inspection should serve as a ha
x Of settlement on all sales made 10 th
e territory said inspector TO receive COZ
d pAusatfin for his services AZ 50 much =
car from each shipper aud to have a
10 n Iii &c