Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-05-11

Fall River, Mass, May 0-Another
effort Is under way to rcorgnnZc the
selling committees. and II Is now pro-
posed to call IN early meeting of the
signcrs to the agreement by which 1t
came into existence. No date for II
meeting has been fixed and II Is likely
that it may be necessary to call the sign
ers together through petition from men
not on the advisory committee.
1t is well known that the defects IN
the present system are with the methods
OF selling and not with the men WHO
represent the signcrs Of the agreement.
The selling committee, as 1t now stands,
pcrpctllatcs itself in office, and the men,
bcrs of the original advisory committee
have elected men who have consented
TO III the various vacancies which
have occurred. Some of the mill direct
ors think that rotation in office would
tend to remove the trouble between
buyers and sellers, and they hope the
si"ncrS of the original agreement will
meet and provide for the regular clcc-
ton of an advisory committee. they TO
elect their executive committee ai their
pleasure.
Many of the Signcrs wish that some
man be hired on II salary or commission
to act as selling agent. He would be
Independent of any set OF directors III
single corporation, and the adoption
of this plan would nrccSsitate the Sclrc-
ton Of Il man who Is not II mill owner.
His acts would he in accordance with
the instructions of the executive colil.
mittcc appointed by the advisory COM
mittec. but if hc thought that 4 quick
sale at Il concession would be advisable
and beneficial to all interests concerned.
he would he empowered with authority
to make the sale.
1t is claimed that the present com
mittec is unwicldy because of It's large
membership. and that many times the
action of the committee has been known
in New York before the people Of Fan
River knew it. In the opinion of many
treaSurers Il committee of smaller pro
portions, controlled by II single sale
head, would he IL great Improvement.
The selling committee does not now
control any fancy WravcS or any over
33 inches wnlt. Some think that an
extended agreement, to include all plain
goods. would be- Il good thing. but that
if this were not done then the election
of trcas,lrcrS in wide goods mills to u
position on the advisory committee
should he discouraged.
Although the recent curtailmrnt has
not had the expected effect, II has shown
that some of the mills represented on the
committee have not been wholly inter
cstcd i'm narrow goods. but the men from
the mills are conceded to be good trad.
crs and there is no Indication of any at
tempt looking toward their designations.
At the Granite Union and Border cry
mills, about onr-third of the looms ar"
engaged on committee goods. ana each
mill is represented ON the committee,
while several of the mills that are max
ing committee goods almost exclusively
are not represented on the committee.
Another suggestion that has been
made is that the present work of the
committee should be allowed to lapse
until the stock now on hand has been
sold and the prices reach Il bottom llE-
urc. which would form the basis of more
active trading. Although this plan has
not met with any marked encourage
mcnt, il, is well known that several Of
the mills would Ike to get away from
the committee influence.
1t is not thought that further cur
taimcnt OF production will be discussed
at the proposed meeting of the SignrrS,
but the matter of Il new form of com
mittrc may be left to the Judgment of
the committee There is little doubt
that the form of selling to Il committee
will still be used. and the only question
is as to details. There have been ef-
forts tending toward individuality
among the mills. but this movement
has as vet shown no signs of coming to
Il head. and it is probable that the more
important movement of Il selling agent
will he the one adopted.