Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-03

l.. harrington, OF Iowa Falls. The re-
port of the secretary-treasurer. Mr. D.
M. Grove, OF Nevada, was presented,
and the committees for the year were
appointed. A brief address, under the
title of "A Few "reminiscences" was
made by Mr.. N. S. Ketcham, OF this
city, ard new business was presented
and suggestions made as to methods for
the Improvement of the association. All
the sessions will be open to the public
except the executive session Of Wednes-
day afternoon.
This evening an open session will be
held at the Sieg, at which the address
Of welcome will be made by Mayor
Jones, with response by Vics, President
alton Work as 1t Applies to the Interest
OF the Wholesaler and Retailer" Will be
the subject or an address by l.. r..
Moses, OF Great Bend, Kansas. expires
ident of the National Federation Of
Retail Associations. Music for this oc-
casion will be provided by thu. Maccabee
Harp Orchestra
At the executive session Wednesday
afternoon topics of interest to the retail
implement trade will be discussed An
effort that will probably be attended
with success has been made TO secure a
theater company playing in Des Moines
to take the place Of the engagement Of
the Wilbur OIera Company, which was
to entertain the visitors Wednesday
evening. the local committees having
engaged the theater and company for
the night. Following the tlleater So
cial session and supper Wit follow at
Forney's hall, where good time will be
provided for all the visitors. Thursday
afternoons ession will be devoted to
the reports OF the various committees
and action thereon, and the convention
will close with the election of oficers.
HISTORY AND OBJECTS.
A prominent editor once made the
statement that the implement dealer
and the nswpaper men We're the pio-
neers of civilization; that the first thing
in neighborhood was the plcw, and the
next good newspaper. But implement
men have been long time working
themselves up to any such degree of
complacency. In fact, during the '70s
and sos the business of retailing farm
tools was considered nothing If not pre-
carious. 1t was a struggle then for the
legitimate dealer to exist. let alone
save dollar or acquire a competence.
~The evils that crept into the trade were
vicious and numerous, and continued,
with scarcely any abatement, into the
'9o's. The implement dealer generally
had lower rating by Dun and Brad
street than other merchants. 1t was in
the early sos that a new spirit was first
noticeable. There was universal de-
sire to make the business of selling
plows more pleasant and more profita-
BILE; and finally the method was per-
ceived in the great tendency of the age
to organization. The activities of church
and state were then, as now, being sys-
tematized in the hope for better results.
III the winter Of 1897 this problem pre-
scented itself SO forclbly to the minds of
few dealers in northeastern Iowa that
they resolved to attempt Its solution.
Accordingly meeting was called at
Charles City, where the foundation of
the present association was laid. An or
ganization was perfected; constitution
and bylaws, founded upon the senti-
ment 'In Union There is Strength"
were adopted; and officers for the ensu-
ing year were elected. There was three
days sssion, Feb. IS, 10 and 20, and a
feeling Of hope emanated from 1t. The
organization was called the Northern
Iowa Implement and Vehicl. Dealers
Association, and the second meeting
was held again In Charles City in 1893.
During these two years the membership
had been limited In numbers. and no