The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-10
TO WORK FOR TRADE
WHOLESALE MERCHANTS ORGAN
IZE FoR COMMON BENEFIT.
SAVANNAH'S ADVANTAGES.
TO BE BROUGHT FORCIBLY TO At
TENTION OF COUNTRY BUYERS.

| tion Nottingham of Organiza-
ton Outlined Merely and to BE
Perfected on Tuesday Evening.
Then Another Meeting is to BE
HeId-WholesaIers Commend the
PInn-GrOcers to BE Asked to Join
the Movement Association viii
Refund Fare of Merchants Who
Trade with Its Members.
The Wholesale Merchants Associa-
ton of Savannah was organized in the
parlors of the Screven House yesterday
afternoon. The organization, however.
was not perfected and a meeting for
this purpose will be held at the same
place next Tuesday evening.
The prior history of the movement
has already been given in the Morning
News. Some suggestions for the or
ganization of the association We're
formulated by a committee that met
Wednesday evening at the residence of
Mr.. S. Krouskoff, it's chairman, and it
was at the call of this committee and
to listen to its report that the meeting
of yesterday was held.
The attendance was not as large as
had been hoped for and expected, but
all of those who were present seemed
to regard the movement with interest
and most of them with enthusiasm. Mr..
Krouskoff acted as chairman and Mr..
l.. G.. Schwarzbaum as secretary. There
were present, among others, Messrs.
/. A. Solomoons, w. D. Krenson, w.
F. Scherff, H. H. Peoples, Charles
Marks, H. H. Schaul, Max Solomon,
D. j. Rosenheim, f. A Well, M. Ep-
tein, Emanuel Smith and w. l.. Gray
son. Among these every line of whole
sale business in Savannah was repre-
scented.
Mr.. Krouskoff stated the object of
the meeting. He said that the purpose
was to organize an association of
wholesalers, the object of which should
be to bring the merchants of Savannah
| in closer touch and more intimate re-
| lations with their country customers.
He then read the suggestions of the
| committee at the instance of which
the meeting had been called. These
| were that the wholesalers should or
ganize themselvs into an association,
| to be known as the Wholesale Mer-
CnanIS
| the officers of the association should
consist of a president vice president,
| treasurer, secretary and manager, and
| a board of five directors, the duties of
| the secretary and manager being per-
formed by a single person, who is to
receive a salary; that the annual dues
of the association should be 500 per
| year, payable in quarterly INSTALL
| ments; that the minimum amount OF
| purchases from the members of the as
ISOLATION to entitle the country mer-
! chant to a refund of his fare should
| be $500, the fare to be paid by a pro
rata assessment among the members
| of the association from whom the pur-
| chases have been made.
The discussion proceeded along the
| line of the suggestions made in the re-
| port of the committee. Messrs. d. j.
| Rosenheim and Max Solomon advo-
Gated the general plan enthusiastical-
| ly, saying that Savannah had too long
sat quiet while the wholesalers of 9TH
! er cities reached out for her trade,
| and that it behooved the merchants
here to be up and doing.
The discussion at first was trifie
| desultory and 1t was finally decided to
take up the suggestions of the commit
| tee seriatim and discuss and decide up
on them, one at time. This was done,
| and without any dissent whatever it
Merchants Association of Savannah
should be organized and that its off,
| GERS should be those suggested by the
| committee.
Then came the question of dues. Mr..
Krouskoff explained that the dues
would be devoted to the payment of
| the salary of the secretary and man
ager, of bills for printing and station
cry, advertising and Office expenses. 1t
was expected that thoroughly capable
| and we'll qualified man should be elect
| ed to fill this office, one who could place
the advantages of Savannah and of
| trading with Savannah houses attrac-
! lively before the people whose inter
| est Ii was desired to arouse. Some adj
vertising would be necessary and
money would be needed for this pur-
pose. If the desired end could be OBJ
tanned, Mr.. Krouskoff was of the opin-
ion that 1t would make little difference
| to the average wholesale house wheth-
err the dues were 500 a year or SIS or
$50.
Mr.. Marks agreed with the chairman.
He didn't think that any good could be
| accomplished by starting out in the
work in half-hearted manner or poor
ly equipped to make 1t a success.
At this point the question of pro
rating the railway fare to be returned
to the merchants who visit the city I'M
| DER Ine lHNlldllOn Ol the dSSOCldllOn
and of the minimum amount of goods
to be purchased to entitle the merchant
to a refund crept into the discussion.
1t was estimated that the average dis
lance travelled by the country mer-
chants who would come to Savannah
would be four hundred miles for the
round trip, for which the fare would be
S12. To refund this amount when the
purchaser had only bought $500 would
mean a loss of four per cent. on the
gross amount of the sale and some of
those at the meeting thought that the
5000 minimum was too small.
Mr.. w. d. Krenson, of the firm of
| ]. d. Weed e. Co., was very firmly of
this opinion. Mr.. Krenson said that
hardware merchants could not afford
to pay such a percentage on their sales
for the privileges of doing bust
ness and he thought the minimum
amount of purchases should be in
creased to $500. Mr. Krenson said he
thought it very desirable that the
wholesale grocers should become mem
| bers of the association and he did not
believe they could be induced to come
into it on the exact plan that had been
outlined.
Mr.. r. Smith of the firm OF Smith
Bros, was of the same opinion. There
is already, he explained, an organiza-
ton of the wholesale grocers and he
! thought IL much more probable that