The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-01-26
RETAILERS IN SESSION
An Enthusiastic Meeting Was Held
at the City Hall Building
Tuesday Evening.

The business interests of South
Dakota were never more better repre-
sented than i'm the coming together
of the South Dakota Retail Mer.
chants Association, which opened
/. the ninth animal session in the city
hall auditorium on Tuesday evening.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
trains from the east and south were
late there was a large and enthusi-
astic audience in attendance when
President Grimm, Of Parkston, and
Secretary Tyler, Of Sioux..Falls, we're
ready to call the meeting to order.
Both gentlemen arrived on the late
trains. and Their coming was anxious.
ly awaited by the delegates who got
into town earlier in the day.
Present at the meeting were a
number Of Mitchell business men,
and it al be said at this juncture
that not only the business men are
invited to attend these meetings but
every Citizen of the city is invited
to participate aud listen to reading
OF the papers. The association has
nothing to conceal in its transac-
tions, and they r in deed anxious
to let the people know what they
are trying to accomplish, for in that
way they believe they will get the
sympathy Of the public much
sooner.
The opening feature on the pro-
gram was the address of President
Grimm, whose subject was "Our
Purposes and What We Come To-
gether For" Mr.. Grimm spoke
substantially as follows:
Fellow Merchants, Ladies and Gen
tlemen:-It is with much pleasure
and some regret that I come before
you TO address you at this our ninth
annual convention. Pleasure to have
the honor Of addressing this body Of
representative business men of this
state: regret that u association is
not larger in membership and at be-
ing unable to report SUCH progress
in the work of the association as 1
was in hope of being able to do at
this time.
We have a purpose in getting to-
gether in this manner. That is to
confer together and consider ways
and means by which we can protect
aud advance the interests of the
retailers Of this state Every mer-
Chant, whether a member of this
organization or not, knows there
are problems confronting us that
inust have our attention or they
will prove disastrous to the retail
business.
In the past we have been success
ful IN many of the Things we have
undertaken to do. We have Teen
benefited by a good insurance COM
pany that has given us reasonable
Insurance rates We have succeeded
in having laws passed chat protect
US from transients coming in and
taking business that rigiltfully De-
longs to the resident merchant.
But there is still work left for us
to do and wish to mention a few
things that should be brought before
this association aud upon which
some decided action should be takeL..
namely:
How best to combat catalogue
house competition.
10 combat manufacturers who try
to dodge the retailers and sell direct
to the consumer.
To combat the wholesaler who sells
to the catalogue houses, giving the
catalogue houses a chance to fill or
ders without Carrying merchandise in
stork.
To combat manufacturers who sell
to catalogue houses.
To combat the wholesaler who sells
direct to hotels and restaurants,
To stop the box car man,
10 make transient merchants and
peddlers conform to our laws.
10 keep commercial insurance
rates within reason by supporting
our Retail Merchants Insurance Com
pany aud other mutual companies In
this state.