The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-29
RETAIL HARDWARE MEN HOLD MEETING President Is Absent Owing to
 Sickness In Family AGAIN T PARCELS PJS7 National Secretary Declares Mail Or der Houses Are Injuring Retail
 Hardware Trade Through
 the Mail Service.
AGAIN T PARCELS PJS1

| Montgomery, May S-(Special)- )- The first annual session of the Ala bama Retail Hardware association. which began here this morning, brought to the city more than one the state. The only unfortunate feat ure was the absence of President B. F.. Luttrell of F'lorala, who was kept at home by sickness in his family. Vice President J. W. Beasley was therefore, in the chair and called the meeting to 1 order.
 The Rev. Leander Woods of tho Central Presbyterian church opened the exercises with prayer and welcome to the city was extended by Walter D. Seed, state treasurer. Mr. Seed said that the business men of the city and the state are learning valuable le5- sons with the growth of the times and were getting more and more upon solid and lasting footing all the time Sentmentally as well as from a busi- ness standpoint he thought it well that the hardware men had come to Mont | gomery.
 Against Parcels Post. | National Secretary L. Corey presented | the greetings of the national associa- tion and made talk of some minutes on the general progress of the business He said that the national organization was great aid to the retail men as 1t kept general lookout for their in terests. Among other things MT. Corey made the following remarks about the | mail order houses, which he contends are hurting the retail business: They are insidious Tn their methods work the mails and fill the minds of customers with suspicious that the To- cal dealers are cheating them. They have spies out in every direction studying what class of goods is being sold upon which there are large sales and good profits. Of these they make leaders and cut prices But they are not having 1t all their own way. Some manufacturers are refusing to sell them and they have lost out in two or three courts where they have taken l that their catalogues be watch ed and that their methods be intelIigently me-. If there Is any doubt write the national | headquarters.'
 Addresses Meeting. | The afternoon was devoted to business the following programme being carried l out:
 Report of Secretary-L G. Smith. Report of Executive Committee-B. r. L uttrell
 Report of Delegate to National Con- yention-L. G. Smith.
 Paper: "Co-Operation With Competitors: to What Extent"-J. w. Beasley. Paper: Why Mark Goods in Plain Figures?' McMllan. Question Box-M. L. Cohey.
 The following committees were appoint ed by the association:
 On Constitution and By-Laws-L !. Smith, Rane McMillan and w. w. Jones.
 On Resolutions-B. H. Matthews, F. M. Kelley and p. A. Johns.
 On Press-J. A. Cureton. J. II. Jackson and w.. H. Bennett
 On Location of Next Conventional. A. Simpson. J. D. IIamby and w. H. Down. ing.
 On Nominations-M. Bowling, J. R. Gamble and N J. Braswell
 On Auditing-R. R. McMillan, J. N. Cureton and F. M. Meigs.
 The programme this afternoon will eut out the executive session and hold an open session instead in addition the fol- lowing will be looked after:
 License Collections.
 The increase in the liquor license put on by the code commission will net to the state, if collected for the year, tlxs sum of s35,00O However, it is very likely that the collections will be by compro- mise reduced to six months, which will make the total revenue half that amount or s17,5OO The matter of the increase will be brought before the board of com promise next week.
 Scattering News Notes.
 The town of Albertville, as reported by Mayor J. R. Sherman, has 1162 peo- pie, 1492 being white and I'll colored
 Judge Lucien Gardner, who was nomi- mated for chancellor of the Southeastern division at the May primary has reported to the secretary of state that his ex- penses were $75, the amount of the com mittee assessment.
 The B. F. Johnson Publishing company of Richmond, Va, has qualified to do bus mess in the state. James K Powers of Florence is the Alabama agent.
 
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