The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-05-28
RETAILERS PLAN
FOR BETTER LAWS
THAT is CHEF FEATURE OF AN
NuAL STATE MEETING.
LIKE PURE FOOD LAW BETTER.
Secretary Ira Thomas Reports That
New Legislative Committee
viii Be Named For Next
Session.

Ottumwa, Ia, May 27.-Wlth nearly
500 members present the tenth annual
convention of the Iowa State Retail
Merchants association opened here
yesterday afternoon. Reports of the
Officers formed the principal feature
and If these are to be taken as the
sentiment of the convention then the
keynote is legislation for the protec.
tion of the retailer of Iowa.
One thing seems certain and that Is
that in both houses of the next Iowa
Legislature there is to be committee
on commerce and retail trade, for Sec
retary Ira B. Thomas has received
pledges to this effect from every can
didate for governor and lieutenant
governor. On this comnittee lies the
hope of the retailer for legislation in
his behalf.
President Burt T. Jackson of Cedar
Rapids delivered an interesting adj
dress, declaring that the 1000 to 5000
merchants of the state could defeat
men running for Office who were not
in sympathy with them. He urged the
members to enter actively into the
elections in their own counties and to
see that the right kind of men were
sent to the legislature.
Praise was given the Iowa jobbers
for their help to the merchants, both
in the matter of legislation and in
keeping an organizer in the field. With
reference to laws recently enacted
President Jackson said the peddlers'
law was beneficial in that it prevent
ed accidents and sometimes suits of
damage, that the pure food law was
being appreciated more and more all
the time. He urged that politics be
kept out of the convention and recon-
mended that the work of organization
be kept up. He said that this associa.
ton proposes to be the leader among
the memberk of the Federated Mer,
cffanits assoclAsions an 1nnaence at the
next Legislature. Other matters per
tanning to the retailers business was
commented on.
The report of State Secretary Ira B.
Thomas of Des Moines brought out a
little more clearly just what the asso.
citation has been and is doing in the
matter of getting legislation. Besides
having secured pledges from the can
didates for governor and lieutenant
governor that they will appoint com.
mittees on commerce and retail trade,
Secretary Thomas has been busy lately
getting after the different organiza
tions over the state. He has urged
the members to pay attention to who
is elected to the legislature in the in.
terest of an exemption law. Also or.
in several counties in the
state have been reached with a circu-
lar letter telling them to take an in
terest in the primary elections, and
see that the proper men are nomi-
mated.
Many New Associations.
Secretary Thomas report showed
that new associations have been or
in the past year in Davenport,
Creston,, Muscatine, Abba, FIT. Madi-
son., Ft. Dodge, Centerville, Greenfield,
Waterloo and Mystic. The fire insur-
ance department of the state associa.
lion was shown to be in fiourIshing
and that since its organiza.
lion eight years ago 1t has been an
annual saving of from Is to 25 per
cent to its members. The Iowa Job
Ders were also praised by Secretary
Thomas and he stated that it was
through their generosity more than
anything else that the association was
able to keep an organizer in the field
all the time. The secretary's report
showed that since Feb. Is, 1907, the
receipts of the association have been
S5,744.67. the disbursements $5,1G3.7O.
leaving balance of $5S0.97.