Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-09
GOOD TIMES MOVE.
Drummers to Hold Prosperity Congress
In New York.

Comptroller Herman A. Metz of New
York. president of the commercial
travellers Interstate prosperity con
gress. which is to be held in New York
ceived letters and kilograms promising
support from leading business men il
all parts of the United States. The
avowed object of the congress is to
carry on the "let us alone idea and
infuse spirit of optimism and good
cheer into the business men of the
country
The comptroller was enthusiastic the
other day over the prospect and be
lieves the congress will work wonders
toward restoring confidence in the flu
ture of the country
prosperity abounds in this grea!
land today 10 degree unprecedented"
said the comptroller despite all the
calamity howlers from here to the
river Styx to the contrary. and the
commercial travellers. who are always
on the move. can do more to spread
optimism through the land than any
other body of men in the country.
"When over 100000 travelling men
get out On the road and talk of good
times and financial sunshine there will
be renewal, of business against which
even that bogy. the presidential year.
| cannot prevail"
When asked what had been done in
| the way of calling the attention Of
| American business men to the pro-
posed conference the comptroller said:
| eve have addressed our call more
| particularly to the territory CONNER
| cially and industrially tributary TO New
/ York and within the zone bounded Iby
| Philadelphia, Pittsburg. Buffalo and
| Portland Me-, q section in which agri-
cultural and Industrial conditions are
| fundamentally sound.
81 am certain that the message OF
| optimistic confidence that will go out
| from the commercial travellers inter
state prosperity congress will he an i'm
portant factor in bringing about re-
vival OF prosperity. We have had
many messages of good cheer from al
over the United States.
"The fact that a few rich men have
lost money. that few capitalists fins
themselves possessed of fewer million.
than year ago as measured in the
terms of stock exchange quotations
means nothing to the rank aud file o.
our population.
TRADE has been checked simply
through the paralysis of credit Incl
dental to this Stock Exchange depres
sion, but the growing demand that pro
| ceeds from 90 per cent of our popula
ton still exists and will have to b.
| supplied, and now is the time to pre-
pare ourselves for revival of that dc
mand that will only be more insisten
because for the past few months 1t ha
been denied.
: 1.-THE railways have promised to CO
, operate with us to the utmost exten
= of their abilities. We recognize TIL
| important part the transportation inter
: ests must bear in the restoration o
: prosperity. | believe the c0mmercia
travellers are attempting somethin
which no other class dares undertake
: We all realize that it is a tough propC
: sition to overcome the feeling whic
has overtaken the business people sine
last November"
S. G. Mead, secretary of the Mel
chants association of New York. ha
written to Mr. Metz to say:
at gives US much pleasure to adyis
you that the association will be de
lighted to place its facilities at the dis
/ posal of the convention. offering fo
3 the holding of the convention the us
r. Of our auditorium, our largest room"
L William Hoge, secretary OF the pro-