Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-05-20

Iue program TOT the day and called on Mayor ". l.. Toney to explain the features of the Badger fight, which was to be one of the features for the entertainment of the visitors during their stay in the city Mayor Toney responded with few jocular re- marks and was enthusiastically ao. plauded.
 William A. Weidemeyer, of Little Rock. head of the Gobblers, who ac- companied the Little Rock deleg.- tes here in an effort to capture the next convention. addressed the dele gates. He stated that Mayor Toney had been made a Gobbler at sight and that the Gobblers' degree team would initiate class before leaving the city. This wilt mean the estab- lishment of branch of the Gobble, order in this city
 Invocation vas said by Dr. John [. Caldwell. former Presbyterian mia ister. who is now secretary of the Pine Bluff Board of Trade. Mayor w. l.. Toney delivered the address of welcome iu a happy manner, which was siastically responded to bv F.. $. Strong, of Little Rock. in the absence of vice president W. II. Schaffer. of that city. who will arrive tomorrow.
 The address of the national presi- dent, C. J. Cramer. of Little Rock, was heard by all the delegates and many interested business men. not members of the State Association. Tn part MT. Cramer said:
 'l will not attempt to tell you all of the good work that has been done by the National Association the pa st year. If you are interested you have kept track of our work through the Trade Press, and if you have been too busy with other matters so as to not look after your association work I do not think it necessary to tell you what has been done, for in my opinion each individual is interested ill pushing the association work as much as it's national officers. We now have twenty-seven states enlist ed with the National Association and good work is being done throughout the land, but nevertheless We have a tremendous fold to work with who need organization. There can be but little doubt i'll the mind of any man as to the benefit of social intercourse with his competitor A broad, suc- cessful merchant of today, is a mem Der of his trade organization. is en- thusiastic in it's work. There are men who are working for the ad- vancement of the retail merchant 10 place them in the front rank of or sanization. do not believe in az or Sanization which attempts to make prices. Such an organization is il- legal and unnatural and will event ually fall to pieces. I do believe in an organization that will educate it's members to understand that it costs them not less than fifteen per cent to do business and in q great many , instances more. l do believe ill an organization that will keep its mem
 bers in business and not force then, into bankruptcy and rujnation for life. More failures have resulted in business from the lack of energy and lack of ability than have ever result ed from vicious competition. The dishonesty about your competitor as it has been told to you can be liken- ed to tie mountain and the mole hill when one comes to know the actual truth concerning the transaction. The , stories you hear from your custo- mers are told you for the purpose of securing concessions of credits which the customer cannot obtain elsewhere although he tells you on his word ot honor that he can. Judging from past experience I would advise you l to listen to all that is told. and be- lieve one fourth and I think you will , be on the safe grounds. believe ' the greatest good obtainable from an organization is the acquaintance and good fellowship that exists between it's members. I believe that we should discuss trade evils at Qur local meet L.