Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-21
RETAIL DEALERS.
State Association Holds
Its Annual Meeting
Pres. Whitcomb's Sentiments
Regarding dead Beats"
Note Of Warning to Wholesalers
Banquet In the Evening.

The annual meeting of the Maine Re-
tail Merchants Association was held
iii the city government rooms in the
City building in this city Wednesday
with a large attendance. The meeting
was called to order at 10 A. M. by
President S. L. Whitcomb, who deliv-
cred the following address:
IF I speak plainly to you today, fell
low merchants, it is because of the
great interest I feel in the merchants,
not only of this beautiful city of ours,
but of the grand old State OF Maine.
And l speak thus, my friends, in the
hope that my comments on matters
that seem to me important. may arouse
in some of you as deep and earnest a
'In the first place, there should be
no reason in law or decency why any
Intelligent merchant should be made
the victim of that class in our commu-
nifty which toll not, nor intend to toll,
SO long as they are able to continue to
live off our honest and Woodworking
but 70 trustful business men. For the
good of the community as we'll as our
selves, I believe there should be as
wcll-known and marked a distinction
betu cen the honest man and dead beat
as there is between the honest man
and the thief. Have you ever given this
matter your careful consideration? If
there is thief in the community ev-
erybody knows it; if there is a dead
beat in the community he ought to be
as marked as the thief, and every bus
mess man should know him; and
sincerely hope that the time is not far
hence when this association will be so
well organized that these dead beats
will be known to every merchant, and
if he comes from another city, we shall
not have to write to the association,
hut they shall keep us posted as we
shall them, by means of carefully kept
records.
"The man who goes into your store
at midnight and steals does you no
more harm than he who comes in the
day time and buys an article from
you, never expecting or intending to
pay for it. The practice is to expose
and punish the thief who steals from
you, as warning to others, but con-
corning the man who took your goods
without intending to pay for them, you
are keeping quiet, yes, remaining ST
lent and helping him catch your COM
petitor in the same trap. The man who
stole your goods Is serving his time in
prison and, in after life is handicapped
by that record, but the man who beat
yuu and your fellows out of your goods
that you have paid for, is living in
likeness, 1t may be, and beating a
dozen other business men as he did
you.
"Just as long as we remain silent and
pass the dead beat along to our neigh
Dor, so long win he pass his beats along
to US, and together we will create an
ever increasing number to the class to
rob us Of our goods and create bust
ness failures. The honest man will be
out in the cold and the dead beat by
the fireside, and I earnestly hope that
you who know of such beats will see
that your competitor also knows them,
thus tending to make business pleas
ure instead Of a burden.
'In referring to some Of the weak
nesses of our business men have en-
deavored to make it plain that there is
an easy remedy at hand, simple
thing, but at the same time, power
fpl agency. In many communities it
his wrought revolution, and I sub
nit to you gentlemen, who are within
the sound of my voice, that the prin-
ciple Of cooperation or association is
worthy of our very best and warmest
attention and consideration and adop-
ton. I say that we should give it a
CANDID and sincere trial and opportuni-
ty to work for our good and profit"
The business of the meeting In the