The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-01-26
HARDWARE MEN
HAVE POSSESSION
OF GRAND FORKS
Meeting Is Largest and Most
Enthusiastic in the Asso.
citation &sse u;;;
FORMAL WELCOME EXTENDED
BY MAYOR TAYLOR TO-DAY
Response to Welcome and Addresses
by Men Prominent I'm the Business
Occupied Larger Portion of Today's
Session.

Occupied Larger Portion of Today's
Session.
When this afternoons session of
tt. North Dakota Retail Hardware
Dealers association opened there was
an even larger attendance than that
of Tuesday afternoon. Every availa-
ble seat in the commodious CONNER
cial club hall was taken, and the
meeting was one of the most interest
ing of its kind ever held in Grand
Forks.
The trains arriving in the city
Tuesday evening and this morning
brought good sized delegations from
several sections of the state, thus
swelling the numbers in attendance.
The new delegates were cared for Just
as rapidly as possible and were soon
just as much at home as those who
had been on the ground since Mon
day.
The session this afternoon was
opened by President w. r. Mcintosh.
He introduced Mayor ]. d. Taylor as
the first speaker. The mayor was
scheduled to appear before the asso-
citation Tuesday afternoon but was
unable to do so. This afternoon, how
ever, he made up for the fact that he
was not on hand before, and gave the
hardware men to understand that the
city was theirs, and theirs alone.
He spoke very favorable of or
ganizations such as the hardware
men have perfected, stating that he
believed in them as eXponents of all
that is good in the business world.
The establishment of such associa-
tions means the bringing together of
the business men in such q manner
that they cannot but be mutually
benefited. The doing away of unfair
business methods and the establish
ment of more friendly relationship
means the placing of the trade upon
q higher standard. 80
In responding to the mayors ad-
dress, H. F. Emery of Fargo spoke
very kindly, assuring the mayor that
when the hardware men left Grand
Forks they would turn the city over
to him again in just as good shape
as they found it.
The address by Geo. H. Maxwell,
editor OF the Maxwell's Talisman,
was of especial interest to the people
Of North Dakota. 1t was along the
lines of keeping North Dakota's re-
sources within the state and turning
them into the finished product here,
rather than in eastern states. He
had great many exhibits to assist
him in bringing out the various
points made.
The last address of the afternoon
was by President F. L. McVey of the
state university, and in substance, he
said:
1t is generally accepted that the
methods of doing business have been
completely changed in the last thirty
years. The old fashioned general
store is making way for the specialize
ed business concern, and the method
of distributing products has been ma
tcrially altered through the develop
ment of express and mail order busi-
the apprenticeship system of the ear
lier day is giving way to the new rap
idly developing trade school. In re-
tail business competition is more Sc
we're, and the demands made upon
men engaged in business to keep
their enterprises going. are greater
than at any period in their business
history.
when asked what was the essen
tial thing In business, men have re-
piled again and again in one word
brains. To this answer should be
added two other qualities-accuracy
and imagination. These are, however,
dependent upon the possession of the
first. When brains are mentioned the
speaker has in mind the power to
think, to analyze conditions, and to
come to conclusions that are more or
less correct. Accuracy has refer
ence to the ability to accomplish re-
suits in given time, while imagina-
ton is the power to see beyond the
mere things that surround man in
his business experience.
These three things being required
in the field o. business today. the
question arises how and in what way
does the college of the present time
assist in developing them. The pow
er to think is one that is materially
developed by the practice of thinking
and nowhere can this be attained
with more satisfactory results than
in the college. 1t is more than the
practice of thinking in the narrower
sense. 1t is the giving to the individ-
ual of an attitude toward facts, instill-
ing in him an ability to discriminat.
between what is cause and what is
an effect. Moreover, the man who
goes to college is brought into asso-
citation with men Of equal age and
position and is compelled at the very
beginning to find place for himself
In the strictest and severest kind of
competition. Out of this association
comes broader. more liberal atti-
tude toward things, with some knowl-
edge Of how to develop organization.
h0fh snoial nnI llIlcilanSS ul,iol, h