The National tribune., 1910-03-31
ST. LOUIS WITHDRAWS.

Schofeld, Miles and others have
ST. LOUIS WITHDRAWS.
The comrades all thru the central
part of the country will hear with dis
tinct regret that st. Louis has with
drawn from the race for the place of
holding the next National Encampment.
Judge Leo Rassieur, Chairman of the
st. Louis Committee, c. A r., has an
nOunced that all efforts to secure the
Encampment have been abandoned, the
reason for this being the inability of the
Convention Bureau of the Business
Mems League to raise the sum neces-
sary to properly entertain the National
Encampment. The amount estimated
was from $4,000 to s50,OO0, but the
Convention Bureau declined to pledge
itself to raise this fund, even tho the
Grand Army men offered their assist
ance. There would seem to be some
internal trouble in the Business Mems
League, for the Convention Bureau has
broken away from it and applied for
incorporation as an independent con-
cern. 1t is said that an effort will be
made 20 secure the Encampment in
1912, il the Convention Bureau can feel
more hopeful as to raising the money.
The fundamental explanation is that the
st. Louis business men got badly burned
in the Exposition, and naturally dread
the fire of another Improbable gather
ing. This is shortsighted in the last de-
gree, because for every dollar that
would be put up to entertain the vet
Grams 800 would be brought to the city
in the way of the money expended by
those who would attend the National
Encampment. There is no gathering
which is SO profitable to the merchants
in general as that of the National En-
campment. 1t differs absolutely from
any other meeting that can assemble.
Al political conventions the hotels, bar
rooms and hackmen are the main bene-
iciaries. Religious gatherings bring a
great crowd of people, who usually stay
with their friends in private houses, re-
main in the city only couple of days
and leave comparatively little money.
On the other hand, the National En-
campments are attended by great
mass of thrifty, substantial citizens,
the greater part of week, and who put
off making many>purchases for them
selves and their households until they
can make them in the great city in
which the Encampment is held. Because
their contributions to the hotels are not
possibly as great as in political conven-
tions, and because saloons are usually
left almost exclusively to the citizens,
the impression has gone out that the
Grand Army men are not liberal spend
ers. This is the farthest from the truth.
The experience of the washington mer-
chants with the two Encampments that
were held in this city was that anybody
who had articles of worth and value to
sell had an unusual custom. The jew
eiry men, clothing dealers, department
stores and similar institutions which
supply the great mass of the citizens all
had unusually lucrative business. We
were surprised to have one of the lead
ing jewellers in Washington say that
while he had big trade, he sold very
little of the cheaper grades of his wares.
Everyone wanted something of perma-
nent value, and was willing to pay the
price for it. The veterans left at least
100000 in Washington at each of the
National Encampments, and this is
probably about the rate of expenditures
wherever the Encampments have been
held of late years. Probably St. Louis
would have gotten much more than that
if the Encampment had been held
there, since her location is so central to
the great body of veterans that the at
tendance would have been unusually
large.
Past Department Commander Henry
Fairback, of St Louis, writes regretful-
Iy of this failure, and expresses the dis
appointment of the Posts at not being
able to gather their comrades in and
give them an entertainment, but they
think it is well to make this announce
ment promptly, that other cities who
may be ambitious to secure the place
may be able to get in their work.