The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-26
JEWELLERS TO QUIT
L0AM|MG WATCHES
Will Also Eliminate 20-Year Guar
antee Of Gold Cases, Certifying Only
To Thickness of Plating.
with delegates present from every

With delegates present from every
state In the union, the fifth annual
convention of the American Retail
jewelers. association was opened IN
the convention hall Of Ntho Hotel
Cadillac, Tuesday morning. There are
/. about 200 delegates In attendance.
Most of these have brought their
wives and families, and over 500 visi-
tors will be guests of the city for the
balance of the week.
The association has for its object
the Improvement of conditions in the
retail Jewelry business, and two i'm
portant changes In practice will be
advocated in this meeting. II is pro-
posed, first to do away with the 20
year-guarantee on gold watch cases,
and also to discontinue the custom OF
loaning a watch to a customer who
has brought his own in to be repaired.
Both these points we're touched
upon by Vice-President Joseph Mazer.
OF Oklahoma, in his address, and he
was cheered to the echo.
This custom OF loaning watches, Is
one OF the curses of the business"
Mr.. Mazer said 1T costs a jeweler
more than half he gets for the repair
job. A great many customers will
carry jewelers. watches for a year:
then when they call for their own
they need cleaning again, and the
watches they have been carrying are
generally In need Of attention, SO we
get paid for one job and do three.
II would like to know why a jeweler
should guarantee a watch case for 20
years, only to have some man give it
the worst possible treatment. then
bring 1t to be replated at our expense.
Guarantee the thickness of the gold
plating, but not the length of ser
vice."
The convention opened with the
singing of America" and prayer by
the Rev. George Elliott, OF the North
woodward Methodist church. Mayor
Breitmeyer followed with an address
of welcome, in which he outlined to
the visitors the things that make for
Detroit's greatness.
Charles w. Warren, president of
the Detroit Retail jewelers. club, also
welcomed the convention to the city.
Then followed the address OF Vice
President Maxer, In which he outlined
the policies he would fight for. Judg-
ing from the applause he has the
delegates are with him.
The chief feature OF interest to the
public in connection with the conven-
ton is the exhibit OF the manufacture
ers and wholesalers. Pretty booths
have been erected on the lower floor
of the Cadillac, and here Is being
shown the very latest ideas In jewel
cry, silverware. cut glass, novelties
and diamonds. This exhibit, which IL
Is said. surpasses that of any previous
convention, will be thrown open 10 the
public Tuesday evening. Among the
exhibitors are the leading watch max
ers OF the country, the Waltham,
Duebet-Hampton, Ingelsoll, Elgin,
South Bend and Howard. The Wal
than people are showing an exact re-
production OF their best Leslie, %
jeweled movement, enlarged 10 about
two feet In diameter. IL is a perfect
watch In every respect, even TO the
costly ruby and sapphire jewels. The
works are not enclosed In case, the
entire mechanism being plainly visi-
BILE. even TO the winding and setting
arrangement.
The most costly exhibit is that a
Powers & Mayer diamond merchants.
OF New York. Their exhibit is said
to be worth $1,000 900. Part OF their
goods are kept in a private room,
which is carefully guarded by detec.
tives. and entrance Is gained only by
appointment.
Tuesday mornings business conclud-
ed with the reading OF the secretary's
report This shows the organization
in a fiourishing condition, with nearly
every state showing an increase In
membership