Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-03
Maine Coal Dealers Meet = I
Address by A. F. Rice, New York.

i1cuSt yesterday diiu were III
| session continuously until $3.50 in the
afternoon. The association does not,
as many suppose, meet to fix the price
of coal, but rather for the purpose of
becoming better acquainted with one
another. exchanging ideas, comparing
| notes and profting by the experiences
of various men in the business, look
/ ing Of course for mutual protection
and the general improvement and ele-
| Walton Of the coal trade in Maine.
There was an unusually large at
tendance at Yesterdays meeting. The
morning session was called to order
at 10 o'clock by President Frank s
Wingate of this city. The secretary
| Edward W. Larrabee of Bath, called
| the roll of members and read the min
utes of the last session. Reports were
heard from the various committees
and other routine work received at
tentiOn.
At the afternoon session the follow
ing officers for the ensuing year were
elected:
President, NJ. j. Goggin, Lewiston,
LIST vice. Fred X. Spear. Rockland; I'd
vice, g. a. Green, Waterville; Cd vice.
l4NlIldIl N. Lee, FpSCi'lt. lItGS, r. d.
purinton, Augusta; Sec. Edward w.
Larrabce. Bath; executive committee,
George l.. GerriSh. Portland: p. j.
Sweeney, Sabattus; George r. Bearce.
Lewiston: W \. SW:.:, Belfast; Hen
ry F. Merrill, Portland; S. w. Smith.
Skowhegan; f. S. Wingate, Hallowell.
A. r. Robinson, Bangor.
The president, secretary and treas
urer were elected delegates to the Re.
tail Coal Dealers Association OF New
England 10 hc held IN Boston March
II and 1G
Following is the address of Arthur
r. Rice. commissioner of The Ccal
Merchants Association of New York:
GENTLEMEN OF THE MAINE CTATE
COAL ASSOCIATION:
When | received from your Genial Sec
rotary an invitation to address YOU. [
realized that "a prophet is not without
honor, save in his own country. and
that if | got far enough from home |
might safely pose as a successful coal
COmmi SSiuncr.
got a valuable part Of my training in
this State some years ago while selling
coal for Meaker K Company. along your
coast from kennebunk to PASSPORT and
want to say that if | Were called upon
to educate a man in the coal business |
would certainly put the Maine dealers in
his course of study. They would sharpen
his wits and take the conceit out of him.
AS no definite theme has been assigned
to me, | shall speak in a diScoursive way
of organization as applied to our bust
ness.
From the time that Joseph went down
into Egypt carrying in the pocket of his
tunic warehouse receipts covering the
visible supply of corn and marketed his
goods at prices entirely satisfactory to
himself, thoughtful men have realized
that successful merchandising involves
mental parSpicacitY as well as hard work;
they have also come to believe that in
multitude Of counsellors there is wis
dom; hence the tendency to organize into
Associations for mutual protection, help
fulneSS and efficiency.
Discipline, system and Team work
are necessary today in war business or
sport, and as the retail coal trade seems
to be mixture Of all three the active
and harmonious cooperation OF all the
dealers in Il community and corralation
of their forces are essential to CONNER
cial success But these things are by no
means easy Of accomplishment. | believe
it was Emerson who said Every man
has devil in him as big as wood
chuck" and in the coal business this
devil seems to become peculiarly active at
times. Dishonest competition. ignorance,
greed for tonnage and bad faith in its
various forms are some of the difficulties
to be met and overcome.
The men on whom the labor involves of
organizing and holding together am ag
gregation made up of several nati0nali-
ties and scattered over Il wide territory.
certainly have their work cut out for
them. They must be as wise as SER
penis and as harmless rs doves: they
must be able to do plain and fancy think
ing on all sorts of subjects from British
Thermal Units to The price of horse col
lars they must he mind readers, but they
will not always find it eNpedient to speak
their minds. If they can provide zero
hats In rl1
prosperity. they will be tolerated in
office; but if the weather. market and
money conditions are unfaVorable, some
dealer, usually a price cutter. jumps up
and yells. What am | paying dues for
and suggests the propriety of putting the
caStors under the hard worked and long
suffering officials and sliding them out
into the snow. But after all has been
said and done a well ordered and efficient
organization is Il vital necessity and the
things it can do for its own good without
harm to any one else are manifold 1t
can instruct itself as to the exact cost
of doing business and thereby learn what
few men really know. il can protect it.
self against people who do not pay their
bills; it can develop and sustain q spirit
of mutual heipfulneSS and fair play
without which there is little satisfaction
in doing business. 1t can learn and
teach the lesson that confidence in and
between honest competitors IS d most
Salutary and admirable thing 1t can
acting a body. do what no individual
can do in safe guarding its interests in
respect to public sentiment and its rela-
tions with the producers and carriers of
the commodity in which il deals Finally
but not incidentally, 1t can make the
honest and legal profit 10 which its mem
barS are Justly entitled. The business Is
one which is popularity supposed to he
very profitable, and yet. | venture To say
without fear OF contradiction from those
who know the facts. that there Is no line
Of trade involving the same amount of
labor. money and risk, that shows n
smaller return on the work required and
he capital invested. The coal dealer
produces nothing. He is absolutely de-
pendent on others for his supply and
must pay the asking price without qiies-
ton. In this part Of tile country he is
largely at the mercy of the elements ana
the same mild weather which favors the
receipt of his goods promptly. cheaply
and in good order, would be fatal to his
disposing of them satisfactorily after
they had arrived Moreover ice and
heavy SHOWS may double OF thribha the
cost of delivery on his contracts All
these chances the dealer as to take His
business is what the insurance people
would call extra hazardous. Is he not
entitled tn reasonable profit on It, and
isn't his Association strictly in the right !
in trying to see that ne gets il? Are
there those in your State who are timid
bout belonging to your organization for
fear Of some legal complications? DO
they want precedent from the United
States Government itself? Printed on the.
Irsl.l e No. N i, Is,rs