The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-31
RICHMOND IDEAL
CONVENTION CITY
Officers of Jewellers Meet Graft
flying Cooperation From
Local Interests.
LARGE DELEGATIONS COME
Kansas City Asks for Next
Years Meeting-Problems
OF Trade.

An ideal city for the convention
was tie expression with which Claud
. ~ meeier. secretary of the National Re-
tail Jewellers association. character
/ ICED Richmond, when seen last night
AZ the Jefferson AT none or the i've
cities AT which we haze met IN pre-
VIous years MAS / so impressed with
the SPIRIT OF interest and cooperation
as | nave been since coming TO Rich
mond. Everybody SEEM TO be inter-
csiod III us and our convention, and
, cen trade interests tar removed from
ours have shown read.:.ess 10 coop
crate which W. nave not encountered
81 the other convention cities"
mas Is re 5aru,d as no mean praise
when II Is recalled that the i've pre-
vious national conventions of the jew
elers We're held at such representative
cities as Rocnsstet chicago. Cincin-
natl. Omaha and Detroit. For the
first time since its organization the
association meets this year In the East,
and il is felt IL he a tribute TO the ac-
feasibility and reputation OF Richmond
that, of the numerous cities which were
available. it should have been chosen
for the debut of the jewellers in this
section.
Officers Ground.
President Steele +. Roberts. OF Pitts
burg; Secretary Claud Wheeler and ].
r. Stebbins, Of the executive commit
tee. of the national association. arrived
in the city yesterday and are quartered
at the jefferson. They are busy work.
ing out the preliminary details OF the
convention. which oreAs formally to-
morrow. with an address of welcome
by Mayor Richardson. This evening
at o'clock the president and officers
of the national association will hold
n %
complimentary tt. the delegates and
visitors.
Convention arrivals yesterday were
principally representatives. of the
wholesalers and manufacturers who
will have displays. They will be at
work to-day arranging their exhibits.
These will 81 scale more elabo-
rate than b.. Yer been attempted at
previous conventions. and will be the
most brilliant and valua BILE collection
of jewelry ever brought South. There
will be forty or nifty separate exhibits,
embracing every division of the jewel
ers' arts
The national orsanization has sub
sidiary associations in thirty-eight
states of the Union, and every one of
these will send representatives The
delegation coming from the greatest
distance is the one from Oregon. which
Will cross the American Continent to
| be present at the meeting. Missouri
is sending fifteen men, perhaps the
largest number from Middle Western
state. They come instructed TO vote
for Kansas City for the next meeting
place Cedar Point. Ohio, is also max
ing strong bid for the 1912 meeting
it's convenient location in the Great
Lake region and excellent hotel facili-
ties being put forth III support of its
claim. II is the annual meeting place
of the Ohio Retail jewelers. Associa-
ton and is claimed by that body to
be unsurpassed as a convenient point
Washington and New York are also ex-
| pected TO enter The race and will make
strong effort to keep the convention
neNt year in the East
Would Protect Public.
The national association has set it.
self the task Of solving several prob
lens that confront the jewelry trade
at this time One of the greatest OF
these is the standa rtlization of the
product of the various manufacturing
jewelers.. 1t is a fact that few manu-
featured products lend themselves so
easily TO the designs OF INSCRIPTIONS
dealers as those of the jewelry manu-
facturers. II is comparatively easy for
dealers outside of the pale of respect
ability to charge an eXorbitant price
| for comparatively inferior product
or to pass off for genuine and meri-
torious an article of base composition
The buying public is in this respect
! largely at the mercy of the seller It
/ is the aim of the association to induce
! the leading manufacturers of the coun-
! Try to brand all goods OF a certain pur-
ity with a uniform and easily recog-
nizable label. so that the purchaser may
be enabled to tell at glance the kind
of goods he is buying.
! Mall Order Houses.
! The relation OF the jewelry trade to
/ the mail order houses is another prob
| lem with which the national associa
ton is deeply concerned. Retail Jew
elers have suffered. they claim. from
/ TINS source to great extent An at
/ tempt is being made to secure for the
retail jeweier the exclusive right to
sell reputable ard branded jewelry and
10 permit to the department stores and
mail order houses the handling of the
! cheap and plated wares. Some such
concerted action. 1t is claimed is nee
essary to prevent the mammoth mail
order houses from gradually absorbing
large and valuable share of the trade.
! While the association has formed no
! definite plan on this point, II recog-
nizes the problem and attempts to deal
| with II.
! The Twenty-four Karat Club, an or
ganization Of local jewellers. is host to
/ the visiting delegates and has In
charge all arrangements for their en-
/ tertainment. This feature of the con-
! vent!on begins this afternoon with
automobile tours complimentary te the
officers OF the national organization.
/ On Wednesday evening. at the Jener-
son. will take place the banquet to the
/ delegates and visitors. to be followed