Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-09


A boom for a national retail merchants
association. to which President Taft
should be invited to give the support OF
his approval. was launched at the big
''get-together'.- dinner Of the Washington
Retail Merchants Association at the New
Ebbitt House last night. And incidental
ly the local association received the big
gest kind of boom all its own. More
than 200 Washington merchants and their
guests gathered at the banquet, and tho
enthusiasm for unified effort to better re-
tail trade and the spirit of good-fellow-
ship rolled up as the evening progressed.
There was no doubt in the minds Of the
merchants who attended the dinner, the
first in the history of the Retail Mer-
chants Association, that the function
was destined to become an annual affair.
The merchants did not let business oc-
cupy their attention to the exclusion Of
fun and conviviality, and, under the lead
ership of Roe F,ulkerson. the master OF
ceremonies. the guests sat about the
handsomely decorated tables until mid
night listening to speeches. singing and
enjoying the special stunts" which had
been prepared for them.
Special Guests Of Evening.
Among the guests were Commissioner
Cuno III. Rudolph, who was hailed with
great applause when he entered the din
ming hall about o'clock. Others were
D. J. Callahan, first vice president of the
Chamber Of Commerce: NJ. Umstadter.
former president OF the Norfolk (Va.)
Retail Merchants Association; Robert
n. Harper and p. E. knight, the latter
president OF the Alexandria Retail Mer-
chants Association. Maj. Richard Syl-
vester. superintendent of the metropoli-
tan police, was a guest, too. but he left
early, which probably prevented the
"pinching'' Of the entire assembly when
Roe Fulkerson, the POSTMASTER, was get
ting In his fine work via phone placed
at his right hand and conversations with
many alleged customers OF the mer-
chants.
President Joseph Strasburger led off in
the speechmaking with a ringing appea!
to the merchants of Washington to get
together" and form an association which
shall be model for all others. He de-
tailed the work of the association dur
'ng its first year of existence and point
ed to the good work which had been ac-
complished for its members.
Roe Fulkerson greeted the merchants
as the live wires of the District OF Co
The first speaker introduced by Mr..
Fulkerson was Commissioner Rudolph,
whom he designated as the man whom
everybody loves Commissioners Ru-
dolph, after congratulating the merchants
upon their good work In forming an as
ISOLATION, declared that It was high time
the association was gaining in numbers
and strength. There is still more work
| was the name applied to the merchants
by the Commissioner. who recalled that
some one had recently said that no
successful business man OF today could be
honest.
NJ Umstadter. former president OF the
Norfolk Retail Merchants Association.
| told the merchants of the great work
which was being done by that association
and like associations throughout Virginia
You ought to have a membership or al
| least 800 in your Washington assoc!a-
| ton" said Mr.. Umstadter. And you
| ought to have revenue of $4,000 to spend
| He said that the retail merchants of TO-
| day are the men of big enterprise, the
| merchant princes of the country. and
| that they should make their influence
felt. He pleaded for the estaplishment oi
| a great national association of retail
| merchants. and declared that the worA
| for such an organization had already be-
gun.
Of virginia, West Virginia. North Caro-
| lima and the District of Columbia, Penn
| sylvania, New York and New Jersey az
| a nucleus for this association" declared
| MT. UmStdQter. he SAlO tIdt lHulVluudiIy
| the merchants could not amount to much
| in framing legislation needed by retail
| trade but that collectively they would be
| a power which would reach every mem.
| Der of Congress.
| Comeback at Fulkerson.
| When Mr.. Fulkerson introduced D. J.
| Callahan he aimed q joke or two at the
head Of the first vice president-with ar
accent on the vice-of the Chamber OF
| Commerce, and Mr.. Callahan Immediately
came back at the POSTMASTER with the
| following verse. which he had scrubbed
| on the back OF his dinner card:
Same old Roe with same old fad,
| Same old public. but oh. so sad!
Same old stories told anew
BY the same old Roe with different
/ view.
| Same old diners. patient and fair,
| Have to stand for Roe and his hot air.
Mr. Callahan paid a high tribute tt
1 Capt James F. Oyster. president of the
| Chamber of Commerce. whose place HI
| was taking on the speakers list because
| the president of the Chamber OF Com
| merce was out of town. He congratulated
! the Retail Merchants Association upor
the great work which it had accomplished