The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-09
Representatives of Associa-
ton in Annual Convention
Discuss Big Problem.
OPPOSINGaMAIL ORDERS
Abolition of Middleman Ap-
pears to Be Regarded as
Main Purpose.

The annual convention of the West
ern Merchants association was held at
tho Commercial club yesterday.
Between thirty and forty delegates
were present from the intermountain
states The meeting was an cnthusias-
tic one and all tho delegates expressed
| themselves as being well satisfied with
the year s work. The association has
been organized with the end in view
way. One of the objects is to buy IN
large quantities by clubbing together
and thus make it possible for the man
who has only few hundred TO spend
to secure the same discounts and other
benefits as the man with hundreds of
thousands. Another thing the organ
ization proposes to do is to wage war
on the small merchant 8 worst foe, the
mail order house. That this can be Of
fectively done by cooperation Is the
opinion OF those who are pushing the
work Of the organization.
\, NJ Maylouf has been the moving
spirit in the enterprise. He retlres from
the presidency to become the associa-
tion s general manager and representa-
tive IN New York city,
Officers Elected.
The new officers elected for the en-
suing year are:
Farley Wright, president Wright d
Sons, Ogden).
n. l.. Nelson, vice president oman
ager Sanpete Cooperative store of Mt,
Pleasant
"Tim'' Covert. secretary (managcr
of Evans Co., Malad, Idaho)
A. M, Malouf, treasurer and general
manager.
Preston, Idaho: b. +. Booth, manager
Of the Booth Mercantile company, Gar
land c. F.. AdderlY of the Bing-
ham Mercantile company, Bingham; w.
l.. Hayes, manager Of the Pleasant
Grove Mercantile company; Z. B. Ma
louI, manager Leader store, Richfield !:
W. n. Brown, manager Salina Coop
erative company, SaIina; W. S. Nc
Clellan, manager Loa Cooperative
company. Loa; F. l.. Tuttle, manager
Tuttle & Co. Manti, comprise the
board of directors
The report Of the retiring president
is given in substance below and gives
good insight into the work of the
organization:
The Western Merchants association
has just completed its first year
after organization,
Purpose Defined.
This association is organized to put
the. western merchant on the same
basis as his great competitor, the
mall order house
For many years the mail order
house has been draining the money
from our western country, and the
western merchant has been left ah-
solutely helpless in fighting his COM
petitor. who does a great business In
this country, without helping the
country
Like any other instance in the
evolution of this world. the move
mcnt OF the Western Merchants as
soeiatlon was forced TO be created. to
give the western merchants a chance
to meet the mail order business right
In the field
When the western merchant is able
to give his customers the same price
rs the mall order gives them, he Will
no doubt get all the business In his
community, as he has in his favor
the patriotism OF men and women,
who, under equal advantages will
patronize their home industries and
contribute TO the advancement and
Improvement of their country.
Handicap Apparent.
The retail merchant of the west is
under the present system contribute
ing to the wealth OF the middIeman,
who. in most cases, becomes a mil
lionaire and this is what gives the
mall order business such great op-
portunlty.
The retailer is paying on his goods
an average of 3o per cent more than
| he should pay In adding the ex-
pense and the profits OF the retailer
IL is found that the consumer Is pay
ing 90 per cent more on his supplies
than he should,
| We have with us today almost
every widc-awake, up to date and
| leading merchant in this state: their
capital Is more than three millions OF
| dollars, their business capacity cx-
| ceeds six millions of dollars
| The association Will soon extend Its
| work 10 all the western states hav-
ing offices at Denver, Colo. Salt
| Lake City and San Francisco. with
Its main headquarters in New York,
where it maintains its buying offices
| at present
The conditions OF the retail mer-
| chants OF the west Will be entirely
| changed In a short time: all the store
| keepers have either to become real
| merchants or get out OF the game