The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-12
WR|GH1|hAN AND
MANUFACTURERS
s,cretary.Treasurer Of state Manu-.
facturers Association Makes
Address Following
Banquet.
AT THE HOTEL KEoKUK
Local Manufacturers Association Was
Guest Of keokuk Industrial AS
ISOLATION at Noon Day
Dinner.


Members of the local Manufactur
ers' Association, as guests of the In
dustrial Association, assembled at the
Keokuk Hotel today at a noondav din
ner, in response to an invitation ex
tended several days ago, when the an
nouncement was made that q a
Wrightman, secretary-treasurer Of the
state organization, would be in Keo
kuk for three days, and that on Mon
day he would address the members O,
the local branch of manufacturers. A
large number attended the function
where the Industrial Association act
ed as host. Following the dinner. Mr.
Wrightman made his address.
The appearance of Mr.. Wrightman
In this city is for the purpose OF
strengthening the organization and for
the enrolment Of new members. He
will be here for three days, today to.
morrow and Wednesday.
At the conclusion of the luncheon
the guests were taken to the parlor OF
the hotel and John Dewitt, secretary
of the Keokuk Industrial Association
Informed the meeting that Mr.. Harri.
son, under whose charge the meeting
was to have been held was sick and
had telephoned him to see to the ar
rangements. He then introduced Mr..
Wrightman as secretary-treasurer of
the Iowa State Manufacturers Asso.
citation, and asked that the meeting
listen closely TO Mr.. Wrightman.
as he could tell something that would
interest everyone present.
Mr.. Wrightman opened his talk by
stating that he was visiting the prin-
cipal cities OF Iowa for the purpose
Of getting help for the association In
Keokuk, he declared, he wanted to
enroll seven new members. Through
out the state, he was sure of getting
between 700 and 500 new members.
The most embarrassing thing 1
have ever had to do said Mr.. Wright
man, @is to ask people for help and
lor money. as / have had to do on
this trip through Iowa My nature is
70 give, not to ask, and you can see
mat 1t is very hard job for me-
The association must keep its place
as the biggest thing for the Iowa
manufacturing interests, though. and
II my work will do any good, it will be
permanent organization
At present we have traffic bureau
IN Des Moines that has at it's head
the best posted man on rates in the
world. Two men who are the next
pest are there with him. This
bureau has been operating over a
year now and has saved the manufac-
turers OF Iowa thousands of dollars in
that time. The man at the head of
lnat department has been with me for
ABOUT ten years and is the most won
aerlui man on rates, bar none, that
Know. Until a few months ago this
man was drawing a salary Of s2,1O0l
per year, and a Chicago railroad man,
N perfectly honorable way offered
MN $4,000 to come to Chicago. An
aour after he had refused the offer,
another man offered him $3,400 He
also refused that. 1t was only by ac-
cloent that l found out about these
ohers and asked him about them. n
Immediately raised his salary as head
oi the traffic department. of the Iowa
STATE Manufacturers Association
This man is worth 100000 per
year to the manufacturers of Iowa
and would be a bargain if the asso-
clation could get him for $4,000.
would be glad to stump the state for
uim, it 1t were necessary to do so to
hold him.
HIS work on rates for the year that
Inc traffic bureau has been operating
.las many times paid his salary. In
s'ead OF fighting the railroads, he en-
aeaVors to arbitrate ell matters and, I
peing an old railroad man himself,
Understands the situation much bet
. .er than any other possibly could. He
mas a genius for that kind of work
.hat amounts to almost a passion. and
!, hrmly believe that the state of
,owa cannot do without him.
!, AFTER speaking for some time on
.ue tariff rates and conditions and the
ueeu OF keeping up the interest in the
aasssoeiation, Mr.. Wrightman suggest
- mat the local members of the as
aooiatlon invite all the manufacturing
:, Of the state, regardless of
:, ahe'ner or not they were members of
~ association, to meet in Keokuk
nc gay before the annual meeting of
i. iowa State Manufacturing Associa-
~. mere next spring His suggestion
on iavorably received although no
= was taken. 1t was also decid-
!, - mat the members OF the associa.
~ would go with Mr.. Wrightman to
~ some OF the manufacturers here
~ we're not members and try to get
i ~ the association. 1t is thought
h NJ mere will be several more than
I'm equired number of seven, that 4
III 20 into the organization before