The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-02-13

tive from a business standpoint that
he had eyer heard.
Pleas For Organization.
Then Mr.. Greig spoke OF the form
ing of the Wheeling Business Mems
association and its purposes. The or
~ganization. he continued. was formed
for the protection of the business man
and also the protection OF the Gus
toner. According to politicians. the
speaker said. the high cost of living
is assigned to the retailer or bust
ness man The mail order houses
have the best advertising writer's in
the country in heir employ. and these
writer's are advertising to the outside
world stories TO the effect that il Is
the middleman who is responsible for
the high cost OF living. The retailer
is being abused and lied about. he
continued. until il is about time they
are organizing 10 stand for their
rights. Then he cited several articles
In which the mail order houses held
that the retailer was the cause of in
creased prices. These articles. the
prices OF which the mail order house
cite. h speaker said. were figures
giving the net cost or the manufac-
ture n the gross cost or profit Of
the retailer. II is purely the fault OF
the business men for the appalling
conditions. Mr.. Grieg said. Take the
lawyers; they have all strong organ.
! iZations. In New York alone there
are 10000 members or the bar.
High Cost Of livinq.
take of my hat - rne lawyers. he
said. II is the retailer who is not
organized that is paying for the costly
office buildings that the attorneys
are occupying. and II Is their money
that is making attorneys wealthy.
Now. don't blame the lawyers: blame
yourselves for these conditions
Seventy-five per cent of the taxes
paid in the country is being paid by
the retailer. Mr.. Greig said. while the
business man is deriving but little
legislation.
Take the last session OF The legis.
lature in West Virginia. There was
only me little compromised bill among
V presented by the business men
that was passed. he said. In Virginia
where the business men are organized.
the business men at the last session
of the legislature got 50 bills passed
all OF which they presented.
Conditions throughout West Vir
ginla are appalling. he said. Persons
take advantage OF the bankruptcy
laws in n d%isgraceful manner. DO you
know. the speaker continued. that one
Chicago mail order house does mora
business in a day than all the bust
ness houses between Follansbee and
Huntington.
Mr.. Grcig then took n shot AZ the
parcels post. He pictured Postmaster
General Hitchcock as tho advance
salesman OF the big mail order houses.
The parcels post will In time. he said,
he a death blow to the retailer of this
country. This is simply because we
are not organized as business men he
concluded.
In closing. he speaker assail"d the
local residents for buying abroad from
concerns that do not pay taxes in the
city and who have not tho city al
heart. The business man has been
afraid 20 ask for anything. he said,
and as a result he has obtained moth.
ing. With the buiness men properly
organized. he said. tho high cost OF liv-
ing a be reduced. The business men
he continued. should organize like the
bankers and they then can save per
centage for the people.
ignatius Bremen.
The next speaker or rather enter
tainer OF the evening was West Vir.
ginia's original poet. Ignat.us Bremen
who ave a few orieinar poems. In
opening his sketch the speaker
stated that he recently had q dream.
dreaming that he was in a cemetery
and found there n number OF tomb.
stones. Epitaphs on these tombstones
were found 10 be about a number o..
local men. Among them were:
Meath thi sod. ecar ami yellow.
Lies n ratfiinR good fellow
Deposited here tu lt'~ember.
No green grass viil grow
on this mound. for all know
The enclosed was a reaF. ref-fl'
member
He was true 90 his membership.
True 90 hIs house.