The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-15
SPARROW SPEAKS TO
HARDWARE DEALERS
ABOUT ADVERTISING
Meeker Lectures on Manu-
facture of Wire-Cam-
paign for Members
HAVE BANQUET AT
HOTEL HILLMAN
Advertising Not Only Related to the
Hardware Trade, But Married, He
Says-Calls Attention to
Errors of Thought

iO1o VI ihOASht
rousing speech on advertising by
John A. Sparrow, an illustrated lecture
or the manufacture of wire by J. w
Meeker of the American Steel and Wire
company, the launching of a camapign
for new members and a sumptuous ban
qGet at the Hotel Hillman last night
were the four big features of the second
day of the convention of the Alabama Re-
tail Hardware Dealers in Birmingham
yesterday.
Following the report of the suggestions
committee. IL. w. Dunn, chairman, yes
terday morning, a membership campaign
was discussed as recommended by the
committee and the determination reached
that an active campaign would be con-
Quoted by the organization for new men,
bers among the hardware men Of the
state. The question box and report on
the Detroit convention by J. W. Beasley
and report on the Jacksonville con
vention by ]. r. Gamble were the other
features of the morning session.
Advertising is important
The afternoon session was opened by
the address of Mr.. Sparrow on ''Adver-
tising as It Relates to Hardware" which
was very well received by the delegates.
Mr.. Sparrow dealt with the subject in
his usual vigorous style, giving the con-
vcntion his plain views, III plain lam
guage He stated advertising was the
most important branch of any business
and particularly SO of the hardware bust
ness and in characteristic style told why
he thought so.
The question box was then opened for
some 20 or 50 minutes after which the
delegates adjourned in a body to the
Odeon Theatre No. and heard an H.
lustrated lecture by ]. w. Meeker on
the manufacture of wire and steel from
the mine to the finished product
The banquet last night at the Hotel
Hillman was attended by over 200 dee
gates and local hardware men The ban
quet was given to the delegates by the
local jobbers and retail hardware men.
who are hosts to the convention. IL was
a very enjoyable affair and happy
speeches were made by many Of the dele
gates and local hardware men.
The illustrated lecture by Mr. Meeke~
at the Odeon theatre was one of the mcst
features so far of the con-
were slides and part of which were NOV
ing picture films, We're complete and elab-
crate, making the explanations of the iron
and steel industry easily understood Mr..
Meeker began with the locating of the
mine in the tough country, and traced
each succeeding step in the process until
the modern wire fence was stretched and
nailed to its posts.
Shows Entire Process
He showed the ore being taken from the
mine, how it was shipped by rail and
water to the great smelters and rolling
mills along the lower lakes, how there #
was melted, the impurities taken out, the
ingots cast, the rolling process, the draw
ing process, the galvanizng and finally
the fence weaving on the great looms
and the stretching of the fence along a
row of posts. The lecture contained val
liable information for the farmer as we'll
as the hardware men, and many of the
hardware men who heard it stated that
they could now furnish their farmer
patrons with valuable data on the proper
erection Of fence and themselves could
buy and handle better wire, because they
knew what was good and what was bad.
The lecture touched all parts of iron min
ing and manufacture until it was cast into
great ingots of pure Steel and from thore
of wire
The programme this morning includes
the question box, report of legislative
committee, J. r. Gamble, chairman, and
report of committee on constitution and
bylaws. This afternoon at o'clock viii
begin the final session of the convention,
with an address on '"rhe National AS
by its president. Charles A. Ire
land The reports or the committees viii
.s..t-
will consist of resolutions. nomination and
election of officers. auditing. memoriam
place of next meeting and unfinished busi-
ness.
Sparrow's Address
The address of President Sparrow of this
CHAM Ad club in part was as fol
lows:
"If you viii stand for Joke.
will say that advertising is more than
related to the hardware trade-they
are married
Now, in what 7 am going to say
please GO not think L intend to be Of
ficious or impertinent. I shall Go some
plain talking because we advertising
men consider ourselves honorary ad-
visors to the business world. We are
on the coaching line of the game and
hence we are occasionally able to SCI
some things which the people inside
the diamond are too engrossed f
notice.
81 wish to call your attention to some
wide spread error OF thought as to ad
yertising. The first and most common
error is that advertising means getting
into print. 1t does mean that, but i
means a great deal more. both before
and after using the types, as we shal
see.
Another common error Is that ad
vertising is a sort of panacea for bust
ness diseases. one that will work in.
fallibly. Frineds say to the merchant
whose business is declining, Advertise
and you will soon be all right bui
they cannot tell him why or how ad-
vertising will make his business pros
per. They look on it as a kind of white
magic which will do the trick On the
other hand, the experienced advertis-
ing man will say to the merchant whose
business is in a bad way, Get right be-
fore you begin to ADVERTISE
1.-THE great trouble with business men
of all classes, is that they do not re-
gard advertising as a business propos-
tion, and do not respect IL as such. Hence,
they fail TO give their advertising closa
personal attention. While there are many
exceptions, this is the rule in the
world, as I have found by ex-
perience, and so has every other adver-
tising man. The truth is that advertis-
ing is one of the most important branches
of any business, and no merchant or
manufacturers will get satisfactory returns
from his advertising until this fact be-
comes conviction with him.