The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-15
PRESIDENT VAS
HONORED GUEST
FARGO CREDIT MEN ENTERTAIN
Ed +. S. SALISBURY OF MIN
NEAPoLIs AT Al FINE BANQUET
LAST EVENING AND he TALK
ED ON CREDIT MEN.

AT a well appointed banquet Of the
Fargo Credit Mems association last
night. rendered II. S. Salisbury of
Minneapolis, president Of the Nation
al credit Mems association, there
were just fifty precent. The banquet
was served in the commercial club
dining room by the Prize Co, and lit
was well arranged and was greatly
enjoyed. Carnations and ferns were
the decorations.
President McHose or the local or
ganization presided and made a pleas
ing Introductory speech in which he
said that Mr.. Salisbury was a home
product and that just now in Fargo
1t was fashionable to exhibit home.
products. He said that the national.
president was born In the northwest
on d farm and that he had always Iiv-
ed in the northwest and always hop
ed he welld be a resident in this
section.
Mr.. Salisbury in beginning his adj
dress stated that this was his third
trip to Fargo and that he was always
pleased to be here. He talked on
credit men and their work and he
gave a brief history of its organiza-
ton which he said took place in the
city of Toledo, when three business
men held a little meeting and decfd-
ed that they would exchange con-
fidenees in regard To their customers,
and this they did with such success
that others. seeing how successful
they were, followed their example. He
said that the interchange of inform
alton was the life of business. 1t not
only protected the jobbers and manu-
facturers. but 1t protected the honest
debtor. He said that customs had
changed; that ten years ago 1T was
THE idea to get the money from 8
shaky debtor even il it ruined him,
but now through the work of the
credit men this was a thing of the
past and the honest debtor was pro-
tected to a certain extent and when
it seemed possible that he could again
get on his feet no matter if he vas
badly involved financially it was the
policy of the credit men to help him
and very many times q rather poor
customer was made into a good one.
He said the credit men of the pres
ent day had much better facilities
for getting information than those of
the past and that conditions In a
business world were much better; and
that if credit men now were doing
business as they did ten years ago
they couldn't do business at all. He
believed that the customer should
| have a contract with the jobber and
211OA4u a ~ ~ NiArSN
contract in discounts. payments and
every way. The information is now
right at hand and the standing of a
customer through the credit mems
system could be obtained almost in
a moment.
He talked of the credit men in am
| Client Rome, where a man who tailed
to pay a just claim after sixty days
was sent to prison, and after waiting
another sixty days without payment
he was turned over to the creditor
and sold as a slave. He said he sup
posed that il there were more than
one creditor each got his share of the
debtor. But he believed q live debtor
was better than a dead one, although
were apparently better dead than liy-
ing. He gave several instances OF
how the credit men by what might
be called nursing had saved many
an honest debtor from total failure
and In the end had made of him q
good customer n had helped him
on his feet again.
Formerly it was get the money from
the debtor; nov the cooperation OF
i the creditors as q whole is asked In
an effort to not only get the money,
butt save the debtor as well. The
credit men must concentrate their
thoughts so they will have all branches
OF the1r business rlBHL III their Haau
at q moments notice.
He said he was glad to see the
kindly feeling that existed between
4 the iobbers and manufacturers in the
northwest and particularly in Fargo.
He said there was q, good spirit w
between competitors and that was the
way. to make q success of a city,
There were some cities where this
good feeling did not exist with the
Eresult that the credit men did not
get along nearly so well as here He
was glad to say in closing that the
general feeling in the northwest was
that all credit men were for al
rather than selfishly for just one ane
that one was self.
At the close OF the banquet ant
meeting a reception was rendered thu
guests and he left on the 1880 on
the NJ. p. for the east. He expect:
to make his first visit to Texas weel
after next to see the associations
there.