The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-07
BUSINESS SAvANTS
FEAST AND TALK
Continued from First Page.)

| AN+PiAtAhASh LiOsi hst EdEtJ
(
/ with an ease and grace that not only
| betrayed his versatility, but his rare
/ judgment in meeting exigencies. as
/ was demonstrated when he called
| first upon Vice-President Samuel
| Cohen, Richmonds merchant prince,
and president of the State association
Of retail merchants. to supply the
place of former President T. A,
Miller.
MIR. Cohen talked interestingly on
the value of the organization. Its
usefulness and the benefits derived,
and told briefly what had been ac-
eomplished for the civic hetterment, OF
I Richmond, pointing out especially,
/ Bread street smooth paving and the
cluster lights He declared that If
| the municipality did not take the
proper steps to keep Broad street
clean after the smooth paving was
completed, that the merchants would
get together and organize a street.
! cleaning force of their own that
would put the city to shame. In
closing MIR. Cohen told HIS hearers that
he had spent millions in advertising
and that newspaper publicity was the
only sort worth while, He decried the
use of dodgers and similar catch
penny schemes, and in this was en-
dorsed by w. Fl. Schwarzschild, who
followed him. in response to toast
on Advertising,
The Parcels Post.
J. G.. Corley was unavoidAbly absent
from the meeting and his excellent
paper on 1.-THE Possibilities of the
Parcels Post" was read by order OF
the president Julius c. Levitt was
assigned the subject: What Does the
Association Mean to You" and in the
course of his remarks pointed out in
lterestingly the accomplishments of
the organization in the seven years of
its existence in the methods created
for the protection of its members,
such as the credit bureau; the Iegis-
lation effected through It's influence for
the good of the retail merchant, and
its work In developing the community
spirit among business men.
| George Med. Blake, who was asked
to respond to the subject What Do
| You. Get For Your Money Paid the
Association made hit with the
simple declaration, Il" following good
yarn, that the members of the organ
ization get more for their money out
of the r. NJ. A. than from any other
organization to which they belong.
! Secretary w. A. Clarke. Jr., con-
Guided the experimenting with a
1 brief recountal of the associations
past year. and an optimistic view of
the future.
/ Following liz President Normans an
nual report in full:
Presidents Address.
President Norman said:
Gentlemen of the Retail Merchants
Association of Richmond, Va.
You honored me with an election to
the presidency of your association at
| the second quarterly meeting. held
/ last May, to succeed a man who had
| emlnentiy distinguished himself in
| that capacity, by bringing into life
/ and lustiness an association or the
| retailers OF Richmond, that has come
| to stay, Mr. Miller took charge Of the
Infant ali tia very birth. with rare.
/ Judgment. skillful tact and excep-
| tional diplomacy he nursed 1t into
/ a live, yirile factor in the business
and civic affairs of this city. Is 1t
/ then to be wondered at that l accept
ed the responsibility of further de-
veloping this prodigy with graveness
/ and apprehension. not to mention my
consciousness of shortcomings?
I However, by the grace OF kind
I providence we are here assembled
again In our seventh annual meeting.
and your president is most happy to
report an existence of most har-
monious and cooperative fraterna-
lism amongst the membership for the
! year just ending.
Z
upon for regular or special service
cheerfuliy responsive, and as is usual
under these circumstances. their ef-
forts have been fruitful.
With this most commendable spirit
dwelling amongst LIS we are bound
TO accomplish things Our under
/ takings for the betterment OF retail
! conditions civic improvements, or the
/ fostering of business development in
/ Richmond, must prosper. with the
moral and, IL needs be, the PHYSICAL
support OF such membership as ours
/ behind 1t.
/ will not dwell at length upon
I the achievements of the year Just past,
/ as most of them are common history
| TO our members. and being favored
/ this evening with an attractive pro-
gram of speakers, / will not run the
| risk OF boring you with extended de-
! tails, but for your general informa-
! ton / will state that we have added
! thirty firms to our membership and
have lost only two by resignation or
/ otherwise.
Our financial condition has been
! placed on a frmer footing by the
/ raising Of dues in some instances, and