The San Francisco call., 1913-10-24
|TcMENDEL SCOLLAPSES SINCOURTATRTUAL TRIAL III
MER(HAN TS
Of STATE IN
BAN(|lJEI
Better Trade Conditions Are
Urged-Need of Manu-
faCtureS Emphasized

ldCtui CO EIttJltoSiZCu
Subjects of vital interest to the dry
goods merchants of the state were
discussed at the annual meeting of
the California Retail Dry Goods Deal
ers' association in the Pompeian
room of Hale Brothers store yester-
day and at the banquet rendered the
organization by the Oakland and San
FJsncisco members at the Palace last
night
Plans for the betterment of trade
conditions here through the estab-
hshment of manufactures; the neces-
sily for more active participation
IN the making of laws which affect
local trade and the establishment and
maintainance of a course in voca-
tional training schools especially
planned and prepared for those who
viii in after life make their living by
selling were discussed by the various
speakers in & manner that showed
profound study OF the subjects
treated.
The convention signalized the af-
fliation OF all the retail dry goods
associations of the state into a single
body and paved the way toward a
wider range of cooperation between
the dealers of the state.
MANUFACTURERS TO BE INVITED
That conditions in San Francisco
and the bay region would be ma
terially bettered by inviting manufac-
turers of the east and elsewhere to
come here and establish large plants
was the opinion voiced by many of
the members.
daI
over by Vice President Arthur Let's
Of Los Angeles. T. W. Dahlman, Mar
shall Hale and A S. Levenson of Oak
land, secretary of the association and
others participated in the speech max
ing.
Marshal Hale presided at the ban
quet in the evening. Among those
who spoke on matters of mutual in
terest were H c. Capwe1l of Oakland,
c. c. Moore, president of the exposi-
ton comnany; Arthur Let's; c. Pills
bury of the state industrial board, and
W. Z. Chamberlain, manager of Ham
burgers store and chairman of the
business mems committee of Los An
geles.
EFFICIENCY DESIRED
Mr.. Chamberlain spoke on "Mercan-
tile Efficiency" He said in part:
This is a commercial nation. and
California is a commercial state, and
II is proper that we, as business men,
SlOuld demand a course of education
ttat viii fit the rising generation to
be f-supporting and very early in |
their business careers be able TO de-
liver results in proportion to the
salaries received"
These conditions have placed a
very considerable financial burden on
the tax payers of Los Angeles, and it
has been with difficulty that the
school board has been able to even
house this increased attendance. The
Los Angeles schools, in common with
most of the public schools of today,
have given considerable attention to
vocational training.
This has been along the lines of the
manual arts, bookkeeping and some
little special commercial training.
They have also introduced courses
for the girls in millinery. dress max
ing; household accounting and cook
cry; these. of course. in addition to
the regular academic courses, includ-
ing languages, Journalism. dramatics
and the three RS, but it has re-
mained until this time to introduce a
course which is especially planned
and prepared for those who will in
after life make their living by
selling.
COURSE IN SALESMANSHIP
The course might have been called
course of craftsmanship but ii
was the intention of the business
mems committee. who first suggested
this to the board of education. as well
as the members of the board of edu-
catiorf themselves that the course
should cover salesmanship on the big
gest and broadest lines, not only TO
the end that the pupils might benefit
by more practical business education,
hut that salesmanship might be
raised to an equality with the pro-
fessions, and the stigma heretofore
attached to statesmen be removed
As I have stated, this course was
suggested to the board of education
nv committee of business men, the
originated in our own Retan Dry
Goods Mems association. and the first
committee of three was enlarged until
II finally consisted of representatives
from other branches OF commerce.
SUI as banking, life insurance, real
estate and other lines
..Duriug the course of investlga-
t,or an the part of this committee.
which extended over a period OF some
four or five months, and included con-
ferences with the superintendent OF
schools and special committee ap-
,,ointad nv the board of education.
a,,a with representatives OF all Of the
,-sv,-sna rers of Los Angeles, we finally
as,raed that the present courses, along
aesdenafc and vocational lines, were
80 or the CONSTITUTIONAL nature that
- necessary TO fit young men or
-,ounp women for an immediate sue
csssf,ll pIace in the commercial world
LACK OF TRAINING MANIFEST
.swhiIe there is no disposition to
N anv-nanner criticise the extremely
GOOD work which is being done by
he n1,blc schools of our city ana
toto sin the fact remains that up
- mis- time the pupils have not been
Given much insign into the real prac-
tical workings of the selling END OF
business as applied, not only TO dry-
Goods. but to life insurance, real es-
80 and all the lines by which we, |
snd others. make their living IN TINS |
commercial age.
VERY ordinary and common place |
a.hort cuts" in arithmetic, that are |
a~,rfoved by every retail institution |
80 nracticalIy unknown, even TO the |
1.feyb school students The bookkeep- |
fng which is taught, not only In the
r,,b1tc schools. but in some sof the |
Trf,,ota schools, would scarcely be /
,.e,as-r,ized by that name in the mod |
-, BUSINESS mans office, and IN |
structions on the lines OF business
ethics il we may use that term
sncb as honesty, loyalty, tact. cour-
tesv. etc. have not even peen