The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-29
CONVENTION WAS |. OF GREAT BENEFIT ID ALL CONCERNED Birmingham Wholesalers Pleased With Meeting of
 Merchants APPREHENSION OVER
 COTTON ALLAYED Visitors Return Home More Optimistic Than When They Arrived-Friendly Trade Relations With Local
 Jobbers Promoted


 bama Merchants association just ended resulted in great good, not only to Bir
 mingham. but to the entire state of Ala
 bama. is the consensus of opinion among the wholesalers. who helped to provide the entertainment which was offered the Merchants association while here.
 The actual sales made while the mer- chants were here really were compara-
 lively small, it is said, nut the cement ing of friendly trade relations, the malS-
 ing of new friends. and the showing
 of the merchants of the state what Bir-
 mingham really has and what Birmng-
 ham really can do for a convention when
 she likes the people that make up it's
 membership, is of untold value to this
 city
 Some of the merchants, too, pointed
 out that most of the members of the as sociation came to Birmingham apprehen- sive as to the future, because of the stringent situation in Europe It was stated they left Birmingham confident in the word of the government that the cot ton crop would be cared for, and that business depression would not come. Many Oi thS htiShdhlc pcu6ht thodSn 6OouS to tide them over for a month or two
 months, and will continue to buy in small lots as they need .he goods. The convention ultimately will mean that Bir-
 mingham will become the jobbing center of the state and that it's jobbing inter- ests will reach out into adjoining states. Wholesalers Pleased
 A xuI, .xlaco yesterday are here quoted
 Dr. J. T. Doster Doster- N burlington Drug company: ''The Merchants conven-
 tion has had the effect Of cementng g friendly relations between the merchants
 of Alabama and the local jobbers. The actual trading done by the merchants while here is of comparatively little inn portance. The big item Is in that they
 were impressed with Birmingham and the extent of the jobbing business here. And. when 150O merchants vote unanimously to make Birmingham a permanent meet 1 ing place it appears as though this city has made remarkable strides towards ultimately being the jobbing center of | the south.'' l Sidney w. Lee, president Alabama Gro
 cery company: While I am of the 1 opinion that not a great deal of actual business was done by the merchants ! while here. I believe that the establish l ment of friendly relations will rebound
 to Birmingham's benefit. We enjoyed having the merchants here. My firm
 turned it's Packard truck into touring car, and it left the store every hour 1 filled with merchants for trip around | Highland avenue, pack oy Glen Iris and through Idlewild. We served lunch to 1 between 15O and 0OO merchants Thursday at our store Everybody who attended the convention seemed to be greatly pleased with the entertainment | r. l.. Sturkey of the Sturkey Hat com pany: "Our business during the mer-
 chants convention this year was much larger than at the same time last year. Perhaps the most important thing done during the convention was the installing l into the merchants confidence in the government and that business would not be depressed. Many Of the merchants
 came here apprehensive as to the out | look. They left full of optimism. Op- tlmlsm is as contiguous as measles. Bir- mingham has it; VIC know there is not going to be great depression, and our optimism was caught py our guests of this week..
 F. NJ. Jackson, president Perfection Mat tress and Spring company: ''I think the Merchants association is one of the great est means of bringing the people to un- derstand what Birmingham means and what it has to sell. general impress ! sion obtains that the convention this year was much larger and better than the first, and the first one year ago was so good that the jobbers thought it would tainment to the convention this year. Many friends for Birmingham were made
 Everybody Felt Better | V. $. Sage vice president Tyler Gro 1 cery company: "The merchants conyen- tion had the effect of maIing everybody | feel better Everyone became imbued with the idea that business is not going l to be bad. We spent great deal of money to entertain the. merchants while here, but it was spent for the good of | Birmingham and Alabama. We really will get great results from it ultimately. | The idea ought to be developed. The | jobbing interests made many friends The merchants were pleased with the en- tertainment and many of them l heard
 express their appreciation and say they
 would come again."
 Birmingham has made a most distinct contribution to the business prosperity of the state of Alabama during the past three days" declared General Secretary
 Radcliffe of the Chamber of Commerce. Birmingham has had upwards of 150d
 live merchants her guests, and they 1 have returned home in q cheerful and I hopeful frame of mind. Without doubt, many of them left home feeling appre-
 hensive as to the immediate future They came to Birmingham and have mingled l with the energetic business men of out l'city; they have become better acouainted among themselves. and through the meet 1 ing of last night in the Tutwiler, they have learned at first hand the exact attitude of the treasury department and the federal reserve board in Washing l ton.
 l They have returned home with an ex- act Knowledge of the situation, and whai | they may expect from the government and there is no question but that they | will resume their business activities witt l a hopeful attitude and that they vii diffuse this feeling in hundreds and hun l dreds of communities.
 T cannot but feel that the Birmingham l! Chamber of Commerce. through its trade l extension bureau, has performed a serv- ice for Alabama which is most far reaching
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