The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-21


 How to conserve man power and help win the war was the subject of dis
 cussion at the Retail Merchants asso-
 citation luncheon at the Southern club yesterday at 1 o'clock About 40 of the members of the association were pres ent and all manifested a willingness 10 do whatever was in their power, or that the government may ask of them. to win the war.
 The immediate subject of discussion was deliveries. This matter had been u1der consideration Dy the executive committee for two or three days, and it had prepared and submitted recom-
 mendations to the effect that CD only one delivery be made on each route per day, @ no special deliveries to be made ex- cept to hospitals hotels and railroad sta tons, and in emergency cases (3) no merchandise sent out on approval or otherwise and returned to be accepted
 unless returned within three days; (4) no
 merchandise to be returned after it has been worn. and (5) no merchandise to be returned except at the expense of the purchaser
 DR. LANG SPEAKS Dr. George Lang, former president cf the Presbyterian college at Anniston, who resigned to accept the position of
 executive secretary of the Alabama coun- cil of defense, and B. Lobman of Mont gomery. assistant secretary, were pres ent and stated the attitude of the gov
 ernment toward conservation of man
 power and merchants deliveries.
 Dr. Lang stated that it had been as-
 certained that the merchants of the
 United States employed 3o00,00o men In
 their delivery systems and that the av-
 craze cost for each delivery made was
 Il cents. ranging from 71s cents in some
 cases to 12 and IA cents in others. Ac-
 cording to the same statistics it has been ascertained, he said, that by cooperative
 deliveries from B to 40 per cent of the
 men now engaged in making the deliv- cries could be dispensed with. thus re-
 leasing for essential occupations some
 thing like 100000 men.
 This movement for cooperative deliv-
 cries comes under the head of eco
 nomics," said pr. Lang. and can be
 divided into four parts production, con sumption, distribution and management
 Management is most important in that if
 the system of deliveries is economically conducted it will result in an appre- ciable savings to every merchant.
 GOVERNMENT DETERMINED While discaiming any intention to hold it over the heads of the merchants as a threat, pr. Lang declared that the
 
 operation and conservation. but that it expects the merchants themselves to vol untarily adopt the measures that Will
 work a saving in labor.
 MT. Lobman went more into details ot the workings of the cooperative sys- tenn of deliveries and cited instances
 where greater efficiency had been at
 tained with fewer employees and at much I less expense
 Several members of the Ad club were present by invitation, and added to the discussion. c. c. Earle and one or two others volunteering their services in col lecting information of the systems n other cities and in working out sys- tenn for Birmingham.
 BLACH'S RESOLUTION Colman Blach offered the following res olution, which was adopted unanimousiy It being the consensus of opinion that the recommendations proposed by the council of national defense. through the representatives of the state council of defense. will serve to eliminate wasted effort and expense, and will conserve to an appreclable extent thes man power which our na- ton so urgently needs. be it Resolved, That this association indorse these recommendations and cooperate to the fullest extent III assisting the couHcli to tne emu eh"' merchants and the buying public may work in harmony toward the execu- ton of the governments plans finder the suggestions made by the executive committee, if they are adopted, deliveries to the Southside Will De naue in the mornings and on the Northside ID the afternoons. Arrangements TOT ue liyeries to the suburbs will be worked out later. MT. Lang and Mir. Lobman heid con ferences with the launa iymen yesteruas afternoon with the view 10 praheli,g i,l, ta,,+ < change in deliveries that Will