Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-09-23
MERCHANTS COMING
FOR BIG CONVENTION
Much Interest Shown Through.
out State in Meeting for Or.
ganization to Be Held in Bur.
lington Next Wednesday,
Smoker on Preceding Evening

From all indications. the meeting to be
held in this city on Wednesday Septem-
her 49, to organize a Vermont state Mer-
chants association will he A very sue
cessful affair. Splendid interest is being
taken in the project In all parts of the
State, and the present prospects justify
the expectation Of At least 200 merchants
from all lines of trade in attendance Al
the convention.
Headquarters for the convention viii he
established at the Van Ness House. the
main dining room there being the ,,aca
where the meetings will be held. On the
evening preceding the convention. the
visiting and local merchants will gather
In the Van Ness dining room for an in
formal smoker, at which there will be ar
orchestra In attendance and lunch will
he served. This will give the merchants
the opportunity to discuss problems in 2
general way before the formal meeting
OF the following day.
The regular convention will be called
TO order In the main dining room of tbs
Van Ness House at nine o'clock on tn.
morning Of Wednesday. September Is
Mayor j. Holmes Jackson will open the
convention with An address Of wecom,
TO the visiting merchants The regular
business Of organizing the Vermont state
Merchants association will take up tbs
greater part Of the day. One Of the fea
lures OF the convention will he an sd
dress by speaker of prominence. prob
ably the secretary Of the organization
bureau of the National Retail assocla
ton.
Responses to the invitations 10 attend
this first annual convention are remark
ably favorable. Every one Of the cities
and larger towns in the State Is plan
ming to send DELEGATIONS, and several wi
be largely represented. Middlebury ha'
signihed it's intention to send Il delegates
Waterbury and Barre have IA merchant!
In each place who are planning to come
the small village of F'nosbure Falls will
send four delegates. The largest delees
lions are expected from Rutland. AZ
Adams and Montpelier. Rutland ha'
promised to send q delegates. COCO
{ delegations are assured. also, from Ben
nington. Brattieboro, and several othe
places in the southern part of the State
! II Ia expected that practically every loca
| merchant will attend the convention fo
at least a part OF the dav. If not durini
! the entire day.
/ A great deal Of hard work is beins
put in nv the local entertainment com
mttee TO make this first annual conven
ton Of the merchants a complete success:
in every way. This local committee Il
made up as follows: Edward Hanbridse
F. D. Abernethy. E. F.. GARRISON. Charlie
A. Davis, Ralph y. Hin. w. j. Finnessey
Edward Simonds S. s. Richold Charlie
Levin. Eben Sutton. J. f Mcconnell
Rollin C. Miles. n. c. Humphrey. Edward
S. Cram, Michael Frank. Paul Chamberiin
Henry n. Haear. T. B. Wright. Gardne
J Brewer. p. F. Roddy and James
! Taylor.
Arrangements have been made TO
decorators from the various stores in thu
| city to dress up the Van Ness dining room
for the occasion. and there is no doub
but that the convention will meet in
room properly prepared with a httinl
background.
! Badges are TO he given out TO the me-,
! chants who attend the convention, An,
on each badge will be a place for tn
merchant wearing it to write in his nam
and address, so that merchants who ar
strangers to each other may easily &c
acquainted.