The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-22
MERCHANTS IN
ROLE OF J 5,TS
a
Unusual and - SAINT Get
TogetheEss as Held
Las Night
BANQUET SERVED
AT HOTEL BARRE
Two Speakers from Massa-
chusetts and Several Lo-
cal Parties on Program

The Barre Retail Merchants associa-
tion entertained their employees at a
banquet in Hotel Barre last evening
for the purpose of accomplishing get
together and to enjoy with them So
cial evening" Including the merchants
and their wives, $50 or more seated
themselves about the banquet tables at
0 o'clock as one large family, to relish
menu that had every indication OF
careful and skilled preparedness. 1t was
delicious repast and the. affair was
successful in every phase, for some.
thing of interest to all was happening
| every minute after the sounding of the
| banquet hall chimes and until the clos
ing words of President E. M. Lyons,
chairman Of the evening.
While the seven or more courses were
being served the group enjoyed, ait diff.
| ferent intervals, the talent of several
familiar local people, James Bennett,
Dr. NJ. A. Meagher, 'Cuddy" Duncan
and Max c. Fisher The first three men.
toned delivered most pleasing solos,
| Mr.. Duncan singing popular ragtimd
songs and whistling, and the other two
soloists, love songs and ballads. Mr.
Fishers part of the program was a
reading, one Of Kipling's poems. "The
| Ballad of Fishers Boarding House
With Mr.. Duncan leading, the company
cheerfully Joined in choruses Cd ''I'm For
ever Blowing Bubbles" Take Me to
That Land of Jazz" and "0h, What a
Pal Was Mary" Gilbertson's orchestra
in the meanwhile accompanying the
singers.
President E. M. Lyons made few
remarks before introducing two Boston
speakers The people assembled had 2
common interest, he said, and the size.
cess OF one meant the success and bet,
terment of the other, and to gain such
ends there must be the proper friendly
interests towards each other. With this
in mind the association had voted ia
improve, if possible, this mutual feel,
| ing by inviting their employees to a
banquet, with two Massachusetts, men
the principal speakers of the evening.
Mr.. Lyon first introduced w. f. Stei.
ger, a Boston shoe retailer. Mr.. Stei.
| ger touched upon the profits and seem
/ ingly profiteering of the retailers, but
declared that few retailers actually
proiiteered as competition OF the diff,
ferent merchants eliminated that to a
great extent The people OF the Unit
ed States are daily becoming more
! frugal, and, with prices of commodi.
ties where they are, see to it that their
money is we'll invested. However, he
mentioned that by making smaller
profits greater volume OF business
would result with even greater gains,
| for he declared. the people have the
| money and are willing To spend it but
are seeking money values. Prices ol
| commodities. he believed, had reached
the highest peak. though he felt that
there would be no sudden descent, but
| instead would continue along a
straight line from the peak.
Robert f. Kerwin of Framinehanl
| Mass..-a delegate to the Boston Cham
| ber Of Commerce. interested his audi.
enee with a number OF clever stories
entwined into some interesting facts.
His Introductory phrases dWulged tho
/ fact that Frank Shea, one OF Barre
shoe retailers. was once under his om'
plov and TO Mr. Shea he paid a high
| tribute, stamping him as the best sales
man ever in his employment. Different
people have different ideas of sucoessr
| but to Mr.. Kerwin the salesman or
the merchant who had done his best
was the greatest success. Tie touched
upon salcsmanship in light form
not failing to mention. however, the
essentials to good salesmanship. The
first characteristic be defined was good
health. the second, character OF the per
son, especially in a town of this size,
where the inhabitants are nearly al
wavs well acquainted with each other.
And lastly he mentioned cooperation.
Mr. Kerwin said he had been aston
ishpd 10 find upon arrival here that
he was to speak at a social affair rath-
or than at n business meeting, and as
consequence. he had discarded his
prepared salesmanship speech entirely.
Ills first endeayor upon reaching Fram-
inphan would be to bring about Just
sneh a cooperative meeting Of mer-
chants and their employees, and with a
cordial invitation 20 all present he
completed delightful address.
The midnight hour was nearly
reached when Mr. kerwin finished
speaking and the first complimentary
banquet of the Retail Merchants as
sociation OF Barre TO their employees,
which had afforded a joyful evening 10
them all. was concluded as an unques-
toned success