Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-21
MERCHANTS HEAR
CALL FOR GREATER
ENERGY TH|SYEAR
Business as USUAL" Slogan
of President BerberiCh at
Annual Session.


Business as usual is to be the
slogan of the Merchants and Manu-
rent year. and the business men of
; ; Washington. members of the associa-
ton. are to continue to serve the
public as faithfully and as cheerfully
| i'll the year just beginning as they
have in the past, declared Joseph A.
Berberich. president, in his address
at the associations annual meeting
at Rauseher's last night
Charles j. Columbus. secretary of
! the association. also read his annual
report, and election of ehairmen of
twenty-five of the trade sections into
which the association is divided was
announced. At the conclusion of the
business session buffet supper was
served.
Let us have business as usual "
said President Berberich in his ad-
dress. and by that l mean we must
concentrate our energies toward
greater production and more efficient
distribution than ever before"
Deplores "Proflteer" Cry.
|. In his address President Berberich
deplored the continuance of the cry of
prot1teer directed against the re-
tailers of the country.
The cost of commodities" he said,
has come to be the subject of the
! Preside as well as of the counting
room 1t has served no useful pur-
pose; rather has it engendered a spirit
OF class suspicion followed by hatred.
certainly no one individual or set of
individuals can seriously constitute
himself or thernselve as arbiter of
| the law of supply and demand Even
the government itself cannot be sue
cessful in establishing a ratio stand
ard until cost census is taken of
every element that enters into human
affairs. from the time the seed is
placed in the ground, or the hair
grows on the animals back. or the
hesn develops on the food animal
until the time these elements are
brought into actual use by the con-
sumner
injustice declared President Berberieh
he has been picked as the one respon-
slole FOR existing price levels Even if
this were true-which it is mott VEN
ture to assert that the circumstance of
higher prices is blessing indeed. All
should share in the benefits accruing
therefrom.''
Great Volume of business.
In his address the president declared
that last years business was greater in
volume than that of any preceding year,
and that il was expected that even the
nigh mark of 1913 would be exceeded in
1920.
He called attention to the beneficial
work of the associations credit bureau,
declaring that it now is the ultimate in
eInciency OF service and administration
The false advertising law, in obtaining
enactment of which the association CO.
operated actively. was discussed briefly,
with the statement that ii has been taken
as model and has caused Washington to
a a oil nd
VeruSing city. Continued benefits of the
law against fake auctions also were
briefly noted. The association was urg-
ed to continue its efforts to obtain en-
3ctment OF an adequate bad check law
Discussing the minimum wage law
and its operation, President Berberich.
himself chairman of the minimum wage
board. said it was too soon to venture
! an opinion as to the success or failure of
the measure. he discussed the principle
of the law, saying the association had
been complimented from many SOURCES
for its Endorsement of the minimum
wage principle.
"A minimum wage" he said. 'smust
! be, as the term implies and the law di-
reefs. wage only sufficient to meet the
actual cost of living. to maintain a
woman in health and morals It is vi
tally necessary that the Ininima estab-
lished shall absolutely be no more than
sufficient to do that very thing, because
II the wage established is more than a
minimum the very purpose of the law is
defeated and socially minded situation
develops"
Predicts Continued Growth.
President Berberich predicted contin-
ued growth and development of
Washington as Unnecessary result of
continued development of the nation
as whole.
washington is a great government
tai city and always will be-" he said.
| The nation is growing and SO also
must the nations functions. They are
all centered here and they will in
crease as time goes on"
He urged the members Of the asso-
cation to be faithful and unremif-
ting in attendance at the section and
association meetings.
Remember," he said, 1.-THE Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton functions only in matters that
with a heart and soul to make your
business and every other business in
the National Capital prosper as never
before"
Enrolment of sixty new members
during 1919 and loss of three old
mem bers were reported by Secretary
Charles ]. Columbus. The secretary
reported attendance at more than 400
association and section meetings dur
ing the year, besides attendance at a
large NUMBER OF governmental con-
ferences and hearings.
Mr.. BrOwnlOw Speaks.
! Commissioner BrownIow in a shor,
address thanked the merchants of
Washington for their cooperation
during the recent coal famine and for
; their active interest in all matters
/ concerning improved conditions in
the District. He asked the support
! OF the association for the citizens
employment bureau, briefly outlining
the duties of the bureau in obtainiue
| work for men and women unable tc
/ find suitable employment, and asked
/ that a committee be appointed tc
represent the association Presid@n,
Berberich later named George S. Beneale
i of S. Kann's Sons Company. Frank R
Jelleff of Jelleff's, Inc, and Mark Lans-
burgh of Lansburgh & Bro, members OF
| this committee.
| stephen Takes, head of the credit
| bureau, described the work of the
! bureau and showed by several exam
pies how it serves the merchants OF
! the city at minimum cost and with
maximum efficiency.
! F. y. Sheppard of the Chamber OF
] Commerce of the United States out
4 lined the purposes and work of tha
| body. laying special stress on its
! availability for obtaining, prompt and
! accurate expressions OF opinion o.
/ business men throughout the eoun
try on important public questions ny
/ means Of referendums. AS an exam
pie he cited the recent referendum OF
/ public or government ownership o.
railroads, showing that about 80 pei
cent of the business men of the coun.
| try are opposed to the iGea.
! He concluded his talk with an ex
| position of the Plumb plan, which h,
said was subversive of all Of the prin
ciples on which our form OF govern
I ment is based, and designed to set III
| a kind of class distinction certain Il
I breed endless trouble and discomfort.
| Lew Hahn, secretary of the Nationa
K Goods ilfi adj