New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-08
Nation 5 BUYERS
Assembled at
Merchants Fair
Thousands See Displays of
Varied Wares at the list
Regiment Armory and
the Grand Central Palace
Australians Are Present
President Harding Sends
Greetings: ]. /, Straus
Addresses the Convention

conduct gigantic wholesale selling
event along the lines of the older mer
chandise fairs in Europe, opened yes
terday at the Grand Central Palace
and the list Regiment arinory. Buyers
from every section of the country and
several from Canada and Australia
were registered at the two exhibition
places.
In effect the fair reproduces for the
eountry's retailers a gigantic whole
sale department store. At the Grand
Central Palace are displayed four
floors of general merchandise. On the
main floor are found silks, wooden
goods, cotton goods, domesties, linens
and paper patterns. The mezzanine
floor is devoted TO house dresses, APP
rons and blanket robes. corsets and
brassieres, slippers, hosiery, nursery
accessories, underwear and umbrellas.
Art needlework, gloves, iewelry, no.
tions, leather goods, neckwear, veil
ings, toilet articles, handkerchiefs, en-
broideries, trimmings and laces are on
the third floor, and on the fourth floor
are sporting goods, cutlery, china, floor
coverings, draperies, house furnishings,
toys, books, dolls, stationery, luggage.
radio supplies and store equipment
Womens and children's outer-apparel
is being shown at the last Regiment
armory, where a fashion pageant is
being held daily.
800 Wait in Line
At the Palace more than $50 manu-
facturers and wholesalers are display
ing samples of their merchandise for
the benefit of the visiting BUYERS
About 500 buyers were standing in line
yesterday morning when the doors were
opened at $50 with a golden key The
first buyer to pass through the doors
was James H. Dozier, of the Walker
Dry Goods Company, Charleston, w.
Va, and the first sale of the fair was
reported by Clafin's, Inc. the New
York wholesale house, half an hour
after the fair was opened.
Thousands of buyers visited the fair
yesterday. Registrations at the booths
in the Palace and the Armory, together
with mail registrations previously
made, totaled close to 1900. it was
said. Between 80 600 and 40 900 buy
ers for retail stores in all parts of
the country are expected to visit the
| exposition before it closes on August
! % Many department store owners and
their merchandise managers, with their
entire buying stats, appeared at the
fair yesterday. Mandel Brothers. Chi
cago, had fifteen buyers registered,
Strawbridge & Clothier, Philadelphia,
10; H. P: WATSON & Co., indianapolis,
| T, and Miller & Rhoades, Inc. T.
/ The fair is under the uspices Of
| the National Retail Dry Goods Assoc
alton and the National Garment Retail
ers' Ass ociation. The latter trade body
/ has charge of the garment section of
the fair at the list Regiment Armory
and is staging the daily fashion prom
enade
Dry Goods Convention Also
In conjunction with the fair the Ma
tional Retail Dry Goods Association is
/ holding its midsummer convention in
of the palace. Sessions of the conven-
ton will be held daily from II a. M to
l p. m. Yesterdays session was de-
voted to addresses by Jesse l. Straus,
Of r. H. Macy & Co, and president Of
the association, and Lewis Pierson,
president of the Merchants Association
of New York, and to the reading of a
speech from Senator Calder by James
G. Moore Assistant District Attorney
of Kings County, who explained that
Senator Calder had been unexpectedly
recalled to Washington.
Mr.. Straus, in his address, outlined
the growth of the merchandise fair
idea and then launched into an attack
on Senator McCumber saying:
Senator McCumber within a day or
two, if the press correctly reports him,
in reply to Senator Simmons, who read
into the record several editorials from
nounced the bill now before the Sen
ate as indefensible, said
THE Senator from North Carolina
does himself an injustice when he as
sumes that these newspaper writers
know anything about the tariff 1t is
the importers, the department stores
who want these low import duties
That is all there is to it,
"In so far as the accusation as to
the tariff lies against the newspapers
of the country as we'll as against US
| think we may take pride in the com
pany we are said to keep. l believe
that it may be said, without fear Of
contradiction, that the press of the
United States is less controlled, more
honest and honorable than the press
Of any other country in the world. 1t
is for this reason that it has gained
the influence that the Senator appar-
emily fears. Furthermore, it is very
illuminating to find SO many Repub-
lican newspapers in opposition to the
high rates proposed. | might go fur
Their and state from my own experience
and conversation with many of my
| colleagues IN the craft, that the news
papers are more careful to avoid any
interferences that their business of
fees influence their editorial and news
Offices, and it is for US extremely diff
cult to get occasional publicity for
news items which to us, as merchants
seem TO have real news value
Senator Calder's message was q plea
TO both manufacturers and retailers to
combine on business policies which
they desire to see enacted into law
Congress stands ready to aid business,
he. said, but wants unified business
opinion.
A message from President Harding