Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-27
just determinations. we must agar
double our membership"
500 Failures a Week

uVUDIC pui
500 Failures a Week
Mr.. Perra called attention to the
fact that 500 men are going out OF
business every week, the highest rate
of business failures the retail trade
has ever known, but he held that TINS
rate could be greatly reduced II mer-
chants would learn their lessons from
the other fellow instead of in the hard
and expensive school or experience,
and that the merchant who fails is u.s.
uallv the one who is too busy sweeping
floors and washing windows to even
think of attending a merchants con
y~ention or profiting by the h~ard-earned
experience of others.
Mr.. Perra spoke of the fact that
plans were changed and the officers
handicapped in the early days OF the
present administration by the resigna-
ton of r. L. Varney. who had been
secretary of the association since its
inception. but that after mature in
vestigation the officers were FORUM
ate in obtaining the services of IL. w.
Schnell, of Kalispell, to fill the posi-
tion. He paid the new secretary q
high compliment in stating that for
| hard work and continuous effort and
intelligent planning he had never met
a man of Mr.. Schnells equal.
Secretary's Report
In his annual report Secretary
| Schnell. who assumed the duties of the
/ office August 90. 1921. showed the as
ISOLATION has sos paid in advance men,
bers, double the membership of a year
| ago. On this basis of membership
the gross income from dues amounts
to $1,000 annually, out of which the
/ association pays to the Montana Trade
Journal 81 for each members sub
, scription to the publication, or $3.50
; per wear. leaving a net income of
S1.51O. The s%ecretary's salary is o n
| tingent. 80 per cent of this amount,
or 800 per year.
Mr.. Schnell reported that at the
direction of the executive committee.
in order that he might have a first
| hand analysis of the situation and a
better understanding of the work. he
made a trip about the state for which
the association paid his actual travel
ing expenses. AS the result of this
trip. which consumed 50 days. he ira
| velcd $3.50 miles by automobile and
| almost 1000 miles by rail. a total
of 1000 miles. visiting 81 towns and
cities and interviewing 294 merchants.
| Since that initial trip he has ira
veled an additional 1852 miles and in
, terviewed approximately 800 mer-
chants, or a total for the year of about
$500 miles and 600 merchants.
In the course of these travels and
in his subsequent correspondence with
members he was confronted by mum
| erous problems and inquiries and of
| these he prepared q list of $50 which
were submitted in his report.
Dealers Are Interested
The secretary called attention to the
varying character of the membership,
due to the obtaining of members by
campaigns and the loss of many at
the expiration of their initial dues
periods. He said it was early de
! cided that it was more desirable to
have an interested membership rather
! than a large number of disinterested
/ members. and this resulted in the mail
ing of $1,000 separate messages.
The result has been the establish
ing of many friendships between the
office Of the secretary and the mem
bers." said Mr.. Schnell. Your secre-
tary has proceeded on the theory that
it is not bis duty to define the scope
of the work or to specify what lines
| Of activity he shall pursue, but rather
he has deemed himself the servant OF
the merchants and has invited the
suggestions and inquiries and problems
from the members. whatever they
may be-"
Regarding the insurance features of
the association, the secretary said:
The most tangible return from the
association is the saving made pos
sible through our fire insurance depart
ment. The secretary is mailing out to
the insured members from $500 to 5000
monthly. approximately three times the
amount of the dues received. Many of
our members are not eligible to place
their insurance through the preferred
Risk mutualS. Others. whose risks are
eligible, have failed to sense the true
facts and possibilities of this insurance
connection. There are, however, about
2O0 members who are carrying nsur-
ance with the association and we have
one member who saves approximately
$500 a year.
Treasurer's Report
Q. L. Brackman of Helena, treasurer
of the association. read his annual re-
port, which showed that the finances
were far from being in the red. In
~" " ~ SlVaL ailiohi VI VIZ
which had been performed during the
year and the extent of the travels Of
the secretary, it had been anticipated
that the reserve had been wiped out,
but the report showed this to be in
correct. The report showed the or
ganization has S56.17 on hand and
$1,000 in Liberty bonds, the resources
t~otaling S1.0J8.17
Convention Attendance
Members and visitors registered up
to the time Of the opening of the after
noon session, Monday. included:
Great Falls-Wiliam Moerle. A. Fl.
Jester, Mr.. and Mrs. W. II. Dieterle.
Mr.. and Mrs. W. II. Carr, c. 0. Carl
son, Fred j.. Perra. w. w Moses.
Mr.. and Mrs. Almon L.eFebvre, n. NJ.
ThiSted. Helen Wertz.
Belt-Mr. and Mrs. George ". Mer-
kle and Catherine Merkle.
Highwood-John V. Van Dixie.
Carter-O. F. Tate. o. J.. Reeves.
Geraldine-W. F.. Jensen.
kalispelI-H. S. Cannon, Fl. W.
Schnell.
Jordan-M. Ruel. Mrs. Maudc Penn
bic. F.. ". Scramliu.
Livingston-W. J.. Akam.
Bozeman-R. n. Esgar. Charles NJ.
Fisher, c. p. Steffens, F. o. Wilton,
w. II. Lovelace.
MarysviIle-C. B. Fowler.
Missoula-L. r. Mckenzie.
Drummond-H. ]. Faust.
Seattle-Howard Seahury.
Helena-Mr. and Mrs. Fred Naegele.
Fred NJ: Rose. o. l.. BRAKEMAN,
Charles Mcfarland.