Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-28
CONSUME STATE PRODUCTS
CONTINUED from Page u

being a refund of approximately 35 per
cent of the amount of the premium he
had paid upon his store risk. He
asked for support of this plan of in
surance and likewise for support for
the trade journal of the association.
Would Enter Politics
Mr.. Tate advocated the entrance Of
the merchant into politics and in this
connection said:
DO not forget that you have prob
lens and may have more. You know
that we have a legislature that will
meet next January and the members
may have ideas that will not coin
eide with yours and we may need a
decidedly unanimous front to get even
fair treatment. That, ! am sure, is
all that any of us would desire and. 1
might add in conclusion, that another
and important duty of all members
is to get into politics. If you do not
care to run for office see to it that
those only who deserve your vote get
in. and let us send to Helena to the
next legislature men who will be a
credit to the state and for whom we
will not have to apologize to the out
side people for. There has heretofore
been too much misplaced sentiment
about business men getting into poll
ties and it now seems to be a matter
of either getting into politics or out
of business, SO let us elect to get
into the game and have a house clean
ing: eliminate the fellow with the wild
ideas or no ideas at all. come back to
earth again and with our families en-
joy in Montana what the Great Ruler
of the Universe has 81 plentifully pro-
vided us with"
Wilson Talks Accounting
Accounting was discussed in a pa
per of general interest to the business
man delivered by Douglas Wilson. GER
titled public accountant. of Great
Falls. In opening his address. Mr..
Wilson said:
II believe that today we are going
through a process of elimination and
that the merchant who is unable at
stated intervals to cOmprehensively an
alyze his business operations is going
to be eliminated. These are days of
knowing, not guessing. Correct costs
are only known through a correct and
accounting system. 1t has been
said that inefficient accounting is the
cause of more business failures than
all other causes combined. Not only
because it overlooks important fac
tors of profit and loss, but also be-
cause Of the inaccurate and misleading
information that it does supply.
The subject Of better accounting is
one, therefore. that is of immediate
and vital concern to all business men,
compelled as they are to operate I'M
der very much more strenuous condl-
lions of capital demanded. expense and
competition than prevailed even less
than a generation ago.
1T has been estimated that of every
100 stores which are opened, 30 of
them will close within two years. Of
the 20 which are left one-half go to
the wall during the next three years:
five years more and only % of the
100 stores are left. These are not
exact figures but they indicate con-
,lusively that there is something wrong
in the methods employed by the retail
merchant"
Points to Volume
The speaker then called attention to
The fact that more money is invested
and more property is controlled in the
retail business thar in any other indus
-ry. including the banks of the country.
hat the sales exceed that of the steel
industry and that its taxes are greater
han those of any other class. For
this reason. or for no other. the adop
ion of goods accounting systems is
demanded.
Mr.. Wilson dwclt Upon the many
phases of the merchandising business
where strict accounting is necessary to
oring out the weak parts Of the BUSH
ness structure and where failure can
De STAYED off by the presenting of the
zeal facts by the proper presentation
IF figures and facts. He quoted sew
aral of the leading bankers and fin
lnciers of the country in support of
his contention.
The subject Of cooperation was dis
at considerable length by
Howard Seabury of Seattle. vice preSi-
lent of the Northwestern Mutual Fire
association, with which the Montana
association has a working agreement.
Seabury had been given the sub
iect of Fire Insurance to which he
very little time. giving most