The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-07-24
NE0SH0 PLAN
TO BE TOLD
BUSINESS MEN
Gurney Lowe Coming to Bis
marck Next Monday Even 4
ing to Address Merchants
IN MISSOURI
Plan Developed Rapidly After
Success Was Proved in
Missouri Town

The Neosho or Golden Rule plan
which has transformed the business
situation in many towns will be ex-
planned !, in Bismarck next Monday
evening.
Gurney r. Lowe, author Of the
plan, sponsored by the Northern Pa
citic and 500 railroads, will speak
before a dinner of business men Of
the city to be held Monday, July 30,
at the Grand Pacific hotel under the
auspices of the Association Of Com
merce. Every business man is urged
to be present, A. F. Bradley, secre-
tary of the Association of Commerce,
said today.
F. J. Elliott, travelling immigration
agent Of the Northern Pacific, rail
way, was in Bismarck today making
preliminary arrangements for Nj.
loves meeting. He said that the
railroads are sponsoring the plan be-
cause it has worked wonders for
many cities, and the railroads de
sire to aid the business men along
their lines. Nesho plan clubs have
been organized in Jamestown and
Cooperstown on the present tour, Of
North Dakota, he said.
This movement, which, its advo-
Gates and adherents say, has brought
town and country closer together
than ever before, and has been .
boon to merchandising. has been test
ed out twelve years and is now work
ing in more than hal the state Of the
Union-those states in which Il has
been introduced.
Tried in Northwest.
After the board Of directors ok the
Associated Advertising Clubs Of the
World got behind the Neosho plan,
which has the enthusiastic recom-
mendation of the American Railway
Development association, Arch. r /.
Crawford, who is with the. Webb
Publishing company of St. Paul and
until recently was vice president for
the Eighth district of the Associated
Advertising Clubs, began an investi-
CATION of his own, to convince him
self whether the plan was adaptable
in the Northwest.
Mr.. Crawford sent out dozens of
letters to boosting organizations in
towns where the Neosho plan had
taken hold. He informed them that
two Of the railroads, the civic asso-
Citations and the advertising clubs
of the Twin Cities were considering
the advisability of getting Gurney r.
Lowe, originator Of the plan, to come
to the Northwest to organize Neosho
clubs.
OF each official he addressed ne
asked when the club was organized,
number of members, number of sales
held, effect these sales had on busi-
ness prior to and following sales day;
whether, in the opinion Of the one
questioned. the club has made its
members better merchandisers;
whether farmers feel more friendly
to the town. He requested also any
other information that could be
given.
Originated In Missouri.
Neosho, Mo-, where the plan had
its origin in the mind Of Mr.. Love-,
was stagnating little more than a
dozen years ago. No one knew it
better than Mr.. Lowe. for ne was
advertising manager for q nursery
company and was in touch with both
the farming community about Neosho
and the towns in that part of Mis-
souri,. He knew also that the rela-
tions between the Neosho merchants
and the farm people were not what
they should be. He went among the
farms on business trips and received
the views Of the people. As he was
wideawake business man he was
acquainted with the problems and
needs Of town merchandising. The
whole .community-farms and town
must pull together to foster prosper
ity, and so how this could be done
was prevailing thought In the mind
OF Mr.. Lowe. The Golden Rule plan
took form; Mr.. loves business as
sociates discussed it with him, and
the first club which was to develop
on the lines which Mr.. Lowe pro-
posed had it, inception. That was in
1910.
The plan in general is to have spe-
cial cooperative sales days. and it is
said to include features unlike any
other special sales plan ever placed
before the merchants. I.