Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
HITS
RETAILING WASTE"
Washington C. of C. Has Rep
resentative Merchants of
City as Guests.
The inefficient retailer causes billions

VI uUlLdIo VI WdoVS biILOuku l&ilOId IlCS
and the employment of old-fashioned
methods. William Butterworth, presi-
dent of the Chamber OF Commerce of
the United States, declared in an adj
dress last night at the December meet
ing of the local Chamber of Commerce
in the Mayflower Hotel.
One of the features of the meeting
was the presence as guests OF number
of representative retail merchants OF
the District. who were introduced by
David A. Skinner, secretary Of the
United States Chamber Of Commerce,
another speaker.
Charles w. Darr, president, also
spoke briefly on the retail trade organ
izations here and introduced Maj. Gen.
Anton Stephan, president of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association,
whom he invited to the platform.
Announcement was made that the
Amateur Athletic Union had accepted
the invitation of the local chamber to
hold its 1880 convention in Washing
ton. The chamber Endorsed the COM
munity Christmas tree celebration.
Merchants Who Were Present.
Among the retail merchants intro
duced by Mr.. Skinner we're: T. G.
Dulin of Dulin & Martin, A. Abbott of
Goldenberg's department. store, c. B.
Dulcan of Hecht Co, Harry King of
Kings Palace, Mark Lansburgh, Sol
LanSburgh and Charles A. Goldsmith of
Lansburgh & Bro, Radford Moses of w.
B. Moses & Son, r E. Buckley, A. c.
Case and w. F. Hisey of Palais Royal,
M G. Gibbs of Peoples Drug Stores,
Isaac Cans of Saks & Co.. Edward G.
Yonker Of the Sanitary Grocery Co.,
S. w. link general superintendent In
the District of the Atlantic & Pacific
Tea Co. and Simon Nye of 8. KannS
Sons.
Emphasizing the Importance to the
Nation of solving the retailers problems
in his speech Mr.. Butterworth said
THE retailer is the key man, the sentry
who guards the strategic bridge over
which merchandise flows from the pro-
Queer to consumer, the traffic officer
who maintains the steady progress OF
the mechanism of national prosperity.
During the last two or three years
surveys and studies of local and gen.
eral nature have been made of the re-
tail trade field. From these surveys and
Investigations we are learning that all
is not we'll in the retailers household.
Notable among these studies was the
distribution census in IL representative
cities Of the country and the grocery
survey conducted in Louisville, KY. Co.
incident with the first findings of the
Louisville survey was the Department Of
Commences startling estimate that the
waste in distribution amounts to the
amazing figure Of $11 900, 100000.
Cites Reasons for Loss.
From the minute investigations of
the Louisville survey we find that q gen.
erous proportion of the loss in distribu-
ton results from a lack of understand
M mi wv rNS Ia aI hue
ness rules. Bluntly, the truth is that in
Louisville there are too many retailers
who do not have the slightest knowledge
OF business procedure, and who, conSe-
quently, have no claim to the privilege
OF classification as a unit in the eco
nomic mechanism which is business
America. This truth, unpleasant as ii
is tragic, may well apply to Washington
or any other city.
"A survey by the University of Buff
falo shows that only S men of each 100
who start in this business in any one
year will be in business 10 years later, -
the speaker said.
1T is the purpose of the national
chamber, the central organization OF
the Federated Business Men of Amer
lea, 30 inform as many retailers as pos
sible and to aid in Transforming the
rsld-fashioned storekeeper into a mer-
chant. Such q task as this no one
organization can by itself accomplish
1t requires the assistance of trade as
Sociations and chambers of commerce
everywhere" Mr.. Butterworth said
adding:
The challenge of newer competition
must be met by the small retailer with
that effective old-fashioned remedy
which President Hoover last Thursday
! recommended to the National Business
| Survey Conference - the old-faShioned
remedy Of hard work"
Skinner Lauds Capital Progress.
Although agreeing with Mr.. Butter
worth that retail trade offers prob
| lem worthy of deep consideration, Mr.
Skinner held that the trade conditions
| here are bright and the merchants Of
| Washington are to be congratulated or
the progress made in the development
! of the National Capital as q retail
| center.
During the past few years the re.
tail trade facilities of Washington have
been improved and extended to ar
amazing degree" Mr.. Skinner declared
| 'Washington's mercantile establish
mentS have kept up with the procession
in quality merchandising. They dis
play goods of high quality at moderate
| prices. The selection made available
to the buyer is equal to that in almos
any shopping center OF high quality il
the Nation.
THE trade area of the retail mer
/ chant of Washington Is increasing
Our merchants are successfully compel
ing not only with the mail order house
but with merchants in neighborini
communities. In many instances the.
are setting new high standards OF serv
| ice IN the consumers"
! Mr.. Skinner said Washington!
prosperity was due in great degree II
| its peculiar situation. The merchant!
| Of the District do not have to deal with
f1uctuating pay rolls, he declared. Their
again, he asserted, retail trade II
Washington is helped by an ever-in
creasing number of tourists who visi
the city annually.
One of the Districts most urgen
needs. the Commerce Secretary de-
clared, is an efficient convention bureau
He urged the merchants and business
men to organize such bureau, which
he said, would not cost in excess o.
$4,000 year.