Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-06
CONVENTION HABIT
STILL FL0UR|SHES
Slack Business Has Not
Diminished Number of
National ParIeys.
BY BRADLEY w. TRENT.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, October 6.--Hard times
haven't made dent in the great Amer
ican convention habit, according to
John r. Young, manager CT the Con-
vention Bureau of the New York Mer-
chants Association. More conventions
are scheduled for New York City during
the month of October than was the case
last year. To date IS conventions and
eXpositions have been listed with the
bureau for the month of October-one
more than last years figure at this
time.
This. according to Mr.. Young. is
about the average figure for october.
the first of the five months which make
up the big convention season. Nor has
the attendance at conventions fallen OIL
to any appreciate extent since the de-
preston, Mr.. Young said II is expect
ed that the IS conventions during this
month will bring 100, 900 visitors to the
city. including wives and members OF
the families of men who attend.
$4,000, 900 Expended.
According to figures computed by the
bureau, the amount apen5 annually by
men and women who come to New
York City to attend conventions and
expositionS totals approximately $780,
600. 900. OF this amount ii is estimated
that per cent is spent for taxls, % per
cent for hotels. 40 per cent in the clty's
retail stores, Is per cent in restaurants
and Is per cent for amusementS. NO
attempt has been made to estimate the
probable amount spent in SpeaEeaSieS
and with New York bootleggers. but the
figure no doubt is a tremendous one and
does its share in putting money into
circulation.
December. January and February are
the greatest convention months of the
year, the January figure often running
to as many as 200 large gatherings.
The first convention to be booked Tor
the new Waldcrf-Astoria Hotel is that
of the National Conference of Major
Industries, which is Joint meeting OF
Columbia University Business Experts,
the Institute of American Meat Pack
ers. the Merchants Association OF New
York and the New York State Chamber
of Commerce. The Waldorf Hotel has
been selected as general headquarters,
although daytime meetings will be held
al Columbia University. This meeting
is set for october 81.
The convention year ending on April
30, 1881, brought 1.l47 conventions TO
the citv-a record which no other city
in the world has duplicated, and which
also outstripped the cityS own record
for the peak year of 1929, when 1909
conventions were held here.
October Meetings.
Among the organizations meeting
here this month are the National Auto
mobile Chamber of Commerce, National
Shoe Retailers Association, Copper and
Brass Research Association. National
Association of Shoe Wholesalers, Gin
ical Congress of the American College
of Surgeons, American ASiatic Assocla-
ton, National Industrial Conference
Board. National Business Show. Cotton
Textile Institute. Eighth Conference of
Major Industries, Steel Founders So
ciety of America, American Iron and
Steel Institute, Insurance Institute CT
America American Power Boat Associa-
ton, National Association Of Manufac-
turers Of the u S. A. and Surety Asso-
ciaticn of America.
(Copyright, 1879