Page 8 - Past Presidents' Club Book 1

First Animal Coin\'iition 9

question as to its importance awl value both to its members awl
the manufacturers with whom it works.
On the first of June, 1905, we had enrolled only about
forte members, and it was thought advisable that our Secretary
should spend the necessary time to increase our membership be­
fore attempting to do much work with the manufacturers.
The attitude of the manufacturers was not at all encouraging.
Many of them were jealous of each other, and most of them were
distrustful of our Association. In a great many instances they
had the mistaken impression that we were organizing to fight
them instead of combining to work in greater harmony with them.
As far as I know or am able to learn, this mistaken impression lias
been entirely done away with, and a good many of the manufac­
turers a x beginning to look to the Association as an aid in ad­
justing matters among themselves as well as between them­
selves and their customers.
This feature alone is very encouraging, but we must not be
too impatient for immediate results: all business is more or less
in a rut, and it requires some little time as well as effort to get ii
out. Most of us who built our own business front the
ground up will remember that the first year or two, and perhaps
three or four, were not very productive of bank accounts and
we felt highly encouraged if we could see that gradually matters
were coming our way.
In accordance with the views of the Association, a number of
manufacturers have adopted a re-sale price. This plan has been
followed for some time by certain manufacturers in the hard­
ware line at the suggestion and solicitation of the National Hard­
ware Association, and has been found very satisfactory. It only
needs the enthusiastic support of our Association to induce man­
ufacturers generally to adopt the plan. I am so well satisfied of
its importance that I urge ail members to give it support when
offered. Several manufacturers who have decided on this plan
have advised me that there seemed to be but little interest taken in
it by our members.
If this is owing to unfamiliarity with the plan, or opposi­
tion to it, I hope that it will be thoroughly thrashed out before
this Convention.