Untitled Document

MOLINE RETAIL MERCHANTS' ASSOCIATION

By William Carstens

This association was primarily formed to combat the trading stamp and premium schemes. At that time there was not a store in the city which did not give premiums of some kind with goods bought and this evil was growing to such an extent that the life of many business houses was threatened thereby. Something had to be done to counteract this craze for premiums for it had reached such a point that, if an individual bought a dime's worth of crackers or a yard of ribbon, he expected a ticket on some premium. Hence the organization of this association.

On January 3, 1S99 a meeting of the princi pal merchants was called at which it was agreed to organize the Moline Retail Merchants' Association and to discontinue the giving of trading stamps and premiums. This was followed by other meetings and further agreements were reached, abolishing many trade abuses, and a rating book was issued on a small scale. The membership dues to this association were twenty-five cents per month. As the membership was about sixty-five, it was found that this small scale of dues was not sufficient to accom plish very much, and the officers were handi capped by lack of time, their private business responsibilities engrossing them.

This association, however, continued under above conditions until April 1, 1903, when, under the leadership of B. H. Quick as president and C. F. Dewend, as vice-president, a reorganization was accomplished. The monthly dues were placed at §1 and William Carsteus was engaged as permanent secretary, it being agreed that he was to devote his entire time to the work of the association. He has remained with the association to the time of writing (1913), having taken charge of affairs April 1, 1903. Inside of ten days he had 121 signed applications for membership in the new organization. From then op, under his able management, the association has flourished.

One of his duties was to compile a rate book. The ratings are always furnished by the individual members and each member is allowed only to give his own experience in his own business, not what he might have heard from anyone else, thereby avoiding misrepresentation. This new rating book with about 10,000 names and 50,000 ratings was distributed to the members about October 1, 1913. A rating book is of great benefit not alone to the merchants, but to the honest consumer, for the more bad accounts that are eliminated from the merchant's books, the more reasonable he can sell his goods. All bad accounts must be charged to expense, and expenses must be con sidered in making the selling price. The rating book is a further benefit to the consuming pub lic because no matter where or to what city

a man may move, if he is honest and has always paid his honest debts, he finds that credit will be extended to him if he is in need of it as this association is affiliated with both the state and national associations and interchange rating books with each other. A new constitution has been adopted, setting forth the name and object of this association as follows:

Section I. Article I. This association shall be known as the Moline Merchants' Association.

Article II. Section I. The object of this association shall be to advance the business interests of the city, to promote legislation that will be beneficial to all its members, to abate trade abuses and illegitimate practices, and to foster a friendly feeling and a spirit of coopera tion and loyalty between the citizens and the different branches of trade, and lastly to pub lish annually a credit rating book and the daily reports of court proceedings.

Section II. No member of this association shall advertise in any program, directory, or other publication not authorized as legitimate advertising by the committee appointed by this association to determine such legitimacy in advertisements, and will not advertise or give donations for charity unless solicitor possesses a letter from the secretary recommending the same.

The above sections, especially the last one, have saved to the merchants many thousands of dollars, and a direct saving to each merchant and an indirect benefit to the honest public for the same reason as given before. Much good has also been done in creating' good fellowship among the merchants. -Merchants who used to pass each other without speaking are now on the best of terms and work hand in hand for the good of all. Other good work has been done in ways too numerous to mention in detail. The following leaders as presidents have piloted the association successfully through good and hard times.

Presidents : Patrick Mullane, 1899-1900; William Carstens, 1901; John Swanson, 1902; B. H. Quick, 1903: C. F. Dewend, 1904; John Swanson, 1905,: W. A. Dierolf, 1906; C. S. Trevor, 1907; A. J. Kucheman, 1908; Theodore Weigandt, 1009; M. R. Carlson, 1910; R. J. Green. 1911; Fred Sundeen, 1912.

William Carstens ably assisted President Sundeen as secretary and manager.

MOLINE BUSINESS MEN'S ASSOCIATION

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