44 



C. U C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



A TALE OF TWO CITIE S. 



So much has been written and said 

 apropos the lack of interest displayed 

 by pharmacists in association work that, 

 many no doubl think, that nothing con- 

 cerning this subject has been left un- 

 said. Due to a recent occurrence, how- 

 ever, we cannot conscientiously refrain 

 from again discussing this much mooted 

 question, even though it were simply to 

 repeat what has been said over and over 

 again. 



During the past four years the very 

 efficient "Legislative Committee" "of the 

 New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association 

 has been endeavoring to prevail upon 

 the State legislature to place upon the 

 statute books a Pharmacy Law similar 

 to those in force in the neighboring 

 States of New York and Pennsylvania. 

 Just as regularly as the committee in- 

 troduced the bill, just so regularly were 

 they forced to see it die a lingering but 

 sure death, if not in one branch of the 

 State legislature, then in the other. 



Undaunted and if anything spurred 

 on by repeated rebuffs, the members of 

 the committee continued their earnest 

 efforts and when the usual bill was in- 

 troduced at the present session of the 

 law-makers, prospects for an early pas- 

 sage of this much desired piece of legis- 

 lation appeared to be quite rosy. 



Following shortly upon the introduc- 

 tion of the bill, efforts were made to 

 insure the active support of the retailers 

 in aiding to educate the members of the 

 legislature as to the need and justice of 

 the proposed legislation.' 



Why some associations are "live 

 wires" and others "dead ones," why so 

 much is accomplished by some and so 

 little by others, we think will be force- 



fully demonstrated by a recital of some 

 experiences during the above mentioned 

 effort. The actions taken by the local 

 associations of two neighboring cities 

 will be cited as an example of the con- 

 trast of the spirit of "do it" and "let 

 somebody else do it." 



The pharmacists of Jersey City as an 

 organization as well as individuals en- 

 tered into the work almost to a man. By 

 letter as well as by word of- mouth, they 

 endeavored to convince the law-makers 

 that the desired law was needed to place 

 New Jersey among the States desiring 

 to properly care for the health and wel- 

 fare of their citizens. A large majority 

 of the druggists began plying the Solons 

 with every argument at their command 

 and apparently succeeded in convincing 

 the former that, only by lending their aid 

 in making the bill a law would New 

 Jersey cease to be the dumping ground 

 for those who could not enter the ranks 

 of our profession in the aforementioned 

 states. 



When one member of the Hoboken 

 Retail Druggists Association, an officer 

 thereof, was appealed to for aid for the 

 worthy cause, he exclaimed that he could 

 not see that it was a matter that con- 

 cerned that body. If any of the mem- 

 bers chose to interest themselves, why 

 well and good, if not, why — a shrug of 

 his shoulders — certainly a fine example 

 of the "why" of an ass^ociation. A visit 

 to another member, a former officer, 

 proved just as disappointing. When 

 asked how the organization was pro- 

 gressing he replied that he "belonged" 

 but as the meetings were held on the 

 evening when he "was off" he could not 

 attend, as he thought he ought to have 

 that evening for recreation. 



