January 19, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



55 



COAL CONSUMPTION BY FLORISTS 



To the Members of the Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticulturists 



You are all of you perfectly well 

 aware that the coal situation over the 

 country generally is a critical one. A 

 committee, representing the Society 

 of American Florists, met in Wash- 

 ington and interviewed the tuel Com- 

 missioner on Dec. 4th. He greeted us 

 very fairly, but emphasized the seri- 

 ous condition of the coal shortage, and 

 thought that the florists should make 

 an effort to curtail their use of coal 

 one-third for the balance of the sea- 

 son. 



This we agreed to do so far as could 

 be done without seriously impairing 

 business. Since that time the situa- 

 tion has become even more acute, and 

 Mr. Gude, the Washington represen- 

 tative, has been summoned by the 

 Coal Administrator to see what action 

 the florists are taking. The matter is 

 now in abeyance waiting tor the meet- 

 ing of the Executive Board in St. 



Louis on Jan. 21st, at which time 

 some action must be taken. The Ex- 

 ecutive Board of the S. A. F., at that 

 time, will officially approve the sug- 

 gestion of the United States Govern- 

 ment, and asks every one of its mem- 

 bers to notify the Executive Board by 

 telegram at the Jefferson Hotel, just ■ 

 what their wishes and suggestions are 

 in the matter. 



Also any florist who has already 

 conformed to the suggestions of the 

 Fuel Commissioner and reduced his 

 use of coal one-third, or any propor- 

 tion thereof, should immediately noti- 

 fy us so that some tabulation can be 

 made of the way in which the florists 

 are meeting the critical situation. 



The Government's intention is to 

 keep every florist in business, and 

 there is no intention of closing up 

 any establishment but the figures for 

 a reduction of the coal necessary will 

 be taken on the basis of the coal con- 



sumed during the past three years at 

 each establishment. 



This is the time when all members 

 of the S. A. F. must stand together, 

 shoulder to shoulder, but also must 

 stand with the Government in every 

 provision which they feel necessary to 

 winning the war. The florist is sec- 

 ond to none in his loyalty and now is 

 the time for him to prove it. The 

 S. A. F. as being the representative 

 body of florists is looked to by the 

 Fuel Administration to carry out its 

 wishes. As a matter of fact, arbitrary 

 action would have already been taken 

 if it had not been for the successful 

 efforts of our Washington representa- 

 tive, in having the matter held over 

 until the Executive Board meeting in 

 St. Louis, Jan. 21st. 



Chas. H. Totty, Pres., 

 Wm. F. Gude, Wash. Rep., 

 John Young. Secy. 



The Promotion Bureau established 

 by the joint committees has been or- 

 ganized and is now busy formulating 

 plans for supplementing the publicity 

 to accrue from the national magazine 

 advertising, the schedule for which 

 has been carefully prepared, and be- 

 gins with a full page advertisement 

 in the Saturday Evening Post of Feb- 

 ruary 9th, just prior to St. Valentine's 

 Day. In addition the Bureau stands 

 ready to give service in any direction 

 which may be considered as along the 

 lines of publicity, such as furnishing 

 sets of lantern slides for use in mov- 

 ing picture theatres, the preparation 

 of advertisements for use by florists 

 in local papers, and in general to as- 

 sist publicity work in every possible 

 way. The Bureau invites suggestions 

 from the trade in such matters, be- 

 lieving that many ideas may be forth- 

 coming which could be utilized to ad- 

 vantage. 



A mailing list is in course of prepa- 

 ration which shall be thoroughly up- 

 to-date, and kept so, all recorded 

 changes in business being noted each 

 week. 



Copies of the page advertisement 

 In the Saturday Evening Post, featur- 

 ing St. Valentine's Day, will be mailed 

 to all members of the S. A. F. & O. H., 

 lor display in stores, all of which it 

 is hoped will tend to bring individual 

 connection with the advertising cam- 

 paign. 



Now that the holiday season has 

 passed it is hoped and expected that 

 florists generally will give heed to 

 this publicity campaign, and, if not 

 already subscribers, will subscribe as 

 much as they feel they are able to tlie 

 fund. While we are considerably 

 short of our ultimate aim, subscrip- 

 tions are coming in nicely, and pay- 



ments upon obligations are being met 

 in a most satisfactory manner. 



The florists of Boston and vicinity 

 are responding nicely to the appeal of 

 the local committee, the personnel of 

 which is Patrick Welch, chairman, E. 

 Allan Peirce, secretary, W. R. Nichol- 

 son, B. Hammond Tracy and J. K. M. 

 L. Farquhar. 



From the west comes a nice bunch 

 of subscriptions collected by Roy F. 

 Wilcox, Council Bluffs, la., chairman 

 of the Iowa local committee. From 

 New Jersey comes a club subscription 

 of $50 from the Essex County Flor- 

 ists' Club of Newark. Other clubs are 

 getting their membership into line, 

 and quite a little support is expected 

 from such sources. 



Chairman Henry Penn of the Pub- 

 licity Committee is working hard in his 

 official position and is most enthusiastic 

 as to the outcome of the campaign. He 

 will attend the meeting of the Execu- 

 tive Board of the S. A. F. to be held 

 in St. Louis on January 21-22, at which 

 he will present a report covering the 

 progress of the work up to that time. 

 He is constantly in touch with Major 

 O'Keefe of the O'Keefe Advertising 

 Agency, who is leaving no stone un- 

 turned to advance the campaign. 



Chairman Asmus of the Finance 

 Committee reports the following ad- 

 ditional subscriptions: 



By Roy F. Wllcnx. Coumil Hluffa. la. 

 (Annn.Tllv for Four Vearai ; David 

 .Moon-, I'vrrv, la.. Ju.OO; C. tl. HolUed, 

 Kliliira. la.. .^.^.(K) : .las. 1,. D.MlliiPail. Mar- 

 slialltown. In.. $10.00; Richey Floral Co., 

 Albia. la., SB.OO ; Gardiner Floral Co.. 

 Council liliiffs, la., $10.00; Klrkwood 

 Floral Co., Des Moines, la., $5().0t>; I. O. 

 Kemjde, Mnrshalltown, la., $100.00. (One 

 Yean: Bill.s Floral Co., Davenport, la., 

 $10.00; Hassett & Washburn. Chicago, III.. 

 $100.00; C. A. Nokcs. Sac City, la., $5.00, 



By Chlcaso Committee (Annually for Four 

 Years) : Jas. Psenlcka, Gross Point. 111.. 

 $10.00; Gould Co.. OnarRo. III., $10.00. 



By Secretary's Office (Annually for Four 

 Y^ears) : C. D. Otis, Lakt Charles, La., 

 $5.00; R. J. Orr, Vineland, N. J., $5.00. 

 (One Year) : Boston Flower Exchanse, 

 Inc., Boston, $50.00; Essex Co. Florists' 

 Club, Newark, N. J., $50.00. 



Total, $430.00. Previously reported from all 

 sources, $28,287.00. Grand total, $28,717.00. 



John Young, Secy. 



January 12, 1918. 



GET IN LINE FOR PUBLICITY. 



Just a word to our Brethren of 

 Floraldom in anticipation of the glori- 

 ous campaign now being prepared by 

 the Publicity Committee. 



To those who have not as yet con- 

 tributed to the fund now being volun- 

 tarily subscribed allow me to say, that 

 you will be amply repaid many times 

 your contribution when you receive 

 the pamphlet outlining our campaign, 

 and the various magazines, store- 

 signs and booklets pertaining to our 

 new slo.i^an, "Sat it with Fi-oweus." 



Show your appreciation to the cause 

 and the general good it will do the 

 trade by voluntary contributing, rather 

 than by being personally solicited. 

 You will derive more satisfaction per- 

 sonally, and it will make you bigger 

 men in the estimation of your fellow- 

 florists. 



Just a word in closing: — Two of 

 our members on the committee, after 

 hearing of our plan and layout, said 

 at the meeting in Cleveland, that if 

 our campaign spells success, they 

 would each raise their own appropria- 

 tions to J1,000.00 for every year after- 

 ward. 



That's the spirit we are going to 

 arouse in every meml)er connected 

 with floriculture, grower, wholesaler, 

 supply-men and retailer, alike. 



Henry Penn, Chairman, 

 National Publicity Campaign. 



