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August 23, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



841 



study. Mr. Hallock, who has given this 

 subject much thought, will discuss the 

 question at the meeting. 



Free Seed Distribution. 



Free seed distribution by the federal 



fovernment still continues; but the ef- 

 orts being made will if continaaJ, I 

 doubt not, effect a discontinuance of the 

 practice and the "hoary fraud" will 

 be done away with. Members of this 

 society should give their representatives 

 in congress no rest until this practice is 

 abolished. 



Parcel! Post. 



A parcels post would be to the great 

 advantage of most people in the trade 

 and a great boon to the general public. 

 The elements opposed to such public con- 

 venience are well known, and so far 

 they have had influence enough to pre- 

 vent the passage of a law establishing 

 it. The agitation should be vigorously 

 continued, and every means taken to im- 

 press our lawmakers with the necessity 

 for such a method of transportation. 

 We are behind most civilized countries 

 in this respect. 



The Tariff. 

 The tariff on many articles which are 

 of necessity imported or which might be 

 imported to our great advantage still 

 continues to vex us. Some of the duties 

 imposed are indefensible as a whole, and 

 others should be greatly modified. This 

 subject has been before us often and 

 some action has been taken in regard 

 to it. I recommend the appointment of 

 a committee whose duty it will be to 

 lay before the proper authorities our 

 views on the subject, and urge a re- 

 vision of the duties whenever possible. 



Secretary's Office. 



To return to our more immediate con- 

 cerns, it seems to me that we might 

 profitably make some improvements in 

 the conduct of our business affairs. The 

 secretary's office is one of the most im- 

 portant, as well as one of the most 

 permanent, within the society, and some 

 changes in the manner of business might 

 be well undertaken. In the first place 

 the secretary should give bonds, as is 

 now required of the treasurer. His 

 books and vouchers should be presented 

 at the meeting of the executive commit- 

 tee for auditing in connection with the 

 accounts of the treasurer, and not be 

 passed upon in bulk in the hurry of the 

 annual convention. His accounts as pub- 

 lished should be itemized, for every mem- 

 ber has a right to know just how his 

 money is being spent and to whom it is 

 paid. He is now the purchasing agent 

 of the society, and no check is kept upon 

 his expenditures. I suggest that all bills 

 be approved by the president before 

 going to the treasurer for payment. 



The secretary should be paid an ade- 

 quate salary sufficient to remunerate him 

 for his time and incidental expenses, and 

 this should cover them all, so that bills 

 for extra help, etc., would not be pre- 

 sented to the society. 



Amendment to the By-laws. 



The amendment to the by-laws, in re- 

 gard to manner of conducting election, 

 will come before you at this meeting 

 and should not fail of action as recom- 

 mended by the executive committee. 



Membership. 

 Membership in the society should 

 stand high. I cannot approve of the 

 suggestion that the dues of certain mem- 

 bers should be made less than those of 

 others. While it is desirable to include 



in our membership every one engaged 

 in ornamental gardening, whether he be 

 on a private estate, in a public position, 

 or in a wholesale warehouse, an effort 

 should be made to induce all to join; 

 yet it should be understood that all come 

 in on an equal footing, and with equal 

 responsibilities before the law. 



The so-called private gardener of to- 

 day may be a public gardener tomor- 

 row; the employee of today may be, and 

 indeed he probably will be, an employer 

 tomorrow. Npr should it be forgotten 

 that many an employee is better able 

 to pay dues than are some employers. 



It seems to me that this society should 

 keep in closer touch with the local or- 

 ganization. It should have its accredited 

 agent at the local flower shows and other 

 gatherings of the craft. This would, I 

 believe, tend to add new material to 

 our membership list and add to the 

 prestige of our society. In order to do 

 this it would be necessary to have some 

 one detailed for the purpose, and prob- 

 ably the secretary of our society would 

 be most available for the purpose. 



State Vice-presidents. 



More care should be taken in the se- 

 lection of the state vice-presidents. At 

 the present time one or two men from a 

 locality get together and place in nomi- 

 nation the person who suits them best, 

 which as a rule is equivalent to the ap- 

 pointment for this office made by the 

 president. This should be left entirely 

 to the selection of the president, when he 

 takes office. If he should not be ac- 

 quainted sufficiently with a person from 

 that territory or locality, it would be 

 then the duty of the president to ascer- 

 tain from the local society, whether there 

 be one or few members in the craft, 

 which is the best man for him to ap- 

 point. The office should stand for some- 

 thing and men should be appointed who 

 will give some time to the interest of 

 the society. 



Business Methodi. 



Business methods need more study on 

 rhe part of many men engaged in trade, 

 and this is just as true of the flower 

 trade as of any other. No man can 

 hope to succeed who does his business 

 in a loose and slipshod manner. No 

 matter how small the business, a set of 

 books should be kept so that the stand- 

 ing of the business can be found at a 

 moment's notice. 



Fair dealing both in buying and sell- 

 ing should be the rule, and a man's 

 word should be a little better than his 

 bond. Do not abuse your credit and 

 you will find business very much easier. 

 It is true in business as well as in other 

 things that "A good name is better 

 than riches." 



I have alluded elsewhere to the trade 

 exhibitions, and now I wish to add a 

 few words in regard to their manage- 

 ment. I believe that the society should 

 take entire charge of these exhibits. It 

 should appoint a manager, pay all ex- 

 penses and receive any profits that may 

 arise from such exhibitions. I am well 

 aware that the custom has been other- 

 wise, for the reason that the money 

 realized was needed for the local people 

 to help on the entertainment. Now this 

 is all wrong. Is it not time that this 

 society adopted an attitude of indepen- 

 dence and dignity f Is it not time that 

 this society selected its own place of 

 meeting without putting it up to be 

 auctioned, off! 



Would it not be possible for ua to go 

 in peace and quiet to some central point 

 and hold our convention and entertain 

 ourselves? ^here are many places that 

 we could visit with profit to ourselves, 

 where to be entertained by the local 

 members of our trade would mean ruin 

 to them. This entertainment has, in my 

 opinion, grown to be a great evil and 

 an unjust tax upon the communities vis- 

 ited. It has reached a point in the emu- 

 lation of hosts where it behooves us to 



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John Westcott, Vice-President-elect Society American Florists. 



