tnmmry 21 , 1000. OMAHA rLLrSTKATRT ) T.EE.
1
N" L. Malownoy II P Sluimw is I. J Hlnv.i- . , J \ M l/i'i hlin r nju - inI I .ii.mi
\ lii Pri-sldi'iit ' Dlri'Uor ' , 1'i-isiiint Seiret.ir.\ and Trisusun r , Dinutor ln.i..i
lissox , la \VakeIlHd , Ni-b DaMil lMt . Neb. C'ralg , Neb Kivirni . Ntb Siwn.1 Ni l >
OFFICERS OF THE NEHR \ SICVN1) ) IOWA RETAIL IMPLEMENT DELEIIS' ASSOCIATION' Photo by Rlmlurt
Implement Dealers'
Session at Omaha
'
"It would bo strange business ethics that
would not allow of a greater profit In tbe
salu of a high-priced implement tbim in
that of ti low-priced one , " remarked onu of
tliu speakers at the meeting of the Nebraska
and Iowa Hotail Implement Dealers' nsso-
clatlun in Omaha the week of January 8-13 ,
and that remark was the keynote of the
purpose of the meeting. It was a meeting
M ) secure conditions that will enable the
Ic.cal dealers in farm Implements to derive
some advantage from the prevailing high
prices and its addresses were full of sug
gestions that the farmer who indulges in
new farm implements during the year 1'JOO
will bo asked to share with the dealer the
pn.sperity promised him in abundant crops
and good prices.
' This meeting was a getting together of
retail dealers , jobbers , manufacturers and
traveling drummers , at which each claws
made known the grievances indicted upon it
by the others and all endeavored to reach
an understanding whereby relief and redress
could he alt'orded. The retail dealers protested -
' tested against the sale by manufacturers of
implements to catalogue houses , the estab
lishment of competitive local branch houses
within the territory of the retailers by the
manufacturers , the furnishing of implements
by manufacturers and jobbers to parties for
sale on commission and other conditions
'
that tend to create competition that reduces
the profits of the business to local retailors.
The discussions were animated , but for the
, most part amicable. In this way the rights
claimed by each clement of the retail trade
r were made manifest and in recognition of
good fellowship and community of interest
each element recognized the rights claimed
by the others.
SlroniA nnil ( iro\vliiK .McmlxTNlilp.
The Nebraska and Iowa association of Implement -
' plement dealers has a unembership of about
100. About 1,100 dealers do business within
Its territory. A similar organization in east
ern Iowa met this year at DCS Mollies and
another has headquarters 'it Kansas City.
These three act in unison and in harmony
with others In other sections of the great
Agricultural belt comprised In the Missis
sippi anil Missouri valleys. Thus banded to
gether the retail dealeis are enabled to Im
pose con litions upon manufacturers anil job
bers that carry with them the force and ef
fect of law. Some -100 retailers were present
at the Omaha meeting , with about as many
representatives of manufacturing concerns
' and jobbing houses. The sessions wore be
hind closed doors and none but retailers
were admitted. At but two of the sessions
were outsiders admitted.
At these two sessions , however , it was
noted that the thcmo of the discussions was
the opportunity afforded by the prevailing
high prices for retailers to reap a better
profit from the business , so long attended by
great hazard nnd slight returns. Confidence
was everywhere expressed that higher prices
cnust prevail in the future , owing to the
great foreign demand lor American farm
machinery , now recognized as the best In the
. world , nnd the scarcity of raw material.
One of the heaviest dealers in Omaha ad
vised the meeting that his firm is buying
every agricultural implement which it can
procure and that its confidence in the fu-
ttiro Is so great that it is not desirous of
disposing of any of its purchases at present.
The Nebraska and Iowa association has
been organized nine years. During a great
part of the lime it met with no great popu
larity , and hud it not been for the personal
zeal of the secretary and treasurer , .1. A.
MeLaughlin of Craig , it would prob
ably have gene to pieces long ago. Its popu
larity this yoar'was a surprise , oven to such
of Its olllcers as had expected a revival of
interest in its work on account of the bet
ter times.
Olllcers for the ensuing year are : Presi
dent , I , . J. mowers , David City , Neb. ; vice
president , N , L. .Malowney , Essex , la. ; sec-
letary and treasurer , J. A. McLaughlln ,
Craig , Neb. , directors , Gus Dabson , Seward ,
Neb. ; II. I' . Shumway , Wakeflold , Neb. ; C.
D. Ayers , Kearney , Nob.
Oiimliit mi Implement On ( IT.
The occurrence of this meeting In Omaha
directed attention to the growing im
portance of this point r\n a distributing cen
ter for agricultural implements. Four largo
transfer houses hero handle the products of
about twenty factories. There are nlnety-
eight local branch and jobbing houses , Uilr-
ty-nlno independent and purely wholesale
implement houses , three wholesale hard
ware houses and live buggytop factories. The
thlrty-nlno wholesale houses represent over
1,000 of the very best manufacturers in the
I'nlted States , and ono of the big dealers
of Omaha estimated the volume of business
in that line at this point during ISflU at
* lfi,000.000.
Tills growing trade Is warranted by
Omaha's central location In the great agri
cultural section of the west and northwest ,
and additional enterprises of the same
character are promised during the coming
year. Six large linns have prepared to build
mammoth warehouses in Omaha this year ,
some of which are under way. The im
petus recently acquired by this branch of
business has led to the establishment
of the first Implement supply factory here ,
which will begin the manufacture of swoop-
rakes , haystackers and kindled utensils at
East Omaha March 1 , while several larger
concerns are promising to remove from east
ern points to Omaha during the year.
IV.
linglish
For years educators have boon empha
sizing tile fact that the child Is not an
open vessel ready to receive any Information
which may lie poured In and como forth from
the operation properly educated. The cry
has been , "Develop him. Teach him to
think and do for himself , so that when ho
leaves school the few facts acquired are of
Croii.se , niack. Stratum , Davis. Graff ,
1'rescott. Alulx'ern , Hed Oak. lluinUurg. C'larlnda.
( JROUP OF WESTERN IOWA LEGISLATIVE MUMI1ERS.
In view of the Importance attained by
this trade here , it will ho recognized thai ,
something more than a perfunctory duty
was manifest In the cordial welcome ex
tended the visiting implement dealers on
the opening of their convention. It was a
Hincoro recognition of their commercial importance -
portanco in the nlfalrs of this agricultural
section nnd an accurate expression of
Omaha's anxiety to welcome them often to
the hospitalities that were shown them
during their stay.
Helen Gould's Gift
Miss Helen Gould linn presented to the
Now York public library the Herrlan col-
leetion of works relating to Morinonlsm.
This Includes 150 volumes , iiW pamphlets
and Hcverul volumes ( if newspapers
Nebraska's Public
School System
( small importance compared with the jiuwer
ho has received to gain independently fresh
knowledge. "
Yet , whllu this truth Is accepted In the
ory , many schools have fallen far short In
putting it Into practice. It Is so much easloi
to teach a rule than to train the mind U
a full understanding of Its underlying prin
ciples , so wo find that children have boei :
taught to Imitate rather than originate
The dissatisfaction In thu results of sue )
methods of teaching has yearly been grow
ing. The complaint comes from uppei
grade teachers : "Our children do not knov
how to think. If we glvo them a para
graph In reading they repeat the word :
and care nothing for the thought ; If wi
give them n problem In arithmetic , insleai
of considering the conditions stated , the ;
ask. 'Do you work It like these wo h.u
yesterday' ' ' And if we ; i k some simp
question they will say , ' 1 don't know , ' when
further questioning reveals that they did
know , but did not have the power of ex
prcK-sing It. "
The need of the hour seems to have re
solved Itself into tills : To teach children t-i
think Independently , to read undorsliind-
Ingly , and In express properly what they
know. It In this need which of late years
has led teachers from the old trodden path.s
to ( lie newer fields of m-iiMo-tralnlng ami
obsorv.itlon and nature lessons. In which
( ho child's mind Is made to grow by increas
ing and varying Ills experiences.
'IVllooKN In I'NI ' * .
In the movement In Nebraska toward
those studies which bring out thought ,
English stands out moro prominently than
any other , perhaps beeaime fur many yeans
It has been allowed to drop Into tin. ' back
ground. In other hralichcH Nebraska In but
following the lead of olhor states , but we
n.ay lake pride In tin ; fact thai the method
ot English \\hleh is being used with the
gieatest success originated In our own. The
text book used Is "SludlcH In Literature
and Composition , " by the Into Mr. Skinner
of Nebraska City. This book , which Is bill
in : adaptation of tlm Ideas of Dr. I. . A.
Sherman , teacher of literature In the Slate
university , In the graditi , has hail a most
remarkable Influence In every school where
It has been uneil. II WUH originally in
tended as a text for High school pupils and
as such lias an extensive circulation in the
High schools of the slate. Nor Is Its use
eenlineil to Nebraska alone. Although but
a few years old it linn already found a
place In High schools and academies all over
the United States.
The Inspiration and Inlliienco of the
method may best be understood by a glance
at the purposes and some of the work that
it Is accompllHi Ing In the schools where
mod.
In reading It Is the purpose of the method ,
to glvo Ilio pupil the power to gain the
thought ( if the author , and that not only
\\hero It Is plainly expressed , but where
It may he Inferred from suggestive words
or phrases. For years leading has been con
sidered ono of UHISII branches which re
quire but lltllo preparation on the part
of the teacher. It was a simple matter to
have each child read in his turn and to
nee that the words were properly pronounced.
The thought , of course , was considered , hut
was secondary to thu mastery of words , as
the mechanical reading of the pupils bore
evidence.
In the Interpretative method the motive.
Is different. The more pronunciation of
welds Is but a small part of It , The lesson
is carefully prepared by teacher ns well as
pupil. Kneli paragraph Is not merely read-
It Is studied. "Effects" ( sentences , or
parts of sentences which suggest more than
they actually express ) are pointed out , poetic
and homely words and phrases are compared
and the underlying thought of the whole
and the author's purpose In writing it are
discussed , In fact nothing Is left undone
which may lead to a better understanding of
the selection read. A certain amount of
mechanical work In word drills and pro-
nui.rial Ion IH always necessary , and this
L ( Continued on Sixth I'age )
NKBRASKA AND IOWA RETAIL IMPLEMENT DEALERS' ' ASSOCIATION IN CONVENTION AT OMAHA Photo by IIe >