Third vice-president, W. B. Cheatham, San Francisco, Cal. Secretary, Thos. H. Potts, Chicago, Ill. Treasurer, Grant Stevens, Detroit, Mich. S. A. Eckstein, Milwaukee, was elected to the one-year term on the Executive Committee, displacing President Frick; Jas. P. Crowley, Chicago, was reëlected for a three-year term; and Theodore F. Hagenow, St. Louis, becomes a member for a period of three years. other members of the Executive Committee are Jas. F. Finneran, Boston; Chas. H. Huhn, Minneapolis; and Chas. F. Harding, Cincinnati. The Doubtless the convention was held at Indianapolis this year as a sort of a tribute to M. A. Stout, the outgoing president. Indiana is Mr. Stout's home State; he lives at Bluffton. Indianapolis was not among the cities that made a bid for the convention last year at Minneapolis. Edward W. Stucky, president of the Indianapolis association, had general charge of convention arrangements. Mr. Stucky delivered one of the addresses of welcome, on the night of the formal opening. Charles G. Genolin, president of the State association, spoke also, as did Mrs. Frank H. Carter, in behalf of the women's entertainment committee. Responses were made by Chas. H. Huhn, Minneapolis; Chas. F. Harding, Cincinnati; and Mrs. William Estelle Lee, Philadelphia, one of the Indianapolis papers christening Mrs. Lee "Little Mother of the N. A. R. D." SLOW, PATIENT WORK. In order to get at what has been accomplished between the convention this year and the one held at Minneapolis last year, it is necessary to turn to the reports made by the officers and by the different committees. Stating the obvious is a fault that most of these documents have, and the recommendations at the end of each effusion are not always altogether savored with sanity; but contained somewhere between the hackneyed reiteration and the word of advice there ought to be found the Gail Borden in the cocoanut. For these papers, at least in theory, constitute just so many stewards' accountings. It is always wise to bear in mind, however, that there must necessarily be much that remains hidden. Suppose a piece of legislation is being worked on, for instance, and that much more effort will yet have to be expended along M. A. Stout, Bluffton, Ind., the retiring president. tion department in a great majority of the stores in cities, while in the smaller cities and towns the drug store is a variety store because of competition by dispensing physicians, wagon pedlers, and others." Mr. Stout made an excellent presiding officer. THE GENERAL CONDITION OF. AFFAIRS. The financial showing this year is not quite so good as that reported at the annual meeting last year, but the difference is not marked. The surplus at that time was stated to be $26,170.42. September 1, 1916, the treasurer's report shows it to be $25,247.16. Last year the statement was drawn August 1, so it would appear that the 1916 accounting includes thirteen months. This may be due, however, to the fact that the convention was held later this year than it was last year. But it is evident that the affairs of the association are in good shape. The surplus on August 1, 1913-three years ago-was $13,652.67, only a little more than half the present showing. Treasurer Grant Stevens was confined to his room during a large part of the convention, a painful attack of rheumatism putting his best leg out of the running. gree of antagonism existing between the organization and Secretary Edmond A. Whittier of the Fair Trade League. This could be read at the Minneapolis meeting, Mr. Whittier having been present in a speaking capacity, and the situation has lost none of its element of chill since that time. Incidentally it might be mentioned that Mr. Whittier was expected to be present at the Indianapolis meeting, but that he did not appear. Both Chairman Finneran of the Executive Committee and Chairman Henry of the Legislative Committee reported on general conditions in this respect, and each in turn succeeded Secretary Potts stated that the number of in convincing the assembled delegates that the E. W. Stucky, Indianapolis, elected second vice-president. State associations affiliated with the national body remains the same as it was last yearthirty-eight. Local affiliated associations have increased 41, making a total of 1121. The association employs six traveling organizers on salary and one who works on commission, making seven in all. The expenses of the organization department during the last convention year were $21,451.81. The national secretary visited nine State association meetings during 1916, and Hugh Craig, editor of the N. A. R. D. Journal, visited two, the latter being those held in Texas and Iowa. TROUBLES WITH THE FAIR TRADE LEAGUE. One who has followed N. A. R. D. affairs during the past year or so must have learned that for some time there has been a certain de N. A. R. D. has every right to pose as the aggrieved rather than as the aggressor. Notwithstanding this, both Mr. Finneran and Mr. Henry, in their reports, recommended that the national organization still continue to work with Mr. Whittier and the League he represents in further attempts to secure the passage of the Stephens-Ashurst bill and of the proper legislation for the suppression of the trading stamp evil. It is doubtless the N. A. R. D policy to continue its support of the price maintenance measure which failed to get out of committee during the last session of Congress as long as there appears to be reasonable assurance that the Stephens-Ashurst bill will pass unemasculated, but to introduce a new bill, to be known as the "N. A. R. D. Price-Maintenance Bill," should circumstances so shape them selves a little later on that such a course becomes necessary in order that drug interests may be satisfactorily protected. THE AID OF CONSUMERS TO BE SOUGHT. It was one of the recommendations of the Executive Committee that druggists circulate petitions among their customers, and among consumers generally, asking Congress to pass a price maintenance law. It is not the intenprice maintenance law. tion, however, that druggists shall do this on their own initiative. Should such a plan be adopted it must, in order to be effective in a big way, be carried out under the direction of the national body. Samuel C. Henry makes a very satisfactory chairman of the committee on legislation. He is quiet, courteous, determined, absolutely fair, and one can well imagine that it would not be a hardship for a busy official to grant him a hearing. There is no trace of the bulldozer hanging anywhere about him. This committee recommended the passage of the Kern-Doremus poison-mailing bill, counseled a continuance of effort looking to a revision of our patent laws as proposed by the Paige bill now before Congress, and urged that all attempts to eliminate section 6 of the Harrison law be strenuously opposed. TELEPHONE TROUBLES. One of the features always looked forward to is the report read by Wilhelm Bodemann as chairman of the Telephone Committee. The Sage of Hyde Park strikes straight from the shoulder and some of his comments are extremely amusing-as this, for instance, lifted bodily from his 1916 contribution: "We would urge all druggists in cities where there are coin boxes to be present when the collector empties the box, if for no other purpose than to satisfy themselves that the count is correct." Typically Bodemannesque! There is still a great lack of uniformity, when rates allowed druggists are considered. In Cleveland, for example, druggists get 50 per cent after the first $6 are removed, while a delegate from St. Louis reported that he gets only 10 per cent of what is taken in. There is a wide discrepancy between 10 per cent and 50 per cent. A delegate from Milwaukee stated that when he went to that city and bought a store the company offered him 10 per cent. He wouldn't take it, and got 30. In Boston the company allows 15 per cent on all money received up to $100 and 20 per cent on that amount exceeding $100. When there are three phones in the store they are considered one; receipts from any of them, or all of them, may be used to make up the $100. Minneapolis has two telephone systems, the Bell and the Tri-State. Chas. H. Huhn reported that arrangements made with the Bell were not satisfactory and that druggists had been unable to either ascertain how the company arrives at its figures or to get a representative to meet with them so that the atmosphere might be cleared. Mr. Huhn complained that the monthly statements received from the company were complicated. Chairman Bodemann rather discouraged the idea that a uniform rate might be obtained. Too many utility commissions stand in the way, he said. Mr. Bodemann does not believe in commissions of this character. GREEN HERB MATERIA MEDICA. The report of the Propaganda Comniittee, John H. Webster, Detroit, chairman, was unusually interesting this year for the reason that quite a little curiosity has been aroused by the proposal to emancipate the drug business by displacing our ordinary liquid preparations of vegetable substances with green drug tinctures. Under the new order, instead of carrying a bottle of tincture of digitalis on his shelves, the druggist would take the green leaves and prepare the tincture as called for. But how to get the green leaves at all times? That was the question concerning which a great many held doubts-and hold them yet. Mr. Webster frankly stated that his commit John H. Webster is destined to become a national figure in organization affairs. THE JOURNAL. There has been a marked improvement in the N. A. R. D. Journal during the year; Editor Craig is putting out a very creditable paper. It was stated that there has been a gain in subscribers of 6 per cent. Chairman Riemenschneider of the Advertising Committee reported that the publication distanced its leading competitor from the standpoint of space sold to advertisers by six pages a month. He did not, however, call attention to the fact that the Journal is issued 52 times a year, against its "leading competitor's" 12 times per annum. RESOLUTIONS. The Resolutions Committee was, as usual, headed by Dr. Wm. C. Anderson of Brooklyn, and of course the chairman presided when the different measures were brought up for final disposition in open meeting. Very often this Chas. F. Harding, Cincinnati, a member of the Executive session is enlivened by heated debate, but there wasn't a ripple on the placid waters this year. Skeletonized, here are the important resolutions adopted: A committee consisting of one member from each State where an organization of the N. A. R. D. exists, to be known as the Committee on Elections, is to be appointed, whose duty it shall be to investigate candidates for public offices and ascertain their attitude toward interests affecting the drug trade; the Legislative Committee is to prepare a model anti-coupon or trading-stamp measure for submission to the legislatures of the various States through the local committees having such matters in charge; the association is to continue its efforts to secure better laws for the protection of druggists, believing it to be highly desirable "for every compounder and dispenser of medicine which is intended for the cure or relief of human ailments to be a regularly licensed and registered pharmacist, without exception;" the Executive and Legislative Committees are to prepare or have prepared a model anti-vending measure in time for presentation to the 42 respective State legislatures which will convene on or after January 1, 1917; an attempt is to be made to have pure food and drug laws. and sanitary inspection laws made applicable to the physician in the same manner that they are enforced against the druggist; the association re-affirms its position on trading stamps and coupons, and pledges the use of every power it may possess to aid in the creating of national and State laws which will abolish this form of gift enterprises; the organization favors the passage of the Kern-Doremus poison-mailing bill, believing that the mails should not be closed to medicines containing poison, providing proper restrictions are observed as to packing, etc. The action of the American Pharmaceutical Association in endeavoring to provide a model pharmacy law is commended, and the N. A. R. D. is pledged to aid in the work. All efforts to amend the Harrison law by the elimination of Section 6 are to be fervently opposed, and the association pledges its support to efforts made to secure a decision from the court which will set aside certain unfair and unjust rulings of the Treasury Department. The Paige bill was indorsed, it was decided to continue to employ an attorney to represent the association at Washington, and the manufacturers of a certain proprietary tooth preparation came in for some pretty hard raps by reason of the fact that the company puts out a 10-cent package to be sold exclusively by 5- and 10-cent stores and department stores. WHISKY AND BRANDY AGAIN. The liquor question came up again this year, and there was a little discussion on the floor, although taken as a whole the situation was much more adroitly handled than it was at the Minneapolis convention. There can be no doubt that the N. A. R. D. as a body—at least in so far as its delegates may be deemed to represent that body-is not in sympathy with the action of the revision committee in deleting whisky and brandy from the Pharmacopoeia. Strong resolutions of condemnation were almost unanimously adopted at the 1915 convention. Meanwhile the Pharmacopoeia has been printed, but this does not seem to lessen the opposition or to heal the sore spot. Before the convention convened it was rumored that an attempt would be made to secure action which would open the way for the passage of a remedial measure by Congress some time during the coming winter session. It was stated that a bill would be introduced at Washington having for its aim the establishing of standards for whisky and brandy, and it was hoped to get the indorsement of the National Association of Retail Druggists. All this constituted a mere rumor, and very little happened during the convention which would tend to lend color to its truthfulness. Nevertheless the association went on record. Here is the exact phraseology of the resolution passed: "That we favor an official standard for whisky and brandy, in order that inferior articles for medicinal purposes purposes may be avoided." Looking back over these issues to which the association stands committed, it will be observed that practically nothing new is to be taken up during the coming year. Price maintenance is still the big issue; the association stands pledged to put its best efforts back of this principle, all other matters taking relative positions below it in importance, some of them shading off into the dim distance near a purple horizon. NOT TO BE ENFORCED UNTIL JANUARY. During the course of the convention Professor James H. Beal, Frank H. Freericks and Chas. M. Woodruff were asked to make brief addresses. Professor Beal's talk was particularly interesting, in that he touched on a subject that has been engaging the thought of every druggist in the United States-and that is how to live in accordance with the provisions of the new U. S. P. when it has only been within the last few days that it was possible to get a copy of the book. Professor Beal said that when the revision committee set September 1 as the date on whicl: the new work should go into general use it had every assurance that the book would be out in ample time. Even in June when that part of the volume setting September 1 as the date was printed it looked as if there would be no trouble. But later a number of difficulties developed which made it appear that the com mittee had been guilty of an error in judgment. Professor Beal deplored the conditions, and then went on to say that very recently he had accompanied Professor Remington and Dr. Wiley to a conference with Dr. Alsberg, Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, Department of Agriculture, and that it was the understanding that no attempt would be made to base the enforcement of Federal drug laws on the new Pharmacopoeia until January 1, 1917. Chas. M. Woodruff is secretary of the National Association of Manufacturers of Medicinal Products, and his remarks were confined largely to the Kern-Doremus poisonmailing bill. The courtesy of the floor throughout the en James P. Crowley, Chicago, a member of the Executive tire convention was extended to Professor Beal, Mr. Freericks, and Mr. Woodruff. Another speaker who was listened to with close attention was Eugene C. Brockmeyer, the association's Washington attorney and correand valuable experience, and his services canspondent. Mr. Brockmeyer has had a varied not fail to prove of the greatest assistance to the association. He made a good impression. THE WOMAN'S AUXILIARY. Mrs. J. H. Riemenschneider, of Chicago, was elected president of the W. O. N. A. R. D. at the final business session held Thursday. The other officers elected are: Miss Clara L. Hulskamp, of Louisville, first vice-president; Mrs. S. A. Eckstein, of Milwaukee, second vice-president; Mrs. A. J. Hoening, of St. Louis, third vice-president; Miss Nora V. |