The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-15
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
ADDRESSED LAST NIGHT BYTREAS.
URER MORRIS +. TYLER.

On "Tho University ms a business In
stitufion OF New Haven"-The Uni-
versity Buyer, Not Compotitor--
Some Things That It Can't Buy In
New Haven-Thc Ideas of Few Old
Gentlemen Not to be Coufoundcd
with Those of the University.
The New Haven Chamber of Cons
merce was addressed last evening BY
Prof. Morris F. Tyler, treasurer Of Yalo
university on the subject, THE Univer-
sity as Business Institution Of New
Haven" An unusually large attends
ance Of the members was present, in
cluding some Of the most prominent
business men Of the city. Ex-President
Dwight of the university was also pres
ent- Prof. Tyler was introduced BY
Max Adler, president of the Chamber
of Commerce. In opening his talk Prof.
| Tyler said that since the new adminis-a
tration came into control Of the univer-
sity much had been said of the rela-
tions of the university to the communi-
| ty 1t seemed to be the idea that the
university was going to look at the city.
differently and treat it differently, and
that the city was going to look at the
university differently and treat 1t diff
ferently. So far as the business end Of
the university at present was concern
ed he thought that 1t knew the town.
| He said: II think I understand the
town and the town ideals and the
town ambitions. circumstances have
shown me also much of the university,
and think know how the two classes
| used to look on one another. No such
| feeling exists to-day. 1t makes me
smile to think that anyone should think
| that there was anything to reform in
the relations between the university
| and the CITY,"
He then referred to the fact that
some of the principal business men of
the city were graduates of the univer-
| sity, and mentioned in this connections
| the president of the Consolidated road.
the president of the water company, the
president of the gas company, and
those at the head Of many large man
ufacturing concerns and banks OF the
CITY,, He also said probably referring
to the Southern New England Tele-
phone company, Of which he is presi-
dent, "There is another corporation
which touches you all more or less that
has not been without the influence of
a college educated man.
Nov, has the college changed, or has
business changed? l am inclined to
think that the college has changed
most. President Hadley was perhaps
the first to say In so many Words~that
one of the functions of the university
was to train men for business Per-
sonally I would like to state right here
that, other things being equal, a mod
ern college education is about the best
training for business that man can
have"
He then went on to say that when
he was in college thirty years ago he
did not have as a classmate a single
son Of a New Haven man. His son,
however, had a score He thought that
his hearers would agree with him that
were in not for the traditional way OF
looking at things the university would
be ranked as a great business institu-
ton. A factory that paid out a weekly
payroll of $4,000, that brought $500 per-
sons into the city $500 consumers and
not competitors a factory that carried
the name of the town over the world, a
factory of that kind would be consider
ed a great institution. That is what
the university is AS for those on the
payroll, he wanted to emphasize the
fact that they were brought here be-
cause they can be employed here. If
the university was wiped out of the
community this element would also goa
One particularly of the university
ought especially to be noticed, that it is
a buying, not a selling institution. 1t
is a great consumer not a great COM
petitor He had found that so far as
possible it was making itself the con-
sumer of home trade but it must buy
in the cheapest market, do as much
for dollar as possible. Complaints
had been made to him that outside
merchants were favored, but he had not
found this to be true. 1t was ques-
ton Of prices. In one department Of
the university purchases 1t was neces-
sary to go outside that was in invest
ments. New Haven investments are
too good. The university was not in a.
position to live on 3h and 4 per cent,
but that was no reason why the agents
whom the university dealt