Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-24

hone to see the tine when representa-
 tIves, if not all the members of the
 local organizations, can set apart one
 day in the year and gather i'll social concOurse.
 would also like to see an effort
 made for large mid-winter gather ing, so large and important in fact, backed up by all the local associations, that we could, with proprtety, invite not alone some of the leading thinkers
 of the present day, but might even hope to have the attendance of the
 president of the United States. see l no reason why, with proper effort, gathering of this kind cannot he ar
 ranged by the state association with the hearty cooperation of the locals,
 and there is no reason why one could not be made as successful as those which are held by the business men
 of Boston and New York every year. Thus an opportunity would be afford ed each year for our members to meet the greatest men of our country
 At our last directors meeting I had the pleasure of meeting. every state officer and director with one single ex- ception. This meeting lasted several hours, and many views were given by those present. As a. result of. the ac- ton of that meeting appointed three committees from whom you will un- doubtedly receive reports to-day. One committee was given charge of the 1tlnerant vendors law, and given full
 authority to work for any change that seemed to be of value. The legisla-
 tive committee was instructed to look
 into other pending legislation, or to
 propose legislation along lines calculat-
 ed to benefit the business community
 The third committee was instructed to
 inquire into and report regarding the advisability of holding midsummer and mid-winter gatherings of the state
 association. Whatever has been done
 or Is proposed to be done will undoubt-
 edly come before you today, for such
 action as you may see fit to take
 1t is difficult at times, owing to !he fact that members of committees are elected in different cities, to have
 many meetings. and it has sometimes seemed to me that the work of the as sociation could be better done were
 there regular headquarters, and were there someone in whom the associa- ton had full confidence who could act on most matters wherein the associa-
 tions are interested. With the growth Of the association and the many mat
 ters continually engaging the attention
 of it's officers and of it's Individual as- sociation members, the work is con- stantly increasing, and were it handled as 1t should be. q large part of one
 mans time could profitably be devot- ed to it.
 The matter of keeping up constant interest in the various local orsaniZa- tions, of bringing about closer rela- tlonshipS between them, of assisting
 those where the interest has 1agged, of keeping ill touch with all that is going on in the various localities, fur
 nishes q vast field for energetic but
 careful and level-headed work.
 Our association should be in q posi-
 tion to ask quickly and wisely when
 occasion requires, should be conserva- tive at all times, and every effort should be made to thoroughly sift any
 project or plan that is submitted, eith
 CT by an individual member or by an association member. Great harm can be done by not carefully considering each step before it is undertaken. and much good may be lost by the inabil
 N"AAAe'"' Our association should be in sense
 like a corporation. If it were to have it's central headquarters, reports should be constantly made to that of- flee by the various local secretaries. Constant communication could be kept
 up between the state organization and
 the locals, and much could be done
 to build up and strengthen it's growth,
 not alone where it's branches now eX- ist. but ill other cities and places. It seems to me that by reason of his
 very occupation, the merchant stands between the manufacturer on the one side and the consuming public or wage earner on the other He is the distrib- utor. is brought into close touch with all classes and conditions, and, as Il rule, is closer With the people at large than any other of the mercantile com 1 munity. It is for this very reason that his aim should be at all times to form
 the most harmonious and pleasant feeling between all classes of citizens.
 He is both the employer of labor and at the same time caterer to labor.
 It has seemed to me that his position
 places him where he can most advan- tageous1y work for the betterment of
 his own local conditions.
 It is for this reason that I have in New Haven recently proposed an ar-
 engagement whereby the employer and
 the employees may be brought together
 on harmonious terms, and where differ
 ences that may exist between them
 may be settled without disarrangement
 of business, without loss and without friction. It may be that this will be
 considered too idealistic for our busi- | ness conditions, but believe that with tact and perseverance mutual conces- sions can be brought about If it
 works we'll in New Haven it certainly
 will work well elsewhere, and I trust
 to see before long such q condition of affairs in New Haven between en- pioyers and employees tnat it will be , model for the rest of the state The plan proposed is in brief that the three large organizations of New Haven. which is composed largely of manufacturers and business men, an