The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-04-04

How Can the Chamber of Com meTce
Bemeht New Haven:

|
was interested in a communication
in the Courier few days ago entitled
zone Thing Lacking" The writer asks
why, with all the advantages that New
Haven has. we have no life insurance
company, while Hartford has five OF
six. He says "a single word explains II
all, and that word is apathy" Every
thing else essential to success is here
and abounds.' "Who will take the in
( itiative?' "Will the Chamber of Com
merce do i.?'
These expressions set me to thinking
The Chamber of Commerce has done
much for New Haven. 1t may do much
more if the members of the Chamber
are loyal in sustaining the earnest and
faithful efforts that are made by the
active members of the Chamber to ben
eft the community
In the Chamber of Commerce repre-
sentative business men and lawyers
meet every month To get respectful
hearing in the Chamber one needs to
have only the good of the community
at heart and to advocate intelligently
a measure which will do good. To be
| heard in the Chamber of Commerce a
man need not go through the arena of
ward politics. as he too often has to do
to appear in the common council. In
the Chamber of Commerce there is no
money in it for anyone. There are no
paid positions there What the men,
bers do they must do for the good Of
| the community, and they cannot expect
much thanks either, for there are al
ways those who are ready to carp and
criticse and pull down the labor of the
earnest and enterprising.
| The Chamber of Commerce can do
much good in many ways without in
truding upon the prerogatives of the
common council. We need earnest eff
fort in the Chamber and then we need
loyalty and faithfulness on the part OF
the less active members, supporting the
work of those who give their time and
thought to promoting the measures
adopted by the Chamber
An illustration of what l mean is
found in the Chamber of Commerce
bill, against excessive assessments of
real estate now pending at Hartford.
Thousands of our citizens We're suf-
fering under unjust and excessive as
sessments. The president of the Cham
Der stated that the citizens Of New
Haven were looking to the Chamber of
Commerce for a method of relief
committee was appointed to devise re-
lief Every citizen of New Haven was
invited, in the newspapers, to make
suggestions to that committee.
Among the many suggestions one
was after long and careful study,
unanimously recommended by the COM
mittee on legislation of the Chamber of
Commerce. At largely attended meet
ing, and after full discussion. it was
unanimously adopted, and the commit
tee on legislation was directed to pro-
cure its passage.
The most representative citizens, both !
business men and lawyers, supported |
the measure but another prominent
member of the Chamber, an
editor of a newspaper who made no |
suggestion to the committee and who |
did not attempt to guide the Chamber |
in it's deliberations, opposed the meas |
ure persistently in his editorial columns
and abused some of the advocates of
the bill.
l am one of the few who are in some
doubt how this bill will operate in
practical use. but did not vote against
it. I respect the opinions of the men
who have studied 1t and approved 1t,
and l believe that the Chamber of Com
merce will be prevented from fulfilling
it's whole mission for the public good,
unless the members of the Chamber
come to its meetings and advise and
give counsel to the Chamber instead of
coming forward after the Chamber has
adopted measure and bitterly and
opposing. There is always
a great inertia to overcome in obtain
ing new legislation. 1t takes but little
opposition to prevent wise measure,
ably supported, from being adopted.
As an officer of the Chamber recently
said, "An artist of great talent may
paint $4,000 picture, but any fool can
throw a rock through it and destroy
t."
I say, therefore, il the Chamber is to
accomplish good work, let the members
lave some sense of loyalty and faith
them give to the Chamber
he benefit of their wisdom and advice;
nut when the Chamber has committed
tself to a policy member should con-
ider that he has not a monopoly Of all |
he judgment and sagacity, but that
he opinion of the majority of the
Chamber ought to have consideration.
In the case which / have, instanced 1t
vas urged that the Chamber has not
dopted this measure because a major
ty of its members were not present at
he meetings. There never has been q
1eeting of the Chamber when ma '
Gritty of it's $50 members were present
Jpon this argument no action of the
,hamber has ever been taken, for no
MEASURE has ever had the vote of the I
majority of the whole membership,
fish that the members would come to I
he meetings, but when they do not 1t is
bvious that a vote of those who do [
ONE must be accounted the action Of {
ne Chamber and any pretense that it '
not such is an Illogical and childish I
tempt to belittle the influence of the |
hamber of Commerce.
A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER.