The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-11-12
PRESIDENT LEES SPEECH
AT THE CHAMBER OT-CoMMERCE ANNUAL LAST NIGHT.

What the Chamber Does for the city's
 Interest Between nieais-some Few
 Impor,ent Things II Has Recently
 Accomplished.
 | There was a serious problem before
 the New Haven people for many years.
 It was discussed by members of the fac
 ulty. clergymen and laymen without their coming to any satisfactory con
 csusion. The problem was presented to
 them by that bright man and prince of
 go5d fellows. Isaac Bromley. and was the question of what the chamber does
 between meals. Under the adsn.nistra- t:3n ef recent years that problem, has
 been solved, and trust for all times. We have secured through our repre- senta.ives in congress large sums for
 the improvement of our harbor much of
 which has been ex9ended. and work IS now in progress that will require much
 more. We hope to nave further appro-
 -ariat:ons in the near future. The har-
 bor committee is entitled to great credit for it's very efficient work
 The committee on new enterprises has 1 done much to settle the question of the activity Of the chamber. There are
 monuments to it's enterprise, erected in l'the eastern part Of our city, in the shape of large factories employing hundreds Of hands. The Housatonic Manufacturing company employs 275 people with payroll of $1,So0 per week. It occupies a factory 50x300 feet, two stories high, with power house 45xSO feet. The factory is we'll built and up to date in every particular. The Ready Bits company has large and we'll equipped factory for the man. usacture Of breakfast foods, and is do- ing prosperous business.
 '. The National Wire corporation, an- other large industry kept in this city, l largely through the efforts of the cham be-. now have 900 men on the payroll which amounts to $1o,00o per week. It occupies fifty acres of land, with main foundry building 164x40S feet, with sev- eral small adjacent. buildings, and is TOW putting up new buildings for the manufacture of wire fencing, tempered
 wire, wire springs and bale ties. | The Columbia Hosiery company en- ploys 75 hands and is much pleased with
 our city, and exneets to increase the force. The rent for the concern was
 paid for year by members of the
 chamber to induce it to locate here. The National Steel Foundry company with a capital stock os S300,0O0 is now building large plant near the National Wire corporation. and will do a large business when established, employing
 hundreds of hands.
 Another industry that this commit.
 tee has located here within month is
 the Baldwin-Raymond Electric Switch company, with a capital stock of $175,-
 900. It now has a good business that will be increased when established in our city. The committee is now nego- tiating with another company which, if established. will add greatly to our in- | dustrial population.
 Other committees have also done their full share in the work of the chamber. These new facts, it's seems to me, an-
 swer very effectively the question as to 1 what the chamber does between meals. For many years it has been the cus- tom os the chamber to give an annual dinner. For the second time in our his- tory it has made it complimentary to a distinguished and honored citizen of
 our city. A few years since it was com plimentary to a native of New Haven, l who had recently been made president
 of the great university, of which we are all so proud. Tonight it is compliment tary to a former resident of New Ha- I ven, who has recently been elected pres- itent of the great railroad corporation I with headquarters in our midst. A cor | poration that has done so much for our development and prosperity, employing l to-day nearly 4,000 persons residing with us and making up at least 15,000 of our population.
 Its our largest employer of labor, and | large sums are spent annually in our stores by it's officers and employees, and I the company itself buys many of it's supplies here.
 | There is every reason why there should be the most harmoniuos relations
 between our people, and the company
 as the prosperity of the company is shared in by us to great extent.