Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-11-16
WORK OF BOARD OF TRADE.
Helpful Suggestions to over 100 5rattle-
boro Members from President Bowman
and Secretary Drake Of Springfield.

Helpful Suggestions to over 100 5rattle
boro Members from President Bowman
and Secretary Drake Of Springfield.
The Brattleboro board of trade inau.
gurated its seasons activities Monday
night with a general meeting, as the re-
suit of which upwards of 100 members
increased their enthusiasm for the or
ganizauion, gained a new idea of the scope
to which its work may extend and the
possibilities of the results which it may
obtain through united action where scat
tered individual efforts would be futile.
The guests of honor were II. II. Bow
man, president, and ]. Frank Drake, sec
rotary of the Springfield, Mass, board
of trade, one of the most successful or
CARNATIONS of the kind in the country,
which started with a membership smaller
than that which Brattleboro has at the
present time, but now numbering 200 to
800 names on It's roster, and which is so
conducted that no business man of the
city feels that he can afford to be outside
its ranks.
Messrs. Bowman and Drake, on arriv-
ing in Brattleboro, were met by the lead
ing officers of the home board and escort
ed to the Brooks House. A special table
was reserved, where supper was served
to the guests and the directors of the
BTAItlGDOfO
general meeting to be held in Grange hall
miscarried owing to the accident TO the
electric lights, and the gathering was
therefore called to order in the Brooks
House dining room shortly after o'clock
Charles o. Robbins, president of the Brat
tleboro board, presided and introduced
Mr. Bowman Although Mr.. Bowman is
known primarily as a business man. he
is a forcefuI speaker and held close at
tention of all present. AL the very out
set he read the objects of the Bratteboro
board, as follows:
ITO establish body of recognized au-
thor-ity to deal with matters of interest
to the business men of Brattleboro and
to the general public; to forward the pros
perity of the mercantile and manufactur-
ing community, and to procure and spread
such information as will advance and ele-
vate commercial dealings, and to extend
Just methods of business by the establish
ment and maintenance of place for
business and social meetings"
Mr. Bowman emphasized the fact that
these objects gave the Brattleboro board
a very wide province for its work.
He refuted the commonly accepted idea
that the main object of board of trade
is to secure new industries, and stated
that in Springfield a very large percentage
of the concerns which applied for loca-
ton were not encouraged, especially II
they asked for building sites, buildings
free rentals exemption from taxation
etc. He took up briefly some of the lines
of work which had been helpful in Spring
field. He spoke of the offering of prizes
for essays by high school students, the
very important work now being carried
on for the improvement of conditions at
the union railroad station and the action
taken with a view to making the city
more beautiful. Any matter which prom
Used to improve the civic life of the city,
IA cof1 with f1na rNrN fnrn Of 1n
board.
Mr.. Bowman's remarks were warmly
applauded, and President Robbins next
introduced Secretary Drake, VINO came
to the Springfield board a few years ago,
directly after his graduation from Dart
mouth. Mr.. Drake said in opening that
citizenship implied not only privileges but
and he then differentiated
between the carpers who are always free
to criticize and belittle the passive mem
bers whose work ends simply with their
and the active men who
seek TO create and foster the feeling that
their home town is just the place in
which to live and do business.
He took up the work of several of the
committees of the Springfield board. In
speaking of the increased facilities in
he explained how easy 1t
was to have large. organized body go to
a railroad company and secure what II de-
when attention would not be paid
to an individual Among the results by
the committee on mercantile affairs in
Springfield has been a uniformity in clos
ing stores and the adjustment OF the
trading stamp, while the work in behalf
Of lower insurance rates and increased
fire protection has been helpful.
Mr.. Drake offered some suggestions to
the publicity committee for advertising
by means of booklets, and said
that the map for general distribution,
showing Springfield as a trade centre,
had been OF great value. The committee
ON postal service in Springfield has Sc
cured new through trains from Boston
to New York and increased postal facil-
tiles with Boston. Mr.. Drake advised the
enlistment of services of boards in other
towns when a work of this kind is under
taken. The charities bureau at SPRING
field, which does work not made public,
was feature of which few Brattleboro
men had heard. 1t not only assists
worthy people in need but helps do away
with large amount of begging and so
licitation of funds from business men.
The establishment of a credit ex-
change and the systematic and thorough
going work which IL has done has been
one OF the most important and useful
branches of the work of the Springfield
board, both in the ratings furnished and
In the collection of claims. In speaking
Of securing legislation which is desirable.
WI. CiohS ddNiSou lHe eS1ldDllSnTnent oil
4 Vermont state board of trade. He de-
clared the key note of success with a
board to be the cooperation of all its
members.
On motion of James F. Hooker a hearty
'ote of thanks was extended to Messrs. |
Bowman and Drake for their courtesy |
IND helpfulness in coming here
In the informal talk which followed sew |
,ral queries were propounded TO the Wis
tors, especially with reference to the
'redit exchange in Springfield, which has
srown to such proportions and value that
VT Bowman declared that the business
nen could not get along without 1t.
The company adjourned shortly after
o O'Clock to the Grange banquet hall.
ghere an excellent luncheon had been pre-
jared. Leitsinger & Dugans orchestra
played several selections in the Wheel
hub rooms, which were thrown open for
'eneral use in connection with the din
ng room.
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