Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-24

/ IDENTIFY been boiled without noticing it.
There are hundreds OF business frogs
] Men who are not sensitive to changing
| business conditions. They close their
| eyes and ears to any proposition in
| tended to bring about more friendly
and profitable local conditions They
/ greet any new project generally with
/ doubt as to it's logical and safe char
/ acter One of the aims of board of
I trade should be to encourage the pro-
! gressive spirit, to venture on expert
/ ments that give an even chance for
I success.
There ARE many men in business
who mix the past, present and future.
/ They sAem entirely taken up with their
| vain regrets for yesterdays mistakes
! and their needless worry over the out
| come Of the morrow. They seem not
/ to realize that they need live but one
/ day at time. They are like the hum
! cry beggar who when asked how long
] he had been without food replied:
| Three days-yesterGay, today and to-
morrow This remark too truly ex-
| pressef a far-reaching human feeling,
! We e tr have vain regrets that the
men who made Norwich are in Yantic
| cemetery. We forget that the npen in
| whose hands is the future OF Norwich
4 are before me tonight A
It is true that the conditions at the
| close of the Civil war were such as to
mske many Of our merchants and man
/ ufacturers wealthy. The wealth that
| at that time was in the hands of q
| few is now distributed among the 49,
600 depositorS of our savings banks.
Furthermore, IL Norwich appeared more
| prosperous forty years ago 1t was be-
| cause oar capitalists were investing
| their money at home. They have since
| had some experience investing their
capital abroad. The money wasted on
| outside schemes in the past forty
| years would have been ample to
double the number and extent Of our
| local industries. Instead of being the
| home Of individual mills we might
! easily have become noted as the home
! Of vast trusts.
For two hundred years or more there
| has existed a spirit Of rivalry between
! the terminal cities Of the Thames river.
Norwich, having gotten comfortably
I over her courthouse troubles, now
| sympathizes with New London in her
| ambition to provide equal facilities for
/ court purposes. The argument has
| been used that unless New London ex-
! pended several hundred thousand doll
lars for a new building all the court
| business would be transacted at Nor
wich New London need have no fears
| in this direction. The good citizens Of
/ Norwich who followed a recent trial
| in our city of a New London woman
\
l London's cases tried at home.
Norwich is earning an enViable rep
utation as a convention city. Admira-
! bly, suited by natural attractions,
abundantly endowed with historic in
! terest and easily the leader of the
I cities Of the state in the hospitality
and convenience Of its social organtZ Ia
4 tions, Norwich offers superior induce
ments to organizations which hold an
annual gathering. During the past
/ year we have entertained twelve state
| conventions.
The impressions which one receives
on entering a town are usually lasting
ones. Hence a certain amount of civic
pride is necessary in making our prin-
cipal thoroughfares clean and attrac-
tive.
Norwich was one of the hve cities
| Incorporated oy the legislature of Con-
necticut in May. 1884. The mayor was
at first chosen for an indefinite term.
In the early days II was the custom
for the mayor to serve twelve to if
teen years. In 1914 mayor was
elected who held on to the Office for
| seventeen years before he saw fit to
resign. Other candidates for the may
orality grew old waiting for a vacancy
and finally rose up and declared that
in the future the term Of Office should
be limited to one year. There are
those who believe that II is now an
appropriate time to restore the ancient
custom and continue the present mayor
in office indefinitely.
I have the honor to present to you
| His Honor, the Mayor Of Norwich,
! Costello Lhppitt
Mayor Lippitt Pleased.
Mayor Lippitt received a round Of
/ applause as he responded and said he
was glad the time had come, as he had
! been dreading it all the evening. Max
ing speeches he considered one Of the
drawbacks in being mayor. Like the
old Wauregan Hook and Ladder com
pany; he said his motto was Deeds Not
Words.
It is easy tonight to welcome our
guests, as President Tuttle's wife was
formerly Of this city, while Mayor
Avery's parents were residents Of this
city as was he for some time. We
have not as much to show here as
there was two weeks ago, but there are
some fine ruins and people 90 to Egypt
to see less in the shape of ruins than
they are. The owners say that better
/ buildings are to replace them in time
for our 250th anniversary celebration
He thought there would have to be
some hustling, as he has had some eX-
| perience with contractors. It is a big
undertaking, but one to rejoice in. He
spoke highly OF the board Of trade and
| Its work and value TO the city. Nor
witch owes much Of its prosperity and
! success to II. It has done all it could
and created public sentiment, which
amounts to much in getting new and
fostering old industries. 1t IS well that
such men as calamity howlers do not
hrd a place in the board OF trade But
for the work Of the board Of trade or
its influence many Industries would
not be here and those industries must
be conserved. They should not be
gotten here and then dropped. Years
ago we lost such industries as Smith
& Wess IN and Allen & Thurber. as well
as others. because Of a cold hand. BE
expressed gratitude to those who did
so much to keep the Hopkins & Allen
Arms company going after the fire, an
! industry Of great Importance to the
city All honor is due those who re-
habilitated it and allowed their divi-
dends to be turned in to build up the
business.
It is wise when we abate taxes for
new industries to be careful Of the old
ones. Taxes must be paid or the city
departments cannot be carried on. The
difficulty of the assessors is great and
yet they have done remarkably we'll
Capital however, cannot be coerced
and when capital goes labor follows
and then there is no one to pay taxes
He spoke of two concerns which were
planning to enlarge but now il is a
question whether they can or not. It
| is wen to be very careful Of those
which are established.
Our recent fire has fully established
| the efficiency Of the fire department.
They saved in adjoining property so
many times the amount Of the appro-
priation last year for it and no one
realized It more than the adjoining
owners. He expressed obligations to
the lady who promptly sent the Yam