Norwich bulletin., 1910-02-24
THE CITY OF NORWICH.
President E. A. Tracy Urges the Re- sPonsibiiity of Citizenship-Loote Forward, Not Backward

It was after Il o'clock when the cig- RTs were lighted and President Tracy Eapped for order and welcomed the large gathering and gusts. He said:
 My first words are those of welcome toF our guests who have honored us with their presence this evening and
 who, I trust will carry away with them pleasant memories of this occasion.
 My next are addressed to the mem bers of the Board of Trade. For obvious reasons more of you are present at Ehis annual banquet than ever attend our regular meetings, so I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the honor you have conferred upon me in electing me your president, and some advice and make some sugges- fions as to our work for the coming gear.
 We are aH citizens of this dear. de- tig8rtful historic old town; 8 history founded on peace, goodwill and friend chip. for never since the SaChem Un- cas invited our ancestors to settle here, more than z50 years ago, has that pact. founded on friendship and goodwill, been broken.
 Under this benediction of peace, in dustTies were started very early; of course the first was a grist mill in 1881, run by the waters of the Yantic river. Within the first century there were paper, inseed oil, chocolate and gulling mills and iron and dye works. The first cotton mill was built in 1790.
 Nerwich has always been noted for eks variety of it's manufactures: at our Industrial exhibition three years ago there were exhibited the products of 6z nAnufactories showing 46 distinct varieties. have just read a letter in The Bulletin from a, Rip Van Wrinkle rS the West. Side. He has just walked up and apparently before looking about tiifn to notice the progress of the last fifty years sees only the factories which were the pride of Norwich at that early period. He forgot to men tion that the Ponemah plant alone pru4babdy represents an investment as great as all the industries of the time he referred to; that the Uncas Paper company and the AIcCrumHowen plants are greater than all the Thamesville industries at that time; that the United States Finishing com pany is greater than all the Greeneville industries fifty years ago; that the Hopkins 6 Alien and Crescent Fire Arms companies are giants compared with the pigmy referred to at the Falls, and that in nearly all the lines he mentioned there has been great and permanent progress.
 No, gentlemen, we should not look backward but forward. This is the Intellectually, physically and morally; the best man that walked the earth 5000 years ago would not be tolerated fn decent society today; tfie skilled time lives better, is better sheltered from the storm and cold better fed and clothed than the nobility of Eng land 800 years ago.
 With this change for the better. the sponsibilties of mankind increase. It takes a better equipped man to march at the head than ever before
 The respon sib4 lit les of citizens1lip are l greater and I feel that as an organ izatfon we should be alive to the needs of our city and make our influence felt 1 in all directions that tend to improve conditions.
 This Is not a party question in any l sense of the word, for the words of the | immortal Lincoln can be changed | slightly and applied to us. "He serves his party best who serves his city 1 best
 Take the great question of municipal ownersAip-ene of the greatest prob