Norwich bulletin., 1911-06-05

Christian associations new general secretary, Frderick R Starkey, and of Rev. Josiah Strong, D. D., of New York, as the speaker. lent special in terest to the associations annual an- niversary service, held Sunday even ing at Broadway Congregational church. and a congregation of good proportions was present when the ser vice opened with an anthem well ren- dered by the church quartette Seated upon the platform with the pastor, Rev. F. $. Worcester, were the cler- gymen and association officers who took part in the service.
 President Case Heard.
 Following the anthem, scripture selection was read by Rev. F. w. CoIe- man of Trinity Methodist Episcopal church, and prayer was offered by Rev. F. O. Cunningham of the First Baptist church. President James L. Case of the association then expressed his ap- preciation of the large congregation present, indicating their interest in the association which with this meeting closed it's 18th year of work in the city. He spoke of the large gain in membership the past year. 157, and urged attention to the leaflets which were distributed showing what work had been done in detail
 Two Officials to Leave.
 Referring to changes in the official force, he spoke in appreciation of the services of President A. A. Browning, who declined any further election this year, and he went on to say that MT. Hyde, who has been at the head of the boys department, IS to sever his con- nection with the local association for other work, and that Physical Director Lessing Bandlow is slso to make a change to another field. President Case spoke with appreciation of former General Secretary w. A. Morse and infr 10 nc at.41.x Mr. Starkey, with complimentary ref erence to his II 1-2 years of work with the Buffalo association.
 General Secretary Starkey.
 General Secretary Starkey expressed his deep appreciation of the honor and responsibility he felt attaching to the office he was assuming, and said that he was here to work in behalf of the manhood of Norwich. He referred to the recognition given to '. M C. A. work by the United States govern ment and the railroads, which see that helping it is good business invest ment and he commended the record made by his predecessor, while he ask ed for the united help and co-opera- tion of the people of the city in carry ing the work forward in the coming year.
 The offering which is annually given to the association was taken while Mrs. Charles Tyler Bard, who was in fine voice, rendered the solo, Hold Thou My Hand.
 Rev. pr. Josiah Strong.
 Rev Dr. s H. Howe of Park Con gregational church introduced Dr. Strong bringing to mind the hene-
 licences If William A. Slater, when he told of a young citizen of Norwich who was so impressed by reading Dr. Strong's book, Our Country, that he bought and distributed copies to many of his friends, and from that time did
 more for Norwich than any other cIti- zen in the last half century.
 Dr. Strong held the undivided atten- ton of his congregation while he spoke for almost an hour upon The Problem of the city dealing with the subject in a masterly grasp that made deep impression. He said that the world was living in one of it's greatest tran sitional periods, but he believed with his whole heart that its future was to be better than it's past. It is a period of supreme opportunity, and the city is the supreme problem of the new civilization Whereas once but per cent. of our population was in the cit ties, in 1900 B per cent. was in the cities and this ratio is growing. We once thought that was only an indica- tion of our phenomenal national growth but that bubble is pricked, for we find that the cities of Europe are growing as fast as the cities of Amer ica. Wherever the breath of the new civilization touches, occurs this dip proprtionate growth of the cities, and this is their greatest problem.
 Growth from Modern Machinery.
 Reasons for this growth are found in the application of machinery to farm and industrial work and in the building of railroads, making it possi- ble to feed millions at one point, and the gregarious instincts of man are at work. So has arisen Engefs law upon this point. that with the increase in riches and rise in the scale of living of an individual. his expenditure for food is in an ever decreasing ratio to his expenditures for other purposes. We can eat just about so much, and not any more. The limit to what we 1 can eat is a fixed and natural limit; | the limit to other things, an artificial and expansive limit. An ever dccreas- ! ing proportion of our population is to ! live in the country, and an ever in- | creasing number in the cities. Back to the soi1'' is absolutely fallacious and | will never solve the problem of the | city.
 Problem Is It's Increasing Wealth. | Again tht problem of the city is it's | enoremusly increa sing wealth. The
 workingman of today produces fifty 1 per cent. more than his grandfather | did, and Gladstone said that there was | three times the wealth produced in the ! 18th ctntury that there was produced l in all the eighteen that had preceded | il. The rate of increase is also in | creasing. and there are men in this congregation who have seen the | wealth of the United States increase | fifteen times in their lifetime. On a very conservative estimate. it can be l claimed that the wealth of the United | States in another generation, forty l will hp AnH11 9 IjfS Wa3 Ifl ] in 1900 plus the total wealth at that l time of France. Germany, Russia, | Great Britain and Ireland, Canada, l British colonies in all the world. 1 The same soil never produces luxury ] and heroes, and we can pity the poor
 sons of the rich born with gold | spoons Tn their mouths To develop | strength we must do the things that l demand strength The growth of 1 wealth is greatest in the cities and | hence weaItr is supremely the problem | of the cities. but side by side with it | is the deepest poverty.
 Problem of Education
 There is also the problem of eduea- | ton, and in this line some of our inn ! migrants show q patriotism that puts Us to shame, as, for example, the. Rus l sian Jew, who. after course in our 1 American schools, recorded it as his l wish to so live that the world might | be better for his influence The for | eIgnerS coming to our shores are l splendid raw material and it will be