Connecticut western news., 1911-03-02

Springfield Board of trade meet con stantly. They not only have dinners annually or semi-annually, but they nave luncheons somewhere every week. These luncheons are informal in char acter and are attended by from 75 to 200 members. These luncheons are the very embodiment of the get-together spirit. They are places for barring formal addresses and talk unless such come ill naturally. They are places where various questions can be threshed out by neighbor chatting with neighbor, or all listening to some one member who has ideas, or some one representative of u bureau which has a report to make. Ten years ago, it is said, the Springfield Board of trade was dead. People did not think it was worth while to continue such a perfunctory existence. The protest against this led to the reorgani- zAtlon along the lines indicated.
 Two or three things in the way of results are worth noting. The main object seems to be to extend Spring field trade, to get all the cities and towns of the vicinage to look to Springfield as a center and to cooperate with 1t in every way. Another result is that when any such proposition comes up as the change of the tracks of railroad from one side of the Connecticut river to the other, public opinion can be definitely focused through discussion and the best possibilities realized. Thus, also, futile and misjudged efforts at improve ment are checked and the waste of money, as in undesirable charities, is stopped. Incidentally, it is vol tn mo- ting that in a two-column account of what this Board of trade has accom- plished, not one mention is made of securing for Springfield a single new enterprise, manufacturing or other Under the development of this Board of trade, Springfield is apparently made so desirable that concerns which would naturally go there do not need to be induced to do so by any special concessions.
 What is being done III Springfield may be done in Canaan-not 1n the volume and magnitude of achievement, but in the requirement. of every needed and reasonable improvement. and of 8 reputation for progressiveness and patriotic public spirit The 'get together" policy is what has done it all for Springfield. and the same policy would bring proportionate results in Canaan. If the men of Canaan could pull together. actuated- by a sincere motive of local patriotism and civic pride, and unhampered by the active opposition or the sneering, passive in- difference of the ultra conservative, reactionary clement they would make their little town the "town beautiful, !" the town progressive and the town prosperous. @
 The Board of trade has called meet ing at The Canfeld next Monday evening, to talk things over, make plans for the future of the organization, and prepare to do something to disprove the accusation that it "does nothing between meals" and incidentally to develop, b" honest. public spirited effort, an appetite for the next annual banquet. To this meeting it invites all citizens who are interested in the progress and material welfare of the community, to come, and encourage by their presence and suggestions, the efforts of an organi- zation that has for it's object only the furtherance of the best interests of the whole community.