Putnam patriot., 1911-05-12

dustrial Bureau of the New England Lines will thus act as a sort Of clear ing house for receiving and utilizing the information that is available among the many hundreds of local agencies throughout New England. Station-mastefs, freight and passenger agents, etc, are instructed to keep in touch with the bureau and regularly impart all facts bearing upon it's activ- ities that may come to their knowl. edge. The great interest already shown al local agencies in the plans and purposes or the bureau even in the rudimentafy ways in which they have yet come to their knowledge, indicates the immense value which the new or ganizatiOn will have for New England in bringing public and railroads into more sympathetic and intimate rela- tions. The public will thus be made to feel that the railroad is it's friend. concerned with advancing the materi al welfare Of the people On the other hand the local railroad officials, through their duties in connection with the bureau, will be brought into more direct connection with the gene ral public about them. A greater friendliness on both sides will result. This has been the experience with the activities of industrial departments elsewhere, and it Is felt that it cannot fail to hold true in the present in stance,
 Other instrumentalities through which the Industrial Bureau aims to work are the local boards of trade, the colleges and the technical schools seek ing their cooperation in inducing practical activities for industrial ad- vancement. Through the trade organ izations, for instance, the bureau will keep informed as to the industrial needs and opportunities of their re- speetive communities, and in return its own extensively collected and sys- tematically filed data as 10 such mat ters will be placed at their disposal. The way in which the agricultural colleges co- operated last year with the Boston X Maine, the Maine Central, the Boston X Albany, and the trolley lines of Central Massachusetts in or. ganizing the "Better Farming spec isis' that so successfully made the tour Of many hundreds of miles of track illustrates how such institutions, as well as various departments of the State governments can work effective ly in these directions.
 In recent years the railroads of New England have been more disposed to- wards positive steps for fostering local industry along their lines. A notable instance Is that of the great establish ment which makes a peculiar grade of paper products al Walpole. When President Mellen's management learn ed that the :company was dissatisfied with local facilities and was seriously considering removal 10 some more sd- Vantageous point outside of New Eng land, no time was lost in etfeeting more favorable local conditions. The handicaps complained of were remov- ed, the company was encouraged 10 make extensive additions 10 its plant, more favorable commodity rates were made, and the industry soon experi- enced an enormous growth. In other ways the railroads have encouraged vast water-power developments in Maine and New Hampshire. Under systematic propaganda by the Indus trial Bureau such instances of indus trial growth will be multiplied mani fold.
 The experience of the pioneer rail- road industrial department, that of the Southern Railway, is instructive for New Engla It was organized by