The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-05-01
Ex-Attorney General C. C. Fits
Addressed Barre Board of Trade
VERMONT PAST WORST TIME
Speaker Pointed Out How Vermont Is at
Forefront in Many Ways--At Annual
Election of Officers H. A. Phelps Was
Elected President for Coming Year.

inNtItu guests OF lHe organization, CANT
together in the Nincitia club rooms last
evening for the annual meeting. The
business meeting at o'clock was fol
lowed by program of speeches and mu
SIC which was succeeded in turn by a
social hour and refreshments. Hon
Clarke G.. Fits OF Brattleboro, former
attorney general and an active and sue.
cessful worker in the Board of Trade
Of his own town was the speaker OF
the evening, while Others who gave short
talks on pertinent topics included sew
erol local elergymen and professional
men. Attorney Fits, as well as the
speakers who succeeded hIm was well
received and an attentive audience list
ened to the wealth Of helpful sugges-
tlons voiced in the various contribu-
tions to the program. Riley's orehes-
ira was present and played a number
OF mertorious selections during the even
ing.
At the business session early in the
evening. affairs OF a routine nature came
before the meeting and the election of
officers for the ensuing twelve months
was as follows: President H. A. Phelps
| vice president, II. g. Woodruff; secre-
/ tary, Charles II. Wshart; treasurer H.
! G. Ladd; director for four years, J. +.
/ Higgins; director for four years. J. p.
| Corskie; auditor, Frank McWhorter
| The reports read BY the various officers
indicated that the Board Of Trade has
made healthy strides in the right di-
4 rtotfp u nj that iopl-
! pointed to year OF desirable ends ac-
.coniplished. II was evidently the spirit
ami sense OF the meeting that opportu-
mites for augmenting Barre's growth
were never better and the feeling OF
optimism prevailing seemed to presage
a realization OF some of the things which
the organization has hoped to bring
about in the past
The president OF the board acted as
chairman OF the exercises and it was
he who introduced Attorney Fits, who
was accorded round of applause as
he came into the room. He chose TO
speak on the topic. let Us Help One
Another; his remarks were entirely
OF an informal nature and as one of
the later speakers aptly remarked, it
was more OF homily on the opportu-
mites Of civic endeavor. He dealt prin
cipally with the theory that some of
the more prosperous communities of Yer
mont should reach out and help the de-
cadent towns roundabout and thereby
help themselves. At the outset he spoke
of the enviabe position which Barre
held among the cities of the state as
the leader in progress. believing that
other towns might well profit by the
enterprise which this city has displayed
in developing its greatest asset.
Mr.. Fits Address.
Attorney Fits was evidently filled
with optimism oyerdowing for he fore
saw new era for Vermont and voiced |
his conviction that the tide is turning
now that this state has been through !
her worst period of inanition. His ref |
erence to the need OF assisting back |
ward towns in their struggle to reach |
the fore was most timely and his de- |
scription Of the methods whereby this T
desirable end may be attained continual /
ly emphasized the fact that in helping /
on neighbors. we would be helping our.
selves. He urged the organization of /
nm energetic committee on membership /
in each Board of Trade and said that /
much of the value of civic organiza-
ton of this character depended upon
the interest and enthusiasm OF the many. /
II is true. said Mr.. Fits. that we
have problems here in Vermont which
we dislike to discuss or even approach.
There are agitators, and many of them,
tCo, who are chiefly concerned with pres
ent forms and reforms; but the crying
need of the hour is TO accomplish and
not to prescribe. And after all care
ful consideration of what Vermont has
achieved in the last two or three dec
rdes will astonish some OF our neighbor-
ing states where the cry of progress
has been so rampant. In achieving prog
ress, as the term is generally accepted
Vermont has really been in the very
forefront. Here. the speaker instanced
4 few statutes that have been written
into Vermont law. statutes that other
states have signally failed to enact He
spoke of the splendid law dealing with
of the grade crossing en-
lctment, and of the bucket shop prose-
'utions. These, and other instances, he
asserted, constitute fair answer to the
that Vermont has Jagged be-
lind in the matter of progressive legis .
alton
To-day there are grave problems fac ,
rg the state, problems which have been ,
growing out of accumulated decades of
etlargy and dispiritekless, said Mr..
'itts. lie laid special stress on the
act that much of the decadence of the
,ack towns is due to the languor and
ackadaisical habits of the native born
population. As an eXattorney general
Il the state he was quite amply quail {
led to produce some interesting statis- I
les relating to the proportion of crime q
mong the foreign and native born in
labitants. OF total of II homicide l
ases in four years, he said, II were I
to native born persons. while I
erentt per cent. of so vile crimes were I
ommitted by the original Vermont u
took Many of our greatest and best I
nett have come from these selfsame {
and it is with pardonable c
ride that Vermont reviews the record c
{ her sons. But all of these facts con c
idered, it is sure and certain the para e
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