Connecticut western news., 1912-11-28
Great Harrington Man Sounds Note
 Worth Listening to.

Worth Listening to.
 In 8 letter to the Pittsfeld Eagle, Charles E. Smith, of Great Burlington, lays down some commendable proposi- tions regarding the up-bullding of 8 town. From the letter we take the liberty of quoting few pat extracts
 4 town is made up of citizens and business firms, or units. If one unit is prosperous. the town or city is co-sharer in the fruits of that prosperous cOndl- tion by reason of taxes derived and by reason of the extra trade or commercial activity, which naturally stimulates the circulation of money. The towns pros perity, then, Is measured by the aggre- gate prosperity of the business and ln- dustrial units, taken collectively. If the individual citizens and business units are all prosperous, the town will like wise be prosperous if an individual unit is inactive or lost, the commercial activ ity of that particular town is depleted accordingly.
 To return to the railroad question. The terminal employees who have homes and live here number about forty men. The payroll amounts to approximately 5000 per week or $52, ,0O0 per year. The removal of the men means the taking away from the merchants, banks, tax funds, etc., practically 5000 year. In other words the prosperity of this town would be injured in just the pro portion that the railroad men contribute toward that proportion that the railroad men contribute toward that prosperity.
 The mass meeting recently held to give an expression on this subject voiced unanimously the fact that the rank and file of the merchants do not want to lose this part of the towns resources. This is hopeful slgn. The loss of the rail road interests would, unquestionably, be 8 distinct loss to the community in gen. eral certain recent, anonymous letters to the contrary notwithstanding.
 The period of greatest growth in popu- lation and commercial activity of Great Burlington was between 1890 and 1900 at the time when the Stanley plant was in operation here. The payroll of that concern was $2 ,000 or whereabouts. The merchants will state that they felt the loss of this industry keenly. This ex- ample demonstrates only too plainly the effects of payroll upon town.
 A town, desirous of promoting prosper. ity should have some sort of an active organization to further that end. If life is entirely extinct in the late board of trade dominated by few who don't want industries) then the progressive element should get together and form some sort of active association. The object of such an association should be ] to promote the prosperity of the town by trying to secure and extend their CO., operation, to desirable industries They are always springing up and are looking for suitable places. The principal busi. ness of the association would be to get in touch with such industries
 Men should be elected to office in the ! town who are known to favor the pros peritY movement as above outlined men who will give their moral and personal support to struggling industries, instead of trying to hinder, as is the case in one instance of which I am aware in this town at the present time.
 Such an organization could be useful ln other ways. It could get together on | nrOb1emS Of taxation and UatO cuoh av orbitant appropriation as have gone through without opposition in the past l five vears