Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-01-30
BUSINESS MEN ARE GIVING
TIME TO THE MOVEMENT
In Other Cities as Well as Norwich
They Are Prominently identified
with the Big Work.

AS Norwich men engage more en-
Enthusiastically in the work of the Men
and Religion Forward movement. and
the large amount of attention given
to it by the local committees becomes
apparent, the question is asked; who
are the men doing this hard work in
other cities? Are the business men
Of this country really giving their time
to 1t as the Norwich men are?'
To these inquiries Chairman A. A
Browning of the Norwich executive
&C mmittee returned an affirmative an
swer when questioned, stating that II
was being backed not only by the lay
men of the church; but by men upon
whose time many calls are made and
who are directing vast business and
manufacturing enterprises.
As an illustration, the leader of the
movement in this country and Canada
is James G.. Cannon, a prominent New
York city bank president. He is chair
man Of the committee Of ninety seven
which is the directing power of the
vast organization. This company's
headquarters in New York are in con-
slant touch with the work throughout
this country.
The campaign leader is Fred B.
Smith, young man who has been
very successfully connected with work
among NH Among other prominent
workers are James M. Speers of James
McCutcheon & Co., New York; e. G..
1lberhart, president and general man
ager of the Mishawaka, Ind, Wooden
| Mfg. Co.; A. b. T. Moore. national
| president of the Gideons, whose home
! is In Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The committee Of ninety seven in
| cludes in its ranks bankers, merchants,
manufacturers, lawyers, statements,
insurance agents, laymen, and men of
| various callings from different sec
tieHs of this country and Canada. The
/ Men and Religion movement especially
recognizes the importance of the labor
| ing man to the church. Seventy three
per cent. Of the industrial male wage
earners of this country represents their
! part in the population of this country
! OF that percentage and number less
than twenty per cent. are members OF
| churches.
The above statement shows plainly
the cause of the social service commit
tee work and fully explains why this
| important committee of tile Men anC
Religious organization is obliged tt
answer 1,200 questions which deal witt
| working hours, wages and the man So
cial connections of mans life. Aftel
the data Of this committee have beer
gathered the churches Of Norwich vii
know better how to go about theil
work of helping the under fellow"
Labor union men have some of theil
strong friends enlisted in the worl
Of this movement. At the Hartford
banquet of 800 men a few weeks agt
there was present young man VIII
had been a miner, and one who hat
been instrumental in settling the dis
pute between the tramway cOmpan,
operating in Philadelphia and its EN-
ployes when the large strike was OF
and the situation was tense and seri
GUS. The dean Of the social servic
team of experts is a member of
rGachinists' Union and Of the Ameri
can Federation Of Labor A leader il
the work for boys is John L. Alexan
der, a former leader Of the Boy Scout
in America.
Here in Connecticut, the leader j
Winslow Russell, agency manager 70
g prominent insurance company 0
Hartford. He is devoting much tim
to the work He has an able corp
of assistants. The executive secre
tary for the Hartford committee 0
che hundred, which has the survey Q
the entire Connecticut field. is Georg
l.. Hunt. a former successful Y. N
G.. A. worker. The Norwich worker
have already been mentioned and a
reports keep coming in from the chair
men of the committees, il is eviden
that our local men are doing som
very effective work.
This movement is not planned b
any set of politicians or schemers c
anti-socialists, as has been limited q
in certain quarters. 1t is realizatio
by the Christian men of North Amer
ics that 1T Is time that mole men ha
religion and that religion had NOR
men" The movement IS not backe
by Wall street, although some of tn
! wealthy Christian men of this countT
, are willingly supplying financial al
for the vast undertaking.
. Nearly 10000 men have contribute
to the fund for the work Of the com
: mittee of ninety seven. One sing
subscription has been received frol
Kansas of $1,000. The expenses cor
! nected with the work in Norwich al
! to be borne by Norwich men. TIL
? money will be raised by voluntar
subscriptions and as more and moi
! the great amount of good that Il
= movement is accomplishing in this cit
, is realized by the Christian men
Norwich 1t is felt that enough financi
: aid will be forthcoming. This phas
of the work is in charge Of the bus
ness and finance committee of the Il