Connecticut western news., 1912-02-22
Likes the Canaan Way

Editorial in New Haven Union, Sat urday: Throughout the state the annual banquet season Is at it's height, especially with the various and numer- ous business mems associations, boards of trade, chambers of commerce and kindred organizations for promoting en- terprise and keeping the wheels of progress revolving i'll the community. At these festive assemblies, orators and statesmen of state and national fame contribute of their eloquence, giving sauCJiOn and encouragement to the efforts and achievements of such agen- cies for the promotion of the common good From the President of the United States, who was a guest of the New Haven Chamber, to the governor, whose presence Is iu almost nightly demand, and distinguished lesser lights if1 the realm of oratory, Connecticut business men are having, this winter. high quality of recognition.
 And that is as 1t should be. For there is no force in any community more potent for genuine progress than an organization of its citizens bandC d together for a common purpose to ad- vance that community's material wei fare. We are pleased to consider our New Haven Chamber of Commerce banquet the banner event of this season of feasting among Connecticut business men, and ill way it undoubtedly is. Relatively speaking, however. we can vouch from experience that we have no big brag coming over the live wire spirit displayed by many of the business men s associations in the smaller towns.
 We have in mind, as a concrete in CtqnnA the hnGlnpGG mems association in the little town of Canaan. in Litch- field county, whose receut annual ban quet was, in every feature except the speech of the editor of this paper. an affair of which any city organization of the kind might have been proud. The Canaan assUclation was organized something over year ago, through the efforts of the local news paper, the Connecticut Western News-whose ed- itor, John Rodemeyer, by the way, left the Union staff in order to assume charge of it-and in the brief period of its existence it has accomplished many and notable things for the material bet terment of the town, besides awakening a spirit of local civic pride that will in- evitably result in accomplishing much more. It has demonstrated in con vincing manner that one of the most valuable assets community can have is an association of business men organized along progressive lines.
 The town of Canaan has population according to the State Register and Manual of 702 Say it is an even thousand. Say that it is a civic center for at least another thousand. Make it two thousand if you like. and then you would find that one business man in Canaan or vicinity to every 20 or 80 men, women, or children living within five miles of Canaan attended the Ca naan business mems banquet, oyer, 100 live wires were there or one to every seven people living in Canaan, with John Rodemeyer thrown in for royal good measure. .. ,t. ~.-s
 New Haven city alone has a popula- tion of over 5000 people. Approxi. mately 1,000 attended our Chamb6r of Commerce banquet, or one citizen to every 195 in our population. Of course we realize that comparisons of this sort are not exactly fair to the large city and we do not make them for any invidious purpose, but merely to show the great enterprise of our little towns of which Canaan is a shining example, thanks to it's live business mems association.