St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-11-24
DEFINITE WORK PLAN
Commercial Club Has Work Out
lined By Its Paid Manager At
Enthusiastic Meeting.

held at Pythian hall last Thursday eve
ming where a banquet was served by
the Pythian Sisters, music furnished
by four members of the Academy or
chestra, delightful songs and jokes by
Frank o. French and good practical
speeches by several members in which
a definite plan of work for the year
was outlined. Pres H. A. Stanley
presided and introduced the speakers.
The Program of Work was distributed
to those present and several new mem
bers voted in.
Alfred L. Smith of the Tuck school.
the paid manager of the club, spoke
of the necessity of definite course
for the club to follow, many organiza-
tions failing because they did not
have definite work laid out for them.
The purpose of the local club at pres
ent is to get a definite plan before its
membership. The committees will dc
much work but the members should
know what is being undertaken and
place themselves behind the efforts of
the committees and management. The
committees should have definite tasks
and it is a poor committee that will
not do something when the task is
put before it. He hoped each mem
back of the plan and put it through.
The Commercial club should instill in
to the mind of it's members the future
of the community and develop spirit
that works for it's future. He sug-
gested as a motto for this year, "Al-
together all the time for st. Johns
bury"
To Ralph B. Hooker was assigned
the topic of Industrial Plans While
it was all right to seek new industries
he believed cooperation and encour-
agement to establish industries here
was more important and benef1c1aI
The club plans an industrial survey or
the town, getting in concrete form in
formation about it's labor, housing,
power and other resources for manu-
facturers. He told how Keene, n. H,
employed high salaried men and had
secured a few good new industries and
several poor ones. Meanwhile the es-
tablished industries there have been
materially increased.
He suggested a local industrial ex-
position, the help of local factories
whenever possible and if we went af-
ter new industries to get something
that would employ female help. He
very strongly urged less irresponsible
and inaccurate gossip among people
who knew nothing about the real con-
ditions concerning our local industries
/ q. S. Waterman spoke of the Mer-
camille Interests. He said that &C
tivity in the commercial end of town
Is the real life of the town. st. Johns
bury is one of the best commercially
located towns in northern New Eng
land. 1t is the hub of northern New
Hampshire and Vermont. We have
better banking facilities than most
towns and our industries pay good
wages. The town is unusually we'll
supplied with wholesale establish
ments and has good railroad facilities.
The telephone and rural delivery have
enlarged the territory tributary to st.
Johnsbury while the automobile has
materially reduced the distances be-
tween outside town and the business
center 1t also has good hotels and
good places of entertainment
The business men of st. Johnsbury
should be managed like a large de-
partment store, each man pushing
some special feature of trade. If all
the merchants would unite in adver-
Using the different departments of
business it would develop the whole
town. We need more cooperation
among the different houses and pro-
mote our business as a community.
He spoke of the success of Bargain
Day and said that if a few who are
holding back would join the move
ment it could be made even more of
a success.
I He urged advertising we'll the pro-
posed merchants week and that every
merchant should be representa- in it.
Every merchant knows he must do
business on the square and it would
be to their advantage to have it
known throughout this section that
the merchants are doing business on
that plan. A quarterly bulletin ad-
Vertising all of st. Johnsbury'S offer
ings he thought would be beneficial.
There must be no division of the town
but we must work for the success of
every section.
Treasurer C. A. Forrest reported
there are 155 members in the club
This should yield an annual income of
SITS but there is a large quantity of
unpaid dues, although he had received
$24O since the 9th of November.
Supt w. H. Young spoke of the
civics plan which includes more thor
ough instruction of the school child
rem regarding the history and indus
trial Importance of the town and the
prominent people it has produced
This would give us more loyal citizens
in the future.
The establishment of manual train
ing in the public schools has done
much in keeping the older boys in
school. only seven having dropped out
since last January. very small per-
centage of the boys leaving the school
ever develop into skilled workers but
come to maturity without having any
occupation. A great proportion of
our boys will be benefited by manual
training under competent supervision.
We should provide suitable places
for the boys to congregate when they
are at leisure and should study our
village charter to see if the business
methods of the town could not be re-
formed.
A F. Stone introduced the following
resolution which was adopted by a
rising vote, a copy to be spread on the
records of the club and one sent to
the family.
Resolved
That in the passing of our fellow
member and friend Mr.. George J.
ACC ,ic n, q val n HE