The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-04-14
BANQUET OF LOCAL
BOARD OF TRADE
A BIG SUCCESS
Address Of Walter H. Crockett Feat
ure of the Evening
URGED MORE COOPERATION
Told His Audience Vermont Had
Brilliant Future in Resources as
Yet Undeveloped.

Citizens of Bennington who failed
| to attend the annual meeting and
banquet of the Bennington board OF
trade Tuesday evening missed
| thoroughly enjoyable occasion, enjoy
| able for two reasons-the address OF
Walter H. Crockett of the state pub
| licity department was pronounced
one of the best things of the kind
heard in Bennington in many months
and the banquet served by Landlord
Cornell of the Putnam house was
excellent, menu of four courses
nicely cooked and well served.
Public speakers have Travelled up
and down and across country for
years telling gatherings of citizens
that they live in the best section of
the world until the subject has be-
come SO common place that 1t takes
genius to handle it successfully
unless he has something more than
ordinary for his audience. Mr.. Croc-
kett last evening demonstrated his
thorough knowledge of Vermont, of
the states history and its industries.
and without once departing from his
subject, without single funny story
to illuminate the way. he held the
rapt attention of his audience for
nearly an hour. 1t is safe to say that
there was not man present who did
not learn something new about his
own state and in the speakers intro
duction there were even facts con-
cerning the early history of Benning
ton that were known to few.
Mr.. Crockett's address covered a
wide field. In the beginning he des-
cribed the work of the state publicity
department. He told of its publica-
tions issued for the purpose of attract
ing summer visitors, to present the
advantages for new industries, its
desirable properties available for
summer homes and to create better
market for that Characteristic Yer
mont product, maple sugar. Then he
touched upon a subject that in re-
cent years has come in for consider
able discussion, the diffidence of the
people of the state. their failure to
appreciate the good things that ma
ture has provided for them and the
opportunities they have neglected.
His forceful description of the en-
ergy going to waste in the "a large
streams of the lake was particularly
graphic. There are possibilities, he
said, of developing nearly two mil
lion horse power in electric current.
as much as has been created both b.
steam and water in Maine, Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island to carry
on the great and numerous indus
tries in these three states.
The speaker gave some interesting
statistics relative to the industries OF
the state and the agricultural possib-
ilities. Vermont, he said leads the
United States in the production of
granite, marble and asbestos. The
states production Of dairy product
is at the head of the list and the am
cunts of wheat, corn, oats, barley and
potatoes raised per acre in Vermont
are exceeded in but few states. He
touched briefly on the fascinating
possibilities of apple growing in Yer
mont with the big markets of the
country only a few miles away and
spoke of other possibilities but plac-
ed the greater emphasis upon the op-
portunities in expanding the vacation
business
In closing, Mr. Crockett appealed to
his audience to foster the split of CO.
operation and to work for the future
of the state. At several points in the
address the audience acknowledged
the force of the speakers argument
and at the close there was hearty
show of appreciation.
William H. Nichols presided and
following the main address called up
on Village President A. w. Braisted.
Collins NJ. Graves, George M. Hawks.
Daniel A. Guiltinan, A. w. Varney,
and Frank e. Howe. They respond
ed briefly
The nominating committee consist
ing of Harrison !. Norton, Collins Nj.
Graves and George NJ Hawks
brought in the following report for
list of directors for the coming year:
William III. Nichols, Harry b. North,
John Nash. A. c. LaMarre. "a W.
Braisted, William p. Hogan. War
wick S. Carpenter. John p. Mulllsan
and George M. Hawks
The report of the secretary, Emory
S. Harris, is as follows
Since our last annual meeting,
Feb. goth, 1914, the Board of Direc-
tors have held 16 regular and special
meetings and large amount of busi-
ness has been taken up and discus
sed
We now have Is different standing
committees as follows: Industrial,
II. B. North, chairman finance. A. j.
Holden, chairman; power, e. E. Lar
rabee, chairman; public utilities
and transportation, II. f. Heaiy.
chairman; publicity, f. q. Howe.
chairman; real estate, George NJ.