The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-06-17
WHAT LIES AT BOTTOM
OF CITY PROGRESS
Prot. A. L. Smith of Dartmouth College
Says That the Greatest Essential
Is Men-Men with Vision,
Initiative and Brains.

| lhllidtift anu 1@0AAASs
Basic principles in successful civic un
dertakings were Interestingly discusses
lat meeting of the Barre Board of Trad
In Manufacturers hall last evening
Prof A. l.. Smith of Dartmouth college
Hanover, n. H., was the principal speak
er, but the meeting, which was repre-
sentative assembly of Barre's business
and professional men, partook of the ma
ture of an open forum and a number oi
interesting phases of board of trade work
were informally considered. Nearly 5C
men were present and after Prof. Smith
had concluded his talk opportunities
were grasped to interrogate the speaker
concerning certain aspects of commercial
and civic advancement.
d. j. Morse presided and before the
speaker of the evening was introduced
A, P. Abbott outlined one of the advance
ment plans that the Board of Trade ex-
poets to put into execution in the near
future. The plan was warmly received
on all sides and the indications are that
lit will be strongly supported.
| HI. A. Phelps gave report of the Board
| of Trades activities and read excerpts
| from communication addressed to the
Barre Board of Trade relative to the
Greater Vermont meeting at Montpelier
July IL and l3 and stated that visitors
at the meeting were to receive an invi-
tation to visit the Barre manufacturing
plants and quarries. 1t was also an
nounced that a large delegation of local
men will probably attend the banquet of
the Greater Vermont association at the
capital. Mr.. Phelps has tickets for sale
and ali intending to go are urged to see
him at once.
After the speechmaking, a get-together
of an even more informal character took
place and substantial .buffet luncheon
was served in the room adjoining the
hall.
Much that Prof Smith had in store
for his hearers admirably supplemented
the address which he gave before the
Board of Trade last winter. While it
was announced that he would speak on
"The Possibilities OF Modern and Eff
cient Commercial Organization" the
speaker permitted himself to digress at
times in order to give the audience bet
ter conception of all that enters into the
Of a successful community
unit. To achieve results, members Of the
Board OF Trade, he said. must be for
Barre first last and all the time Eco
nomics teaches that there are four fac
tors in the upbuilding of town, power,
labor, capital and market. To this
category, the speaker would add fifth |
factor as being the most essential of all. |
That factor, he said, is men. In an IL |
way he called attention to
the development of such industrial cen |
ters as Detroit and Springfield, the latter
IN Vermont. Neither community had in |
herent advantages in the building up of |
sither the automobile or the machine in |
iustry Men were responsible for the |
men with initiative, brains
md vision He pointed to the growth of
Windsor as an example Of what men OF
action have achieved.
Comparing Springfield, Mass, styled
he only western city in New England,
with its rather slow going neighbor,
Hartford, and then again, Cleveland with
Columbus, the twin cities, Prof. Smith
tated that success in two instances was
ue to men and their civic organizations
nd in two instances to the fact that ef-
ective civic organizations were practi-
ally unknown.
Success along the lines indicated, the
peaker went on, is more than a question
/ men; it is a question of organization.
lie spoke of what organizations of civic
haraeter may accomplish in the way of
dvertising New England as the play
round of the nation; of what may be
chieved through closer cooperation /,
18th the agricultural interests of the sec !
ion where the board of trade is in
-enehed; and again of The necessity of :
ON bining interests with county agri
iltural agents, with senators, represen-
,tiyes and others invested with author
".
Every man is primarily interested in
lie betterment of his home. 1t is first
his thoughts and through what better
edium can it be accomplished than
rough civic and commercial develop y
ent, he asked. Every man, TO carry :
e principle TO its logical conclusion, has
bigger investment in his town than in
s business. No board of trade or civic 9,
he continued, ever failed of ii
) purpose if its members understood its "
ission. fe
Prof Smith touched upon the credit Al
oblems of the merchants as an instance "
here cooperation counts, of what may d;
saved through cooperative effort to
lploy a qualified traffic expert and of ca
e advantages accruing from perfect NJ
among the members of a of
unit In closing, he suggested m
at the interests may be greatly ad- pa
need by stimulating the cooperative
rit, decreasing the tendency to knock
'ressing the tendency to boost and TO
ek up the leaders. There is no liberty W
thout service, he said, and the greatest
ID cannot be achieved without united
ort.
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