The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-04-19
]. WILSON
MAKES HIT IN ;.
BENNINGTON
Crowd Of S3Men AppIaudS Address
at Board Of Trade Banquet
OTHER GOOD SPEAKERS PRESENT
State Secretary J. p. Taylor Augments
Mr.. Wilson at Enthusiastic An
nual Meeting Last Evening.

The annual Board of Trade
meeting and banquet was held
in the Putnam house dining room
last evening. Not one of the
8S men present went to sleep
while either meal or speaking was in
progress. In fact, Bennington for sew
eral seasons has not seen the like of
last evenings gathering either in
demonstration of the get together
spirit or menu of speaking which was
presented.
Hon. Lucius Il. Wilson, the man who
is putting over the big Eastern States
Industrial Exhibit in Springfield, and
who Is founder and head of the Ameri-
can City Bureau, was the principal
orator of the evening and James p
Taylor, secretary of the Greater Yer
mont association also made a splendid
address.
President William II. Nichols in a
prosperous vest of snowy white and
a smile of Bennington prosperity
which he is ever unable to conceal,
acted as POSTMASTER. After sub
stantial meal of six courses, the prin-
cipal ingredient of which was turkey,
the business scheduled to come before
the Board for transaction, was begun.
Chairman Harry b. North of the
New Enterprises committee was first
to present his report, reviewing the
activities of his department and pre-
lN,:A -
situation.
A. j. Holden, head Of the finance
committee presented a brief report of
the work of his committee which was
necessarily curtailed owing to the in,
ability of the industrial committee to
get the class of industries this year
which would be benefit to the com
munity.
+. E. Howe spoke for the publicity
committee and urged the establish
ment Of the proposed auto bus line be-
tween Bennington and Dorset and
George M. Hawks spoke on the real
estate situation as applicable to loca-
tion of future industrial plants.
Collins NJ. Graves, as head of the
which has for its purpose the ultimate
promotion of new and large hotel
for the village, told of his experiences
in interviewing prospective hotel man.
ayers. Mr.. Graves stated that he was
in communication with a man who
would come to Bennington and float
new hostelry enterprise here on COM
,,In nc tlo |,
for every dollar he invested, Benning-
ton raise similar sum. He stated
that the cost of such an undertaking
would involve at least 100000. This
hotel man stated that Bennington viii
lage was the location for such an en-
terprise, instead of Old Bennington
and that the value of such business
would be enhanced by the location
here of the new Putnam Memorial hos
pital. 1t is the experience of hotel
men that hostelry located in COM
munity which boasts a good hospital
is much better paying proposition
than one without.
Harrison Norton considered the
close of Mr.. Graves remarks an excel,
lent opportunity to call on the chair
man for a rising vote of thanks of the
entire board, both as an organization
and as individuals, publically express
ing Benningtons gratitude to Henry
w. Putnam, Jr for the $4,000 recent
ly given for the completion of the Put.
nam hospital. The motion was car.
ried and the action went on record.
Treasurer II. Harry Sharpe, next
made his report, showing the finances
of the Board in good shape at the
opening of the new fiscal year with a
balance of s245 in the treasury.
Secretary Emory S, Harris next
gave the secretary's report of the
work of the past year.
Secretary Willard w. Bartlett of the
County Improvement Association
made terse five.minute speech on the
benefits or gatherings of the present
order and the necessity for the bust
ness men of community knowing one
another better before community worl
can go forward.
AS the dinner was also the annua
business meeting, the nomination o
the board of nine directors was next il
order and it was moved that the chai
appoint a committee on nominations
which would confer and bring in
suitable selection of men for this re
sponsible position. j.. r. Howe, Han
rison l. Norton, DR.. l.. II. Ross, A. J
Holden and II. Harry Sharpe were al
pointed by the chair as nominating
committee, following the consultation
of which, the following directors wer
chosen by unanimous vote William
II. Nichols, John Nash, DR.. f. s. Pratt
A. c. LaMarre, II. b. North, Hiram I
Hall, Fred G. Martin. Collins NJ
Graves, William II. Wills. MI