The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-19

A PLEA FOR CONCENTRATION
We are Wasting Time and Energy
For the Lack of II.

/ FOT tHe LACK OF It.
Editor of The Banner: read with
great interest your editorial remarks
on the waste of time and labor mani
tested by the volunteer activities in
connection with registration day.
| Your suggestion that economy in the
use of our time and labor is as neces-
| sary as economy in the use of food
was timely and deserves careful at
| tention.
The war will undoubtedly last for
some time yet, and we shall be called
upon to undertake many services OF
national Importance and value. we
must not permit the waste of time,
the overlapping and unnecessary dup
lication of functions which have
marked our local activities up to the
present Especially in connection
with the work of raising funds for re-
lief purposes, efficient and economical
use of our time is necessary. Al
ready ticket peddling for the support
of various worthy enterprises Is De'
coming such a nuisance that one
shudders to think of what Will come
later on, unless the whole matter is
properly organized now. Excellent
people, with the very highest motives,
form little committees and undertake
schemes for the financial assistance
Of admittedly worthy causes without
consulting the community in any way
They raise petty sums at time-cost
far in excess of the sums raised.
suggest that the time has come to
form an organization for the entire
town to last as long as the war shall
last. which shall be a sort of clearing
house for all such efforts to be under
taken in Bennington We should
have a meeting of citizens at an early
date. ct might very properly be |
called by the Liberty Bond commit /
tee.) At this meeting we should elect
an efficient and representative COM
mittee of men and women, say fifteen
altogether, to have charge of the en-
tire work of organizing Bennington's
war services. 1t should have upon 1t
of all the interests in
the community. 1t should be dis /
tinct reason. There should be no
putting people on out of compliment,
or because they happen to be In at
tendance. We should go about the
business in exactly the same way as
if we were organizing a million dol
lar corporation, selecting each mem
ber of our force with care and special
reference to his or her gifts. In a
word each member of the committee
should represent some special talent
Mo "a i
committee of specialists--or at least
of highly efficient members. II there |
must be some complimentary mem |
berships to soothe the feelings of
some sensitive persons, let there be
a big advisory committee for this pur
pose. Don't clutter up the working
This committee should be the clear
ing house for Bennington. There
should be a "gentlemen's agreement"
hat nothing is . have the support OF
his community unless it is carried
out under the direction of this com
nittee We cannot, of course, pre-
vent little groups of people from un
iertaking TO raise sums of money for
,auses which interest them by selling |
tickets or soliciting donations. But
We can refuse to support them unless |
heir efforts are approved and super
Used by the clearing house. For the
luration of the war it ought to be the
ule that no cause has any claim upon
he public of Bennington which has
lot been submitted to and approved |
" some committee representative of
he entire community. |,
The committee of fifteen would, of
curse. avail itself of the existing or I
anizations and their workers forI
arrying out various enterprises. For
it would make the Welfare {
ssociation a special committee to
AIRY out certain work under its gen !
raj direction. II
Some such method is necessary, 1t r
GEMS to me. to put an end to the ,
lague of tickets and subscription | r
SITS, and to prevent waste of time
nd energy.
John Spargo