Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-07-26


Brolled Milkfed Chicken
Sugar Peas Potatoes French Fried
Green Salad, French Dressing
American Cheese Toasted Crackers
Demi-Tasse
Cigars Cigarettes
At each place was a souvenir number of
the Burlington Bulletin. "official organ"
of the association, containing views of
THE City Beautiful The dinner was
conspicuous. as usual, in the absence of
many Of the cty's financial powers that
be-.
GUEST OF HONOR BEGINS.
Mr.. Fitzgerald had returned lately from
the Plattsburgh training camp, where he
has a son, and opened his speech with a
| heated reference to an editorial in the
Bennington Banner. which alleged that
| wealth and social influence had undue
weight there. The ex-mayor denied the
charge vehemertly and told of how a vice.
president Of the largest bank in New Eng
| land, as he said, hobnobbed with men of
| humble beginnings and without wealth.
He paid personal tribute to Colonel Paul
A. Wolf. commandant, who he said was
| doing splendid work.
The Boston man said he had always
thought 1t a good idea for republicans
to hear democratic speaker and
| democrats to hear a republican. In
| Boston 1t had been his misfortune dur
| Ing his campaigns to speak to audi
ences so or IS per cent. Of whom were
democrats If men got their legs un-
der a table together he was convinced
there would be less pickering. He sup
posed 95 per cent of the press of New
England outside Of the large cities was
republican, and said he had had all
sorts Of unkind things said about him
| self by them.
| Much of the speech was occupied
with a rehearsal of his political ex-
periences in Boston. Most Of the city
council was Of the other party, he said.
when he was mayor. but he finally had
all of them behind him in his work of
improving the city. A bigger, better
and buster Boston, was his slogan in
the successful campaign which he
fought.
SOCIAL POSITION DOESN'T COUNT
| At Plattsburgh he said. ne had heard
, Colonel Wolf speaking to a committee
that came over from the city regarding
the poliomyelitis scare. and the former
| told him how things stood and asked
him to tell the truth about the situa-
| ton. Brains and character and abil
ity are the things that are going to
count over there" he shouted. Social
position didn't count.
He enumerated some Of his political
achievements while mayor: He built
the first commercial high school in
Boston; saved Old South Church. clean
ed out Faneuil hall. rescued the Paul
Revere House for a memorial. etc. He
praised DR.. Benton. who sat nearby.
for the U. v. MS progressiveness. He
deplored the fact that so few ship
building contracts had been given to
New England ports Boston sent out
the first steamer that ever crossed and
came back over the Atlantic, and built
the first lighthouse. 1t was 200 miles
nearer Europe than New York. yet the
latter did more business In Is days Of
the year than 1t did in 365.
Vermont. he said. had Bennington
and Fort Ethan Allen. while across the
lake was Ticonderoga, etc. But more
towns in Vermont have lost popula-
rion in the last 20 years than have
gained It. There was no section of
the country where fve-year-old chill
dren were decreasing and old people
increasing as in Vermont. Quoting
from the United States census for 1910
he said only IS per cent. of the States
population was foreign, while 20 years
ago only 10 per cent. was foreign. II
the foreigners should come in. the
states LABOR problems would De solved
He would rather see foreigner driv.
ing the horse dragging a plough thar
the beautiful young girl he saw or
the way up to Burlington.
USE WATER CARRIAGE.
The ex-Mayor acclaimed at some length
about the city's advantageous water con-
nections. If Burlington were in German!
he didn't know what would happen to II
industrially. why should these wonder
full acres and this wonderful water power
} be left unutiAzed?" he asked in substance
God Almighty has given them to US fol
} practical use." In Springfield. Mass, ant
about 1t. miles of onions and tobacco were
: grown by Poles, and the city remained
as beautiful as ever. Ninety per cent. OF
. the foreigners who came through Boston
port had been peasants across the water
! but they were now laborers instead OF
tillers of the soil. The Portuguese devel
J oped Cape Cod and the cranberry industry
} so that westerners were coming East be
. cause they could get the labor. Thu
: general impression in Boston. he said
was that the city's bankers were RESPONSE
. BILE for Burlington's lack of Industrial de
: velopment
r Indians were running around in tn,
r West when Massachusetts was a manu-
featuring district, yet now Detroit. Cleve
land. Chicago. etc had marched far aheat
3 of New Enhand. The automohile indus