New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-11-20
ELIMINATE WASTE
SUBJECT OF DEBATE
Meeting Is Held and Work Will Be
Greatly Enhanced As Result

war work due to duplication and
lack of coordination was taken yes
terday afternoon at meeting of war
workers representing every part of
Connecticut held in the state capitol
under the auspices of the Connecticut
was voted to endorse a recommends
ton of the council that organizati
to be known as war bureaus be es-
tablished in every city and town of
,, considerable size in the state to have
central control of nearly all the war
activities that are now conducted by
dozens of individual societies and
committees. When the war bureaus
are established they will amplify the
present town committees of the coun-
ell. It is expected that they will also
bring together the work of all war
organizations except those Of nation
al scope, such as the American Red
Cross and the Young Mems Christian
association.
The plan as outlined today calls for
war bureaus established on a strictly
business basis in most cities and
towns with a population of 5000 or
over. Each will have a chairman. a
secretary and a treasurer and one OF
these officers will give his entire Tina
to supervising the work of the bureau.
Each will be closely associated with
the local government of it's commun-
ifc will "a NV
local appropriations or subscriptions.
The war bureau will act as local rep
resentative of the council.
In addition to it's three chief off,
GERS the bureau would have an ex-
ecutive committee mad, up of care
fully selected representatives Of the
local government, the present town
committee of the council, the Red
Cross, the Chamber of Commerce and
other organizations actively interest
ed in war work.
Sub committees of the war bureau
would be appointed to give detailed
attention to various special problems
and to keep in close touch with cor
responding committees Of the State
Council.
A finance committee would super
wise the raising of war relief funds
except during the great national cam
paigns when it would cooperate. Leg
islation would probably be provided
forbidding anyone to raise money for
miscellaneous war relief purposes ex-
cept with the consent of the war bu-
reau, which would issue licenses to
solicitors. It is thought that this
would keep away fake solicitors such
as have cropped up from time to time
in some of the European countries
that are at war
An important work would be
trusted to the relief committee, which
would include members of the homo
relief committee of the local branch
of the Red Cross. This committee
would provide aid that would not be
considered charity, for the families of
soldiers and sailors. and would send
comforts and gifts to the absent fight
ers.
An information committee would
keep card index record of the SOL
diers who have gone to war and
would aid their relatives and friends
to keep In touch with theb. Inter-
prefers would be available for the
convenience of the foreign born of the
community who have relatives or
friends in the army.
A committee on labor would pro-
vide part time or whole time work for
! soldiers relates who might need
employment and do general work
along the line of making more labor
available for government needs.
! Through a committee on foreign
born population, it Is expected that
! increased interest in war work of all
, kinds can be stimulated in the So
called foreign quarters Of the larger
cities.
! Nearly 100 of the most active war
workers of the state attended the
meeting. The represented the State
Council and its various local commit
tees. the American Red Cross, local
Chambers of Commerce and other So
cieties and city and town govern
ments. The gathering included a
| large number of mayors.
Richard M. Bissell, chairman of the
State Council, presided at the meet
ing, which was held in the hall of
the house of representatives. He out
lined the councils war bureau plan,
as summarized above, and pointed out
the efforts being made just now by
the Allied governments to centralize
their efforts to wage a successful wal
and the need of similar coordination
in civilian war activities at home.
The discussion which followed was
devoted almost wholly to possible
methods of putting the plan into exc
cution.
Mayor George A. Quigley of New
Britain said the war bureau already
csta blished in his city had proven to
be a highly important factor in the
supervision of war work and that the
bureau considered itself subordinate
to the State Council and subject to
It's orders.
The following resolution was unani-
mously adopted:
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