New Britain herald., 1918-12-21
COMMERCE CHAMBER
 IS LOOKING AHEAD
Permanent Membership Commit.
 tee to Boost Organization

1 The mercantile directors of the 1 chamber of commerce met Wedne es- 1 day for their regular monthly meet 1 ing. A general discussion of the uni ! form hours situation lead the direc- l tors to feel that this year there will ] be more universal observance of the 1 rules than during the past few months. They felt that there should l be no individual action on the part of l a few merchants for the public were ] entitled to know when stores were ! opened and when they were closed. i If all stores united in their hours of ! opening and closing, better business l would result and the purchasing pub 1 lie would not be mislead
 The uniform hours committee with A. A. Mills as chairman, explained it's plan for determining just what uni ! |Orm hours should accom- pdish for ] the New Britain merchants and how the committee felt the matter would be best handled. They felt that if other cities would come together and decide upon a schedule and then live
 up to it, that surely New Britain could and would during 1919.
 The subject of a new credit rating book was taken up and the directors
 agreed to accept the recommendation of the credit committee, appointed by Chairman w. X. House that a new
 book be brought out at once and that
 the contract be given to the Connect icut Credit Bureau at Hartford Work will proceed at once Lists will
 be distributed to all merchants and
 if promptness in making out these
 lists is secured, the book will go to
 print the latter part of January.
 The last book gotten out three
 years ago has become of little use to
 the merchants because of the many
 changes in the population of the city
 this year and it became imperative
 that some new rating be supplied.
 The directors urge that every mer-
 chant give this matter their earnest
 support when the lists are presented
 The chamber, for the directors was
 asked to take up the matter of at
 tempting to have all merchants, fac
 tories and business houses instruct
 their telephone operators and clerks
 to give the name of the firm when answering the telephone. Many hours a day are lost in the useless answer,
 "Yes'' or "who do you want?" when the telephone clerk could advise the person calling that the proper con- nection had been made by giving the firms name, quickly and distinctly. No better impression could be given the public that New Britain's stores and business offices were up to the minute than by following this method. It would be the desire of the chamber of commerce that every office plan to put this rule in to ef- feet at once.
 A permanent membership commit tee of the bureau was appointed by Chairman w. A. House consisting of Geo. Dyson, S. M. Davidson, of the Fair and Ralph Girth of Chatfield's All good prospects for mem bership as we'll as resignations will come be- fore this committee. Now that the factories have unanimously agreed to giving the returning soldiers and sailors their old positions or at least provide employment for them, the merchants of the city it is hoped, will follow the recommendation of their directors, that all stores and business concernse, agree to provide a position for any enlisted men who return to the city with q, desire to enter into their old work again. Letters will go out from the chamber shortly urging this cooperation on the part of the merchants. New Britain will then be one of the first cities in the state to have the manufa acturers and openly unite in this move ment.