The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-04-19
YEARS RECORD Of
BOARD OF TRADE
Large Gathering at Annual
Meeting Gives Work
New Impetus
OFFICERS ELECTED
FOR COMING YEAR
Comprehensive Report by Secretary
Stiegler- Suggestions for Future by
Retiring President-Domestic Science
Glass Serves Lunch

Retiring President-Domestic Science
Glass Serves Lunch
An especially satisfactory annual
meeting of the Brattleboro board of
| trade was held last evening In the
headquarters in the town hall building
There was an attendance of 100, which
was gratifying all around, and interest
was aroused the impetus of which will
90 a long way toward accomplishing
the coming years program. Officers
were elected, but they have not yet or
ganized, SO it cannot be stated today
who will serve as president to succeed
President Horton D. Walker. the by
laws requiring a change at this time
President Walker presided and the
reports Of the treasurer and auditor
We're accepted and adopted, as printed.
An exhaustive and highly interesting
report was then made BIZ Secretary
Herbert L. Steigler, who had completed
his first year in that Office
Secretary Stiegler reviewed in some
detail the activities of the board in pur-
suing its guiding principle, laid down by
President Walker in his report year ago,
when he said: Our first duty being to
our country, il is obvious that this or
ganization must be as ready as it is will.
ing to do whatever comes within the
range of our endeavor." He mentioned
the various methods of cooperation by
the board in war work and continued
this organization goes through the whole
range of war activities in the towns.
Every drive has had our active assistance
Not only do we derive much satisfaction
because we have done our best to aid
in winning the war, but we have saved
every member an amount in money that
goes far toward giving him a direct re-
turn for the dues he pays. II this board
were not organized, special organizations
! would have to be established for each
, war purpose and the work could not have
!. been done as economiclly, or perhaps
not even as we'll. The amount of ste.
biography done would in itself constitute
. very considerable item, and we placed
our time at the disposal of those il
charge Of each activity freely and glad
: ly."
! so often Is some question asked as Il
what the board Of trade is doing in tn,
line Of new industries that it seems ad
!, visabe to quote at some length from
;. Secretary Stiegler's report in this re
) gard. He said:
The industrial situation in Brattle
boro has been befogged by those VIII,
. have wilfully set abroad rumors aimee
!. to inlure the board of trade A lette
which was sent to every member anC
!, which was published in The Reforme
9 was designed to show that there was alb
= solutely no truth in any of these rumors
! Let il be said again that the board o
trade has not in any instance endeavore'
to prevent industries from locating il
Brattleboro. Such a course would be sui
~ cidal and was never thought of On tn
contrary, we have made every effort t
locate here so-caled war industries, a
: well as those not directly connected wit
!, war work
" - "A very active special industries com
: mittee met frequently to consider way
and means OF locating industries here
The men constituting this committee de
= serve much credit for the effort and tn
great amount of time they devoted t
= their task. To the best of their abiltie
y no channel that might put us in touc
- Our situation and our possibilities for il
dustrial activities were presented to ever
bureau of the government that was titte
to handle such work Men like jaime
Hartness, President Hartman of the Boz
ton chamber of commerce. Merton {
- Robbins. our congressman at Washing
ton, and Others were appealed to. "
have been in communication with sue
ah bureaus as the emergency ConStructlC
re- committee, the war industries board {
u, the council for national defence and IL
IN ,,.or do,o,+mo,4 q. 8yoeb;,r+o,
he ~, : o,,r ho1;as ~. : i ooo,,or,
81 wisdom on the part of our government I
distribute war work as far as is consis
OF cnt with other determining factors
ny places where facilities already exist, rat
ut er than to concentrate in huge cente
all where manufacturing space, housing f
IN cilites and labor conditions are conges
Ia ed and the work retarded. At present 8
lat the replies that we get are to the effe
he that there are thousands of towns pr
mt cisely in our situation and that the 90
nd ernment must center production in gre
plants where a complete product can
turned out. 1t is deemed more efficie
to produce an aeroplane complete at o
huge plant than to produce the wo
int parts in one place, machinery in anoth,
and rely on an overburdened transport
tion system to bring them together
as Not relying on correspondence entii
at ly, the board of directors sent the Sc
de- retary to interview manufacturers
raj towns near rby where war activities h
lresulted in boom. The trip cover