New Britain herald., 1919-11-04

tertainmcnt were the first steps, later d general meeting or smoker at the chamber rooms, where mon could mingle. shake hands and smile. s of these have been held during the year, each one in an attempt to develop just a little more of this real interest.
 GroccrS' Association.
 '"Fhe encouragement of the Gro 1 COTS association a group which has now grown to a mem bership of 10 l under the leadership of William 1 CoWishaw, as with the organizing oS the 13akcrs' association. with J. M. l IIallinan as it's head, has been With the same idea of creating an interest and a convincing method that would | show what cooperation and united i effort could do. The primary idea behind the three big general sales 1 days for the merchants aside from l the fact that it was a general stim ulus to trade throughout every branch of business downtown was to develop and create an interest in the cham | Der. The response in each successive sales day has shown conVinCingly that it was there but needed encourage ment. The Traffic bureau and it's work for the year. it's m onthly meet ings, usually with a luncheon, all have tended to draw the factory rep resentatiVcs together in common in terest, an interest that would broaden and at the same time develop the idea that exchange of ideas and concerted effort could but bring results in the matters that affected the transporta- ton conditions in our city,
 Work of Mercantile Bureau.
 'The Mercantile bureau and it's frequent conferences on trade condi- l tions, deVelopmen of the buy-at home | habit, uniform hours schedule, buy | early Xmas mONem ment, clerks dances. ! salesmanship lectures and the mer- chants institute plan, all have been | planned with the fundamental idea of bringing and centering the mer- chants interest in the chamber.
 ''ro practically every one of you 1 now in this room, think it is clear that real interest has again been developed; this interest is growing 1 and is now a matter taken for granted.
 After our first task of getting back this interest into real spirit, the nec- sary to see how we could convert | this interest into real spirit Inc sec | ond of the fundamentals in any com i mercial organization. Try ii out 1 that was the answer.
 Charity Drive Assisted
 "The test this year presented itself l in the launching of the combine charity drive. All the organized charities of the city combined--and campaign was carried on 10 secure funds that would cover the demands of all such organizations for a full year. F.. w. Christ, chairman, with his energetic enthusiastic workers put this over splendidly. The satis- faction was so great and the method 1 initiated by the chamber well car ried out that il vii undoubtedly be- como a. permanent plan. An incOr- poration under the name of tho United | Charities will be formed and the | moneys distributed as the demands may arise.
 Day Nursery Supported.
 '"The Day Nursery. a protege of the chamber organized in September. a year ago, has been strengthened l and supported through the hardest 1 period and now finds itself upon a | sound and substantial footing. The 1 early contributions of the factories | made it possible and the efficient 1 management of Mrs. O'Brien make it l such that practically 12,000 children ! have been taken care of since it's 1 establishment in 1918. It is and will | continue to supply a real need to the l factories and to the city. at large.
 Its good work cannot be measured | in words alone but the fact that over 800 children each month allow just that many mothers to earn a living 1 speaks for itself.
 Progress Of .AmeriCaniZatiOn.
 "Im portant, is not perhaps tho most | important of the unmcasurable works | initiated was the Amcricanization of our foreign born population From the 1 first plans of the chamber committees 1 under the able work done by SupCrin- 1 tCndent Holmes until now, the work | has progressed through first, mumic;- | pal appropriation and when that be- ! came suddenly unaVoida ble and the | work was dropped in June. Again the l, spirit of the chamber members. to- 1 Eethcr with Mr. Pelton's activity was 1 responsible for private contributions i which should make the work possible 1 again. MT. O'Rricn was secured rdr 1 another wear and as ;.l result. hun drcds Of our foreign born are fast be- ing made good. loyal citizens Home Garden Work
 Perhaps the one activity of the | chamber that has made itself felt to | the largest numb of people has been 1 the home gardens. through the same unforeseen influences. the city's ap- | propriatiOns for 1919 was discontin- 1 ued. This meant the taking away of a | ready means of help to hundreds of l families. The chamber active for two | years past in the garden movement did | nt W tn al board of directors voted unanimousl l to carry it on and to assume all the |