The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-11
FOLK
DEDICATE BURG'S
NEW TOWN HALL
John Barrett, Native of Grafton,
Is Orator of Occasion
EDIFICE GIFT OF WOMAN
Speaker Appeals to States Sons,
Here and Abroad, to Save
Old Vermont

Townshend VT, June lion the
occasion OF the dedication Of the New
Town HaA in Townshend, Vermont,
Yesterday, John Barrett former Unit
ed States minister in Asia and South
America and late director general of
the Pan American union in Washing
ton, who is a native Of the adjoining
town Of Grafton de iyered an address
in which he emphasized and pictured
the unique and notable part which the
Town hall plays in Vermont and New
lfe After laying great stress
on the importance Of community co
operation for the future welfare and
happiness OF the people Of the country
towns of Vermont and New England,
he adde sed ran apostrophe to the
Town hall itself describing it as
living and presiding force tor the good
Of the town and it's reop e,
Town Hall Of Townshend Vermont.
of New England OF America What
do you really mean to your people?
Town Hall YOU are the meeting
house Of good men. You are the prac'
teal home Of an ideal democracy You
mean that the people rule
Town Hall, you are the capitol OF
the community You are the hall OF
legislation where every citizen is a
life senator and representative You
are the lyceum of public opinion where
all can be disputants affirmative or
negative
Town Hal, you are the citadel OF
order You are the fortress against
lawlessness You are the monument
of the bill of rights.
Town Hail. you have no equal in
all history as an institution oil the
people You are literally unique. You
belong a ike to cid and young, to man
and women. boy and girl. rich and poor
to the follow OF every polt cal party
TO the citizen Of every creed and color
Town Hall. you know our love for
our modest home village and farm,
but you know that we love you most
of al You are the center OF our com
munity effort of our town efeetion,
of our town and state loyalty. of our
national patriotism You know The
story of the past; You are the hope
Of our future.
Town Han you are the scene Cf our
love feasts. our rrolcs, our ceremonies
of sorrow and happiness, our celebrat-
ions Of historic days, our functions
of dignity and our civic battles royal.
You sympathetically mother our town
meetings, our lawsuits, our poi itical
rallies, our church and welfare socials,
our singing schools and debating clubs,
our band concerts, our entertainments
OF drama and film, our Joyous dancing
and our local but weighty decisions on
town, state, national and even inter
national problems and polices.
Town Hal. you are the material
home OF the spirit and soul of the
community over which you preside.
You are the physical body In which
the ever throbbing heart of the town
beats strong or weak, You are the
free ana ultimate voice OF the people.
Your are the people.
Long may you 1--we, Town Hall,
long as exist the green valleys, hills
and mountains that form your mob e
environment God bless you, Town
Hall home and protector OF your peo
pie"
Mr. Barrett then made the following
special appeal to Vermonter8, both in
and out OF the state, to cooperate for
its good. He said;
MAY as loyal Vermonter and
New Englander on both sides of my
family back through several geuer-
ations, but forced for reasons beyond
my control to spend my later years
outside the state in official service Of
the government appeal to all Vermont
ers, at home and abroad, but especially
the latter, to realize that Vermont is
facing the most critical period of her
history She is losing in population
This means she is losing her life
blood and must unayoidably become
anaemic unless the situation and con
d tion can soon be radically changed.
Vermont must hold her present
population and gradually or even slow
ly, but surely increase it from year
to year Otherwise agricultural in
dustrial and social dry rot will set in
and she will face the same deteror-
alton that characterizes a human be-
ing suffering from pernicious tuber.
culosis.
IAN loval Vermonters, therefore,
whether living in or out of the State,
must realize that it is imperative for
them to plan and carry out without
delay cooperation in the Improvement
of agriculture, industrial cultural, and
general economic and social condit.
ions. The sons and daughters of
Vermont living outside the state must
invest money in the reclaimng and
betterment of deserted farms, in re.
storing or repairing and Wis ting old
homes. in starting small local indust
Iries in Harvesting waterpowors, in
contributing to the support of local
institutions, good roads. churches
schools and we fare organiaat ons, and
i'm making benefactions in tho form OF
Fairgrounds. community and c'ut