New Britain herald., 1923-08-16
Benson QUITS AS
Achievement HEAD
Director Of Work Gives Up Posi-
ton and Salary Of $4,000

A bombshell was exploded In tn,
ranks of Junior Achievement leaders
In the city of New Britain today wher
. 1t, was learned that Oscar H. Benson
director of the Junior Achievement
bureau of the Eastern States League
I, at salary of $4,000 per year. had
submitted his resignation and sew
cred his connection with the bureau
Mr. Benson is the man who has
been in personal contact with the To-
cal workers practically ever since the
work started here two years ago. His
resignation is the fifth within six
weeks, due to friction in the staff
which Is said to have existed for a
year or more.
The climax of the affair occurred
two weeks ago when Carl r. Dietrich.
formerly of the Philadelphia "Inquir-
err and for the past several years d.
rector of the Leagues publicity bu-
reau. suddenly resigned. Directors
of the bureau then admitted that Mr..
Dietrich's resignation was the fourth
in six weeks.
Z Mr.. Dietrich, Frank o. KreaEor,
who is well known in this city, and
: Theodore T. Martin, DIRECTOR of the
Junior Achievement foundation in
Springfield, declared that the friction
was due to Mr.. Bensons inability to
haromnize with his workers. Mr..
kreagor who has threatened to re-
sign. Is the only one of the three still.
on the staff He was Mr.. Bensons
assistant. Mrs. Elizabeth Jones also
we'll known among the New Britain
leaders. who was the bureaus organ
1zation specialist has threatened to
resign and at this time 1t is not known
whether she will continue or not Mr..
kreagor. Mrs. Jones and Mr.. Martin
Will stay through the exposition dur
ing the week of September 16, but
MIR. Benson already has severed all |
connections with the organization.
Sympathy In New Britain uu.
doubtedly will be with Mr., Benson in
the controversy, since the local or.
ganization some time ago demanded |
that he take personal charge of the
work mere rather than deputize Mr..
kreagor, who was not popular in New
Britain.
Mr.. Benson's work with BOYS and
girls earned for him national repu-
tation. Prior to 1919 he had charge
OF the organizing of boys and girls
clubs In the south under the direction
of the federal department of agricul-
tire.
AT that time he had developed his
famous 'One period cold pack" meh-
Cd OF canning farm products through
out the south. He was brought to the
attention of the late Theodore N. Vail.
president Of the American Telegraph
lnd Telephone Co., and founder OF
ne Eastern States League, and to
horace A. Moses. now president of the
eague.
Messrs. Vail and Moses went to
and argued that Mr.. Ben
ons work with the government was
yell enough organized to be left In s
ne hands Of others and asked him ,
0 30 with them to Springfield to in I
'usurate program of self help edu-
alton adapted to the needs of ten
Million children in the North Atlantic
tates.
According to a writer In the
Worlds Work" of March. 1921. Mr.
'enson accepted upon condition that
roVlsion be made for minimum
rogram of not less than Ave years
uraton. He asked for $4,000 to
pend on the work the first year.
loO,oooSthe second year and each of
70 three succeeding years, and at the
"a of the five years 100000 en-.
owment fund to carry on the work.
In addition to this was a detailed
rogram OF self help education and
lvaging the out Of school hours by
nildren' 1t is In line with his pro-
ram that the New Britain United
community corporation last year vot-
$4,000 to carry on the work here.
It Is not known at this time wheth-
INF Benson's resignation will az
ct the local organization.