New Britain herald., 1927-11-10
". E. Atwood Is Elected President
 New Britain Chamber of Commerce
Banker Chosen to Highest Office at Annual Dinner Reports for Year Mir TOT Activities.


 the board or directors of the New Britain Trust O., was elected unani- mously to succeed Judge William C. Hungerford as president of the New Britain Chamber of Commerce at the annual dinner al the Burritt hotel last evening. Mir. Atwood has been a member of the board of di- rectors and chairman of the finance committee and has been actively identified with Chamber activities for some time.
 Other officers elected were, Sec retary, Ralph H. Benson; treasurer Charles W. Hawkins. Both were re- elections. Vice presidents will be selected by the auxiliary groups The chairman-elect of the mercan- tile bureau automatically becomes first vice president. Directors elect ed last evening for q term of three years included the following: Mer- cantile group, A. A. Mills; manu- facturing group, Joseph t. Lamb; professional sroup, Attorney NJ. H. Camp, real estate, insurance and tnanc". Pardon C. Hickey; at large. Stanley K. Eddy. T. r. McAuliffe and Paul K. Rogers.
 12o Attend Banquet
 There were about 125 members present at the dinner President Hungerford opened the meeting and Immediately after election turned 1t over to the new president. In &C., cepting the position Mir. Atwood stated that he had number of Ideas in mind which he hoped to sell" to tho board of directors during his ad- ninistratiOn. He said he was not of the opinion that q Chamber Of Com mevcc should exist solely for the benefit Of the mercantile and traffic bureaus While he realized that matters Of minor importance ought not to be stirred up unnecessarily, it was up to the Chamber to get back or every important movement of benefit to the city.
 H s said he realized that ofttirnes there was apt to be more difficulty i'll interesting all the directors in any one project but that it will be his aim during his term to get the board to act as a unit on important propositions. He paid a tribute to Mir. Benson who has just completed a little over year as secretary. by saying: He is the right type of a secretary The remark was greet ed with burst of applause.
 He added that it would be useless to expect to retain the services of a membership at large was willing to man like MT. Benson unless the back him up. He said the Chamber now is in good financial condition after deficit inherited from a for mer secretary and that MT. Benson has contributed largely in keeping expenses at minimum. He added In closing that he expected to see the membership get together to dis cuss common subjects oftener than once a year at dollar and a half dinner.
 Mir. Atwood then turned the meeting back to Judge Hungerford, who presided during the rest of the program.
 Reports Submitted
 Reports of President Hungerford, | Chairman George H. Dyson of the 1 mercantile bureau and Chairman r. J. Gaffney of the traffic bureau were submitted in mimeogra phed form to the members Secretary Benson's 1 report also was submitted in mim- i eographed form. but Mr Benson was | called up to report verbally as well. |
 In his report Mr. Benson covered the financial situation as he found | it when he came here, reviewed de- yelopments during the year and { made a number of recommendations ! for the coming year. IL was his first 1 annual report to the local Chamber. !
 Referring to the situation as he found it, he said:
 "Thnre had been situation ere ateI that was conducive to general apathy on he part of some mem bers and open hostility from any others, including the public at large. toward the Chamber. 4 SiZahlo deficit had been accumulated: the organization had been sealed down the membership was most uncer- tain quantity: great many of the members owing dues Of three and t' four years standing. To adjust the affairs of the Chamber has required patient work and at times it has seemed that our progress was far 1oo slow. Efforts have been directed throughout the year 10 bring about d greater interest and belief in the Chamber. There are many evid- cnces Of the success Of our efforts.
 "At the start of our fiscal year wa had on our membership lists 13s members who were delinquent In their dues to the amount Of s23474. A few of these have paid up during 1he year, but q large proportion of them we have heen forced to dismiss from membership for non-p payment, It has been quite apparent to the