Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1928-05-17
WALTER KING CHAMBER
COMMERCE PRESIDENT

acquainted with organizations such as
the Chamber Of Commerce. He there
fore felt some qualms about making an
address until he looked shout him
and saw fellow co-laborers striving
always to keep this "Plucky little city
Of Putnam on the map"
/ FIR. Bellerose then began with "a
definition of a Chamber of Commerce
as an association formed by ner-
chants and tradesmen TO further the
interests of a city. He said the
first such association was organized in
Marseilles, France, at the end of the
seventeenth century, and the first
organization in America, the New
York Chamber Of Commerce, in l76S,
incorporated under a charter granted
by King George. He outlined the de-
velopment Of the efforts of such or
CARNATIONS, the expansion of trade
and commerce with the development
of better and better transportation
facilities. beginning with the beast of
burden down to the fast freights with
their 100 cars loaded with merchan-
disc. The fast steamers, ready to ae-
cept several vast trainloads. The
ease with which the tropics supplied
the temperate zone and the tempe
rate zone the tropics, due TO this ever
developing transportation progress,
down 10 the present airplane trans
portation system still in its infancy
but fast developing as a factor in
trade and commerce.
He said In conclusion that what
ever the vocation in civil life members
of the Chamber of Commerce are SEN
tinels Of the city, "And VIC pray
that your strong arm may not be
broken .unnerved. Business men
and manufacturers of this city have
been tested and we know their
strength. / bring greetings this
night and best wishes for the CONT
nued success of the Chamber of Com
merce of Putnam"
At the conclusion of his address
there was hearty applause and presi-
dent deCoudres said that the FORUM
ming proved that it is not necessary to
ate choice of the speaker Of the eve
go out of the city TO procure able
speakers.
Annual Election
The president then appointed j.
Dyer Potter, Charles Seder and Har-
vey Grinsell, committee to bring in
nominations for officers for the en-
suing year. The committee submit
ted the following and they were unan-
imously elected:
President, Walter N. King, FIRST
vice president, +. c. Rogers; second
vice president. Charles Richard, third
vice president, Charles Seder. Di-
reetors for three years, F. +. Russell,
Willis Carroll, T. II. deCoudres Louis
f. Law, Arthur +. Smith. AleXand-
er Gilman, Arthur Keith.
Treasurer's Report
The treasurer's report from the
time Mr.. Smith took over the books
from Clarence A. Boyce. whom he sue
ceeded when Mr.. Boyce left the city,
July l6, 1926, TO May 1, 1928, show
ed receipts Of $2.561.71 and expendi-
lures Of 81 10000, leaving a cash bal
lance on hand Of S7Sf.4l.
Seeretary's Report
I After abiding to the fact that the
directors had decided to make the an
nual meeting one Of relaxation and en-
/ joyment rather than business meet
/ ing, and stating that he would cooper
ate by making his report as brief as
possible. the secretary said in part;
"The last subject touched upon in
my last report was the matter of re-
valuation of property in the town OF
Putnam for the purpose of taxation.
We were then hoping that the revalu-
alton, just getting under way, would
result in a grand list Of at least $10,-
600, 900. The work has since been
completed and our hopes have been
more than realized. The grand list
has been increased from $5,755, 034 to
J a net grand list of $l,309,9Ss. II is
most gratifying in making this report
/ TO say, that as far as have been able
( 10 determine, while good number of
property owners appeared before the
board of relief, no property owner has
appealed to the courts. That this is
so denotes that the work was well
done and that the individual property
owners have taken whatever increase
may have fallen to their lot in excel
lent spirit and with confidence that
property values in Putnam are more
nearly equalized than ever before and
that each individual therefore Is bear
ing fair and equitable part of the
burden.
while the Putnam Chamber of
Commerce was the instigator of the
movement and gave its best efforts TO
carry the movement through 20 a sue
cessful elimination, we are not I'M
mindful, and freely admit, the valua-
BILE cooperation of others-the Putnam
Rotary Club, representatives of the
town and city government, the board
Of selectmen, the board Of assessors
and the board Of relief. Last, but by
no means least, the citizens of Putnam
upon whom the burden Of the expense
Of the undertaking fell. and who came
Loyalty TO the support Of the move
ment sponsored by the Chamber by
voting the substantial appropriation
that was necessary TO have the work
done, and without which appropriation
nothing could have been accomplished.
"The Chamber took up the project
after several efforts, on the part Of
Others, over a period of years, had met
defeat at the hands of the voters II
predicated its efforts upon a campaign
Of education. That IL successfully ac-
complished its purpose is another con-
crete illustration Of the value Of such
an organization as the Chamber Of
I Commerce. and to The fact that organ