New Britain herald., 1930-10-30
Plans for Rebound of Business Heard at Annual (. of (. Dinner
 At Masonic Temple; %0 Attend

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 learned to do in society and in poli- tics, he is more slowly learning to do in the field of economics-or, as we know it more personally-in the field of business.
 Here in this very community you have two outstanding examples of the cooperative method in promot- | ing business growth and communi- l ty welfare. The first is your chamber of commerce. The second is the New ! England Council.
 Your Chamber of Commerce is not something separate and apart l from your personal, social and bus mess lives. It is-or at least it i should be-one manifestation of | your lives. 1t is of you, not merely 1 for you, and as such it is as effect i've as your contribution to it's activ- i ities makes it. Your chamber of commerce is the organization through which you-every citizen of this community, but especially you business men-do things jointly. It is your agency for promoting your | own business welfare and the growth and prosperity of your con- munity Your Chamber of Commerce deserves and must have your sup port and your own personal best eff fort, if it is to do it's job as effective ly as you would have it. It depends, in short, on cooperation.
 similarly, the New England Council is an example of the coop orative method on a larger geo. graphic scale. Devoted as it is to promoting the welfare of all New England, six sovereign states, eight millions of people, it must, of course, paint in broader strokes than does the cooperative organizations in the individual community. Unable, because of physical distances, to bring all of it's cooperators together frequently to talk over procedure and decide action, as you can do in your Chamber of Commerce, it must work through committees and groups rather than entirely through individuals.
 Cooperation Needed
 But the individual is just as im- portant in this case as in the con- munity organization, for it is, in the last analysis, only through individu- als that acts are accomplished. The New England Council consists, final !; |, i- self through individuals. It is the expression of the minds and wishes and aspirations of many, but also, like your community organization, it can put forth only what you, the people of New England, put into it. It needs your cooperation and sup port.
 Five years ago there met at Po- land Spring in Maine a group of New Englanders, including the six governors, to discuss what was call- ed the New England problem This problem had been mentioned on every side, but to date had lacked accurate definition. The governors and interested business men deter mined to find out if there was a problem, if so what it was, and then, what could be done about it. To their surprise they found that there were no facts available. They deter mined to call a New England town meeting, to bring together from all over these six states the men who might be expected to know what, if anything, ailed New England, and what to do about it.
 There followed, in Worcester, Mass, in 1925, the first New Eng land Conference, a gathering of del- egates representing the industrial, commercial, and agricultural organ izations of the six New England states. At this meeting, the New England Conference was made an annual institution, and the delegates voted to organize a permanent body, to be on the job everH day of the year, and to be known as the New England Council.
 ITO the Council were elected 12 men from each of the six states. From the first, they realized that no group of 72 men could hope to solve the economic problems of New Eng land. Such q task called for the best efforts of leaders in every walk of industry, in every community in life, but especially in business and every state.
 Must Find the Facts
 "The Council early became con- vinced of two things:
 First. that a knowledge of the facts as to New England's economic position was essential to intelligent remedial action. Furthermore, the Council felt that the facts would show New EngIand's position to be much better than was supposed and this has proved to be the case.
 "Sccond, that New England's de- Velopment called for the best efforts of all elements and all interests.
 "These convictions led inevitably 10 the Councils emphasis upon find ing the facts; and to it's development as a stimulating and coordinating body. The raw materials with which it works are facts-two of the i'm portant tools with which it works are cooperation and coordination. 1t is an economic body, absolutely without politics.
 The Councils job was conceived as that of Investigating and defining New England's economic problems. developing methods of solution, and setting to work on each problem the interests best equipped to effect re- suits, through cooperative activity.
 As project after project thus got under way, the Council acted as the coordnating agency which tied them all together in unified program for the bctterment Of these six states.
 The Council divided activities in its several fields of operation among committees, each of which consists