Education Which Will Make Them Useful

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WORCESTER

tours around the city, to show parks and playgrounds and model tenements and social centres in actual opera­ tion . " "How far have you succeeded in reaching your ideal of co-operative democracy 1 Can you persuade men of such varying points of view actually to work to­ gether in this movcment i " "If you will look ovcr our list of seventeen direc­ tors," repli ed Mr. Filcne, "you will have a partial answer to this <\uestlon. You see there an phases of religious thought and political affiliation; ministers, editors, philanthropists, labor leaders, captains of in­ dustry, as well as merchants and professional men. We secure the same breadth of representation in all our committees. And we are soon to enter upon a move­ ment of popular financial co-operation in which cer­ tificates of stock in dollar shares are to be issued, the proceeds of which will all he definitely accounted for in public print, and will be carefully expended by the directors. " "Does the Boston 1915 movement propose to attack evils th at need abatemen t 1" "Not diroctly , it is thoroughly constructive, not de­ structive in its spirit and aim. It simply seeks to bring together all who are working for the positive upbuild­ ing of a better city. It seeks better health , better homes, better conditions of business and r ecrcation, bet­ tel' government, better citizenship. It believes that ev ery worker should be able to secure a living wage on which he can maintain a comfortable home and bring up his children in good surroundings, giving them an education which will make them useful cit i­ zens, and being able to make adequate provision for his old age. Th e movement believes tllat the city cannot afford to do less than this; that when the workers who now lack for so many comforts are liftcd to their proper condition, every portion of the community will be proportionately bettered. It is a movement for every class, because it is for the city as a whole." "Is this movem ent exerting an influence outsid e of Boston?" "Yes, in many ways. Other towns and cities are beginning to approach their problems on similar lines. Neighboring places are constantly calling for speakers to explain th e movement, and are responding by com­ mittces to co-operate with us in specific measures which reach helpfully beyond our geographi cal borders. And if j'OU wish to see what more distant places think of the movement, read this clipping from the Chicago Tribune of two clays ago." said Mr. Filene as he rose fl'0111 his seat to hasten away to an appointmen t: Chic-ago, in its blind search for civic betterment, may learn something from Boston. The Massachusotts city is the scene t o-day of an interesting movement for the higher physical and social life . "Boston 191ii ," as a co-opera t ive civic service body, is already doing things, and thousands arc enlis te d to -day in a civic movement who a year ago never dreamed of such association. Substitute for" Bos­ ton 1915" some such name as "Asso­ ciation for the Promotion of Team Work among All Concern ed in Boston Wel­ fare, " and yon have the idea. By" all ' , is meant not only a particular set, but everybody, whether he talks English 01' not ; whether he dotes Oil culture, or liv es in a room with six other persons.

How about a "Worcester 1915 move­ ment" ?

Courtesy

MAGAZINE

A Delightful Visit from Distinguished Guests

When the itinerary for the American journey of the Honorary Commercial Com­ missioners from Japan was first arranged, our city was omitted from the list; but after the visit of our Board of Trade ex­ cu r sion last summer to the Pacific coast, and its revelation of the industrial impor­ tance of the" Heart of the Commonwealth" throuah the splendid publicity then gained , th e a;'urance was given that if it were pos­ sible a change would be made whereby these guests from the Orient sho~lld. have an opportunity to accept tl~e hospitality ~f the Worcester Board of 'I'rade, To this matter Mr. J. D. Lowman of Seattle, who is President of the Associated Boards of Trade of the Pacific coast, gave his per­ sonal attention. At first it seemed an im­ possibili ty to add any t hin g- to an already crowded itinerary ; but when it was de­ tided to omit the day trip down the Hudson River, on account of the lateness of the seas on, 1\11'. Lowman at once gave the day thus left vacant to 'Wor cest er and Swing-field. 'We are also indebted to Ex-m ayor C. H er­ ber-t Moore of Spokane for his kindly offices both in telling the charms of Worcester, in which city he has personal friends, and in giving valuable information in advance conc ernin g the party. Th e Commit t ee on Meetings and R eceptions and the Committee all Foreign Trade acted jointly in arrang­ ing for these gu ests, who arrived on their superb special train, the finest ever sent out by the Pullman Company, at one o'clock Tucsday morning, having left Boston at midnight. During the previous week a small booklet containing an ac count of five possible tOUl'S in our city had becn prepared in both English and ,Tapanese, the translation being made by Mr. R. Onuki, a member of the Institute of Technology, to sample of the booklet being given at the head of this article, "Welcome by the Worcester Board of Trade." On Saturday the Secretary of th e board spent the day with th e Japanese and the members of the Pacific Chambers of Commerce in Boston, distributing these prin ted directions, and arranging for the various groups on each tour. Some­ what to the surprise of the committee, the favorite route proved to be that which included the sewage purification works at Quinsigamond, the city Home F arm, and the Bloomingdale Hospital, more than half of the visitors going on this tour of inspection . 'I'he remaining routes included Cla rk University, Wor­ cester Academy, Institute of Technol­ ogy , the Logan, Swift & Brigham en­ velope factory, the Norton Company, the Wire Goods Company, the Ames Plow Comp any, the Richardson Manu­ facturing Company, the Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, the Royal Wor­ cester Corset Company, and the M. J . Whittall Carpet Works. The gen tlemen in the party were taken from th e Union Station in auto­ mobiles at nine 0 'clock to the Mayor's BARO:-l SHIBUSAWA office at City H all , where greetings 01 Pa cific :-Iorthwest Commerce wer e briefly presented by acting Mayor

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WORCESTER Brooks, a letter being read from Mayor Logan, who was out of the city, an appropriate response to which was made by Baron Shibusawa, the distinguished leader of the commissioners. Under the guidance of members of the committee and the Japanese students now residing in our city, the party were given as complete and com­ prehensive a view as possible of our city in the short time at their disposal. Both the Oriental visitors and our friends from the Pacific coast expressed the great­ est delight over what they saw, and keen regret at the shortness of their stay. They were especially struck with the fine surroundings and interior arrangements of the factories visited, as well as with the personal appearance of the employees, and evidently left our

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347

the members of the Board of Trade and the ladies of Worcester could have had free opportunity to meet these distinguished' travelers; but the conditions of the visit made this impossible, and the committee wisely de­ cided to bend all their energies to giving the largest pos­ sible exhibition of our city in the time at their disposal. Our guests were gratified that no formal entertain­ ment was attempted, especially in view of the sadness in which they were plunged by the tidings of the as­ sassination of their beloved Prince Ito, which first reached them here, and which will cause them to fore­ go all social functions during the remainder of their stay in this country. They 'were specially impressed', however, with the heartiness of the greetings here re-

THE LADlES OF THE JAPANESE PARTY AT THE \\"OMAN'S CLUB.

From left to right:

Mrs. Charles G. Washburn; ),lrs. A. 'E. R. Sprague; Mrs. O. ?'o1. Cturk , Portland, Ore.; ~lrs. K. ~lidztlno: Mrs. Ohnrl cs C. Beldwtu : Bnrouee a Shibuaawn ,

Mrs. Edward M. woodwnrd , Miss Tuknuns ht , :\[1'6. James Logan; Mrs, Charles T. 'I'at.me n.

city fully impressed with the reasonableness of our claim to be the" Ideal Industrial City" of the East. The ladies of the Japanese party were met at the train at 9.30 0 'clock by Mrs. Charles T. Tatman, and taken in automobiles to the Woman's Club House at Armory Square, where they were met by the officers of the organization and fully sh own the building and its various uses, after 'which an automobile drive over the city, as extensive as the time permitted, was taken. We are fortunate in being able to present a pictnre of some of these ladies with their escorts, taken just be­ fore leaving the club-house. It was a matter of general regret that there was no opportunity for any reception save the exceedingly brief and informal one arranged by the city, at which

ceived, and the kindly spirit revealed in the few atten­ tions which could be shown them. The Board of Trade is under obligations to Mr. Arthur C. Comins and lVIr. Victor E. Edwards and their associates on the Committee of Arrangements for the careful preparation and successful accomplishment which marked their services, and Worcester has reason to congratulate itself over the honor and pleasure which has been conferred', in even this brief stay with­ in her borders, of these guests from Japan and repre­ sentatives of commercial organizations on the Pacific coast, who have, with such liberality and public spirit, made it possible for so many sections of the United States to pass under the eager and appreciative in­ spection of these visitors.