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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March i, 1905. 



would approach all questions with a business man's training. 

 Necessarily they would consult counsel, but they would with 

 sound judgment retain as counsel men of the greatest ability and 

 of the very highest integrity. In looking for such men, they 

 would no doubt at once confer with our two distinguished guests 

 on my right and left, who so fully meet these requirements. 



What a benefit they could confer upon the business interests of 

 the country at the present time in helping the majority or minority 

 to wisely shape the legislation regarding the national bankrupt 

 law which is now under fire and affects business men only; the 

 regulation of freight rates ; reciprocity and many other important 

 questions, which are purely business propositions and should be 

 dealt with as such. ' All party, political and selfish interests would 

 be eliminated and their influence would be greatly weakened if 

 these trade clubs, made up as they are of business men, would 

 lake such subjects in hand. 



Realizing the desirability of what I have said, I would like to 

 see these trade clubs take up this all important work, and as our 

 annual meeting occurs in April, it may not be amiss for me at this 

 time to suggest some work that this Club might do another year. 



Let the New England Rubber Club appoint 

 a committee of five of its ablest men and in- 

 vite each of the other forty trade organiza- 

 tions to do the same, and as they would no 

 doubt each one select five of their ablest men 

 a committee of two hundred of the very 

 strongest business men in the state would 

 come together in one organization and take 

 up and fully discuss many important ques 

 tions, after which they could report back to 

 their various clubs, when the membership of 

 the forty clubs could take action which 

 would make their influence felt. 



In no other way would it be possible to 

 select a committee of two hundred as strong 

 business men, as each body would wish to 

 be ably represented and their best men 

 would undoubtedly serve, as they would feel 

 honored at being selected from among their 

 associates to represent their club. Their 

 influence would be immeasurable, and it 

 would offset largely that of the impracticable 

 newspaper writer who too often is only a 

 theorist, but write? well and therefore shapes 

 many times the opinions of men who have 

 not time to thoroughly consider very many 

 important questions. 



Gentlemen : We have had many red letter days in the history 

 of our Club when it has met in the banquet hall. It has been hon- 

 ored by the presence, and has listened to words of wit and wisdom 

 from men who, by their exceptional ability and attainments, have 

 made their mark in the state and in the nation. 



In fact, we have become so accustomed to having the very best 

 at our banquets, not only on our tables but in the feast of reason 

 which so naturally follows the feast of eatables, that it is becoming 

 more and more difficult to satisfy our natural desire that the last 

 shall be the best. 



As this is to be the last banquet over which it will be my duty to 

 preside, I confess to having had the ambition to bring together at 

 this lime such elements as would make this the most profitable and 

 mostenjoyable occasion in the history of the Club, and I am espec- 

 ially fortunate to-night in being able to present to you as the first 

 speaker, one whose introduction to you would be superfluous, in 

 fact, one who needs no introduction to any citizen of the state he 

 honored by being its governor, or of the nation which at a critical 

 time, when its world policy was taking on new and larger propor- 

 tions, had as the director of its naval affairs, our distinguished 

 guest at my right. 



HON. JOHN D. LONG, 



Former Governor of Massachusetts ; Late 



United States Secretary of the Navv. 



[Copyriglit. 1S97, by E. Chickering.] 



Gentlemen of the Club, I do not know your feelings in regard to 

 monopolies and monopolists in business lines, but I do know your 

 feelings toward our honored guest, who is one of the greatest mo- 

 nopolists of the age, for, as a result of his long, useful and brilliant 

 career in the state and nation, in his life as a citizen and states- 

 man, he has monopolized the love, not less than the respect of all 

 who knew him. I present to you the Hon. John D. Long. 



MR. long's address. 

 The name of Ex-Governor Long was the signal for a most 

 enthusiastic welcome, the audience rising and cheering until 

 the great hall echoed with welcome. In his own inimitable 

 way he made fun for ten minutes before settling down to his 

 theme. He agreed that he knew little ol India-rubber, but 

 opined that had Leander possessed rubber boots he would have 

 waded the Hellespont instead of swimming. Noting that one 

 half of the Pilgrims died during their first year in the New 

 World, he said, they might have been saved by Apsley rubbers. 

 Pausing a moment he explained that he advertised that maker 

 of goods because the toastmaster had so well advertised him 

 that his office hours were from 10 to 5 and 

 that Apsley got a commission on all busi- 

 ness that came in as a result of that din- 

 ner. To say that these bits of local fun 

 were appreciated is stating a fact with far 

 too much mildness. He then paid his re- 

 spects to the company as "Captains of 

 Industry," and said : 



I am not at all sure that the time is not 

 rapidly approaching when we shall be oblig- 

 ed to reform our public schools. It seems 

 to me as if we were training our children out 

 of the old industrial habit. Isn't it true that 

 the time has come when it is desirable to 

 create in our schools a great respect for in- 

 dustrial education? The academic life is not 

 enough to meet the interests of the coming 

 time. The minute you have established 

 your technical school you will have solved 

 the social problem itself, helped to break 

 down the class distinction of which we hear 

 so much. 



He made a masterly plea for universal 

 peace for which most great industries 

 stand, and referring specifically to the rub- 

 ber trade said it typified health, cultivation in the arts, and fur- 

 ther development toward the sweet beneficence of peace. 



Most graphically he pictured the struggles and triumphs of 

 Charles Goodyear and said, amid a burst of applause, that a 

 statue to the great inventor would mean more to civilization 

 than one to the greatest of military heroes. " Were the angel 

 of Ben Adhem's dream now to appear, the name of Goodyear 

 would lead all the rest." 



He spoke tenderly and reverently of his life long friend, the 

 late E. S. Converse, as of the American great in industrial af- 

 fairs, and yet an ideal type of one who lived the simple life. 

 He declared himself against the attitude of President Roose- 

 velt in regard to the Monroe Doctrine and the navy. He said 

 that in his opinion it is not desirable that this country should 

 become acollector of debts for Europe against the South Amer- 

 ican republics. He asserted that, while he believed in a large 

 navy, he was opposed to a large immediate increase, on the 

 ground that it would tend to create a reaction on the part of 

 the people, and that it would be impossible to secure men to 

 man properly such a navy as is now in prospect under the plans 

 of the administration. 



