PHILADELPHIA DAY 



Thursday Morning, December 4, 1913, 10 o'Clock. 

 Council Chamber, City Hall. 



The conference was called to order by Charles S. Calwell, president 

 of the Corn Exchange National Bank, who said: 



I am sorry that we cannot have with us this morning Mayor Blanken- 

 burg. His Honor is not very well, and is at the present time in the South. 

 He is greatly interested in the conference, and regrets that he cannot be 

 here himself. Director of Public Safety Porter, however, will speak on 

 behalf of His Honor. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME 



Director of Public Safety George W. Porter: Mr. Chairman, 

 and Ladies and Gentlemen: I always state on occasions of this kind that 

 I fail to understand why it is necessary to call in the Police Department, 

 but I am not here this morning as a representative of the Police Depart- 

 ment; I am a substitute for the Mayor, who, as most of you know, is 

 unavoidably detained by reason of illness. I have a message from him 

 to explain to you his heartfelt greetings, and to say to you that he regrets 

 more than he can tell, his inability to be with you. 



He made an engagement several months ago to participate in this 

 conference, but, of course, by reason of illness he will not be able to do so. 



On behalf of the city, I wish to extend to all those who come from 

 beyond its confines, a most heartj^ welcome. We are very proud of 

 Philadelphia. We are proud of it because it has been and is an hospitable 

 cit}'. We usually say to those who come to visit us that we know how to 

 entertain you. I am quite sure that the programme that has been arranged 

 by the committee in charge will demonstrate the ability of Philadelphia 

 to do that for which we are quite famous. 



I regret that I am unable to speak to you upon the subjects which 

 are to be discussed here this morning, although I am a farm product 

 myself, having served an apprenticeship of eighteen j-ears as a farmer's 

 boy. So, in a measure, I have a right to be here, but my long absence 

 from work of that kind probably does not qualify me to speak on the 

 subject. 



It is an old, old saying that the bone and sinew of the Nation are 

 the men who come from the farms. I am quite sure that if we were to 

 take a census of our various cities, we would find them filled with men 



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