Class of 1903
Boston classmates will be glad to learn that Gregory N. Abdian has moved from Troy, N. Y., to Arlington, Mass., where he has an address at 19 Menotomy Road. It is understood that Abdian's son is attending an educational institution located near Boston.
Wilson is principal of the Rogers School in Stamford, Conn.
French left for England early last summer. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company has just begun its transatlantic service. French is back again in New York. Veni, vidi, vici.
Brat Wentworth, who now lives at 198 Cornelia St., Webster Groves, Mo., announces the birth of a daughter, Ellen T., on September 13, 1926. She will be at an interesting age at the time of our 25th reunion.
President Kenerson visited Chicago classmates last December.
Pierce has recently moved from his former residence at 23 Sutherland Road, Brookline, Mass., to 115 Palfrey Road. Belmont, Mass. Bob McGowan now regrets that he ever left Belmont to live in Wellesley.
H. E. Smith of Cleveland, Ohio, recently started on an extended trip to California. Smithie reports that his two sons are in a boarding school in the Catskills.
All 1903 men will deeply sympathize with Wilson on the death of his younger son, Paul L. Wilson, which occurred Christmas Day.
The Whelden wood turning plant at Cavendish, Vt., has recently been incorporated. So if you miss seeing the name on the next curling iron handles you buy in the Five and Ten you need not be surprised. They are now doubling the capacity. Instead of 1 millions of turnings a year, they expect to get out at least a billion, and are specializing in shellacked and enameled handles, shoe pieces, candle sticks, etc., etc. Prexie wants to be able to send his five young Indians, to; Hanover some time, if necessary. These modern schools teach so much they may learn it all before they are ready for that.
Cutter's activities have received much favorable comment from Boston newspapers during the past few months. He has made a number of public addresses, including talks to such widely different organizations as the Boston Chamber of Commerce and the graduating class of the schoolship Nantucket.
The Boston Post recently said: "Our Slipping Foreign Trade. "The absolute and relative decline, in New England's foreign trade has been painfully apparent for many years, but the cause for this decline has been somewhat obscured. We have seen Galveston, New Orleans, and Baltimore pass Boston as a port of call for foreign vessels, and have laid the blame on the obvious unfairness of the railroad rate differential discriminations.
"Now comes Victor M. Cutter, president of the United Fruit Company and just elected president of the New England Export Club, to tell us what is the matter with New England, and he does not stress the point of the differentials at all. Instead he bluntly says that 'our merchandising and sales methods are rotten, and our knowledge of markets for our products, both domestic and foreign, is infinitesimal.'
" 'ln a word, we have been bemoaning the loss of business without taking any steps to retrieve it except to wish for it. Over half of the country's manufactures go out as exports, while only seven per cent of New England's finished products goes down to the sea in ships.'
"We have the skilled labor, we have the plants, we have the capital, and we have the ports with which to develop a great foreign trade. By our geographical location we have an advantage in foreign trade, while we are handicapped in the fight for the domestic interior markets.
"If, however, our methods are 'rotten' and our knowledge 'infinitesimal,; as Mr. Cutter says, this geographical advantage will not get the business. What we require, evidently, is the spirit of the old New Englanders of several generations ago, who knew more about China and India and the Pacific Islands then we do today."
Later, after returning from another European trip, in which he may perhaps have again investigated the possibilities of music as applied to horticulture, Vic said in part, in an interview given to the Boston Globe, regarding New England's future:
"New England has the experience and the skilled labor, and will continue to be a leader in the production of high quality manufactures.
''There are signs that New England is wakening from its attitude of self-satisfaction and is becoming aggressive in its search for markets. There never has been any question of the quality of New England's manufactured goods. Its merchandising methods have undoubtedly been antiquated. There is still room for tremendous improvements.
"The knowledge of what we have been able to do in this section in the past should serve as an inspiration for the future. New England should again vigorously enter foreign trade, and through modern merchandising methods make its quality products known throughout the world."
Good for Vic.
Secretary, Milford, N. H.
