which were called forums. After a while these centers for the exchange of merchandise became centers for the exchange of ideas in the affairs of state, and in some cases the markets were entirely abolished and the Forum became a center of popular assembly. In its modern development, beginning at Cooper Union twenty-one years ago under Professor Charles Sprague Smith of Columbia University, it has followed more nearly the New England town meeting.

The fundamental principle of the Forum, which is absolutely essential to its proper and effective functioning, is that it exists as an instrument of expression for all the groups of a given community. The Forum is not a partisan machine; it is a platform. from which all groups may be given equal opportunity to present to the community their claims for consideration. It does happen, in a few instances, that the forum is used for distinctly propaganda purposes― for example, a Democratic, Republican or Socialist Forum-but these are not representative of the whole community.

Organizing the Forum

The method of constituting a Community Forum is very simple. It should be organized so as to insure adequate community participation. The Chamber of Commerce may appropriately take the initiative by appointing one representative each from the Board of Education, the Federation of Women's Clubs, the important religious groups of the community, the local council of the American Federation of Labor, and the social workers' group. These, together with a representative from the Chamber of Commerce, constitute the Executive and Program Committee of the Forum. It may be desirable to appoint subcommittees which shall be responsible for working out such details of the Forum as publicity, securing a place of meeting, providing music, and securing funds. In order to coördinate the work each committee chairman should be a member of the Executive Committee.

As to speakers, if the Forum is well financed it may frequently have paid speakers, often from out of town. But it will increase the value of the Forum to the community if it makes frequent use of its best home talent for the discussion of community problems. The purposes of the Forum should be explained to the editors of the local daily papers, and each newspaper should be asked to appoint a press

representative for the Forum. With this sort of coöperation the Forum will be assured of adequate and fair publicity. The finances may be provided by private subscriptions, by collections taken at the meeting or from funds of the Chamber of Commerce. Since the Forum properly organized and managed is a community institution, every member of the community will probably be much more interested if he is given an opportunity to make a small contribution to its support.

Details of the Meeting

It is not difficult to conduct a Forum, provided those who undertake its management combine common-sense with the desire to play fair with all the groups of the community. The usual method is to give the first forty or fifty minutes to a speaker who has been selected because of his expert knowledge upon the subject under discussion. At the close of his address an opportunity is given for questions from the floor, perhaps twenty-five or thirty minutes. Following this period of questions, opportunity is given in many forums for five or six four-minute speeches from the floor, and the last ten minutes is given to the chief speaker of the day to round out the discussion. As a rule, no person in the audience should be allowed the privilege of more than one question or speech. As far as practicable, equal opportunity must be given to every member of the audience. Those who speak less frequently should be recognized first, in order to avoid the monopolizing of the period of discussion each week by the same group.

It is of the greatest importance to success that the Forum have a good chairman, a man known in the community as broadminded and tolerant and esteemed by all the groups, a man who can preside with dignity and fairness to all.

Properly conducted, the Forum is an efficient means of popular adult education. Ignorance, misunderstanding, discontent, prejudices and class hatred are a community's greatest liabilities. The Forum is designed to correct misunderstandings, promote tolerance, supplant ignorance, and thus turn a community's liabilities into

assets.

EDITORIAL NOTE.-Mr. De Jarnette's pamphlet on "How to Start a Forum in a Chamber of Commerce" can be obtained after October 20, 1919, from the American Forum Association, 280 Broadway, New York City.

Bridgeport Chamber Attacks

Smoke Nuisance

BRIDGEPORT, CONN.-The Smoke Abatement Commission of the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce sent the following letter early this summer to the major coal users in Bridgeport in an effort not only to solve the smoke problem, but to relieve the shortage of fuel, which gives evidence of being as great the coming winter as it was last: DEAR SIR:

As a big user of coal you have a primary interest in smoke abatement, and the Chamber of Commerce is anxious that this problem be tackled by those who are at once interested and informed.

The question of smoke pollution, with its consequent effect upon health, cleanliness and fog, has occupied many municipalities' attention, sometimes resulting in stringent smoke nuisance laws, which are difficult to meet and usually costly in the enforced alteration of equipment.

Furthermore, the fuel situation is not in a satisfactory state, as is evidenced by the fact that prices have not gone down from their war-time level, and in all probability will rise still further this fall.

The improvement of efficiency, which is necessarily the result of proper smoke elimination, will naturally help to relieve the situation in shortage of fuel, much along the same lines as those so successfully pursued by the local Fuel Administration Committees.

The Chamber of Commerce believes that, following the example of Pittsburgh, much can be done by the manufacturers to save their own money and anticipate the possibility of undesirable smoke restriction laws.

We are confident the enclosed outline will suggest a reasonable approach to the problem, and that you will be glad to join with the other major industries of the city in its solution. Very truly,

BRIDGEPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
Seward B. Price,
Executive Secretary.

A questionnaire covering the operation of steam boiler plants accompanied the letter, as well as the outline referred to, which is entitled "Outline of Proposed Organization and Work of a Smoke Commission." The Bridgeport Chamber will be glad to

United Effort Gets More Money for St. Paul Schools

ST. PAUL, MINN.-The people of St. Paul on July I passed by a vote of about four to one a charter amendment increasing very substantially the amount of money available for the Department of Education. The size of the majority was the outcome of the aggressive effort put forth by many civic organizations, and was an excellent demonstration of the way in which popular local government can function under the right impetus.

Four years ago a million-dollar school bond issue was defeated. Two years ago a three-million-dollar bond issue was passed, but a charter amendment to remove the limit of $6 per capita a year for school expenditures failed. The amendment which passed this year not only took off the $6 limit for school expenditures, but raised the total limit from $24 per capita per annum to $30.

The outcome of this election indicates that a great change has taken place in the attitude of the citizens toward public enterprises in the last two years, due perhaps to the war, which taught people how to pull together when grave crises arose. This year the schools were in most desperate need of help, and the business men, working men, parents and teachers saw that it was necessary for all to unite their forces in order to save the situation. Because of the charter limit of $6 per capita, the

salaries of the teachers had remained practically stationary for several years. Adequate Americanization work and vocational training, and even the building of new schools, were all held up because there were no funds with which to pay the teachers and purchase the supplies. The future. of the city's educational system was in jeopardy. Civic leaders knew that, and agreed that another effort must be made to change the charter. They also believed that if every voter could be made acquainted with the facts, adequate relief would be. forthcoming.

A new charter amendment was drafted and agreed upon by the representatives of the St. Paul Association of Public and Business Affairs, the Trades and Labor Assembly and the teachers' organizations which are affiliated with organized labor, the city officials, particularly the De

1 VOTE

YES

For Better Schools

Charter Amendment
Election JULY 1

partment of Education, and representative groups of women's organizations. group then organized a campaign Committee of One Hundred for Better Schools, which conducted a vigorous campaign of

education. The newspapers gave the finest possible support to the amendment. Literally scores of public meetings, in which the audiences had explained to them the needs of the school system, were held in every part of the city. At graduation day the message was reiterated effectively.

Little window cards with the words "Vote Yes for the Better School Amendment" were circulated. Large signs with similar wording were used on automobiles. More than one hundred excellent posters were prepared by the school children and displayed most effectively in the store windows. A tag day was organized, and on the day before the election a group of school teachers tagged 100,000 people with tags bearing the legend, "I Vote Yes for Better Schools Charter Amendment-Election July 1."

When the vote was announced, those who had devoted themselves to the campaign so assiduously felt well repaid. The expenses were less than $600, which was raised by popular subscription. Advocates of progress will now take courage, for they have seen the workman and the employer, the parent and the teacher, the commercial organization and the labor organization all pooling their efforts for the good of their