PAGE. The New England Church 61 At the Congregational Conference, October 10, 1910. Loss of a Steamship Line 63 Letter to Chamber of Commerce, October 18, 1910. Letter to United Improvement Association, November 8, 1910. Waterways Letter to Chamber of Commerce, February 8, 1910. Greek Union At Pan-Hellenic Meeting, February 17, 1911. Letter to various public bodies, March 29, 1911. A State Finance Commission . Speech at Sandwich, May 30, 1911. 89 From Speech at Canobie Lake, June 24, 1911. Needs of the Fire Department 91 Letter to Finance Commission, August 31, 1911. Industry in New England 94 Industrial and Educational Exposition, October 20, 1911. The Irish Literary Revival 98 At First Performance of Abbey Theatre Company, September Street Improvements 99 Letter to Chamber of Commerce, January 27, 1912. Boston Catholics 101 Reception to Cardinal O'Connell. Irish in New England 106 Charitable Irish Society Banquet, March 18, 1912. INTRODUCTION. JOHN F. FITZGERALD, entering upon his first term as Mayor of Boston on January 1, 1906, brought to this honorable office an intelligent love and devotion to the city of his birth and education, and a definite, farreaching program for the development of all her interests. A little past his fortieth year, he already had experience of city affairs through a term in the Common Council; of state affairs, through service in the Massachusetts Legislature, and of national matters through three successive terms in Congress. During these, it is pertinent to note, he began the work for the improvement of Boston Harbor and the development of Boston's commerce, which culminated during his second administration in the establishment of the Board of Port Directors, and marked the beginning of the restoration of Boston to her old-time commercial importance. Mayor Fitzgerald condensed his plan into the famous watchword, "Bigger, Better and Busier Boston," and proceeded forthwith to work it out. He made a brief exposition of it at his first official appearance at the Franklin exercises on January 17, 1906. From the beginning, public office has been to Mayor Fitzgerald not only a public trust but a whole-hearted personal dedication, having no work-day limit, and superseding all private claims, even those of home and family. His official responsibility, as he saw it, included the extension of the city's trade by land and sea, the development of new industries by the investment of local capital, and therefore the creation of new opportunities for employment; the preparation, mental, industrial and moral, of the future citizens to make the most of these opportunities; and, as far as possible, the safeguarding of the citizens of all ages and conditions from illness and accident. vii |