Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-21
Aost truly &c
y. Corr.
Mr.. SweeneY's speech.
AN EARNEST PLEA FOR A CHANGE.

AN EARNEST PLEA FOR CHANGE.
Mr.. President Frequent assertions
srs made, that this city Is losing in popu'
lation and falling of in industries, and IN
fortunately with some truth. l know that
Wheeling capital is being and has been
largely invested in other States and cities
Why is it2 Our boast for many years has
been that in natural advantages We are un-
excellsd, and possibly unequslled; our
credit has been unimpsired, and Withstood
all the financial storms that have swept the
country; our taxes are lower than IN most
o.her industrial cities, as | shall show later
on. We have abundant railroad and river
facilities, coal is very cheap, plenty and
convenient and natural gas is Al assured
fact. To what ia our bsckwardness due
How can the prosperity Of our city be S.
cured2 To answer the first question, |
think that the bsckwsrdness of this city,
and her failure to progress, is due, among
other things, to the fact that her citizens do
not regard themselves as members OF a
community of brothers. having an interest
in each Others welfare and prosperity; no
DISPOSITION is manifested to encourage or
sustain home establishments; parties seek
ing supplies write or advertise for the srti-
cles wanted, and think they are bound in
SPECIALIZED honor" to give their order to the
lowest bidder, and 90 they procure their
goods and work from Pittsburg, Cleveland,
Cincinnati or other place, one or the other
Offering lower price than Wheeling does
Nov here is one mistake, and | think it
Affects the general prosperity very material
". | believe it is to nv interest, and con-
duces to my profit, and thet Of everybody
else in the community. to encourage my
neighbor, and help him to succeed in his
business. think can afford to pay my
neighbor and BROTHER even a greater price
than his rival at Pittsburg or elsewhere,
may ask me. and for reasons that | hope
to show you. think that OF every dollar
can keep at hone, and 10 the hands OF
my ceighbor, part will return to me. not
only from tins general prosperity but from
actual trade secured 70 me by his prosper
iiy and increased ability to buy my pro-
duct. Any sum of money paid out of this
community, into any other, goes to enable
the persons employed there, 70 pay house
rent and to purchase goods at other stores
han ours; it is gone from Us, and not q
dollar comes back to Us. Does any me-
ehsnie or lsborsr. of Pi.tsburg, or Cleve.
land, come here to buy his goods with the
money be has received for work done for,
or material furnished to Wheelipg2 How
much more prosperous We would be il We
kent our money at home. / am sorry to
say chat some of our manufacturers, mem
bers Of this Chamber Of Commerce, do 60
elsewhere for articles and goods that could,
With proper encouragement, be msnufsc-
tured and furnished in this city, of as good
quality and at ss low price, as in or by
sny other city in the United States. Ask
them why they do so, and they will tell you
because we buy cheaper than in Wheel
ing" WhyH Ought they not to look for
he reasons why it is so? Why cannot
furnish manufactured articles
and products at as low g cost and prioe,
q, for instance, Pittsburg CAM One
.esson is that every order given to
enables her to produce st lessen
a cost, and makes it more difficult for
Wheeling to manufacture chesply. viii
how yoa Why. In my business, and it is
he sane in all others, there are certain
expenses that are, It may be said, con.
tsnt: taxes, interest, salaries Of. clerks,
oremsn, watchmen, hostler, feed of horses,
.tc., which are Just as great, whether |
melt two tons Of iron per day or ten tons
q nv foundry. To pay these constant e3
,.nsas + nnnak If L malt two tons per day, |
id, say onequarter Of q cent per pound.
. other costs, while, If by furnishing the
GODS needed By my neighbor, ] can melt
IN tons per day, / need only add one
Eentieth of q cent per pound to other costs
) Day the constant expense. Now if my
eiohbor, instead of giving me his work,
nd helping me to reduce the cost Of pro-