Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-03-15

courage tue location of manufacturing
enterprise in her midst The propo
sition is one which the TINES heartily
endorses, and will be glad to aid in ad
vansing. But it seems to us there j:
lar easier way to accomplish this
than TO wait for some one to come
knocking at our doors for permission
to come in. and at the same time mod
estly ask bonus sufficiently large to
fully pay for building factory and
running it from twelve to eighteen
months. We can point to almost
numberless manufacturing enterprises
which have recently been secured by
Kansas towns, and so far as we are in
formed, each one has cost the town
which secured it fully as much as it
would have cost to build and maintain
the plant for at least year. The
question naturally arises Is such an in
vestment a profitable one to make?
Are they not paying more than it is
actually worth, and cannot the same end
be secured in a much cheaper and
better way? There are number of
men in Dodge City who have the
means and disposition to encourage the
location here of enterprises which would
engage capital, furnish skilled labor
with employment, and furnish home
market for some of the products Of our
farms. These men are able and will
inc to invest their means in enterprises
which will aid in building up the town,
and at the same time afford them
reasonable assurance Of profit. But
the trouble is such opportunities do not
grow upon bushes, and there is a lack
Of concerted action in seeking for tn EN-.
With such an organization as our
Board of Trade it would seem as if
something could now be done in this
direction, if the matter was earnestly
considered. We would take the liberty
Of suggesting what seems to us better
plan than substituting Of enterprises
which are to be under the management
OF strangers; which is this: Let our
business men who are willing to do
something to encourage the location of
manufacturing enterprises, donate In
lands, lots or money, such an amount
as they are willing to invest in such
manner. Let these donations be made
in trust to the Board of Trade, with
power to turn the lands into cash.
When this has been done, arrange and
advertise an excursion from Kansas
City for the purpose of selling these
lands. This would certainly realize
something, and probably afford a reason
able amount of money with which to
undertake the erection of some manu-
featuring enterprises on as large a
scale as would be prudent to begin
with. Among the enterprises which
can be started with comparatively small
means and with great certainty of prof.
it are, canning factory, creamery, a
broom factory, an overall factory, and
40 doubt others which will suggest
themselves. \ large wooden mill can
sasily be secured, and is not beyond the
means of Dodge City to secure it now.
rhe men who contribute of money or
ands to create this fund would be
to proportionate amount,
md the plan we suggest would result
n securing those enterprises which all
arge towns must have to insure pros
.erity, without giving away the cost of
them. 1t would simply be an invest
nent, and managed with ordinary pru-
ence, it could not fail of being prof
table one to individuals as well as to
ur city. Insted of giving away money
0 buy these enterprises, our propo-
ition is to invest the money in build
ng them, and then hire men to run
hem. When such an institution is
uilt, if a purchaser can be found who
vii buy it for half what it cost, we can
Ill it, and would call it much more
rofitable investment than has been
lade by many of our sister towns. In
uch matters it does not pay to wait, to
'ish or to talk, but it does day to move, !
0 act aud to do something.
WE ST KANS AS.
CITY THE CAPITAL
OF \ NEW STATE.
e Al | l..