Smyrna times., 1890-11-26
A Grave Question Confronting us.

a Grave Question Confronting Us.
The Newark correspondent of the
EUery EUening in his letter to that
journal on Monday, had the following
notice of a change of industry, that
greatly interests our community. The
writer says:
a most important step was taken on Su.,
arday afternoon, toward securing for this
town another new industry in the form of
Il large vegetable canning establishment.
This was a large meeting of prominent far
mers Of the vicinity and the members of
the board of trade, held in Grange Hall,
to confer together and with the firm of Me-
Cav Brothers, Gamers of Smyrna this
state. The meeting was brought about by
the board of trade, which for some months
has been conducting quiet negotiations with
this hrm, relative to It's future location here.
This change on the part of the McGaw
Brothers has been made necessary because
OF transportation arrangements and rates,
the company desiring to locate its new fac
! tory along ttrunk line and within easy
communication with large cities. In look
ing over II large territory the Messrs. Nc
Cav became favorably impressed with
Newark, with its four railroads. An addi-
tlOna incentive, perhaps, was the generOs-
lty of the standing offer of tho town to do
nate excellent land for manufacturing sites
| and to exempt new industries from local
taxation for period often years. The Nc
Cav Brothers can corn, tomatoes, peas and
! pumpkins, mostly the first two. To supply
the new concern with these, it will be nee
essary to have 600 acres III corn and 500
acres IN tomatoes planted within radius
OF five miles, and the meeting on Saturday
| was for the purpose of ascertainng how
many farmers would contract to plant a
certain acreage in these products to supply
| the cannery.
There were present about 80 of the most
! prominent farmers in the vicinity. They
| explained that they would pay So per ton
| for tomatoes, 50 for corn, 81, for pumpkins
| and that 1t would require about |, 100 acres
| to keep them supplied. After much dis
| cusSlon the farmers came to the conclusion
| that at these prices, corn, tomato, pumpkin
and pea culture would be more profitable
| than grain and other farm products Ac-
| cordingly a large acreage forne spring
was at once pledged by those present, The
! committee Is to report next Saturday after
| noon, and rs their report is almost certain
! to be gratifying and favorable, Newark is
! pretty certain of the early establishment of
II new industry, which will not only en-
| plOy jOO fersOns but open II most profitable
| home market to the farmers all around this
neighborhood Newark evidently has
board Of trade to be prond of, and one that
seeks to give to new industries y LEGAL hab-
itatiOn and II name
The above statement is one that has
volume of meaning to our cOnmun-
ity, viz shall we lose another of our
large industries in addition to those
that have already disappeared from
sight? 1t was fOndly hoped that we
had got to the bottom in our downward
business movement, but the above
makes it possible thing that the end
is not yet. We have no Board of
Trade; we haven't even the requisite
spirit of combination, but we have a
board of Town Commissioners. who in
the absence Of any other organization
ought to be able to do something. If
our charter is SO CirCumscribed that the
Commissioners have no authority to
grant certain privileges looking to the
public benefit and upbuilding of the
town, let US ask the Legislature that
VIII be III session in few weeks for
amendments that will give us the priv
llege. Dover IS going to do this and
smyrna should avail itself of every le
gal and community facility, or in the
sharp contest for business establish.
ments it will have its life blood further
sucked out of It,
We haven't time nor space in this is
sue to argue what should be apparent
to every property owner, that if we do
not maintain our population their
houses must go tenanuless to the store
Keeper, that IT our places of business
are idle and houses vacant thev must
be short OF customers to our churches
schools, etc, that if we do not have the
people ana they in prosperous condi.
toh, thelr interests must languish. 1t
Is better to have few extra dollars tax
on house than have that house 90 a
whole year without tenant. =
The MessrS. McGaw have not hod
the advantages extended We under
sand, that have been offered in other
places, but there is no reason WHY tbev
cannot be In given time. AS far as
| growing the product, with our warm.
fertile soil, our farmers have shown.
| las was the case last summer, that
they can turn tin an the manufacturers
until 1t becomes a burden, The fact
cannot be gainsayed that no town on
the Peninsula in material advantages
/ OF soil and position is better or as well
located as Smyrna. 1t has all the ad-
vantages of shipping freight on the
railroad that is afforded other towns
but 1t has infinitely mOre-a navigable
stream, where steamboats, and sballoDs
can come within one mile of the town
aiordIng cheap transportation to the
| great cities-Oheaper than any other
inland town. With these natural adj
Va6tages Smyrna cannot be wiped out
ana II there is not loyalty enough to
the town in its present citizens to keen
Its standard aaoat, there will be a time
and population that will.