The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-04-23
ATTENTION AUSTIN.
A FEW WORDS WHICH SHOULD RE
oElyg SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
PropD.itions lo Locate Factories In Austin
and No one to Answer Them.
Where Is the Board of
Trade?
10 the Editor Of The Statesman:

To the Editor Of The Statesman:
The citizens OF Austin who are interested
IN the growth and progress of this city and
its rapid Development into an industrial
center must begtir themselves little or all
the work Of the Commercial club will have
gone for Daught,
/ have from Ii me to time given to the press
office, simply to demonstrate to the subscrib-
srs to the advert, sing fund that their money
was accomplishing results-the results
IL was hoped would be accomplished, viz:
That the attention of investors and manu-
facturers would be attracted to Austin.
have not given out for publication all the
letters received here for obvious reasons |;
but that should not have deferred the men
Of Austin mos. deeply interested in its wei.
fare from visiting this office reading the
letters received and taking some action
on direct propositions from manufacturers
10 locate here
have now eight or ten direct PROPOSE
lions from manufacturers in different parts
OF the United States to locate their manu-
featuring establishments in Austin, pro =
yded the citizens of Austin would take
q certain amount of stock and provi lie sites
for the location of factories or contribute
certnin amount as bonus. What answer
can ! make to such propositions? What
answer can the finance committee OF the
Commercial club, composed OF DR.. J.. j.
Tobin, Mr.. j. NJ. Boroughs and Mr.. .. IL.
Miller make to such propositions These
three gentlemen have worked earnestly and
thoroughly as the supervising committees
OF this advertising work, ana AUSTIN IS
under obligations to them tor this self
sacrificing devotion to duty as progressive
citizens But their work in this con :
nection has limit. They are
not,authori2ed to make contracts to pay
anybody q bonus to locate factory here,
nor ere they authorized TO guarantee that Il
certain amount of stock can be placed in
Austin, il order to secure the location OF
manufacturing establishment. The only
thing, then, hat can be written to manu-
faoturer making such u proposition is an
earnest inyi alton TO visit Austin, meet our
people, LOOK over the ground, study the
situation from a geographical standpoint,
also from o standpoint comprehending the
prONiminity to raw materials, anu the
great ana growing market for Tin
ished product. This, however, Is
absolutely unsatisfactory to a man who
contemplates the removal of his plant to
the far southwest. Many of them live in
The extreme northeast and are unwilling
to defray the expenses of visit to Austin
on an uncertainty when other cities like
Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston and Calves
ton are willing, ready, and are actually
making direct counter propositions to
every proposition from manufacturers, thus
giving the manufacturer to understand ex-
actly what they will do in the premises,
provided his statements are correct,
aud then invite him to visit them
that the subject may be thoroughly
investigsted. The manufacturer then
knows exactly what to expect. If the
proposition suits him, he knows he is not
chasing rainbOws when he spends his