Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-06
SELF HELP-MANUFACTURRS.

The time has surely come in Los An
geles when there ought to be some por-
ton Of the large amount of capital which
has been accumulated here for years
employed in the encouragement of man
ufactures. The HERALD does not claim
that our capitalists have been altogether
remiss in this respect. Any one who
cares to inquire can readily discover the
fact that many of our established indus
tries are being expanded at very graft
tying rate. To give an instance in point,
the Baker iron works is employing four
or five times as many hands as at this
time last year. The same. thing
could be said Of many other establish
ments. New ones are also being
erected. The Lankershim Canning and
Drying works promises to be great and
remlnerative industry. But we have
onlysmade beginning, comparatively,
andsome obviously profitable branches
of manufactures have been neglected al
together. This ought certainly to be a
good region for the manufacture OF
wooien goods, and yet we are not as far
advanced in that line as we, were fifteen
yeaH ago. Then it was possible to buy
Los Angeles cassimeres: and Los An
geles blankets. Years ago you
could find, here and there,
some Los Angeles gentlemen who
were proud to wear goods man ufactured
in this city. With splendid suppy OF
hides and an abundance of the wild
sumach-the best tanning material in
the world-growing in our cafions, we
have never tried to tan leather or erect
shoe-factories. The list of our delin-
quencies in the line of self-help could
be increased indie fnitely, but our object
is not to scold but to point the road to
future progress. An enterprising citi-
zen of San Bernardino county-Mr. Dick
Gird-has been the means of establish
ing great sugar mandatory at Chino.
A great iron foundry or rolling mill is
going up in San Diego county. 1t
surely behooves us to be up and doing.
1t is quite noticeable that all the great
enterprises that are now under way in
Los Angeles county are mainly being
pushed by outside capital. The Ter
minal railway is being built by St.
Louis syndicate. The Cable railway
was constructed by Chicago capitalists.
The Belt Electric railway is the work cf
San Francisco moneyed men. The move
ment which is now being witnessed in
the neighborhood OF Santa Monica has
the Southern Pacific railway behind it,.
Why should not Angeleilos themselves
be heard from in a numbered prosperity
compelling enterprises?
Just now there is great deal of talk
about potatoes rotting in the ground.
There are two seasons of the year when
"spuds" can be profitably grown for ex-
port in the East, that is, in tn g early
spring and late fall. The Los Angeles
farmer can grow two, and, with irriga-
ton, three crops of potatoes year.
Why should he not have m arket for
them at home, at all seasons.
A starch factory is the obvious rem
edy for over production of this staple.
In the county of Aroostook, Maine, the
farmer can command from $3.50 to Sc. so
q barrel for his potatoes from the starch
factory. A barrel contains three bush
els, or one hundfed and eighty pounds.
In other words, through the existence
of this industry in his midst, the Maine
farmer is assured of a cent and halt a
pound for his potatoes-a magnificent
return.
Why not have starch factories in Los
Angeles? Where could there be bet
ter paying investment?
We ought to cultivate self-help in this
community, as they do in New England.