Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-25
And the Question of Manu-
factories in This State.
NATURES own eeaglIloNs.
FUNDAMENTAL ooNDTTIoNs.


be called, natures conditions, ranks to-day
above par with any state in the Union in
its natural resources to encourage home
manufactures The mineral and agricul-
.tu-al resources Of the state with which to
sUpply the raw material, are unsurpassed
n the world, and 3sqsss Lar sufficient TO
Justify grolt * eetatlons resuTriflg ~1roEtil
the establishment of many different classes
ofananufactories.
TRADE CONDITIONS
THE trade conditions also justify favorable
e{yectations. Practically speaking, there
she very few manufactures west of the
Missouri and Mississippi river, we're all
conditions on an equality, that could hope
10 coeapete against home enterprise Wlehin
rhiskstata. Jgeiex penses5ssd the tiHzscon-
suni d in reaching magiSet Very q as6rial lys
lessSnea likews 25e eSpense and time
whicAeuery. lsftess slfan sfecog1iizes Il be
Of gre1t itas Stance - these viIhes OF com
petitiye rprise .aniY push. 81 y
SElGHT ,BiTE COSDfTtONs. 81
AdnSssing wh5Ehas alrea9s been saif TO
be tIs5s, and h4edly think any man VIII be
found to contradict it, does not the axiom
stand out boldly, that were the freight
rates from any manufacturing point in
Texas to any other point within the state
10 higher than they were from other for
eign producing markets outside of the state
10 same points within it, would not the
1rG'9nb rate COuQlUlOQS SIll1 De favorable 10
home manufactures, and, under Ike rates
conditions, until distributing distances ont
side the state equaled or exceeded thssdis-
tances from foreign manufactures INSANE
distributing centers, would not Texas man
ufactories be on a parity, to saxsthe least,
with foreign works to such .iforeIga cen
tsrs2 Can any one idisplsse this logIcl
Are the freight rates on shy product or
article manufactured within the state, from
point Of manufacture togFhy point of desti-
nation within the state{in any instance as
high as they are on saeie product or article
from any competing manufacturing point to
same destination Iydoubt if such an in
stance can be found within the state. If
such a rate or rags do exist, it is in VIOLA
ton of law, nnd an unintentional
error or oversight in The tariff,
subject TO imHediate correction. The
rates on all comHlodities and classes from
st. Louis to DeSison, PARIS. GainssTft1esx
Fort Worth, Daaas, San Af<o1ie and al
other Texas corAnon points ne the sags,
which means thAt any manufactured pro-
duct or article fApm St. Louis 10 anXseQpS-
mon point in Tee;as would take ths1saxi-
mum, or highestafate. Now, the gs5e from
any manufacturing point in 1Ssls to anyl
other consuming Apoint withiHYthe state
on the same y product or article
would not reaeb the maximum
or highest rata until distances
OF from $50 to 500 mileSAhad been reached,
and the maximum rate ss6eR SO reached
would still be considerably 4fess.x than the
ST Louis rate, and to all intermedfate
points between the point first taking tine
maximum rate, and the Texas point of
manufacture the rates would largely de-
crease. thereby giving,the home works a
large differential percentage in the rates in
their favor, which would be very materially
increased when the manufactured product
or article came from competing markets
east OF the Mississippi river and
all Texas knows that the bulk of
manufactured articles used within the
state come from points on and east of the
Mississippi river, reaching largely into the
interior, New England and sea board cities.
Has it not now been proved beyond queS-
ton of dispute that natures conditions,
trade conditions, and freight rate conditions
are all favorable to home manufactures,
against foreign competition, and yet the
railway commission informs the people that
tha railroads are responsible for the failure
on the part of investors to avail themselves
Of these favorable conditions, and
invest their money in Texas manufact-
cries, and whel any such investments are
made and failure is the result, the com
mission informs the people the rap2city OF
the railroads was the cause. The com
mission evidently believes that the railway
commission law gives them the same
licensed monopoly of abuse and invective
that It does of the railroads constitutional
rights in property and revenue. Thanks to
an all wise providence, the patriotism, and
honor of these same people IS such that
when once aroused to the truth they will
hurl to political death any man or body of
men who has attached to them the stain of
dishonor.
GENERAL UNFAvoRABLE CONDITIONS.
! must confess myself far less competent
to treat Of this side of the subject than 1
was Of the favorable side, and can only do
so in general way. Almost actual con
ditious could. however, easily be obtained
in any particular manufacturing enterprise
contemplated by personal investigation of
all the conditions favoring what IS sup
posed to be the strongest foreign Compel
itor against which the home enterprise
would be likely TO come into competitive
contact The foreign investor who con
templated starting mandatory in Texas
could himself more than likely furnish this
information definitely enough to base cal
culation upon. The price OF labor we
know would be largely increased. This
would have to be considered as well in the
cost Of the raw material as in its manu-
facture at the works.
This feature would necessarily bear a
large percentage of the increased expense,
from the fact that nothing like the wages
approximating those paid in the East would
hold labor in works here for any length of
time. The opportunities for men to branch
out and enter into business, or locate on
farms and make homes for themselves IN
Texas, are as fifty to one against similar
opportunities presenting themselves in the
East The cost OF living we know to be
much greater, in order to afford anything
like approximate comforts. The ar
tisan in the East can obtain a home
with modern conveniences and comforts
attached TO it for from So TO $15 month
that could not be obtained in Texas for less
than SIS or $50 a month. If at all. The
price of living could be partly remedied IN
time or at the start by making the laborers'
homes part Of the Investment OF the plant.
Constant change of labor is expensive. This
increased cost of labor and living would
naturally restrict the distributing ter
ritory into foreign consuming points and
confine 1t very largely at home, as 1t |
could not be expected to compete largely
with those conditions against you into
foreign territory where your competitor,
with these conditions in his favor. would |
meet yeu on a parity of freight rates. |
There is but little country north or east OF |
Texas where those unfavorable conditions |
would not be met. Restriction OF possible |
product means higher prices in order 10 |
meet expenses, against which comes IN |
Yo1r competitor with a trade already |
established, apart from Texas, amply |
SUFFICIENT for his support and who |
considers Texas trade merely as |
auxiliary and in order TO retain 1t could |
well afford during your early and most Sc
we're trials 10 sell goods against you at cost.
TJera Won have the fT.aGa conditions which 4