Morning journal and courier., 1892-07-29
OPPOSITION TO ENTERPRISES.

OPPOSITION TO ENTERPRISE.
A Prominent Citizen of New Haven
Discusses the Opposition Which
the Introduction of Foreign Capital
in New Haven Has Met.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The trouble and opposition which the
company who are laying the new electric
road down the east shore have experienced
in putting through the road and the re-
cent disturbance when portion of the
track was torn up by irate cottagers
seems to call for some comment from the
less conservative element Of the city, who
are generally very much in favor of any
thing for the improvement and progress
of New Haven.
tits generally understood that the money
behind the new road is furnished by an
outside syndicate, and this fact is talked
of and prated over as though it was an
inrosd instead of an addition to our home
capital. When other capital comes to this
city it comes under the espionage of our
local laws and helps to build up and i'm
prove the country. In other towns and
municipalities its coming is hailed with
delight and welcomed with as much pleas
ure as a colony of good citizens.
And it does seem strange that
80 many of the people of New Haven
should offer such violent opposition to
outside capital which wishes to come here.
1t is not only in horse car railroad enter
prises that opposition is met, but in others
as we'll. It is fact that several years ago
onfarrrisinn vrieho1 70 ofor a
thread mill here. But no hearty welcome
was extended to it and they went to Fall
| River, Mass, instead where they now have
mill employing 5000 operatives, thus
| losing to New Haven large enterprise and
| probably 10000 or 10 600 inhabitants. If
| it is not blindness and folly to let such op-
| portunities for greater industrial and en-
| terprising prosperity pass by, 1t seems
hard to arrive at the ideas which some
people hold of that which will promote the
interests of the city.
Much has been said of the continual
struggle that there is going on between
college and city Gil cles-between the town
and the gown. 1t is not unlikely that in
would have been far in advance of what il
is had it not been for the college. The col
lege has given certain portion of the
town rather dreamy, classic appearance
and it is good thing to have great uni
versity like Yale surrounded with condi
tions favorable to study, but this is no rea
son why the growth of the city in othel
directions should be hindered. But thu
| fact remains that university fails to pro
mote industrial progress in a town, al
though New Haven gains in spite of ever.
barrier like all possessed" Ithaca,N. Y.
is an excellent example of this. In 1867 i
1 oc
cial centers in southern New York, witt
number of manufactures. Since tn
founding of Cornell university, by som
mysterious policy all the factories hav
moved to neighboring towns, its trade be
fallen off and the town has assumed tn
| traditional sleepy aspect of universal
town. Perhaps New Haven would nc
| have had the trade and commerce whic
it now has had it not been almost neces
sity from the nature of its situation. An
, it seems when New Haven has SO much i
its favor-being the commercial and raj
road center of Connecticut, port of entry
healthful locality, plenty of room for tn
growth and expansion of the city-ths
the citizens who are in prominent position
, should take more interest in making he
, | realize the possibilities which she possesses
ii But in almost every instance the revers
is the fact. When men organize then
| selves together for the better accommod'
ton of the public in the city's street raj
way systems they are invariably opposed
In addition to the instances already cite
, there are many others with which the cit
was familiar few weeks ago. When til
Winchester avenue line was before til
public the most violent opposition was MT
when the company asked for track
, the corner of Church and Chapel street
in order to connect with the other line
This Is road that is capable of accommt
!, dating thousands of people, but b.
| cause it is denied proper privilege
, it is a losing venture. When I'll
West Haven road asked for two track
| across Chapel street for the better accon
3 ! mediation of their immense business
J ! was denied them. The quibbling and di
f | cussion pro and con which there has bee
t over the introduction of electricity as
D | motive power on the various roads, whe
| in numerous other cities all ovsr the coul
. try, especially in tho hustling progressi'
r | towns of the west, it had been manifest
proven to have been success, seems
= have been unnecessary to say the least.
o If more of the spirit of modern ente
t prise and progressiveness could be instillt
T among our prominent citizens it would
a grand good thing for the city.