The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-08-31
How Southern Towns May Secure
Manufactures.
CEDARTowN, GA, August 81.

:
The first thing for a town to do toward
securing manufactures is to organize a
1 business mems association, in which in
dividual ambition and self interest shall
! be laid aside. Let this association meet
often, but never discuss politics Or re>
ligion in its meetings. Let every MEM
Der strive to carry out all plans that, in
the aggregate wisdom of the association,
may be considered best calculated to
promote the welfare of the town.
/ A town should always deal literally
with manufacturers seeking locations
1t can well afford to remit all city taxes
/ for three or five years on almost any kind
i of a manufacturing plant. If it owns
/ systems of water works and lights it can
also afford to furnish water and light,
when but little is required, entirely free
for the same period; or, for factorias us
ing large quantities OF water or many
lights, it should furnish these at actual
cost. Such liberality fosters industries
that employ men whose families patron
/ ize the stores and shops, who build
|
and aid in the support of the churches,
schools and all other institutions of the
place.
After the expiration of the term for
which taxes are RENTED and water and
lights furnished free or at cost, the town
has. in the industry, a large taxpayer
and good customer for it's water and
lights, SO that, financially, it is a gamer
by its ~liberality and has added to it's
population, wealth and manufacturing
Importance.
If individuals cannot be found to do
nate ground suitable for manufacturing
sites, then money should be. raised by
subscription or appropriated by the town
council to purchase the sites. When the
town pays for a site every taxpayer is a
bears his share of the expense in pro-
/ portion to his property interest in the
town. Should the town charter forbid
appropriations for such purposes then
/ the citizens association should by all
means get the charter amended at the
LtAl SESSION VI llle leS1SIdt UTC
In addition to the donation of site, it
will often pay a town handsomely also
to erect the. necessary buildings for an
/ industry. This may be accomplished in
different ways-either by the council APP
propriating the money to erect them, or
by private individuals building them
and taking their pay in the capital stock
OF the mandatory; or the town or pri-
vate individuals may erect the buildings
and lease them to the manufacturer for
/ a term of years at Il reasonable rate OF
interest on the investment, giving to
him the option of purchasing the build
| ings. with the ground, at any time dur
| ing the term of the lease for the actual
cost of the buildings. Such inducements
would often secure an industry worth
| thousands of dollars to place, especially
if exemption from city taxes and water
and lights free or at cost were preferred.
For many small. though profitable in
dustries, the building and power are the
largest part of the cost An individual
or a company could put up a cheap in-
dustrial building to encourage and foster
these small industries by renting to them
both room and power Such a building
need not be over one story high, from
thirty to fifty feet wide and from 100 to
to 800 feet in length. AT one end place
boiler and engine and run a line of shaft
ing through the entire length of the
building. Divide the structure into
rooms of convenient size by partitions
crossing it from swenty-five to forty feet
apart then lease these rooms to manu>
facturers with the necessary power to
run their machinery. This enables them
to start with but little outlay and estab
fish their business. In few months or
years they outgrow this building and
build for themselves and move out, Civ
ing room for other beginners to move in
and commence as they did and build up
their trade. The owner of the industrial
building rents out space and furnishes
power for Il good interest on his invest
ment and is establishing in the town nu-
merous valuable industries that could
never get start otherwise.
Another way to give aid is to donate
land or lots near the proposed location
| of the plant. The real estate donated,
of but little value without the factory.
! becomes valuable as soon as the factory
starts; and while the manufacturer re-
ceves handsome bonus in real estate,
! the people gave what was perhaps al
most worthless and get back their dona-
tons many times over by the increased
value of all other real estate near the
factory.
| A common error of towns is to seek
only large industries, costing up into
tens of thousands, and overlooking the
smaller ones that can be started for a few
hundred or a few thousand dollars A
multitude of small, diversified industries
are worth far more to town than the
same amount of money invested in one
| large concern.
Good free schools win facilitate the
work of securing manufactures. Any
community wanting to build up manu-
featuring in its midst should lose no
time in establishing a system of free
public schools. 1t will more than pay
it's cost every year after being put in OF
Grafton, and be the best advertisement a
town can have and strong attraction to
manufacturers.
Having briefly outlined some of the
methods by which manufacturers may
be aided and induced to locate iii a town
after their attention has been directed
to its advantages, it remains to point out
the best means of securing their atten-
ton and bringing these advantages to
their notice.
They must, first of all, be informed
where they can find desirable locations.
This they cannot know by intuition or
] instinct. The manufacturers the South
wants usually reside hundreds of miles
away.
The cheapest, quickest aud most effect
/ i've method of informing them of our add