The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-04-23
Encourage Home Enterprises.

The Boot and Shoe Recorder in recent
issue has good deal to say Of the pera-
use that term. 1t tells of the inducements
offered by many Maine towns to secure
shoe factories, and of the demands of the
manufacturers, which in some cases are
the reverse of modest. For example,
PASSPORT was asked to raise SIS, 900 to
bring shoe factory there. and did 50,
not satisfied with that and returned the
subscriptions. A shoe manufacturer of
fered to come to Brewer, provided the
citizens would build factory to cost S.
900 and furnish S12, 900 cash, he to fur
nish 81, 900 in cash and his experience for
S13, 900 worth of stock in the same com
pany The same town had another propo-
siticn calling for the erection of factory
to cost so, 600 to S25, 600, and room
enough to double the same if required;
and ''other Inducements the nature of
which is not stated. Springvale was ask
ed to contribute $50, 900 of capital for a
shoe manufacturer. A Massachusetts
manufacturer offered to come to Maine
if stock company is formed with
capital stock of $4,000, of which he will
furnish SIS, 900, while the citizens must
subscribe 81, 900 and erect factory to
the building for five or ten years and pay
per cent. on the actual cost as rent and
the city must abate the taxes for a period
of ten years. These are specimen propo-
sitions. and in many instances they have
been accepted with most unsatisfactory
results. For example, the Gardiner Re
porter Journal says:
''Eastport came ont with its shoe fac
tory about the same as Gardiner did-at
least it didn't get the factory, although it
raised the money. The company that was
to come did not pan out satisfactorily. 1t
was hardly to be expected that reliable
firm would go so far out of the way of
business, when it could do as we'll or bet
ter nearer Boston-in Gardiner tor in
stance''
Speaking of the same tiasco, the Bangor
correspondent of a Boston paper says: ga
number of tramp shoe factory enterprises
have exploded just the same way. Bangor
hasn't had any of these 'tramps' thrust
upon it, but the paint factory fingers in
fragrant memory"
The Lewiston Journal says: ''Baths
shoe factory suspension is a fresh illustra-
ton, added to the long Maine list, of the
unsatisfactory results of putting a bust
ness enterprise on an endowed eleemosy-
nary basis
The Boot and Shoe Recorder says fur
Their on this subiect:'
Nearly every shoe manufacturing center
has vacant factories to-day which were
built for shoe factories and which would
require but little outlay to tit for running,
are right in shoe centers where skilled
help can be obtained by hanging out a
want sign. Why should these factories
remain unoccupied and towns in other
places be invegled into spending thou
sands OF dollars to build other factories,
which are as likely to be vacated just as
soon as the towns commence to levy taxes
or sooner if the concern fails, as now
seems to be the fashion.
Remember, the man who can be bribed
to come to your town may be bribed to
leave it to 90 elsewhere. While there are
many reputable and deserving firms who
might be induced by earnest solicitation
and money inducement to change their
location, there are three times as many
incompetent and positively dishonest men,
who are willing to work such schemes for
the money they think they can get out of
them.
The year of Our Lord 1896 is not a good
year to start a shoe mandatory in any
country village.
Here is material for thought Why
should we extend to strangers the aid
and encouragement refused to home capt.
tai and labor? In 1872 the Belfast Manu-
featuring Co. erected a building at cost
of s14, 600 anG leased it for shoe factory.
1t fourished for time and then the bust
ness was removed to Rockland, Mass
and many of our people went there for
employment. Later, home capital started
the factory again, and it has since run con-
tinually, even through the depressing
times of the past year, when shoe manu-
facturers were failing all over New Eng
land. In 1873 the Mathews Bros. erected
sash, door and blind factory, and were
exempted from taxation for ten years.
They had little cash capital, but abundant
energy, industry and enterprise, and they
built up business that has employed
ever since 40 or more hands, and their
work is known all over the United States.