Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-09
GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
HOW TO MAKE KANSAS CITY 4 MAN.
UFACTURING CITY.
PATR0NIZE HOME INDUSTRIES.
MR- o. v. DODGE READsAPAPER BE-
FORE THE COMMERCIAL CLUB.
Advises the Fostering of Small Plants
Rather Thnn Efforts 10 Secure
the Removal to This City
of Long Established
Institutions.
PATRONIzE HOME INDUSTRIES.


was read by Mr. o. Y. DoEge, vice preSi-
dent Of the Kansas city Hay Press Com
pany.
A communication was read from the
Trs3es League Of Philadelphia requesting
the club 10 adopt resolutions in favor of
one term Of six years for the president Of
the United States. The subject was made
a SPECIAL order for the meeting of JaDu-
AIRY u.
At the next meeting Of the club Mr..
Thomas James. of r C. Dun & Co. viii
read a paper on the subject, Commercial
Day"
IN the course of his paper Mr.. Dodge said
Of Kansas City as a manufacturing city:
at has been said that the business houses
Of a city are It's veins through which
courses its life blood. Then, if this be
true. the manufactures of city must be
its arteries supplying those veins and there
by aiding TO its strength. its energy and its
vitality.
The large mercantile houses of our city,
both wholesale and retail, in purchasing.
their goods of Eastern manufactures and
Teselling them in our tributary territory
give employment to many hundreds of our
people, and the difference between the cost
and selling price aids materially in build
ang up and identifying our city and in
making Kansas City a good place TO live
in.' But at the same time, the manufact-
ureTs profit is lost to US and is sre1t
elsewhere. How much better il would he.
81 We could manufacture these articles herE'
and give employment TO these among; US
who seek II and secure to our city the
manufacturers profit TO still further aid in
building up our business and our city.
TO do this requires a united effort, as
well az a personal effort by adj of our cit
izens, as well as by our commercial bodies
Kansas City has many manufactures. of
which she feels proud, just as she does of
her successful business houses The num-
ber of them, and their varied lines make Il
impossible to go into detail concerning them
Some OF them are large requiring iarg.
buildings for workshops and warehouses
and require heavy machinery of the latest
pattern in their operation. while others re-
quire simply workshops. but their relative
Importance to the city cannot be estimated
from the size of the plant.
Most OF our manufactures look only to
the trade which is considered as naturally
belonging to this market while few seek
q broader field and have. by the nature of
the article and its superior merits. forced
i,s sale into all the territory of this great
country requiring that class of article and
thereby not only opening a market for fut-
ure sales. but doing much to let other sec
1ions know that Kansas City is fast pre-
pairing TO take her proper place among the
manufacturing cities of the country.
'It might be urged by some that our ge-
ographical location was against us in the
: competition for Eastern business. So il is,
and it IS only by superior merit Of our
goods that We can hope to compete in that
direction.
But there are always and everywhere
people who are willing to pay good price
IL
vince them that your claim of superiority
IS based on fact
There is nothing which speaks better
FOR city and which helps to build ii up
more rapidly than the opening of factories.
How are these factories to be secured?
Shall we offer large inducements. common
" called 'bonuses2 l think not. Large
and important factories, with a well es-
1ablshed trade. are the only ones which
are entitled to consideration under this
head. and they rarely change their Ioca-
tion. How many OF You gentlemen of the
Commercial Club have known of removals
from place to place Of established and
prospecting factories? Very few, I feal
sure; they cannot afford It. II is usually
efter they cease 10 be profitable that they
seek new locations and require a bonus.
1T is the small plants-the beginners
which mostly require our attention; fac
tories beginning in a small way, being
added to as necessity may require, which
by thrift and industry and careful watch
inE on the part OF the management will
grow little by little, almost impercepdbly
into large institutions owning ground.
building warehouses. paying taxes. giving
employment to hundreds OF laborers of
both sexes and paving out to them month
" many thousands of dollars. thus becom-
3nE important factors in the city's com
merce. their interests being at all times
ygFV la a lid Il.
n large.
NO bonus, however inviting it may be,
would be considered sufficient to warrant a
removal That's the kind of factories Kan
ras City wants. Kansas city now has in
uustr1al and manufacturing pursuits Civ
ing employment 10 almost, if not quite.
.4I0 empioyes. to whom is paid annually
over Slo.5Ol0U. tfese institutions buying
annually raw material amounting 10 $J7-
NN.pg and selling over Si01GD0I1 OF finished
product. leaving a balance Of Si30oaGlg for
wages and other natural expenses and
profits. We are constantly finding sur
Trises-iuSt as We did 10 find that Kansas
Tity contained the largest mandatory of
twist tobacco in the United States. and yet
We might have known that as Kansas City
some WAY or another always gets and
keeps in the lead in whatever she under
takes
when in search Of purchases. We should
she preference. merit OF the article and
cost OF same properly considered.
To my mind. no city in the West IS 50
Rdvs1taEeously located as is Kansas City
for the manufacture Of many lines. and
Yet while / am proud of my home city and
OF her great possibilities, I am not one Of
thosc who believe that We are adapted 10
the manufacture Of all articles Of com
merce. hut with the great iron mines Of
the South almost n her door, and the large
forests Of our own and our sister states
containing an almost insXhausl able supply
Of woods best adapted for our class OF
manufartoTiss. together with the vast coal
fields surrounding Us ana supplying us with
coal at a minimum cost. there Is no rea-
son why. with the proper talent and pluck.
Kansas City should not become a mIuu-
featuring city OF vast proportions
'Onc OF the most important necessities
OF a misunderstanding city is thoroughly good
railroad facilities. In this direction. Kan
sas City Is exsciled by only one or two
cities Of our nation. With railroads reach
sng n. every direction. furnishing unequal
ed advantages Tor bringing in the raT ma
terial and for sending ont the finished ar
1icle. We are in a position 10 maintain our
trade against all competitors In the great
West.
''To increase the number Of our factories.
let us advertise in the best way to secure
the widest publicity. doubtless through our
own city papers. that We want more fac
tories located here. and authorize the
printing OF a pamPhle; setting forth the
many general advantages offered by our
city as a manufacturing point
Those who desire specific Information