Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-06
A NEW DEPARTURE.
Santa Fe Road Establishes an
Industrial Department.
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL BUSI-
NESS ENTERPRISES TO BE
FOSTERED.
James A. Davis Appointed Commits
sioner, With Headquarters In
Chicago.

The management OF the Santa Fe Route,
approaching the vast Importance of devel-
oping local business enterprises In the ter
ritory traversed by Its lines, has created
an industrial department., in charge OF an
experienced and competent Commissioner,
whose sole concern 1t will be to assist In
such development by acting as q means of
communication between would be invest
ors. seeking profitable employment of cap
ital, on the one hand, and the innumera.
BILE opportunities for such investment In
Western territory, upon the other. The
Third Vice-President of the SAINTS Fe has
accordingly addressed q communication
IN this subject &c the General Freight
Agents OF the entire ~ystem, a copy of
which communication we give below. The
significance Of this benef1cent policy to
communities, richer in opportunity han
In capital, will at once be APPARENT, and
10 will doubtless meet with hearty cooper
alton, everywhsre:
CHICAGO, November, 20, 1896.
Mr.. F. C. Gay. G. r. A., Topeka. Kan.
Mr.. L. j. Polk, G. +. A., Galveston, Tee.
Mr.. e. Chambers, G. F. A., Los Angeles,
Cal. .w0F
GENTLEMEN:-In pursuance with the
| policy we have already talked about, of
assisting in every way we consistently can.
same time fostering industries already To-
Gated on our line of road, we have estab-
lished an industrial Department.
Mr.. Jas. A. Davis has been placed in
charge of this department with the tito Of
Industrial Commissioner, with ~headquar-
ters at Chicago.
This department will, so far as 1t seems
compatible with propriety, take a paternal
interest in the development of the towns
and territory served by our Company, and
1t will respond promptly to all calls for CO.
operation in the establishment of facto-
ries, location of mills and the development
Of any and all resources that may be dis
covered.
1t will e%ndeavor, where necessary, to
place produce in touch with markets, and
in a general way 1t will undertake to bring
about improved conditions all over our
System.
1t will not attempt to boom any one
town as against another; in fact, It will
not IN any way favor booms, but will pro-
coed on the theory that a solid, continuous
growth is better than a boom, and its Of.
forts will be in that direction.
1t will not take any financial interest in
proposed industries, as it will have no
money to invest nor cash to contribute.
The Industrial Department will not as
sist in the location of creameries where
there are no cows, nor rolling mills in q
country without either iron ore. fuel or
coke, nor in any way will it knowingly
lend its support to a proposition that
seems wrong, either geographically, com
mercially or financially.
Ma%nufactoriy g that consume native raw
materials will be encouraged. For exam
pie, in the corn belt there does not appear
to he any reason why hominy mills. glu-
cose, syrup, sugar and starch factories, If
properly mansged should not thrive.
These factories should all begin in q
small way. The capital invested should
not all be put into working plants. 1t
takes money to operate a factory after it
is built; and the primary essential is good
management. Nothing succeeds with poor
management.
/ write you at length ON this subject,
because 1t seems very important to me
that everybody along our line ought to
know how we feel about this matter. We
want to be in touch with the people we
serve, and we want them to know that we
appreciate that anything we do towards
building up and enriching the towns and
country we traverse, builds up and enriches
this Company.
Mr.. Davis will be glad. at any time, to
hear from Boards of Trade, Commercial
CLUBS, Alliances or any organic.
ed bodies, as well as firms and individuals,
and will make It bis business to visit and
advise with any community wishing to es-
tablish manufactures or in any way desir-
Jog to improve their condition.
Circular announcing Mr.. Davis appoint
ment will be issued to-day, and I think il
would he well for you to advise all your
subordin ate officers as to what we desire
to accomplish, in order that we NAV get
the qrenfast reeuita from fha Indust,j.f
Department.
Youss truly.
tSigned) PAUL MORTON,
Third Vice President