Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-20
A NEW DEPARTURE.
Santa Fe Road Establishes an
Industrial Department.
OF LOCAL BUsI-
NESS ENTERPRISES TO BE
FOSTERED.
James A. Davis Appointed Commits
sioner, With Headquarters In
Chicago.

The management OF the Santa Fs Route,
approaching the vast Importance Of dsvel-
oping local business enterprises in the ter
ritory ~traysrsed 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 means OF
communication between would. be invest
ors, seeking profitable employment Of cap
ital, on the one hand. and the innumsra-
Bile opportunities for such Investment In
Western territory, upen the other. The
Third Vics-Prssidsnt Of the Santa Fe has
accordingly addressed a communication
on this subject to the General Freight
Agents OF the entire 'ystsm, a copy Of
| which communication We give below. The
significance Of this bene6csnt policy to
communities, richer In opportunity than
Fin capital, will 81 once be apparsnnt, and
10 will doubtless meet with hearty cooper
atisn, svsry whore:
CHICAGO, November, 20, 1896.
| Mr.. y. @. Gay. G. r. A., Topeka, Kan.
Mr.. L. j. Polk, @. r. A Galveston, Tes.
Mr.. Il. Chambers, @. +. H., Los angeles,
Cal.
/ Ill PtEouhuCv WIN buw
policy we have already talked about, Of
assisting In every way va consistently can.
in locating new enterprises and at the
same time fostering industries already To-
Gated on our line Of road, VIZ rave estab-
lishsd an Industrial Department.
Mr.. Jas. A. Davis has been placed in
| charge of this department with the title OF
industrial Commissioner, with headquar-
tsrs at Chicago.
This department. will, so far as ii seems
compatible with propristy, take a patsrnal
interest In the development Of the towns
and territory served BY our Company, and
IL will respond promptly to all calls for CO.
operation In the establishment of facto-
ries, location of mills and the devslopmsnt
of any and all resources that may be dis
covered.
1t will e%ndeavor, where necessary, ITO
place produce In touch with markets, and
In . general way 1t will undertake TO bring
about improved conditions all over our
System.
Ii 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 bstter than a boom, and its ef-
forts will be in that direction.
1t will not take any financial interest in
proposed industries, as it will a 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 sither 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.
Manufactures that consume native raw
materials will be encouraged. For exam
pie, in the corn bolt there docs not appear
to be any reason why hominy mills, glu-
coss, syrup, sugar and starch factories, II
properly managed should not thrive.
These factories should all begin in a
small way. The capital invested should
not all be put into working plants. 1t
takes money to operate a factory after IL
10 built, and the primary essential is good
management. Nothing succssds with poor
management.
I write you at length on this subject,
because IL 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 ~ them to know that we
appreciate that anything We do towards
building up and enriching the town and
country we traverse builds up and enrichss
this Company.
Mr.. Davis will be glad. at any time, to
hear from Boards of Trade, Commercial
Clubs. Farmers Alliances or apysorganiz.
ed bodies, as well as q ms and individuals.
and will make it his business to visit and
advise with any community wishing to es-
tablish manufactures or In any way dssir-
Jog to improve their condition.
Circular announcing Mr.. Davis appoint
mept will be issued to-day, and / think it
would be well for you to advise all your
subordinate officers as to what we desire
to accomplish, in order that we may get
the greatest results from the Industii al
Department.
Yours truly,
(Signsd) PAUL MORTON,
Third Vice President.