Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-10-10
sOUTHERN INVESTMENT INVEST MEN I
Difficulties Which Capitalists Believe
 Are in the Way.
A Few Sober Expressions From soutner" Men on the subject of Why sapltai Is Shy of mvestment-Norenei"
 Capitalists, Too, Give Aheif
 Views on the subject

With it's splendid resources, mll1ons of acres of unplowed fertile lands. oroau forests of untouched timber, ledges ol coal and mountains of mineral, Arkah- sas, the center of the great southwest, ought to enjoy business reVlval anu an era of improvement greater tnan ii any other section of the country. Wnl they come? For number of years the people of Arkansas have labored to obtain more railroads, manufactures and immigration, but the effort has noe produced satisfactory results. Indeed, the problem which for years has most puzzled men of enterprise and puoIIc spirit is how to induce capital to ln= crease the wheels of industry Tn this prolific land? If Arkansas were a bar ren waste it would be easy to solve the problem, but it is a region which abounds in raw materials, a land whose climate admits of more days for out door labor than any other section ot the globe; land in which the cost ot living is cheaper than in any state not situated in the same latitudei state which lies in the path of projected rail- roads from the grain producing regions to the gulf, and over which will some day pass the bulk of western grain for export; state which produces a suti- ciency of cotton to clothe the people of the republic and can furnish enough raw material of every kind to make all the manufactured products needed by it's population-why should such a state plead for capital or expend time in supplieating at the office of railroad builders? It ought to be sufficient to induce capital and railroads to simply present the advantages the state possesses to enterprising men who have capital to invest in paying ventures, but for some reason, well or i'll founded, they are timid when it comes to the point of placing money in southern enterprises and securities. Arkansas is not alone in fruitless efforts to induce capital to develop its resources. Other southern states have tried to influence capital and succeeded in part only in the undertaking. This problem in southern progress has en- grossed the attention of many of the best men of the southland. It has been discussed by immigration soeie- ties, boards of trade and commercial leagues, not to mention newspapers who debate the theme day in and day out. Recently. R. ". Martin, manu- faeturer at Jackson, Tenn, asked through the Manufacturers Record Of Baltimore, that northern capitalists and other persons be invited to state specifically why they were not disposed to invest in the south. The Manufact- urer's Record is a southern industrial, railroad and financial newspaper emi- nently friendly to southern progress and interests, and in response to it's request for reasons why capitalists hesitated to invest in southern enter prises number of answers were given, containing the sober views of bankers, railroad presidents and others associ- ated with monied corporations Com menting on these statements the Manu- faeturer's Record says:
 They are unpalatabIe to some persons. for they point directly to influences which stand in the way of full development of the magnifi- cent resources Of the south. The honest Iegis- lator and the man of affairs are not included in these influences, but 1t is urged that they should join to drive the demagogue from the position which he seeks and where he is a positive menace to the well being of his section. The Difficulties Investors Think They See.
 Samuel Spenser, president of the Southern Railway company, says:
 The real reason for many Of the disappoint- ments which have resulted from efforts to de- fne pa t1ra1 rpc0raee of fI4a rr45F are so abundant, has it's foundation in the evils which you now propose to attack, and unless those evils can be removed, unless the public aeitator can be forced to take position be- hind the active, intelligent business man, future efforts to develop these resources will continue to be seriously impeded as they have been in the pa t.
 Major J. Hanson, of Macon, Ga, expresses himself as follows:
 This is the doctrine to preach to our people in season and out of season. There are many opportunities for profitable investment iu the south, but when our people generally are judged by the incendiary utterances of a few with reference to corporations of every char acter and to capital in every form. it is no wonder that people who have capital to invest and who would gladly invest in enterprises here. are deterred from doing so.
 N. F. Thompson, secretary of the board of trade at Johnstown Pa, who is a southerner by birth, says:
 Every leading newspaperof the south should enter into a campaign of southern develop- ment and severely eschew politics for inc present at least. There are millions of money up here seeking investment The west is in disfavor. but capital will not go south uhtfl the south shows that it is wanted and will he rightly protected If that is done the tide of both capital and immigration will go south ward. The press of this section will heartily second such campaign. As a native soutb. erner, heartily thank you for your noble work. -sT9F
 Abram S. Hewett, ex-mayor of New York, says:
 Positive legislation interfering with con tracts must always result in loss to the parfv violating the cardinal doctrines of honesty which have been developed by the experience of business men. I am glad. therefore. that you have taken up the subject. and am sure that many of.the difficulties, which are now complained of, will disappear when capitalists shall be assured that they can make Invests ments, for the recovery of which they will not have to vindicate their rights In courts of lavv or be subject to defeat by legislative action.
 Henry Fink, president of the Nor folk and Western railway, says:
 It is generally known iu the east that inc south offers exceptionally good opportunities for investment of capital. but the impression