The Van Buren press., 1897-10-30
SOUTHERN INVESTMENT.
Difficulties Which Capitalists Believe
Are in the Way.
A Few setter Expressions From Southern
Men ON the subject of Why Capital
Is shy of inNestment-Nnrther
Capitalists, Toe, Give Their
Views ON The subject.

forests of untouched timber. Iedges ol
eoal aud mountains of mineral, Arkan-
sas, the center Of the great southwest,
ought Ia enjoy business revival and
an era Of Improvement greater than
any other section OF the country. VIII
they come? For number of years the
people of Arkansas have labored to
obtain more railroads, manufactures
and immigration. but the effort has not
produced satisfactory results. Indeed,
the problem which for years has most
puzzled men Of enterprise and public
spirit IS how to induce capital to in
crease the wheels of industry in this
prolific land? Ii Arkansas were bar
rem waste it would be easy to solve the
problem, but it is a region which
abounds in raw materials, n land whose
climate admits of more DAYS for out
door labor than any other section of
the globe; a land in which the cost OF
living is cheaper than in any state not
situated In the same latitudei a state
which lies in the path of projected rail-
roads from the grain producing regions
10 the gulf. and over which will some
dav pasS the bulk of western grain for.
export: state which produces sutii-
cheney Of cotton to elethe the people OF
the republic and can furnish enough
raw material Of every kind to make all
the manufactured products needed by
its population-why should such
state plead for capital or eXpend time
in supplieating = the office of railroad
buildersa 1t ought to be sufficient
u induce eafiz1l 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
IL founded, they are timid when II
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-
crossed the attention of many Of the
best men of the southland. 1t 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. W. Martin, manu-
faeturer at jackson, Tenn, asked
the Manufacturers Record OF
that northern capitalists
and other persons be invited to state
specifically why they were not disposed
to invest in the south. The Manufaet-
urer's Record is a southern industrial,
and fnarCia neswpaper emf
nently friendly to southern progress
and interests, and in response to its
request for reasons why capitalists
hesitated to invest in southern enter
prises a number of answers were given,
the sober views of bankers,
presidents and others associ-
ated with monied corporations. Com
on these statements the Manu-
facturer's Record says:
They are unpalatable to some persons, for
they point directly to influences which stand
in the way of full development Of the magnifi-
lator and the man Of affairs are not include
in these influences, but it is urged that they
should join to drive the demagogue from the
position which he seeks, and where he is
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-
velop the natural resources Of the south. which
are so abundant has its foundation In the evils
which you now propose to attack, and unless
those evils can be removed, unless the pubic
agitator 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 I.
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 10 the
south. but when our people generally are
judged by the ineendiary uiteranees Of few
sith reference to corporations Of every char
scter. and TO capital in every form, il is no
wonder thst people who have capital TO invest
and who would gladly Invest IN enterprises
here. are deferred from doing SC.
y. T. Thompson, secretary OF the
board Of trade at Johnstown Pa. who
IS a southerner by birth, says:
Every leading newspaper Of The south should
enter into a campaign q southern develop
Ee1t ard severely eschzw politics Tor the
present a. least There are millions % money
p here seeking iuTesrusnt The west is IN
5Ls.aToE. but capital vii not 90 south until
the sCu-h shows tEa. % IS wanted ard VIII be
rightly projected u that is done The tide ef
11-1 czri-zl AID ir-uiEI1-iIl viii go south
Ear1- The press @ this section sill heartily
sscc-d such Z campaign A. . rz-ive south
srueE. I heartily Thank sou fcr your noble
E1rE
Abram :. Hewett. ex-maE0r Of New
York saws;
Positive lerislstion t-terrer-i.s with con-
tracts must always rssls 10 l1ss 20 the plEiy
violating the cardinal d1--l-1ss @ h11estG
which have been developed b. TIE experience
OF business mel- 81 g,st therefore. tia;
you have tzEen up the s11a-t ard an s-rs
that many q the tlErllrlez wzlch are nos
complained o.. viii disappear Wlsn capital lists
shall be assured that tley car make Invest
meuts- for the recover % ullCl fley VIII -1'
have 70 siudieats their rEhts IE courts ~ lsu
OF be subject 70 defeat D. legislative acli1u-
Henry Fink, president q the Nor
folk and Western railway, says;
Il IS generally known IA t1s east tllt IL
south oEers except laiiY good cppo-t11-tlei ei
for investment q caEiLll b-- Tie impression
largely prevails that l-t--- sez----a-t -l ita
section has a tendency 20 re-ler such i1resi
naut nor Cllg ulprcl abe. h-- -ls-,l- L---r
t--atelv there IS r11 Uu-1 f1--l4-l-- f-r t1L
trlief lf ors uzT s15rs fl1E me 1l1f rc1
bills ard rrCp1s--il-z cs-cl-a-z- DO -nti-1- il-
earllsl. tEat are i-fro1U-sl On tle legislature
of -1-le g t1s s1-tte-1 states ne Elr -r1i
c1rr--ztic-s especially -rl r-rl1 EN-
ra- ss o. 15eoUlrg 1z-1l--I ---rf t-r--tzt 7
facr. his evil sseEs 90 lave bzc1-e -1-l
Pe1u-s uL3 l1Tesi tlE-r E1-eT l- ll--r-11
SO 70 - -e-zrtef as El1-lc srtUlr-- =L
st1-1d be sab a--et o. ths Fl-esi ra----.s
1. --us cpe-lLr C-ac-e- icr t-a