The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-01-21
P|IIR(|MgkA1ME RkE
Or Bring Factories to Our Gil
Writes Merchant.

Writes a Merchant.
An Exp Ihnation Of the Hard Times thai
Have 1ETected Morristown-over 2S4
stord in the City, Residential ReputaE
tion may be Retained with Factories
Mork about Factories in Newton.
Tho question of the location of factor
les iH Morristown is yet being generally
discussed, and the CHRONICLE space is
yet oIsen for such discussion. This week
two Voluntary letters are given AZ fol-
lows:
EDIToR CHRONICLE:
UnqAestionably every business man of
Morristbwn has suffered from the effects
of the stringent times that have prevailed
during the past four years. Few, if any,
have made money, and many doubtless
are in worse financial condition to day
than they were at the beginning of the
period alluded to.
Undoubtedly these business men are
holding on, hoping, trusting, praying for
the good old times to return. They will
look in vain! They are doomed to dis
appointment ! just as sure as the world
moves, good times, as of yore, will never
return to the merchants and landlords OF
this city unless radical change is made
in its business interests.
That hard times have effected our city,
there can be no question, but there is an
element of far greater influence than
this, reason that must long since have
become apparent to every thinking mer-
chant and it can be summed up in veAy
brief sentence, namely: There are neal
ly, if not quite, twice as many businesA
houses in the city as can possibly prosa
per.
If this be the fact, what an Important
crisis confronts both the merchant and
landlord. and if any of your readers
doubt the statement, will they kindly, by
an ordinary process of mathematics, DEM
onstrate how such purpose can be &C
complished with 225 stores in city of
Ii 900 population and one half of the
goods used, purchased in New York or
elsewhere.
Is it not simple, plain, unvarnished
fact, that stores have been, and are even
now, being erected out of all proportion
to the demand And is there but one re-
suit that can possibly occur unless more
business is attracted to the town? It
seems to me there can be but one answer
to these interrogations. The question
then is, how can all these merchants be
supported and these stores rented? There
are at least two solutions of this prob
lsrn. First, by all the people patroniz-
ing home trade. This would be an easy
and believe, a sure solution, but there
is as little chance of such thing as there
is of Tom Platt or Dick Croker studying
for the ministry. Second, by introduc-
ing into the town some industry, other
than cutting lawns in summer, and TAX
ing care of furnaces in winter; in short,
a tirstclass factory employing skilled la
bor, good, honest workingmen, who
would be credit to the town, help to
the merchants, the churches, and all the
institutions of the city, such class of
men as your Newton correspondent des-
cribed in last weeks CHRONICLE.
Far be it from me, or any other
merchant, to cast any reflections upon
our citizens who live in the mansion dis
tricts, or to propose any scheme that
would in anyway prove detriment to the
residential features of our city. Morris
town is noted for its wealth, its fine resi-
dences, its distinguished citizens, and it
ever will be. This feature is SO
LnOrOugnly eSLaDllSn0u lnaC IL Will IOT-
ever dominate, no matter how many fac
tories may be established upon its
borders. They can never be other than
mere side shows. The superlative fea-
lures of the town will always be its
superb residences and its magnificent
avenues.
Never was there town better adapted
for the commingling of these two fea-
lures. First class factories located in
the valley could not, in the humble judg-
ment of the writer, prove in any way an
eyesore to our town. We fancy some
one has already formed in his mind
another solution to this problem. They
have said, let some of the merchants get
out and give the rest chance to live.
Of course this is out of the question, i'm
practicable and impossible, save by the
undesirable process of bankruptcy, and
even if it could put in operatin, where
would the property owner come in.
1t seems to me this is a question of
vital interest to every professional, busi-
ness and laboring man of Morristown.
The crisis is upon us! Will we pass it
safely9 MERCHANT.