The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-24
(BY M. u. FOSTER,

tbI M. II. FOSTEH.)
In discussing the necessity OF Industrial
expansion for Houston, The Post has not
meant to imply that this city is without
Factories or Industries. On the contrary,
we have more Industrial enterprises here
than the average citizen imaglnes.
There are more manufacturing industries
In Houston than any other city In Texas,
and as result Houston is today the iarg-
est, most enterprising, and the best ad-
vertised town In the State Labor Is bet
ter employed here than elsewhere, the
retail merchants do better business and
there is general air Of prosperity
throughout the city.
In comparing Houston, therefore. with
other Texas cities, 1t is readily seen that
we are not at all backward In taking ad-
vantage OF opportunities but when you
compare Houston with less favored towns
in the North and East you soon discover
that we have made very little progress in
the manufacturing line. We can see In
an instant that our few factories are
hardly beginning In comparison with the
industries that are yet to be developed.
1t becomes apparent upon investigation
that our manufacturing Is still OF In
FAINT proportions, although we have the re-
sources and advantages that could make 1t
Of giant size.
Doubtless II tho twenty or thirty indus
tries that have been developed here were
better known to our home capitalists 1t
would be easier to induce them to Invest
in other manufacturing enterprises.
1t is Indeed remarkable that some of
these factories have been SO successful
when you consider the small capital with
which they were started, and the mex
perience of the men who undertook their
development. A thorough inquiry into
some of Houston's Industries will prove
to any one that there is every encourage
ment here to manufacturer who supplies
needed article. Factories have succeeded
in Houston on less financial backing and
less advertising than in any other part of
the United States.
There have been few Industries estab-
lished here that proved fiat failures and
lost money for their owners, but there
have been less mistakes in this line than
in any other class Of business. The fail
ures have nearly always been due to
wrong methods Of doing business, or to
an utter lack Of business capacity upon
the part OF their promoters, or to mis-
understanding of the needs OF the city
and surrounding country,
,rhora ura enrro md tt,A -. x,ok
needed here and that will not prove profit
able. 1t Is easy enough to determine this.
but the failures are generally the men
who have neglected to investigate that
feature, They go blindly ahead trying to
make and sell something for which there
is no demand, and then suddenly find a
white elephant on their hands. OF course
such men lay all the blame for this on tho
people, and proceed to abuse the town for
its failure TO support home industries, and
strive to deter others from embarking in
u manufacturing line.
They do certain amount OF harm,
though | can not see any reason for any
one being guided by the mistakes of
others. 1t is we'll to profit by such mis-
takes, but one should 90 guided by the
successful men and the successful indus
tries.
There are plenty of successes in Hous-
ton, In fact for every failure there can
be seen ten enterprises that have proven
successful.
] have become very much impressed re-
Gently with the encouragement that home
factories receive from our local iobbers
Before investigated the matter I thought
that Houston merchants were lacking in
that home spirit, and ascribed this as one
reason for our failure to show greater
industrial expansion. In SO many cities
you see merchants who deliberately refuse
TO push the sale of home made articles.
while all their energies are bent toward
the exploiting OF articles of import. This
does not apply to Houston, or at most
to only ono or two jobbers in this city
The Wholesale houses that do the lnrg-
est business have done and are doing
everything In their power to sell goods
made in Houston. or elsewhere In Texas.