The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-21
HOME cApITAL MUST ACT.

g
How home capital can be used In devel-
oping and ienlarging n city is we'll shown
by an article on this page taken from the
Atlanta Constitution.
The writer mentions the success OF two
or three bold ventures made by enterprise
ing citizens OF Atlanta. and demonstrates
that home manufactures. built with home
capital, and managed by home men, are
the greatest and most desirable aids in the
building OF city. He shows conclusively
that the constant cry for outside capital to
start enterprises In the South is not in
the line Of true progress, and that the
proper development OF city can only bo
secured by home Investments.
This is directly In line with frequent
contentious by The Post. This paper has
endeayored to show, time and again, that
the endeavor to coax Northern capital Into
Texas was in some respects an unwar-
ranted and unnecessary reflection upon our
pwn citizens: that people who were crying
out that our laws deferred Eastern In
vestors from putting their money In Texas
enterprises were not only making unjust
comments upon their State. but were show
ing reliance upon outside capital that was
both pitiable and foolish.
III there Is money In Georgia invest
the benefit Of Georgians as for those who
live In Massachusetts, or in New Hamp-
shire?" The same query can be applied to
Texas. and tho same answer will be forth
coming from every citizen who gives the
matter a moments thought. II a factory
OF any kind is started In Houston why
should we strive to have three-fourths OF
the stock owned by men who live thou
sands Of miles from the city. and who
spend whatever profits may accrue from
their investment outside the State? II has
been demonstrated that outside capital will
only aid Houston enterprises when assured
that there is no chance whatever of loss
or failure These investors will strive to
get out of such enterprises every cent pos
sible. will spend the very minimum amount
and will desert the venture at the first hint
OF loss.
{.
That such enterprises placed In Texas by
outside capital have succeeded is only the
greater assurance that home investors
would be far more successful. All that Il
needed ia proper encouragement from peo-
pie who buy manufactured goods. and from
banking institutions that are supposed to be
here for the purpose of loaning money to
| legitimate business concerns. II men who
undertake such enterprises are forced to Sc
| cure help from Northern banks and North
ern investors, there will be very little pro-
gross. But II the men who control the thou
sands that are locked up In Houston's banks
from one end OF the year TO the other are
willing 10 make these ventures. or to en-
courage those who do make them. then and
not TIL then will Houston begin to show
| true progress in tn industrial line.
| The future of this city depends upon
the expansion of manufacturing.
Houston Is already recognized as the
greatest distributing point In the south
west by those who own manufacturing
plants in the North and East, Ware
houses have been established here for the
storing and distributing OF goods made In
Boston and hundreds OF other cities in that
section. Manufactured wares are sent from
here TO every part OF the world Think Of
| what an advertisement 1t would be for this
city II only ono-haif OF these shipments
bore The label Made In Houston, Texas. :
II would Indicate that Houston had thou
sands of cnterprising citizens. and that
home capital had succeeded In developing
| the metropolis Of tho Southwest, There arr
already dozens OF paying home manufac,
tories In Houston. but for every doxer
there should be an hundred. and ninety.
nine Of each hundred should be built AMI
developed with home capital.
Let the citizens Of Houston and OF ali
Texas cssss 10 cast longing sIances towars
1 men and money outside the state. and