The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-21
LOCAL MANUFACTURERS
Regular Monthly Meeting Of the Houston
Association.
SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM TAXATION
The OrsnnIEntion Fevorr Holding
Ont This Inducemcnt to All
Industries.

The Houston Manufacturers association
held its regular monthly meeting in one
of the parors OF the Hutchins house yes
terday afternoon. When President II. c..
Mosehart called the meeting TO order there
were only a few of the members present.
Vice President Rust, in the temporary alb
scnce of Secretary Crawford, who came in
later, called the roll and after the reading
Of the minutes of the previous session,
munications, nor reports of officers Of
committees, the members got right down
to new business.
MIR. Nj. Armstrong OF Velssco, on motion
OF Mr.. Crawford. was granted permission
to address the association. Mir Armstrong
stated that the box factory at Veasco had
some time ago received an order for M
teen carloads of baskets to ship berries in,
but could not even make one carload on
account Of the Inconvenience of hand labor
In lacking these baskets up. He stated
that he had given the matter thought and
attention and had invented a machine Tor
doing the work. He said Ii was a simple
invention and consisted of a hammer,
which VIII take from coil OF wire and
manufacture staple and drive 1t in with
the same stroke. 1t could also be used in
binding books and magazines. MIR. ARM
strong showed the machine TO the members
and explained It's workings lie stated
that his object in coming before the assoc
citation was TO enlist their aid in the manu-
fscture and development OF his patent. He
wanted the association to organize com
pshy ana build factory in Houston to
nIlrn ha
was willing to put some OF his own money
into stock company and made PROPOSE
ton that the association either give HIM A
certain amount of stock or pay him a roy
alty for his invention.
Mr.. Crawford, after saying that he had
received letter from Mr.. Armstrong on
the subject In question, staed that he
the subject in question, stated that he
gentleman that the association was not
organized specifically for establishing new
industries, but that it was operating with
view of helping one another and incl
dentally to assist new institutions, but that
was not the primary object at all. lie
thought that the best thing to do was to
refer the proposition TO committee. In
dividually, he could not see how the as
ISOLATION could do anyt hing except 10 en-
courage him and give Mr. Armstrong such
information as he cared to have. lie want
ed to hear from others
James Charlton agreed with Mr. Craw-
ford as to the association taking hold of
the matter, but was glad to meet Mr.. Arm
strong and thought that perhaps by pre-
sentlng 1t to the members there was a
possibility OF benefits accruing to him. as
individually some OF them might desire to
assist him in financial way
Mr. James McAughau stated that he con
Cured with Messrs. Crawford and Charl-
ton, and stated that he In common with
other members would assist Mr.. Arm
strong In every way possible. He stated
that Houston was In need OF such enter
prises and that he felt sure that the ASSOC
citation would do everything 1t could for the
gentleman. President Mosehart refused TO
refer the proposition to a committee, STAT
Ing that 1t would be a bad precedent TO
establish for the association to assist in
forming or to form a stock company, and
he did not think it would be in order for
the association to take any definite action
In the matter
Mr.. A. II. Baldwin was introduced by
Mr.. Crawford and addressed the members
for a few minutes. Mr.. Baldwin said he
was a Texan, had moved to California sew
enteen years ago, but had come back to
make this city his home again. He re-
membered Houston as being a city of
$4,000 inhabitants, hut when he came back
he found 71,000 people here and that he
was sadly disappointed. as he expected to
find factories here and a much larger city
San Francisco, with it's 375. 900 people, o
place ten years younger than this city, was
compared with Houston, stating that the
former had grown to such an extent be-
cause OF its manufactures They encour-
I aged everything In the way of manufac-
tories and cooperative manufacturing as
sociat'ons had built up, towns all through
the State. He thought that the same con
ditions ought to apply to Houston, and
that he was sorry such was not the case
With the unlimited undeveloped resources
he was sorry to see there was no more
interest taken. Good resolutions were
made, but no good work done, He did not
desire TO say anything harsh. He said that