The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-11
FACTORIES GREATLY NEEDED.
AN INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION MAY
HELP BRING THEM.

/ Plans for the Promotion of the City's
! Interests Discussed by the Mer-
chants AssOciaiiOn-Sever CIer-
gymen Were Heard-Stock May BE
Subscribed to an AssOciatIOn-That
With FavOr-COmmittee VIII For
muIate IA Plan to Present to the
Mass Meeting for Discussion.
The manufacturing interests of Savau-
nah may be looked after by an industrial
association. No plan has yet crystalized,
| but that of an association was considered
at the meeting of the Merchants Associa-
ton at the Screven House yesterday aft
ernoon, and it is quite probable that this
course viii be followed in the effort to
add to the city's interests by inducing
more manufacturing enterprises.
President b. H. Levy of the Merchants
! Assoc. at4ol. presided ever tee meeting
Many of those who had been expected
were in attendance upon the funeral of
/ Col. Screven, as the hours We're in con-
| fiict yet there was a fairly large number
present, and a lively interest was taken
in the discussion.
ee"s'-AN-A 49,
or had been seen by the committee ap-
pointed at a former meeting and that he
had promised to call a mass meeting for
the consideration of the important ques-
tons with which Savannah is now con-
fronted. The Mayor desired, however,
that there should be some tangible propo-
sition for the citizens to discuss when they
gather in response to his call, and it was
to decide as to the proper course to be
pursued that the chairman called for an
expression of views.
Among those who spoke was Mr.. D. B.
Lester. OF late Mr.. Lester has given
the matter of manufacturing no little
thought Not long ago he made a trip
North with the purpose of studying plants
that turn out varied manufacture pro-
ducts, particularly cotton goods, and he
gave some of the results of his investi-
cation.
Canning factories are regarded by Mr..
Lester as a sure source of profit. He de-
clared that beyond all shadow of doubt
they can be proftably operated in Sa-
vannah, the city's contiguous territory be-
ing such as to furnish an ample supply
Of all fruits and vegetables Cucumbers
were mentioned as a vegetable that grows
well in this climate and at a profit to the
! plohuNtAF Niit1 lucy Oetil bC SOlu lOl wen
81 a barrel and Mr.. Lester is convinced
that the picking of cucumbers may he
made to pay handsomely. Vinegar for
that purpose and for sale may be secured
from the juice of sugar cane, a product
that offers returns TO farmers in vinegar
as well as in syrup and sugar
This section, Mr.. Lester declared, has
hard woods that are uneXcelled They
may be secured from the swamps and
low grounds in the greatest abundance,
and at a cost far below that in other Sec
lions where various things are made
from them. White oak and hickory may
| be had in unlimited quantities, and Mr..
Lester gave authorities for the statement
that the demand for many of the pro-
ducts from these hard woods is SO great
as to prevent the manufacturers from
supplying it, orders for several months
ahead being stacked up in their offices.
An oar factory was among the several
mentioned as offering good returns for in
vestments, and it was declared that the
alleged failure of the oar factory form
J erlv operated here was no failure at all,
bur merely Cns 0uyfsis %; ~ .tl.se >@2TtAo
ern trust of the local concern because of
the competition. Mr.. Lester had learned
that the factory paid well,
Mr.. Lester said that he had a plan to
propose by which manufacturers might be
induced TO come TO Savannah, but asked
that others be heard before he submitted
IT, MI. hIOuSkOlI suggested Ifat II WOulu
/ be well for Mr.. Lester to make known
his plan at once. The plan proposed by
| Mr.. Lester is that a stock company be
| formed, with a capital as large as may
be secured its purposes being to foster
manufacturing in Savannah by lending
money to attractive enterprises for which
aid from local sources may be required
or to take a part of the stock necessary
for their establishment, the funds of the
association TO be kept for these specific
purposes.
Mr.. Lester did not sanction a simple
| subscription list but the organization of
! a close association, conducted on strictly
business principles, with a capital of at
! least $4,000 or 5000 900. He expressed the
greatest confidence in his ability to Sc
| cure the consent of ten men to invest
$1,000 each, and was sure that there were
ten others present who could each read
/ 1iy induce as many more to go into the
association 1t was not his idea to re-
strict the stock to shares of 81 900 each
but would be willing to make them as
low as $40 thus enabling all who care
for the welfare of the city to invest He
said this step should be taken at once
| 1t should be done now, or those who have
the opportunity to do it will be sorry later
that they did not, as these manufactures
are being established throughout the
South, and Savannah should come in for
a share Of them while there is the chance
! 10 set lHeH. cotton mills are being built
| in other place in Georgia, South Caro-
lima and Alabama, and this city should
not remain unprovided for.
Mr.. John L. Archer followed MIR. Lester
in the advocacy of canning factories, AS
they promote the development of the sur
rounding country as wen as of a CITY.
There is a great deal of land about sa-
Vannah adapted to the cultivation of veg
etables that might be canned here, and
Mr.. Archer believes it would be wise 10
offer employment to men and women in
the country, as well as to others in the
city. The cultivation of the vegetab les
would require labor as well as their can
ming.
II was after Mr.. Archers suggestion that
| stock in an association should be placed
at a low figure share, that MIR. Lester
declared that such was his opinion, and
| he proceeded with his advocacy of a COT
ton mill, by saying that Savannah has
the advantage of many warehouses. the