The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-13

Die TO LODdccO culture near BalelSD. Is
that desirable? Is it to be anticipated
without arousing the entire city of Raj
eigh? Today Raleigh rents all its stores
and residences. it has enjoyed a growing
business, but 1t is face to face with this
serious problem. viii it be idle while
smaller towns take it's legitimate trade,
and it's tobacco men are forced to seek
employment elsewhere and see the depre-
citation of country and city prop
erty which inevitably follows a
falling off in business? The re-
establishment of the tobacco mar
ket in Raleigh the erection of STEM
meres and all necessary additional build
ings and plants, is essential to Raleigh S
continued growth and prosperity We
have already lost hundreds of thousands
of dollars by delay-will we wait longer
until we have lost millions?
RAILROADS AND PUBLIC ROADS.
Raleigh needs to have a rail-
road running from the city to
| Wakefield, the extreme eastern
section of the county. 1t is a fertile
secton-rich in agricultural and timber
lands. The Mills railroad to Fuquay
Springs has brought more trade to Raj
eigh merchants than can be estimated.
A railroad to Wakefield would bring to
this city much trade that now goes else
where. There is likewise pressing need
for rapid extension of good roads into
every section of the county. to the end
that farmers from distance can east
ly bring their products to Raleigh and
| buy their supplies here. Durham now
! gets much cotton grown in Western
Wake because it has built splendid
| macadam road from the city of Durham
| to the Wake line. Good roads ere the
precursors of better attendance on public
schools, better public schools, free rural
delivery and better conditions in the
| country homes as well as securing trade
for the city from a larger territory. Ear
ly in January, under the auspices of the
| Good Roads Department of the Federal
/ Agricultural Department, a mile of mo-
dern macadam road will be built in
Raleigh by the Southern Railway, which
| is going to a number of the leading towns
and cities along it's line doing this inn
portant work as an object lesson in road
construction. 1t is fitting that this or.
| ganiZation, always active in those meas
ures that benefit Raleigh, should fittingly
express it's appreciation of this generous
act upon the part of this great railway
SYSTEM and secure Good Roads conven
tion to be held in Raleigh upon the oc-
casion of the construction of this mile OF
| road. 1t would do much to add 10 the
| revival of interest in road building which
| promises so much for North Carolina.
Raleigh should not be content to lag be-
hind in this work of progressive improve
ment, but should take the lead.
| c,D oman .u,rn>Y
/ will not touch upon the necessity of
/ united action to secure the other needs
| enumerated, except to urge that one at
q time. in the order both Of their import
! ance and feasibility, they be kept be-
| fore the people and this Chamber bend
its every energy to securing the liberali-
| ty and cooperation necessary to obtain
| them.
| THE SEABOARD SHOPS.
! During the year a committee of the
| Chamber, under a resolution of this
body, held a conference with Mr.. j. M.
Barr, vice-president and general man
ager of the Seaboard Air Line Railway.
They sought to impress upon Mr.. Barr
the advantage to the great railroad sys-
| tenn of which he is general manager of
1
| shops of that road which were formerly
| located in Raleigh. Your committee,
acting in concert with committee from
| the Merchants Association, believe the
| arguments they made and the facts pre-
scented show Raleigh to be the logical and
best place for the establishment of the
| central shops of the Seaboard Air Line
Railway, and l recommend that another
| bn cd cbor ,xy;tl, hr;p.
| ing this matter again to the attention of
! Mr. Barr and urging the location of the
shops in Raleigh. The removal of the
shops to Portsmouth was a severe blow
| to Raleighs business; their building,
which ought to be done at an early date,
would be worth very much to Raleigh and
would as well be profitable to the Sea-
board System. The Chamber ought not
to let its suggestion, supported by state
| ments that the railroad management
must see are full of weight, go into in
| nocuous desuetude, but press it until
again in Raleigh four hundred skilled
mechanics will be employed in the con-
struction of new equipment for this pros
! porous system expanding its business and
going into all the most prosperous Sec
lions OF .he South.
A STATUE OF RALEIGH.
The members of fhe Chamber will be
glad to cooperate with the State Histor-
ical Society in its praiseworthy resolve
to erect in the beautiful square facing
the depot statue of Sir Walter Raleigh,
for whom this city is named BY his
| initiative in this patriotic enterprise.
Gen. Julian S. Carr of Durham has add
ed another to his many claims upon the
gratitude of the people of this city, and
the Chamber thanks him and the State
| Historical Society for the honor and
benefit they propose to confer upon this
| city.
SHOULD BE REPRESENTED
The State Historical Society has in
augurated another honor for Sir Walter
| Raleigh which will be warmly seconded
| by the Chamber of Commerce refer to
the plan to hold an anniversary celebra-
| ton at Roanoke Island of the landing of
the colony sent tothis State by Sir WAL
| ter Raleigh. AS the name of this city
| is linked forever with the fame of the il
| lustrious soldier whose name it bears,
] this Chamber of Commerce should do all
| 70 hn Lob 1f