Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-05-23
a Rad Policy.

with the Times, has learned some things OF
public value, and is kind enough to print
them. He says
SIT is a fact, though almost incredible, that
Elmer with assessed valuation of only about
100000 has had business failures during the
past fourteen years in which the total liabilities
have aggregated over $3.50, 600. About one-third
of this was in manufacturing business which
received and expended most of its capital out OF
town and did not therefore injure the people here
as did number of other failures. No one town
of its size in this State has offered so much in
ducement to manufacturers during the fourteen
years past as Elmer, and with all the help, every
firm assisted has either failed or been saved
while on the verge of bankruptcy by selling out
or merging into another company. This bit of
history is worth FASTING in the hat of any board
OF trade seeking to locate people from affair." 1t is
fair to prophesy, in the light of experience that
a manufacturing firm which will not locate in a
town without financial inducement, will not, as
rule, succeed after the help is given. The
exceptions to this rule are so rare that it is well
enough to pronounce the rule correct
We believe it is the experience of Boards
of Trade generally that industries that seek
inducements to locate their plants are
rarely of any value to the towns that secure
them, and the experience of Elmer is but
another chapter OF an old story.
Speaking further of Elmer, the Times
says =
,
to find vacant house in Elmer, and when Sc
sured, rents were stiff in price. 1t is not so
difficult to find a vacant house now. Real es-
state booming and brought more than it
was worth. The Old Elmer Glass Works, under
cooperative management just getting
ready to turn up its toes, and to leave endorsers
twelve thousand dollars. Two shoe factories
and one knitting mill were being on cheek
and faith both of which failed to pass with the
money lenders before the end of the year. A
Init full of
vim pulled itself together and soon the most
successful shoe manufacturing business the town
ever had was under way and kept going until
the beginning of the last national panic when
it closed its eyes, and has been sleeping since"
The above is not an encouraging result
effort to force municipal growth, but the
lesson Elmer has learned at so great cost
should not be lost.
The best inducement town or city can
offer to persons seeking place to reside or
establish business enterprise is govern
ment conducted in the interest of the citi-
zens of the town. Where public officers
are held to strict accountability for public
acts. Where wise economy is practised in
all public expenditures, where their is
neither public parsimony nor extravaganza,
and where public improvements keep pace
with public needs.
The town that maintains good schools,
where churches receive liberal support,
where the public health is well guarded,
where the water supply is ample and whole
some, that maintains good walks and
streets, has good protection against confla-
grations, that possesses good railroad facili-
ties, and where taxes are kept at the lowest
point consistent with these, will have a
regular growth and attract private enter
prise. Booms founded ON 'cheek and
faith' are unhealthful, and towns whose
is founded thereon will suffer
collapse and loss.
If Elmer has learned her lesson well, at
the end of the next fourteen years Editor
Foster will have opportunity to write a
different town history than that quoted
above, and we trust he will be there to
write it.
U-need-a Stamp.
The Star has received a little note from
President rockingham, which is given
herewith, and which will be of considera-
BILE interest to the sportsmen of the county.
He says =
81 have learned that notice has appeared in
your publication to the effect that e,Ties of the
Fish and Game laws of the State of New Jersey
may be obtained by writing to me. This is
cent stamp to cover the postage. viii you
kindly make mention of this fact in your paper
so that persons writing for the game laws may
enclose the proper postage and thus avoid
This must not be regarded as a joke
The present policy of this rich State is
peculiar, to say the least. Thousands of
dollars to fatten the purses of the favorites
and foster hobbies of those with pulls, but
not even two-cent stamps for the common
people. The game laws are presumably
published for the information of the public
at large. They are put in pamphlet form
at the States expense and should be dis
tributed at the States expense, especially
when people are sufficiently interested to
send in written requests Before the make
believe reform struck the State, all the
laws were widely published in the news
papers! and then the people were we'll and
informed. Now they are COM
PEELED to resort to all sorts of means in
order to derive the information that should
be freely furnished. Washington Star.
Illustrated Lecture.
The illustrated lecture on Pilgrims Pro-
gress in the Central Baptist church next
Tuesday evening promises to be unusually
interesting. Pilgrims Progress is one of
the stories that never grows old, it is one
of the few really immortal books in the
English language, the greatest allegory the
world has ever seen. 1t ranks above every
book but the Bible as an influence for
good. The views that will be shown are
perhaps the finest that have ever been pro-
duced on this subject They are not from
from magnificent drawings by Mamie
Preston. No life models can adequately
illustrate this wonderful story. Miss Pres
ton has shown the greatest ability in her
sympathetic and powerful illustrations.
These views have all been colored to order.
Mr.. Deming, who will deliver the lecture,
is well known in Woodbury. as acting pastor
of the Central Baptist church last year.
As pastor of the First Baptist church of
Pa, he has been lecturing on
Friday evenings to crowded houses. The
lecture on Pilgrims Progress is the best of
all, and is well worth taking the time and
money to hear.
Testimonial Banquet.
n beSblltlOlldl DtiIquet Was leHu6Ttu
our former citizen, M. w. Newton at
Newton Hotel, this city, Thursday
afternoon from four to six o'clock,
by Philadelphia business friends and
associates. Woodbury. people know by
experience with what rapidity Mr.. N.
makes friends and how firmly he returns
hence it is no surprise that he
is surrounded in his broader field of labor
by SO many who deem it pleasure to join
in testimonials of regard. Mine Hoste
Rachor's spacious dining hall was filled to
its limit with the guests and the feast, of
which the toothsome shad was the solid
feature, was fit for King.
This afternoon the same party of gentle
men, accompanied by their wives, are en-
joying a planked shad dinner at Mr.
Rachor's.
Robbed his Fellow Workman.