Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-01-27
WILL RAISE THE $4,000
White River Chair Co.'s Plant
Will Come to BrattIeboro
Business Men Taken Action to Secure the
Industry - 5rattIeboro Cabinet Co.'s
Plant VIII BE Enlarged.

Industry - Brattleboro Cabinet Co.'s
Plant viii BE Enlarged.
Responding to a call issued by a num-
Der Of citizens OF the town. many voters
assembled in Festival hall Monday even
ing to take action on the proposition Of
the White River Chair company, y.
Souto and f. A. Thompson. relative to
establishing in Brattleboro a chair and
rattan business, to be operated In con-
nection with the business OF the Brattle-
boro Cabinet company, which is con-
trolled by Mr.. Souto and Mr.. Thompson.
Favorable action was taken, but as was
well understood beforehand the matter
Of eXempting the business from taxa
ton, as required by the proposition, could
not be decided except at a regularly APP
pointed town meeting. The large at
tendance and the enthusiasm manifested
indicated that the citizens thought well
Of the project
L. +. Adams. chairman of the committee
to whom the proposition was addressed,
called the meeting to order. +. c. Crosby
was elected chairman and II. b. Cham
berlain secretary. After stating the pur-
pose OF the meeting Mr.. Crosby called on
Mr.. Durham to read the proposition. The
full text was published i'm The Phoenix
last week. Briefly, It asked the town to
exempt the new business from taxation
for 10 years and TO give the company "A
bonus of $4,000. in return for which the
company agreed to invest not less than
SIS, 900 and employ an average Of not less
than 40 hands five years. in addition to
the number contracted for at the time
the Brattleboro Cabinet company's bust
ness was established.
Mr.. Durham said that two years ago
the committee raised $4,000. including
money for a site. for the Brattleboro
Cabinet company. on a guarantee that
he ny nd
employ 40 hands; that they had expended
over t75. 900 and were employing So
hands at the present time: that the
companys commercial standing was 800
600. and that the citizens OF Hartford.
this state where the White River Chair
company operated a chair factory until
IL was burned recently and whore they
now have a water privilege. boiler and
quantity Of lumber had secured pledges
for over $4,000 and had voted TO exempt
the company 10 years II they would re-
build He called on g. c. Fits for n
statement concerning the proposition.
Mr. Fits said that Souto & Co. con-
Quoted an exporting business, selling the
product Of several hundred firms in add-
tion to what they manufacture in Brattle-
horo. and that as the freight connection
with New York and the freight rates be-
tween Brattlcboro and New York were
good it was their desire to centralize their
q
manufacture goods which they now buy
to sell on commission. He stated that
they had not heretofore made rattan
goods. but that their plan was to make
from S35 900 to SIS 600 worth of that class
OF goods, which they now buy. and that
the establishment Of the business probably
would moan the return to Brattleboro Of
Herbert Bruce. who was at the head Of
the rattan department in the S. 4. Smith
factory. before the National Novelty COM
pany bought the factory and transferred
the rattan business elsewhere.
The chairman at this point called for
an expression on the matter of recon-
mending that the town vote to exempt
the new business from taxation at the
next annual March meeting. and the vote
was unanimous In favor Of such action.
At the suggestion OF the chairman the
former committee was elected TO secure
subscriptions toward the $4,000 bonus. Mr..
Durham stated that IL was not the in
tention Of the firm to erect a new factory,
but that having bought piece Of land
with frontage on the street OF 100 feet,
north OF the factory. their plan was to
extend the present factory. both on the
ground and by additional stories in de-
partments where they We're needed. He
hoped that there might he no misunder-
standing on that point.
l.. f. Adams recommended that sub
! scriptions be made at once, and George
w Pierce spoke along the same line,
moving that the subscriptions be mot
less than 80 or more than $500" The
| chairman said that unless objection was
made-he would take Mr.. Pierce's sugges-
tion to be the sense OF the meeting. and
called for subscriptions 4 telegram
! from Congressman Kittredge Haskins,
4 pledging $50 was read and the amount
was set against his name. About $1,000
was subscribed during the evening.