The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-02-22

Is only one CONCLUSION Ior tnIS Chdu-
bar Of Commerce. and that is the
wrong men are in the place. and it q
satisfactory explanation cannot be
made with positive assurance that the
trouble will be remedied, this Cham
her of Commerce is then rnder no
obligation to give such person Its
support, and he should then step down
and out. Ice factories, soda water
factories, who depend mostly on local
trade for their support. ! don't think
should pay any license or tex as they
don't take anything from the town, OF
do they do it much good in the way OF
increasing its wealth. Wholesale
houses, We don't think should pay any
taxes or license either. They have
their wares shipped here, aud this is
only distributing point for other
towns. What they sell in the town, OF
course they should say on and come
under the same head as merchants,
but it would not be right for the
wholesale man and the merchant also
to pay license on the same thing. Ine
wholesale house is also a great bens-
fit. to a city, as they gnerally average
clear profit of about 10 per cent.
and this profit goes to increase the
wealth Of the town Iii which it. is locat-
ed. For instance, we sell hardware,
clear profit of 25 per cent. and none
of this hardware being used in Sum
ter. this % per cent. is added to the
wealth of the town, and for this rea-
son nothing of this kind should pay a
license or tax. What we sell In town
Of course, we should pay on the same
as any other merchant but IT l nave
paid it, the retail man should not pay
it, too. If this was rule, it woulo
be an inducement for our retail mer-
chants to buy of the wholesale people
of the city, as they should then know
the tax and license was paid. You
would ask then: Who should pay the
license or taxes in order to have the
sfunds to induce these manufacturers
to ceme to the city. In my opinion II
is the people who are directly bene
6ted. and they who are directly ben
Gifted, are those who take the none!
distributed by the factories, send /
out Of town and get one fourth back
in the way of clear profit. The mer
chant who sells the manufactures
everything that he buys, and coulc
not exist without him should supper
him. What merchant sells to &
.ountryman for his cotton or produce
5f any kind, this is Different PROPOSE
.tion all together. He is due legitl
nate profit on all of the goods that b
sells the country man, and ls not du.
to pay out one cent, only enough Il
nave good streets for the country
man when he goes to town. and tt
.oay policeman to keep him straight
You would ask the question: Is Jbi
oIan practical, aud if you will TAX
he case of Witherspoon Bros. & Go. ,
as q sample. / would say. yes, mos
decidedly 40. We manufature ever
year $50, coo worth of goods. $40. 600
ahich is material that we procur
from home, sl0, 600 more is houeh'
4Way from home which of course.
.annos be considered at all ss th
ioes not benfit the town. Tor is 3
iraw Sack to the town but S4O,0 90
If this is spent In our city. and sup
DOSING That one Of our merchants we1t
% get the. whole amount. be wouls
maze out OF. this q clear proft Of $40.
zoo, which he would not get at all
the manufacturer was not here. an,
or which amount be is solely depend
.nt upon the manufacturer to get
This $40, 900 is all that the city ba
a,een enriched. And if the city has
oeen enriched SIG, 600 who sboold pa
che license or taxes for the increase
dost decidedly the man who gets tb'
,enefit Of the money. II SO small
actory as ours can enrich the towi
ny $40, 600 per year it is certainly th'
uty Of the town to encourage it il
syery way they can, lending it it,
assistance both in influence and fnaD
:iaHy. In our plant we have an in
vsstment OF SAC, 900, and TO get anoth
factory to our town who will agre
% do as much as we have done, or a
ouch more, it would be as little
he town could do to make them
,resent of at least $4,000 or one
ourtl1 of the amount invested, an
~ this you can readily see that tn
own would receive 100 per cent. OF
he dollar for it's investment 1t tbs
own. has not got the money, it coul
e borrowed at 6 per cent snd tb,
d, reliant who gets this entire trade
80, OG0, it would indeed be as little 3
ne could do to pay this interest. an'
hen be would have So, 10000 clear
Wat does the manufacturer get? That
oes not concern the town at all. onl,,
be more he gets the better the towl
hould be pleased; even to one-hal
Il the full amount. He will Of course
Keep it in the town, and being assist
d by the town would give it hi'
aearty cooperation. The amount bf
makes will depend entirely upo.
is ability to manage the factory, and
be support that be receives from thi'
Chamber of Commerce. If we coule
ct the people to grasp and pursue 2
course along this line. I am sure tba'
within 10 years. we could have q city
hat would put Atlanta, New Orlears
ar any Southern city in the shade. |
nothing in the world but small,
imple proposition, and surely it has
oeen thought of by thousands Of peo
ole at thousands of times, but what
se want to do gentlemen is to pu,
something of the kind into practice,
n