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

ufacturerS to the City CCuucll some
time ago. He asked to be exempted
from license. as manufacturer, when
they said, no, you are ony saw mill
man. This saw mill man, as the
Council called him, buys his raw
material at Is per cent. of his selling
price; the balance that he gets comes
from other cities, which arounts to
at least calculation $50, 900 per year.
S15. 600 of which goes to enrich the
town. How nice it would have been
for the Council to have said: Yes
sir, we will grant your request with
pleasure, the matter of charging you
was overlooked, and rather than to
have him pull up and leave the town.
it would have paid the town band
somely to have said: We will further
help you out by paying for part Of
your plant, and letting you have it
frae of cost. In case like this, it
would be the duty of the Chamber of
Commerce to see that he gets his
rights, and not only his rights, but
substantial encouragement.
Suppose this city should now begin
to increase in population, and within
five years be increased to population
of so, 600, with 81, OOG, COO in factories,
So. GOO, 600 in houses for homes for the
people, and at least q million more IN
electric railways, water works, cleo
trio lights, and telephones. What
would lot now worth ST. 600 be worth
then. LOTS now selling for 81, 600
would then be worth 50, 600. A mans
store that rents now for $50 per
month, would then rent for 500
Land now selling in the city for 800,
an acre would then, some of it. bring
81. 900 an acre. If all this could be
done, which is very easy indeed, and,
which is very simple proposition, is
it not worth the effort. To donate to
each factory the size Of ours $40, 900
and exempt it from taxes and license,
or factory twice as large. twice 4,
much, and a factory half as large. half
as much, it would require $500, COO
to bring this about.
How can it be done? The first thing
in our opinion is to put the matter be
fore the City Council in simple
BUSINESS way, aud to have them ex
mpt all manufacturers Of any kind
from taxation and license, perpetu
ally, and the next thing to do is for
us to pledge ourselves. to raise thu
$500. .ooO This in my opinion coule
be very easily done indeed. If W.
.ould only get the people, grasp tb'
dea of the great benefit that each onf
If them would derive, and where
nan now owns 80 acres of land, he
ould very easily donate half, as hf
III &t,,s ,oly @ba ofber ho1f for more
t AN he could get for the whole thine
.ow, even If he can sell it at all. anc
the man who is now selling $40. 0W
oorth OF goods annually, be couf
asily donate $40. 600, as be would ther
asily sell $50. 600 worth, and alon'
this line the $500, 600 could be east y
aised, payable one-ffth annually TO-
i've years. This half million dollar
WOULD bring to our city SO factorie
iust like ours, and would add ir
machinery and buildings one and one
alf million dollars, and it would br-
rg at least two million more In res
depce property for the people, beside
II the other things essential to city
With population Of &C, 600, and these
actories WOO ould bring tur city ar
unual income of two million dollars,
much as the entire cotton crop of
be county for 1904, at 10 cents pei
,ouud. How can ne start the ball
clline though the town if it con
aimed q population of 10000 more,
ould be worth very little to us in
Iced, and the only other factory IT
.he city that it would not benefit the
ame az ours, would be the Telephone
actory, but for the interest that ]
,ave IN the town aud for the extreme
pleasure it would give me o. being 81
reat help to the town, / viii be one
f 100 to pledge my part OF this
mount, payable in five equal pay
nents of 81, 600 each, annually. If
ne haven't got the money, We car
'ouate part of our land, as suggest
d above, and where an acre of land
hat is now worth 500 is thus doDat
sd, we can easily count it worth $500
qhen we get ready to dispose of it.
Ten such factories is about all that we
ould build annually together with all
he houses and everything required to
uliy equip them, and oneffth Of our
aouation would be all that is required
ach year. If it would be Impossible
or as to get the factories, we would
beu not have to make the Donation.
ut if we could get the factories.
which I am sure the donation would
bring, we could easily make cur
money back, and have good profit
ourselves. The planning mills, saw
Mills. and sash and blind factories of
ur ctty would have all they could do
t. supply the demand.
The railroads, as I understand it,
could not come in very we'll in this
donation. as the law would call it
rebate, and would be an advantage
,iyen Sumter over other cities, but
We have plenty Of ways of getting our
money out of them, as they would be
perfectly willing to pay $1,000 per
acre for land, that they would not
uow pay the taxes on.
With picture of the town in our
minds, and so much to be gained, let
US come together and work.
can solve any problem that wou!5
come up to make this practicable.
s--s->--~-s-sa'--
'ss". Trouble Lrorocoon