The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-15
Hon. Addison c. Harris Tells
Commercial Club of the
Great Future in Store for
Indiana.
INSURANCE COMPANIES TO
ACT UPON DEAN SCHEDULE
Richmond Merchants May
Soon Be Relieved of Burd-
ensome Rates-Sec'y Haas
Makes Favorable Report.

1t was keynote OF optimism for
the industrial future of Indiana. that
the Hon. Addison c. Harris of Indiana
polls sounded in his address last
night before about one hundred mer-
chants and manufacturers In the Com
mercial club rooms. His speech was
one of the best ever delivered before
the club. That Indiana is TO be one
of the great centers of the industrial
world was pointed out by the speak
er.
Many matters of interest to men,
bers of the Commercial club. princi-
pally the Dean insurance schedule,
which has been the source of much
dissatisfaction to the merchants of
the city. came up for discussion. s.
+. Swayne who has acted as chair
man of the insurance committee stat
ed that assurances had been given
him by the agents of the city, that
the insurance companies acting under
the burdensome schedule, would
was shown that an increase of SO per
cent had been made by the Dean
schedule in Richmond or from $s.273.-
81 to over s31.222.
Secretary Haas reported that rapid
progress was being made toward the
organization of the commercial bodies
of Indiana into state federation.
Favorable responses have been re-
ceived from many of the larger Indi-
ana cities. The organization of the
federation will follow closely upon
the November elections
Addison c. Harris, who was pre-
sented to the club by Charles f.
Shiveley who paid a pretty tribute to
Wayne county man. launched imme-
diately into his subject and during
the course of his remarks he dwelt
upon conditions in Wayne county as
well as In the state. Mr.. Harris said
in part:
Commerce gathers the products OF
industry by purchase and distributes
them by sale. This is the office of
| trade. In proportion as the people pro-
duce by industry. things for sale to
the merchant. can they buy of the
merchant, things they do not produce
themselves. So that commerce is de-
pendent upon industry. And the pro-
ducts of industry measure the volume
of trade. 1t follows that commercial
men are quite as much dependent up
on the production of industry. as the
men OF industry. And by men of in
dustry Is meant all those who by la
Dor create things both in the field and
the shop. Labor creates wealth. And
as locality creates wealth. will the
| producers and all others prosper.
/ Prosperity increases. in proportion as
/ industry produces. So that the future
/ prosperity of Indiana will be meas
ured by the increase of production In
our fields and factories Naturally, for
long time at least, our population
will increase from year to year. And
unless our productions increase in the
same or greater ratio, prosperity will
lag, rather than advance; for business
can only increase with increasing pro-
ductivity. The producers form the
great mass of our people, and their
ability to buy Is measured by their
ability to sell. One must sell. before
he can buy. And IL he has little to
sell, that little measures his power to
buy.
/ Former Conditions.
Until the era Of railways in this
state the producer was shut In to a
limited market The expense of the
haul by wagon consumed the margin
| above the cost Of production. This
was true of both the products Of the
field and the factory. A farmer could
not afford to haul his wheat to Mas
sachusetts for sale to the people there
who made shoes: no more could the
ford to haul his boots and shoes to
Indiana for sale. So there was tan
merry and shoe shop in every town
throughout the state. The same was
true of agricultural implements and
all other articles Of general use. But
the railways carry a bushel of wheat
to the sea board for ten cents, and
bring back a whole suit of clothes for
even less freight money. This cheap
transportation afforded wide market
to the farmer, and increased rapidly
the business of the merchant. II re-
volutionized business In this state.
The merchant bought the products Of
the field, and turned them into mer-
chandise, and brought and sold here
many things cheaper than they could
be made at home. A half century ago
Indiana was almost exclusively an az.
ricultural state Then In time the
maximum Of farm production seems to
have been reached Wayne county II