Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1908-03-26
"A TIMELY DIAGNOSIS"
One Of Our Most Successful
Wholesale Merchants Writes
With Force on the Situation.

1O AusOAO tAO AAOOuAV VuOOs Hull
way Franchise and Hopes, Through
1t, to Realize Those Things That
Will ASSufedly AchleVe-.-and Most
Speedlly---Gredter GOIdSbOrO.
To the Editor of the ARGUS:
In your daily issue of March ID you
had an article, under the head ''Panic
Statistics IN the Years 1873 and 1393.''
l read that article very carefully and
/ hardly agree with same.
If we didn't have but 3S 5000, 900 peo-
pie in 1873. there surely were not as
many idle people in the large cities as
we must expect to have at this time.
with population of $4,000 people.
We are surely going to have more peo
pie out OF employment than we had
either in 1873 or 1898 If this dull season
keeps on, and I'd like to give you the
following reasons:
You know, for the last ten years, we
have had the most prosperous times in
this country we have ever had. Differ
ent kinds of manufactures have been
working day and night and they sold
their product from one to two years
ahead. There was hardly q man any
where who believed that it would come
to standstill, all at once, as 1t did.
Today. the mills are overstocked with
manufactured goods. Jobbers and con-
verters are not placing orders ahead.
They are just buying what they are
compelled to have for q seasons needs.
Our farmers are still holding their
cotton for higher prices, and q great
many Of them are not settling their ac-
counts. In the meantime, they are pre-
pairing to plant as large cotton crops as
they did last year, and with favorable
weather they will surely make as much
cotton as they did last year. If the de-
| mand for cotton goods Is not greater, ;,
they will have to sell their cotton about
| the neighborhood of eight cents. They
are also going to increase the tobacco
crop great deal, expecting to get as
| big price as they did last year. I am
not sure, but it seems reasonable 10
me, the Trust-the American Tobacco
Company-which Is being prosecuted
| by the government on the one hand and
| knowing there is big crop being
| raised, will decline to pay such q fancy
price as they did last year for tobacco.
| Our farmers will hold their cotton
and tobacco again, and while thus wait
| ing for the high prices, that will not
come, will defer paying their accounts,
which they ought to pay, therefore, we
are going to have holdup in busi-
ness next fall.
Under this condition, which seems to
confront us, we surely ought to look
for something tor our town. We ought
to esta blish more small industries Civ
ing employment to dependent women
and children, so they can earn living
wages and spend money every week
day with our merchants; and by doing
this we can increase our wage-earn1ng
population and makethe town self-sus-
| tanning and not have to depend entirely
on the farmers trade. OF course, the
farmers trade ought to be appreciated
and they ought to be accommodated in
every way, and I approve the good
road movement for giving them better
facilities tor coming to Goldsboro, but,
under all circumstances, we ought to
build our town first.
We have a movement now on foot for
an electric street railway, which, l
think, would be big thing for Colds
| boro. I further believe that we would
make no mistake in granting fran
chise and providing through their plant
for a day current and fix an economical
rate at which they shall furnish it wher-
by to establish small manufacturing in
dustries.
I don't mean to question the ability
of our city Aldermen to handle this
matter, and I know they will rightly
and fully meet the emergency, but
think it would be the best plan for the
president of the Chamber of Commerce
to call special meeting of the Chamber
as an advisory conference with the COM
mittee appointed by our mayor, before
it makes its report.
If we shall get the electric street rail-
way and the day current, our city will
surely grow. and speedily materialize
Into Greater Goldsboro.
don't see why we should not have
the largest town In Eastern North Car
olina, as Charlotte is the largest town
in Western North Carolina.
( hope this day will not be far off, az
I've always "Go Forward.
- q la. M. SHRAGO.