The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-06
Big Company Now Exempt in
Manchester Strongly in
Favor OF Union.
NEEDS HOMES FOR employees
Mr.. Laird Tells Why He'd Rather
Pay Tax Than See City Take
Backward Step.

The ordinance providing for the con-
solidatton OF Richmond and Manches-
ter on the basis proposed by the spe-
cial committees from the Councils of
the two cities will be sent to the Com
mon Council at Its regular monthly
| meeting tomorrow night. It is prob
able that 1t will be allowed to go over
( to special meeting on Thursday
night, when there will be ample time
| for the debate.
Edwin C. Laird. president of tho
Southern Manufacturing Company. a
corporation with offices In Richmond
and factory In Manchester. came out
yesterday strongly in favor of the
union of the cities. While speaking
only for himself. and not for the d.
rectors Of his company, Mr.. Laird call
ed attention to the fact that his COM
pany had been driven from Richmond
by the lack of adequate facilities and
opportunities for growth. Its factory
now located in Manchester claims to
be one of the largest, If not the larg-
est. mandatory of baking powder in
the world. 1t Is now operating under
special exemption from taxation
granted by the city of Manchester for ,
a period of five years. but the officers i
of the company say they will be glad /
to abandon the exemption for the ben
Gifts of consolidation. in order to Sc
cure adequate fire and police protec-
ton. adequate water service, and bet
ter living conditions for employees.
There is no doubt In my mlnd,'
said Mr.. Laird, that the consolidation
of Richmond and Manchester will re-
suit In an immense commercial devel-
nv #S,N I
These two cities. consolidated and
working hand in hand with a common
purpose, can produce much larger re-
suits from the common cause than
either can for itself alone. Richmond
needs Manchester no less than Man
chester needs Richmond. To each
there will come compensating benefit
greatly In excess of what 1t Yields in
annexation.
misunderstanding Sites.
Those not in the manufacturing
business doubtless do not realize the
pressing necessity in Richmond for
cheaper ground for manufacturing sites
and suitable homes for working people, I
but it Is an established fact that this
defect Is greatly retardlng the COM
mercial progress OF ou,Tcity, notwith
standing 1t is so generously possessed |
OF unusual advantages as a manufac- /
turing city
The new Washington Ward will be |
the logical location for Richmond fac |
tories catering to Southern and South |
western trade and for houses for their !
working people. Not only is Its ground |
cheap, its railway trackage ample and
susceptible OF being greatly extended, |
and its elevation healthful. but when |
Its factories have manufactured their |
goods and proceed to ship them into
the South and West they do not have
to be switched through a crowded city (
over tracks limited yby city ordinances |
to service of q few hours each day,~l
and entailinS In year large loss
OF time, nor do they have to be switched |
across a one-tracl bridge, where con-
gestlon and blockade of traffic often
cause considerable delay, but move
promptly on their way, and promptness
In shipping Is often sufficient to turn
business from one market to another.
Therefore the logical section In which
to build further factories In Greater
Richmond is on the south side OF tho
river.
Homes for Employees.
as the Richmond Chamber of Com
merce justified In spending the publlc's |
money In an attemnt to induce new j
factories to locate In Richmond when
we have no suitable ground to offer
them for factory sites nor homes in
which to house their employees? And
would the Richmond Chamber of Conn
merce be justified in spending the
money of Richmond people In inducing
new factories to come into this section
BIZ, locate in another city across
the river? And will our city govern +
ment be justified In permitting to con-
.inue conditions that Will force more
III our Richmond factories 10 move
across tho river into another city?
Wealth is principally produced by ,
farming, mining and misunderstanding,
We can do neither mining nor farming
m our city, and hence our only
fundamental sYucsc of wealth isl