Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-07-21
FRIDAY. JULY 81. 1911
PROBLEM OF NEW INDUSTRIES.

ct HERE is an industry that Wilmington lost,
Il said a citizen the other day who was read
ing about the decision to locate fine factory in
neighboring city He greatly regretted the fact
but he did not know why Wilmington had lost the
industry. Perhaps there we're good and sufficient
reasons; the other city may have made a more at
tractive offer TO the manufacturers who are solid
and substantial concern. There are other indus
tries that Wilmington has lost in the competitive
race for new concerns, and we shall continue TO
lose them unless the progressive men of this city
devise some systematic and practical method of
handling the question of locating new industries
in Wilmington.
Our manufacturing industries are the basis Of
our prosperity the foundation stone of it. The
foundations must be strong, and firm or else the
structure will become weak. We hear much about
the advance in the values of property, that the
city is expanding, but are we working on the
foundations as we should do, are we seeing that
they are in repair, and are we extending them to
keep pace with the growth of the population OF the
city2e-e -.
TlEing sssshe Questions that arise in the minds
Of TIN ntlo, look beneath the surface. The last
decades ssoording TO the census figures, showed
that two cities of our class went ahead of us in
populaton-Trenton and Reading This should
not have been. But the fact nevertheless tells us
that we have not been as alert we should be.
The Journal does not wish TO be considered pes
SimStiC IN this matter, Tar from IT, Dut N does
wish 10 impress upon our industrial leaders that
il is highly desirable that with the beginning of
autumn we should take a survey, business sur
vey Of Wilmington, and make definite plans for
al aggressive campaign TO locate industries, small
industries especially, in this city
Before the warm weather started. this subject
was brought up at one OF the meetings of the
Board of Trade, and there we're hints that de-
finite plan for progress would be presented when
the Board resumes its active. sessions The plan
will be something on the order of that adopted
by the Easton, Pa Board Of Trade plan that
has worked successfully in other cities and would
work like a charm in this city, we believe, for
Wilmington has advantages for manufacturing far
superior TO those of many other cities of our class,
or smaller than our class.
Such a plan TO be successful should have the
hearty cooperation Of men of means and substance
in this city. To be frank don't believe that the
Board of Trade has such support as it should
have. A large number of rich and influential men
in this city are Indifferent to the work that the
Board of Trade does and should do
Recently the matter of locating certain
small industry and one that looked TO be very
desirable, came up before a meeting of the direc-
tors Of the Board. If we had had a guarantee
fund like that of Easton a fund which we have
described several times there would have been nc
halting and hesitancy, but the industry would
have been almost ready, If not ready to operate
in this city
The Board of Trade will have to face this ques
ton OF new industries. but il would be no hare
problem if the Board had the support 10 which
il is entitled II would be easy for Wilmington
and our city would go forward by leaps anS
bounds