The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-17
THE INDUSTRIAL BUREAU.

1
cation of children. And Topeka is
as advantageous a place for the 10
cation of all sorts of industries and
manufacturing concerns as is any city
in the great middle west But To-
pekans will never attract new indus
tries to their midst, or develop indus
tries already here, by merely singing
the praises of the town for it's beauty
and an ideal home center. And
of what particular value is the lat
ter asset, if there are not ample and
sufficiently diverse Industries in town
to provide all kinds of suitable en-
ployment and opportunities for the
Topeka youngsters after they have
been reared and educated here. If
they are forced to leave the city on
reaching mans estate to find their
niche in the field of labor. the city
is not much of a gamer simply be-
cause they were brought up here. An
increasing population of the perma-
nent variety is what a city needs if it
is to grow and prosper in the right
way.
AS has just been suggested, To-
pekans are not going to make this
town an Industrial center commensur-
ate with it's advantages and possibili-
ties by telling their friends and
strangers abroad through we'll writ
ten articles and deliberately illustrated
booklets that the town is a beautiful
one and has an environment that
makes it a most desirable place in
which to live; although, of course
such attributes are of great value to
any city.
If Topekans intend to develop their
town as an industrial center they
must get out in the field and hustle
with their wits and cash, or it's equiv
aIent. There is as much competition
nowadays among the cities of the size
of Topeka, and similarly situated, to
increase their industrial prominence
by bringing new plants to their doors
and developing the ones already in
existence, as there is among the mer-
chants in them who cater to all kinds
of trade.
1t has been the experience of the
business and professional men in most
of the cities in the central west, who
have realized that it would be to their
great personal advantage if their
home towns were developed as indus
trial centers, that they could only
bring about such desirable changes
by working in substantial ways to get
new industries to locate among them.
This has resulted in the organization
of all kinds of civic bureaus for the
extension of aid to Industries that
might be looking for new locations.
Many of these plans have worked out
with great success. In some cities
where there is real enthusiasm on the
part of the pubhc-spirited citizens to
make their towns grow and prosper
large sums of money have been
raised to give cash bonuses to all
sorts of industrial concerns if they
would locate in them. Adequate sites
have been purchased by such bureaus
and presented outright to such con-
Germs. In other instances, consider
able sums have been used to provide
necessary working capital for such
concerns And this method of cash
investment in one way or another is
the most successful plan of develop
ing city as an industrial center.
However, as the druggist is wont to
say on frequent occasions, there is
something that is Just as good"
And it is the plan that will be used
in the operation of the Topeka Indus
trial bureau, the establishment of
which has been proposed by ]. Will
Kelley, secretary of the Commercial
club, and the promotion club of which
c. S. Elliott is chairman. Everybody
in the city should be familiar with the
details of this plan, that has been tried
out in Sioux City with such success
In brief, and in the main it concerns
the extension of credit to worthy in
dustries already in town that have
good prospects for expansion; and
also to Industries that might locate
here if sufficient inducements were
offered. Subscribers to the fund that
this bureau will need will signify the
extent to which they will stand behind
the credit thus issued. OF the amount
that they name, each will have to
contribute in cash only 10 per cent
So no excessive financial burdens are
imposed on those who would join the
excellent movement to make Topeka
grow and prosper in variety of di-
rections.
Under these circumstances there
should be little trouble in getting the
necessary subscriptions to the fund.
The ideal subscription list would con-
tain the names of many men for rea-
sonable amounts, so in case they
should ever be called upon to make
good a loan or credit that has been
| extended to any concern, the burden
would not be heavy on any one of
them But this is a remote POSSIBLE
ity, as most ample safeguards are
thrown around the operations of this
| bureau.
And in addition to che business
and professional men of the city who