The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-18
Will DEVISE PLAN
Commercial Club VIII Give Aid
to Factories.
Secretary J. Will Kelley Re-
views Present Conditions.
FUND OF 100000 NEEDED
This Would Put Young Institu-
tiOns on Sound Basis.
Building Permits This Week
More Than $4,000.

In the next few months the Com
merciaI club through its promotion
committee will be busily engaged in
endeavoring to work out a plan where
by the Industries of Topeka - ay pc
given material assistance. secretary
J. Will Kelley has intimated that
fund of 100000 should be raised for
the purpose. The work of the COM
mittee will be to devise a method for
raising this money.
In 1910, while chairman of the
manufacturing committee" said Sec
rotary Kelley, we were calleo sew
eral times to talk over with various
enterprises who were either already
located in this city or were contem-
plating locating here, ways and means
of financing these enterprises and we
were always forced up against the
stone wall of no funds. When any
effort was made to arouse sufficient
interest in the propositions submitted
to bring forth the necessary funds TO
finance the projects we found that
the same few men who nave peen
doing the most for the city were the
same men whom we would have to
draw this money from if it was Sc
cured.
These are men, who as a rule are
engaged actively in other business and
who have their capital employed in
lines with which they are familiar
and who in past years had invested
their money in various enterprises
that for some reason failed to make
good and naturally the ardOr of these
men had cooled and they were slow
to back any new undertakings and
consequently we were unable to give
these enterprises seeking assistance
any material help, but could only
give them our moral support which
backed up with nothing more substan-
tiaI than talk and good will, never
cures a sick business or finances new
enterprises
AFTER several experiences of this
kind it became a sort of a travesty to
my mind when we were called into
meeting for our hands were tied and
the outcome of any meeting. only tend
ed to make our bluff as a city seek
ing new factories more apparent.
Three Deserving Concerns.
During the year 1910 we had presented
to us three propositions that 1 now re-
member most distinctly The Clipper
Windmill company, The Walk Pump
company and the Smith Automobile
company. The two former We still
have with us in a very wabbly and I'M
satisfactory condition for the reason
that neither of them have sufficient
funds to carry on their business as it
should be to be profitable and at this
very minute both of these plants are
looking for locations where the con-
citions from a financial standpoint
can be had.
otherwise the location here at To-
peka is the most desirable they could
wish for.
Personally I believe the manage
,ment of both these enterprises are very
competent and that with sufficient help
financially they have every right to,
and will succeed. The third institution
the Smith Automobile company, you Ill
know about. In 1919 Mr.. Wernicke, of
Grand Rapids, Michigan, for himself
and others from his town took this
plant over and tried hard to finance it.
Mr.. Wernicke claimed to have put
SO, 0Go in the plant, but failed to raiss
any local money and after struggling
for about eight months gave up the
ghost and the plant went into the
hands of a receiver and has remained
a silent enterprise ever since.
Not long ago it was sold at receiv-
ers sale but am advised that the new
owners cannot raise the necessary
money and that the plant is likely ~
remain in its present condition unless
something can be done to either help