New-York tribune., 1912-02-11
N l ENLARGE ITS WORK
uorchants' Association to Have
Many More Bureaus.
REALTY MEN WILL HELP
o,t of Town Manufacturing
Concerns To Be Induced to
Locate Here.

qse Merchants Association has broad
"A rs scope Of usefulness for the pro-
..son ~. and development of New York's
illness and property interests.
- cost of the new activities will be not
man $1,000 year, and to meet that
- outlay an underwriting fund has
g. established to provide against any
s.,t that may arise in the first two
- \ special finance committee was
.Dsntly organized TO secure the under
,,lng William Fellowes Morgan is the
chairman -.,. an. l..
,,strial development. convention and pub
,,ol,v bureaus. Besides. it will have a
,oreign trade committee.
The Real Estate Board of Brokers is
s.ortily in accord with this work, In re-
~ard 70 the plan, Elisha Sniffin, secretary
- tbe realty organization, said recently:
NJ the utmost Importance to the future
New York City as the commercial pivot
~ fhe United States is the ability OF its
Snsness men to not only keep and foster
wbsf II already has, but by concerted ef
fort. broad in its scope, TO go after and get
what New York City Is entitled to; and
snally with their well known hustling
anmsiifies and an enthusiasm that cannot
r. denied. put our great city OF New York
where it is by every right destined to be,
che preTner city Of the world.
Protection and development of its natural
.5vantages is what New York sOrely needs,
and the Merchants Association OF New
York is splendidly qualified and equipped
10 do this work.
Enthusiastic support is needed. We are
.nre the real estate interests of this city
Viii be materially benefited.
The association has issued circular de-
scribing the new tasks it has undertaken
70 do. The circular is in part as follows;
The traffic bureau will seek to protect
New York in the readjustment of freight
rates, Neglect in this matter means the
exclusion of New York from wide trade
fields, By reason of freight rates made 10
favor other cities and 10 operate against
To assist individual shippers in relation
70 rates. routes, claims, etc.
I The industrial development bureau VIII
aim 10 attract manufacturing industries 10
this city by giving wide publicity 10 the
inany economic advantages which New
York has to offer; to promote the develop
ment Of the city's terminal ana shipping
facilities, and its transit facilities. which
will make possible the wide distribution OF
the population, thereby assuring low rents
and favorable wage conditions
The convention bureau will try to secure
for New York as many as possible OF the
also 10 further exhibitions devoted TO spe-
CjaI lines Of business such as tn" auto
mobile show. the electrical show. etc.
Buffalo. for instance, recently took away
The T. H. Williams plant from Brooklyn.
This plant, employing five hundred skilled
mechanics, was taken away because there
IS no bureau and no one person in this
city whose duty II is TO protect our manu-
A. fr.4r in TO-
The foreign trade committee will promote
the development of export trade. pa"ticu-
larly in manufactured products whose
growth will be Of especial advantage TO
New York.
The publicity bureau will be formed to
give the purposes of the association proper
publicity.
II further says: Many cities competing
with New York have these necessary pro-
tectiye agencies highly developed. They
have greatly benefited by the work largely
ct our expense.
There are now p cities with traffic bu
reaus, l6 with convention bureaus, 70 with
Industrial bureaus and more than 100 with
publicity bureaus.
( Whenever a group Of railroad managers
Is gathered together to build new freight
structure there is some one there 10 repre-
sent Boston. There is some one to repre-
seat Chicago. There is some one to repre-
sent San Francisco.
But there has never been, and there is
not now. any one to represent New York.
As a city New York has no representation
In these industrial and commercial con-
crosses which have so much power TO de-
eide the destinies of trade.
Boston raised last year $4,000 TO support
its traffic bureau. So did Chicago. So did
San Francisco. on her convention bureau
alone Chicago spent more than $4,000 last
year. She secured 3O8 conventions. Bos-
ton, three years ago, found herself back
IN fourth place as a port. She woke up
organized. and in one year increased her
water traffic AZ per cent.
Buffalo, too, woke up in 1910. She raised
100000 as a fund to protect and extend her
own industrial interests. The latest re-
port from Buffalo shows that her indus
trial bureau secured II new factories, with
800 workers and $30O0,0O0 capital.
Boston raised $4,000 last year for such
work. Chicago spent $4,000, Dubuque
Iowa, $l75 900; Milwaukee, $1,000; Baltimore,
5000; Memphis, $1,000; Jacksonville S'V'-
600, and Spokane, $4,000.
Even little Calgary, which few years
ago was nothing but a trading post in
Western Canada. has recently raised $780,
0oo for publicity alone.
Instead Of the competition of individuals
we have to-day the competition of cities,
of states and Of nations. This is not a
theory, but situation; there IS a combined
pull against New York.
Action is being taken TO nullify our nat
ural advantages. 1t Is being laid down as
follow its raw materials. Cheap land Is
being offered In the West; bonuses are be-
ing given. taxes are being RENTED; all
manner Of inducements are being offered 10
manufacturers.
Local Industrial eXpositions have been
held In more than thirty cities to boom the
goods made at home. Such slogans as
Made IN Rochester" Made in st. Louis"
have become common almost everywhere
except in the city of New York.
In the face Of all this, New York cannot
afford 10 be indifferent and unorganized.
We must have new agencies that are COM
petent 10 handle the new dangers of the
situation.
What we need and what we are about 10
have Is one large central body, fully IL
whole city of New York whenever its busi-
ness interests are endangered.
NEW INSURANCE BUILDING