The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-03-30

the promotion Of the general welfare
In the early fall the Farmers Union
of the county and this Chamber co.
/ operated in the cotton holding move
ment. Letters were mailed to every
commercial organization in the South
| and the result was immediate. The
Montgomery and other cotton con-
ventions followed. \ telegram from
the sumter Chamber Of Commerce
was read I'm the United States Senate.
The publicity alone that Sumter Sc
cured from this effort made it we'll
worth while. a still closer unity of
| action between organized bodies OF
farmers and organized business Will
! accomplish wonders for the South.
This Chamber Is working to encour-
age diversification and rotation Of
crops. The problem is a difficult one
but II Is our firm opinion that II can
be solved by the establishment Of such
industries as will encourage the farm
er to diversity. Fortunately such in
dustries do not demand the outlay of
any great amount Of capital. Sumter
should have and / believe will have
within the year, q canning factory and
a county fair and perhaps a corn ele-
vator and grist mill. The effort that
Is being made by the City National
| Bank OF this city to induce the farm
ers to diversity might we'll be copied
by others.
While the defeat Of the proposed
bond issue for good roads was on it's
face an apparent set back. yet the dis
cussion of this great question by the
voters Of the county must eventually
bear fruit If this county is to re-
ceive its share Of the progress that is
moving the entire South, IL must not
neglect this es. ,ial factor. Sumter
should be the leader rather than a
follower I'm this respect.
Civic Affairs.
Respecting civic affairs. the COM
mittee on Legislation and the special
committee on Commission Form Of
Government. appointed at the direc-
ton Of this body and which included
that on Legislation. is to be congratu-
lated on the result accomplished. An
act was prepared and with the COM
plete cooperation of the present city
government and our legislative dele
cation. its essential features were
enacted into law and will be voted
upon in June. II adopted 1t will
mean business form Of govern
ment for Sumter and will advertise
her far and wide as one OF the pro-
gressive cities of the country.
Industrial.
For many years the South had the
raw materials and the north the fac
tories. This condition Is rapidly
changing. The time is rapidly COM
ing when the South will not only
manufacture all that II needs. but
viii ship its manufactured goods to
all parts Of the world. Hardly a day
! passes but that some new factory IS
being established in the South. Each
city has It's peculiar difficulties to
overcome In securing the location Of
new factories. but n united effort and
Willingness to sacrifice n few present
comforts for future gain will accom-
plish wonders in this respect. One
FACTORY brings another. Personally I
believe In the small factory, establish
ed with local capital and I believe in
, the city with many small diversifi ed
industries, rather than in the city
rounded upon one single large in
dustry. Sumter has made splend "a
| progress during the last year in the
establishment Of the Rowland Buggy
Factory and the Sumter Shoe Manu-
facturing Co. III loyalty supported by
local capital. they are both sure to
grow and prosper and to add ma
terially TO the wealth Of the commu-
atty as well as being the nucleus for
others of like kind.
The Sumter Gas plant is an as
sured fact. j am reliably informed
that work on the plant will star with
I'm two weeks The total ipvoctrn a. n 4
I'm this plant will amount TO about
i $4,000. all of which is outside capital
and will be spent largely i'm sum
ter.
Through the efforts of the Chamber
! Of Commerce and it's railroad commit
Tee headed by Mr.. Manning. the
''ng-tdlked-of coming Cf the Sea-
board is now assured The dirt is