The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-05-21
Enterprising Business Men
Consider Factory League
to Raise Fund for Indus
trial Expansion.
STIMULATE BUSINESS
Leaders Propose Action to
Prevent Good Concerns
From Overlooking Rich
mOnd in Picking Sites.

An announcement will be made
within short time, it was learned to-
day. of plans for the organization Of
a bigger and more prosperous Rich
mond' league. the principal purpose
of which will be to bring new indus
tries to the city to stimulate business
conditions
Some of the city's most enterpris-
ing and successful business men are
promoting this organization and after
they have completed preliminary ar
rangements, it is said, they will launch
an active membership campaign.
Members will be recruited from all
branches of industrial activities, men
who are known to be wide-awake, pro-
gressive and public-spirited.
May Raise Big Fund.
1t is understood that the plans for
the organization Of the league provide
for the creation of a substantial fund
which can be drawn upon, if neces-
sary, to secure the location Of desira-
BILE industries. Each member Of the
league, it is understood, will be pledg-
ed to contribute a certain amount,
probably $500 or s40O, to this fund, all
or any part of each contribution to be
drawn upon at the discretion of the
league officials for the purpose of es-
tablishing new industries in the city.
The idea We have in mind is not
original with US. 1t has been tried in
other cities with universal success. II
prosperity is to increase some practi-
Gofa IN cd 1ff ho
forth to increase the number Of our
industries said one of the league pro-
moters today. He asked that his name
not be made public at this time.
Club Opposes Expansion.
"Our Commercial Club, while it has
been successful along certain lines in
pursue a policy of industrial expan-
sion. 1t is no secret, as a matter of
fact, that certain Influential members
Of the Commercial Club have consist
emily opposed any effort to bring new
industries to Richmond Let me cite
two examples of what a detrimental
policy this has been to the city.
Two or three years ago New Eng
land company which manufactured au-
tomoblle lamps desired to move their
plant to some point in the central west
so a S to be closer to the center of the
automobile manufacturing area. With
out invitation representative of this
company visited Richmond and were
greatly impressed with the city They
announced that they would like to To-
cate their plant here and negotiations
were opened with the owner of fac
tory property In West Richmond
There was a difference in the price
and no effort was made by the Com
mercial Club to bring about a satisfac-
tory settlement. AS a result this plant
understand, is now employing over
one thousand men.
Gets Cold Shoulder.
Not SO very long ago another man
ufacturing concern located in a north
ern Indiana city. which made accesso-
ries for automobiles, intimated its de-
sire to locate in Richmond if reasona-
Bile inducements were made by Rich.
mond business interests A CONNER
cial Club committee made an investi-
cation of this plant and returned an
unfavorable report. Negotiations were
then broken off. Today this plant is
one of the most successful manufac-
turing concerns in the state and the
backbone of the community in which
it is located
What we want to do now is to go
after instead of turning the cold
shoulder to desirable industries. A
few more National Automatic Tool
works kind of factories would be the
making of Richmond The South Side
Improvement association will never
regret the day it brought that prosper
Gus and growing concern to Rich
mond."