Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-03-11

iSt Business; Team Work Necessary.
Editor, Democrat:
Your editorial, "Hendersonvl1le's
Needs" in the last issue of your pa
per. in my opinion, is the most timely
exposition OF our greatest need that
1 have seen published.
Pay Roll a Necessity.
We have one of the most progress
sive communities in the South, and ac-
cording to my observation. the one
thing lacking in trying to induce cap
~ltalists and manufacturers to locate
and develop the natural resources
we have to offer, is cooperation among
the leading men of this vicinity. l
admit that l am not competent tc make
suggestions and am also aware that
it is far easier to criticise than to con-
struct, but we will all agree that the
/, business and other interests demand
that we do something that will give
Us pay rolls, and if it be cotton mills,
or manufactures of some other nature,
| am sure that we have in our lead
ing men of the community enough bus
mess acumen and ability, to carry out
and consummate any plan that they
! will agree on and determine to do.
/ am partial to cotton mills. | was
reared in the cotton mill district Of
| Spartanburg county, S. c., and spent
ten years in the employ Of one in va
rious capacities, and therefore; submit
that 1 am familiar with the earning
and spending capacities of he varied
lines and kinds of help that are m
pIoyed therein sand ofAthe benefits to
be derived from the establishment Of
Industries of this kind. Cotton mill
help, as a rule, is well paid, and as a
result are liberal spenders. thereby
contributing wonderfully to the up
building of any community in which
they reside.
WOulnt Hurt Tourist Business.
Some objection has been raised to
this class OF industry, reasoning that
a cotton mill or mills, would retard
the growth of this section along tour
ist lines, and would be detrimental 10
our summer resort reputation. I cam
not see it that way for we have attrac-
tions which the great Creator placed,
and which cannot be done away with.
Our scenery, water, breezy, atmosphere
etc., will continue to attract the thou
sands during the hot months OF the
year, and as the years go by this side
of the question will automatically take
care of itself. We a take ample
care of both. but alphabetically speak
ing, if we were called upon to decide
which we would take. and were forced
to make a decision upon the question
of tourists and three months good
business or manufactures and twelve
months good business, it would be
easily settled. However, nature has
made it possible to attract both, and
each will augment the other, and the
consequent development along real
estate lines and all other enterprises
will continue to flourish, and the in
fux of money derived from other
sources will enable us to expend and
grow as never before.
Natural Advantages Excellent.
Therefore, all agreeing that we need !
pay rolls, the question for discussion
is How a we get them"
We have the locations, climatic COIL
ditions that are not exceIled and hard
ly eoualled in the world, labor from
which the cotton mills of the Piedmont
section of South Carolina have drawn
their supply since the writer can re.
collect. and who in their mountain
home would be contented and satisfied
and not moving from place to place.
never settled, as is the case when they
leave their beloved mountains. We
nave every thing in natural resources
to attract investors, SO the question
would naturally be raised as to why
they haven't already taken advantage
of them.
"GOOd VIII" Necessary.
From my knowledge of past propo-
sitions that have been made to Us
along this line, they first want Good
Will and want it expressed in dollars
and cents. Naturally. one wants the
good will of the people of a communt
ty where they are establishing a bust
ness Of any kind, as it is of material
benefit and help towards making al
success of said business. However,
they do not want it as a-donatiQn, but
as an investment, take stock and be
part owner OF the enterprise, and de-
rive dividends from such investment
when run profitably. Capital Is the
stumbling block with most Of us bus
mess men, and to raise enough to keep
our different lines of business going,
Is the greatest nightmare that most CT
us face; not a nightmare or hallucina-
ton either, but a cold blooded fact
and the longer we depend solely OIL
the tourist travel to supply us with
that badly needed commodity, the
longer will we. be marking time.
However, a subscription to stock. IL
an enterprise of this kind, could be
managed and handled by our able
hnanciers whereby this could be paid
In installments or some plan evolved
whereby it could be met without great
hardship, as only a very small per
centage of the capital stock of such
enterprises would be asked for locally
Location Easily Solved.
Cotton mills want good location,