Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-03-02

more brick plants would have at present on labor in Mexico. No sane lot of
business men viii locate a plant without assurances of plenty of labor and
most assuredly they are not going into a town where they know they viii
Ibave to divide the labor with a plant already located. Neither are they go
ling to compete in prices for labor; new capital of such a situation would be
that wages would not advance but the men at equal wages would drift to
the plant with the best labor conditions and where the best treatment could
he had, with each plant short. of help. So far IS w arr concerned, we well
come one or more additional brick plants in Mexico provided they come on
right circumstances but we would not want a plant to come here now ana
divide our labor and leave Us both short of hands.
There is no reason why Mexico cannot be made a fire brick center with
several plants. employing hundreds Of men, We are ambitious to grow and
have more than one plant in Mexico, several if possible. This is no reason for
barring outsiders but lit is a matter of gradual and steady growth, both in the
plants and in the town. 1t is not a matter to be wished for over night and
realized next morning.
II is considerably harder to induce manufacturers to locate than the
average person believes. For instance, within two years a new fire brick plant
was built at New Florence, Mo, a company has bought land and expects to
build a new plant at Vandaha and the present plant at Vandaia is doubling
end trebling their works. The New Florence plant and one Of the Vandaia
plants to my knowledge, investigated Mexico as a proposed location. The
gentlemen of the New Florence plant are my friends of years standing and |
made a personal effort to get them to locate in Mexico but conditions did not
suit them. What efforts of u Commercial Club would have changed their
decisions?
Ihappen to have in my files a copy of an information sheet as sent out
Ito different cities by a nationally union firm of engineers when investigation
Locations for a new plant. | will be glad to send this to you for publication or
will deliver it to the Commercial Club. The vast amount of detailed infor-
nation asked for in that sheet will probably surprise them; it certainly will
impress them with the fact that many other conditions besides raw material
must be satisfactory to induce a plant to locate in any certain place II
would be Of value to the town to collect and tabuated the Information asked
for and find out what we have to offer such concerns.
In addition to manufactures, we believe interurbans, good roads sales
days, dairying, truck gardening, fruit farming, merchants sales are subjects
which should also receive attention from the Commercial Club We pledge the
brick plant morally and financially squarely behind any movement OF inns
kind. We have a fine body of business men in our Commercial Club a eneien'
Secretary and why not turn it over to them.
The brick plant was built by local capital and its earlier losses were
changed and borne by the stockholders only, my understanding being that with
the exception Of the expense to Hon. c. +. Clark for his private dinner at INC
GARRISON Hotel not a penny was ever given the brick plant in the way OF
bonus or donation. For the relief money raised at Mr.. Carks dinner ms
cid companys notes of hand were given.
The present management stands squarey on its own feet and asks
nothing of the citizens but their good will We consider or best business
q Investment the skill. good will and loyalty of our men which we have care
fully nurtured, trained and built up during the past five years. we re 10
K Mexico from soup to nuts, from both a business and personal stand point a'
g will cheefuly head a list of donators to a Factory Fund"
/ have no desire or intention to be drawn into a newspaper controVeTs!
land after laying the above facts before the citizens of Mexico expect =
keen painfuly silent. / hope however, that the controversy ends with thi
letter.
Thanking you for the space granted, | am,
Very truly yours,
A. P. GREEN, President
A. P. GREEN FIRE BRICK co.