The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-20
SMALL INDUSTRY
| PROBLEMS GIVEN
BY MANU- ACTURER
Writer Gives Some Exam
pies of How Birmingham
Can Help Good Cause
WHOLE CITY FEELS
THE NEED OF MORE
Purchase of Products by Home Peo-
pie Is Greatest Incentive to the
Man Building up
Small Plant

The following interesting letter
on the problems confronting the
small manufacturer in Birmingham
is from F. X Waldhorst of f. x.
Waldhorst & Co, showcase manu-
facturers. He signed his communica-
ton with his initials only giving
as his reason that he is not seek
ing free advertising.
The Age-Herald takes pleasure in
printing just such communications
as this of Mr.. Waldhorst. Birming-
hams greatest opportunity just now
lies in the encouragement and de-
velopment of small industries, and
1t can be done in no better way
than an interchange of ideas so
that all may become familiar with
the problems to be met and solved.
Mr.. Waldhorst writes:
To the Editor of The Age-Herald
Mr.. Bush, in his talk before the Com.
munity club, has told great truths about
making our city bigger, better and
more prosperous.
1t is about the small industries that
the writer of this wishes to state a few
Va lhS III dW UdChS THAT CONFRONT L0e
small manufacturers that are here
There are some. The writer does not
wish to take advantage of The Age.
Herald to advertise his business gratis
therefore does not wish to sign his
name for publication The writer came
to Birmingham in 'SS, a trained me-
chanic, found employment at once, be-
ing able to speak but very broken Eng
lish, saved all he could, and then went
to school at Marion for year, came
back and worked again at his trade
started out in business in 1891, did well
until 1902, sold out (panic) and went tc
work for a Tennessee firm, travelled fol
them for nine years. but knowing oul
city would be good to start his business
again, came back in 1901, but could not
get started until about five years ago
DR.. Caldwell, president of the Elytor
Land company in the sos and COS, saio
to the writer at work on his residence
on Fourth avenue: II would rather
have 5000 trained, skilled mechanics
come to this city than any other KIND
of immigrants" And he meant what
he said, and did all he could for any
one who would make any commodity
that the city needed in it's growth.
If there were more men like DIR
Caldwell here now Birmingham would
not send s250,000 year, at the Lowest
estimate, out Of town for commodity
that is made here now, and more car
and would be made If the merchants
ordered their work done at home in
stead of Atlanta, Louisville. Crane
Rapids, Chicago, etc.
Why not? 1t took the writer two
years to get started in the smallest
way possible, as his means were lin
tied, and the work he does is sold by
i y
a month, or per cent interest, fol-
the balance The outside maker takes
his notes to a bank, which advances
from 60 to rs per cent on the notes and
gets the money as the notes are paid.
EXAMPLE IN CLEVELAND
Can't do it here but very seldom. A
maker of the same goods in Cleveland
O., has a factory 25x140 feet floor space
pays $40 month rent, on good
street: electricity costs cents pei
kiIowatt hour. Here $40 until recently
for 30x3O feet in an alley. and 7 cents
per kilowatt for juice. The Cleveland
man makes the same kind of stuff as
the Birmingham man. both pay about
the same wages.
The business of the writer grew, he
wanted larger quarters, but to buy a
piece of property located in a desirable
locality cost from $3O0O to $5OOV. Ou1
of the question, until about two weeks
ago, when Mr.. I. Groom Beatty, presi-
dent of the Realty company, made il
possible for the writer to get started.
Now the question is, will Birming-
ham people patronize this home in
dustry, where over half Of the cost il
paid to skilled mechanics, who live
own homes, or try to; educate theil
children, pay taxes, who receive and
are worth high wages, and can and dc
make for a prosperous city? Or will
birmingham people keep on sending
their money out of town, out of which
enough money goes every week for ar
ticles that cannot be bought here; ere.
ating a constant drain on the fund:
that should and would be spent a
nomeo
The writer is not a calamity bowler
but believes in Birmingham, and al
ways has: believes that our city car
be and will be the greatest city in the
south. and he has been all over thi:
country and Europe.
RESOURCES UNRIVALLED
There is not city in the United
states or civilized Europe that has the
resources of Birmingham, and all Of
it in a radius of few miles: il we only
recognize the fact that Birmingham, 1T:
mechanics, it's manufacturers its mer-
chants, it's people, it's creative enter
nrises are closer to our4gwell being az
q community, than those OF Atlanta OIL
any other place In plain words. oul
shirt is next to our hides, Atlanta mer'