The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-10-15
PUTTING NEWBERRY
IN THE LIMELIGHT
THE CITIZENS OF NEWBERRY
SHOULD WAKE UP.
Civic Pride, Wise Use Of Capital
and United Citizenship
Can Turn the Trick.
By L. w. Maxwell, Secretary
Chamber of Commerce.)

situation, however, may prove to be
the making or the breaking Of New
berry. People are complaining that
costs are high. They say it costs too
much to build houses, too. much to
float bonds, too much, to erect an
apartment house, too much to add a
hospital TO the improvements of
Newberry, etc.
Costs are only relative quantities.
One man in Newberry paid telephone
bills amounting to s75 for the toll
calls of one week. ''Preposte1ou5, y
you may be inclined to say. "a man
can no longer afford to use the tele-
phone" But there are two sides to
the question. You may be doing
yourself the injustice of seeing orly
one side of the picture. This man
whom you were beginning to show
sympathy for, by Investing S75 in
toll calls, made profits on his busi-
ness amounting to over $1,000. Was
he not wise, therefore, to disregard
costs and proceed with his develop
ment program? Present costs are
large only when compared with pre-
war costs. When compared WITH
.le:rn. l.ttts :hey are 40 "''..':::
than they used to be. If we wish to
be fair minded as well as inte!li-
gent, we must admit that profits dur
ing the past year have been higher
than at any time during this genera
ton, and that costs did rot rise as
rapidly or as high as profits. Some
of. US are kicking against the
pricks" by seeming to expect costs to
decline and profits to remain at high
levels -
We people of Newberry are too
conservative. We have "kidde !"
ourselves into baking at increased
costs, and thereby we have forfeited
untold profits. Other towns near US
have not been content to sleep.
Greenwood Greenville and others
which you can name-those towns
which have pep" and vision and the
spirit of cooperation-have not cess-
ed to grow. Go to Greenwood your
self and count the new houses. Two
facts will be evident to you. First,
Greenwood has not been content 20
forfeit the advantages which follow
building, merely because costs were
higher than before the war. Second
", Greenwood is alive, alert, and
backed by united citizenship.
But let US return to Newberry.
Most people admit that we need an
apartment house. Builders are wait
ing, however, for prices to come
down. Can't they realize that when
costs come down, rentals will come
down also? An apartment house now
would bring in a rental two or three
times as great as would have been
the case before the war. When VII
some builder realize that low costs
and low profits go hand in hand?
Two months ago Mr.. A. in New
berry, was considering buying a
four-room house. He said if he had
assurance that by replastering the
walls, putting on new roof, and
building and cquipping bath room,
he could rent the place for $50 a
month he would close the deal. Mr..
3. offered him the specified rental,
on condition that the house be re-
paired as above described. Mr.. A.
later found that the house was too
low to connect with the adjacent
sewer line. Nevertheless a third
party came along who paid him $50
rental, even though the house had nc
oath room and the other repairing
was uncompleted. This illustrates the
demand for houses.
The writer knows of people in Co.
lumbia who want to come 70 New
berry, but can not lind houses. a
family in kinard gave up plan tc
H<,,t tcf
was obtainable. a professional mar
rented an office in Newberry, ther
gave it up and went elsewhere be-
cause he could not find suitable quar-
ters for his family. With this great
demand for houses, and when the
possibility of a high return either
from rental or sale is so evident, Is