The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-03-12
Trailer Stockholders Meet.

The smoker" at the Trailer Friday
evening last week, held by the stock
holders of the Highway Trailer Co.,
was not social affair but coming to-
gether to size up the situation by the
men directly interested in the company.
The management of the Trailer called
the stockholders in to talk business,
over fragrant cigars. Two-thirds of
ali the stockholders were there. They
came away from the meeting enthu-
siastic over what they had seen and
heard. They were shown in cold fig
ures the amount of business done, and
the amount of business steadily pour
ing in. The company has been able to
discount all bills for material, enlarge
its business. pay handsome dividend,
and maintain good sized working cap
ital. The stockholders feel that they
themselves have a mighty good thing
in the Trailer, and after what they
heard and saw last Friday evening at
the smoker they are more than ever
convinced that it is going to remain so,
only better. They have never asked,
nor received cent of bonus in the
shape of land, money guaranty, or i'm
munities of any sort whatever. They
have put their own money, business
acumen, energy and enthusiasm into
the undertaking. They are well pleas
ed with the results. They are creating
a demand for we'll paid labor and skilled
artisans who have come to Edgerton to
live, build or buy homes, and i'll this
way to add to the population and bust
ness of the city. But this is not all.
The prospects of the growth of the
business are so favorable that, as one
prominent stakeholder put it, the bust
ness is here, knocking at our door, it is
ours if we furnish more material, men,
machinery and room. The stockholders
at the smoker were shown that orders
for more than 100000 are on hand
waiting to be filled. One order alone
called for 125 Of the big trailer type.
A new building, larger than the others,
is going up, more machines are to be
installed, more men engaged, more
goods turned out. The company has
voted to issue 1920, 900 of preferred
stock. bearing per cent interest, pay
able at 105. In other words, this stock
returns to the owner $12 on every 500
invested, if called in at the end of the
year, and it is preferred in the alb
solute sense of this term, being equal
to first mortgage upon the whole
business, plant and ALL Only $3.50. 900
of this stock is to be offered at this
time, and more than one-half of this
portion is already taken. AS to the
balance, it is-first come, first served.
to be called in at the end of the first
year in order to enlarge the capital
stock of the company so as to take care
of the size of its business are. already
more than a vision. In that event, the
men who become subscribers to the
preferred stock, offered now, will be
taken care of in preference to new
comers If a capital of million or
more should be found necessary, Ed
gerton and vicinity may not be able to
handle it exclusively. but the home
folks will have the chance to get in on
the ground floor. The smoker, with
the ideas that were the moving forces
in it, is one of the important steps in
the development of an industry, the
size of which must catch the magma
ton of the average man, and invite the
attention of the practical investor. The
stockholders came from the meeting
with the consciousness that the High
way Trailer is no longer a matter of
hope and faith, but reality to be
dealt with, as is every industry for
the output of which there is wide and
ever growing demand. 1t is not mat
ter of market, but of scope of prOduc-
ton.