The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-05-08
FRISCO OFFICIALS
HIGH IN PRAISES
! OF C|TY'S WORTH
Declare Memphis Looks Best
in Whole Nation From Bust
ness Boom Standpoint After
Seeing Progress.
BY ROY T. RISLEY.

Memphis has nothing to fear from
contemplated freight rate changes, in
the opinion of Alexander Hilton, vice
president traffic. for the Frisco railroad,
who in company with $. s. Butler,
freight traffic manager; j. N Cornat-
Ear, passenger traffic manager; and G..
w, Green, industrial commissioner,
spent Friday in looking over the city S
industrial and transportation facilities,
conducted by Robert l.. Buchanan, d.
vision freight agent.
Strategically SITUATED in the heart
of section of great wealth, with enor-
nous production, great volume of con-
sumption, rapidly developing river
transportation, splendid railroad facili-
ti"s, progressive citizenship and firmly
established commercial organizations,
the city's progress is assured, Mr..
Hilton said and no alteration of rates
can arrest rapid development now un-
der way.
Mr.. Hilton was greatly interested in
the Memphis River and Rail terminal,
and was enthusiastic over possibilities
of cheap transportation it offers. Traf-
fic will be so. heavy in the United
States during the next decade that 1t
will tax all available facilities, Mr..
Hilton said and railroads will welcome
all relief water transportation may
bring
The Frisco party arrived at the river
terminal just in time. A barge from
81. LOUIS was DelnB unlodueu, WnlcH
brought in the equivalent of rs freight
cars. Mr.. Buchanan then conducted
the party down river to the distributing
plant of the Sugar Products company,
were blackstrap molasses is being i'm
ported direct from Cuba to Memphis,
at the rate of 100000 gallons per
month, which will be doubled when the
plant is completed, at cost of be-
tween $350.00O and 100000
See Oil Plant.
Adjoining the Sugar Products COM
pany plant, the fuel oil distributing
station of the Standard Oil company,
under construction on the river bank,
to handle oil from tank barges at a
cost of about 100000, was visited. After
visiting these river terminal enter
prises, Mr.. Hilton expressed the con-
viction that Memphis is doing more to
promote actual river competition with
the railroads than any interior city in
the country.
= Z Having heard SO much of the indus
trial DEVELOPMENT here during the year;
which Mr. Hilton said had attracted
Ahe attention Of the whole country, the
party was anxious to see some enter
prises under way.
What impressed the party most, per-
hsps, was work at the Memphis Pack
ing corporation plant, where the new
$1,500,O00 plant is in process of con-
struction; although the $75O,oOO refin-
cry and cotton oil mill of the Shelby
County Cotton Oil company, and the
$3.50, 900 to 100000 plant of the Quaker
Oats company, when visited, added to
the enthusiasm of the party.
The new industrial section being de-
veloped by the Frisco and the Union
Belt line on the Memphis Railroad
Terminal company property, where the
Union Biscuit company, of st. Louis,
announced this week that they would
build a $4,000 crackery bakery was
inspected, and other locations suitable
for future industrial development were
noted.
Nothing can stop Memphis was
Mr.. Buffers expression, when seen at
the Grand Central station just before
the party left mo city in the South
has better prospects Of becoming a
great city than Memphis. Industrial
concerns all over the country are
awakening to its many advantages"
Memphis appears to me more like
an oil city" Mr.. Green said. Indus
tries are springing up on every hand
and building is in progress all over the
city, just like oil cities in Texas and
Oklahoma"
The FRISCO officials are taking great
interest in the location of industries IN
the South, and they are in touch with
numerous concerns which they are en-
deavoring to impress with the adVant-
ages of Memphis as manufacturing
and distributing point.