Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-11-30
New England Mills
Headed For South
Manufacturers in Massachusetts End
Conditions Decidedly Unfavorable
and May Soon Move to Dixie


Factories South, This is the slogan
which is being heard here among bus
mess men, manufacturers, bankers,
mechants and agricultural leaders,
who have received reports of condi-
tons in New England.
1t is pointed out that with the splen-
did rail and water facilities to be found
in this part of the country, with the
unmatchable climate and the millions
OF consumers OF factory products it
would be a reasonable conclusion that
the proper thing to do now would be
to move the New England factories
to Dixie, where they would be close
to markets and at the same time with
in handclasp of practically all the raw
materials in the country.
Business men like those in New
England Atlantans claim, need not
he told that skilled labor may always
be found where working conditions
are fair and regular.
For a long time, factory owners
here claim, New England has waxed
rich at the expense of the raw-produc-
ing South, but that day is rapidly draw
ing to a close. The factory is coming
to the base at last.
Situation in New England
| Traffic managers, chamber of COM
merce officials and manufacturers in
many lines of industry appeared be-
fore the New England joint railroad
committee at Springfield, Mass, re-
Gently with tales of woe to unfold. The
tenor of their songs took on the tone
of funeral dirge They were unani-
nous in the opinion that New England
| had become a desert for factories, and
practically agreed that there was moth
| ing to do for some of those already
there but to pack their backing brush
cs, call their dogs and ramble to 9th
! er communities.
OF the question is A B. Reynders
manager OF the New England West
inghouse Company. To his mind, ac-
cording to authentic reports received
n Atlanta, New England does not
now have much to offer industries as
Inducements for them to go there
from elsewhere, or to stay there if
they are already there In other words
Mr.. Reynders and some Of the 9TH
er business men who appeared before
the meeting at Springfield, openly
stated that New England was bar
ren community so far as industrial
development is concerned.
The Westinghouse plant was estab-
lished i'll Massachusetts during the
World War. 1t represents such n
large investments for buildings and
equipment that it was deemed best
from an economical standpoint to use
it continuously in times of peace, as
well as war Mr.. Reydners reverted
to the fact that industries formerly
sought sites in Massachusetts be-
| cause of the skilled labor that they
| could find there; but that sort of la
Dor is now as scarce in Massachus-
sets as it is in other parts of the
nation, he declared
No Raw Material Available
On the other hand there is now no
raw material in Massachusetts, and
the markets are far away. making the
industries wholly dependable on the
railroads. This is an unmistakable
handicap, Mr. RcynderS figures, for
the freight service is decidedly poor
and certainly costly. The railroads in
that part OF the. country are weak f.
nancially and they are compelled TO
operate with inadequate equipment.
AS a rule there is much congestion of
freight and the New England factory,
he says has to wait, at loss, for its
raw material and then. wait, al loss,
for its finished products to reach the
consumer.
Right there, enterprising Georgians
here declare, is where the business
men OF Dixie can stick pin that
counts.
The South has many factories, bat
there is yet hearty welcome, state
business leaders say, for the Westing-
house plant up in frigid New England
and ninety and nine others.
Do the factory owners up that way
hear the call?