Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1909 — FACTORY STATUS. [ARTICLE]

FACTORY STATUS.

President of Commercial Club Write?

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE THUS FAR

And the Present Situation of the Movement—What the Future Will Have In Store Remains to Be Seen, But Several Factory Propositions Are Being Considered.

L. D. Price, of Chicago, who came before the people of Rensselaer some time ago, represented to us that there were no reasons why we should not have a number of prosperous manufacturing industries located in our city, if the citizens would get together and raise a fund of $25,000 to $30,000. We shook our head “no,” and remarked “impossible,” it could not be done. Mr. Deam, a co-worker with L. D. Price, smiled and assured us it would be an eaky matter to raise such a fund and suggested a plan of raising it by the sale of lots. A number of citizens took the matter under advisement and decided to first investigate who L. D. Price was, and what he had been doing in other places, and what his reputation was in localities where he had carried on Blmllar undertakings. We received, I think, three letters in answer to inquiries sent out, one from Clinton, Indiana, and one from Attica, Indiana. Ido not recall the place the other came from. In one case the reply came from a banker and the other from the secretary of a commercial club where a factory had been located by Mr. • Price. The terms for praise and commendation for L. D. Price and the good results of his efforts in the various communities could not have been couched in much stronger language than were the letters received, and we learned further that L. D. Price had devoted for the last nine years all of his time and energy to the locating of factories in rural districts, and the raising of subsidies *therefor, and that he has never failed either in his lot sales or afterwards In locating the factory. After learning these facts we at, once decided to organize a commercial club, which was done, and a charter procured from the state of Indiana, and we now have a membership of 50, which should be increased as speedily as possible to 500. At a meeting and by a majority vote of„ the stockholders present the directors were authorized to select a piece of land, take an option on it with the right to purchase, and enter into a contract with L. D. Price for the sale of the lots. All of which the said directors have done to the best of their ability and on the best terms obtainable. We have been criticised by some good people and some bad people; it is a hard task to please all. The sale of lots proved a great success to the surprise of almost everyone, alike to the friends and those opposed to the movement. After the sale of lots the board of directors closed their option to purchase which was taken on my land, and have purchased the same under the proposed contract.

Now, let me assure everyone who purchased a lot and those who did not, that this entire work will be carried on honestly, that each one will be treated alike as nearly as is possible, that we will use our best endeavor to secure a good substantial industry as quickly as can be done under the circumstances, and further, that no charge for labor or time consumed in this work will be made except a reasonable and a modest compensation which will be allowed and passed upon by the directors for the services of the secretary or his assistant. That after every effort has been put forth to secure a good industry or industries, one that is now operating and has been tried and tested and known to be successful and prosperous will be secured; I do not mean blue sky stock jobbing schemes or the promotion of some #ew and untried hobby that some one wants developed. We have had* half a dozen such propositions as these already, and are likely to have more. We will not consider any such for a single moment, but if unseccessful in getting what we believe we want, and what we think the people want we will s< it report to the lot purchasers, tell them all our woes and troubles and they shall determine by a vote on an equitable basis just what they think is the next wisest step to take and your most humble servants will cheerfully comply with whatever that decision may be. I will say that my faith is just as strong as it ever was, and 1 firmly believe that we have started a wise movement and one whose far reach-

ing and beneficial results will be far more surprising to our citizens than was the successful result of t the lot sale. So let all friends of „ a greater Rensselaer, a co-operative and broader minded citizenship, stand together, work together, in harmony and unceasingly, and complete success must of necessity prevail. Respectfully,

WARREN ROBINSON,

President R. C. C.