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| John Hay. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, September 18, 1902.
APPEAL FOR THE JEWS.
Secretary Hay Addresses Signatory Powers.
INJUSTICE IN BAŁKAN STATES.
Jews of Roumania Reduced to Misery by Restrictive Laws—Evil Results to This Country by Their Large Immigration—Asks Europe to Intervene With Roumania.
Washington, Sept. 18.—With the double purpose of protecting the long suffering Jews of the Balkan States and of averting the present peril of the immigration into the United States of a horde of paupers, Secretary Hay has adopted the unusual course of appealing to the powers of Europe to force their children to observe the obligations of humanity in case of the Jews.
The appeal takes the form of a state paper, which has been dispatched in identical form to every ambassador and minister of the United States residing in those of the countries of Europe which were parties to the famous treaty at Berlin in 1878, namely, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Austria and Turkey, marking the termination of the Turko-Russian war and the creation by the direct act of the powers of the independent Balkan States.
The secretary of state has directed the note to the powers in the hope that they will bring this government to a sense of its duties towards civilization at large as well as to cause it to ameliorate the frightful condition of the Roumanian Jews. In a measure this action by the department of state may be traced to numerous petitions from Jewish societies and humanitarians generally, as well as to the warnings of publicists respecting the growing dangers of immigration of degenerates. The document ends as follows:
In the course of an instruction recently sent to the minister accredited to the government of Roumania in regard to the bases of a negotiation begun with that government looking to a convention of naturalization between the United States and Roumania, certain considerations were set forth for the ministers guidance concerning the character of the immigration from that country, the causes which constrain it, and the consequences so far as they adversely affect the United States:
Putting together the facts now painfully brought home to this government during the past few years, that many of the inhabitants of Roumania are being forced by artificially adverse discriminations to quit their native country; that the hospitable asylum offered by this country is almost the only refuge left to them; that they come hither unfitted by the conditions of their exile to take part in the new life of this land under circumstances either profitable to themselves or beneficial to the community; and that they are objects of charity from the outset and for a long time—the right of remonstrance against the acts of the Roumanian government is clearly established in favor of this government.
This government cannot be a tacit party to such an international wrong. It is constrained to protest against the treatment to which the Jews of Roumania are subjected, not alone because it has unimpeachable ground to remonstrate against the resultant in jury to itself, but in the name of humanity.
You will take an early occasion to read this instruction to the minister for foreign affairs.
COAL STRIKE SITUATION.
Contradictory Statements —Lehigh Valley Company Opened Another Mine.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Sept. 18.—Inactivity at President Mitchell's headquarters and apparent activity in coal operators' circles covers the situation in this section of the strike region.
President Mitchell still insists that his followers are remaining firm and that there will be no break in the ranks of the miners. He discredits all reports about an increase in output of coal mines and washeries, claiming that there will be no coal mined and sent to market of any account until the strike is ended.
At the offices of the local coal companies, on the other hand, it is said that they are adding to their working force every day and that the output of coal is gradually increasing but no figures are furnished.
The Exeter mine of the Lehigh Valley Coal company was opened yesterday.
Woman Student of Engineering.
Ithaca, N. Y., Sept. 18.—It was announced at Cornell university that this academic year for the first time in the history of the university a woman student would enter the engineering department. The woman is Miss Nora Stanton Blatch of London, Eng., a granddaughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Miss Blatch last year was a freshman in the art course of Cornell.
James J. Hill.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
James J. Hill on Transportation.
An unusually significant interview was that recently given out by James J. Hill, president of the Great Northern railroad, touching the opportunities and needs of American trade in Asia. As we have to send our products across but one ocean, whereas England and Germany must needs cross two in order to reach Asiatic ports, Mr. Hill predicts that the lion's share of Pacific ocean commerce will come to us, first, because of our natural advantages and second, by reason of our Yankee acuteness and enterprise. The population of the orient with which we might trade constitutes, he declares, about half of the population of the entire earth. Now, says he, "the shortest and cheapest route from our cotton fields to the orient ls by the way of Puget sound." In this Mr. Hill does not speak altogether as a philanthropist. He is naturally influenced to advertise the advantages of his transcontinental railways with their western terminal on Puget sound, where the great steamers of his Pacific line receive their cargoes.
Again, as Mr. Hill's personal interests would not seem to be furthered by the building of au isthmian canal, it is not surprising to learn that, while he would not oppose the canal's construction even at the cost of half a billion dollars, in his opinion, as reported, the sum of $40,000,000 spent in deepening the Mississippi river between New Orleans and St. Louis would yield better ultimate results. It must be borne in mind that the vast system of railways which he now controls has St. Louis as its southernmost terminal.
Making due allowance for Mr. Hill's personal interests, it must be admitted that there is much of pertinence in his utterances. Even with the present inadequate transportation facilities the oriental markets alone are absorbing every year $10,000,000 worth of our cotton goods. These markets have counted for much in the increase from a six million bale crop twenty years ago to the present ten million bale crop. We may reasonably expect at least an equal increase in the decades to come, and unquestionably we shall need greater water and railway transportation facilities than are now possessed or even contemplated. While the isthmian canal is of vital present importance, a comprehensive scheme of Mississippi river improvement will ultimately become a necessity.
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THE DRESS GOODS MILL.
The Projectors are well pleased with Cortland as a Possible Site
AND WOULD MUCH LIKE TO COME HERE.
Conference of Business Men to Canvass the Situations—Effort to be made to raise the Necessary Money—Promises to be a good Financial Investment and a great thing for Cortland—Over $600,000 would be Invested here in plant and appurtenances—Weekly Pay Roll of $10,000—Over a thousand Employees—The Business Men Enthusiastic for the Enterprise.
About thirty representative business men of Cortland assembled last night by appointment at the "parlors of the Messenger House to hear the report of the committee appointed at the public meeting last Friday night and to have a quiet conference in regard to the proposition to locate a new dress goods mill in this city. Mayor Charles F. Brown presided. Great interest was manifested by all present, and as the scheme unfolded itself and as the possibilities of this plan were discussed the enthusiasm increased in a marked degree. At the end the meeting adjourned with the firm resolve in the mind of every man to do his best to secure this new enterprise for Cortland.
The Projectors Visit Cortland.
As a result of the public meeting at Fireman's hall last Friday night the committee communicated with the projectors of the mill and two of them visited Cortland on Tuesday and Wednesday and looked over the situation very thoroughly.
It is the intention at this time not to make public the names of these men or the people whom they represent. The account of the meeting of last Friday night appeared in the papers on Saturday and the names were then withheld for the same reason, but those papers were read far and wide, and immediately Mayor Brown, Hon. L. J. Fitzgerald, who then explained the project, and B. L. Webb who presided at the meeting were almost overwhelmed with inquiries from all over this state and from some other states as to who the parties are so that the inquirers might get in touch with them and submit propositions from the places which they represented to secure them for their home cities and towns. One man guaranteed that he could raise the needful $100,000 in less than ten hours.
Sympathy, Not Money Alone.
But it is apparent that the simple question of the money is not all that is required to locate these mills. As a matter of fact, the money is all raised now in three different places. but there are objections of one kind and another to going to any one of these three places. In one of the three cited the case was supposed to be practically decided. The papers were all drawn, and the one in charge of the project with his attorney went to that place to sign them. There he found that a factional quarrel had arisen between the two ends of the town as to the site for the mill, both wanting it, and one end in desperation to checkmate the other had set on foot an undertaking which promised to react against the mill owners themselves. The projector promptly bade both ends good bye and did not stay in the town two hours after hearing of this, and the place lost the enterprise. As this gentleman stated, they were starting in upon a big undertaking and they couldn't afford to make any mistake at the outset.
And the mere money of itself is not an essential for its own sake because they can float their bonds in New York without difficulty at 5 per cent, and yet they desire to sell the bonds here in Cortland and will guarantee 6 per cent. Their object is to have Cortland itself interested in their mill and in the industry itself, and the more people who subscribe for those bonds the better, rather than to have two or three take them all in large blocks, because in this way the sympathy of the place will be with them rather than to have the town arrayed against them as an outside affair as might be possible. This is the reason why they insist that if they come to Cortland at least $100,000 of the bonds must be taken here.
It is a Dress Goods Mill.
It was learned during the visit of these gentlemen to Cortland that the name, a woolen mill, which had been unthinkingly applied to this enterprise is rather misleading. It is a woolen mill in the sense that no cotton goods are manufactured. But it is rather a dress goods mill, technically speaking, than a woolen mill in the ordinary acceptance of the latter term. The product of the mill is dress goods, and very few cheap goods are turned out. Almost the entire output is of the character that retails at the stores at from $1.25 to $4 per yard.
What the Plan is.
One of the men who came to Cortland upon this trip set forth the plans of his people in detail. We may speak of this man who was the spokesman, as Mr. A., both for convenience and also because that is not his name. As a result of the conference of the committee of last Friday night with these gentlemen the plans were slightly changed from the scheme as outlined there and as previously published. The company would incorporate at $500,000 as previously proposed. Instead of issuing $100,000 of preferred stock at 7 per cent for the benefit of Cortland stockholders, at the suggestion of the committee Mr. A. agreed that they would issue bonds for $100,000 at 6 per cent which should act as a first mortgage upon the plant and all property of every description belonging to the company. The committee thought this preferable.
Concerning a Site.
A site of at least five acres will be required. This can be paid for in the 6 per cent bonds of the company. The buildings will cover nearly five acres. All except one of the buildings will probably be but a single story high. The weaving building will be higher. They must be slightly removed from each other to avoid possibilities of fire. Pure water will be required in large quantities, though it does not necessarily follow that the mills must be built upon the river bank, but they should not be further away than 500 yards. This will enable the water to be pumped from the river through pipes and the waste water can be sewered back again into the river. The buildings will cost upwards of $100,000, the machinery about as much more, and the balance of the paid in capital will be used to operate with.
Practical Man at Head.
Mr. A. is a practical weaver and learned the trade from his father who was also a weaver. He knows the business from one end to the other. It would be his plan to come to Cortland and make this his home and superintend everything. The company would bring the heads of about 150 families to Cortland. These men would all be skilled employees and would act as instructors and afterwards as heads of departments. Inside of one year the company would be employing 500 people and inside of two years 1,000 people, and the company would bind itself to continue to employ as many as that number.
The Weekly Pay Roll.
All except the skilled employees brought from away would be unskilled people who could be taught. The company would pay its men from $15 to $25 per week and its women from $5 to $10 per week. Its weekly pay roll at the outset would be about $5,000 and at the end of the second year at least $10,000.
Build Their Own Houses.
It is the plan of the company to purchase land and to build houses for their own employees, permitting them to pay for them upon the weekly plan. This Mr. A. says has always been their custom. It makes their employees more contented to own their own homes and it also makes them more permanent, which is indeed a great consideration in a mill of this kind.
By the time their mill is erected and equipped and the homes are built for such employees as would care to be provided for in the way indicated Mr. A. says they would have over $600,000 invested in Cortland. This would mean a great deal for Cortland city and for Cortland county. Every line of business would be affected. For the farmers it would mean a market for a great increase of vegetable products; for grocers, dry goods men, shoe dealers greater sales. Everybody would be affected.
Mr. A. took a bottle of water from the east branch of tbe Tioughnioga. one from the west branch, and one from the river below the point of confluence back with him for chemical analysis. The quality and character of the water will have much to do with the choice of a site. Water containing alkali will spot their goods and the softer the water the better it is.
This is No Experiment.
Some might think the building of these mills an experiment. It is not. The house of which Mr. A. is the head has an established reputation in New York. It is rated high in Bradstreet and Dunn. It has done a large importing business for over twenty years. Warren, Tanner & Co., and M. A. Case have handled their goods for years. Perhaps other Cortland merchants have done so too but these two firms have expressed themselves as knowing the goods thoroughly. N. H. Gillette is using them now. G. J. Mąger says he handled them when a merchant. Mr. Case is personally acquainted with Mr. A.
In years past they have imported these goods, but the tariff upon them is so high they have tried making them in this country. They have been buying of various mills in the United States under contract. Now they have it in mind to manufacture their own goods. And yet the output of this mill if it employed 1,000 hands would not be half what their present sales amount to, so that there would be no danger of the company being in financial trouble from being overstocked.
In the past while manufacturing abroad not a spindle has turned till the season's output was all sold. In other words, and Cortland merchants verify this statement, the sales are always six months ahead of the mills. The traveling men go out and take orders from the jobbers and after the orders are well coming in the manufacturing begins. Mr. Case said at the conference that while he is selling fall goods the mills are manufacturing spring goods already sold to the jobbers or to retail men, and while he is selling spring goods the mills are manufacturing fall goods. The mills are always sold up. It would be impossible for him now to buy a single article of fall dress goods at the mills. He might get them at a jobbers', but the mills are by this time sold up to their capacity. Consequently there is no taking of chances of failure of sales. The sales are made in advance.
Committee Appointed.
Every one seemed satisfied that the project is all right and that it is worthy of acceptance. It was voted that the cashiers of the three National banks of Cortland, F. J. Peck, Edward Alley and H. L. Smith, be a committee to investigate to the fullest capacity the financial standing of these people.
It was voted that Attorney Edwin Duffey be asked to prepare a subscription paper for the sale of bonds. The heading of this subscription is to recite the statements concerning the project as understood, and the subscription to be conditioned upon the fact that all the statements prove to be true. If they are true as stated, the subscription of stock is binding. If they do not prove to be as stated no subscription is binding.
It was voted that the original committee appointed at the public meeting last Friday night be authorized to appoint a canvassing committee, of which they should be a part, and that the committee should be as numerous as in their judgment seemed wise, and that this enlarged committee should make a thorough canvass of Cortland to endeavor to secure subscriptions for the $100,000 of bonds.
Mr. H. F. Benton seemed to express the sentiment of all present in regard to the sales of bonds when he said, "This is no gift to these people to induce them to come there. It really is an investment, and if on further investigation it proves to be all that it is represented, it is a good one, for it yields 6 per cent interest, when savings banks pay but 3 1/2 per cent. It is just such an investment as every one is looking for."
Subscriptions Coming In.
Before the meeting last night altogether unsolicited two people who were convinced of the value of this matter as an investment and as a benefit to Cortland came to the committee and asked the privilege of making subscriptions. One offered to take $5,000 of bonds and the other offered to contribute two acres of land toward the site, the land to be paid for in bonds.
The committee will now get out among the people and in the course of the next two or three days hopes to make a thorough canvass of the city for subscriptions for bonds—all, as above stated, to be conditioned upon the fact that matters prove on further investigation to be exactly as represented.
Death of Mrs. Benedict.
Word has been received in Cortland of the death yesterday morning after several months' illness of Mrs. Emma Wright Benedict, wife of Prof. A. G. Benedict, the principal of Houghton seminary. Mrs. Benedict was the only daughter of Prof. N. F. Wright, the first teacher of Latin and Greek in the Cortland Normal school, and will be well remembered here by many of the older residents. She was about 60 years of age. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, Florence and Pauline, one son Howard W., and three brothers, Arthur W. Wright of Albany, Frank F. Wright of Binghamton and Walter Wright of the United States army. The funeral will be Friday at 2:30 o'clock.
BREVITIES.
—There will be a meeting of the Elks tonight at 8 o'clock.
—The Home Telephone company yesterday completed is long distance connection with Ithaca and Dryden and the line is now ready for use.
—There will be a special meeting of the L. O. T. M. in the Sir Knights clubrooms tomorrow evening at 7:30 sharp. By order of the commander.
—An Ithaca minister has been called before the court and notified by Judge Lyon that he must be more careful how he marries people who are too young to be married.
—The postponed trip of the Tioughnioga chapter, D. A. R., to Solon will be taken on Saturday, Sept. 20, unless the weather is very stormy. Daughters to meet at the residence of Mrs. Arthur Stilson, Church-st., at 12:45.
—September travel with both the Lehigh and Lackawanna railroads is proving a record breaker. Never before in the history of the great transportation companies has there been such a rush of people traveling in all directions as has been the case during the past week.—Ithaca Journal.
—New display advertisements today are—Opera House, "Way Down East," page 5; Warren, Tanner & Co., September bargains, page 6; Perkins & Quick, Spices, page 6; C. F. Brown, Tooth brushes, page 6; Haight & Freese Co., Stocks, bonds, etc., page 7; H. P. Smith, Fresh meats, page 6; E. M. Mansur, Grocery bargains, page 6.
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