Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-14
WHAT ST. PAUL Is DOING,


and Cries for eco Operation
minneapolis Tribune, Nov. 1871 --...7
It is we'll known that there exists in St.
Paul an association of the solid business
men, which Is constantly and unitedly work
ing for the promotion of the interests of st.
Paul. The proceedings of the association
are not published. It works quietly, and for
the most part secretly. Rivalinterests which
may be opposed to any of it's schemes are
not furnished with points to aid in defeat
ing them. This association is always on the
lookout, collectively andiudividually, for the
welfare Of the city. Meetings are
held, periodically or on call, mat
ters freely discussed, points of differ
enoe harmonized, and the way prepared for
presenting an unbroken front to the public
when the time for action arrives. If there
are personal or business jealousies and RI
valries among the leading business men,
they are ventilated, and usually adjusted in
private, land not exposed as points of weak
ness for the enemy to grapple or assault. In
this way great many enterprises are sug-
gested, inaugurated and carried forward
without any fuss or pother. All at once the
announcement comes of some master stroke
of policy achieved, and nobody knows how
it was done except the active members of
this same society. AS illustrations of the
society's diligence and power, and of the
great benefits it has conferred upon its city,
we need only to point to a few recent occur
rences, which have given St. Paul a new start
in the race for supremacy and caused it to leap
st once from comparative stagnation to rap
i'd growth. Among these are the securing
of the eastern and southern terminous of the
Northern Pacific, which was plucked out of
the hands of Minneapolis at the very moment
when she thought she had it secure; the
project of the great Union depot; the grant
ing of ten acres of land for the st. Paul s.
Sioux City shops; the recent extension and
acquisition of the St. Paul & Sioux City
road, which place it among the most power.
full corporations in the country; the estab-
lishment Of several important freight Offices,
and last, but not least, the organization of
the new Lumber Line, which must make st.
Paul great lumber distributing point.
To sum it all up in word, St. Paul, by the
vigilance, energy, enterprise and united &C.
ton of her leading citizens has succeeded
in making herself the railroad centre and
headquarters of this northwestern region,
and thereby overcoming her natural disad-
vantages of location and compromising for
her lack of water power and manufacturing
facilities. Railroads are nowadays the
most potent factors in the growth of city.
The city which possesses the control Of
them possesses the key to the situation and
may make all adjacent points tributary to
her. After such control the leading men of
st. Paul have been steadily striving, and it
must be Acknowledged that q brilliant de-
gree of success has attended their efforts.
The Tribune does not speak of these
labors of the St. Paul business men in any
spirit of condemnation, but rather of praise.
1t is business on their part. We speak of
them rather in the hope that the example
may stimulate the solid business men of
Minneapolis to similar action. There is not
enough unity among our business men.
There is too much pulling and hauling. The
spirit of rivalry and jealousy, which is good
so far as it takes the shape of legitimate
business competition, is oftentimes carried
into matters which affect the general
interest and produces deadlock. The only
way to smooth down these differences and
prevent them from interfering with the
whole city's welfare is by means of such q
society as the St. Paul association above de-
seribed. We know that such an association
existed in Detroit, and was of great service
in giving new impulse to the growth of
that city several years ago. Such societies
have been employed in other cities with like
happy results.
It is time for the business men of Min
neapolis to go TO work and look more care.
fully after her interests, especially her
railroad interests. Opportunities are rapid
ly slipping from our grasp. 1t will not
do to rely too confidently upon the co-opera-
ton of St. Paul in aid of Minneapolis
interests. We must make up our minds to
help ourselves, and if the St. Paul men will
90 operate with US for mutual benefit, so
much the better. But it may be mentioned
here that two of the daily newspapers of St..
Paul have recently secuted the idea of CO.
operation with Minneapolis, and one of
them, the Dispatch, has boldly intimated
that in so doing it was carrying out the
views strongly expressed in secret debates
in the chamber of commerce, the assumption
being that St. Paul is now in position where
she can take care of her own interests. and
can afford to snap her fingers at all neigh
bors or rivals.