Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-08
AResoUND SUGGESTIONS.

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ARE SOUND SUGGESTIONS.
Righe KIND Of Tan Apeopoe q rFl-Clty
EetsspF1ses.
The Moline Dispatch. in an article
ON the importance Of making the tri-
cities the industrial center of the
Mississippi valley. makes the follow
ing suggestions. which TIE ARe6s
thoroughly acquiesces in:
1.-The time has come when with
rsviving business there will b . re-
meval Of factories to new and favor
sble locations or extensions that will
require new buildings in new locali-
ties. While the dull times OF the
past four years has checked business
it has not checked the inventive
genius of the people. and there are
new machines to be manufactured
that will require new manufacturing
plants and that will employ many
men. 1t becomes the three cities 1t
this time to be ready for the coming
business. Already Davenport has
made forward move. The excel
lent business association of that city
10 arranging with Mr.. Bettendorf to
put up . large building in which
the smaller manufacturers Can find
room and power at . moderate rent,
the thought being that many of she
smaller factories need all their avail
able cash for working capital and
cannot afford to erect buildings.
The plan is q good one. While in q
neighboring city not long since the
Dispatch representative learned OF
. factory employing about thirty
men that will undoubtedly To-
cate in this building as soon Is
it 10 completed. What this factory
does others are likely to do. This ID
not an isolated example. there are
others, and so many others, tina,
with . united effort the three cities
might easily double their population
in the next 10 years. There hal
been growth even during the hard
times. The Sylvan Steel works have
been erected in Moline, and extern
sive additions have been made and
are projected in our factories, giving
their capacity to employ moro men
Rock Island and Davenport have no,
been idle, but in order to do oil
that can be done there should be Q
broader view taken Of the whole
field and less strife between the diff
ferent parts of this great center
Very naturally If q factory is to be
built We would prefer that it bt
built near us, but il it cannot bt
built in Moline, it is better to have il
in Rock Island oc Davenport thar
not to have it in this sec
ton. What helps one city viii
help to some extent tn,
others also, and by assisting to built
each other we help ourselves Tn,
assistance SO freely and cheerfully
given Rock leland in her effort &
secure the Wooimen headq usrter.
should extend to every enterprise
that can be brought to either of tn,
cities. The $4,000 people in thes'
cities working together for the crea
ton of q great manufacturing ant
commercial center can easily max,
this the largest center Of population
bstw cen St. Paul aud St. Louis. ant
make it q close second to the former
The recent developments o.
water power at Niagara Falls ant
the proposed Improvements on tn
st. Lawrence river show what nigh
be done with the Mississippi here
There is here an unlimited waite
power going to waste. 1t is useles
now to regret that the Hennepin ca
nal did not enter the Mississippi far
Their up tbs river, and slack waite
navigation made by means Of dan
across the river, which beside i'm
proving the navigation, would hav
given water power enough to max
city of million people. Thi
power will be utilized in the future
but in the meantime the people o
the three cities should be active il
advancing their mutual interests.
"A factor in future growth from
which the three cities will mutual
benefit will be found in the gres
things which are in store for Roc
Island arsenal when the plans O
Gen. Flagler for the manufacture o
small arms and for the introduction
of other new lines of manufactur
will have been realised, as they az
bound to be in the not very distan
future. These plans will mean th
l influx OF large numbers of additions
skilled mechanics, who will max
D their homes in these three cities"
Eternal vigilance
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