, 1904-04-07
H ROLLING MILL


railroad in the matter OF the LaraI-,r
rolling mill. If it is its intention to
again operate the plant. all well and
good. but If it Is the plan of th" com
pany to close it permanently. the. a
great financial and moral mistake IS
being made Financial. because II -
to the interests of the railroad com
pany to build up, not to tear down
Moral, because for many years the poo
pie OF this portion of Wyoming have
been securing vested rights with the
understanding that it was the purpus,
OF the company to operate the mill and
to do everything in its power to en-
nance the interests of the country
through which its railroads pass.
To the city the rolling mill has been
Of great advantage. 1t has added to
u population fully five hundred pco-
pie and has distributed among the
merchants and people generally fully
S125.000 per mum The presence OF
these people and the expenditure Of
beneficent. A market has becn provid-
ed for the products of many ranches
and farms. thus building up the agri-
cultural communities that have found
a footing in the valleys adjacent to
the city. The. taxable wealth of the
county has been greatly increased. and
the schools. churches II public insti-
tutions have been greatly improved
thereby.
To the company the mill has been of
great advantage. Possibly it is true
thai the iron it would make can be
bought at as low a rate elsewhere and
that its scrap can be sold for as much
money to other mill operators. But
that is not the entire story. If the mill
is permitted to remain idle, the invest
ment therein will be a dead loss. The
five hundred people who have been
brought to Laramie and who have in
many cases established homes here
will be compelled to seek employment
elsewhere. The articles of merchan-
disc used by these people and the peo-
pie indirectly supported by their labor
Is no small item in the revenues of the
company at the Laramie station, and
probably the freight indirectly obtain
ed from people partially supported by
the mill on the ranches and farms of
the Laramie plains amounts to more
than the freight received by the peo-
pie themselves. The venue from
freight at the Laramie station are al
ready beginning to show a marked de
cline. 1t is not through direct chan.
nels that a nation, a state or a corpor-
alton receives the most benefit from
manufacturing establishments. By OPP
Grating the Laramie mill the company
would be taking money out of one
pocket and putting it into another and
Al the same time would be fostering
and building up a community that has
given it a great return in the matter of
receipts. If it spends its money for
railroad supplies to its W mill. it
will have its money and its supplies
too; If it spends its money for supplies
with some other corporation. the
money at least does not return.
The matter of freight rates is no
small consideration. By reference to
its tariff sheets the company will find
that no station, distance considered
has been charging a higher rate. and
no station of its size has given the
company a greater amount of freight
for shipment. From the broad stand.
point Of reciprocity, the company has
Jared well at the hands of the people
living in Laramie and the country
tributary thereto and this should be
taken into consideration in consider
ing the matter of reopening the mill.
The permanent closing of the mill
would mean a backward step in Union
Pacific territory. 1t would mean the
reduction of the population Of this city
by five hundred souls. 1t would mean
that the company has added another
to the list of failures in the line of
manufacturing enterprises in this city.
The people here have struggled faith
fully and earnestly to build up a town
of some magnitude. They are willing to
continue that struggle provided they
receive the cooperation due them from
the company SO vitality interested in
the commercial development of south
srn Wyoming.
The Republican believes a direct,
candid appeal to the men who control
u policy Of the great Overland route
vHl 1T b made in vain.
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