Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-08-16
MEETING OF ADVANCE
MENT ASSOCIATION

Grand Rapids Advancement AsSocia-
ton held in the Elk's hall last
Thursday evening convened after the
banquet was served and listened to
an address by w. 81. Killen and many
able and interesting suggestions by
E. P. Arpin. Mr.. Killen considered
it great mistake for any city to offer
a bonus for the location of shops
payable in one inStallment. He con-
sidered it much more preferable if a
bonus was to be paid say of $4,000 to
pay it in one thousand dollar INSTALL
ments for five years. He also advised
the city to stay clear of new thing
and encouraged the idea of securing
several smaller plants instead of one
large one. He stated that Grand
Rapids had some advantages above
other towns of similar size. In
selecting manufacturing plants he put
much emphasis on the question of
finding market for the product to be
manufactured. In fact he said,
market was everything. The shops
amounting to but little in comparison.
He seemed to be very favorable to
our securing or trying to secure a
shoe factory and the way to accom-
plish this he said was to go right at
it and to keep at it. He was strongly
in favor of advertising, getting out a
neat little circular and distribute
among one or two hundred Or more of
our citizens SO that each person
writing a letter outside of the city
can enclose with it a neat, snug,
attractive folder descriptive of our
city. Make up your minds what you
want, he said, and if it be shoe
factory write to every such manu-
featuring establishment in the
United States. His experience has
taught him that while it might seem
to have but little effect at present in
years to come it will not be forgotten,
as company may not think favorably
of moving today, but year from now
they will be looking for a new loca-
tion. He assured the Advancement
Association that he was ready and
willing to help them in every way
possible.
E. P. Arpin spoke chiefly on the
necessity OF securing from eighty to
one hundred acres of land that could
not only be used cas- sites for manu-
featuring purposes, but divided in lots
and sold for homes to those employed
in shops and he recommended a
branch organization to deal especially
with this subject.
Mayor Nash was strongly in favor
OF this plan and considered that a
proper site for shops was one of the
first things to be looked into. And he
thoroughly endorsed Mr.. Arpin's plan.
Mr.. Nash spoke of the wonderful
growth of Grand Rapids and the large
amount expended the past few years
and the urgent demand for retrench-
ments in expenses for the next few
years at least, He also stated that he
had had some talk with the CONSOLE
dated Water Power & Paper Company
inregard to furnishing power for manu-
featuring plants that might see fit to
locate here in our city. Mr.. Arpin
seemed favorable to the proposition of
pSta III chino q ctOoE cop,popv of fuo
or ten thousand dollars for the pur-
pose of securing eighty or one hundred
acres of land for this purpose. He
also spoke favorable of raising about
$500 a year for the purpose of en-
ploying a secretary that would give
his whole time to the work of solicit
ing manufacturing plants and see to
all correspondence. In speaking of
the value of new citizens that will
locate in our city for the purpose of
getting employment and bringing
their families with them Mr.. Killen
thought we put too low a value on the
same. He stated that the Wisconsin
Central Railroad company considered
that every good settler they secured
to locate on their lands IN the north
ern part of the state and raise a
family was worth to them $1,000. Mr..
Arpin made his point very clear by
explaining how the present pickleing
plant or sailing station was located
here and how it had been managed so
as to pay for itself. A. L. Fontaine
moved that e. P. Arpin's plan be
endorsed by this association and it
was carried by unanimous vote. The
meeting was not only a success from a
business standpoint but it furnished
pleasant and profitable evening to
all present. w. E. Coats, of Chicago,
and c. E. Lavigne, of Washington, D.
c., were visiting in the city and
attended the banquet and business
meeting. The folio wing members of
the Association were present at the
banquet and business meeting:
W. A. Drumb, Will Gross, j. w.
Natwick, E. P. Arpin, c. E. Boles, E.
Z. Mccarthy, Chas. E. Dixon, Sam
Zion, A. L. Fontaine, G. W. Purnell,
F. W. Kruger, II. A. Sampson, Robert
Rowland. A. Decker, Geo. B. Miller,
VIM. A. Rowland, T. j. Cooper, w.
J. Conway, f. S. Gill, C. E. Kruger,
J. S. Thompson, Fred B. Warner, G.
w. Gothke, L. A. Bauman, VIM. a.
Carey, Chas. Dougharty, Chas. F.
Kellogg, G. w. Mason. DR.. Chas.