Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-11
ERA OF FACTORIES DAwNlNe.

The New York Tribune, commenting
upon the loss of population in Iowa
and Kansas calls the attention OF these
states to the result in Minnesota, like
iwise an agricultural state, where the
industrial progress of it's three large
cities has made a net gain for the
state in population, while losses are
reported in both Iowa and Kansas.
| The loss of population in the two
latter states is clearly the direct re-
suit Of prosperity. The ability OF
Iowa, and Kansas farmers to buy the
adjoining eighty and to purchase suffi-
Gent improved machinery with which
t.. farm it has sent many farm fam
ily to the cheaper lands of the north
west. Then the ability of the doctors,
ern lands has sent many farm family
Of these two states away to break up
and crop the new lands their town
COUSINS have bought.
Prosperity has depleted the popu-
lation in Iowa and Kansas, but pros
perity will not always work in this
way. 1t has already operated oppo-
sitely in Minnesota and will soon
change in Iowa. A Mr.. HI. L. Smith,
from Indianapolis, was in Marshall
town this week Mr.. Smith is man
of means, successful railroad builder
and man of large business affairs.
He was surprised to find the banking
capital along 55 miles of proposed in
terurban road in central Iowa greater
than along 55 miles of road built by
him in Indiana. He wanted to know
what people did with their money out
here. He wondered why some one did
not buy the great glucose factory at
Marshalltown and make potato starch.
Then he wondered why people did not
raise and can tomatoes, etc, why they
did not manufacture things.
The newspaper man explained to Mr.
Smith that the people of Marshalltown
and of Iowa generally bought northern
land. The statement was made that
seven out Of every ten merchants and
professional men along Main street in
Marshalltown had an investment of
some kind in speculative lands. He
replied that not one in ten could be
found with land investments in In
diana. Our people, said Mr.. Smith,
put their money into factories and
railroads." and he knew what he was
talking about.
What is true of Indiana is true of
Ohio and is fast becoming SO of Illi
nois, and has long been SO of New
York and all states east. Every state
goes thru it's cycle of land investment.
While the farms are being developed
from virgin soil to settled commune
ties no class of property offers SO sure
grow up with the country The capt.
talists of every community, the bank
directors and the monied men are all
men who made their fortunes in land.
They know nothing about industrials
and want to know less Then land
gets so high that the speculative value
largely diminishes, another generation
of business men comes onto the scene
and 1t must have an outlet for bust
ness investment. Factories and rail-
roads are open, but land has ceased to
be attractive except as a savings
bank. The younger men from the fac
tory cities of the east are forced to
go west, and they join hands with the
young men of the newer states. The
industrial age follows the land age
as certainly as the two points Of
chord traversing a circle
The large cities Of Minnesota have
already entered upon industrial devel-
opment. Iowa and Kansas have just
completed the land segment of the
cycle. Their lands will continue to