Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-15
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Rockwell, March 14.-As readers OF
the daily papers we'll know this is the
home of the most successful co-opera-
tive society in Iowa. if not in the whole
country. Sixteen years of continuous
prosperity certainly removes 1T from
the line of experiment The practical
financial returns to those owning stock
in the society can directly be Inquired
as making such stock a good invest
ment and owners of such stock claim
the indirect benefits are equally large
SO much for this we'll managed society
and the stock owners. But what effect
is the location of this concern having
upon the town of Rockwell? That
the question the business men here are
discussing today. 1T has been brought
to the front by the census taker. In
1900 the census showed population
here of $40 inhabitants. This year of
1905. the census figures are GS5. Re
turns from all adjoining towns show
a gain larger or smaller. Business
men are asking why have we lost pop
ulation? this too when, it is we'll known
that the Catholic parochial school here
one of the best in the state. has been
dred to the population of the town.
One of the prominent men of the town
took occasion to interview the bust
ness men here one day last week on
this subject of lessened population and
found an almost universal opinion was
that this successful cooperative con-
Germ was hurting the town. The argu-
ment advanced was that new business
concerns would not come here, knowing
in advance of conditions at present
prevailing. One dealer claims that a
few empty stores and residences can
be directly traced to the same cause
1t was suggested that in many Iowa
towns where no cooperative society
existed there were many more vacant
stores and residences than in Rockwell.
To this came the reply that the town
of Rockwell never had been doomed
and that a few years ago there was
not vacant store in town and hard
ly vacant house. Again it was asked
has not the building of the G. & N. w.
railroad ten to fifteen miles east of
here and the inevitable new towns To-
Gated thereon, been the cause of re-
ducing trade and population. Yes"
Selil Tie OuSlilCSS .llftt ieit - s'OiiO
but tell me, if that's the cause, why
other towns affected fully as much as
we are by this kind of competition,
have actually gained during the past
five years." But" said the writer,
your crops for the last three years
have not been up to the average. Neith-
er have they been around these towns
that are gaining, was the reply of the
dealer Eu't, said the Lonluer-on,
these cooperative societies are es-
tablished all around you one at Car
tersvllle, one at Dougherty and an
other at Burchinal, isn't it
a good thing for Rockwell to have
one here or much of this trade will
go to other towns that have such or
CARNATIONS? Surely those farmers
that belong to the cooperative society
cannot buy all of their supplies at
their own stores. they must spend
many dollars year in other stores.
Doesn't this more than make up the
loss to other dealers on such articles
that the cooperative stores handle?
No sir, said the merchant, this society
is killing this town. Men with money
will not come here to go into business.
I have business and residence here
that / have been trying to dispose of
for five years, and cannot sell out even
at sacrifice. Well, said the writer,
I have been coming here a good many
years; I've heard of very few business
failures in this town. see larger and
better stocks of goods here than ten
years ago; there is general air of
here, many fine residences
have been built during that time l
don't see anything the matter with
Rockwell. You've had new towns built
around you, you've had three poor
crops and you've lost 145 in popula-
ton. Again the dealer came back.
Other towns near as have had the
same things to contend with and are
slowly growing. We've got on octo-
pus that is squeezing the life out of !
us. They've helped themselves but
have lessened the trade of the town,
lowered the price of real estate, and
decreased our population. Nothing I
can say or do will help things here,
but let me advise other towns not to
encourage farmers cooperative socie-
ties to locate in their vicinity. You've
been publishing everything favorable
to these societies, now publish what |
say. So here it is.
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