The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-18

Some cities regret that they lack
many of the qualifications and charac-
teristics of Minneapolis and it's citizens
which have made this municipality and
it's people prosperous. They are not
envious, but cumulative. Yet there are
lessons for Minneapolis in the review OF
the faults Of sister cities; things to be
avoided and conditions to be made.
In newspaper communication on
the subject of municipal faults writer
asks: "Does our city supply as much
capital as is necessarily Do we do as
large business in manufacturing and
wholesaling as we could with more en-
6 terprise with the capital already in
vested9 DO we exert ourselves suffi-
GENTLY to get new concerns to locate
here? Do our capitalists invest their
money for the best interests Of the
city?'' ,.. .".
1t is not long since Minneapolis
passed from the stage when Minneapo-
lis business was everybody's business
4 That vast time of the annual EXPOSE
ition, the great industrial parades and
outdoor enterprises, which made Mime
apolis famous and in which Everybody
I took hand. AS the city began to
: reach the rank of a metropolis, its peo-
iple became more interested in matters
of personal welfare and personal pros
perity. The general movement to put
Z a shoulder to the wheel whenever Min
neapolis was concerned has disinte-
grated into class movements. Glass
i organizations We're formed. Grocers
associa tions were formed to work for
+ the retail grocer interests; the ,!obbers
formed an Organization to further its
purposes; the lumbermen associated
So the activity diversified. Promotion
helped The city, but only Indirectly, yet
possibly as effectively as before.
! The Commercial club, a comparative
lily. small body, is the one organization
only as a sort of clearing house: as the
executive, public affairs committee is
made up of chairman Of subcommittee
each Of which works for some indivld
,lal interest. These conditions all &c
to make Of Minneapolis a center which
attract? fHctofes shHps, stores oa al and va
own accord. Nothing succeeds like sue
cess and Minneapolis is successful. This
is why the questions which worry many
cities do not require an answer in Min
'neapolis.
True, the citizens might do more; cap
ital might be invested more heavily 10
#cally, and we do not do SO large. a bust
ness as possible. But it is coming.
Beyond the Bonus Stage.
The city has passed beyond the bonus
stage It is offering nothing to indus.
tries which are considering Minneapolis
location. They are invited to come on
the strength Of the fact that Mime,
apolis is the distributing center Of the
northwest; that power is cheap; that
labor can find cheap homes; that living
is not expensive; that local institutions
are apt to patronize home institutions
and furthermore, that this is one OF the
fairest cities on the face OF the earth
Also, home capital is frequently willing
to invest in the new ventures, but nc
other inducement is offered than CO
operation in securing sites and requls
lies for operation, and the natural ad
.vantages Of the municipality.
+ Another favorable factor is the prox
unity Of st. Paul 1t suffers no disad
vantage from the nearness of sister
almost as highly favored by nature
The tendency is growing for the cities
TO pull together for common advaL g
and Minneapolis has learned to profit
by the nearness of it's friendly competl
Tor.
& "Our city, at the head of navigation
with her network of railroads reaching
10 every point in the country, and he]
Immense stretch of territory, which
boasts the finest agricultural country II