Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-01-18

De disappointing. Observer.
Read by j. S. Dewell, of Mis-.
souri, Valley, before the lowe
State Building and Loan Asso.
citation at the fourteenth annua
meeting in Cedar Rapids.
RECIPROCAL RELATIONS BETWEEN
BUILDING, AND LOAN AsSsOCIA.
TIONS AND GENERAL BUSINESS
MEN.
The condition which is of first
Importance in establishing and
maintaining permanancy in
business OF any city or town is
having the citizens as such,
builders and owners of THEN
own homes.
That condition which tends
more than any other to unsettle
and at the same time causes
business to take and remain ir
a chaotic state is to have a large
and disinterested citizenship.
1t is traditional that the ten
ant is a vandal. He cares little
for the prosperity of the towr
in which he lives, and works
less for the betterment of his
surroundings than is general!
supposed. His residence in {;
locality being of uncertain dur
alton, and his residence in any
particular house being still
more uncertain, there is in the
first place no incentive for him
to devote either that ens rgy OF
money toward the betterment
Of the surroundings so far a.
they pertain to actual improve
ments, in perhaps sanitary con
iitions or other efforts which
IRE calculated and are required
o make a residence or home
what it should be, and to instil
the spirit of interest and per
manency which are essential tt
the substantial and health.
growth of every city or town
In cities or towns where larg,
numbers are employed on week
ly, monthly, or yearly salaries.
We necessarily find large mum
)ers of the tenant class, anc
means must be provided where
~ homes can be acquired upo1
regular, reasonable, and cas-,
stated payments and at inter
walls sufficiently short to cult
vate not only a desire, but t.
establish the practice of max
ing systematic and regular pay
ments for the purpose of pro
curing a permanent home.
The transient or tenant class
can not provide the means by
which this result may be
reached. In such conditions
hey are necessarily debtors
md in effect if not in fact, Dor
covers.
The capital or fund from
which these people may borrow
Or from which they may be sup
piled with the means to pur-
chase their homes must be fur
nished, as in all other cases,
largely by those who can anc
will make investments in safe
securities and or reasonable re
turns or profits.
The volume of business and
with it the prosperity and profit
of every merchant is largely
measured by the population
and the ability of the people re-
siding in that particular city or
town. Too many of the mer-
chants and business men in
general are short sighted in
this particular. They go on the
apparent principle that they
are in business for today only
they proceed on the theory
that if they can sell a bill OF
goods today it is immaterial
whether they can ever sell an.
other bill. In other words there
is no apparent interest between
the merchant and the customer
tending to establish credit and
permanent trade, and still less
tendency or attempt to bring g
larger and more substantial
business.
l venture the opinion tina,
nine tents Of the establishes
and legitimate local Associations
have at almost all times APP
plications for loans on ample
security which they can not fill
or have stock maturing which