Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-20
Opposes NONRESIDENT Ownership.

Mr.. Gregory says: II have mpllClt
| faith in the continued increasing pros
perity of Marshalltown not only for the
| coming year, but for all time in the way
| of good, substantial business. A town
| that has withstood the ISLANDERS of rival
| towns as we'll as the carping of dis
gruntled residents and all the time
| made some gain commercially, as this
| town has, is surely blessed with some
| advantages that will ultimately estab-
| lish our deserved status among the
cities of Iowa. l think we are now
| we'll emerged from that condition of
lethargy into which we were plunged a
| few years ago by a series of unfortun-
ate business reversals and all that is
needed is for the active business men
to get closer together and work and
pull all together for the betterment of
Marshalltown and our success is as
sured.
"Marshalltown is today enjoying the
best business conditions that have ex-
listed for several years. This would
surely indicate increased Improvement
in building the coming season.
1T is very unfortunate that more of
our merchants are not owners of the
property along Main street. You can
count on your fingers the number of
store buildings occupied by the owners.
They are owned almost entirely by re-
tired farmers, super-annuated business
men or nonresident legatees or capt.
| talsts. All this would indicate that
our real estate is a good investment
for these owners but | am inclined to
think that the fact of its being held
by these owners who are only inter-
ested in keeping the rents up and the
taxes and expenses down, even to the
detriment of their tenants who are the
ones on whom the burden of uphold
ing our commercial standing always
falls, is the most unfortunate condition
confronting us today. What public inn
provement was ever secured for Mar
shalltown except through the efforts
and the financial aid of these same ac-
tive business men who received their
reward from their landlord by an in
crease in the rent.
'.The success of Marshalltown fac
tories now in operation bespeak their
worth as investments. All that we
have here have grown from small be-
ginnings The most stable seem to be
those established and controlled by
residents of Marshalltown and so il
would seem that at least the same en-
enlargement and aid should be given
to any factory established by home
people that would be given to strang-
ers.
can interurban railroad would no
doubt be an excellent thing for Mar
shalltown commercially and / think
the property holders would willingly
aid such a project to a very reasonable
extent in the way of tax, but don't
ask too much.
while some people are advocating
"co-operation" and getting together"
they should look within and see it, in
the light of some recent transactions
in which they were the chief promot-
ers, they themselves are worthy of
this confidence which they seek to in
spire. The theory they advocate and
which is really so essential, must be
borne out by square deal. Then will
cooperation benefit the co-operators
and not the promoter alone.
Il hope 1 will not be considered a
'knocker for pointing out some of the
evils that stand in the way of the
fullest measure of commercial i'm
provement. My motto is don't knock
but If you must knock knock
knocker.' GEO. GREGORY"