Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-19
TO AID C|TYS GROWTH
Object of the Million Club of St.
Louis.
WILL HOLD A CONVENTION
Delegates From Seven Surrounding
States Invited.
TRYING TO GET THE PRESIDENT
Western People Have Confidence in
the nistration-Allege Polit-
zeal Aspirations of Gov. Folk.
TRYING TO GET THE PRESIDENT
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and tbs Chicago
Record Herald.

pertty of that city, composed of all it's diff
Ierent business. industrial and social
ganizations. The executive committee Is
made up OF the officials of these clubs and
associations. Festus J. Wade, president of
the Mercantile Trust Company and one of
the richest abest and most public-spirited
citizens is president. The headquarters of
the club are at the jefferson Hotel.
The club is not trying to induce people to
come here merely To add to the population,
but by direct and indirect methods, to ex-
tend the commerce and industry of the city
to attract immigration and business and,
At the same time. to develop and enlarge
the market for St Louis products in the
surrounding states. The population of st.
Louis Is now reckoned at 114.OO0. and san
Euine citizens who are keeping tab on it's
growth are confident that the million mark
viii be reached ana perhaps passed by the
1>t OF July. 1910.
Invited to st. Louis.
In order to interest the active residents
of the surrounding country in promoting
the growth Of st. Louis, the Million Club,
through the Business Mems League has
invited every board of trade and CONNER
caI industrial and agricultural association
In the seven surrounding states to send dele
gates 10 this city on the 10th and 18th of
April next to be infused with enthusiasm,
TO De impressed with the facilities and OPP
portunities offered by st. Louis in the pres
ent and TO be convinced of it's prospects for
the future. There will be a season of gem
cral experimenting and the adoption of
resolutions, and the assembly will be d.
Vided into sections for conference according
to their trades. the cotton men In one. the
corn men In another and the COW men in
a third. The sellers OF dry goods Will be
brought together and the sellers of gro
Ceries and representatives of the various
lines Of manufacture from Nebraska TO
Arizona will be asked to propose measures
TO promote their own interests and those of
st. Louis. All the editors in the southwest
have been invited to come along and re-
port the proceedings
The railway companies couverging here
VIII give every delegate a free ticket to St
Louis and return and make up special
trains To bring them while the several
business associations of the city have raised
funds to pay their board at the best hotels
for two days and entertain them at ban
quet the night before they go home The
managers hope to bring President Roosevelt
out to shake hands with the business ele-
mCnt OF the southwest. and are using every
possible iuGucpme8t to persuade him to
come. Vice President Fairbanks will Ger
tajnIy be here, and Secretary Root. Secre-
tary Shaw. Secretary Taft and other men,
3ers OF the administration have been in
vited. chief Engineer Shouts OF the Pan
anna canal viii he requested to show HIM
self because everybody is curious to see
the man VINO is bossug the biggest job of
work that Uncle Sam or any other nation
mas tN ct blIdSt tdheI
The Administration Popular.
And, by the way. it might not he out of
- place to mention in this connection that the
members of the Senate and House of Rep
resentativcs and others who are knocking
the Panama canal are making themselves
unpopular throughout this part of the coun-
try. The people have confidence in Presi-
dent Roosevelt Secretary Taft Mr. Shonts
want them iuterrered with. Every body
unanimously and emphaticaliy believes that
they are honest and able enough to build a
canal and ought to be allowed TO do Il
without interference from Congress or any
body else. And what they are even more
determined about Is thar politics should be
left out 81 the canal business 1T is not
republican canal nor democratic canal,
and the sooner every member OF Congress
recognizes that fact the better IT will be for
Ills political future. The continuous and
prolonged nagging OF the canal officials by
tie Senate committee has disguised tie
business element OF the country. l have
heard no other opinion expressed by any
body since ! left Washington.
There viii he no politics al the business
convention a St. Louis on the 10Th OF April.
The Invitations expressly state that all no
ltical questions are barred, and that none
hut matters of Industrial and commereiai
interest are to be discussed.
Business Men Work Together.
The Million Club and other promoting as
sociations OF ST. Louis are finding capital
for and are locating factories not only in
the city. but throughout the contributing
territory. TO Increase the number Of con-
SumeTs, to make more mouths TO feed, more
backs 70 ciothe and increase the demand
for Dor. on the theory that the usufruct
VIII gravitate to st. Louis, There has been
" great development particularly in Mis-
souri,. Arkansas, Indian Territory and
Oklahoma which he trfb
70 that cause and TO the propaganda OF the
railroads. ST Louis is singularly free from
BUSINESS jealousy. While competition is
sharp ana rivalry is keen among leaders I'm
TIE different lines OF trade the Important
men or this town do good team work opd
pun together with greater harmony than is
usually found IN large cities This was
demonstrated IN conspicuous manner in
Lhe organization and management OF the
LOUISIANA Purchase exposition. While there
was certain amount OF pulling and haul
lng ana jealousy. backbiting and sidesten
plng, as they call 1t down here In was NOT
so herce or 80 general MS In other cities
where other expositons have been held.
Prosperity of the City.
II = also remarkable that the results OF
ths exposition were entirely wholesome md
beneficial II a great thing for the
town.. The boom did not collapse There
Eas peen no reaction. There was a greater
Increase In all lines OF industry and trada
80 val al tci bl'dn the wear before
ana 1905 was record breaker I'm everv
branch OF human activity. The amount Of
buhoins was very much greater In 1895, the
year after the fair, than in 1904 Tho year
In which II was held, or in 1903, the wear
OF preparation. The building permits In
Ieoi amounted tn s14 2sS 1872 and in taas
they Jumped TO SIS 500 The real estate
transfers IN 1904 amounted TO $40 2s9. 258
In 1905 they were elmost double that
amount reaching the unprecedented total
OF SsS e4s ts2 Rents have Increased instead
Of falling on. Apartments which would NOT
have been erected but for the anticipated
demand to be created by the fair are now
being leased for % and 80 per cent more
than they brought In the fall of 1908 and
the spring OF 1904 Perhaps Chicago might
have done as well as this but for the imam
cial panic in 1888 and the railway strike
that followed It.
There has been similar increase in the
volume OF trade and the products of in
dustry. In 1890 the business houses OF St
Louis received and shipped L. 400 1913 tons
OF merchandise: In 1906 this total had In
creased to Sa,5I20es tons. During the ten
years from 1890 10 1900 the output of the
factories OF ST. Louis gained only 81 600 90