The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-11-08
SOME WEAK POINTS
COMMERCIAL CLUBS sometimes
MAKE 1LUNDERS.
STARTING NEW ENTERPRISES
Bonuses Often Given and Little 9ene-
fits Gained by the Towns That
Give-Protecting Established
Industries.

Within the past few years a CON-
mercial club organization fever has
taken hold of many towns in the west
ern country. It is a kind Of good fever
to have, but quite often, like other of
the less harmless fevers that afflict
physically, passes away and doesn't
make much difference with the our
general health.
BODYBUILDING is much like erecting
good bridge. 1t is essential that
good foundation be laid. Natural con-
ditions have much to do with it. Cities
and towns spring up where there is a
good cause for their existence. Arti-
fetal means may be employed for
booming" purposes, but unless there
be something substantial and lasting,
all the booming that can be done will
not result in the accomplishment of
permanent good. The average rural
town receives it's principal support
from the business given it by the con-
tiguous territory. The trade of linn
tied section of country will sustain a
comparative number of business es-
Establishments. If a town possesses
natural advantages, location, etc., for
certain lines of manufacturing, so
much the better. 1t would be foolish,
as have been demonstrated in a num-
Der of western towns, to commence
the manufacture of cottons, or silks,
or furniture, when the raw material
must be transported from great dis
lance, and also the fuel for power.
Still, if a town assume any great
proportions, there must be industries
to give the people occupation. The
judicious investment of capital in
canning factories, in paper mills, in
glucose works and a few other. enter
prises, If these enterprises are rightly
conducted, might prove valuable
factor in some of the western towns.
When a commercial club is orga-
nized, generally efforts are made to
secure some industry for the town
that will give it's people employment
and which will bring new residents to
the town. Quite often bonuses are Of
fered concerns, which are located in
other places to relocate. It has been
the general experience of towns which
have made efforts along these lines
that concern that asks very much
encouragement in the way of ready
cash, IS hardly worth bothering with
and is likely to prove failure.
Another thing that the average CON-
mercieA club does not take in consid-
GRAFTON is that it is better to build
up Institutions already located than
to encourage new ones of doubtful
success. A manufacturing concern is
only valuable to the town as means
OF placing greater amount of money
in circulation. The greater the pay
roll, the better for the town. But it
matters not how big the amount is
that is distributed among workers on
Saturday night, it results in little
good to the town If it is sent to some
other town for needed supplies.
Commercial club members should
keep in mind that it is far better to
devise means of keeping money
earned by farmers and laborers from
being sent to large cities for goods,
than it is to have new concerns start
ed. If there be few hundred dollars
day sent from the place to mail-or-
der houses, it would be far better to
prevent this by devising means for
having it spent in the town, than to
encourage the location of a factory
with a pay roll of a like amount. It
should be the first duty of a COM
mercial organization to protect it's
home industries, and when strangers
see that this is successful they will be
more likely to seek the place as suit
able for the establishment of some
business enterprise.
D. M. CARR.