The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-03-14
Will IMPROVE PLANT
CIarinda Poultry, Butter and Ego
Co. will at once Spend big Sum
in Improving Leon Plant.

Co. will at once Spend big Sum
in Improving Leon Plant.
Last week there was quite a furore
raised by the report that the Clarinda
Poultry, Butter and Egg Co., we're con-
templating building new plant at
some other town instead of making the
extensive improvements which it had
been announced would be made at their
plant in this city this spring, the mat
ter being brought about by the rais-
ing of the question as to whether Swift
& Company with whom the original con-
tract was made, had not forfeited the
thousand dollars which was raised by
subscription of Leon citizens when they
sold the plant to the Clarinda people,
as the contract entered into with them
provided that Swift & Company should
own, maintain and operate the plant for
a period of five years. The Clarinda
people insisted that in buying the plant
from Swift & Company they had as
sumed this contract, and while admitting
that under the terms Of the contract,
if it was demanded the money paid to
Swift & Company would have to be re-
turned, insisted that they and not Swift
& Company would have to pay it.
At their request meeting of the
businessmen and the parties who do
mated the money to secure the plant
was held at the assembly room at the
new library building last Thursday eve
ming, and it was attended by practical
ly every businessman and many Of the
leading citizens of the city. Capt. j..
D. Brown was chosen to preside over
the meeting, and o. E. Hull was selected
as secretary. The Clarinda concern
were represented by Mr.. w. w. Rich
ardson, secretary of the Clarinda Poul-
try, Butter & Egg Co., and he made
quite at address, stating that it was
their intention to build up plant at
Leon similar to the ones they had at
Clarinda and Creston, which represent
ed an investment of about 100000 and
in view of their spending their money
here said they felt that the people who
subscribed the money to Swift & Com
pany should be willing that they should
take over the contract. He also asked
that the taxes on their property here
be remitted for period of ten years,
that dump ground be provided for their
garbage, and brought up the question
of the town furnishing them with suffi-
cient water to run their plant. A gen
eral discussion followed, in which it
developed that while Swift & Company
were doing business here they had paid
the Leon merchants from to 2 cents
per dozen less for their eggs than they
/ paid dealers in the other towns in this
y county, and less than the eggs We're
worth: on the market, but the Clarinda
people claimed this had not. occurred
since they purchased the plant and said
they would accord merchants
fair treatment in L rs respect. 1t was
finally decided by those present that
they would waive any demand for the
return of the money paid to Swift and
Company, and quite number expressed
themselves as favoring the remission of
their taxes. At the meeting of the city
council held Monday evening motion
prevailed that the taxes on the Clarinda
plant be remitted for a period of ten
years, and this seems to be entirely
satisfactory to the company as it is re-
ported they have number of cars al
ready loaded With material for the new
= plant in this city. Mr.. Richardson
stated that it would be necessary to
practically rebuild the entire plant,
as they contemplated putting in a sys-
TEN of artificial cooling and also COM
plete creamery plant.
While the meeting developed that
there was no antagonism to the Clarin-
da people who now control the plant,
it also developed that if the money paid
to Swift & Company could be recovered
from them, in view of the treatment
they had accorded the home dealers
that the people would have favored de-
manding it, but had no demands to
make on the Clarinda people who have
been much fairer in this matter with
the home dealers.
1t was reported in Leon last week
that Charlton had offered the Clarinda
people big bonus if they would estab-
lish plant in that city, but from the
reports in the Charlton papers of last
week it seems that the businessmen Of
Charlton turned the proposition down,
and the Clarinda people did not even
meet with them. We trust that the
matter is now definitely settled and that
the Clarinda people will make good and
go ahead with the EXTENSIVE improve
ments which they promise for this city.
There is no question but what the plant
is good thing for Leon, as it gives en-
ployment to many people and the people
of Leon are ready to give it every en-
couragement. only asking in return that
they be given fair treatment and that
the Leon merchants be not discrimi-
mated against in the matter of prices.
Town Caucuses Friday Evening.