Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-11-07
WEAK POINTS
COMMERCIAL CLUBS SOMETIMES
MAKE BLUNDERs.
STARTING NEW ENTERPRISES
Bonuses Often Given and Little Bene-
fits Gained by the Towns That
Glve-Protecting Established
Industries.

Within the past few years a com
mercial club organization fever has
taken hold of many towns in the west
ern country. 1t is a kind of good fever
to have, but quite often, like other of
the less, harmless fevers that afiict
physically, passes away and doesn't
make much difference with the our
general health.
Town-building is much like erecting
a good bridge. 1t is essential that a
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 its principal support
from the business given it by the con-
tiguous territory. The trade of a lin
tied section of country will sustain a
comparative number of business es.
adjustments. 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 mum
Der of western towns, to commence
the manufacture of cottons, or silks.
or furniture, when the raw material
must be transported from a 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 a valuable
factor in some of the western towns,
When a commercial club is orga
nized, generally efforts are made tc
secure some industry for the town
that will give its people employment
and which will bring new residents tt
the town. Quite often bonuses are Of
fered concerns, which are located in
other places to relocate. 1t has beer
the general experience of towns which
have made efforts along these lines
that a concern that asks very much
encouragement in the way of ready
cash, is hardly worth botherfng witt
and is likely to prove a failure.
Another thing that the average com
mercial club does not take in consid
Grafton is that it is better to builc
up institutions already located thar
to encourage ley mes of doubtful
success. A manufacturing concern is
only valuable to the town as a means
Of placing a greater amount of money
in circulation. The greater the pay
roll, the better for the town. But i
matters not how big the amount il
that is distributed among workers OF
a Saturday night, it results in LITTLE
good to the town if it is sent to sons
other town for needed supplies.
Commercial club members shoult
keep IN mind that II is far hetter u
devise means of keeping none.
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 a few hundred dollar
a day sent from the place to mail-or
der houses, it would be far better tt
prevent this by devising means TO
having it spent in the town, than t.
encourage the location of a factor.
with a pay roll of a like amount. I
should be the first duty of a CON
mercial organization to protect 1T
home industries, and when stranger
see that this is successful they will b
more likely to seek the place as sui
able for the establishment of som
, business enterprise.
:. D. M. CARR.