Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-25
What Is The Matter With Iona?

1 MarshalltoWn, or in Iowa; but unless
/, there is a decided change in the man.
ner in which freight rates apply out
there, I am afraid it will be necessary
to put our larger plant somewhere
else We have been waiting. and liv-
ing in hopes that some day we could
induce the railroads to put Iowa points
on fair basis, so that we could while
building up the manufacturing bust
ness build up the towns of Iowa.
You are ON the right track you
have struck the keynote; you know
what is the matter with Iowa. And
we believe that if this matter is pre-
scented to the railroads by our people
in the proper light, that some day. not
far distant the towns of Iowa will be
put on parity with the larger rate
breaking" points. Then you would no
longer wonder why certain, industries
in which your people have invested
their money, have run for awhile and
failed.
You can readily see that if a manu-
facturer tries to supply far western or
southern points from Marshalltown, he
would be under a tax of from one
eighth to one third cent per pound on
everything he hauled, as against a.
factory located at Chicago or some 9TH
er rate breaking point. And all Iowa
points, particularly west of the Mis-
sissippi river are in the same position
as Marshalltown.
Many manufacturers would be pleas
ed to get away from the larger cities,
owing to the congestion labor trou
Of Int bn with fb.a
present basing, make it an impossible
ity. / wish you could see how the SUI
burbs along the lake. Calumet river
and south of Chicago are building up,
and all because more and large man.
ufacturing plants are going in there by
the dozens and hundreds. If Iowa
could be protected by the railroads
along the lines I have suggested. there
is no reason why she could not have
many new and great manufacturing
plants located within her borders; and
this, Of itself will build up the state.
We all know that land around manu-
featuring centers must naturally en-
nance in value. There is a large pop
ulation to feed. and the men who work
in manufacturing plants are compelled
to buy everything they eat.
Keep on with the good work, and
some day the railroads will realize it is
to their interests to help build up
Iowa. Personally. I cannot help but
feel that Iowa's railroad commissions
ers could help along the lines of show
ing the railroads that it would be to
their interests to foster manufacturing
plants In our state. 1t is fact, as
you know, that a rope Is no stronger
than its weakest strand. The rail-
road commissioners are human, and
there is a strand in their rope that Is
weak; and 1t will remain so unless the
people of the state show them what we
want and need. Iowa is great state.
in an agricultural way, but are we
content to sit idly by and see Illinois,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states,
who are getting large manufacturers,
growing rapidly while we are barely
holding our own? 1t Is all wrong. and
we should awaken to the situation, and
all work and pull together to the up-
building OF our glorious state. There is
no reason in the world why we should
not, In the next decade, add one mill
ion to our population. We will, If the
railroads make it possible for manu-
featuring; but without 1T, our popula-'
ton will barely hold its own.
F. C. LET'S.