The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-02
AN AUDITORIUM
FOR nOORHEAD

To The Forum: The announcement
in the city papers that Messrs. Harris
Bros. will soon begin the erection Of a
three story building at the corner OF
Sixth and Front streets, Moorhead, to
accommodate their large and increas-
ing business, recalls to my mind the
question that was raised a year ago
and which aroused at the time much
less discussion than its merits and
Importance demanded, viz: Why
should not the city Of Moorhead and
the commercial club seek to enter into
some arrangement with Harris Bros.
whereby we could secure in their
building, presumably on the second and
third floors, an adequate public audi
forum and a substantial home for the
commercial club, including a smaller
hall and club rooms.
Auditorium Needed.
This city is absolutely and %unfavor-
ably unique among northwestern cities
Of it's class, in having no auditorium,
public or private, and, barring the nor
NAL auditorium, which has been in the
past g~raciously loaned for public gath
erings, but which 1t is announced will
not be thus available in the future, no
adequate place where political, agricul-
tural, Or religious conventions or con-
ferences or concerts, lectures, theatri-
Gals. school commencements or other
public gatherings can be held.
We are absolutely and most humil-
iatingly destitute in this respect and
the worst feature of the situation Is
that we all seem to have settled down
to the complacent conviction that It
cannot be helped, and that we must
continue to go to Fargo for all public
gatherings, and do nothing to encour-
age any of our own. We profess a
~-s- "a H. I-G~I I'D IL
commercial interests of this town, but
what are we doing to that end?
Should numerous public gatherings be
held here, it would mean increased
hotel patronage, increased trade for
our merchants, and profitable adver-
Using for the town; but 1t cannot be
done under present conditions. On this
proposition we appear to be nearly
asleep.
1T is high time to awake out of
sleep and to perceive hat now Is
the accepted time and now the day Of
salvation" for us in the matter Of an
auditorium. When we get down to the
discussion of ways and means, I be-
lieve no plan will be found so feasible
as to arrange with Harris Bros.
(should we be able to do SOY for the
second and third floors Of their pro-
posed building, under a fair agree
ment as to expense of construction
INC joint ownership.
Means Suggested.
An auditorium should of course, be
on the principal street, centrally
located: that means ordinarily an
initial expense of from $4,000 to $10,- |
900 for the land. The Harris Bros |
building stands on Northern Pacific
Railway Co.. property, held by them
under a long term ground lease, prac-
tically perpetual, and bearing a small
ground rent only. The expense to the
city would be only a part Of the cost
of erecting the building, n the ex-
pense of fitting and furnishing the
auditorium. The commercial club has
a large surplus which is doing no one
any good, and which could be used in
fitting up adequate club quarters; and :
the total expense would be only a
fraction of what an auditorium quilt
under any other plan would cost. No
private interests are likely to build
an auditorium in this town: there is
not profit enough in the proposition.
Can such an arrangement as I have
be made with Harris Bros.
I do not know; we have never tried;
I have information which leads me
to believe that they would not receive
such a proposition unfavorably, n
would endeaVOr, together with the city
government and commercial club, to
a workable plan mutually sat
lsfactory and profitable.
I suggest that if this matter Is to
be taken up at all, it must be taken
up at once, before the plans of Harris
are perfected. 1 suggest to the
president n directors of the COM
club, n to the a and
of the common council the
appointment of committees
to confer with each other and with
Bros. in this matter.
In a few weeks-perhaps in a few
days-it will be too late. Today is full
Of possibilities and promise for this
proposition. If this opportunity goes
by unheeded, nothing else tangible is
in sight, or Is likely to be for a long
Who has a better plan? If any
one has, let us have it. Destructive
is easy, but constructive eff
'ffrt is needed just now and the mat
err is of much more Importance than
as a mere academic discussion. 1t is
4 proposition affecting vitality the
growth and welfare of our town.