The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-19
MISSOULA'S NEEDS.
To The Missoulian

following article that has to do with
the needs of the city Of Missoula:
Now that the people Of the country
are awakening to the danger of trusts
and are actively taking steps to stop
unlawful restraint Of trade that stifle
competitions; when the press of the
land and h people generally are de-
manding that thosv who are active in
restraint of trade be punished, is it
not time that We take off our long
distance, telescope glasses and look
about us to see what the conditions
are in our own city
The location of Missoula is ideal for
a commercial city. and there is no
reason in the world, unless stifled by
unfair methods, WHY it should not be
a manufacturing city as well.
That there are very quiet times in
Missoula at the present time is APP
parent to all, and that they have ex-
listed for the past three years we all
know. There are good reasons for
this, for there was a general boom
throughout the west for some wears
and there was a growth in the cities
of the northwest beyond their imme,
date needs.
Missoula has felt the effects of rap
i'd growth, perhaps less thar most of
the western cities, especially Seattle,
Salt Lake, Spokane and Denver. That
the wild speculation. in fruit lands
particularly, was responsible for the
setback in a great measure is believed
by many who have been investigating
the conditions. Not but what our
fruit lands are among our best as
sets, but in many sections of the
country, prices were run up into the
thousands of dollars per acre, AMI
much u~nimproved, and often inferior
lands We're sold at prices from $500 an
acre upward. For many years the
business men of Missoula have raised
large sums of money annually. and
through the chamber Of commerce
have sought to bring new industries to
Missoula; but their efforts have been
almost a failure. While the city was
growing rapidly and there was an
ployment for all, this failure to bring
in factories was not deeply consid-
cred; but conditions are now changed
The city's growth is small, If it is
growing at all. Many people who
came here for employment when there
was much building. now find them
selves without work.
Rent have shrunk, in many cases
to one-half of what they were wher
times were good. Real estate values
have not kept up to what they were
and we are now at a point where, UNI
less we take heroic measures, we will
dry rot"
1t is high time for our business men
to look around them and see what is
to be done. It Is high time that every
property holder and every citizen who
has an interest in Missoula, should
awake. And it is a time when we
need to diagnose our troubles care.
fully, and when we have determined
the cause and have decided on Tho
remedy then we must give the medi,
cine and nurse the sick patient back
to strength and health. Competition
is recognized as the life of trade. Stiflc
competition and you breed discomfort
and trouble.
Commercially, Missoula Is located
much as Denver, Salt Lake, Billings
n Spokane. Cost of living in the
places mentioned will be about the
same as at Missoula.
For a number of years some of the
labor organizations have demanded a
larger wage for Missoula than in the
competing points mentioned. 1t has
been the means Of driving out, en-
tirely, one large manufacturing plan,
that Would have employed hundreds OF
Workmen, after they had put UP theil
buildings and spent thousands of dol
lars in a factory. And this element
has kept out all manufactures tina,
had been planned for Missoula, be-
cause of the knowledge that the,
could not run their business, unhin-
dered. though paying the same scale
of prices as at competitive points.
Hundreds Of thousands of dollars
have been sent out of Missoula &c
Spokane, Seattle and other western
cities for manufactured lumber-sash
doors and finish-that should have
remained here at home, but for the
element that stifled competition
There Is on the edge Of the city a
manufacturing plant that has beer
harassed and annoyed, b%oycotted and
threatened, and is in danger of being
driven from US because our citizens
have been blind and still are blind to
Il interests.
You might as well throw the money
IN the river that is raised annually &c
promote the growth of Missoula I'M
less you first wake up to the need,
once for all, of telling the men who
have been running the city's prospects
by interfering with new Industries, to
keep their hands off.
There is not within this city a man
who more earnestly desires good
wages paid to labor than the writer,
and 1t is far from his idea that or
ganized labor should be interfered
with. But it is time to say that Mis-
soula will pay exactly the same scale
Of wages that competing places pay
and no more. When the business men
awake to action along this line there
will be no further trouble, and it Will
then not be difficult to get in fac
tories to give employment to those
who want 1t. 1t will again fill up
your vacant houses. bring back the
value of your property. and Missoula
will grow into the city hat it's nat
uIal advantages intended it to be.
l am asked what factories we might
hope to hayeo answer. Anv and