The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-29

A few days ago the following ,
peared in The Gate City from its Wa
saw correspondent:
! The button factory shipped a
! carload of shell refuse TO Oqua-
wka to be ground into chicken
/ grit: why could not the latter be
(! made here, etc.
! For the simple reason there is :
| lack of progressiveness among those
! who fail to grasp the chance to de
tvelop something. In every commun'
Iity there are splendid opportunities to
develop small factory propositio l:
I but home people fail to awaken to tile
lchance There a-e gold nuggets lying
| all around keokuk to be picked NJ.
but the home fellows fail to see them.
Chicken grit is made from the shells
We send away. to be reshipped to US,
ground Why? There are other ny
products from mills in Keokuk sent
away which can be manufactured Up
into products right here.
Exhibit A.
Grape juice, and Bryan's diplomatic
wines are shipped from New York TO
the Mississippi valley, where grapes
grow In abundance: but the home
fellow fails TO avail himself of the
opportunity.
The last general assembly of Iowa
has seen fit to pass a law thereby
confscating many thousands Of dol
lars worth of property, making 1t
useless only for what it really was
intended for. We are aware of the
fact that the breweries of Iowa will
have. to cease brewing January l.
1916 There is a valuable piece o.
property in Keokuk which when shut
down, viii throw many men out of en-
ployment and cut out large payroll
every week, which viii add another
great loss to the manufacturing IN
terests OF keokuk
Now instead of shipping the grapes
to New York. why not ship them 20
Keokuk, turn the brewery into a graz =
Juice concern? 1t may not be SO big
in the start. but eventually will grow
and retain the value of the real estate.
Armours and other manufacturing con-
Germs have branched out in this line.
Why? To be progressive they be-
lieve in giving the public what they
want. You would not have to erect
any plant, as it is already there
some advantage over others-as the
grapes are raised in the vicinity and
could save the freight rate to New
York and return. Think it over.
Let's not lose this valuable asset 10
Keokuk's manufacturing industries.
During my travels l have made Il
a business to visit commercial clubs,
and partake of the MONDAY lunch
cons as often as possible. | have
visited the clubs in Des Moines. Sioux
City, Council Bluffs. Omaha, Lincoln
and other places, and find that in
union there is strength, and by this
spirit they have built up their towns
and preached purchasing horne made
commodities. and home manufactured
products. There must also be loyalt )
on the part of the jobber and the
manufacturer. I find displayed in the
factories and jobbing houses posi-
lively no goods sold at retail-don't
ask for them It seems the KeokuK
retailers association could greatly de
veIop the retail trade by insisting up
on this, and following in the foot
steps of the cities named above.
Most of the live towns, big and lit
tie, have what they call bushes;
mems and commercial club. noon-day
luncheons. Others meet like the keo
kuk retailers, cnce a week to dsyeloI
a spirit OF good fellowship. In Omahs
the Commercial club has 1900 NEIL
bers, the initiation dues are $4,000
and $1,000 a year dues l was intro
duced by a member, and visitor:
card was extended me. giving me tn
hosI itality of the club rooms durtD!
my stay there.
Regarding electric rates, ! wish Z
say a few words. ! found that Hast
ings, Nebraska, has municipal lig'.'
ing plant and sells electricity at fou
cents a kilowatt. This plant cleaned
up $4,000 last year above all e-t
penses. Hastings is town of abo"
ten thousand population. The town
and villages near by are supplied will
{ Juice" at this rate. Lincoln mer
/ chants get six cent rate per kilowatt
} for commercial and domestic purpose
and factories get even a less rate
/ Gas in Lincoln is sold at s1.00 pc
Thousand. Remember this is all PRO
lducea by steam coal. Iowa coal sell
for $3.50 a ton. screenings for less.
! Here is the rate for Omaha adopte'
and passed by the city commissioner
anu the IL utillS IolIPoHs SlShAhCu Gu
fled it's acceptance of the rates a few
days ago:
For Illuminating Purposes.
Cts. per kwt
The first 25 kilOwatss ........ s
Next 125 kilowatts ............ 6
Next 1900 kilowatts ........ ~!
Next ! 900 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 4
Next above ................... 3
Subject to a monthly minimum o
80 cents.