The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-08

ne year 1919 Wbtlhb bf an NpoSh
maker for Mankato. if all the good
Ideas for tho city's welfare held by
prominent business men would ma
terialize. And there Is no reason why
some of the moro needed improve.
ments advocated cannot be brought
10 pass, resulting in n greater Man
kato. ard thriving thoroughly met
rOpolitan center OF manufactures and
business activities Of all kinds. A
number Of business men were inter.
viewed today. and were asked what
seemed TO them tho most vital things
Tor the lettering of the city during
the coming year Their replies are
interesting, and contain many shrewd
and comprehensive suggestions.
Encourage Local Factories.
George VI. Palmer: 1T should be
the aim Of every citizen TO make
MankatO better city in which 10
live and 10 aid In it's growth and
development along all lines which
Tend to make life more desirable.
While more factories are needed
and every effort should he put forth
10 obtain them, il may as well be
understood that factories will not
reasons for their coming. The most
successful factories i'm the smaller
towns are those built up from small
beginnings by local men. Encour-
age the factories we have by loyal
support whenever possible and aid
other men to start. Men should be
willing TO take some chances to
build up factories that show posi-
bilities Of success. Whatever bene-
fits local agriculture will help Man
kato. We are in the midst OF the
finest agricultural section Of the
Northwest and should be keen TO
aid in the development Of our farm
ing interests. Good roads will add
largely to the value of blue Earth
county farms and attract more buy.
ers. and will bring more business to
Mankalo than has been dreamed OF.
The time has come in my judgment
when the road system OF Blue Earth
county should be developed on broad
Cr lines than has yet been attempt
cd. Instead of patch work here and
there and division of the road fund
according TO commissioner districts,
4 system should be planned that
will serve best the interests of all
the people of the county and the
work OF construction carried on in
large units which would result In
great economy in building. Plans
of this kind should be vigorously
pushed by the business interests OF
Mankato as II will benefit the county
and city alike. The time has come
for 4 new bridge ut Main street
and this should be pushed to early
completion. More paving should be
done as rapidly as our means will
admit. We should have n modern
system of street lighting in the
business section.
"Mankato IL n school town: every
effort should be made TO make Il
4 clean law-abiding city to which
parents will be glad to send their
children. Above all a spirit of com.
ity good will cooperation and
neighborliness should prevail. The
knocker should become booster:
II he cannot, he should ut least sub.
side. II We can't speak well of PEG.
pie let's keep stiTi. Encourage
meetings and conventions To come
here and show them life Is worth
while in Mankato. We have had
some splendid advertising from
some Of the conventions held here
and have been mnch benefited there.
by" s
Believes in Cooperation.
George r. Brett OF the George +.
Brett Incorporated: 1T seems TO me
that one Of the best pans for
boosting the city would be for a
number OF the business men to form
a syndicate. and bny some land in
this vicinity, and then 10 donate
building sites to factories which
wanted TO locate here The giving
of these free sites ought to prove
quite an mducement for good solid
factory concerns to come here. and
would be better plan than the
giving OF a bonus in cash to such
enterprises. Mankato needs more In
dustries. The country around here Is
a splendid farming community, but
we ought to have more factories.
The plan I suggested has been fol-
lowed with great success ut Water
loo, Iowa, and the syndicate sold
enough lots to people who came to
the town TO work in the factories. to
reimburse them for their investment.
The population increased from ten to
twenty-five thousand Ia a short time.
Another thing that would be good for
the city would lie a greater co-opera-
ton of the merchants. This would
be a great benefit 70 Fthe town, Low
er and upper town should work and
Pull together. The Commercial club
is a good thing. and through its ef.
fofts the upper and lower town mer-