Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-12-17
Chief IS 0PTIM|ST
DALLAS HAS ENJOYED UNUSU-
AL PROSPERITY PAST YEAR.
INTERESTS ACTIVE
While Stringent Times Have Affected
This Section to Some Extent, Not
Seriously Felt.
(By Mayor E. C. Kirkpatrick)

A conservative statement at con-
servative time! And why not? Dal-
las is not enjoying a boom; the great
war has little effect upon the activi-
ties of the community, either one way
or another, so that the things that
concern us at the year-end are only
the condition within the boundaries
of the city proper and the country
tributary, that plays most important
part in maintaining the welfare OF the
city. Generally speaking, business in
Dallas is good, and it has been good
Throughout the year. The volume Of
business is not unprecedented, but l
believe l can say that it is somewhat
better than it was during the previous
year. In the face of conditions that
exist elsewhere that statement is a
weighty one. Dallas is in better con-
dition, as far as the prosperity of the
community is concerned, than perhaps
any other city of its size in the state.
Nothing has entered into the years
INactivity to greatly enliven things.
Nevertheless, that business, both mer-
camille and industrial, has maintained
reasonable degree Of stability is in
deed a great satisfaction and credit
to the people of the city, when we
turn to consider other sections of the
country and other cities Of the land.
The industrial interests of the city
have even been better off than those
in other valley towns. The lumber
mill has continued to operate and all
others kept busy, employing the regu-
lar quota of hands. Unemployment
is practically unknown, and those who
desire work here may find it at liv
ing wage. The diversity Of the in
dustrial life here represented is
point decidedly in favor of the city.
We could suspend the activity of one
or more of these important industries
without any serious effect, whereas, if
we had only one industry operating
here the success of that one would
spell prosperity or poverty for the
city. The most apt comparison at this
time would be with the season pre-
vious. The past year has seen prac-
tically as much business transacted
in the city, has seen the maintenance
of the payrolls of the year before,
and in many ways has been marked
by an increase in the volume of trade.
I cannot say that the outlook rs
painted in extraordinarily rosy hues.
| forsee, in view of what has gone
before, reasonable prosperity for the
community, but as long as present
conditions prevail in other parts of
the nation and world there is little
hope for any astounding increase in
business activity or trade volume. On
all sides there is hope and there is
work. Those circumstances over which
the people of this city have no means
of control have had no effect upon us,
in spite of the cry of hard times that
has swept the country clean of prom
ise and almost clean of ambition. The
talk of hard times, it cannot be de-
MED, is damaging, and its acidy in
fiuence has eaten at the heart strings
of this city. Though, as 1 say, feel
that its effect on Dallas has been less
than on other cities. While CONNER
cial and industrial supremacy is not
all that is to be desired and for the
city, it goes far toward making more
perfect conditions and toward making
thereby a better city and better
homes, Really as things are in Dali
las, and with the sterling citizenship
which the city enjoys, there is no
reason why the next year and every
next year cannot be the best that Dal-
las has known.
The prosperity of the farmer in
Polk county has a very direct and
telling effect upon the prosperity of |
the city. The city and the city's in
terests have combined to help the
farmer, not only through sales days,
fairs and exhibitions, but through |
good roads that they may travel to
and from the city year in and year
out. The trade during winter months
Concluded on last naoel !