Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-05-05
Mr.. 00RDON'ssLETTEn

MIR. G0RDoN's fLETTEn
We published last week the letter
of T. C. Gordon, manager Of the Wa
ter Power Co., in answer to our edi-
torial of two weeks ago. In our brief
comment of last week we said that it
might give some idea of the COM
pany's policy. A close analysis of the
letter, however, does not indicate any
thing materially different from the
past. We agree with Mr.. Gordon that
the experience Of the past shows the
unwisdom of bonuses for industrial
plants, except the circumstances be
different from what they have been
hitherto. The reference to a. granite
works, evidently brought out by what
was said about the quarries, is beside
the question. Mr.. Gordon knows very
we'll that the granite works was han
dicapped from the start, by the mat
ter Of long haulage of raw stuff from
the quarry, and that in spite of this
almost insurmountable obstacle, that
they were willing to help to establish
the industry, and did so. It proved a
failure and will be no different until
the question Of hauling the stone is
settled. The people Of this city are
entitled to know whether the company
has in mind anything that will help
in the solution of the problem. It is
without doubt the most important
matter to be considered as affecting
the city's future. There is nothing
in Mr.. Gordon's letter to indicate how
much the company cares about this
matter. Will it help, and how, in get
70 q q +,
ter settled?
MI. Gordon says that the people
are entitled to some consideration
from all Of it's business men. That is
correct. Oftentimes business men fail
to do their share of boosting, in speech
and deed, and it remains for COM
parative few to shoulder the burden.
So also should everyone who lives here
be interested in the city's problems.
But the people of this city, business
men and others, do not possess fran
chises, do not control a natural re-
source of tremendous value. Their
responsibility is not quite that of the
men who do have this control. Surely
they have right to look for intelli-
gent leadership and initiative to those
who control the greatest factor in the
city's future.
We agree that the farming COM
munity is after all the principal as
set, but that is no reason why manu-
featuring shouldn It also be large
factor. Everything that tends to help
the farmer and farm industries should
be encouraged. However, the litera-
ture issued by the Water Power Com
panv has always emphasized the fact
that the development of manufac-
turing center creates a market for
farm produce. The larger the center
the better the market. This has al
ways seemed to us sound. The fur
nishing Of electrical energy to various
villages may have the effect Mr.. Cor
don claims, of bringing them into
closer relations with the county seat
through becoming customers of the
Water Power Company. Every link
is an added link. We venture to sug-
gest, however, that an electric road to
Pierz by way Of the quarries, and
roads to. the other enterprising vii
lagos Of the, county, would do more
for closer relations and the mutual
satisfaction of the county seat and the
villages, than hundreds of miles of
transmission lines intended to dis
tribute electrical energy.
The people Of, Little Falls will be
glad to hear further, and definitely,
from the company. We judge from the
tone of Mr.. Gordon g letter that he is
disposed to talk things over with his
fellow citizens. In passing, it may
be said that the sentiments of our edi-
torial were the sentiments of the great
majority of the people Of Little Falls.
If there is particular duty incum-
bent in the people of Little Falls, let
them be informed what it is. We
know them well enough to feel that
they will not hesitate to respond in
a matter that vitality concerns the
city's future.