The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-11-11
DURING TIE NEXT FEW YEARS.
WITH THE KEEN FINDS OF OTHER
PLACES POINTING TO THE OPPOR-
>. TUNITIES BEFORE THIS TOWN,
HAYS Is ENJOYING THAT
LIMELIGHT.
It's Time To Get Busy.
(BY P. CASPAR HARVEY

The assertion that people outside of
Hays realize the future of Hays three
hundred per cent more than do the peo-
pie inside of Hays, hurts the people Of
Hays enough for the people Of Hays TO
deny it. And this denial proves shat
their denial is only another way OF af-
firming the original truth, 'neverthe-
less.
This is not saying in the least that
Hays or Hays folks do not realize the
future Of the town. 1t is saying, how
ever, that other people looking at Hays
with perspective and from distance
realize it more concretely than does
Hays itself.
Last week there. appeared an editorial
in the Salina Evening Journal that
showed what Salina is actually think
ing. Before reading that editorial,
please note, it does not say today"
but distinctly during the next few
years" So many Hays people ask the
short-nosed question what viii it pay
me, today?" This is the key to this
editorial. In other words Roy F. Bailey
and Roy Buckingham used their ''vi-
sion" when it was written. The edi-
torial is frank one. Salina is afraid
that Hays will become a menace to her
own commercial supremacy in Western
Kansas; and Mr.. Bailey and Mr.. Buck
ingham as the spokesmen for Sanna,
can rest assured that Hays intends to
do this very thing. The wholesome
feeling between the two towns will, of
course, continue to exist. Salina real
ICES, as well, that the bigger Hays, the
bigger must Salina be. But Hays does
not wish for Salina to get the major
portion of the profit of that bigness.
During the next few years" is the
refrain of song Of prophecy concern
ing Hays for which Hays Is indebted to
Salna. During the next few years!''
But read the entirel editorial from
the November 3rd Journal:
TINE TO GET BUSY.
Railroad development in Western
Kansas during the next few years
threatens to cut off slice of SaEna 5
trade territory unless something is
done.
E'If the roads proposed south from
Hutchinson to Hays and then north
into Nebraska are built, this northwest
ern Kansas business seeking a south
ern outlet will be diverted through
points other than Salina. These roads
viii contribute to the up6uilding OF
that splendid western Kansas town,
Hays, as nothing else will. Salina de-
sires to see Hays develop into an i'm
portant western Kansas town, but she
does not like to lose part of her trade.
''It is just question of building the
first south road into Salina. Commodi-
ties from northwestern Kansas arrive
here every day without an easy south
shipment that do not stay long. Kan
sas City gets bulk of the business be
cause Kansas City is the only trading
point that is accessible.
The other day several trainloa6s of
stock passed through Salina to Kansas
City. The owner said he preferred to
sell them in Salina or some southern
point like Wichita, but he could not
bill them there direct. His excuse was
good Salina has no southern outlet
and she needs one badly. With an
other outlet south she can bolster up
her market and become more of q pack
ing center. That is the destiny Of Sa-
lima. With great stock country at
her front door she should be able to
develop into one of the best packing
house centers of the state
All of this viii come some day if we
wait until long enough. But why
wait? Why let other towns beat Salina
to what she needs? Why be slothful
about building a city which has oppor-
tunities to become Western Kansas
leader. Plenty Of pep and gogetive-
ness will cure the Indifference of many
citizens. Let's make Salina one of the
Kansas cities which has enough back
bone and industry to take. leadership IN
development.