The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-17
Retiring Executive Of Indus
trial Association Makes
Annual Report to the
Stockholders.
TELLS OF YEARS WORK

lELL0 VI AAfAA - W VANAA
Some Disappointment, But
Many Things Are Accom-
plished, Without Any
Fireworks.
The last year has been one OF re
adjustment OF lines following the IN
dustrial drive of the year previous,
President C.. F. Mcfarland of the In
dustrial association, who retires from
office this year. told the stockholders
last night at the annual meeting. and
prophesied better and bigger things
for Keokuk in the coming year. He
urged the development of smaller IN
dustries, and generally discussed the
Industrial situation in his report.
Mr.. Mcfarland paid deserved
compliment to James NJ Fulton. exc
cutive secretary, who is competent
and efficient in his work, and who has
been on the job every day for keo-
kuk's interests. AS Mr.. Mcfarland
made this reference to Mr. Fulton,
the crowd broke into applause, and
gave Mr.. Fulton a cheer.
Following is the full report made by
the retiring president to the mem
bers Of the association, and which
was ordered filed:
Gentlemen Of the Industrial associa-
ton:
am closing tonight my term of
Office in the most interesting and, at
| the same time, the most aggravating
position have ever held. Interesting.
because 1t carries with it day and
night the thought of usefulness to the
| city we all love so we'll, brings one in
ieentect ...ss..s As:cs:.s .:sscsss.:::sssssp
lens and strong people and keeps one
always ION his toes" to win success.
Aggravating. because Of the limita-
tons drawn about us by lack OF
funds with which to compete with 1arg-
er and richer communities for the To-
cation of industries.
Almost every town Of over a thou
sand people have organized similar as
sociations and the smaller the town
the bigger the name Of the associa-
ton. Factory people who contemplate
starting a new industry or increasing
an old one know this and know that
these associations are crazy to get
chance to figure with them, and they
know that If they keep at it long
enough they will find some community
anxious enough to "start something"
to pay an outrageous price for getting
them. Many concerns. who have no
idea on earth of moving an establish
ed plant. are finding out that if they
will start moving campaign they
can get the town they are already in
to come across with a substantial
amount, or with some concession they
are anxious for in order to keep them.
think ninety-five per cent of the pro-
positions which come before us may
he put in one or the other Of these two
classes. II you will drop into the as
sociation rooms any time, Mr.. Fulton
will show you prospect after prospect
of this kind, which we have not been
able to find way to handle. We have
right now on the desk proposition
from a well established and success
full concern employing 200 men where
they now are, who will move here and
guarantee to employ more than that If
we will give them five acres OF land.
move all their machinery and equip
Iment and all the men who will come,
land then buy $125, 100000 OF their pre-
ferred stock. 1t surely is an aggra-
waiting thing, as much as we want fac
tories. to have such plums as this
dangling before our eyes and then have
to shut out the pleasant vision as we
must.
Make Small Things Count.
One certain conclusion has come to
me as q result Of all this. We have
been paying too much attention to the
large things and not enough to the
small ones We have been dreaming
about the things which would warrant
black headlines in the paper, which
would make our friends in Fl. Madison,
Quincy and Burlington green with
envy, over which We could stick out
our chests and, like Jack Homer, say
what a great boy am t.
1 am indebteded to an old Keokuk
boy who is still a most loyal Keokuk-
ian, Mr.. Wappich, for a great many
useful hints and interesting informa-
ton about the way things are being
done in Omaha. 1t seems to me they
have the right idea. At least, they
are getting about an industry a day.
which would seem to warrant that con-
clusion l received the other day
list Of siXty-six concerns which had
recently located there. and found that
OF this number. twenty-six employed
less than five hands: twenty-five of
them. six to ten hands; thirteen of
them eleven to twenty-five hands, and
only FIVE more than that number. In
other words. they are going after the
small concerns and no concern is too
small for their attention. 1 have not
iced even IN our own board OF direc-
tors, and especially with other citi-
zens. that the first question which is
asked about a prospect is "how many
hands will they employ" and If the
number is very small the interest is
u &c