The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-04-26

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Saturday Evening Posi)-
(The Saturday Evening Post under
date OF April 7th. had a very interest
ing story about the workings OF com
merciai clubs under the above title.
The story is worth reading in full.
II you have a Saturday Evening Post
OF April 7th dig 1t up and read II. This
in an extract from the story. We will
publish other selections from this
article in The Record within the next
few days)
A traveller notices in almost every
town thru which he passes. down a
rusty railroad switch halfway be-
tween Hicks livery barn and Hog
walla Pond. large square brick struc
on the smokestack. bearing some
such sign as:
JUNCTION CITY'S UNIVERSAL
PoTATO-PEELER FACTORY.
Now each of these red-brick struc-
lures represents q vanished bonus OF
from twenty-five thousand to a humid
red thousand dollars: and they are
forever grinningly telling the passer-
by how, one time. the citizens of
Junction City. led by the Commercial
Club. came out down that track and
held the bag while limber-tongued
gentleman OF the modern school went
down the road to drive in the snipes.
All lost bonuses are not the fault Of
the Commercial Club. The CONNER
cial club is not TO blame for every
thing.
These lost public bonuses and the
reams of worthless stock certificates
In old leather trunks would not have
been possible. even with the misdirect
I'd enthusiasm of the Commercial
Club. were II not for an almost uniyer
sal town mania for factories.
The supply always equals the de.
mand-but il does not nearly satisfy
II. II there is a demand in town
for somebody to come and take It's
money. that demand will be supplied
--oyersupplied: but the supply merely
leaves an increased sense of hollow
ness at the pit of the stomach. and
dyspeptic pickering.
What this town needs II a factory
One hears tina, over and over in al
most every town In America. II In NO
deeply rooted that to try to pull Il
up brands one as a worse vandal than
to tramp down the flowers In a blind
mans garden. And-alacki-th IL
all too seldom one citizen inquisitive
enough and brave enough to ask:
WHY and then figure it out to its
conclusion.
The new Commercial Club--organiz
ed Ito get the citizens to pull togeth-
er to make Bliekcryille the largest
rs IL Is now the best-town In tho
Nor;hwcst"-prodded. pushed. har-
ricd into doing somethinE'-goes NJ.
ter factory--and gets II.
town is like q small boy. Tts
biggest wish IL TO be bigger. Just
why IL wants to be bigger II seldom
asks and never answers. II is easy
10 understand why a citizen with va
cant lots to sell In anxious for an
influx OF population. But there Is sci.
dom more than a third of the popu-
lation engaged in the rcai-estate bus
mess: so why the town at large Is so
anxious for more people is not so
plain. The merchants want more
customers: that inevitably means
more stores. The workingman wants
more buildings. more work: but that
also attracts more laborers. The one
most apparent reason for wanting
Blickersviile to grow rapidly in size
is that Il may keep ahead OF Pleas
ant Valley. on the east. and Smith
Vile. on the west.
But, whatever the reason. or wheth.
er there Is one or not. BlickervIlle.
wants more people.
A man with a hRnkering eye and
no job drops into town and inter
views the Commercial Club.
What you people need" says this
peripatetic stranger. squirting his
right eye TO keen point OF shrewd.
ness. "is a factory-something to give
employment and bring in new people"
The Commercial Club confesses
that is what II wants-what every
body wants. The stranger rubs his
jaw refiectively. shakes his head
and smiles sadly:
THE trouble with most towns is.
they haven't got the push! They are
afraid TO let 20 a dollar. They think