The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-07
Concentration Of Effort is Needed to
Get Big Results That keokuk
Has Dreamed Of and
SHOULD Secure.
DAM WON'T BUILD CITY
Real Community Spirit Must Place on
This substructure Lasting
Observation-Disclosures
Was Caustic.

Frank Stockdale. efficiency expert,
at the Orpheum theatre last night,
turned Keokuk inside out for an
analysis of its troubles and his work
was, to say the least, thorough and
relentless If there is anything wrong
with Keokuk that he didn't bring TO
light il hasn't been mentioned in the
memory of the Oldest inhabitant-
Snug costly" was his diagnosis or
all including definition for compli-
cation of diseases that was bewilder-
ing in It's ramifcations and he split
the word into syllables that the audi
.ence OF business men and women
would get its full significance
Beginning with the statement that
ten thousand towns in the United
States were on the toboggan that
leads to nowhere, he gave as the
reason the new competition between
towns, by the side OF which the COM
petition of individuals paled into in
significance and while he pleaded
the importance of the prosperity OF
the retailer in the progressive COM
munity he roundly scored the keo-
kuc retailer for being his own worst
enemy for he found in his investiga-
tons that the retailer here was far
from blameless when it came to
spending his money outside his own
town.
Lack Of Home Loyalty.
He said his home was in Chicago
and felt it his duty as citizen of
that community to thank the people
of Keokuk for their liberal support
of his home town for he knew that
they had contributed largely through
its retail channels toward tremen-
dous fund of money that was being
spent for civic improvement and he
hoped they would come again and
again-and bring their money with
them For every dollar that comes
into a town eventually finds its way
across the retail counter and leaves
thirty cents to enrich the life Of tho
community.
Picturing small town as COM
petitive enterprise, he split it into
its essential elements and selected
the lack of public spirit that makes
for progressive communities as the
thorn in the flesh of Keokuk. Its
reputation in this respect had trav-
eled far, he said, and it was very
damaging. The big dam would never
build Keokuk. 1t was mistake to
suppose that so mechanical a thing
could ever make town good place
to live in and good place in which
to make living. 1t is simply
foundation, or substructure that
awaited the magic touch of real
community spirit to rear thereon
lasting prosperity.
co-ope ration Is Essential.
Get together, coordinate and cen
tralize your organizations, concen-
trate your efforts, do away with
petty jealousies, awaken from your
Snug self satisfaction" were some of
his remedies. or, he intimated that
Keokuk's dream of a greater Keokuk
would be in more immediate need of
a funeral director thar an efficiency
expert.
Probably no critic of Keokuk has
been more frank than StocHdale or
more severe in denuncfation of the
things that act as brakes on the
realization of keokuk's ambitions
and he said he was surprised beyond
measure at the inability of Keokuk
to use advantages that were so much
greater than those enjoyed by cities
that had so far surpassed her In
civic growth and improvement.
He pictured the wonderful growth
of San Francisco and Galveston and
Dayton and Johnstown following In
the wake of terrific disasters and
said he could almost wish that some
such calamity might befaH Keokuk,
for out of the dire necessity that in
variably accompanied death and de-
struction Keokuk people would get
together and produce that irresist-
able spirit of a united people march
ing forward for the common good.
Closing his lecture he asked the
audience to enter Immediately into
the task of centralizing the various
organizations of Keokuk, picturing
the governing body as hub with
It's organizations radiating in COM
mon purpose as the spokes OF a
wheel. He said that Keoluk was
over organized and that little could
be accomplished without proper CO.
ordination. His recommendations
will probably be taken up at the
next meeting Of the Commercial club
which occurs Tuesday Of next week.
The Stockdale lectures will close
with the L. c. It's in session at a
noon luncheon at the Hotel Iowa
Saturday. Tonight the clerks of the
city win find much of interest to
them In the last lecture at the Or
pheum. SALES people Of today and
tomorrow" is the subject and KeokuR
merchants are urged to have their
full force Of employees hear most