Morris tribune., 1919-12-26
MORRIS MUST LAUNCH
HOME BUILDING PLAN
The Solving of the Housing Problem
is Necessary for the City's
Growth

ing program and the definite decision
to proceed with the building Of the
Stevens County Memorial Armory
were the outstanding features of the
well-attended Commercial Club meet
ing last Friday evening.
incidentally the matter of electric
light rates was brought up, and be-
cause it was found that the sur
charge is being paid to the electric
light company by some and not by
others, the club passed resolution
asking the City Commission to pass
an ordinance granting the Otter Tail
Power Company the right to make
a surcharge of ten per cent for the
coming six months. The feeling at
the Commercial Club meeting was
that under the existing high prices
of material, it was impossible to op-
crate the plant with less than that
amount, and that in order to make
everyone pay the same price, the
rate should be fixed by the commits
sion.
Paul MarzilIier, archectect from
the firm of Tyrie & Chapman, who
for the Stevens County Memorial
ArmOry, was present, and discussed
the advantage of going ahead with
the plans at this time. AS all de-
tails have now been arranged except
the formal contract with the archi-
tects, Messrs. F. A. Hancock and
E. J. Jones of the Memorial Commit
RI nn CT
bility involved in making the con-
tract with the architects. Nearly
every member offered to share in this
responsibility, but the committee gen
erously simplified the matter. From
now on it is expected that the armory
will move rapidly.
P. L. Spooner, chairman of the
committee on housing, submitted the
following valuable report, and de-
finite steps along the lines suggested
in the report will be taken at the
next meeting of the club. The report
says:
"All plans for improvement and
development of the city center around
the provision of ample and satisfact-
ory housing facilities for prospective
new residents because:
Il. There can be no substantial
gain made in business and enterprise
unless it is accomplished by cor
responding increase in population.
20. There can be no marked in
crease in population unless there are
housing facilities in existence or cap
able of being provided for prospec-
tive new residents as required.
"The population of Morris has
been nearly stationary for the past
twenty years and it would appear
that it is due to the fact that local
business interests have failed to real
ize the Importance of the foregoing
doctrine.
During every year the past five
or six years the City of Morris has
had an opportunity to acquire new
residents which would have meant
population increase of from twenty
five to one hundred people and has
failed to profit by the opportunity
because there were no available
modern residences for prospective
new residents, either for rent or for
sale.
"More and more the tendency is
growing to realize that the housing
problem is one of the big issues of
the time. Investigation will show
that many other communities in Min
nesOta of relatively the same import
ance and size, or larger and more
important than Morris, are realizing
the Importance of the problem and
are setting out Systematically to
remedy the situation.
= "The adoption of the Babcock
Highway Plan and the building of
permanent roads pursuant thereto is
sure to emphasize the Importance of
county seat cities and bring addi-
tional business and business enter
prizes, with the accompanying in
crease of population, to those cities
that have the foresight to get ready.
We are planning the construction of
the Stevens County Memorial Armory
whose auditorium facilities should
result in bringing to Morris many
large conventions and meetings and
should make possible the holding Of
a big annual Farm Crops Snow
thereby further insuring our right to
consider this the capital city of West
Central Minnesota. To take advant-
age of the opportunity for Morris to
out-distance neighboring cities, it
would seem that we have only one
additional problem, namely, to get
ready to provide satisfactory homes
for the new residents we hope and
may expect to get.
ga case in point is the present
situation respecting the future plans
of the Benson Produce Company.
This institution, which has grown to
large proportions, finds that it has
outgrown it's present facilities at
Benson, which is it's headquarters.