The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1931-05-28

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1881
Water Works Bond Issue
~ Tuesday, June 9, the people of Redwood Falls
I J will vote the issuance of bonds for the i'm
provements of the waterworks system The
special election at time when those who
pessimsticaly inclined may be inclined to oppose the
construction program Actually the building program
comes at the most opportune time.
If the waterworks system must be improved, and
present conditions point to its nadequacies, then
tracts be let more cheaply, and bonds sold at
lower rate of interest than possible for the past
Eventually why not now? AS business picks up
labor will want higher wages, construction prices will
go up, and bond interest rates will increase By what
strange process of reasoning then is that the public
is so reluctant to take advantage of such times
these, decidedly favorable for construction.
The people of Redwood Falls know the members
of the city council and its mayor They not radical
but rather conservative yet progressive minded They
have studied this situation 1t is imperative that it
must be done time, and to them the present time
seems most opportune
1t is argued that the program would increase
taxes But there will be increase. No public i'm
provement be made without the public paying for
it the water rates will be increased sufficiently to
make the system self-supporting
The proposed improvements will be submitted to
the voters in two resolutions follows:
l. A $4,000 bond issue to defray the cost of
reservoir and larger and more efficient pump
ing equipment.
2. An $4,000 bond issue to defray the cost of a
water softening plant and buildings.
This is approximately $4,000 below the estimate
of the consulting engineer. The voters will have OPP
portunty to pass of the two, both. majority
vote is required in either case.
Citizens, do your duty, vote Tuesday, June g..
%
Our Changing Status
~ ECONOMISTS like Glenn Frank and Roger Babson
II say United States has turned into creditor
- tion from debtor nation as prior to the war;
To the average man such terms bring little enighten-
ment what relationship that has to do with economic
ills.
AS Chester H. Gray explained to conference of
Farm Bureau officials, United States has come to be
nation loanng money to finance enterprises abroad,
in contrast to the pioneering type of nation before the
war which borrowed money from foreign countries to
finance it's enterprises. Significance of this trend
is that everything points to the decadence of agrcu
ture and ascendancy of industrial supremacy
History tells us that borrowing nation sells it's
products abroad to pay its debts which results in
petition with producers of the creditor nation AS a
result, agriculture decays and industry fourishes.
England out of the Revolutionary a creditor
nation but emerged from the last debtor nation
After 1776 agriculture went tobaggan and with
ing products, industry did remarkably well.
To all indications United States has now become
the erich" country financing enterprises abroad and in
most in competition with producers. While
history tells that agriculture decayed cannot
rebuild again, there is need for encouragement
downright pessimsm. We live in democratic repre-
sentative form of and should exercise
voice in government and legislation AS long as agr-
culture is organized and the various sections Of the
United States cooperate and coordinate its forces
attain beneficial legislation, then there is hope that
agriculture can hold its in industrial environ
ment.
The farmer rule has capitalistic tendencies,
but to maintain the present standard of living he would
like modest profit. For the large amount of capital
invested, economic basis farming has the least
return of all businesses. is increasingly difficult to
lay aside competence for old age 1t is only fair to
able profit uphold his high standard of living, since
the welfare of agriculture affects the welfare Of the
nation accordingly.
Ever since the Pilgrims landed in New England
and begun eek living from the rocky SOIL agricul-
ture has been the backbone of the nation When in
dustry started importing from colonies and foreign
countries where products could be had much cheap
er due to the low standard of living they destroyed
the market of the home producer, and subsequently
decreased his buying power. Resultantly, industry
could not sell its commodities This of undercon-
sumption is now known as depression"
Industrial selfshness and capitalistic greed will
lead but to one courses Colonization, war revolutions.
and radical uprisings. Consider Germany recent
example, England is on too firm basis. History
affords plenty examples Because the welfare OF agri
culture bears relationship to the welfare of the
tion let industry support its producers within these