A 1925 Call to Save Our Industries — (PIP #60)

By Louise Peloquin

     Lowell’s quest to preserve local business and industry has always made the news.

The following story and supporting editorial are century-old examples.

L’Etoile – February 21, 1925

Lowell must keep its industries

     Our large local industries tend to emigrate – The Chamber of Commerce and public bodies are coming together to oppose an obstruction – General Committee to look after the interests of the city and its population.

     LOWELL will fight to keep its industries intact. Last night, eight City Council members, the district attorney representing the mayor and the Chamber of Commerce City Affairs Committee met in the Chamber of Commerce hall. After a lengthy discussion, they unanimously adopted a policy, unprecedented in the annals of the city.

     A general committee, in itself non-official and without power, will be introduced during the next City Council meeting. This committee, composed of counsellors, the finance committee, several citizen representatives chosen by the mayor and Chamber of Commerce members, will represent business and industry. It will provide the City government with findings and opinions on recommended special city expenses which will definitely affect tax rates and property assessments. It will offer all of the local expert resources to assist the Council and the Mayor in city administration. We hope the result will maintain and boost the public’s keen interest in city affairs.

     This movement began as a response to industrial relocation, a trend which is endangering our city’s development and prosperity.

     President Elmore I. McPhie of the Chamber of Commerce chaired last night’s meeting. Were present City Council members Gallagher, Preston, Chrétien, Dickson, Chadwick, Thomas, McFadden, and Cosgove and district attorney Reynolds. After dinner, president McPhie outlined the situation the Chamber of Commerce is facing concerning well-established local industries as well as future ones. He declared that it was high time to combat the relocation of long-established local industries and mentioned the departure of Bigelow-Hartford, Larson Co. and, probably next, Appleton.

     He said that panicking was not in order. However, the situation must be taken seriously and a means must be found to encourage our industries. The local mills pay one fifth of the city’s taxes and employ 20,000 people. This should encourage the public to make a real effort to keep them.

     People generally agree that measures of savings in city administration would be a good means to improve the situation. We want to guarantee the future of our industries and offer attractive incentives to new industries thinking of establishing here.

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L’Etoile – March 12, 1925

OUR INDUSTRIES

     Those who have seen the local cotton industries arrive and prosper here in Lowell believe that city taxes are really too high. Not for all the gold in the world would they like some manufacturers’ threat to relocate to the United States South, particularly to the State of Alabama, to come true. They have wanted the special committee to carry out an investigation on the present tax system. All those who are interested, in one way or another, in the industrial problem, will have to trust this new committee composed of true representatives of all cotton mill players: manufacturers, professionals, merchants and workers. City council members and the Chamber of Commerce will assist them and, before prematurely coming to a conclusion, it will be necessary to wait for the report of an investigation conducted as minutely and as scrupulously as possible.

     However, a great many citizens do not believe the cotton mills will move to cities in the South. They believe that this is a movement launched by manufacturers interested in taking advantage of the present industrial and financial crisis and a persistent exportation slump due to low European currency values.

     In any case, let us wait for the results of the investigation which, we repeat, should be conclusive and based on concrete data, not on approximation and vagueness.

     We believe that no one will obstruct the investigators. Nonetheless, they will have to remain far from all unreasonable or overly-interested influence. (1)

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1) Translations by Louise Peloquin.