OCR Text |
Show Prosperity Smiles On Utah Coiuraty The economic condition of Utah county has never before shown such healthy life and vigor as at present. In every avenue of endeavor, optimism is the keynote. Agriculture and manufacturing industries of the county have reached a higher plane than at any time since the advent of the pioneers and the prospects are most promising, both for the present and the immediate future. With all possible damaging frosts beyond concern, the largest and fullest friut crop in the history of Utah valley is now assured. Indications are that fruit prices will be the most satisfactory in ten years. Organized effort and scientific scien-tific research during the last three years have brought to the fruit growing of this locality the best situation as regards re-gards marketing and the proper safeguarding of crops as well as the promotion of preserving and canning perishable products. Utah county now throbs with industrial plants, many of which are closely allied to her farming and fruit growing interests. A look on the industrial map of the county will disclose the establishment throughout the county not only of the staple industries such as sugar factories, candy factories, fact-ories, flour mills, the steel plant and the creosote plant, but also several new canning factories, the reorganized and rebuilt re-built Knight Woolen Mills, the reduction mill of the Tintic Standard Mining company at Harold, and several other minor industrial plants. The first unit of a large cold storage plant is now being erected in Provo. The preliminary work for the construction of the first unit of the new cast iron pipe foundry to be built by the Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe corporation is also under way. The new cold storage industry is the logical result of the survey both of our production resources and the market demands for the extraordinary quality of strawberries which are produced in this area. Strawberry growing will now be stimulated to much greater production by reason of the provision' of cold storage. Through this new industry the itrawberries, raspberries and other perishable fruits may be held against spoilage and in condition for the consumer as the market demands. In the last three years the acreage planted to strawberries on Provo Bench and the Pleasant Grove district has increased 300 per cent. One of the prime movers in this new development, James H. Clark of Timpan-ogos Timpan-ogos ward, who shared in the surveys and market studies during the past two years, reports that some of the members mem-bers of his association last year realized as much as $700 per acre from the strawberry crop. This single item of cold storage is proving to be one of the biggest developments in local fruit growing and we shall reap the benefits from it in large measure this year and increasingly larger in the years to come. Our live stock . industry has been mixed with prosperity pros-perity for the sheep men and hardship for the cattle men during the last three years.- This year, however, the con- dition is favorable to both. The cattle and sheep have come out of winter in the very best condition possible and the cattle industry has increased 30 per cent with the improvement im-provement last year and this year in local conditions. Mining is holding at normal. This means a very favorable favor-able condition for Utah county in as much as the largest producers in the East Tintic district are within the boundaries bound-aries of this county. In addition to this factor we are being greatly benefited by the entire favorable condition of mining min-ing in the Tintic district. An exhaustive soil survey of this area has been inaugurated in-augurated under the expert direction of the U. S. reclamation recla-mation service. This will be completed during the current year and will give to the agriculturist of the entire Utah valley scientific data for the determination of the best crops for given soil conditions and will add to the improvement of our agricultural industries as already outlined. The joint city and county building in Provo will be completed during the summer. This contributes to the favorable employment situation and means the distribution of considerable public money for local labor. The city, county, state and federal road agencies are also pushing a very helpful roads improvement program which is distributing distribu-ting additional funds for both material and labor in this locality, as well as adding further to the concentration of traffic benefits here. In addition to this the U. S. forest service is completing an improved highway around Mt. Timpanogos which in the last three years has become a great factor of resource from tourist travel. The same service is also completing this year a tourist highway into the Grandaddy lake country of the Uinta mountains. Next fall will see the completion of the first unit of the Pacific States Cast Iron corporation foundry adjacent to the Ironton plant of the Columbia Steel corporation. This unit will begin with a daily output of 50 tons of cast iron and will employ 150 men. A careful survey made by the movers in this project discloses the fact that the present market demands cast iron pipe in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast states area is 500 tons daily. The intention of the new corporation is to double its initial capacity within with-in two years. If present plans mature, and indications are they will, the maximum capacity will be reached within five years. The immediate effect of the establishment of this new-industry new-industry is the hastening of the time when the Columbia Steel corporation will need to add another unit of its coke oven plant. The erection of another blast ifurnace will eventually follow. This in turn will call for increased activities ac-tivities at and necessary enlargement of the plant of the Republic Creosoting company. All in all, the foregoing,' which is set down without undue exaggeration or optimism, discloses not only a very wholesome present economic condition but a very reassuring reassur-ing and continuous future growth for Utah county. |