A community's prosperity must be measured by
its purchasing power, which in turn depends on the
floating wealth in the community, plus, local pay-rolls,
plus, such wealth as is brought into the community
from outside sources. The greater the distribution of
wealth in a community, the greater the community's
prosperity. Concentration of latent wealth spells stag
nation in business and stagnation in business, spell
hard times and poverty. It is thus plainly to be seen,
that to have real prosperity in a community, it is nec
essary that the community's wealth be kept floating;
that the community be provided with ample pay-rolls
and that more wealth be brought into the community
than is taken out of it.
The control of some factors making for prosperity
in the community is reposed in its municipal govern
ment. To work in the right direction, this control must
be judiciously exercised. Local municipal improvements
if well planned and executed, can build prosperity for
a town, which also applies to the administration of the
municipal finances in accordance with good judgement.
While, carelessness in the handling of municipal
funds may spell ruin and disaster. Again, other factors
making for a town's prosperity, are controlled by the
business and professional men of the community, act
ing thru the Chamber of Commerce, whose duty is to
promote new pay-roll building industries.
The last and final factors in the town's prosperity
are controlled by its individual citizenry, whose duty
is, to aid, to the fullest extent, to keep alive and fur
ther expansion, of already established pay-roll building
industries. Let us bear in mind, that prosperity to one
group of citizens means, prosperity to other groups,
which is well established by the following figures com
piled by our corporation's 1930 cash disbursements in
the town of Seward and other portions of Alaska.
i
Our total business for the year 1930 from sales and
all other revenues amounted to $163,628.16, of which
the sum of $59,967.06 was disbursed in Alaska and
$53,600.08 in the town of Seward proper, as follows:
Salaries and labor ...... $21,894.83
Bldg, repairs and construction . $2,128.53
Renewal, upkeep delivery equipt. .. $1,306.69
Light, power and water . $1,663.83
Drayage . $438.70
Seward dock wharfage and R. R. freight
(not including prepay charges on outgoing
freight) . $4,544.57
Seward taxes and license fees . $1,702.00
Mdse, purchased locally . $14,290.88
Phone, cable and postage . $600.95
Local advertising . $1,434.21
Real estate purchases . $2,500.00
Other local disbursements . $1,094.89
Total local disbursements . $53,600.08
************
Total Seward disbursements . $53,600.08
Products purchased in Alaska outside
the town of Seward .$6,246.98
Territorial taxes . $120.00
Total 1930 Alaska disbursements . $59,967.06
BROWN & HAWKINS CORPORATION
94% ALASKAN OWNED
Seward - Alaska