The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-20
[Commu nieAtsd.l
Manufacturing Interests OF wash
ingtOn.

fnGton.
T, IL. k Eas1 y K. R p 81 September ID Ism
Sir: Many articles have been published Of
late on the subject Of manufactures as es-
sential to the growth OF the city Of Wash
ington. Some OF them would seem TO Il
practical man to be very reasonable, and
others moro theoretical than practical. !
ask the privilege of adding my testimony In
regard to the matter In question. am one
Of those who believe that the best method to
be pursued for the encouragement Of manu-
factories In this city or any other, Is to erect
suitable buildings for renting purposes, with
manufacturing power attached. To sub
stantiato this as the true plan, ] refer to the
city Of Worcester, Massachusetts,.
few years before the commencement Of
our late war, WIN. T. Merrifeld erected the
first building for that purpose In that city.
II was rented as soon as finished for small
manufactures, and more room was desired.
He increased his building to about 900 lineal
feet. About this time another building 300
or 400 feet In length WINS erected In another
part OF the city, and rented out In tho same
manner. At that time Worcester numbered
about $4,000 Inhabitants, and the two manu-
featuring establishments were located in the
suburbs OF the city.
To-day Worcester numbers 1900 inhab-
ltants, and the two original manufacturing
establishments referred to are surrounded
with the busy hum Of city life, and from the
original occupants of those buildings can be
numbered many proprlctors Of large estab-
lishments, owning their own homes and
places Of business; and ! believe that no
city In these United States can boast of
so great u variety Of manufactures as the
| city referred TO. Worcester Is emphatically
city of homes, owned by the occupants,
and mostly mechanics, either proprictors or
employees.
II matters little whether the power be
water or steam for renting purposes. 1t Ia
the power and space we want In tho city OF
Washington.
The Patent Office stands ready to con.
tribute lts share towards the building up OF
the city. Thousands Of visitors who como
| to this city to transact business with the
Patent Office might easily be persuaded to
| remain permanently here and manufacture
| their patent articles II we could supply them
| with the facilities for so doing. But they
must 20 where room and power can be had,
and so they go to New York, Worcester,
Mass, or some such place. In the inventive
genius of the land Is the germ of its wealth
and power. Labor must be honorcd and tho
intelligent mechanic respected. llc Ia the
producer, and capital must aid him In his
arduous work to give him chance to man
ufacture tho articles which ho would pro-
ducc by his genius.
| Cotton factories arc well in their place.
Large corporations serve the country If kept
| In their Legitimate sphere; but no cotton fac
| tory ever IL Il nucleus around which q city Is
built. These factories add Just so much to
the taxable property of the statei but aside
| from that they are Of no benefit TO place.
! They are wrapped up within themselves;
own all the houses Of their employees; pro-
vide them with oil the sustenance OF life
from the factory store, and in fact one mind
acts for the mass In all matters Of interest
relating to the whole establishment. Ten
small manufactures with $780, 900 capital in
the aggregate would do vast deal more
towards the growth and prosperity Of q
place than one mauufactory Of that amount
Of capital. In the one case ten men are In.
tcTcsted In the schools, the laws or tho i'm
provements of the place. In tho other only
one.
Build the buildings and furnish the power,
and tho mechanics OF the land will build the
city. Give honest industry aud inyentiy,
genius the cooperation Of capital, and won
dcrful results will follow. But capital, aus
te-e, arrogant capital alone, can accomplish
nothing for the benefit Of the human family
b. G. j.