Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15
AcHANcEFn For ORATORS

CHANCE FOR ORATORS.
The boom-banquet idea of the Pittsburg
Chamber of Commerce which is to ms
terialize this month promises to prove of
rare interest 1t will mark the awaken
ing of the city to the eompulsion which is
upon it to improve by cooperative effort
its great natural advantages if we are to
see Pittsburg take the place it easily could
have in the list of American cities Need
less to say that both as to retrospect and
prospect the orators will find abundant
inspiration. The commonest perception
will discover the enormous natural ad-
yantages which have made this place the
great industrial center it is. At the same
| time, anyone can discern that the juncture
is here when, to give play to these adyant-
ages on their just scale, the combined
efforts of many are required in place OF
depending solely, as heretofore, upon the
isolated enterprises of individuals
One of the leading matters to suggest
themselves on the banquet occasion must
| be the securing of adequate and cheap
transportation between Pittsburg and
other points. 1t is not only that raw ma
terial should be carried into our mills and
| workshops and the finished product
carried out as cheaply as possible, but the
great mercantile interests which have
grown up here are entitled to claim those
facilities and those rates, which will enable
them to surely command the wide, popu-
lous and prosperous territory which Is
geographically, and should be commercial
ly, tributary to this center. That both
manufacturing and mercantile interests are
now handicapped by inadequate facilities
and by discriminating rates is of common
notoriety. That remedies will not come
until those who would benefit by it stand
up shoulder to shoulder in their demands
is also evident
If there had been an active, earnest
Chamber of Commerce q few years ago
it would have required but few BOOM
banquets and brief season OF reasoning
together to have secured the completion
of the South Penn Railroad. So far from
being now too late to undertake such pro-
jects the occasion is but ripper for action.
The Lake Erie ship canal, for instance,
whose benefits would be incalculable, has
got to the point where public support de-
terminedly and intelligently aroused can
make it an assured fact Congress has
appropriated for its survey; and if the
business and real estate interests of West
ern Pennsylvania are in earnest they can
secure it If they were to go to Congress
with guarantee for their own part of in
terest upon half OF even one-q quarter of the
bonds to be issued for the building of
ship-canal, who doubts that Congress
would, considering the national character
of the work and the importance of Gov
ernment access to the lakes in time of war,
guarantee the rest? By the engineers
estimate of total cost of SIS ZOO, 900 for
the canal, it appears that less than two
mills annually upon the $500, ,000, 900 real
estate of Allegheny county alone would
pay the annual interest even upon the
total cost of construction, and leave it
free of tolls forever except the slight
charge required for maintenance. This
fact is simply cited to show the ability of
the community to meet large undertakings
of assured benefit, if it feel so disposed.
Another way of putting the case is to say
that one-ffth of the annual expenses of
Pittsburg's government would likewise, If
so devoted, cover the total interest upon
the cost of the construction of the canal
So much to illustrate the fact that Pitts
burg can get what it needs whenever the
need is felt by our people as urgent
Another topic which the boom-banquet
constructors will find inviting is the desir-
ability of having such a consolidation of |
local municipalities as will give the city
the prestige of the population and re-
sources which it ought to have IN name as
it virtually has in fact Any plan Of
reaching this desirable result which would
not consult the sensibilities and the inter-
ests of the politicians would doubtless fail |
of legislative sanction; but, as THE DIS
PATCH has often shown, it would be quite |
possible to permit to each of the cities
and boroughs its present separate govern
ment for local purposes as is done in the |
city of London, and still to secure for |
Pittsburg the name and prestige of popu- |
lation, extent and resources now covered |
by the county.
These are but couple of the leading |
ideas suitable for discussion at the BAN |
quet board. We mention them here not |
only because of their intrinsic import |
ance, but because of their long standing. |
But the occasion should develop many |
new and valuable ideas 1t is in this |
sense that it promises to prove important |
THE DISPATCH will welcome heartily |
every idea that is new and valuable The
spirit of the times calls for men who are
constructive. Mere croakers and obstruc-
tive critics we have always with us, but
the march of great communities is so
rapid that they are soon left to oblivion.
We trust therefore the Chamber of Com
merce banquet may prove an active sue
cess in the spirit in which it is projected. |