The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-25
FUTURE OF WASHINGTON
"A Citizen Advocates the Immediate
Establishment of Industries.
a City Must he SeIf-supportinE to
Prosper-The Capital. Like the Ma
ton. should Manufacture and Sell
AbrOad-An Ofice-Hofding Glass.

A prominent business man of the city,
who frequently visits the District Build
ing. was talking a day or so ago, to a
reporter of The Times about the view
expressed by h. II. Warner at the re-
cent meeting of the Business Mems As
| sociation. 1t will be recalled that Mr.
Warner stated on that occasion that
| Washington is sadly in need of manufac-
| turing industries. He spoke of the in
vestment of money in manufactures. as
the next important step to be taken to
give the Capital City a natural and
| healthy growth.
| The business man referred to warmly
seconded Mr. Warmers views. He has
evidently given the subject much thought,
and he believes that a large number of
manufacturing enterprises are needed and
| that they must come. or the city will de-
generate and go backward, instead of for
ward. II do not mean" said he. that
1 these manufacturing plants shall be iron
smelling, or the work that attaches chief
| ly to foundries and machine shops,
! though. doubtless, p moderate number of
these will be required in the industrial
development of the Federal Capital in
years to come. l should think that within
the next twenty-five or thirty years hun
| dreds of small factories would spring up
| in the District, in measure to satisfy
the home demand.
You know it is true of a city, as of a
| nation, of an individual, that 1t can
| not prosper unless it is self-supporting.
| To be self-supporting it must manufac-
| ture a considerable number of the things
that it consumes. The great cities of the
country not only manufacture enough to
measureably meet the home demand, but
1 ale -1,aro tN
pay for what it is necessary 10 buy. At
the present time it is thought to be wise
public policy to sell abroad what is man
ufactured in this country. and in that
way acquire great national wealth. We
! hear much about the expansion of com
\ merce and hear from official quarters
| about the open door in the Orient and
| the efforts made everywhere to secure
| markets for American goods. Did it ever
| strike You that city that makes moth
| ing, and buys everything elsewhere, is a
poor and spendthrift city? That is what
| is the matter with Washington. we are
straining every nerve to make a living off
| the Government and the office-holding
class, instead of getting down to business
| and bringing things to pass, as other
cities do"
The reporter suggested that there is
pretty wcil established tradition that
Washington must not be a manufacturing
city Men say that 1t is the National
Capital, and that it should be reserved
for the wealthy, who may seek residence
here. and for the ofice-holding class.
The man said: That foolish notion. l
hope, expired with the nineteenth CEN
tury. What the twentieth century wants
and will have is the smell of coal smoke.
supplemented, probably, by the use of
power from the Potomac River. How
many rich people are there in Washing
ton? / would like to know. Certainly not
one-third of the population, and here, as
elsewhere, where there are a leisure class,
they are a nuisance, pure and simple.
They add nothing but bad example to
the young. and they aid the city only in
the amount they spend for their living
and their pleasures If they would invest
their money in enterprises and give others
a chance to make an honest living it
would he different.
This thought. was behind what Mr..
warner said about the office-holding class
of the population being against their
wishes drag upon the city. DO you know
sometimes think that the office holders
Of the Capital represent the failures in
business and in the professions in the
States from which they have come At all
events, when they come to Washington
as office holders they have no initiative
of the Government. Their property inter
ests and investments. if they have any
are elsewhere, and the majority Of them
probably go back home as soon as they
are out OF office. They spend a little
money while here and that is all. Ii is
neither the rich nor the office holding
class that Is going to build up the city
and make il what IL deserves to be
1T seems to have escaped the notice
oi some people that Washington with its |
$4,000 population is about as poorly off
oil FaF loco a FIFH-
say. that striking out the transient Office
holding class we have about 100 900 people |
who actually belong here and are Wash |
iiLgtonlans; MT warner was right in say |
ing that this 100000 population are carry |
ing an awful burden. The idea of reserv- |
ing Washington as some sort of a social |
city, where industry shall not come is !
radically wrong. There is rot such n |
capital in the civilized world and there
never ought to be. 1t is contrary TO com |
mon sense. The bona fide population of |
washington is growing. it has longings !
Ior industry, trade, and commerce. and |
grows. '
Such business and manufactures as |
have been established in Washington have /
pfoSpered. We make uokv a good many
ihIhSs at profit for home consumDtion
snd taSl there Is no reason. except one born of a
ialsH notion of what a city ought to be
why our industries should not nuItiulv
ana grow far beyond the limits of bread
making tnlrf DeeF-brewing, and the manufac-
shirts, hats, and clothing? Nobody rails
ed VOID of remonstrance when the
street ear companies began to manufac-
ture the electric current, Establishing
therefor several of the largest plants in
tne District, because IL was evident that /
this manufacture supplied a great pub
lie need. Now is il not as sensible and |
as necessary that Washingtonians should |
manufacture such things as are worn
every day. as to create that current to |
enable rich and poor alike to ride about
the city? ''"t
Washington. with all the cities of the
IoWer latltudes. is q little shy on what |
tne Yankees call gumption, but their
sioWhess Is only a temporary matter
though slow. Baltimore Richmond Al
lanta, and number of others have over
come the hindrances OF climate and tho
iact tildt theN were not Just in the. early |
tracks OF overland traffic and have nadC |
d good showing as Industrial and tr1dinf,
clles Washington must follow in tb /
same pain or cease To he II cannot H. |
tnuch fonSer OFF the departments and ihe
ItW flch people who gravitate here fnr
their winter pleasures The destin,, 20
the city. as does that of every oibay
points 10 self-supporting Industry asidc
from and independent of the EationaI
government. As take it, the WASHINGTON
OF the year 2Vp will he a citv thar c1utd |
iost the Government Offices and the ,,boia
traditions of the Capital and still 90 on
ana anu prosper By its own industry and
nn