The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-28

A Washington business man recently
advocated the idea that factories should
be established in this city. lie said it
was all nonsense to think of making it a
city OF leisure. He expressed his views in
this way:
''Wbat the twentieth century wants and will
have is the smell Of coal smoke supplemented
probably. by the use Of power from the Po-
tomac River. How NAM rich people are there
in Washington ! would like to know. Certainly
not one-tlirt Of the population and here as
elsewhere, where there are leisure class they
are nuisance, pure and simple. They add Moth
ing but bad example 10 the young, and they aid
the city only in the amount they spend for their
living and their pleasures
'The idea Of reserying Washington as some
sort Of social city. where industry shah not
come. j. radically wrong. There Is not such a
capital in the civilized world, and there never
ought to be. II is contrary 20 common sense.
The bona hde population OF Washington is grow
ing; il has l0ngings for industry, trade and
c5.-sDrce, and these in time il VIII have as the
city grows
established in Washington prOspered. We
make now a good nany things at a profit for
home consumption. and there is no reason except
one born Of a false notion 81 what a city ought
to be- why industriesb should Nc multiply
and grow far beyond the limits Of Dre.d-inaking,
beer-bTeWing and the manufacture Of Coufet-
tiJnery. Why not shoes shirts. hats and cloth
ing? Nobody raised word of remonstrance
when the street car companies began to manu-
facture the electric current. establishing there
for several Of the largest plants in the District
because il evident that this manufacture
supplied a great public need Now Is il not a.
sensible and as Necessary that Washing tonisls
should manufacture such things w0ru every
day. as 10 create that current 20 enable rich
and poor alike 10 ride about the citvY
Washington with all the cities Of the lower
iatitudps IS a little Sly on what the Yankees
hut Fl.Tr 81 lie.
porary matter. Though slow, Baltimore Rich
Inond Atlanta. and a number OF others have
overcome the hindrances u climate and the fact
that they WIRE not just in the early tracks of
overland traffic and have made a good showing
industrial and trading cities Washington
must follow in the same path cease TO be.
Il cannot live much longer of the departments
and the few rich people who grayitdte here for
their winter pleasures. The destiny Of the city.
does that Of every other. points TO self-sup-
porting industry aside from and independent
Of The National Government. As | take IT, the
Washington Of the year 200 viii be a city
that could lose the Government Offices and the
whole traditions Of the Capital and still 90 on
and prosper by its own industry and trade
The original idea Of excluding Industrial
enterprises from Washington, tacitly or
explicitly. was that their establishment
might result in undue influence being
used on Congress and It must be admitted
that this reasoning has some sense in #.
But aside from that, there is a strong ar
gument against making this In any sense
a manufacturing city. We want one place
In the country where the smell Of coal
smoke does not penetrate whether the
twentieth century demands Il or not
There are plenty of other cities In the
land. suitably situated for manufactur-
irg. where such business can be carried