Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-02
CAPITAL IS GREAT NEED
Washington Lacks Commerce
and Manufactures.
FINE OPPORTUNITIES
THE FOUNDERS PROPOSED A
sELF-sUPPoRTINa CITY.
Factors Which Led to the Neglect Of
Natural Advantages - City
Should Advertise.

Written for The Evening Star
Washington is now being visited and writ
ten about more than ever before. 1t is a
city with great future. Visitors and our
own people now recognize and appreciate
It's coming greatness Its splendid resi-
dences, new hotels. Office buildings and
apartment houses are the marvels of the
day. Each new building for the govern
ment increases its grandeur. The Capitol,
set on a hill, has it's equal nowhere in ar
chitecture. The Library of Congress is
still one of the great wonders of the world.
The new public library, the beautiful,
classic benefaction of Carnegie is the lat
est adornment, the delight of book lovers
The new stores of enormous proportions
excite surprise and show the enterprise and
confidence of our merchants. The new White
House now the home. not the Office of the
President. is a magnificent restoration of
the most historic building. and possibly the
greatest center of attraction to visitors
generally. The new Corcoran Art Gallery
is the delight of every admirer Of art. The
new white marble home of The Star, the
result of the indomitable energy and enter
prise of Its owners. Is worth coming hun
dreds Of miles to see. Produced by faithful
service to all the people of the District of
Columbia, and fearless loyalty to the ma
tionalization of Washington it probably is
the most modern and splendid newspaper
building in the Union.
The continued development of the capital
city on these same broad and magnificent
lines by the great works and plans of the
park commission may now safely be con-
sidered assured. The new union station, to
surpass anything yet seen as a railroad
structure. with the improved facilities to
connect the capital with the metropolis of
the nation in four hours. will bring steady
Increase of visitors, and add largely to the
hotel. street car and railroad revenues. The
immense university of the great benefactor
Carnegie. in fulfllment of Washingtons
great wish. has already been Incorporated
and must bring to Washington in this work
many of the great educational men of the
country and give to such students as may
find Washington the best point for their
special studies the advantages of the mu-
seums. laboratories. observatory and mete-
geological schools and kindred institutions
of the several departments of the govern
ment. The filtration plant to be completed
next year will guarantee the health of the
city at all seasons. The War College now
under way, the new buildings for the Agri-
cultural Department, the new bridges, the
new parks, the new municipal building, the
new building Of great architectural beauty
for members of the House of Representa-
tives, are among the pressing needs for the
government of a rapidly growing nation,
and will add much to the attractiveness of
the capital city.
The continental hall for the Daughters Of
the American Revolution on the site select
ed near the Corcoran Gallery will embellish
and enrich the capital
A Serious Economic Question.
And yet there is another view of the
situation that is engaging the attention of
the people of Washington more now than
at any previous time In its history. 1t Is
the question of support and occupation for
a very considerable number of unemployed
people of both sexes, those unable to find
employment in the various departmental
work of the government and In stores,
banks, real estate and other offices. The
Star and the influential business organiZa-
ton of the Washington Board of Trade,
with other local bodies, are giving much
thought to what else is needed to make this
a well-balanced city, with ways and means
to practically give employment to all
classes Washington was established for
the seat of government when the popula-
ton of the whole country was only little
over 100000 people. George Washington,
with his thorough knowledge of all the
country and routes north of the Potomac
from his personal travels as surveyor and
later as commander of the American army,
located the city not only on account of its
admirable position for the capital of the
nation but also for its great natural ad-
vantages for business and commerce. ex-
pecting it to compete with the four already
great cities of the Atlantic states, on Massa-
chusetts bay, on the Hudson, on the Della
ware and on the Patapsco, the largest OF
which at the census Of 1880 had 30, 131 in
habftants, and now consolidated has
hundred times that number. He believed
that the federal city, as the capital of the
country, was destined to be pre-eminent in
all that goes to make up great metropolis.
With no railroads, the reliance then was
chiefly on the rivers, bays and ocean. The
Hudson, Delaware and Potomac rivers
were the great waterways to the Atlantic.
Washington was busy with great plans
for the Improvement and extension of in
land navigation especially of the Potomac.
He explored in person and was the first to
map that route through the Mohawk val
ley where now are the Erie canal and the
New York Central railroad He was the
first to predict its commercial success. say
ing, mo person who knows the temper,
genius and policy of those people as well
as l do can harbor the smallest doubt of
It," In 1884 he travelled nearly 100 miles
on horseback exploring two practicable
routes one over the mountains from Cum
berland, now the Connellsville route of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the other
through the mountains from Cumberland
along the upper Potomac, now the Balti-
more and Ohio route to Wheeling and Par
kerSburg.
Washington's Natural Advantages IN
utilized.
The capital of the greatest republic thus
located on the broadcast and one of the most
beautiful rivers-seven and half miles
wide at its mouth and one and three-quar-
tiers of mile wide at the confluence of the
Anacostia-invites investigation as to it's
great advantages commercial and
manufa curing seaport. The harbor is open
all fhe year and has a water front Of almost
u.--haited extent on the Potomac and Ana
costa rivers. During the first century of
it's history Washington did not do much to
furnish the material needed to build the
city, and to clothe and feed it's citizens.
Most everything was brought here, thus in
creasing cost by freight and handling. This
Is also true of today. While other cities
generally begin at an early date to turn
away many of these necessary commodi-
ties, by reason of their own manufactur-
ing Washington still continues buyer.
This lack of local industries results in a
large degree in an exodus of the young men,
who are forced to seek satisfactory and
profitable occupation in other cities. 1t
proves that a city cannot grow and prosper
as it should, and compete with other cities,
while trying to live government work
alone. The loss of the very men who would
contribute so greatly toward the building of
a great city as other great cities built is
incalculable. Heretofore the question of
the creation of varied industries by COM
merce and manufactures has met at least
partial defeat by the conservatism that
hens in advancement except in government