New-York tribune., 1908-11-08
MODEL, FACTORY ZONES NEEDED
COST OF OCCUPYING MIDTOWN SITES FOR WHOLE
SIZE BUSINESS USE RAPIDLY INCREASING.
Np Districts Expected Improve Conditions affecting Workers
Places Suitable for Building Large Plants,

retail shopping district where property is held
firmly at $4,000 and more front foot
BROWNSVILLE IS THICKLY POPULATED
When the Williamsburg Bridge opened there
was a wild scramble Of real estate spectators to
create manufacturing and tenement d1s-
trict in the eastern part of the Borough OF
Brooklyn and the effort OF those Spectators most
of whom made vast fortunes result or their
shrewdness and concerted efforts. is Brownsville.
II ought have been model manufacturing anu
tenement house district because there was no vast
territory of land dotted with new structures to be
torn down 10 make way for the projected ouho-
inys Instead of being an ideal manufacturing ana
tenement house district it ranks third TO the great
East Side, where thousands of persons are crown
ed in one block in order that real estate ValueS
NAV be obtained and where sweat shops IN sPlle
of all the laws which have been passed 10 aoate ~
this nuisance abound in many streets, ana "heie
the living conditions are wholly unsaus1acto'S u
those persons who have the interests OF the aSSeo
At heart II would not take the great realty leau-
ers very long to transform the great East oloe
.,+o -,odern and attractive business zone or
manufacturing centre entirely dotted with up-to-
date loft and store buildings, II theV 'ooh - -
certed action OF course, many persons ioen'
with the real estate market Will holo nrfh4y u '
opinion that it would take years 10 chalAse t
80 s;5a from thicklv populated tenement house
area in which sweat shops and i'll ventilated iac-
tory plants are to be found in large nunlUets' ~
= modern manufacturing centre Whlch WoUo i ~
tn
,rho would hold such opinion do not kho" 'iio
,,ox,a- of the real estate leaders When they @io
all united to attain given object
The money channels of this great city are prac-
ticaIv controlled by the realty leaders, anu
eoI+1, leaders is meant not only those 1aFseelis
- +,-,ees workers in the upbuildng Of the Varl-
ous 5ie+-ic+s of the city whose names hgure Iio
ouently each year the fornlulatolS Vi 80!
projects or of many movements but also S H,e
o-e1 lending and financial concerns identified win
a-erc cit
ers should say that more loans "oolo DC &, e G
~ ;n7nroying tenement houses on the East oloe ou
liberal loans would be placed in the nahoS VI e''
nerson who would become active as a pulueI VI "
loft or manufacturing plant on ule H1as1 oio' 49,
owners of property there would soon discover uaI
tbay 1rere not strong enough 10 prevent the carry
ing out of such a scheme. 1t is the realty leao7
who pIar every great purchasing OF pullulie i'''e
r,ent and in their footsteps the smaller realty i
follow In the last year the market has had many
;,1 o,,,de-ces of the power of these realty lead
are There were also many signs Of what such men
could do visible in the days following the opening
the subway and in the work OF the upoulldIis u
tt 5o1zn+ov-7 business sections which marked the
wears 1905 and 1907. Without the leaders holullS
the rens 10 various operations and ever oeilis
e7iding force in the market there would IN various
r,eriods be a great danger OF oVerspeculauoh' anu
in such times the unguided speculator WORKING Only
for large profits from his operations "oulo seil-
o,,sIv check realty progress. Large areas OF the
e-ea4er city might be overbuilt with tenement
houses or apartment houses, the demand TOT loIt
structures might become largely less than the sup
rJv and the confidence of investors in the stablty
nf values would then be shaken, and the Vesey
street saesroom would witness the spectacle OF IN
nrecedented numbers of realty sacrihces
SITUATION IN MIDTOWN ZONES.
The manufacturing houses which are demanding
larger and more coninodious quarters ought not
to be placed in the midtown zone Tor each ne"
loft or factory established there means nothing
more OF less than a continuation Of the abomln-
ableconditions existing the great East Side
Values are rising rapidly in the midtown zone and
each higher value adds to the cost OF manufactur-
ing and therefore lessons the chances OF lncreas-
ing the pay OF employees SO as TO permit them 10
get away from the East Side and TO live in the
attractive residential districts of the greater city
or in rural places, where life is worth the living
Those who have studied this important problem
saw that the majority Of workers who live the
| East Side do 6 because the item OF carfare eX-
pense is one which they cannot meet. Their week
| IL earnings are barely enough TO clothe them
scantily and provide them with food and lodging
Most the realty leaders know this to be fact.
! and do the majority of manufacturers. It is
always the chief aim Of the realty leader main