The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-27
Washington Men Alive to
the City's Possibilities
SOME THINK FACTORY IS DUE
Plan Worked Out for Creation of
Committee I'm Chamber of Com
merce to Promote Industry-Facts
Cited Which Favor Industrial Ae-
tivitiy In the National Capital.
By j. CLINTON RANSOM.

A movement has been started IN the
Chamber of Commerce to create a COM
mittee that shall be charged directly
with the promotion OF manufacture in
the District. By this is meant a COM
mittee that shall give assistance TO con-
Germs which may be interested in Iocat-
ing their plants in Washington.
This plan has been worked out by the
committee on manufacture OF the Cham
Der and 1t is understood that 1t Will soon
be submitted TO that body for It's approx
al. Among the details Of the plan Is the
amendment of the smoke law so as 10
repeal its provisions for the territory
south of the Anacostla River and be-
tween n street and the Potomac River
IN Georgetown. Other details of the plan
contemplate assistance and advice with
reference 20 the installation OF maehin-
cry and the construction of plants In
accordance with the current regulations
OF District law
Opens an Interesting Subject.
The subject of introducing manufactur-
ing in Washington is one that arouses
a good deal Of discussion when It is pro-
posed in any meeting. even Of business
men. The idea is prevalent that Wash
ngtOn is not a manufacturing city,
never can be made such. and never ought
20 be. This notion Is grounded in the
minds Of Washingtonians as securely as
that Of superior intellectual culture in
the brain Of the average Boston man.
Washington has one Of the largest and
most efficient factories for the manufae-
ture of guns and gun equipment in the
United States. 1t has one of the largest
printing plants in the world, while the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing is
probably the premier mandatory OF its
kind in North America Il addition to
these plants maintained by the govern
ment, manufacture has made steady and
noteworthy progress ever since the Cap
ital was established. Our bread-making,
beer-brewing. electrical plants. and a
hundred other establishments compare
quite favorably with those in other
cities. In a very important sense the
Capital is already a manufacturing city
In recent years a big steel plant has
been established here. and manufacture
of the kinds specially adapted to Wash
ington is surely on the increase.
Not Like Other Cities.
1t is true that the Capital is not a
manufacturing city in the same sense
that Pittsburg. Philadelphia. Baltimore.
and st. Louis are. and at least for many
years will not be so. If the manufac-
ture of iron and steel. leather, wood
work. machinery. and textiles ever come
20 Washington they will probably be es-
tablished along the Potomac. either
above or below the city or on the VIr-
GINA side. Under existing conditions
they would hardly locate within the
boundaries OF the District
But in the nature of things It does not
seem possible that Washington, If IL
sometimes arrives to the point OF court
ing a million population, can escape the
smoke OF the factory and the sordidness
Of large and profitable commerce.
whatever may be the views entertained
about divorcing the Capital from the
conditions prevailing in other cities,
where a million people are gathered to-
getheT there must be industry and its at
tendant production and trade 1t is fair
70 assume that Washington in future
years will be a manufacturing city OF
some pretensions.
Factory Follows transportation.
1t is an economic truism that manufac-
ture follows established lines of transpor-
tation. In the early day this fact be-
came the controlling factor in the loca-
ton OF cities at the mouths OF navigable
rivers. where inland and ocean traffic
could be most easily handled. It happens
that Washington now is most advan-
tageOusly situated with reference to the
established lines of transportation.
Through the Potomac River It has ready
access TO the Atlantic Ocean, and for
years harbor improvements have been
going on which will soon give the Capital
q navigable channel for deep-water YES |
sells to the navy yard. This is the accom- |
plishment to which the War Department |
is pledged.
Furthermore, the navigation Of the Po- |
tomac by merchant vessels has Dome to |
be factor in the progress Of the city |