The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-20
now or FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.

NOW OR FIVE YEARS FROM NOW:
If consolidation between Richmond
and Manchester falls through this
time, the issue will come up again two
years or four years or six years from
now. If 1t should then fall through
again, 1t would bob up once more in
another two or four or six years. The
issue IS of tho Banquo's ghost kind. 1t
will not down. 1t Will keep on coming
UP, regularly. time after time, until 1t
is acted on favorably and union is eff
fective. This is because the movement
for consolidation Is founded on some
thing like an Irresistible law. Sooner
or later, 1t must take place, because
there Will be nothing else to do. Con-
solldation now can be effected more
cheaply than next year or i've years
from now; 1t viii give us the mutual
benefits now instead of at some indefin-
lite future time; and it will save the
wear and tear and trouble and waste
energy of later struggles over this
same ground.
We should say that Greater Rich
and that the one question was whether
1t should be allowed to come to pass
this year or forced off until some later
date. How can there be two. minds ON
;,,t o u
the critical 100000 mark, and every adj
ditional thousand of population. set
down in the census for the next ten
gears, will make her that much moro at
tractiye to investors. At present this city
is one of the most congested in North
America, supporting hardly less than
10000 population. on an area of nine
square miles. Extension is needed now
and every business man understands
that II pays 10 extend In such a case
little beyond Immediate needs. Develop
ment too long delayed costs money,
The city of Chicago, whose growth in
population proceeded too fast for order
ly development, has had to spend $780,.
600 on plans for rearrangcments ant
internal improvements, the executio,
of which will run into millions of dol
lars Richmond is growing fast an
Will continue to grow, and she will fin
it most profitable to provide liberia
extension in advance of present re
quirements.
At present she is far behind her re
quirements. Manufacturing Is tn
principal industry upon which she /
building for the future, and opportun
ity beckons largely. AS Business Man.
ager Dabney, of tho Chamber of Com.
merce, points out. the magazines and
even the daily papers Of tho country
are finding more and more 10 say about
the industrial advantages of the South.
They are giving us free advertising of
the most invala1ble sart, and it is of
the utmost i!Hpoftance that we should
be ready TO meet the demands thus
created. But Richmond, an aspiring
manufacturing centre and standing at
the gateway between the money CEN
tres of the country and the expanding
South, is not prepared TO meet these
demands. She lacks satisfactory sites
and territory for wogkngmen's homes
Manchester. as it happens. has
both in abundance. If the two
join, the resulting city will be in
position to forge ahead In fine style.
il the movement 10 join them falls
through. the Chamber of Commerce
might as we'll give up trying to at
tract manufacturers. and all of us
abandon our hope OF pushing the cit3's
Industrial development rapidly for
ward. There is no use coaxing factories
where there is no place to put them,
pnd even less room for their operatives.
Manchester's need OF Richmond IS
greater than Riehmond's need of Man
chester, since 1t seems to be question
not merely Of advantage, but of neces.
sity. Manchester's life Is dependent
lpon bridge facilities between that cit,
and Richmond: the present facllitle!
are nearly gone, and, as we understand
lhe lacks the means 10 replace them
With the other practical inducement
hat Richmond offers, and release from
he superfluous burden Of her own cit.
government, we should say that tn
argain was most excellent one 70
Ter, whether the revenue allowance i
put to 20 per cent or not, and We be
ieve that the Overwhelming matorit,
II her citizens so feel. For Richmon,
ne desire to see the best terms possible
made. hut the question Of the percent
ge is certainly not important enougl
jeopardize the whole plan. I'll
erms originally agreed upon, includ
he the i6T per cent. allowance, cali 70
My an expenditure of $4,000 yen
IN Manchester for the next FIVE gear
shile the present wards of this cit
eceived $4,000 each last year.
Manchester had always been ono {
he wards of Richmond in alh prof
ell. \ nm