University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-03-27

When its dreams Of electric rail.
roads and well equipped water and
light plants become realities, Colum-
Ibia will become an irresistible attrac.
ton to Eastern manufacturers who
want to come west and grow up with
the country.
Strategic locations for factories are
few and far between: A foreign fac
tory owner who studies the map will
notice at once that Missouri stands at
the gateway to the best market in the
world-the great Northwest and the
greater Southwest.
Next he will mark the Missouri
4 towns on the trunk lines between
Chicago or St. Louis and Kansas City.
For direct rail to Kansas City, the
distributing point of the entire west.
is a prime necessity. A factory on
one of these trunk lines has route
almost as straight as the crow flies to
each of those western states whose
rapid growth has exceeded the
dreams of the enthusiasts of twenty
five years ago.
We employ the process of elimi-
nation when we insist that the town
Under consideration have the econom-
ical steamboat transportation of the
Missouri river. Columbia will be less
than an hours distance from three
towns on the Missouri river where raw
material may be received from the
boats, and this cargo may be replaced
by articles Made in Columbia, Mo-, u
S. A."
Columbia need not depend alone on
its situation to make it the cynosure
Of long-headed manufacturers 1t has
other fascinating attractions. For ex.
ample, abundant and cheap water,
cheap fuel, cheap lights, cheap liv-.
ing expenses and cheap building sites.
As final inducement, there are miles
of brick streets, with miles of cosy
homes and emerald-hued lawns along
them.
In return for all 1t offers, Columbia
may rightfully require a great deal
from the factories. 1t may insist upon
factories which employ the best skill
ed labor. Factories which have a busy
season of from two to three months
in the spring and fall, and then turn
out their workers with about as much
ceremony as they turn out their gas
and electric lights" should be barred.
Columbia doesn't want a large float
ing population.
After excluding the factories which
have seasonal fluctuations, or un.
healthful dust, or upappetizing odors,
there remains. an inquiry into the
personal character Of the manufactur-
er. Columbia has right to refuse to
admit men who will seriously impair
the beauty of the town. 1t should ad-
NIT only those men who will cooperate
with their employees in making the
factory settlement thing Of beauty.
The factory buildings should add to
and not detract from the scenery.
They should have large areas of plain
glass windows with prismatic glass in
the upper parts of the windows and in
the skylights. Prismatic glass distrib-
utes the light evenly, preventing harsh |
shadows. These factories should be
by bluegrass lawns and |
the proper proportion of shrubbery
and flower beds.
Next, the homes of the factory
workers should be far enough apart |
to permit the possession of lawns |
worth a lawn mower for each home.
One of the causes tending to pull fac
tories from the great cities to country
towns and near-eities is the greater
possibility for healthful recreation dur
ing the leisue hours. The worker who
can spend the summer evening in a
lawn swing or on a spacious porch, and
who can sleep in a cool room feels far
more like working the next day than
1oes the one who sits on the curb
ing in front of his tenement home and
sleeps in a draft.
Columbia is destined to be the most
beautiful city in Missouri. since, it has
citizens who wont sleep
until it attains that distinc-
ion. Wouldn't it be good idea 10
get model manufacturers to move here
md help in the good work by building
lp a model factory village as a suburb
o Columbia? OF course there is the
LANCER that our town will get a little
,roud II It gets too prosperous. But
his danger is q minor one. And any
way. danger is the spice of life. L
o. E. r.
eeE noi1e. M.aensias e-NND IL