The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-06

u
From the point OF view of the gen.
eral welfare-and that naturally is
! the point of view of the National
Housing Associatien-there are three
subordinate questions that need to be
asked, and answers to them at
tempted. in considering the subject OF
this paper. Briefly put these three
questions are:
"a What location generally is the
best for factories in order to secure
factory efficiency?
t2) What location for factories and
for homes for factory employees is
most advantageous for the city as a
whole?
f3) Most fundamental of all-assum-
ing that factories are located on the
outskirts of city. where should the
men employed in these factories be en-
couraged to live?
~ The first question is concerned
with factor efficiency. So far as
/ location goes, the main items that de-
termine factory efficiency are as fol
lows:
| ta) Cheap land Cheap or low pric-
| ed land reduces the amount of capital
invested in the factory plant: other
things being equal, it therefore, re-
duces the cost of production. 1t also
permits the construction of lower and
cheaper buildings, with margin around
I the buildings separating them from
each other and from the roadwayB.
The ground floor system of factory
construction is considered best for
many reasons. 1t enables the work
rooms to be lighted, ventilated, and
heated in the most efficient manner
and affords special facilities for eff
fectiye supervision. Cheap land war
rants a generous reservation for
organized. and harmonious plan for
future development. Cheap land also
means lower annual taxes.
tb) Factory efficiency, in the case
OF large establishments, at least. of
ten demands land in large blocks, I'M
broken and uninterrupted by public
streets and roads Large blocks in
terfere with street circulation in the
city, but may easily be successfully
adjusted to conditions in the outskirts.
(c} Successful factory organization
calls for ample and convenient freight
facilities and railroad sldings. These
are not always better obtained in the
outskirts of cities, but in the long
run, with growing cities, they are
mora apt to be so. At any rate such
facilities are indispensable to good
factory organization and satisfac-
tory location and must therefore be
provided.
| (d) In particular, factory efficiency
is dependent upon success in obtain
ing and holding employees who are
| well-housed at low rates in a good en-
vironment The greater likelihood OF
getting well-housed and contented en-
ployes on the outskirts of city,
rather than in more, central and more
densely built-up sections, cannot be
determined off hand. 1t would depend
largely upon civic initiative, building
regulations, the number and character
of houses available, the grade of com
munity development in the outskirts,
portation to the city. This item win
be further discussed under the third
heading.
GU The second important question
is what location for factories and for
homes for employees il factories is
me st advantageous for the city as a
whole. This question may be answer
ed in favor of the outskirts for -four
reasons.
(a) The city needs its centrally 10
Gated land for business and CONNER
cial purposes.
(b) It needs additional land nearby
for homes for those engaged in bust
ness and commerce.
(c) So far as possible the city's
streets should be relieved from the
unnecessary hauling of raw materials
: and of factory products to and from
the factory through the built-up city
!. Cd 1t is desirable that the centra
city should be free from smoke ant
other nuisances often associated with
: factories. It is this point of view
mainly that has justified the estab
llishment of the outlying industrial
zone" in the European city.
AS particular cities have particular
functions. SO to some extent each par
of a city has special fitness for a par
ticular use. The inner city almost in
variably is best adapted for business
and the demands incident to business
Retail stores, public buildings, places
of amusement, centres for education
art, and music-these require to be
conveniently and centrally located
Also the homes Of the people who are
engaged in these departments of city
life should be as conveniently and as
centrally located as possible. The
same principle applies here that ap
plies to factory employes-tne desir
ability of being close to ones work
Thus everything which occupies land
in the central city which could be bet
ter done or even as well done in the