Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1919-11-04
RY Erederic j. Haskin.

with a red tablet, bearing the inscrip-
ton: Members of the Save New
Y ork Movement I
Only this and nothing more, Yet
it is sufficient TO leave the stranger
staring curiously, and to cause ner-
vous tremor in the person who firm /
~ expects to see New York collapse |
into soviets at any moment. The |
Save New York Movement, however,
is not concerned with the menace of !
Bolshevish, but with the menace OF
manufacturers. It's sole mission is to |
prevent factories from moving into
certain zone sacred to retailers, and
thus keep the streets in this zone safe
and pleasant for the shopper and
diner
This zone, known as the Save New I
York Zone. stretches from Seventh !
avenue on the Wet 20 Third avenla
ON the East from Thirty-thTd street I
on the South 10 F'ifty-ninth street on
the north. The Save New York com /
mittee claims that the city has al
heart. that this is il, and that if it is /
to go on functioninc properly it must
be protected from the congestion t1l
be found in the surrounding arteries.
In other words, this section contains
the greatest retail markets in the
United States, possibly the greatest in
the world, for Fifth avenue and its
tremendous variety of wares is now
internationally famous Some of the
finest hotels in the country are also
here located. Millions of dollars have
been spent in erecting tremendous hos
telries, department stores ard build
ings to attract a wealthy patronage,
and the men who spent this money
n re hair
investment by keeping factories, with
their noisy machinery, smoke and mob
of workers, at a distance.
This is not mere theoretical preju-
dice on the part of the Save New York
committee. Many of its memb ars
speak from bitter experience, Be
cause time was not SO many years ago
when the great shopping and dining
district of New York conferred about
Fourteenth street Here were the
largest department stores, here the
most popular hotels and restaurants.
Thirty street was then the
northern instead of the southern boun-
Diary of the greatest American retail
district.
Then the women's ready made wear
industry. whose spectacular rise had
just begun, started moving its fac
tories into this section, in order to be
closer to the retailers and thus cut
down travelling and delivery expenses.
With ii came the noise of machinery
and crowds of garment workers, who
proceeded to make themselves at home,
/ taking up practically all the available
walking space on the streets at noon.
| 1t was not very long before the buy
ing public ceased attempting to COM
pete for room and air on the pave
ments in this district, and showed an
alarming tendency TO stay at home
| There was only one thing for the de-
| partment stores and hotels to do. They
moved up town.
In doing so they built most impress
sive buildings and installed the most
elaborate fixtures, spending lavishly
though judiciously in an effort tt
create a new purchasing zone which
even the wealthiest residents of up
per Fifth avenue would find distinct
~ worth while. Within d few year:
all of the prominent department store
concerns had moved up above Thirty
third street in the wake of the frs
movers. The new zone proved grea
success. The public showed its appre
citation of the new Accommodations by ;
tremendous patronage, and the owner
down comfortably to enjoy the profit
of their investment when who SHOULD
come along to disturb their content
ment but the manufacturers.
Several garment concerns had al
ready secured lofts in the new distric
and installed their machinery an
workers before the hotel and depart
ment store men learned Of their in
tention. One week one street in tn
Thirties did not own a single factory
and the next week a department stor
president happened along and discov
cred three within a. couple of blocks G
his property. I'VE figured that
would be the same thing over again,
he said in discussing the Save Ne'
York movement the other day, IAN
we knew we would have to do some
thing to stop it. If the factories keE
coming in, our stores, on which W
had spent millions, would have bee
worthless in a few years.
The first anti factory measure, cam
from the state legislature, whic
adopted a coming law, restricting tn
new section against manufacturinl
This law was passed only after man
factories had been established in til
section. but it served to keep the gree
!
ufacturers of cloaks, suits. furs, waist
dresses, petticoats and infants wea
who were first affected by the law, tt
manufacturers of blocked hats. h;
frames, hat braids, leather goods, 81
verware and cigarettes are now ais
included. Neither the number
people employed, whether male or fl
male nor the number of machines OF
Grated by these industries" says Il
Save New York committee. has ar
bearing in determining whether or NJ
such manufacturer should be in Il
zone. They are manufacturers, al
that is enough"
Having secured this legal authori
with which to bar all factory nev
corners, the department store and hot
men then decided that steps must
taken to GUST those who had alreaC
gained foothold. In 1915, twelve
the most prominent merchants orgal
lied the Save New York commit
and drafted it's mode of procedul
which has proved extremely effic'
cious in obtaining the desired result
1t Is, briefly, this: When the con
mittee learns that a factory's lease
about to expire, they notify it that
would be greatly to its advantage
move out of the zone. They call a
tention to the many other desirat
locations in which waists or ha
might be manufactured, and offer
assist the concern, if necessary, to o
tain a new loft In most cases, IL I
factory people are wise, they take {
hint and depart. But if they pref
to be stubborn and insist that tn
have the right to remain where th
are if they want to, they usually ha
to pay for it. For the committee tn
notifies all it's members of the ia