Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-02
EDWARD JAMES cATTELL
On philadelphia's Greatest Assets

DHILADELPHIA'Sg greatest asset is now
I and always has been its skilled labor
and its home life. says r. J. Cattell, field
manager of conventions and expositions OF
the Chamber of Commerce. formerly CIT!
statistcan. discussing the recent report OF
the State Department OF Internal aTalrs
showing almost 81 800. 900. 900 in products
for the City of Philadelphia in the year
closed last December.
"Recent figures, put out by the State / De- Nn,
partment," said Mr.. Cattell again snow
how necessary it is that somebody should be
on the alert to explain to the country rep
resentations which seem to reflect upon
Philadelphia. They are all the more inluri,
Gus because they have the stamp of ofhcial
sanction.
"For example, the present representations
seem to- show that, contrasting l,2l with
1920, we have recorded tremendous loss
in our productive power as a community
whereas, rs matter of fact. we were were
steadily advancing. The figures for 1920
were based on an inflated value, ana wheh
they were first put out begged the' organi-
zations not to give prominence to the figures
because they were based on values abnor-
NAL in the extreme. There were many cases
where an increase of 100 per cent In values
was shown where there was an actual de-
crease in the quantity produced.
Much Explaining Necessary
but in an over anxiety to overpraise the
CITY they high lighted n value of products
OF nearly s., 225 600, whereas the normal
figure was about 81 400 900. This did no
good. because when the return to normal
prices came we would have an awful time
apolOgizing for tremendous drop when in
reality there was no drop at all. In writing
on other countries as have frequently done,
| am always careful to see that the year
selected was normal in both production and
prices
THE detailed list is most interesting as
showing the wide variety of our activities.
This is one of the real foundations for my
unshaken belief in Philadelphia. We have
such wide range of industries that the
generally wish to, choose different line of
occupation from that of their fathers with
ont leaving the city of their birth or their
home life to secure that different employ
ment. w
The Working Tradition
"I have always believed in the tremendous
cumulative effect of the working tradition.
Men who have worked for three or four
generations in city at one employment ac-
| quire something of the spirit of the old
| German guilds, a pride in the quality of
their work. grandson t does not Z, wish a, ms
son of ncighbor does better work than he
can do.
Another factor in Philadelphia which
| counts tremendously In giving continuous
value TO our greatest uSset, ouI iapor, is tHe
various church and fraternal connections
which knit us into homogeneous whole. A
| worker may be nothing but an employe for
six DAYS but on the seventh he is somebody
| in his church or organization, and his self
| respect snaps back to the perpendicular.
"The Philadelphia worker Mas pride in his
| work and pride in his citizenship. His voice
is potent in the meetings Of the elders of his
| church or he takes up the collection, or does
| something which separates him from his fell
lows. and in this way his individuality Is
| maintained. Underlying our famous Num-
| mers' parade there is an economic factor
| which few take the trouble to appreciate
| In many neghbOrhoOds the women of the
| families gather and help make the wonderful
| costumes to be used. 1t is an excuse for
| better neighborly intercourse; it gives some
thing to occupy the mind better than petty
| gossip ; it brings into lives which might be
| drab or coloress touch of color hard to
| over est innate in its value to a quiet neigh
| borhood and seemingly mOnotOnous habit
| of life.
''These points may seem trivial, but the
| home life, which is the basis of all real life
in this country, depends for its proper de
| velopment upon the harmonious fusing of a
number of seemingly trivial things. l have
| seen so much of this best side Of the real
| Philadelphia during the twenty five years
grown each year into stronger faith in our
farm of government and In the sanity and
LOYALTY of 80 per cent of our people, be
cause ! feel that the noisy, trouble breeding
men and women are in a distinct minority
and have never lost my faith in the steady
development Of the city or my confidence