Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-11
MEN AND MONEY
By III. S. Rukeyser.
copyright. 1922

If a chamber of commerce Official
comedies that his city is not perfect,
that's news.
In commenting on the development
of Detroit, whose growth last year was
equal TO the entire city of Flint. G. {.
McGill of the Detroit Board OF Com
merce said:
detroit doesn't owe much to her
geographical location. When we con-
slider our topography, our climate and
our proximity to main trunk lines
East and West, we do not eXult. We
do not offer up feryent prayers OF
thanks to Sieur Antoine de Ia Mothe
Cadillac, or TO any one else.
Outside of salt and soda ash prod
acts, we don't see much in the way
Of natural resources to which to at
tribute the success of our city 1.-THE
fourth city in the United States).
What, then, makes Detroit great?
The answer is simple"
Here we are, around the hook from
Toledo, with more transportation han
1icaps than any other great city in
the world. To overcome these handi-
caps, we have had to tunnel a river,
cross cut through a foreign country,
skirt Toledo-and, thanks to fortune,
our chief product is so constructed
that it can be driven away by its own
power.
Detroit Is Different.
$50, when you read the amazing fig
ures of the city's advancement, you
mus realize that Detroit is somewhat
different from her sister cities. These
figures are mems figures. Only genius
and sweat-not the luck of location
can be given credit for the creation of
this compilation"
Natural resources everywhere are
potential rather than actual wealth
until developed by human resources.
When the Indians possessed Amer
lea, it was just as rich as now in
minerals, forests, water power and
other natural resources. When the
aborigines sold Manhattan Island for
$24, it had its splendid harbor
AS a matter of fact. one defect in
the argument of the single taxer who
complains that landlords receive an
unearned increment of wealth from
the growth Of cities is that he fails to
allow for the fact that enterprisins
realty promoters are sometimes an
active cause of growth along certain
lines.
Speculation, even in real estate. has
an economic value, but sometimes the
cost of such service is prohibitive
For example, have just driven
through some OF the richest farm
lands of lower Michigan, where the
soil is rich and bountiful. Until
recently, the land was diligently
cultivated by enterprising farmers.
Now large stretches of this agricul.
tural land lie idle, because real estate
spectators have bought 1t up and
subdivided il. The lure of quick
profits from city realtors appealed to
some of the farmers more than con-
tinuing the arduous task of wringing
profits from cultivation of the soil.
Taken From Production.
Meantime, the speculative situation
has taken the farmers from produc-
tive work.
From the national standpoint, we
shall be able to bear the cost, because
there is fortunately less danger OF
famine than overproduetion of agri,
cultural products. In the present
season, the Southern cotton planters,
for example, are suffering from the
poverty of plenty.
Congress seems intrigued with the
idea of legislating the farmers into
prosperity.
If the McNary. Haugen bill should
become a law, the other depressed
industries, such az the metal trades,
leather and textiles might hit upon
the idea of asking Congressman TO
turn their woes into blissfulness.
The announcement that a f12 per
cent wage increase has been granted
10 81 900 firemen and engineers on
railways in the East is an indication
that labor is to share in the new
prosperity of the railroads.
The new efficiency of the railroads