Evening star., 1927-03-10
Light Industries Needed.

lish plants here is stressed by the In
dustrial exhibition that opens tonight
in the Washington Auditorium under
the auspices of the Washington Cham
ber of Commerce.
The main proposition is this-that
the City of Washington needs such
plants to furnish employment for the
young men and young women as they
come out of school, in order to keep
them from drifting away from home
and this city. AS it now is, this city is
largely a one-industry community, and
that predominant industry is the Gov.
ernment service, in which the quota
for the District is soon exhausted,
with thousands from all the States in
the Union brought here annually to
take the jobs.
Correlated to this is the really very
important consideration that 1t is not
healthy to have the young people all
turning their minds toward one line of
employment--in offices. And support
ing this is the outstanding fact that
the mind of the American youth is in
ventive and his bent is mechanical.
We have in recent years had alto
gether too much preference for white
collar jobs and too much withdrawal
from constructive manual labor.
To meet these conditions and to
remedy an uneconomic and unhealthy
situation from the labor standpoint,
the establishment of light industries
here, electrically driven, and located
for the most part in South Washing
ton, convenient to both rail and water
transportation, is advocated by the
business and civic leaders. Engineer
Commissioner Bell was one of the
earliest proponents Of such a develop
ment. The Washington Board of
Trade has had a special committee at
work on this program. The Washing
ton Chamber of Commerce has vigor-
ously pushed this project as one of its
special concerns.
This is entirely in harmony with the
views of the Commission of Fine Arts
and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and all other
organizations whose primary purpose
is to see that the Nations Capital is
properly developed and embellished.
These agencies see that in South
Washington there is large decadent
area which must be improved. There
is very unusual opportunity there for
advantageous transportation facilities
for any manufacturing plant. with
one of the great freight terminals OF
the country only few miles away
across the Potomac River, from which
any goods manufactured here could be
readily shipped to consumers. Small
manufacturing plants, without great
smokestacks and the heavy atmos-
phere of smoke and fumes that come
from heavy Industrial plants, need not
be unpleasant to look upon. In fact,
they may well present an attractive
appearance architecturally. And what
more pleasing and inspiring sight than
to see young people coming daily from
such plants, where they have by hon.
est toll earned their living and where
they are working to advance them
selves in life-by industry and push, F"
turning their backs on the curse OF
political pull" which is blight on
any community, and especially in
such a center of political life as this
city, the seat of government, must be!
The City of Washington is to be
congratulated on having such a pro-
gressive power company as operates
here. and which is now making on the
eastern side of the city tremendous
reservoir of power sufficient to meet
the requirements of any number of
light industries that may decide to
locate here. Adequate power is as
sured, with reasonable rates. for in
dustrfes that can draw in the power
from the East and move out the prod
uct over adjacent tracks toward the
great consuming North and West and
South.
The railroad companies have spe.
cial agents cooperating with the bust
ness and civic leaders, so that most
positive guarantees can be given to
any industry considering Washington
for a plant site that all requirements
for prompt operation OF the plant are
already provided.
AS regards the labor supply" this
city proudly boasts Of the caliber of
its youth. We have here, coming out
Of our schools, young men and women
of superior intellect and education,
many Of them mechanically trained.
These boys and girls are for the most
| part children of the picked workers
of the country, whom Uncle Sam has
brought here after careful selection
| under competitive examination. Here
they have had every educational ad
vantage of public and private schools
| and colleges. Here they have had
cultural environment unmatched any
where. Many Of our young men have
attended the great institutes of tech
| nology and are fitted to take charge
of industrial plants.
In an article on Commerce and the
Capital" written for the handbook OF
the Industrial exhibition that opens
tonight, Lieut.. Col. q. S. Grant. 3rd
the namesake and grandson of one
of our great military heroes and
Presidents. and who is in charge OF
the physical work of keeping the Capt
! tai City Kell groomed. emuhasizet