i84 WRIGHT 



mon labor. This state of affairs constitutes an economic prob- 

 lem. Probably any forced attempt to solve it will not succeed. 

 The schools are doing much in teaching the young how to earn 

 a living. This is well, and in this probably lies the chief means 

 the public can take to solve this particular question. The ordi- 

 nary business of the town, its local manufactures, etc., offer 

 employment, but the industrial development of Washington does 

 not offer, for the future, sufficient opportunity for the absorption 

 of this great body of our citizens to an extent which will relieve 

 the congestion of common labor. So far there have been no 

 especially unhappy results, but as time goes on the District will 

 have to meet the problem of a constantly increasing body of 

 laborers not met by a constantly increasing industrial develop- 

 ment ; for the development of the District of Columbia will be 

 as peculiar and as unique in the future as it has been in the past. 



This economic position is approached more fairly from the 

 sociological side than from the purely industrial point of view. 

 Wages are higher here, on the whole, than in any other part of 

 the country, so far as skilled labor is concerned, and so far as the 

 clerical work of the Departments is taken into consideration, com- 

 pensation is much greater than in private business. These two 

 elements offset the element of common labor, and brings an equal- 

 ization which may prevent any general economic disturbance. 



The dream at the beginning of the history of the District of 

 Columbia, that the capital city of the nation would become a 

 great commercial emporium, has not been realized — it probably 

 never will be — and it is well, it seems to me, that it has not been, 

 not that trade and commerce are not right and grand in them- 

 selves, nor that mechanical industry has not a civilizing influ- 

 ence, but in the case of Washington, except, perhaps, the sub- 

 urbs, it is well that the city should develop as the capital of the 

 nation. It is the only instance of any importance where the 

 capital city grew from the rough. I know of no instance of 

 such an experience in foreign lands. As it has grown without 

 industry, without commerce, is it not well to preserve Washing- 

 ton as the center of legislative action, of scientific development, 

 of art, and of education? It can prosper on these lines, and 

 the country at large, I believe, will gladly support and encour- 

 age it in its future grand development. 



