Why Not More Beautiful Factories? 



SOME OPINIONS OF MANUFACTURERS AS TO 

 ATTRACTIVE BUSINESS PLANTS 



By Louis E. Van Norman 



THERE is alwa3'S a woman at tlie 

 beginning of it — and the man in- 

 variably comes after. Most of the 

 great betterment movements of history, 

 the crusades, the abolition of shivery, 

 prison reform, public school establishment, 

 were begun through the efforts of women 

 or originated in the inspiration of a senti- 

 ment toward women. What the world at 

 first called foolish moralizing, or "artistic, 

 unpractical" waste of time, these strong, 

 sweet, gentle souls, because of the love of 

 beauty which was their birthright, saw 

 would result some day in material benefit 

 to the race. Scorned by the practical men 

 as "faddists," they worked alone until the 

 "reformer" spirit was aroused, and the 

 idea became a '^^forAvard movement." 

 Lastly came the business interests, realiz- 

 ing that the particular hobby was big with 

 material gain. Thus its day of triumph. 

 Outward from the woman and the family, 

 through the "preacher," to the commercial 

 interests — this has been the progress of 



all "improvement." 



* * * 



The new propaganda has followed the 

 same order. It was begun by the love of 

 beauty and decoration instinctive in 

 women, who covered the land with flower 

 gardens and hung pictures on the walls of 

 the American home. For more than a 

 decade it has claimed its rights from 

 academic leaders. N'ow, in these first 

 years of the new century, it is fast becom- 

 ing part of the creed of the business man. 

 With this stage it sees victory ahead. 



The far-seeing, progressive business 

 man is being slowly but surely convinced 

 that beauty, attractiveness and cleanliness 

 pay dividends. PIome and Flowers re- 

 cently asked five hundred business men all 



over the country, whether, in their opin- 

 ion, there is any financial value in attrac- 

 tive surroundings to a business plant. 

 Ninety-five per cent of those replying 

 declare that the product of a factory or 

 business concern is much more valuable 

 when the factory or office is clean, attrac- 

 tive and beautiful, and when the em- 

 ployees can come into daily contact with 

 orderly surroundings and see floral beau- 

 ties on the grounds. Furthermore, they 

 declare that such well-ordered business 

 concerns are a decided commercial benefit 

 to the community. 



A few of these business men believe that 

 attractive shop surroundings would benefit 

 the community, but not the local concerns. 

 Mr. John E. Sweet, of The Straight Line 

 Engine Company, at Syracuse, New York, 

 sees the value of such surroundings, but 

 declares the matter can be overdone. Mr. 

 M. H. Barker, general manager of the 

 American Tool and Machine Company, of 

 Boston, Massachusetts, thinks attractive 

 surroundings are beneficial to the owners, 

 but very little to the men. Mr. C. D. 

 Firestone, of the Columbus (Ohio) Buggy 

 Company, does "not believe in spending 

 much time on flower gardens or surround- 

 ings," but admits the good result of "feed- 

 ing and broadening the intellect, which 

 will mold the surroundings of the work- 

 men." Cheney Brothers, Silk Manufact- 

 urers, at South Manchester, Connecticut, 

 make their "mills as clean and attractive 

 as possible," but "have very little faith in 



supplying decorative art to workshops." 

 * * ❖ 



Dr. R. AV. Corwin, superintendent of 

 the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, at 

 Pueblo, Colorado, does not believe that 

 the question of financial return should 



