The manufacturing area will not detain us long. It is no one region.
Industry is evident everywhere. Pittsburgh is held inescapably beneath
its thraldom. Two matters in particular present themselves in noting
the relation of the manufacturing plants to the improvement of the
city. One deals with their own surroundings and grounds; the other is
the smoke.
With a few encouraging exceptions, there has been little attempt to
beautify factory surroundings. The exceptions prove what can be done,
but it should be recollected that in the Pittsburgh District the
handicaps to such ameliorations are particularly great. The ground is
mostly clay and shale; smoke and ore dust are very trying to vegetation
under the most favorable conditions, work is done at tremendous
pressure, the products are heavy, and as a rule the manufacturing plots
are no larger than necessary, for actual manufacture, storage, and
shipping. Yet it would seem that the Chamber of Commerce might properly
add to its committees one that would foster this kind of improvement.
As to the smoke, Pittsburgh's most famous because most obvious
drawback, the subject has in the last two years been tackled bravely by
the Chamber of Commerce. Its campaign resulted in the appointment of
a chief smoke inspector and three deputies, attached, significantly,
to the Bureau of Health. Large powers are given to these inspectors.
The undue emission of smoke is declared a "public nuisance" for
which "the owner, agent, lessee or occupant" of the building, and the
"general manager and superintendent, or firemen" are held accountable.
In support of the ordinance, two hundred business men went in a body to
the council's chamber, vigorously resisting the attacks made upon it.
[Illustration: RODELPH SHALOM: JEWISH SYNAGOG.]
[Illustration: SIXTH UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.]