President Patterson in a letter to the Boosters Club tells how city should be improved and sets forth reasons for Company' s contemplated removal.
New York, Jan 17, 1907
To: Russell Johnston, Dayton, Ohio
Dear Sir:
I see by the Dayton papers that the Booster Club proposes making some kind of a demonstration or a visitation on my return home, and I note that you are president of the club. While I wish to thank the club for its kind intentions, I must positively decline any reception, demonstrations, or resolutions. The proposed plan of removal of our plant from Dayton is too serious a matter to treat lightly. It is a business proposition and we place Dayton in the same position that we place other cities; that is, we will be pleased to show the business people of Dayton through our plant, and let them judge of the value it is to Dayton and after they have seen it, we will be pleased to have their proposition as to what they will do to have the N. C. R. Company's offices and factory remain in Dayton. I must say, however, that there are so many reasons why we should leave Dayton, and so many advantages in locating the plant in other places, that it will be almost impossible for Dayton to retain it.
What Dayton Should Do
Now there are certain things that the Dayton people can do and which they ought to do regardless of whether The N. C. R. Company remains in Dayton or not. If the business men and others in Dayton are as earnest in their protestations as they appear to be from the newspapers which have been forwarded to me, they will commence at once to improve conditions in Dayton, because works and not words will count now. The people of Dayton should do these things in their own interest and because it is right to do them, and not solely to retain our plant. It is not necessary to wait until I get home to start to do them. Unless Dayton can outbid other cities she will lose our plant. The chief disadvantage in Dayton is our inability to secure the right quality a nd quantity of labor at the proper cost for our making and recording forces. This applies especially to skilled mechanics and toolmakers, machine hands, first-class stenographers, office men and heads of departments. The kind of men we want refuse to come West to a small town, because if they lose their positions they would have to move away from Dayton in order to secure other places just as good. Hence we have to pay extra inducement to get people to come to Dayton. They not only dislike to go to a new place where they are unknown and have to make new social acquaintances, but they refuse to go where there are so few attractions as Dayton has to offer.
Employes' Minds Poisoned
Then if we do succeed in getting them to come to Dayton they are told by many who are regarded as leading citizens that they would be discharged from our Company without just cause, and many of the ideas for running our business are erratic and crazy, and it is only a question of time until the Company will be bankrupt. That kind of talk has reached many good men whom we have tried to employ, and has prevented them from accepting the offer we made to them. Now, what the citizens of Dayton ought to do for their own benefit is to cause its citizens not to discourage people whom we propose to employ; to discourage these people after they are employed, not only for our Company, but for any other factory or business in Dayton. The Booster Club should have some means of knowing who these people are who do that sort of thing. and to make it known to the public that these people are working against the interests of Dayton. Besides this, people we want to come with us claim that the climate of Dayton is bad on account of the heat and sultry weather of July, August, September and part of October.
Better Climate Desired;
County Fairgrounds Should Become a Public Park
It would be worth a good deal to our Company to be located in some city where it is not so hot in summer, as it naturally affects the work of our people for they cannot do as much work or effectual work as they could in a cooler climate. This amounts to considerable loss to the Company, where nearly six thousand (6ooo) people are employed. Then, we have no parks or playgrounds for these people or their children. There is no place in Montgomery County where a family can eat their dinner under a tree without fear of molestation. The fair grounds should be changed into a park, and other and better grounds provided for fair grounds. Other grounds should also be purchased by the city for park purposes.
More Railroads Needed
Dayton should welcome all railroads. It is ridiculous for a town of the size of Dayton to build a wall around itself. Nothing will make Dayton grow so fast as more railroads. Transportation and publication make the world progress more than anything else, and just in proportion as a country, a state or a city has these things. will she progress. Dayton seems to have gone to extremes on this question of grade crossings, and nothing that the citizens can do could hurt the town as much as to have these reports scattered broadcast that not another railroad could come into Dayton at surface grade. Capital is not going to invest in railroads when such conditions exist. The people of Dayton should use their influence to have the state stop expending hundreds of thousands of dollars repairing the canal, which can never be of any value. It should be converted into a railroad bed. the railroad paying the proper compensation to the state for the right of way. When I was in China I noticed that they were making railroads of the canal beds. When I got back to Dayton I saw that we were taking dirt out of the canal and dumping it on the railroad tracks alongside of it. Just think of the absurdity of the thing taking mud out of a canal and dumping it on railroad tracks.
Seek Better Transportation Facilities
We want our plant to be connected with at least two railroads, and in case we move away from Dayton, this will help your club to induce other factories to come to Dayton and occupy the buildings which we are unable to move away from Dayton This would include our old office building and one or two others not constructed of steel. The Booster Club should stop the extension of the city limits. Dayton has the reputation of being the worst governed city of the state, and many of its people seem to be proud of the reputation. The government of the city and county should be taken out of politics, the citizens to vote for the best men regardless of party; the newspapers of Dayton to support in this movement to nominate a "Citizens' Ticket," instead of supporting party tickets. Another thing clearly needed to be done is to demand the resignation of certain seven or eight members of the Council who are a detriment to the city. I understand that the Council reorganized a few months ago and that seven or eight members are in control of all the important committees, and one man boasts that he controls eight members of Council, and that these The N. C. R.. and have pledged each other to stick together for the passage of certain measures which are not for the best interests of Dayton. The members of the Booster Club know who these men are and should demand their resignations. How long can they remain in office if the people of Dayton are sincere about wanting better officials? Organize a vigilance committee which will look after the interests of the city and see that fair play is given to everyone this committee to prosecute unfair officials, and to make public wrongful acts of these officials. The mayor should appoint an investigating committee to investigate the action of the City Council and other public officials. I will pay one thousand dollars ($1000) personally toward the expenses of such a committee.
Need of Better Police
More effort should be made to put down crime in Dayton. We should have and could have the most efficient police force of any town in the country. Our county and state officials should co operate to punish criminals and we should not have the awful spectacle we have had recently of county and city officials not working together to locate and punish criminals. I learn that there are more murders in Montgomery County than in any other county in the state, and that there are three men now awaiting execution in Columbus for murder committed in Montgomery County.
(NOTE: Interesting web site on the Dayton Police Department in 1910.)
Cheaper To Form Than Reform
It is cheaper to form the characters of the young than to try to reform the adults. We treed a higher public sentiment in Dayton. We need better schools and a greater variety of practical things taught in them, such as domestic economy in all its branches, cooking, laundering, marketing. gardening, home decorations, commercial and manual training. Free baths in connection with public comfort stations should be erected in different parts of the city. These should be maintained in each ward of the city same as the N.C. R. House of Usefulness and the Rubicon Extension House. Ludlow or Perry Street should he extended south of the Cincinnati Pike, at a point near the Jewish burying ground. and it should be protected by a levee on west side; the property owners paying their share of the expense of the levee.
Could Open New Territory
To avoid back water and to open up a lame tract is the southern part of the city for manufacturing purposes. the old channel of the Miami in the southern part of the city should be vacated.I mean that part lying west of the fair grounds and the bluffs down to Miller's Ford bridge. More sewers should be built, and all who can connect with them should he compelled to do so for the sanitary effect. It would he cheaper to contract for sewers than to pay the penalty of ill health, as many are doing at the present time for lack of sewers. Stewart Street should be extended from Wayne Avenue to Edgemont. This should have been clone a long time ago, but because certain people thought that The N. C. R. Company wanted it, it has not been done.
Streets Need Repairing
The streets of Dayton should be repaired and should be kept in good condition. It should be the duty of the vigilance committee to see that the streets are repaired. We certainly have paid enough to have our streets in first class condition. About eleven years ago at the anniversary of Dayton, I gave a talk on what should he done to improve Dayton; this talk was afterwards printed by the Board of Trade. I had hoped that the churches would take it up and at least make some effort, but they have not clone so. They should be aroused now to correct public feeling in favor of all good things which would help Dayton, and to put down all things . which would hurtDayton. If they would only do what Christ would do if he were to come to Dayton. Dayton would occupy a different position in the public mind.
Daytonians Should Act
Now if Davton's leading business men are sincere in their desire to improve the city they should start at once to do all of the above as quickly as possible. It is their duty and to their interest to change Dayton regardless of whether our Company remains in it or not. Even though all these things should be done we will not guarantee to remain in Dayton. These things should be done. first, because they are right and, second, because it will pay the Dayton people to do all of them whether The N. C. R. Company remains or moves away. The time of my return home is uncertain. I hope to make it as early as the first part of February. By that time I will be able to give your committee further information in regard to making our Company a proposition along other lines than I have here specified.
Makes No Promises
I can make no promise and do not wish to leave much hope that we will remain in Dayton. Other cities offer us such inducements as to make it almost impossible for us to accept any proposition which the citizens will make.However, we want to extend the same opportunities to Dayton business men as we have accorded to representatives from other cities who are competitors for our plant. We will show them the advantages and disadvantages of our remaining in Davton and the advantages and disadvantages of our going to another city.
For Dayton's Good
All that I have suggested in this letter is for Dayton's benefit, and what will be required to hold The N. C. R. Company will be determined by what other cities offer. I wish to say again that this is too important a matterfor Dayton andfor The N.C R.Company towaste any words in compliments or in resolutions, in music or speech making, and I insist that all of these things be eliminated. as things of that kind will not influence the situation one way or the other. When anyone obtains sufficient capital by which he can live comfortably on the interest of the same, and he continues to work, he does not work for himself for the more he gets after that, the more work it requires on his part, and all of this work is for the benefit of other people. It is not beneficial for a man to leave much money to his children. After a man gets a competence he only acts as a servant to the community. He cannot wear any better clothes, eat any better food, and therefore all of his efforts must be for the benefit of employes and other people. "He is the greatest servant who serves the greatest number." I have tried for many years to influence people of Dayton, including our own people at the factory, to do many things which would help the city, but I have been unsuccessful, and my efforts have been ridiculed. Doing good gives us more pleasure than anything else that we can do, and all the suggestions I have made have been for the purpose of doing good to Dayton and her people.
Would Do More Good
Now. I think it is my duty to go to some other city where the public selltiment will be more easily influenced for good and make it possible to accomplish more good. I have been unable to get people to agree with me in Davton, or exert sufficient influence to get the people to do what they should do for the interests of all of her people. I feel that this letter is due to the Booster Club and the citizens of Dayton, and I trust it will be received in the spirit in which it is written.
Sincerely,
John H. Patterson
(Source: N.C.R. World, March, 1907, pp. 10-13)
