Evening star., 1901-11-12
PARK IMPROVE MENT
Senator Mcmillan Praises the Com
missions Plans.
WILL RESULT In A BEAUTIFUL CITY
People Throughout the County
Interested.
PROPOSED UNION STATION

That District legislation is to be given
national Importance at the coming session
OF Congress is clearly foreshadowed in the
enthusiasm and preliminary preparation ex-
hibited by statesmen whose committee as
signments charge them with the special
care of the national capital
The prediction is unhesitatingly made hy
Senator Mcmillan, chairman of The Senate
committee on the District of Columbia who
is in Washington today for The purpose of
taking lunch with President Roosevelt that
the foundation legislation will be enacted
at the coming session Of Congress which
will result in making Washington the most
beautiful city in the world
The Country Much Interested.
II have been surprised" said Senator Nc
MILAN TO Star reporter this morning, ito
find that the people of this country are all
interested I'm the Improvement of Washing
ton. l have been to California and to
many other sections of the country since
the adjournment of Congress, and in all
places i have been asked with the greatest
interest for the details of the proposed i'm
provement here. The country knows Of the
park commission. and the result of it's
work will no doubt be seen in many cities
of the country, modelled after its initial de-
velopment at the national capital.
There is wonderful interest being taken
in park improvement in all of our large
cities. California has some notable exam-
pies of this fact. but perhaps Boston is Civ
ing the country the best illustration of any
city of enterprise in this direction. Boston
has a park commission which is working
out system of parks at an ultimate cost
of S20,00O,000, and which Will embrace not
only the old parks of the city, but will
bring into the system several large tracts
of timbered and shore lands lying around
that city. These will be improved and con-
cd b1 bp1 rs}S bn hfap ay71
bathing facilities are also being looked af-
ter by the same commission, and thousands
of people can now be served with bathing
accommodations where few years ago
there nothing but a few saloons and
shanties-
Local Park Improvement Plans.
tOf course this Boston park scheme is a
very much broader one than is being pro-
posed for the District of Columbia. Briefly
stated our plans are TO connect the parks
we now have by boulevards; to make some
long delayed improvements in the mall and
to give the residents of the eastern section
of the city park. by the Improvement Of
the Eastern branch and its adjacent terri
tory. Our natural advantages here are
great. however. j have examined the plans
which the park commission has prepared.
and agree with the commission Id it's BELIEF
that when they are carried out Washing
ton will be the most beautiful city in the
world.
Il do not see how there can be any trou-
BILE about the required legislation. Money
will be asked for by many of the differ
ent divisions of the government for local
expansion and Improvement Under the
plans of the commission, instead of each
interest pulling for itself. all VIII be
brought together under one comprehensive
plan So far as l can judge the gentle
to show us something that everybody will
be delighted with. They have gone into
the matter most thoroughly.
The Proposed Union Station.
zone of the most important subjects they
have had to consider has been the terminal
facilities for the railroads. The commission
found Immediately that the mall could not
be beautified and treated as it should be
with a railroad running across it. Mr..
Burnham took the matter up with the
Pennsylvania railroad people. He is in
close touch with President Cassatt of that
road, and after several discussions with
him he went so far as to investigate the
desirability of several sites besides the
Baltimore and Ohio site. He has given
a great deal of time TO the matter and Mr..
CasSatt has also gone into the subject with
much interest He looks upon it as ma
tional matter, and while the roads have
secured the legislation they wanted, and
which gives them certain legal rights, Mr..
Cassatt has stated that he can see the
beauty of the plans of the commission and
that the the mall ought to be preserved.
However, this is a matter which is not
settled. 1t will have to be settled by Con-
gress. We have got the Pennsylvania peo-
pie to consider 1t, and IL Congress and the
Baltimore and Ohio can agree then the
plans for a union station can be carried
out. / can see no objection to these plans
for a union Station, and think them most
admirable"
Just what local measures would be pre-
sented to Congress at the coming session
Senator Mcmillan said he was not as yet
y,ra rad 10 G OF aafr rarS ha hn.,lh
take up when he arrives In Washington
with his family, the latter part Of this
month.
Senator McMillan's son, William C. Nc
MILAN, who is director in the American
Shipbuilding Company, is with his father
while in Washington. The senator ex-
planned that he came here from Detroit at
the invitation of the President to lunch
with him today.