New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-13
THE CITY BEAUTIFUL.
architects and officials Discuss 1t at
League Dinner.

nineteenth annual dinner Of the Architectural
League Of New-York in the Vanderbilt Gal
lery Of the Fine Arts Building. in West
FIfty-seventh-st. was How TO Make New
York Beautiful There We're about two hundred
and fifty members and guests present. among them
being Frederick Dielman. Kenyon Cox. William
Martin Aiken William Brunner. DR.. John l. Hart.
John De Witt Warner. Charles r. Lamb. r. d
Met. William y. Cohen. the Rev. Percy 5. Grant.
Frederic Crowninshleld. George 3. Post. William
McAdoo the Rev. Dr. William : Rainsford. John
NJ Carrere. Henry Rutgers Marshall Professor E.
r. A. Seligman. II. J. Hardeubergh. William F.
Havemeyer. Z. G. Kennedy. Charles VI. KUrtz
Lucien 3. Chase. Jacob A Cantor. Dr. Charles B.
Kelsey. Henry B. Smell. John Du Fails. F. H. Ecker.
John Beverley Robinson. DR.. Findlay Charles II.
Israels and y. c. 4Isllen-
President Arnold w. Drummer. IN his speech
said:
We are interested tonight in considsring How
doubt that this IS possible; it is question Of how
It has become trulsn that municipal art pays.
ana that beautiful city BECOMES more ProsPerogs
Tnant todavy 70 40 more fba, r~asara t6e lie and
assure the liberty Of its citizens We ask aid in
oure is that OF beauty. the beauty Of a well
dered city. of cleanliness and sunshine-the beauty
o. parks and boulevards. handsome streets; grace
tul monuments and well proportional buildings.
has nGts o {e IN an 81 n55 a tns
people to combine beauty and utility in architect
It is suggested. be granted to every who
builds an artistic house a gold medal should be
given to the architect responsible for the design.
and the best houses should be marked BY marble
tablets.
In Budapest-that is. in the new city OF Pesth-
an exemption from taxes tor nIteen years was
OF a certain standard. This might be a difficult
system TO establish here. but the idea Is extremely
suggestive AT any rate II the ugly buildings were
taxed in proportion 70 their Uginess venture TO
The attempts made to beautify New-York while
most praise ort9y have been spasmodic ana III
tory results is TO consider the city a whole and
A system or new streets and boulevards must
be devised and great thoroughfares developed:
bridges and railway terminals arranged; new parks
designed, and all parks consiered, II possible. as
sueelss helsht or ouidlnss ana 3lher sLSn prac.l-
cal questions determined not only in reference 70
Of art. This is a case where utility and beauty
can ana must go aa7c IN hand- ,-..
the planting OF trees aid flowers. the decorations
of the Interiors OF our public buildings by great
painters and firmly believe that this will great
" contribute TO the eminence Of New-York. which
SHOULD not alone enjoy a commercial supremacy
washington is ne beSt posSlple ooJect lesson Ior
US j Is true that our problem IS a much more
fortuuate-and it's present plan OF streets is more
than unfortunate-hut. on the other hand. We have
noble waterfront wonderful situation, and We
have wealth. energy. and we have the requisite
BY rcpIanning the city it Is meant 70 mediate
the lines OF future progress. NO great enterprise
plan Of operation without definite lac Of thought
and so scheme should De formIlaISd- broad and
conform and which shall modify and direct its
yesr; but now we are losing 7sIuS5le time as ali
efforts toward beautifytns New-Iork are scattering
AN ne 5giiangs erected b t4s city should have
bur distinct loss in allowing the OF unrelated
styles or no styles. in schools; fire. police and hos
hold the designing within certain lines Tor these
tanned for each function which shaii make IL recog-
nzabe at first glance. The tumble OF buildings
rofhfrs vaIuabe to life: on the trary IL sadly
dsturbs our peacefulness and destroys that repose
s- of rII inf
rsnr Let The bubble authorities therefore set an
example OF simplicity and uniformity. not neces-
resulting IN beautiful designs entirely harmonious
sstablished by the record OF centuries throughout
the older cities OF the world can a great city be-
come also beautiful city
George r. Post urged that IN trying to make the
city beautiful only thoroughly practical schemes
should be recommended. II the artistic societies
united in urging n practical scheme. IL would I'M
doubtedy receive practical consideration Mr..
Post did not think there had ever been any such
stride taken in the laying out Of parks and streets
as had been taken in the administration 81 "BiI'
Tweed and he thought accordingly that plans FOR
Identifying the city would receive due considera-
tiou. no matter what the politics Of the party in
power might he.
John NJ Carrie-s said there were 10 be 500 Oo0 O00
spent on the courthouse. and he veutured TO say
that not an expert had been consulted as % the
site Of the building. The main duty Of the league
Law I'm making people see they must start az the
beginning. In Paris not an Improvement was un-
dertaken that had not been mapped out ten years
IN advance. The best result OF artistic work was
absolutely the direct sequence Of the amount Of
unseIhshness put into the work.
Frederic Crowninshield. president Of the Fine
Arts Federation. congratulated the league in capt
uring the chief of police one Of the speakers
OF the evening. and hoped Commissioner McAdoo
would help the league in mitigating the poster
nuisance
Commissioner McAdoo said in part:
When you talk Of the city beautiful you must not
let 10 get abroad that IL IS artistic hobby II the
ma oritv Of people artists the aldermen would
go down TO the City Hall In the parapnernaiS or
artists morning NOu must create a PUBIC
opinion that a city beautiful Is city good. You
must create an Intelligent opinion that the influence
Of tasteful architecture Is great upon the CITIZENS
Of Network 7 have doubt that a city beautful
archftecturaIIv would be better morally and physl-
Courthouse upon the mUltitUdss who sec III All
over the land horrible nightmares or PUBIC
buildings. New-York, however. IS growing archl-
tecturalIv more and more beautiful
I am recOnCiled to my Official SurrOundings N
Mu1barrv-st bv a picture Of what the Police
Headouarters will be. but We have some OF the
most disgraceful police stations IN the world Inc
prison accommodations are so disBraceIul they
would be talked Of IN Russia The sleeping quar-
tiers for the disgraceful. and the atrnos-
rbere IS poisonous. Why should not station be q
beautiful building. healthy clean ana sanitary ana
not q nightmare? Why should public buildings De
gloomy depressing hard. ugly and dirty There
is not an architect to-day who would dare pubic
r So they are taxing signs in Ncw-Jersey- signs
are a public evil. / would take them down ana
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