The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-11
TALK The CITY BEAUTIFUL.
NEW YORK BEHINDHiND, BiT
WAKING JP, THE VERDICT,

Architectural League Holds Its Annual
Dinner and Discusses Plans for
lettering the CT, -Ct,'s Right
To Increased Values OF Property
The annual dinner Of the Architectural
League last night developed into a dis
cussion Of the plans for the improvement OF
New York suggested by the New York City
Improvement Commission, Those plans
were the star feature Of the leagues annual
exhibition and they hung last night on the
wall behind the speakers.
President A. ". Brunuer's address was
plea for Beauty as Necessity in Modern
Life"
Other cities. Mr.. Drummer said. are making
plans for uniform Improvement on artistic
lines. Cleveland was the pioneer. Buffalo,
Washington. ST. Louis, st. Paul, Phila-
delphia, Seattle San Francisco even Manila,
are at work on these lines New York is
beginning to realize the Importance Of
great plan. even at the expense Of whole
sale destruction of existing buildings. for
an artistic regrouping.
Touching on the plans Of the New York
City improvement Commission. F. X.
Pendleton said in part
Through the length and breadth Of the
land the citizens are striving to better the
physical condition Of the various cities.
Any plan you may suggest for civic i'm
provement will cost money II 1t didn't
you could set set II down as an assured
fact that ii wouldn't be worthy Of your
consideration. And If you spent your
would spend without having run for
your money
One point OF practical Importance should
be emphasized. That ia the right OF the
II
condemn and acquire all adjoining terri
tory, so that when New York goes to work
to spend money, the city may receive the
benefit from the rise in value Of adjoining
property. The property holder has no
night to the unearned increment created
by the improvements of the city
Jacob A. Cantor, the next speaker set
his approval on the plan for oondemning
the property adjoining big city improve
ments.
George B. Post, speaking Of the rise of
the art sense among the American people.
told Of the young architect who struck
builder of New York for job and got this
answer
Very sorry. but my carpenter keeps an
architect"
MI. Post said that an architect should be
an all round craftsman. capable OF criti-
cising mural painting in the frfllmont Of
his design. capable of getting in and mixing
IT with the clay II his sculptor goes wrong.
You cant put beautiful statues and
beautiful mural paintings on building
and have Il beautiful. said Kenyon Cox
You've got to have a plan. You can't
make beautiful city by putting mp beau
tiful structures; you've got to have plan.
| suspect that no beautiful city just grew
II il was not planned that way at any rate
il was made over TO plan.
Even an imperfect plan FOR Now York
would lie u grent dom better than none.
The creation Of beauty is perhaps the
most practical thing which humanity can
engage in Paris to-day lives on her beauty.
Venice once occupied the position in oom-
MERGE which New York occupies to-day.
Tho currents of trade changed Venice
might be called dead bur abe il tho most
beautiful corpse in the world I hope that
the day is far distant when New York will
be dead but when that day comes l hope
that she may be beautiful corpse