Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-26

Commissioner West addressed each mem
Der of the committee the following letter.
explaining the aims and objects of the
organization and containing the call for
the meeting to be held Monday:
I'VE desire to ask your hearty COOP
Grafton in the movement recently inaugu-
rated toward the erection in this city of
large and handsome auditorium A
structure of this character is demanded
by the growth of Washington and should
be, in all of its details, a credit to the
national capital and monument to the
public spirit of its citizens. The neces-
sty for Its construction is so apparent
as to require no extended argument. View
ed from business standpoint, it is evil
dent that a capacious, modern structure
suitable for conventions, concerts etc.
would bring a largely increased number
of public gatherings to Washington,
city which possesses innumerable attrac-
lions to the visitor and which, if its meager
accommodations for large assemblies
should be improved, would be constantly
selected for convention purposes. In ad-
dition to this the lack of fine auditorium
is reflection upon the progress and enter
prise of the people of Washington. 1t is
not strange therefore, that the effort which
seeks to supply this deficiency in our local
equipment has met with universal approval.
The time has now come when the prelimi
nary steps which have been taken should
lead to the formation of a permanent as
ISOLATION having for it's object the erection
of a building modern in its construction,
ample in size and conveniently located.
While the inaugural committee was in
session resolution was passed appointing
a subcommittee to take this matter under
consideration. The board of trade. acting
independently, also named a committee TO
consider the subject, and the Business
Mems ASSocia ton Immediately co-operated
with a similar committee. These commit
tees have held several joint meetings and
the details of the auditorium project have
been thoroughly discussed. 1t is the judg-
ment of this joint committee that the site
should not be asked of Congress. inasmuch
as such a gift would undoubtedly be ac-
companied by many restrictions and that
the use of public property would hamper
the association in conducting q local bust
ness enterprise. The joint committee also
favors the erection of a hall about 800 feet
long and 1I5 feet wide divisible into small
compartments thus accommodate
gatherings of various sizes. Steel arches
available for the construction of this audi
forum are now in place in the United
States government building at the St. Louis
exposition and have been donated by Con-
gress to the people of the District of Co
lumbia. Mr.. ]. Knox Taylor, the supervis-
ing architect Of the treasury, has kindly
made an estimate of the cost of building
of the size mentioned and reports that it
can be built of yellow brick, with colonadeS
for 100000. His plans also include commit
tee rooms, supper rooms. etc. 1t is esti-
mated that the ground will cost 100000,
and that the transportation or the steel
from st. Louis, furnishing, and other details
will cost another 100000 making the en-
tire cost of the auditorium about $4,000.
The joint committee believes that a stock
company should be formed and that an APP
peal should be made to all citizens of the
District of Columbia to join in the effort to
erect the auditorium. The proposition to
form stock company will therefore, be
considered at a meeting of one hundred or
more representative citizens to be held at
the New Willard on Monday evening May
l, 1905, in the room used for the sessions
OF the inaugural committee. Your attend
ance at this meeting is earnestly requested.
Informa ton already obtained by the joint
committee shows that nearly all the large
cities of the United States possess audi
forums erected through public spirit and
enterprise, and it is not believed that Wash
ington will be backward in the manifesto
ton of progress and liberalty. 1t is, at
least, important that there should be a
public discussion of the project in order to
determine whether it is desired to earnestly
enter upon the work"