The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-04

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. cary suggested that the city appropriate
| 5000 10 employ an expert landscape ar
list 0to nan out tho future growth OF
| Richmond"
| This plan was adopted long ago IN the
cities Of Washington, Boston, cleV t' ~ 10
| and baltimore and more recently vi ny
| tho civic League OF Columbia, =. =. ! lle
Columbia League engaged the services
| OF firm of landscape architects OF Boss
ton to report OH "thc Improvement OF
the city Of Columbia" and the report IS
made III pamphlet form Will, numerous
Illustrations and maps The report says says
at the outset that Columbia wltl, It's sud-
den Increase IN wealth, and population
caused by the south's prosperity ana the
centering there OF now manufacturing IN
iustres has long since t,ngro"n me
two-nlle- square limit Of It's founders, and
serious problems Of street extension, san
itntlon, water supply, police and fire
protection arc confronting the greater
city" and cannot be ignored Isl
therefore, the vcriest part OF wisdom,
they 70 Oh, "to acknowledge conditions
ana s far rs possible anticipate the needs
OF the future, 80 that expensive mistakes
may ba avoided and Il city bcaut,iul re-
suit, rather thai, q city Of chance with
sore spots fostering within ana without
narrowed corporate limits.
THAT Is n fair description Of the situa-
ton in Richmond and the conclusions
npply MS aptly us though the writer's nad
been speaking Of this city Instead OIL
Columbia. There are other points III COM
mon which ne will note as we pass along.
''ln studying the condition OF the growing
of Columbia say the architects, we
have been much impressed with tho rapid
development Of the outlying SUBURBAN
districts Immediately adjoining the city
limits. The suddenly narrowed streets
and utter lack Of uniformity Of plan ana
administration one encounters on reach
Ing the city boundary gives warning that
unless soon needed, disastrous conditions
will result Impossible of remedy except
at a cost almost prohibltive."
THAT might also have been written or
Richmond and hence the necessity, now
that we are about to enlarge our DOT
dcrs, OF comprehensive plan for outly-
ing development. we should see to it.
that the new district is properly lald
out, and that the mistakes In the old
city arc avoided In the new 10 quote
again from the Columbia exports, why
should Columbia with its wonderful OPP
portunity of being noted as tho city OF,
magnificent streets allow Itself through
inaction and lack OF foresight, to tie built
in by sporadic growth and the selflsh-
less OF land Improvement companies and
awaken too late, only to find much OF
evil impossible of correcton?' In con-
Guiding this part Of tho subject, the
architects dwell especially upon the sub
ject that without these means Of recrea-
ton and rejuvenation, physical and moral
degenerate must surely mark the
city's Industrial development, with dan
ser of our native-born lnborers being
forced out and an undesirable foreign
element taking his place, Just here Is a
hint which we have more than once given
in these columns. that the average city
pays too dearly for It's park systems,
rot that 1t <is not worth the cost. but
Eecause the city might have beon ac-
CURED more cheaply had reasonable fore
sight and Imagination and sufficient faith
; III the future needs and growth of the
city been applied By Its citizens. The
Times Dispatch recently published u table
showing how enormously the assets Of
the municipality OF Richmond had In
creased. Every foot OF land which the
city purchased has proven to be splendid
investment and could be sold to-day at
far greater prices than 1t cost. Rich
!nond can do no better than to invest
money in her own real estate, and 1t Is
judlcious, expedient and good business
policy for US to Ls looking out now for
more ground In the far suburbs to DO
used hereafter for parks or other pub
lie improvements.
But we are transccndng space. so in
teresting is the subject. Our purpose
rG,lnly was to call attention to the fact
.oat the Civic League Of Columbia. on
It's own account, has employed experts to
survey the field and give practical sug-
Etstions In the direction Of civic improve
merit
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Twenty-Five Years Of Tuskcgce.
.rha cclobra ton or the tWenty-fiftl,