Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-20
IN FOREIGN CITIES
MUNICIPAL FEATURES OBSERV
ED BY MR.. MCFARLAND.
President Of Board Of District Com
missioners Gives an Account OF
His Travels.


turned to his desk today. He arrived In
New York from Europe on the Cedric Sat-
urday with Mrs. mcfarland, who spent the
winter and spring in Italy and Switzerland
Mr. Mcfarland said he was heartily giad
to be home again, and prouder than ever Of
being an American and Washingtonian. He
wished, however that he could have taken
a little more time, for he had only month
and day on the other side. Still, he said.
1t was a longer vacation than he had had
in many years, and 1t was crowded with
interest and instruction.
BY careful planning and constant travel
much of it by night. favored by good
weather and other circumstances, Mr.. and
Mrs. mcfarland were able to see all that
was possible in short time. Arriving at
Cherbourg Mr. Mcfarland went directly by
way Of Paris to Territet on Lake Geneva,
where he. met Mrs. Mcfarland. who had
went to Gene to Chamouni, where they
saw Mont Blanc at its best; Zermatt, where
they had an equally perfect view of the
Matterhorn; through Abe Simp!on tunnel to
Milan and Florence; then through the St.
Gothard tunnel to the Italian lakes, Lu-
zerne, Interlaken, Berne and back to Terri
tet.
They visited Paris then London and its
neighborhood, including oxford, Warwick,
Kenilworth, Stratford-on-Avon, StOke-Po-
gis, Elton, Windsor, Hampton Court, Rich
mond Hill and Kew Gardens and then sail
ed for Liverpool.
Municipal Features Observed.
Mr.. Macfarland said that while his chief
purpose was recreation he had observed as
carefully as possible the municipal features
of the cities visited, including smaller
places like Lausanne in Switzerland, and
had obtained great deal of information
that would be useful in the future. Sum-
-. ~, hont xh4A ~
no one city that had the natural beauty of
Washington, and none that had on the
whole such, beautiful parks or trees or. 80
many of them. Paris, for example, has.
Champs Elysees, but taken as a whole 1t Is
not as beautiful as Washington. taken as a
whole. 1t has not as many trees, and lost
many Of its old trees in the Franco-Prus-
London parks are generally disappointing.
There is no city park like Rock Creek Park
But we have not as esthetic building lines
and sky lines, and the need for the i'm
Commissioners have been urging including
the improvement Of the Anacostia seems
even more urgent after seeing what Is done
ABROAD even In the smaller cities.
Inc water front of the towns on Lake
Geneva or Lake Lucerne for example is
the most attractive part of those towns,
10 say nothing Of what has been done on
the seine ana the Thames. There is keen
tiful as well as useful water front Swift
zerland, the land Of natural beauty, makes
al its towns as attractive as possible and
reaps rich reward In an increasing num-
Der OF visitors. Everywhere in western
Europe they find no difficulty in combining
commercial success with esthetic attrac-
lions. There is no reason why Washing
ton should not have greater commercial
success and at the same time the added
beauty that We all desire, and which is as
p1ontabie as the additional trade.
Hope in Congress.
Mr.. -Macfarland said he was more deter
mined than ever to work for this double
end. and particularly hoped that the i'm
provement of the entire water front might
be authorized by Congress at the next ses-
sion. The entire park system ought to be
extended and improved under the plans al
ready approved. and the national govern
ment ought to buy as quickly as poss BILE
the sites for new buildings on the south
side OF Pennsylvania avenue, SO as to-toin
that section TO the mall, and the sites for
new parkways outside the city Of Wash
ington. -
Mr.. Mcfarland said, of course he saw no
public building. equal to the Capitol or the
Library OF Congress, but saw much to ad-
grouping Of the public buildings. He thinks
out street railway system and our tele-
phone service far better than those In the
cities he visited. The cab service in Paris,
uhNSA VIC eoAihCtcI oy SNCu, where you pay
low prices according to the distance auto
matically registered. which is likely to be
soon adopted in London, Is the best and
cheapest anywhere except Berlin, where a
similar system Is in operation. 1t ought to
be introduced in every large American city.
The street paving in Paris and London has
become largely wooden blocks on concrete
foundation, and is better for horses than
asphalt and equally comfortable. but, II
properly kept up, as 1t is on the best Paris
and London streets, Is more expensive. The
street cleaning Is no better than our own
in either city. -'.--
Street Lighting Better Than Ours.
The street lighting is better on the prin-
cipal streets of Paris and London. especial
ly the former, because It is chiefly given by
clusters and double high-power incandes-
cent gas lamps such as we are hoping to
have throughout Washington. 1t is encour-
aging that this years bids enable US to
change all gas lamps to incandescent from
fiat flame under the increased appropria-
ton. The atmosphere Of Paris and London
and Of other European cities where there is
much manufacturing, Is much dirtier than
that of Washington. but has been improved
by. the municipal efforts to reduce the
smoke nuisance. which are becoming more
strenuous as authorities realize the money
loss due to SCOT and smoke. The police of
London and the gems armes of Paris pre-
serve their reputation for courtesy and eff
ficiency, but are no better than our own
policemen. There are no European fire de-
partments equal in efficiency to the best
in America, including our own.