The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-09-03
Commissioner MaCtar-
land Will Aid Movement
For Changes
CONDITIONS EXISTING
Potomac Flats Form Serious
Obstruction to Shipping
and Must Be Removed.

Washington harbor front. as re-
hected through its wharves, IS disgrace
fuI. and no doubt exists i'm my mind pu'
what il needs extensive improvements
Contained in this brief statement by
District Commissioner Henry b. r. Mac.
farland appears TO be the keynote or
movement 10 develop Washington s har"
Dor facilities. by way of deeper ana
wider channel and increased and better
wharfage and put the long neglected
Potomac river front in CONDITION 10
invite outside shipping This harb0r I'M
Droyement movement. taking concrete
form after the voice of many prominent
local men Interested in Potomac river
shipping had grown into an insistent de
rnand. received it's first encouragement
M the la-t session of Congress when
certain members friendly 90 the District
recognized its tmeliness and $500 was
appropriated for the purpose Of making
u survey of the harboT front
out Of this survey. now being
made by the District wharf committee.
a plan will evolve. Commissioner Mac"
flrland SAYS. which viii include mum"
Ter of wei conceived ideas based on
general harbOr Improvement SeNeIdI ol
these ideas are now under culiSlu'.i 49, 49,
bv the Engineer Department. ana ch!el
among them is plan when calls toI
hctter wharfage and a deeper and WIdeI
harbor-
Flats Are an Obstruction.
In connection with pian 70 widen
the Earbor, strong advocates have late
IN appeared TO urge the -easlbIii1y Oh
dredging of that strip Of iand known
as the Potomac river flats. juttlng out
between the Washington and George
town channels. and in its present shape
forming a natural and serious obstTuc-
ton 10 shipping
AS long as it is permitted 10 remain.
il has been pointed out, ships OF from
800 TO 500 feet. which are in common use
i'm connection with the shipping Of New
York. Philadelphia. Boston, Baltimore,
and a score OF other big cities, VII
have no part i'm Washington's CONNER
Cial interests.
When asked today to sta,e whether
or not he would oppose the plan 4
brought to the attention OF Congress at
the next session, he said, emphatically
that he would not
Favors Harbor Improvements.
ION the other hand ne declared, Il
am in favor of anything that will de-
velop Washington's harbor facilities
and bring to the city its full share OF
shipping On the face. this plan Of do
ing away with the fats seems to be a
good one: but before it can be advocated
by the Commissioners il Will nave 10 be
gone into more eXhaustively.
Il viii say in addition that / am
heartily in favor of the development of
the Anacostia end of the river front,
based on the plans of the Park Com
mission. To my mind. hardly anything
can be more important than the devel-
opment OF our valuable river front, on
lines which will include a deeper harbor,
new wharves wherever needed. and in
other ways to encourage shippers to
seek opportunities in this city. Such
improvements have been long needed,
are to be considered partiC ularly timely
with The Greater Washington movement
In fun swing, and viii greatly enhance
the commercial position and the beauty
of the CAPITAL City.
while visiting certain European cities
on my recent trip abroad l was psrticu-
larlY struck by the apparent attention
paid the harbor fronts
VIII Advocate the Change.
This statement by Commissioner Mac
farland may be taken as meaning that
he will advocate several plans for har-
Dor Improvement 20 his colleague, Engi-I
ueer Commissioner Biddle in whose
province river front matters really
come. when Colonel Biddle returns from
his vacation trip. Although the plan Of
doing away with the Potomac river fats
has not been formally urged upon Com
missioner Biddle, II is known that he
has taken q deep interest in Washington
shipping interests