Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-05
SAYS he WAS MIsQUOTED
PROF. RAYMOND DENIES he Re
ELECTED ON COMMISSIONERS.
Explains His References to CONNER
cialism In His Address Before
Association of Fine Arts.

Prof. George L. Raymond, member OF
the faculty of the George Washington Uni
versity, participating in a general discus
sion following lecture delivered by Mr..
Charles Moore on the Rock creek valley for
parking purposes at Hubbard Memorial
Hall before the National Society Of the
Fine Arts Wednesday night, is quoted in a
morning paper yesterday as having declared
that wealth is dominant in influencing the
Commissioners in permitting violations Of
the local building regulations, and cited two
cases. notably on 10Th street between New
York avenue and II street and one on 18th
street.
commissioner mcfarland upon reading
this criticism sent the following signed let
ter to Prof. Raymond yesterday:
Ny Dear Prof. Raymond I assume, Of
course that YOU did not make the statement
attributed to you in the inclosei paragraph
cut from the Washington Herald of this
morning. because | believe you incapable of
etner making a missta:ement or making a
statement rejecting upon any one without
accurate knowledge of the facts AS you
know that the Commissioners would not
hio"4hely counteiianCe any violation of the
ID" or permit rich 2laa to do anything
"hlch they would not Permit poor man
10 90, the statement cannot have been made
pS you, put as l am being asked about it.
l want, before making any statement, to
KNOW from you just what you did say
Prof. Raymond's Response.
10 this communication Prof. Raymond
sent the following answer to the Commits
sloner explaining his remarks and emphati-
cally stating that he was misrepresented in
the report of the discussion:
My Dear Mr.. Macfar,and: Your note has
just reached me. You are as wise and
courteous as usual in making inquiries at
rIE ,l-..
me were made in the course of an exten-
poraneous discussion at Hubbard Hall, and
We're evidently not taken down stenogra phi
ieally' Even if they had been, they would
nave appeared very different, If reported in
connection with their context | certainly
did not say that the rich man can secure
the approval of the Commissioners to a
further violation of this regulation l was
taking OF the inab ility of the American
mind to comprehend esthetic requirements
when they conflict with commercial re-
qulrements, and l pictured Trinity Church,
New ork as 1t appears in hole sur
rounded Dy SkyScrapers. l said that the
same influences Were at work in Washing
ton; that 1t was understood that there was
a regulation limiting the height of buildings
10 the width of the street on which they
fronted, and that there We're two buildings
now being constructed on 18th street which
seemed, at any rate, to be higher than this,
and that if one building could be slightly
higher there was no reason why others
General Influences Only.
In all that 1 said l was speaking of only
the general influence of commercialsm I
never dreamed of impugning the personal
character of the Commissioners. Every
body who thinks knows that there are
many ways that are not at all personal
through which wealth and the position &C
quired by 1t can influence public sentiment,
and also that 1t is one of the first duties
OF an official to reflect public sentiment.
The phrase in the report which seems to
be rather ugly, in which 1 spoke of the
pocket book was introduced, not when
discussing this subject specifically, but as
a suggestion from a remark of Senator
Beverdge with reference to an analogous
difficulty in getting the American people to
conside~ the subject of child labor, because
1t, too. confiicted with the aims of COM
mercialism. 1t was this, l assure you, and
not the Commissioners, of which 1 was
speaking last night in Hubbard Hall.
With many thanks for your kindness in
communicating with me- and with great
respect.
Very sincerely,
(Signed) GEORGE L. RAYMOND"