The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-13
LOCATING THE DEPOT.

Cass Gilbert, who has been commits
stoned to submit plans for the new
railroad station in New Haven, Is
quoted as denying once and for all"
that the new depot is to be on Chapel
street. Rather, he says, It Is to be on
the "old farm Site which Is taken to
mean the lots south Of the yellow
building. But before any comment Is
made upon the place selected, mo-
ment for smile of satisfaction that
the railroad station, promised from
time immemorlal till the idea of lts
ever becoming n reality has faded
away into the realm OF things impos
slbe. has really not been abandoned
Indeed, Mr. Gilbert goes so far as to
say that building operations are to
begin as soon as the business outlook
becomes brighter.
Mr. Gilbert is by no means lacking
in embry onic civil plans. 1t will be
remembered that he and r. L. Ohm
stead were the two experts employed
by the City Beautiful commission to
submit plans for an improved New
Haven. Among other things, II IL on
couraging to learn that Mr.. Gilbert
has swung into the ideas first present
ed by The Iournal-C Courier in It's
columns, later anplled by Mr.. Sey-
mour and now favored by Senator
Butterworth and hosts of the citizens.
That plan was for a new and separate
postoffice building. But Mr.. Gilbert
by no means stops there He points
ont the part the commission played
| In the location of the new Ives library
and the court building He suggested
the necessity Of a new hotel in the
| city, new armory for the Second
regiment, new city hall. He says he
thinks the first, and for the present,
the most important work for the com
1 mission Is TO get an appropriate set
| ting and approach for the new rail-
road station. And that, indeed will
be no easy task, II the farm site" Is
/ the one selected New Haveners have
long regretted that their visitors sec
what is probably one Of the least at
tractive localities in the city whom
first they alight from the trains. But
this can be improved to a great extent
when it is positively known that
4 Meadow street Is to be permanently
4 the street to the Union station
Mr. Gilbert agrees with The Jour
nal-Courier that the new postofliCt
building should be located according
to modern practice, which means as
near as practical to the railroad sta.
ton, thus saving much expense ant
time in the handling Of mails. So i'm
portant does he think the new post
office to be that he would urge every
effort possible TO get the government
to appropriate the necessary money
! Along such lines as these Mr.. Gilber
believes the future mission Of tho
workers on tie City Beautiful plan
lies. New buildings should be encour
aged wherever they are needed TIT
best sites for them should be sug
gcsted Everything should be but
part Of q great plan which II viii talk
years to work ont. For this rcaso,
he would not speak Of the City Beau
tiful plan, but rather Of the City I'm
Drovement plan. The Jcautiful cit,
: may only be skin deep, he would say
J The improved city Is the ambition o
the century. He advises conservatism
| and progress that Is slow rather thai
? not sure HI realizes that no genera
. plsn Of Improvements can he carria
2. cut IN its entirety at once. The now
~ christened City Improvement com
= mission, il would seem, has a length
j and an important work ahead Of II
aud the location of the new slotio
viii necessarily make a great part o