Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-12
BILL TO MAKE CITY BEAUTIFUL
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GEN
ERAL RUSSELL DRAFTS IDEAS.
Would Give Commissioners Power to
Regulate Observation-Disclosures
tial Streets Designated.

Architectural harmony and more Strln-
gent supervision of building operations are
necessary to make Washington the city
beautiful, which is the dream Of the city
fathers and the desire of the citizens, is
the opinion of Charles w. Russell. as
sstant attorney general of the United
States.
To enable Washington to acquire and
deserve the title of the most beautiful
city in the world, and to hold ii, he be-
lieves Congress should endow the Dis
trict Commissioners with authority to
control all building operations in such a
way as to produce maximum of beauty
in the city.
He further believes the Commissioners
should have some say regarding the style
and class of buildings to be erected by
citizens, particularly as to dwellings erect
ed on prominent, So-called residential
streets. In this connection he would have
certain streets designated as exclusively
residential.
Mr.. Russell has drawn up bill en-
bodying his ideas for a city beautiful
which he will have introduced in Congress
at the coming session. One important pro-
vision of his bill is to authorize the Com
missioners to appoint permanent board
of three members, two of them architects
and one a landscape gardener. whose duty
In preparing this draft Mr.. Russell con-
suited with Commissioner mcfarland,
who is famed as champion of the city
beautiful idea
Mr.. Macfarland is in hearty accord with
Mr.. RuSsell's general idea and In Spea king
of his propositions today said:
Il have been interested in Mr.. Russell 5
plan and bill. copy OF which he sent me.
and believe it should have careful conSid-
Grafton. Mr.. Russell has promised to
fo1l rl1fh nGnoR{QlIv n
meet the legal difficulties which the Com
missioners have encountered in similar eff
forts.
II heartily approve the principle of Mr..
RuSSellS suggestions. It Is the same
principle We had in view when we asked
Congress to make 10th street an exclu-
sively residence street, intending, If that
was done, to ask for similar treatment OF
other streets of the boulevard character.
Constitutional objections were raised
by the lawyers In Congress. which pre-
vented the passage of our 10th street bill.
1t may be that Mr.. Russell has COM
plete legal answer to these constitutional
objections.
Certainly everybody must see that the
beauty Of Washington can be marred by
ugly private architecture as by ugly pub
lie architecture. Even II all public build
ings were Of the best architecture, the
cityS beauty could be spoiled by bad pr1-
vate architecture.
whether we can get legislation to pre-
vent this or not. all who are interested as
owners. architects. builders and all pub
lic-spirited citizens should strengthen
public opinion in favor Of appropriate pri-
vate as we'll as public architecture. Other
wise those who would be drawn as WIS.,
itors. investors or residents to Washing
ton by the beauty of its public buildings
may be driven away by the ugliness Of
private buildings.
1.-THE Commissioners have realized this
and have been doing all that they could to
prevent such Ill consequences"