The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-15
RELIEVE CONGESTION
AND BEAJ1TIFY CITY
Important Movement Begun at Meeting Held at Me-
chanics Institute Last Night Council Asked
to Appoint Commission.

Resulting directly from the work of
the recent charities convention, the
first general move to relieve congested
conditions in certain parts of Rich
mond and to adopt city that will
prevent such a state of affairs in fu-
ture, was made at a mass-meeting held
In the Virginia Mechanics Institute
made by several prominent citizens, in
addition to one by Mr.. Benjamin c..
Marsh. delegate to the conferences.
who has made special study OF this
particular civic evil. Unfortunately.
Mayor Mccarthy. being indisposed. was
not able to speak on The City Beau.
tiful and the Lessening OF Crime" as
he had expected.
Resolutions Adopted.
Some time ago the Chamber OF Com
nerce took up the vexed problem OF
the negro In the city. which is par
ticularly bad. discussing the question
from the viewpoint of the value of the
work of the race commercially. and
for the good OF the colored people
themselves. as we'll as for the health
OF those who employ them. Not until
this time. however, has concerted
movement been made for relieving Ill
the residents of the city and for max
ing 1t more beautiful and attractive.
AT the close of the meeting Mr.. j. G..
Corley offered the following reso.u-
ton. which was unanimously adopted:
sRcsolvcd, That since n careful pla n
Is necessary for the proper Develop
nent of every city, and since the con-
ditions reported at this meeting show
the lack of such n plan,for Rlchn ontl,
this meeting of citizens hereby re-
quests the Honorable, City Council of
the city of Richmond, to appoint a
81.
situation more fully, and to report ON
the best plan for the development OF
Richmond, and to appropriate suit
able sum OF money for such invcati,sa-
tion.
"Rcsolved, further, That the follow
lug committee of five be asked to pres
sent this resolution to the Council.
Mcssrs. F. d. Williams, r. $. Tuck. n.
w. Bowe, James II. Gordon and Pro-
lessor S. C. lIitchell.'
Several Addresses.
Mr.. Charles B. Cook acted as chair
man Of the meeting and made few
remarks as to its purpose and as to
conditions in the city.
Speaking on 1.-THE Need and Value
of City Plan" Mr.. Joseph Bryan re-
ferred to the thoughtlessness Of peo-
PIE who lay out towns and build their
houses with absolutely no eye to the
future or consideration for the rest
of the community. Men who give great
attention to the building OF everything
from palace to a pigpen. he said
will stand idly by and allow some one
| else to put up buildings and lay out
grounds in such way that the entire
community will be forever disfigured.
Since there is no law to say how a
town shall or shall not be laid out
a man may do the work In any way
l}that to his narrow and grasptng mind
may show the greatest profit for the
present
AS an example OF this condition OF
affairs, he pointed to Jackson Ward
where narrow streets and alleys
squalid and unsanitary houses and a
hundred other conditions, made TINS
section absolutely unfit for human
habitation-a blot on the city almost
4 since Its foundation.
Even the anclents, he said, knew the
value OF space. light, trees and grass
40 much so that their temples were
always placed In large groves, which
we're themselves objects of veneratton
ConRestion He.~.
An important point that he ems
| phasized was the need Of skilled labor
in the factories. This grade OF work
men could be had In plenty, he de-
4 olared II the city would provide habit
able houses at a moderate rate,
i In this connection, he stated tlla1
/ one Of the principal factors working
i against respectable people of the mid
\ die class. who could not afford to live
i III the fashionable quarters. was the
n fact that each community strives Il
d make a ',West End" OF Itself, with Z
SCALE Of Sliying too high for those i
this class, who. however, cannot ant
i viii not live In suchgaunrters as the
City affords within the range Of theil
4 incomes, Certain parts of Richmond
\ he said, are as longest ed \ as mos
Y any city In tue world 4.
4 Citing In support at N his argument
\ (which he said had al ways he Ell, Broad
lstreets, rather than front Tee" M M