The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1909-06-10


The national movement for more
beautiful and orderly towns and cities
the Chicago worlds fair pointed the
way to better things. To-day art COM
missions exist in dozens of commun.
tiles and are carefully working out
local problems with the idea OF some
day removing the stigma OF ugliness
and inconvenience which foreigners
have impartially placed. though they
are ready to admit II is well deserved.
But the communities have till now
had to go II alone in the matter of
Identification. The federal govern
ment. which with the great amount
and monumental character Of its build
ings might naturally be expected to
lead the way. has been OF very little
help indeed During its existence 1t
has spent s500.000000 in buildings.
and a great part of that within twen-
ty years. The record is filed with
costly and monumental blunders. II is
doubtful II any country in history has
so amazingly childish an accounting
oil extravagant stupidity in its building
operations. Yet practically the only
check on further mistakes till now has
been the architectural Office of the
treasury department. which. by the
good sense of a single appointee has
in very recent years raised the stand
ard of appearance and usefulness Of
the new post offices to something like
real excellence
And now comes an important step.
President Roosevelt has appointed a
council of fine arts. consisting of "a
architects. four painters. four sculptors
and landscape architect. ali men of
the highest standing In making the
appointments he issued an executive
order directing that before any plans
are formulated for any buildings or
grounds or for the location or erection
of any statue. the matter must be
submitted to the council have named
and their advice followed. unless for
good and sufficient reasons the presi-
dent directs that It be not follow d.
The supervising architect of the treas
ury will act as the executive officer
for carrying out the recommendations
of the council.
At the same time Senator Newlands
of Nevada introduced bill in the up
per house legalizing the council as an
advisory board and making the office
of supervising architect OF the treas
ury bureau of fine arts, to superin-
tend all matters relating to the con-
Q -. a
ings OF all departments and all ques-
tions of their decoration and furnish
ing. the purchase or acceptance of
paintings or sculpture. and the pur-
chase and planning OF public parks
coming under federal authority. all
with tn advice of the council OF
thirty" as It has been nicknamed.
In the meantime the house, as a
counter move. led by Speaka Cannon.
is trying TO pass what is known as
the Mccall bill. This bill makes an
appropriation OF s3,5O0.0O0 to buy 36
acres of land between the capitol and
the new Union station. ami provides
anoth-r $1,000, 900 TO build thereon a
memorial 10 Lincoln. The site is gen.
orally regarded as most unsuitable 10
the purpose. and architects and artists
are almost, II not wholly. unanimous
in condemning IT, President Roosevelt
especially requested that the newly,
appointed council take the matter up
al once,
Most OF its members are on record
as favoring a very different site. The
whole question OF the arrangement oi
Washington has been worked out in
great detail. end what is known as
the Burnham plan. based on the plans
made by Mai. L'Enfant under the su
pervision OF President Washington, Is
accepted by experts as the last WORD
on the subject Its fulfillment would
undoubtedly make Washington the
most beautiful city in the world.
/ This plan included a great mall from
| the capitol TO the river, with the
Washington monument in the center
/ forming an axis for a cross mall oil
park terminating at one end In tn,
/ White House and at the other in an
/ other great monument still to be built
/ The main mall would terminate at tbs
river in the Lincoln Memorial. FOL