Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-29
TO MAKE MADISON
MORE BEAUTIFUL
JOHN NJ. OLIN OUTLINES CIVIC
CENTER IDEA FOR STATES
CAPITAL.
FAVORS COMMISSION PLAN,
Committee of Fifty Named to Push
Work of Making Madison a
Model City.
FIFTY YEARS TO PERFORM TASK.

MADISON, Wis. Jan. 27.-[ Special
Three hundred and fifty citizens of
Madison who gathered i'll the Woman's
building last night, looked fifty years
into the future and formed a mental
picture of Wisconsin's capital in 1859.
The mental picture was painted by John
M. Olin, long champion of civic beauti-
tcatlon in Madison; \. c. ClaS, origina-
tor of the civic center idea in Milwau-
kee and early guardian of the idea of
metropolitan park commission; Prof
Joseph Jastrow of the University of
Wisconsin faculty. and Mayor Schu-
bert of the capital city. The picture as
painted by these workers represented
'the pearl of shimmering lakes" as a
city rich in the possession of examples
of civic art with a boulevard 200 feet
wide in the place now marked by State
streets unsightly tracks, poles, wires
and frame structures.
For Commission Government
Mr.. Olin's plan for the Madison of the
future as set forth in a comprehensive
address on Looking Ahead" included
Madison is to be governed by Il commits
sion of five members, three to be elected
by the city and two appointed by the
governor, the state thus entering into
the municipal government of the city
chosen half 4 century ago as its seat of
administration.
The DIN plan. worked out by John
Nolan, civic beauttier, includes the sell
ing of bonds by the state and the buy
ing Of lands along State street, by con
demnation proceedings if necessary. The
boulevard constructed and lines set, he
proposed that the land. with its en-
HANGED value, be sold back to original
owners and others under restrictions as
to lot lines, classes of architecture and
building material.
Must Amend Constitution.
The Madison lawyer did not belittle
the work ahead. He spoke plainly of
constitutional amendments that are
necessary in order to carry out the plans
and spoke particularly of the constitu-
tonal restriction under which the state
is unable to go into debt for more than
100000. With other arguments to point
out the states duty to its capital he
spoke of the states property worth ST.
100000 at the east end of State street
and buildings and lands worth $1,000, 900
at the west end.
Mr.. Clas of Milwaukee read a paper
on Progress of Civic Art" in which
he elaborated on the State street plans
of Mr.. Olin. Mr.. Clas spoke particular
" of the necessity of adopting a civic
plan looking ahead beyond the present
generation and beginning and carrying
on the work according to the plan.
In Mr.. Jastrow's address he spoke Of
the sins of the fathers i'll not looking
ahead far enough, saying that cities de-
velOped rapidly but thoughtlessly. He
raised laugh by saying that gentle
and considerable earthquake might ac-
cOmplish considerable in Madison by
way Of improvement. He designated
ugliness in cities as an unwarranted in
trusiOn on public rights.
Names Committee Of Fifty.
Before the close of the meeting. which
ended with stereopticon views and talk
by Charles n. Brown of Madison, John
A. Awkward presented resolutions for the
appointment of a committee of fifty to
begin work toward carrying out Mr..
Nolan's plans to beautify Madison, the
plans also being adopted by vote The