The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-05-22
MODEL FOR WORLD
IS SPEAKERS HOPE
FOR WASHINGTON
City Planners Hear Able
Addresses on Civic
Improvement.
SEVERE CRITICISM
Or PRESENT SYSTEM
Speakers Urge Need of Consider
ing Practical Advantages
of Changes.

That the United States Government
must make Washington the model
for all cities Of the country IS the
opinion OF the delegates TO the Ma
tional City Planning Conferences
which began its business sessions in
the board room OF the Municipal
building this morning.
The working out of plans for the
Deautifcation aIon5, praoieal lines
rather than for the mere adornment
is the ideal that must be worked for
by all American cites IN order that
all classes of citizeni hip shall bene-
fit from the work
That Washington is a beautiful place
all Of the delegates admit. but that It
viii admit Of still further development
along practical lines was the general
opinion expressed. To work for the
poorer classes, to build tenements that
VIII be healthful as well as beautiful. IS
the object Of the city planners as out
lined in the meeting this morning.
Call To Order.
Secretary FrankIi7 MacYeagh OF
the Treasury Department declared, ia
calling the assemblage 10 order. that
it is the duty of the United States
Government to make Washington thu
model city for the country and said
further that it was the right of the
people to demand that Washington
should be made the model city.
Mr.. MacVeagh presided over this
mornings gathering and was intro
duced by Commissioner Macfarland.
who made a short address of well
come. In taking charge of the meet
Ing, Mr.. MacVeagh said he would Ike
TO add word Of welcome to that
given by the Commissioner. but felt
that his residence IN the city had
been so brief that le did not feel in
a position to extend an official well
come OF any kind. Ire idea OF plan
ming, of looking ahead, IN city mat
ters, he said, is indicative of the prog
ress that is being made In civiliza-
ton throughout the country.
Our Progress.
eve do make progress" declared Mr.
MacVeagh. we have progresssd since
the days of tbe cave dwellers and we
are slowly fitting ourselves with s0r-
standings that speak more eioquently
Of present-day civilization and its de-
mands. Now Ne not only watch
eity's growth but ye have the a5van-
tage of planning for the future. whick
our cave-dwelling ancestors did not
have U did rot seem disposed TO
take
THE Commissioner has declared his
belief that Washington is model city
However that ma -. and We must al
adrait that 1t is a saost beautiful city.
II ought TO be the model for the entire
country. II the United States Govern
qsot undertakes TO run a city of It's
own, as it does undertake TO run this
e&ty, 1t is its duty to make that city a
model city in every respect. It has
every facility for so doing: it has the
r2sans and the authority, OF which it is
most jealous, and no small portion OF
which win it ever surrender.
If therefore, the United states has
a city that is all its own il must neces-
sarily Soilow that it must make that ciry
model. The people have q right 10
ask this and they cannot be 10 siren
Gous in their demands upon Congress
and the governing authorities that the
means to accomplish this end should be
provided. 1t should be made model
for other cities. just as some Of the
laws of Congress-notably the pure food
laSv recently enacted-should be the
models for similar laws in the states. .
Olmsted's Paper.
Frederick Law OImstsd, Of BsoOkline,
Mass. a member OF the park commits
sion, was the first speaker on the pro-
gram. air. Ohnsted read an exhaustive
paper on the scope and results OF city
planning abroad
Mr.. OImsted spent three months In
Europe during the past winter for the
purpose OF making a study Of the results
that had been obtained in the improve
ment of cities throughout EnglaRd AMI
the Continent. One OF the most tmpoH-
tant thiags ne had learned, he said. was
the utilization OF so much Of the space
for practical benehts-
In Germany, especially. the Work Of
civic Improvement under government
auspices showed practical results
Here. he said, the benefit of the Govern
Inent, operating along the district plan.
that is in thS development by districts,
has reached its highest state The
adoption Of district bllilding operations.
every paragraph of which is perfected
before single line OF the dlstacts de-
velopmsnt bessns, has proved TO he OF
great value in the furtherance a. such
city planning, as has been done
Parking System.
Mr. OImstead also drew attention to
the fact that. in Europe. a more prac-
tLcal system OF parking is in use than
in the United States. The custom of
having parks OF small area at the in
terseetion Of streets has been done
away with, and the parkings that have
been made are placed at such points
as wal be convenient for their use as
public Fairgrounds and points OF rende-
Vous for the residents, without interfer-
ing in the least with the uSe of the
street.
Practical illustration of the opposite
of ts1s theory IS found in this city, ho
said, where there are hundreds OF small
beautiful serve no useful purpose Other
than that Of catering to the esthetic