Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-10

1.-THE real estate man may be greatest
factor in the building OF cities. IL rs a
privilege that diguifies the profession and
places its members I'm a class of pubic
benefactors that has almost no equal
The operator who dcvotes a large portion
OF his time to the development of rural
communities has before him unusual OPP
portunities, for in most cases these COM
NOTWITHSTANDING they may be-will some
day be parts of great city"
Richard Il. Watrous, secretary OF the
American Civic Association, whose head
quarters are in this city, delivered an ad-
dress before the third annual convention
Of tho National Association Of Real Is
tate Exchanges. which was held In Min
neapolis a few weeks ago. and he spoke
most emphatically on what he considered
TO be the duties the real estate operator
owes To the city or town in which he lives
and moves. The paragraph quoted above
was merely the introduction TO his SUBJ
ject. because Mr.. Watrous minced few
words in portraying to his auditors. all of
whom were real estate men gathered
from the four corners Of the country, the
difference between broad and generous
ideals and narrow and srasping ambitions
executed in preparing new subdivisions
for the market.
mot as Modern Aliases
You are buying land wholesale, cut
ting il into lots and selling them to
US on which to build our homes, our
factories and our stores" he said Are
you studying the best methods to be
followed in parceling out those lots.
with a view to their some day forming
- -tSs
you simply seeing how many lots you
can crowd into an acre and selling
them hit or miss without regard to
future esthetic development?
Il would not have you consider your
selves as modern Aliases, bearing all Of
the burdens of the world upon your
shoulders, but would have you
weighted down just enough to con-
stantly remind you that your labors
and endeavors must relate not alone
to your own material prosperity and
the accommodating OF the present gen.
Grafton. but to the welfare of the gen.
erations to follow you. II you build
wisely, with view to the beautiful
follow that physical development, as
natural cOrOllary, a clean, law-abidfng
citizenship. They are inseparabie, just
as lawlessness. squalor and low
grade of citizenship are the accompani-
ments of poorly made cities. To the
bilities will future generations rise up
to call you blessed. and to the same
extent, il you neglect your duties, viii
future generations hold you responsible
for the errors of today.
May ] enumerate just a few or the
things you may do which are possibly
not now generally considered as in the
routine of the daily life OF the real
estate man?
For one thing. you should be identified
intimately with every organization In
your community-your neighborhood club.
civic Improvement society, womans club
Gf il will take YOU ind and any and every
other organization that has for its object
the improving of home or factory sur
roundings in its particular district. In
stead OF evading membership in these or
ganizations enter heartily into their plans
and give them your moral and financial
support Cooperate with them when they
are asking for the passage of ordinances
which will place restrictions upon possibly
the very property you are some day to
sell. Do not stand in their way: do not
stand i'm your own light when people may
ask for an ordinance that will fix definite
ly building lines and prescribe the dis
lance from the street at which houses
may be erected Their zeal may carry
them beyond the boundaries of sensible
requirements, but in most all instances
they are headed in the right direction.
You, Of all men, are in position to point
out the right way. Working shoulder to
shoulder with them. you are sure to be
part In making your community what 1t
ought to be and--I am convinced-you will
reap material benefits as well as enjoy
the satisfaction that comes from doing
your share for the public good
Mere Commercialism Condemned.
Il know that you are in the business for
financial returns. but ] would urge upon
you that you try to eliminate from your
business the merely sordid features of
commercialism and do not carry about
with you the idea that the main thing
sought after is TO get all you can and
can what you get Look TO the future
more than to the present for the returns
that you are to derive. In the long run
you will reap full harvest
There are problems for you to solve
in the treatment OF the individual prop
critics you are offering for sale. especially
in the outlying districts. There Is a
more intelligent. more artistic and more
profitable way TO cut a piece o. acreage
than by the old rectangular system, in
lots OF uniform dimensions--usually too
small-with no possible chance for varia-
tion and offering every opportunity for
the building of houses in rows uninyit-
ing and really unsightly. Is there a
knoll on the property which might sug-
gest winding or curved road around its
Ia arc there rayineS which ,piub, 10