Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-10
The City Beautiful.

The committee appointed by the presl-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce to
labor for the park development of WASH
ington on practical, systematic and ar
tistir lines is strong in its membership,
and through its proposed nationwide
campaign to arouse the interest OF all
patriotic Americans in this development
il is certain to do effective work toward
making the capital the ideal City Beau
tifui
Benefits will accrue to Washington from
every increase in the nations interest and
the nations pride In the nations city.
in conformity with the committees broad
purpose, entirely irrespective of how
much o. how little Roadway the commit
tee may make in its specific campaign to
cause Congress to enact I'm bulk and in
detail the comprehensive recommends
tions of the Mcmillan park commission
Congress is slow to commit itself to
such wholesale enactments. 1t has
hitherto jealousy reserved to itself
control of methods of park develop
ment and of details of public building
location. 1t has carefully limited the
powers which it has delegated to every
commission created by it to advise and
assist ii in respect to any subject of
legisla ton. Where ii has authorized
commissions or individuals to study
and report to IL the foundation of
Legislation it has more often disregard
ed than followed the recommendations
made to 1t. The task of securing enact
ment into law of the whole volume Of
Mcmillan commission recommends tons
is especially difficult because Congress
did not authorize this commission and
the House. which took no part in it's
creation. has hitherto been jealousy
sensitive of what it viewed as an en-
croachment upon its prerogatives per-
sistently refused to pay the commits
sions expenses, and has in several in
stances shown a resentful determine
ton to prevent its suggestions iYom
being literally carried out. What the
House would not swallo, ,recisely as
prescribed even in successive minute
homeopathic doses, it may hesitate to
swallow ALPHABETICALLY, in bulk, at a
single Guip.
Happily for the capital. however its
park development on practical, SYSTEM
attic and artistic Lines is not der en.ient
upon slavsh adherence TO every detail OF
any particular plan. Washington gIories
In its new Municipal building thou IN not
located precisely where the Mcmillan park
commission suggested. 1t congratulates
i:self and the national government. unol
the new department; buildings :h u,h
tiiev are not grouped about I.afayet e
Square as recommended by the pari, com.
mission.
In developing L'Enfant's pubic garden
between ti:e CapAoI and White Houss
81 olAds Congress may adopt fo.. practi-
Cal application the landscape gardening
principles of Downing. or the elder DIM
Sled, or Parsons. or lie Notre, and I'm any
event the result will be GLORIOUS. In max
Ing grand reality on general lines OF
the ten-year-Old Beard of Trade McMil-
Ian park commiss ons comprehensive sug-
sesttons covering park system which
Includes both banks OF the Potomac con-
nected by memorial bridge. riverside
parks connected with the Zoo and Rock
Creek Park. and linked also with the
Soldiers Home and Anacostia PARK that
Is 10 be-. Congress may vary in a hun
dred particulars from the precise recon-
mendations of the park commission. AMI
the result will still be the City Beau
tiful