Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-20
Working for the National City,

The Board of Trade is to go at the
| matter of getting action in the develop
| ment of Washington along the lines of
| the Mcmillan park plan in a systematic
and truly national manner. The purpose
Is to appeal to the commercial organiza
! tions throughout the country to use their
influence with members of Congress, urg-
ing them to work for legislation to this
end. on the ground that Washington is
the nations city. Particular emphasis
is to be laid upon the purchase by the
government of the land lying between
Pennsylvania avenue and the Mall to
provide building sites for the government
and to prevent further encroachment upon
the city's most valuable public reserva-
| ton.
1t is the experience of Neutrality-suspicious.
| who take pleasure in showing visitors
over the city and make a point of ex-
planning local conditions with reference
to the general governments relations,
that most Of those who come here are
heartily in favor of all plans for the de-
velopment of the park features of the
capital and particularly impressed
with the necessity of retaining the south
side Of Pennsylvania avenue from its
present condition, adding the great tri-
angular space to the park area and usin-
1t for the governments future buidin-
needs. Indeed. the present plight of
pennsylvania avenue for about half it's
length from the Capitol westward is
source of chagrin to residents of the Dis
trfct and surprise to their guests, who
have heard of this thorOughfare as one of
the most beautiful streets in the country.
And when these citizens of the states go
through the departments and see the con-
gestion there and note the use of made
quate rented buildings and the unidentified
makeshifts to which the public service is
compelled to resort they wonder at the
hardness Of Congress In responding to the
calls for appropriations for new con-
structfons
The development of the Mall-Avenue tri-
anele as the governments building site is
the most important feature of any scheme
Tor the park Improvement of the city
There is grave dancer that if this space
is not thus specifically designated as the
scene Of future building operations
further Entertainments upon the Mall will
take place without compensating addi-
tons Of the park area. and little by little
that single undesirable feature of the
opment of a building -lined boulevard
through the center of the Mall. will be
carried into execution. An appeal to the
national sense of pride in WASHING ton
such as that now proposed by the Board
of Trade, should have an effect in prov
ing to the members OF CONGRESS that in
their capacity as legislators they are ex-
pected by the people of the United States
to advance the development of the city
in which the citizens of every state take
direct and intelligent interest 1t should
be possible for the Board of Trade to lay
before the commercial bodies through
which 1t is proposed TO work arguments
| that will convince them at the least of the
bad business policy of continuing to house
the governments bureaus in such large
part In rented quarters that are unsuited
to its needs. Congress has already pos
session of figures on this subject that
should leave no question in the minds of
the lawmakers that they are really vast
ing money in delaying this improvement.