The Washington times., 1912-01-14
JUDSON ANXIOUS
FOR COMPLETION
Of PARK PROJECT
Commissioner Shows Neces-
sity Of Prompt Action by
~ - -" ~ a
Congress.

Major William ". Judson, Engineer
Commissioner Of the District, is one OF
the most ardent advocates OF adher-
ence to and extension of the plan SUBJ
mitted to the Senate for the Park Com
mission ten years ago tomorrow by
Senator Mcmillan.
With all that has been accomplished
toward working out the great scheme
for the development and Identification
of the Capital, Major Judson Is impa-
tient that much more be done. He Is
impatient because the most Of the prog
ress of the first ten years Of the ex-
istence of the plan has been confined to
the Federal part OF II, leaving the work.
ing out of the extensive park, park
way, and drive plan little more than
touched.
By Major w. v. JUDSON.
II requires no argument to demon
strate that public opinion in Washing
ton should without dissenting voice
and on all occasions support the plan
submitted ten years ago on Monday to
the Senate by Senator Mcmillan for the
Park Commission. Its features should
be brought to the attention Of the whole
nation, for the completion of whose
Capital it's execution is vitality essen
tial And when projects are before Con-
gress for the acquisition of park lands
pertaining to the system. a united
front should be presented. This is true.
too, in connection with the location Of
any important building or monument.
The question is whether the business
of obtaining the park lands shall be
presented by the legally constituted au-
thorities of the District, following busi-
ness principles. adhering to the McMil-
Ian plan, and supported by united pub
lie opinion, or whether the initiative in
park projects shall be surrendered to
certain land owners. who do not care
whether the systematic plan is followed
or not, whose natural desire is to OBJ
tain the largest price for their lands
but who can, of course, obtain neigh
borhood support for their projects, how
ever they may lack merit from broad
public standpoint
With whatever care and wisdom the
Commissioners may present park item
to Congress, nothing will result II COM
peting items are presented and urged
with arguments that arouse sectional
jealousy and class hatred. If there be
organized and thoroughly informed pub
lie opinion can secure this--Congress
will not fail to proceed with reasonable
rapidity toward the completion of the
park plan. 1t seems probable that, If
the proper policy be followed. all of the
park lands for which Congress expects
the District to pay one-half can be OBJ
tained within a few years time and at a
cost of some six or eight million dollars.
No one will have to wait long. Each
section can help all other sections, as
thus all lands, including its own share,
can be most quickly acquired.
No log rolling policy should be pur-
sued In this matter. but the same prin-
ciples should be followed as would gov-
ern a private corporation which in a
certain time wished to acquire certain
lands at the minimum cost.
These governing business principles
may be briefly summarized as follows:
Other things being equal In each case:
those lands should be bought In any one
year which are offered cheapest relative
to the true OF market value of the same:
those lands should be bought first
which would otherwise become unayail-
able by reason OF private grading or
building operations: those lands should
be bought first which are most rapidly
increas sing In value: lands that cannot
be bought at fair and equitable prices
should be condemned.