The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-10

on account Of its boulevard system
and it is today considered her great
est asset, to say nothing of the in
creased valuation OF property pro-
duced on account OF its splendid sys-
tenn
kansas City rs Example.
w. J. Rickenbacher told of KAN
sas City boulevard and park system
which 10 costing twenty million dol
lars, and he put special emphasis
upon the advertising value Of good
system for Topeka.
Henry Bennett told of the wonder
full park system in Chicago. and said
that now is the time to buy property
for parks and bouIevards while the
land IL comparatively cheap. He said
that no better investment could be
! made. Miss Nanon Heron of the
Women's Commercial club pledged the
support OF that organization.
Scott Hopkins presided at the meet
Ing.
City Of the Future.
DR.. Zueblin added much local color
to his address in The City of the
Future In the course of his general
remarks the speaker said:
The Columbian expedition in Chi
caso began the agitation for cities
beautiful It taught us ON our native
soil the art of city building For the
| first time hundreds of Thousands of
Americans saw what 1t meant to con-
struct buildings on q comprehensive
plan. Each building had its own
architect, but all co-operated to make
the whole harmonious. Since then
the cities of the country have planned
and executed great improvements
mo city should be built except
upon q comprehensive plan provided
beforehand. Those not SO built should
be rebuilt at whatever cost Washing
ton, one of the most beautiful cities in
the world, was made possible by the
wise forethought of L'Enfant. Now,
after a century of haphaxard growth.
a government commission has return
ed 20 the original plan The lesson is
plain. In the mex. fifty years many
cities can and will be entirely rebuilt.
Great avenues, starting from a civic
center. will radiate fanlilxe to every
quarter. The gridiron city will be a
thing of the past
Dr. Zueblin told his hearers that
the bigger the enterprise the greater
the chances are for success. While
lie had much to say in praise Of To-
IL much that can be done in order to
make this one of the show spots of
the country.
Some Sound Advice.
Following are some of the points
brought out by DR.. Zueblin In the
course Of his address:
Have your railways and interur-
bans centralized in one great station.
The city must have control of the
transportation facilities from the sta
ton through the city. I think that
cheap transportation Is secondary to
good transportation.
The street is such an humble. ia
miliar thing we are likely to neglect
its importance.
''Some cities have a bad idea that
there should be competition and have
be eliminated as far as possible.
Put In municipal conduits which
will hold everything you forget when
the streets are paved.
1.-THE real secret of good paving is
the foundation. Then you only have
to keep the surface in repair.
"A city should have control OF its
streets as far down as you can dig
and as far up rs you can think.
You have not SUFFICIENT supervision
of your food supply. ...ss
within the, limits Of Topeka there
should be no private wells.
Chief breeding places Of criminals
are not our slums but our jai1s where
we send people comparatively fnno-
breakers.
In the Outskirts.
while we must admire the two
stately high school buildings on from
the state house grounds how much
better were they on the outskirts with
100 acres of land as q background
The children should spend half their
time out OF doors
Topeka should have supervised
Fairgrounds within half mile OF
every child.
Topeka needs more general thor
oughfares. The streets have too many
joys.
IF you want your city governed as
it should be, hire away people from
the Santa Fe and the banks at salaries
commensurate with their abilities.
Don't let -FOUR buildings go higher
than ten stories. Have a definite sky
line"
'sAIovics~ in Schools.
The new school should be branch
of the public library, the art gallery.
and should have good musical enter
tainments, moving pictures. ETC. II you
would nave good competition IN INNS
have pictures IN every school
! There should be a municipal theater
where you could guarantee the shows
The whole country il infested with
! commercialism in theater management
and the public mind is demoralized.
Good people are so miserably good that
they have forgotten how to be human.
One Of the curses OF our civitzatfon rs
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