Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-19
URGE WASHINGTON
Be CITY BEAUTIFUL
Civic Bodies All Over Country
Favor Improvement of
Park System.
BOARD OF TRADE HERE
IN RECEIPT OF LETTERS
American People Proud of Their
National Capital, is Tone of
Most of Them.

The Washington Board of Trade today
made public number of letters from
| broads of trade, chambers of commerce
and merchants associations throughout
the United States as being of interest at
this time in connection with the work
the committee of one hundred is doing in
| Its effort to acquaint Americans gener-
ally with legislation pending before Con-
gress which would do away with the
| half-and-half principle and in its further
effort to appeal to senators and repre-
sentatives against this proposed legsla-
| ton.
Many Of the letters contain resolutions
| which declare The American people are
proud of their National Capital and de-
sire that it should typify the greatness
and wealth of the nation These COM
| munications come from all over the
United States, from large and small
bodies Of civic workers, including the
powerful Massachusetts, State Board OF
Trade, which is composed of fifty-six mu-
| nicipal bodies in the state of Massachu-
| sets.
The letters were received by Arthur C.
! Moses, chairman Of the special park COM
| mission committee of the Washington
Board of Trade. and relate, for the most
part, to the subject Of improving the
park system of the National! Capital.
AS these letters, however contain evi-
| dence of the feeling of pride in the Ma
tional Capital held by all classes of citi-
zens throughout the United States. they
are made public today by the Board of
Trade as being useful information in con-
nection with the controversy now going
on in Washington in regard to the
measures before Congress. The letters
come from as far west as Oregon, from
as far south as Florida, from Maine in
| the east, from the middle west, and from
| many other states.
Praises Plan of City.
| The communication from the Massa-
chusetts State Board of Trade contains
the following:
| Washington is practically the only
important city in the United States tina t
was laid out on a regular plan by a
| skilled engineer. So we'll was this plan
designed that today we see the effects
Of the wise foresight Of Washington.
Jefferson and LEnfant. In the one
| hundred and fourteen years that have
| elapsed, however. since these plans were
! made Washington has grown with the
nation and has outgrown the limits OF
| the original design.
| ITO beautiful and adorn our National
| Capital In suitable manner is a work
well worthy of the nation, if entered
| into under comprehensive plan of de-
| velopment Its rate of progress should
| be commensurate with substantial con-
strucuon and sound financial policy.
| The committee believes that the
| plans proposed are well suited to the
| best development of the capital. and
| that the Massachusetts State Board OF
Trade should favor advancement of such
development
| no Go
Trade came the following:
Resolved. That the Savannah Board
| Of Trade Of Savannah. Ga, commends
the efforts of the park commission COM
| mittee of the Washington Board OF
Trade in behalf Of this project to make
| the American capital the most beau
| tiful in the world
From the Eugene Commercial Club OF
Eugene. Ore. came the following:
we are very glad to have an oppor-
tunity to be Of service to you and beg
you to believe that We will always BE-
glad to cooperate with you in the pro
motion of those things that are of bene-
Mt to the people of this country
Members of Congress Notified.
The Grand Rapids (AIich) Association
of Commerce sent the following:
This association. at a directors meet
ing yesterday, adopted the resolutions
the development and identification of the
National Capital. We are communicating
this action to the Michigan United State
senators and representatives in Con-
gress.
The Peoria Association of Commerce OF
Peoria, ILL.,. sent the following. signed by
its executive secretary, Willis Evans:
Il appreciate the report and am equally
interested in the project you have III
mind, having lived in Washington twelve
winters as secretary TO CONGRESSMAN,
and | know how equitable is the request
you are making before Congress.
The resolutions sent out by Mr.. Moses
special committee. containing the state
ment. THE American people are proud OF
their National Capital and desire that it
should typify the greatness and wealth
Of the nation, were adopted by the fol-
lowing bodies:
The Erie (PaJ Chamber of Commerce
the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and
Merchants Exchange, the Chamber of
Commerce of Watervil1e. Me-; the Bus-
ness Mems Association of Ithaca. n. Y:
the Chamber of Commerce of York, Pa.
the Moline Retail Merchants Association
of Moline. ILL.,. the Chamber of Commerce,
of Avalon. Cal. and the Chamber of Com
merce of Akron, Ohio.
Among the above associations, those IN
the following states announced that they
had forwarded reports of their action To
their senators and representatives. in
congress:
Pennsylvania. New York. Maine ana
no
The following organizations reported
that they would bring the matter before
their boards of directors:
Chamber of Commerce, Macon Ga;
Chamber of Commerce. Atlanta, Ga,
Chamber of Commerce, Sacramento, Cal:
Chamber of Commerce. E,yria, OHIO:
Commercial Club. Fargo. y. Oak, State
board of Trade, Maine: MnneapoIi
civic and Commerce Association. Min
neapois. Mimi, and Chamber of Com
merce. Poughkeepsle. \. Y.
member of the Grand Rapids, Mich,
Association of Commerce. Mrs. W. T.
Mcknight, wrote personally. in addition,
to the action of her association, in part
as follows:
Washington as Model City.
Il do not think there is any question
have more at heart than the beautify-
ing of Washington or the making OF
Washington a model city, as / believe
that Washington. the federal, the nation
cifv will rof only rive IN ax.,,,l,