Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-15
Mcfarland Addresses Body

In his address on "Boroughs in
Pennsylvania and Elsewhere" to the
pennsylvania State Association of Bor-
oughs last night, Mr.. Mcfarland said:
Though the census of 1910 shows
that 6S per cent. of the population oi
Pennsylvania live in incorporated
communities, the State through its
Legislature has paid little attention in
constructive way to town problems
Indeed, until the enactment by the
last Legislature, of the act of June 1
1915, establishing a division of NUM-.
cipal Statistics and Information with.
in the Department of Labor and In.
dustry. there had been, I think, nc
action taken in any State in the Union
toward furnishing proper assistance tc
communities of any size.
Il have called attention to this ma
tlonally for many years, suggestine
that inasmuch as the Federal Congress
spends more than twenty millions OF
dollars annually in promoting the in
terests of agriculture, it would not be
unfair to pay little attention to the
other half of the people living in
towns and cities, upon whom not even
twenty cents year is now spent.
THE State could, and should, pro-
vide framework of wisely considered
and co-ordinated general laws of the
simplest character, leaving to bor-
oughs the largest possible measure of
home rule.
"All the State control should be con-
structive, and not obstructive. Legis-
lation has tended constantly to tell
boroughs and cities what could not be
done, but it has not been very helpful
in the direction of what could be
done.
Among the items which the bor-
ough may properly ask the Legislature
In Iv1
form way, is plan Another place in
which assistance could properly be
rendered is in the way of supplying
trained and able engineering help.
City planning and city engineering are
both important modern professions
which have not been seriously applied
in many Pennsylvania communities.
1T may be said that capable help
fthts sort is not needed in boroughs.
particularly in the smaller boroughs.
| answer that there is no difference
in the Importance of the problems in
all communities.
"A proposition has been made look
ing toward the employment by the
State of six capable city planning and
municipal engineers. If each of these
were to work three hundred days each
year, there would then be q total of
eighteen hundred engineering days,
which when applied impartially to
each of the nine hundred odd boroughs
which do not now have city engineers.
would give a total to each borough of
about two days of engineering service
neach year. This would be worth
while; but 1t would be more worth
while if the State supplied a greater
quantity of the best possible help in
this direction. 1t is obviously out of
the question to expect many of the
Pennsylvania boroughs to employ the
right sort of engineering talent, and
yet, as / have before insisted, it is lust
as important to the people of the
State as a whole to have good engi-
neers in Hanover. or Newport, or Mid
dletown, or Irwin as it is to have them
in Johnstown, or Lancaster, or Harris
burg"
THE engineering aid which ought to
be available to the smaller boroughs
should include expert advice and help
oversight in regard to the supplying
of water. light, sewerage, and waste
disposal" continued Mr.. Mcfarland
These engineers could provide for
proper consideration of the street de-
tails, including a consideration of the
paving widths, which would save mill
lions of dollars a year. Trees could
be properly brought into the point of
view, and the open places. or squares,
made attractive instead of unpleasant
junk heaps as most of them are now.
II wonder whether any of the gem
tlemen present has ever contraster the
center square in his home town with q
New England village green. The
pennsylvania square is usually an ILL
considered mess. which renders 1t un-
attractive, unpleasant, undignified
and misfortune"
Burgess Saul. of Norristown; w. w.