The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-12-28

At the present time the major portion
of the land frontage is controlled by
Baltimore and Anne Arundel coun-
ties. That is an anomaly. The harbOr,
as harbor, has it's value solely and
exclusively because of the presence
there of the City. Its status as har-
Dor is due entirely to the existence of
Baltimore city Since then the relation
between the harbor and the city is the
only thing which invests the harbOr
with any practical or commercial
value-the very closeness of this re-
lationship is the exact reason why the
city should control in toto the full ex-
tent of the harbor's water front This
JUST and proper demand is one of the
objects of city extension The propos
ed new boundaries will bring this
water front area within the city's jur-
isdiction:
City Should Control Its Surrounding
Development.
here is dIlOlucI ISdSOu lOI City GA
tension somewhat akin to the above.
1t involves the right of the city itself
to control the character of it's own
physical development. The time has
passed in which wise people think it
well to treat cities like Topsies, that
is to say, just leave them alone to
grow up as they please. Modern eXper-
fence has shown that the welfare of
the public demands proper control
of city building. There is so much OF
danger and hazard involved that it is
a perilous proposition to permit hap
hazard development.
The life of city is complex and
The purity of the atmosphere; the
healthfulness of the water; the effeC
tiveness of the drainage; the perfe@-
ton of the sanitation systems; the
measure of the fire-risk; the rightly
of building construction; the rightly
of health regulations; the suppression
of immortality; the effectiveness of po-
lice protection; the nature of school
buildings, along with the standard Of
education; the avoidance of building
congestion; the most intelligent lay
out of streets; the best development of
street railways and commercial trans
portation facilities-all of these are
problems appertaining to city building
Bad Fringe Bound To Do City Harm.
1t can well be understood, therefore,
how any progressive city watches with
apprehension those developments
which are proceeding along its outer
edges Bad developments out there
are bad for two reasons. First they are
bad for the areas themselves; second
", they are doubly bad because OF
their reflex influence on the city itself.
A bad fringe around city is certain
to do that city harm.
Every modern city should be al
lowed to control its immediate enVlr-
onment. Not only should it be permit
ted to control all of the Immediately
surrounding built-up areas; but II
should likewise dominate reasonable
measure of outlying vacant territory.
Why? A moments reflection will an
swer the question. How can city
maintain it's good health, its good NOR
ais, it's beauty or it's safety, if all the
rules and regulations governing outly-
ing districts are less rigid than the
rules enforced by the city itself? The
city has an effective Health Depart
ment which guards sanitary conditions
with the utmost diligence. And, yet
the value of that department may be
1oroe,v neutraIized by an inexcusable