Evening star., 1924-06-04
DUTIES OF REALTORS
TO CAPITAL STRESSED
Told They Should Shoulder Re-
sponsibiity for Beautifcation
of Washington.
DINNER GIVEN BY SHANNON
Local Dealer Entertains Leading
Delegates Here.

Realtors of the country should
shoulder the responsibility for max
ing Washington the greatest capital
of the greatest nation on the earth,
J. c. Nichols of Kansas City. Mo-,
told leading realtors of the country
at dinner rendered last night by
William f. Shannon OF Aliddaush &
shannon of this city. The dinner was
given al the Washington and Mr.
Shannon had as his guests the ma
tional president vice presidents, ad-
risory board and hoard of directors
of the National Association Of Real
Estate Boards.
AT each table he placed Wash
ington man to make the out-of-town
realtors feel at home and to see that
they had a good time. as we'll as to
acquaint them with some of the prob
lens of the Capital city.
Mr.. Shannon, after expressing his
great pleasure at having the realtors
as his guests, said that the realtors
of the country are working in build
ing up u great profession. He then
designated Ivan O. Ackley Of Chi
cago toastmaster, who called on each
table to select its speaker and the
subject.
Praises Local Board.
H. r. Ennis, national president.
said that the present convention is
one of the greatest in the history OF
Washington Real Estate Board for its
work in making preparations for the
convention. Frank Hogan of this
city, responding to the toast ''Sena-
torial Investigations, spoke i'll a
humorous vein.
Tom Ingersoll. past national presi-
dent of Los Angeles, told of the good
fellowship which the national asso-
citation meetings brought about. and
said this was the first time that the
PortlandS of the two coasts had at
tended meetings together
John T. Sloan of New Haven. Conn.
spoke on the clean appearance of the
city. He said the buildings were
all nicely painted and the property
was kept in fine condition. He hadn' t
noticed, he said. 4 broken window.
despite all the wind at the other end
Of the Avenue. and he thought lit
was fine thing that somebody in
Washington takes such good care
or us taxpayers property"
Duty Toward Washington.
Mr.. Nichols. in pleading for the
realtors to assume responsibility for
beautifying Washington. said that he
didn't know anything greater than
love of the people of the country
for its federal city. In other nations
it is the ambition of every one of
the people to see their federal city
and every one is Interested in it.
Our Capital city he said. lis
suffering more for the lack of city
plan than any other city of the
derful plan of LEnfant. Unless we
realtors take the matter in hand,
there is no telling where it will end.
We ought to be proud of our Capital
city.
THE Identification of Washington
should not be led by the American
Civic Association-and l am u vice
president of it-but should be led
by the experts in city building, the
men of the real estate boards of the
United States.
The upper waters of Rock Creek
should be protected so they will not
be polluted by sewage; the property
along Klingle avenue should be
purchased and made part of Rock
Creek park; Potomac and Rock
Creek parks should be connected; the
Mall should be- extended right
through to the Capitol, and made a
wonderful vista; the Botanic Garden
should be moved: New York avenue
full bridge to Arlington. to which
there should be fine road; it should
= be extended to include a territory of
fifteen or twenty miles square, sur
rounded by d beautiful forest reserve.
l am looking to the time when
Washington will be a great city.
at is the duty of the realtors to
shoulder this responsibility. Are we
willing to let engineers. architects,
landscape planners look after the
planning of your city and my city?
Why not decide here and now to
shoulder this responsibility. at this
convention and make plans to make
this the greatest capital the world
has ever known. We believe in Zon-
ing. We have q serious question in
Washing gton. Washington needs
greater attention. We do not wish to
bring industries here, but want to
make it the center of cultivated peo-
pie. We want Washington to stand
as an example of d well planned city
under the direction of the realtors of
the country that loves it.
other speakers were Raymond T.
era gin, Cleveland; w. H. Ball. Phila-
delphia; Ben d. Watkins, Atlanta,
Ga; Meyer Eiseman, New Orleans;
Fred F.. Reed of Oakland, Calf: W.
H. Kinsey, Grand Rapids, Mich. /;
Frank Craven of Philadelphia, Frank
Ryan. Los Angeles; Mike Devine of
Atlantic City.
The Oakland Calf. choir rendered
several vocal selections.