Evening star., 1924-08-10
The Future Washington.

The Commission Of Fine Arts has
given approval to the site tentatively
chosen at the intersection Of Sixteenth
street, Columbia road and Mount
Pleasant street for a statue OF Francis
Asbury, Methodist bishop Of historic
distinction; has chosen Meridian Park
as the place for the statue Serenity;
has under consideration the design
for lamp-posts to replace those now
used, and is advancing the artistic de.
Velopment OF the Capital in many
other ways. The creation OF this COM
mission has had important results to
Washington. 1t was a move to pro-
tect the Capital against the erection
Of Government buildings out of har.
mony with the whole scheme of public
architecture and against. the. setting
up of sculpturally unworthy monu.
ments. 1t was the opening of the way
to public regulation by competent au-
thority over the design OF new con-
struction. The power given the Com
missioners to restrict height Of build
ings and the power of the Zoning
Commission to control the character
OF buildings and the uses to which
they may be put in certain quarters
of the city were important steps
We are on the way, but We must
advance. Washington is often called
the most beautiful Of cities. The word
''beautiful' is overworked. There are
quarters of Washington where build.
ings and their setting in park and by
wide, smooth. tree-lined streets which
are as fine quarters as in any other
American city and as fine as any in
Paris, Rome or Vienna. There are
quarters in Washington which are
mean and homely. Though we have
no "slums" we have quarters which
are distressing.
Population, at least what might be
called the old standard population, is
leaving the city as it was planned by
LEnfant. and is building quarters be-
yond the 1871 bounds and making
scores Of villages. If the tide does not
turn the old city will be depopulated.
The cost Of maintaining sewer, water.
lighting, FIRE and police protection and
other public service in the old city
and extending it to the new city is
very heavy and taxes are increasing
While emigrants from the old city
sought cheaper homes in the sub
ufbs" values in what were outlying
sections have made remarkable in
creases, but in the old city, except in
business districts and prospective busi-
ness districts, there has not been an
equal increase, in property values be-
yond the general increase in price
which many authorities ascribe to
cheap money or the decreased pur.
chasing power Of a dollar. Yet there
is plenty Of room in old Washington
IL districts were we'll built and other
wise improved.
The old city should be made a bet
ter city. Much of it will have to be
rebuilt. Its ground plan is the best in
the world. and there will not be need
to condemn built-up districts for street
extension as was necessary in Paris
when the practical reconstruction Of
that city was begun under the third
Napoleon and his engineer-architect
Haussmann. Paris has come to its
place as a city largely through laws
and regulations as to the height, de.
sign and general character Of build
ings whicE curb "lawless Individual
ism" and architectural vagaries."
The building regulations Of Paris
might seem to Washingtonians bur.
densome, and perhaps tyrannical, but
if Washington is to be as grand a city
as Paris, or the most splendid city Of
the world, its people will have to take
a leaf out of the book of Paris. g,