Evening star., 1925-06-21

velop into a great city of broad ave-
nues, beautiful parks and splendid
homes? --..-.-. .-.-..-.-. B..
These were some of the foremost
questions in the minds of the special
committee of the Arlington County
Civic Federation, composed of r. f.
Plynale, Arthur Orr and j. c. Byars,
when they evolved the plan of a
regional development commission for
Washington and its environs. The
committee realized that no plan for
the growth of Arlington County can
be complete or satisfactory unless it
bears a proper relationship to the de-
yelopment of the entire metropolitan
area of which the City of Washington
Is the center and Of which all the
nearby suburban communities are es-
sential parts, State boundary lines to
the contrary notwithstan nding. The
committee recommended, therefore,
that the Civic Federation invite all
civic bodies and civil authorities in the
Maryland and Virginia suburbs to send
representatives to central meeting
to consider the desirability of consti-
tuting q regional planning body. The
federation approved the recommends
tions and authorized the same COM
mittee to carry them into effect by ar
ranging for the meeting.
Cooperation Planned.
The committee has already conferred
with some of the Maryland authorities
and has received assurance that Prince
George and Montgomery Counties can
be relied upon to cooperate in every
way. The date of the central meeting
Is still being held open pending definite
word of Secretary Hoover's return to
the city. who will be asked to make
the principal address. Mr.. Hoover's s
department has made extensive studies
in the field of city planning, and the
commerce secretary was one of the
principal speakers at the meeting
which launched the regional plan
movement for Greater New York and
It's environs.
1t is also planned to have at the
central meeting appropriate repre-
sentatives from the District of CO.
lumbia and the members of the Ma
tional Park Commission, as it is re-
allied their cooperation will be nee
essary in the working out of the
plan.
Meanwhile, the committee is pro-
ceeding with its plans for a mass
meeting at an early date of the civic
leaders and officials of Arlington
County.
The local meeting Is to acquaint
people of the county with the entire
plan of development. both local and
regional, and to enlist their support
of the movement. 1t is planned to
hold the meeting early in july, pos
sibly at the courthouse. Col. c. o.
Sheriff. of the National Park Com
mission will be asked to speak, in
addition to one or more speakers
from Arlington County.
Stresses Immediate Action.
The Importance, not to say neces- :
sity, of taking immediate action in
the matter of making local and re-
gional plans cannot be over-empha-
Sized" said a member of the COM
mittee. Chicago has recently taken
UP the work of city planning and
finds that it has gotten at the job so
years late. A single broad avenue
leading from the heart of the city to
the suburbs will cost hundreds of
millions in condemnation proceed
ings. 1t could have been provided SO
years ago at a small fraction of its
present cost. The District of Column
bia is now spending hundreds of
thousands Of dollars to obtain neces-
sary playground space which could
have been obtained 80 years ago at
one-tenth or less. All large Amer
lean cities are today reapihg a sim
liar costly harvest of the neglect
of earlier generations. Arlington
County should profit by the mistakes
which so many cities made in the
early stages of their DEVELOPMENT
and should determine that coming