Evening star., 1926-03-19
HARPER ANNOUNCES
PARK DRIVE PLANS.
Ready to Raise D. c. Quota
for Shenandoah
Project.

The drive to raise Washington
share of the funds necessary for tht
creation of the Shenandoah Nationa
Park. an outdoor playground, cover
ing 600 square miles vi mountain for
ests, whicn the Government plans Il
establish AT the National Capitals
back door, will assume intensive pro
portions within few days, Robert \.
Harper, chairman of the local steering
committee, announced today.
1t had been planned to begin the
campaign late last week, but post
ponement was necessitated by the i'll
ness of Mr.. Harper and also the seri
Gus illness of Mrs. Harper. Mr.. Har'
per already has described the cam
paign to many Washington organi
cations, including the Real Estate
Board.
Quota Here $4,000.
Although Washington's quota has
been set at only $4,000. it is gener-
ally expected that this city will sub
scribe fully twice that sum. Virginia
alone has raised $l,200,000 and con-
tributionS are still coming in from
that State. Although NirSiniaS con
tributions make it possible for the
park to be created at this session of
Congress. nearly twice The amount al
ready raised VIII be necessary 10 pu.''
chase the area selected by the Soutii-
eln Appalachian \atIunal Park Com
mission.
Before we take off our coats and
plunge INTO this task, whose success
ful ending means 50 much to Wash
ington," said Mr.. Harper, Il want to
express my great appreciation OF the
tine service rendered by the newspa-
pers OF this city and Virginia in
transforming this idea of a marvellous
playground in the Blue Ridge Noun
tains from "a vague dream into an
actuality on the very threshold of ac-
complishment.
'AS | look over the amazing prog
resS of our Capital City and call the
roll of the great things that have been
done to make it the ideal city of the
world, / more than ever realize that
none of these things could have been
done but tor the fact that the editors
of Washington have been far.viSioned
men, ready to get behind, with all
their power, every movement that has
helped to make the Washington of
the beginning of the second quarter of
eAs twentieth century the magnificent
metropolis that it is.
Certain of Success.
They have never in all their fine
services 10 this community. had a
greater opportunity for adding to
Washington $ prestige and prosperity
than they have had in arousng the
people to a sense of the tremendous
value of this vast. unSpoiled recrea
tional area at our front door. The as
surance that they have given US that
they are with us to see that the finan-
Cial job is finished and the lands ac-
quired makes me sure we cannot fail.
washington has vastly more to
gain than any other community out
side of Virginia and as much as any
community in the Old Dominion by
the establishment Of the park. and |
am sure there is not business man
in this city who will fail to do his
abundant share toward making sure
that Washington shall not be missing
from the honor roll of cities that have
made the park possible through their
resolution to do their full bit in it's
behalf. <.
THE entire park area is in the trade
territory of Washington. The Shenan-
doah Valley and the Piedmont country
which the park will overlook is a part
of Washlngton's commercial province.
We will make it more loyal to us as
We make it's cause ours. We will
profit directly to the tune of millions
of dollars annually by the passing of
the great tourist tide the park will
set up, for it will make Washington
the greatest tourist center of Amer
lea. And we will profit indirectly in
equal amount by the prosperity of the
people of the entire park region. We
will increase their buying power enor.
mously and their trade with us CORE
spondingly.'