Evening star., 1927-10-28
DELAN0 STRESSES
CAPITAL PLANNING
TO CIVIC MEETING

~ OtNIS WILL INV
Continued from First Pagel
privilege of living in Washington by
paying for the development Of what
is your. and my, Capital.
You control the city council which
governs your Capital, which is Con-
gress. Make this council develop it
as it should be developed.
Go After Congressman.
Much good could come to Ameri-
can cities which are working out their
plans for Identification and regional
development IL they were able to see,
in Washington, a perfect development
of a great city and regional plan.
Washington should be our source of
supply for our free civic information.
The people who live in Washington
should pay fair price for living
there, but the responsibility and the
cost for developing Washington
should not be any harder on them
than on the residents of any other
city of the United States.
1.-The American Civic Association
cannot correct this condition, but you
can. Go after your Congressman.
failed to enact legislation which found
the city borrowing money until Con.
gress met again.
THAT this condition should prevail
in your Federal city should give you
something to think about
Maj. Carey Brown. engineer of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, speaking at a dinner here
last night. declared that the problem
of developing the Nations Capital Is
a problem that is common to all of us.
In Washington we are only your
agents.
"The problems of Washington are
the problems of the entire Nation, and
the development of Washington is not
a responsibility of those who live
there alone, but the responsibility of
all the people of the United States. '
Mai. Brown sketched the develop
ment of various plans for Washing
ton, the park plans, highway plan
and zoning plan, but reminded his au-
dience that it was only two years ago
that the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission was created to
coordinate the development of all
these plans.
Iauds Commission Work.
He described the makeup of the
commission as indication of the fact
that both in it's nature and in its scope
it is a national body, and cited the
fact that it is going out into Virginia
and MARYLAND, as we'll as working in
the District.
He illustrated further the national
character Of Washington's growth by
the manner in which the Government
is undertaking it's building program
Al 80 l.
ury responsible for it's completion.
"Who is charged with the develop
ment of Washington" asked Maj
Brown. 1.-THE people Of Washington?
| Very largely so. but not properly SO.
| This development of the Capital must
be done on a large scale. And to do
that we need the support of every
American citizen"
| Frederic A. Delano. president of the
American Civic Association and a
| member of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. in conver.
sation yesterday. expressed disappoint-
ment and surprise at the manner in
which the various citizens associa-
tions of Washington have expressed
opposition to the plan for $10,O00,000
pond issue or Treasury advance for the
use of the Park and Planning Com
mission.
Mr.. Delano originated the plan, he
said, as an economically expedient
way of accomplishing in few years
what otherwise will require many
years at the present rate Of annual
park appropriations.
Asks Site Purchase.
He mentioned the Patterson tract
which has been long agitated in Wash
ington as a park site, as an example
of how failure to buy 1t when 1t was
available at certain price, may result
| in losing this tract, or parts OF 1t, for
a park.
| Congress appropriated for the plan
ming commission $500 900 additional al
the last session with the tacit under
standing that 1t would be used for
purchase of this tract, Mr.. Delano ex-
| planned, but 100000 will no longer
| buy it.
| The heirs have been notified that
| the Government may resort to con-
demnation to secure parts Of 1t, but
! the whole matter is unsettled, and
there Is possibility that it may be
| lost to Washington.
| Mr.. Delano characterized the pres.
ent arrangement of appropriating for
! the park system as unscientific. but
, derstand why it would cost the Dis
| trict any more in the long run to get
| the 0,000,0 600 advance now and pay
| it back over number of years at the
same rate that the District is now
paying annually in the park appro-
| priations.
| He was interested in the suggestion
that the people of the District, hav-
ing witnessed a departure by Congress
| from the $3.50 principle, the 60-40 prin-
ciple and an annually increasing pro-
portionate contribution from the Dis
trict while the Federal appropriation
proportionately decreases, are fearful
| that further and even more radical
departures from the basic1law will be
encountered in repayins Treasury
advance or bond issue. urF7s Congress
agrees unmistakably SOY the manner
in wbirr >,>-r-ayment Of the advance is
to be shared f 's 80