Evening star., 1928-11-11
DISTRICT SURVEY .
PLANS COMPLETED
a'rade Board to Launch In
tensive Study in City and
Environs.

An exhaustive survey OF washington
and its environs. designed to identify
accurately all major phases Of It's ex-
istins and potential activities and fa-
cilities and to create a detailed basis
on which to predicate future growth.
will be started Immediately by the
Washington Board of Trade with the
assistance of corps of experts to be
called into service.
Announcement of the project. which
may require year or more to COM
plete, was made last night by w. w.
Everett. president Of the trade body,
following unanimous approval of the
plan voted by the directors of the or
ganization after careful consideration
Of the matter extending over approx
fnately nine months.
Completion Of the survey, which is to
include study Cf all phases of local ae-
tivities from business to social. it is ex-
pected by officials Of the board, will re-
ming the physical development of
Greater Washington, a better under
standing of the community by Congress
and in a greater appreciation and
knowledge of the city by local citizens
Music, Business and Art Center.
A statement issued by the Board of
Trade last night says: THE result of
this survey, it Is expected, will be oi
untold benefits to the community and
will place before the Nation the advan-
tages Of Washington as fine city In
which to live, as music center. as
center for the arts and sciences and as
logical place for certain types OF
commercial enterprises.
1T will explain to Neutrality-suspicious.
and business men outside Of the COM
munity the potential power of the Ma
tional Capital as q marketing and pur-
J chasing community It will bring TO
| date the exhaustive traffic survey made
| several years ago, and In general will
endeavor to visualize the rapid trend
and growth Of the community so that
its citizens and the people of the Ma
ton will be able to determine the d.
/ rection Of this expansion"
The survey itself viii be based on a
plan especially prepared by the Cham.
| Der Of Commerce Of the United States.
| under the direction Of civic development
department, and represents largely the
work of John Ihlder, former manager
Of that department. This plan, known
as the United State Chamber Of Com
rnerce master community survey"
while especially designed for Washing
| ton, is seen as @ model plan Of It's type
for other cities which have requested
| advice from the national chamber
through member organizations similar
to the local Board Of Trade.
The board plans to seek the support
and interest Of all other organizations
! in washington in order that the, project
may be carried out successfully, It is
announced. The advice and guidance
Of the national chamber, It Is said, will
| govern largely the work Of the survey.
| The board Is undertaking to raise rleces-
sary funds for the project. the first OF
| It's kind undertaken here, and has beer
assured the financial support Of larg'
number OF prominent local businer
| leaders.
Program TO Be Varied.
The actual survey Is to be conducte.
by an expert experienced In surveys OF
this character. All manner Of civic
problems and activities are to be con-
sidered, including local typography, Gle
mate, ranges Of temperature, rainfall.
building and housing codes, harbor and
water front, airport facilities and plans.
park and playground system, industrial
and residential areas, civic centers and
public buildings. population analysis.
purchasing power according to districts
pedestrian trends, traffic trends, recrea-
| tional facilities, libraries, community
services, cost Of living, labor supplies,
analysis Of employment, workers, sala-
ries, incomes. stores, volume OF ehusi-
ness and shipments. ~
While the project has been under dis
ctiSsion privately for months, no p4blic
announcement Of the proposal was made
until the entire proposition was out
lined and the plan and sources Of flT1an-
cial support for the undertaking, had
been mapped out, It is explained:
It, Is the plan Of the trade body at
the conclusion Of the survey to keen II
| UP to date from year to year so thu
| its benefits may be extended over en-
indefinite period. The survey data ar-
| to be free to all persons and organic
| tions requesting such information.
Merle Thorpe Speaks December r..
A survey project Is to be detailed nj
a meeting of the members Of the Board
Of Trade at the Willard Hotel Decem-
ber IL. when Merle Thorpe. editor of
the Nations Business, publication Of the
Chamber Of Commerce Of the United
States, will outline the plan and pur-
pose of the survey.
"The value Of q real survey" the
statement of the board concludes. sis
that 1t helps community first to
know itself: that 1t tends to prevent de-
velopr1ent Of commercial growth out of
balance with over-development in some
lines and under development in others;
that 1t serves to prevent loss Of time.
energy and money In some directions
and affords INSTALLATION Of channels
into which these efforts should be d.
rected. and that 1t provides basis for
activities Of many phases to butlc
upon"
The survey as outlined by the nationa'
chamber for the board includes the
following classiflcations:
Historical sketch, plans and regula
tions guiding physical development. gov
ernment, traflc survey. taxes; public
services, including streets. water, sewer
light, power, transit, fire protection
police protection, health protection
sanitation, trafflc facilities; education
recreation. religious agencies. socia
agencies, cost of living; business, includ
ing industry, wholesale, warehouse, re
tail, banks, hotels and restaurants; I'm
dustrial and commercial resources, In
Guiding labor supply, fuel. light. power
communication: natural resources, agri
cultural, mineral. timber; markets, loca
metropolitan region, sectional, national
transportation. water, steam, electric
bus. air; building and construction
real estate. industrial property. CONNER
clal property, offlce buildings. hotel
lodging and rooming houses, dwelling
amusement buildings. garages.