Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-18
DISTRICT SURVEY
PLANNED BY BOARD
Launches Idea of Model
Chart to Forecast Greater
Washington Needs.

survey, designed to indicate the proper
trend to growth of major activities and
I to give to them added impetus.
HI Col William B. Ladue, Engineer
Commissioner of the District, gave his
whole-hearted Endorsement of the sur
! vey plans and told the more than GOO
business men attending the meeting at
the Willard Hotel that he believed the
project would prove of utmost value
not only to business interests of the
city but to the District and other gov
ernmental agencies here.
Merle Thorpe, editor OF the Nation
Business, publication of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States, dis
cussed the prospective values of model
/ community survey to growing city in
the light of amazing developments OF
modern business, science and industry,
and John Ihlder, formerly in charge OF
the civic development department OF
the national chamber, who supervised
the drafting of the survey plan to be
used here, outlined the scope. purposes
and needs of such planning for future
expansion.
Approve CramtOn Bill.
Closely allied with this planning for
Washington's future expansion the trade
body in a brief business session placed
it's stamp of approval on the Cramton
measure, providing for the advancement
of a loan of $16000,000 from the Fed
eral Treasury without interest to the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission for the acquisition and de-
velopment of the parks and Fairgrounds
lsystem of the Distrie, to be paid back
from District revenues at the rate OF
$1,000 900 annually.
Opening discussion Of the projected
survey, w. W. Everett. president of the
Board of Trade, announced that already
half the fund needed for the city
analysis had been raised and called on
all members of the organization and
other citizens to lend their financial
support.
The survey. he declared. would prove
tone of the most important projects for
the good of the city, serving as guide
to worthwhile future growth OF Wash
ington'S major activities. One OF the
outstanding needs of the District, he
said, is sufficient industry to provide
adequate employment for the citys
youth. He predicted the survey would
be real service to Washington in this
regard.
Col Ladue declared that no real plan
for WaShington's growth could be made
without comprehensive data on all
phases of its development. He said he
anticipated that the survey data would
be of great assistance to local industry
and governmental agencies in preparing
population, or even half as much again.
Greater Needs Viewed.
When the city has reached such
numerical growth he pointed out, there
will be greatly expanded needs for
schools, parks, Fairgrounds, transpor-
tation, highways, street lighting, libra
ries and other facilities.
The District, he said, is primarily the
National Capital, and therefore has q
character all its own; that no ap-
praisal would be correct without this
element considered. He described
Washington as city of homes, of grow
ing importance, as an artistic and cul-
tural center, as the headquarters for
many national business and quasi
public organizations, and as q city
already having many flourishing indus
tries and businesses.
He suggested earlier and specialized
surveys, such as the voluminous trans
portation report, be supplemented and
brought to date and included in the
survey data now planned.
Mr.. Thorpe declared that private
|
plan for the future; that the same
principle applies to cities. The COM
munity most successful, he held, is the
one having leaders with the greatest
vision.
1.-The world steps aside to let the
man pass who knows where he is 60
ing" he said, suggesting the value of
planning for the future of the city.
different in Ten Years.
Washington, he said, will present an
entirely different condition in the next
ten years For this reason, he con-
tended, plans should be laid for orderly
business development, with the en-
couragement of desired types Of expan-
sion and elimination of some of the
uneconomic present features, as well
as some of the ugly, unsightly ones.
He pointed out that the model survey
planned may show over-development
along some lines and under-develop-
ment in others. One of the greatest
values of the survey, he believed, would
be to show clearly what Washington
already has and to guide future ex-
pansion. 1t should make citizens OF
Washington more intelligent statesmen
for their city, he contended.
Mr.. Ihlder emphasized in outlining
the purposes of the projected survey
that if the contemplated survey is to
yield results it must be guide to action
as we'll as a store of information about
the Washington Of the past and present.
Referring to numerous surveys that
have been made by cities struggling to
meet keen competition OF other cities,
he declared that lack of tangible re-
suits in some cases has been due in
part to the fact that such surveys were
merely StOck-takinC projects
Another fault Of surveys has been
that the figures compiled were per-
mitted Ito do their own talking" He
pointed out that survey material must
be interpreted to discover its real
meaning.
Used for Future Planning.
The Washington survey data, he con-
| cluded, must be used as a point OF
departure for future planning, the
statistics gathered to be wisely inter-
preted and used as a guide to develop
| ment along beneficial lines. Phases of
the survey most important should be
started first, and as the data becomes
| available, should be put to use and
tried out.
The survey, he contended, should be
| definitely and frankly survey made
from the viewpoint of business develop
| make a survey from the viewpoint of
| every group, from that of the Federal
/ Government, from that Of the Winter
residents here, ETC., would be impossible.
| But if it is to be of full value to the
business element, 1t must take into ac-
count all these other elements"
| THE survey also should take into
consideration that Washington is pri-
marily a Capital City, this being the
element which most distinguishes it
from other cities and upon which the
present prosperity of the community is
based"
i The Washington survey. he said. will
have as its object to evaluate the Wash
ington market and to guide the develop