Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-09
Millions of Potential
Capital Values Unused

To the Editor Of The Star:
Among Washington people are found
impractical dreainers whose activities
need to be curbed, and what has pre-
viously been done by similar dreamers
should be undone. The trouble with
those dreamers Is that they have an
absurd view of values. They fail to see
the value Of money and means whereby
money can be acquired.
In places throughout the city there
are small pieces of land which do not
earn money at all and could be made
to do so. Many of these pieces could be
leased to receive buildings. the builders
paying q good land rental. Franklin
Park, Lafayette Park, Thomas Circle,
Washington Circle, Meridian Park and
other such tracts are not now used.
They are Idle land. They are we'll
houses and hotels and groceries and
filling stations. Along both borders OF
Rock Creek Park there are tracts COW
cred with trees, and are idle. Long
time leases, permitting erection Of resi-
dences and apartment houses and filling
stations, would bring a large revenue.
The vacant land around the Capitol
and around the Library of Congress
would have large values for longtime
leases, bringing good yearly, revenues
Nearly all of the Mall and Potomac
Park are idle land and well suited for
various kinds of building by individuals
or companies taking longtime leases
and paying their rentals annually or
semi annually into the District or Ma
tional Treasury. Some of these dream
erS might in a sentimental way object
to the leasing OF such grounds on which
there are fine trees requiring removal
to make room for buildings. For ex-
ample, the large old trees on the Capt.
toll Grounds. Manifestly, objection by
such dreamerS should be ignored. That
brings me to say that in parts of Rock
Creek Park which are too billy to re-
ceive buildings the larger trees might
be removed for lumber or for fuel, and
money thus received added to the pub
lie revenues. Those trees now stand
there doing nothing.
In speaking of hilly parts Of land,
grading must not be overlooked. We
have already had examples Of leveling
by grading.
Out on Sixteenth street near Kennedy
street is an old reservoir, formerly used
as a part of the Washington water sys-
tenn. There it Is now. doing nothing,
and well suited to large buildings and
filling stations. But Sentimentalist
has suggested that that reservoir be
transformed into large Sunken garden.
But in addition to the large aggre-
gate of rentals, the buildings put on
these lands will be taxable. The value
of those privately owned buildings will
be very large. Recently The Evening
Star mentioned that in Chicago an un-
occupied tract of land surrounded by
occupied lands is to receive a group
OF buildings costing about $4,000, 900.
| That will be a fine item for taxation by
the City Of Chicago. On the unused
publicly owned lands here in Washing
ton buildings of equally large values
may be erected. Then we shall have
rentals, plus taxes, making aggregates
approaching the financial Government
needs.
Money is Of very large Importance.
Washington is the Capital of the Ma
ton, and it is difficult for the property
owners in Washington and for the rest
Of the Nation to raise the revenues
needed for the city and nearby matters
which need to be- managed by or for
the city.
X X
On awakening there is before me this
fantastic dream. And I recall that
many good people recognize that the
natural beauty given by the Creator has
very large value; that in and around
w dcAlAtSIOkI lAdo dlGdOy DCCIl
shameful destruction of natural beauty
which cannot be restored. =.
And now there is a proposal for fur
ther destruction, based on commercial
consideration. There is before Con-
greSS and the people the question of
appraising the part Of the Potomac
River above Washington. Shall the
commercial contention prevail against
the contention that value through
preservation and enhancement of the
natural beauty of the Great Falls region
will far exceed returns from CONNER
cializing?
Some of our people are aspiring to
making our city the most beautiful
Capital in the world. Attaining that
result will be dependent largely upon
wise treatment of natural conditions
and on restraining those whose vision Is
limited to direct commercial procedure.
CYRUS KEHR.