Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


sistant to the Secretary Of the Interior
to have charge of the leasing and con-
cessions for site i'll the new city that
Uncle Sam is laying out for occupancy
of those engaged in building Boulder
Dam fires the imagination of youth,
because this will probably be the last
opportunity in the present century to
be in on the founding of a new city
which will grow more rapidly than any
other, and designed for permanency.
Truly the age of romance is not dead,
when American youth can see city
grow up within a few weeks, with all
modern conveniences, and all the hard
ships OF the pioneer and gold4rush days
removed, with a stable population as
Sured, with a definite number of Gus
toners laid down for any commercial
establishment, and with Law and order
guaranteed by the strong arm of the
United States Government, which owns
the entire city.
DR.. William Mather Lewis, when
president of George Washington Uni
he emphasized that the study of the
founding and development of Ameri-
can cities is most interesting; whether
choice or good Judgment decided their
location; whether their original plan
had thought for the future, as at the
Boulder City by the Dam site, or was
a haphazard job for the immediate
present; what future trends in popula-
ton and in activities may be antici-
pated.
He spoke with a liftime of intimate
knowledge of city founding and munich
pal building, for his own great-grand-
father taJtf1
the first water works in Detroit. The
mains were tanarack logs which had
been foated down the river and NOR
tised together; the reservoir, tank
raised high enough so that the water
was carried by gravity through the
mains. Service pipes led from The main
into the cellars of the users. At the
end of the service pipes were plugs
which were removed when the water
was desired.
What far cry from that primitive
system, within the lifetime Of one man,
to the high-pressure water system of
Detroit or Washington today, capable
of throwing tons of water each minute
upon fire in the business district.
AS 1t has been possible to expand the
water system to suit the needs of a
growing population, as a special study
is now being made of the sewer syS-
tenn of the National Capital at the
request Of Representative Holiday of
Illinois, who is incoming chairman of
the Subcommittee on District Appro-
priations. so that the outlet may be
sufficiently large to carry of the sewage
and not be a neck-of-the- bottle as
parts of the system are at present
the new city at Boulder Dam will be
ready-made, up-to-date and designed
for future far ahead.
In other matters, DR.. Lewis pointed
out. our modern cities are not as
fortunate. The Boulder Dam site city
will not have many Of their problems to
contend against-for today, many cities
are struggling with unwieldly poptlla-
tons and with trafflc problems such as
now have all motorists in Washington
on their ears, and with building prob
lens such as the Federal Government
itself is meeting here in the Capital
City and throughout the country, so
that for the first time in history It may
have its activities properly housed, for
economic efficiency in operation, in
Government-owned buildings. which
express the dignity, wealth, power and
taste of the American Government.
Zoning plans in many cities have
made slow progress, where the problem
could have been readily solved quarter
Of a century ago-as is being done at
the Boulder Dam site city. Washington
is notable example Of present design
ing for a quarter of a century and more
ahead. The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is taking a long
view at the future and making definite
Roadway on a carefully considered pro-
gram. AS illustrations of short-sighted-
ness years ago DR.. Lewis pointed out
that Chicago Is building two-story
streets in an attempt to solve her traf-
nc problem and that Boston Is helpless
with Der glorified cow paths, but, he
stresses THE situation in Washington
is different and far more fortunate
Whatever have been the vicissitudes Of
Washington" he comments, lit has
proven the marvellous wisdom and fore
sight both Of George Washington and
of Maj. L'Enfant. because it has been
built on proper framework 1t has less
to discard than any; other American
city. That is a consideration that must
be carefully weighed by the Special
Mapes Committe which is now studying
the fiscal relations between the Federal
and District governments-Wa Washington
has not frittered away its tax resources
as have many other large American
cities"
Representative John w. Mccormack
of Massachusetts,, apropos of the recent
awarding of the Laetare Medal to jams
J: Phelan Of Boston, chairman of the
Massachusetts Emergency Committee
on Unemployment. and who had three
times previously been honored by the
Vatican, explains in the latest issue of
the Congressional Record something of
the history Of the Laetare Medal, which
is awarded annually by Notre Dame
University, of which his colleague
Representative william j. Granfeld, is
an Ilustrious alumnuS and former star
athlete.
Father Sorin inaugurated the policy
at Notre Dame in 1888 The medal
takes its name from the Sunday in the
Catholic OhErch liturgy upon which it
is awarded. On one side it bears the
name of the person to whom awarded
and on the other the motto in Latin
Truth is mighty and shall prevail"
The first recipient was the historian,
John Culinary Shea of Philadelphia.
Among other recipients were: Gen. John
Newton, military engineer, in 1886;
DAILY, theatrical manager, 1894;
DR.. Maurice Francis Egan, litterateur,
educator and diplomatist: GEN. William
S. Rosecrans, leader of the Army of the
Cumberland in the Civil War; William
Bourke Cochran, lawyer and member of
Congress; DR.. John B. Murphy, famous
surgeon; Charles ]. Bonaparte, United
States Attorney General in President
cabinet; DR.. James j. Walsh,
physician and author; Admiral William
S. Benson, chief of naval operations
during the World War; Albert F. Zahm,
director of the Aerodynamics Labora-
tory, United States Navy; Margaret
Anglin, actress; Gov. Alfred E. Smith of
NV York, and Frederick P. Kenkel,
journalist of st. Louis, Mo.
and in the hope that the
Chipese may be gradually weaned away
from their rice diet to a preference for
wheat and other grains produced in the