Evening star., 1932-09-19
CITY PLANNERS GO
FAR INTO PROBLEMS
AT SESSIONS HERE
Continued From First Page.)

| demands on Government as against de-
| clining revenues was discussed at ses-
| sion of members of the National Mu-
nicipal League this afternoon, with
Louis Brownlow, director Of the Public
| Administration Clearing House, Chi
| cago, opening with talk on How Re-
| trenchment in Industries Has In
| creased the Demands Upon Govern
| ment."
Cites Increased Burden.
Government today. declared Mr..
Brownlow, is assuming a burden laid
on its doorstep by the failure of in
dustry to keep plants running, and any
attempt TO cut governmental costs must
recognize that there are increased de-
mands made on Government for service
during the depression.
Most frequently" he declared, "is
heard nowadays in any discussion OF
local government something like this:
Business has cut down its expenses and
government must do the same
With the last half of the statement,
that government must cut down its
expenses in times like these, I heartily
agree. Local government must make
tremendous effort, despite popular OBJ
jections, to cut its expenses to the
minimum. 1t must purge itself of cor
ruption and political party patronage
which cost so much money.
What must be recognized II local
governments are sanely and safely to
reduce their expenditures to the mini
mum is that the very fact of the indus
trial depression adds to the demands
upon local government, and not only
adds to the demands as represented by
expenditures, but adds to the usefulness
and to the imperative necessity of con-
tlnulng, and, in some cases, expanding
those services
Discussing the general question, Has
the General Property Tax Broken
Down." State Senator Seabury c. Mas
tick of New York declared:
Fears for Real Estate.
1T would seem that those taxes which
are levied for direct benefit to real
estate should be carried by real estate,
this portion of the tax burden is by
giving less benefit. That portion of
the tax burden levied in urban COM
munitieS which is not for the direct
benefit Of real estate could or should
reasonably be shared in by revenue
from other forms of wealth, either by
means of State-collected and locally
shared taxes by State aid, by locally
collected taxes for the purpose, or by
specific payment for the service by the
person benefited
The general property tax, he declared,
Is fast approaching the breaking point
as a source OF revenue because real
estate is already carrying a heavier
burden than it can economically afford
The coming year will make greater
demands on public and private philan-
thropy than ever before, and the cities
burden, declared William HodSon, di-
rector of the Welfare Council of New
York City. speaking on the general sub
ject of The Pressure of Unemployment
on City Treasures"
Many cities. he said, already are near
their debt limit and must institute rigid
economies in city administration in ad-
dition to exerting an extra effort to
administer funds, supply needs and
otherwise take care of the destitute and
needy
Intelligent administration of relief
funds is an absolute necessity, If the
value is to be received from the money
appropriated from the city treasures,
he declared, warning against cities at
tempting to allow relief funds admin
lister themselves and thereby fall into
inept hands, or become squandered and
drafted.
Advises "Made-Work."
He advised "made-work," which
would effect some permanent public i'm
provement as the best form of unem-
ployment relief with funds appropriated
from city treasures.
Speaking on The Effect of the De-
preston Upon Municipal Credit" Carl
H. Chatters, executive director of the
Municipal Finance Officers Association,
declared:
Municipal credit will emerge from
the depression with many scars by
which it will demonstrate not its weak
ness. but its strength. Soft spots in
the local financial structures have been
discovered; lessons have been learned,
and corrective measures are being taken.
Some few municipalities have defaulted
in the payment of debt obligations, bat
the great majority have survived with
a clear record"
Tomorrow a great deal of the time of
the gathering will be devoted to the
elimination of billboards from the
streets and highways at a joint meet
ing of the American City Planning In
stitute. the American Civic Association.
and the National Council for the Pro-
lection of Roadside Beauty, with Mr..
Delano presiding.
There will be discussion OF roadside
planting, elimination of illegal signs, the
Massachusetts billboard control law. and
a general outline Of an effective bill
board law by Albert S. Bard, counsel OF
the National Council for the Protection
of Roadside Beauty.
Chaplin Sees Vital Need.
City. park and home planning are
vital necessities in any program to avert
future depressions, Roy D. Chaplin, Sec
retary OF Commerce, told the conference
at the joint supper IF all organizations
represented at the conference last night
at the Willard Hotel.
CITY planning" said Secretary
Chaplin, sis basic and vital part Of in
dustrial planning. So long as we fail TO
organize the growth of our cities we i'm
pede the stability Of industry. Cities are
the principal consumers of the goods OF
industry; so long as their consumption
remains unplanned for. and therefore
largely unpredictable, just SO long Will
plants in periods Of optimism: and SO
long will the effects of def1ation con-
tinue to put it periodically on the sick
bed.
"City planning is essential to indus
trial planning and to business because
subdividing of land has represented one
Of the costly items in oVereXpanSion;
anything that will restrain it will work
to prevent unwise building and over
production on the part Of the construc-
tion industry
Good park planning, he declared. is
an indispensable part of good city plan
ming.
The Commerce Secretary was intro
duced by DR.. John NJ Cries, member of
the Home Loan Bank Board and eXecu-
tive secretary of the Presidents Con-
ference on Home Building and Home
Ownership.