Evening star., 1933-10-10
,y a Stan CORRESPONDENT Of The Star.

BALTIMORE, October 10-Heartened
by the encouragement OF Secretary
Ickes in pointing to the value of plan
ming and the promise that the National
Planning Board will find permanent
place in the Federal Government. dele
gates to the National Conference on
| City Planning and the American Civic
here at the Southern Hotel. today
turned their attention to the general
problem OF Slum clearance and city
planning
Secretary Ickes spoke last night at
civic dinner and told the audience that
the public works program, in the stress
of necessity, must go ahead without the
valuable assistance of planners, but
indicated that this would not happen
again. under the new deal"
Eradication of slums formed the sub
ject of the morning session today. The
afternoon program included 50-m1le
planning tour of Baltimore, embrac-
ing a buffet luncheon at Monticello
Filtration Plant. first hand inspection
of the slum section and then by con-
trast the most modern home develop
ments. including Guilford, Roland Park
and Homeland as well as through the
city's better park systems.
Forum to Be Held.
Tonight at the Maryland Institute
the delegates will hear Robert D. Kohn,
director of housing of the Public Works
Administration. speak on Legislative
and Administrative Problems of Slum
Clearance" A forum will follow. The
Municipal Art Society of Baltimore will
be host at tonight's gathering.
cu.Sts Tor;ght A.
A roadside improvement dinner at
the Southern Hotel will hear Lieut.. Col.
U. S. Grant, Sd, former director Of pub
lie buildings and public parks, now
studying at the Army War College in
Washington. speak on "the String-Slum
Along Rural and Suburban Highways"
way No l, between Baltimore and
Washington, and the proposed new
parkway between the two cities, which
has been studied by the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission.
Under future plans. the new park
way is to be a scenic route for pleasure
cars, similar to the Mount Vernon
Memorial Highway. while the present
route No. is to be set apart for COM
mercial use. Speaking also at the din
ner will be NJ! La ia NJ. Engle of
Montgomery CIC.d., member of
the Maryland Houot Of Delegates. Pre-
siding will be Mrs Herbert E. Pickett,
president of the Women's Civic League
of Baltimore.
Vice Curb Seen.
At this mornings session Prof Edwin
S. Burdell of the sociology department
of Ohio State University told the meet
ing that elimination of slum dwellings
can be expected to eliminate vice and
tend to better persons now living in
a world apart
Eugene H. Klaber, chief of the tech
nical staff of the housing division Of
the Public Works Administration, spoke
or The Architects Viewpoint on Slum
Clearance"
The viewpoint of the planner was
presented by Harland Bartholomew,
planning engineer, of st. Louis. Mo,
who told the conference that for every
least 5 square miles of blighted dis
trlcts" and that I'VE should first learn
how to prevent blighted districts"
Reconstruction of slums. he contend
ed, will be an endless process unless
I'VE stem the chief source-the blighted
district" which, he said, is "a predomi-
nantly residential area prematurely
abandoned for presumably different
or higher use that will never eventu-
ate"
Secretary Ickes told the dinner audi
ence last night that planning has
place in the present administration
and he is confident that government
will go ahead with planning He char
acterized as the most worthwhile end
inspiring job in the United States to-
day" the task of the members of the
National Planning Board of the Pub
lie Works Administration and the mer
who are associated with them.
More Parks Advocated.
Eve must create more national parks.
more national monuments" said the
Secretary, pointing to the new day"
for the average man. Scenic and rec
reational facilities, he said, must be
utilized to better advantage. Mr.. Ickes,
who has jurisdiction over the Nations
parks and monuments in the Interior
Department, asserted that there is a
wide variety of scenic beauties under
the American flag, but few Of these
have really been lived in.
The Secretary paid high tribute to
Frederic A. Delano, president Of the
American Civic Association, as "one of
CnlCagOS pioneer city planners, VINO
has been active in Washington in this
field as chairman of the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission.
The Secretary likewise lauded the
executive officer Of the new National
Planning Board. Charles w. Eliot, I'd.
Opening his address, which was heard
by banquet hall full G people, on the
roof of the Southern Hotel Mr.. IckeS
spoke Of the boast of America in the
recent past in erecting great structures.
The original city planners. he said.
were the COWS in Boston that beat
meandering path, which laid the pat
tern for the streets. Chicago, his own
home city, gave millions Of dollars
worth of valuable shore line to the
railroads. He spoke of past 'obtuse-
ness to aesthetic and social values" but
insisted that Chicago was first to
realize its errors.
In the future cities will be more