Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-04
Subway Plan
Of Transport
Hit by |hIder
Economic Academy
Is Told Fixed Routes
Overcrowd Lund

the National Capital Housing Au-
thority, last night sharply attacked
subways and the principle OF rigid,
inflexible transit routes" on the basis
that they lead to land overcrowding,
and community loss" He charged
the "profit" motive was responsible.
Transportation should serve
housing, not housing serve transpor-
tation," Mr.. Ihlder declared in a
speech before the Academy Of World
Economies at the Brookings Insti-
tuition. He was one of many speak
ers listed for the three-day 23d
general meeting of the academy de-
voted to the subject Of "Transpor-
tation in War and Peace"
Mr.. Ihlder made no specific men,
ton of the comprehensive proposal
by consulting engineers, now before
the District Commissioners, to re-
design the downtown traf1ic system
to include a number Of subways
for mass rail transportation. His
remarks were interpreted, however,
as being an oblique attack on the
proposal for subways here.
Private Autos Best.
Criticizing fixed route transit"
Mr.. Ihlder told the academy that
the best vehicular transit is pro-
vided by private passenger automo-
biles, supplemented by free-wheel
mass transit" including buses.
Fixed route transit, with subways
as its latest expression" he declared.
tends to destroy or to lower the
character of residence districts,
causing land overcrowdtng and
changing them from areas of one
family dwellings to those Of multi
family dwellings, and then causing
deterioration even Of the multi
family houses"
PraiSing the private automobile as
the best means Of transportation,
Mr.. Ihlder said ut has converted
our once star-shaped cities into
round cities, bringing into good use
between rail lines large areas that
formerly produced only dandelions,
broom sedge and poison ivy.
More recently" he added. "the
free-wheel bus has helped in this
utilization of vacant space and SO
provides q constructive method of
safeguarding the spaciousness OF our
residence districts.
Sees Pressure for Profit.
But against the helpful effect OF
these transit facilities there is the
constant pressure of interests which
see immediate profit in methods that
result In land overcrowding. Just as
the land Spectator sees an imme-
diate promoters profit In filling 80
per cent of his lot or adding another
story to his building, SO the transit
specialist sees profit in constructing
subways to distribute present down.
town crowds.
Experience has shown that in
both cases the end result Is. COM
munity loss. Land overcrowding
leads to- decay. Rigid. illnexible
transit routes lead to land over
crowding. The more rigid they are,
and the more costly they are, the
worse their effects upon housing"
City planning and coming, said Mr..
Ihlder, should produce a community
In which there is required the least
vehicular transportation Ctransit)
between home and business, shop
ping centers, schools and places of
recreation"
Col. Finlay Speaks.
Principal speaker at this mornings
session was to be Col Luke w. Fin
lay, executive ofncer to the chief Of
transportation of the Army. His
subject was Wartime Notifications
of the Transportation System ard
Transportation Planning From the
Standpoint of National Security"
Prof. Oliver E. Baker of Maryland
University last night warned that
farm boys WHO have seen the world
while in the armed forces may COM
prise a lost generation" to agricul-
ture after the war.
DR.. Josef Solterer of Georgetown
University spoke on "Ethico-Eco-
nomic Characteristics Of Transporta-
ton"
The meeting will continue with
sessions tomorrow morning and aft
ernoon, concluding with a dinner
Sunday night at Hotel 240O.