Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-08

cities 10 accept boldly the challe
problem"
In an address prepared for d
ton of Commerce, Mr.. Talbot a
affecting the welfare of down.
town districts. These, he said,
were "vitally important not only
to every citizen of every COM
munity, but to the health and
prosperity of our Nation"
I'VE find that threat" he de-
clared. lin traffic congestion. in
blighted areas, in Anticipated
buildings, in lack of proper
transportation facilities, and in
many other areas of equal i'm
port"
Il am an optimist," he told
the Baltimoreans. II do not be-
lieve, nor have I ever felt that
downtown America is doomed. +"
Praising the Maryland city's
progress already made toward
"vitalization" of its downtown
area. Mr.. Talbot declared the
fight must be supported with
unstinted energies"
Joining in such a fight in
Baltimore and elsewhere, he
declared should be downtown
property owners. large financial
institutions. metropolitan news
paper. radio and television sta
tons, utility companies, retail
ers. downtown industrialists,
other downtown businesses and
city officials"
AS president of the National
Retail Dry Goods Association
and as director of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United
States, Mr.. Talbot said he was
proud of the leadership these
two organizations are taking in
the matter of downtown vital
ization." Both these associa-
tons, he said. stand ready to-
day as clearing houses for in
formation and techniques for
rebuilding downtown America
and continuing it in its major
and dominant economic role"
Nationwide Realization
Of Mounting Problem
There has arisen a Nation
wide realization that the problem
of downtown is not local in
nature" the speaker said" 1t
affects more than the downtown
itself. A sick downtown district
spreads its disease into every
area of community life.
I'm a way" he explained, I"
downtown is to the community
what the heart is to the human
body. AS the heart of every local
economic structure it is the
dynamo that converts business
into dollars and pumps those
dollars throughout the commu-
nifty in support of business and
the public. When downtown fall
ters all business within its in
fluence falters. and so does the
community itself"
Pointing to what he considered
a major role of downtown in the
community he declared taxes
from the business center pro-
vide the city's major tax in
come"
The taxes that downtown
pays" he said, go a long way
to support local government and
Its public services"
On the other hand, he said,
IF downtown suffers as a market
place. its income suffers and the
tax monies it provides must fall,
The obvious result is a detri-
mental and serious effect upon
the entire community"
One important point to be
considered by downtown stores,
Mr.. Talbot stressed. should be
to keep open for business during
every normally accepted day
time business hour"
THE practice of closing on
mornings of days that stores
have night openings" he urged,
SHOULD be discontinued. If we
expect our customers to continue
to shop downtown. then we must
offer them every encouragement
particularly the courtesy of hav-
ing our doors open during every
minute of every business day"
Declaring that the suburban