Evening star., 1925-03-09
PLAZA CLEANUP
is SIHARRELD PLAN
New Members of Senate Dis
triCt Committee Favor
Park Program.

Pledging themselves to work for
the best interests of the National
Capital, the four new appointees to
the Senate District committee in an
Interview today stated that they were
all anxfously awaiting the first meet
| ing or the committee to get started
on constructive local legislation. The
Senator's were Harreld of Oklahoma,
Sackett of Kentucky, du Pont of
Delaware and Mckinley of Illinois.
Although both Senators Sackett and
du Pont admitted they were not
thoroughly familiar with the unique
municipal problems confronting the
District, they both said they were
| anxious to promote beneficial legisIa-
| tion.
Senator Harreld, who has been in
the Senate for some time and who is
a property owner in the District of
| Columbia, said that there were three
| things that he would attempt to
bring about when the committee be-
gan Its sessions. The first was a de-
velopment of the park system sur
| rounding the Capitol and particularly
the area between the Capitol and
| Union Station; the second was to
work out some better plan of rela-
|
| District, and the third to eliminate
| for all time talk of vicious rent leg
| islation.
VIII Push Park Plan.
The Senator said that he hoped to
| see the park plan of 1912 and 1913
| for the Union Station plaza carried
out. He also asserted that the next
step was elimination Of ramshackle
| buildings on Pennsylvania avenue, but
| that he thought the space between
| the Capitol and depot should be i'm
proved at once.
"I shall support strongly any legis-
| lation for the development of this
area" said Senator Harreld. I be-
| lieve that the Government Hotel and
all other buildings should be removed
and that the entrance to the Capital
from the station should be through
beautiful park. Visitors to the city
! at the present time do not receive
the correct impression of the world S
most beautiful city.
| I'm regard to representation for
| Washington / think that the Dis
| trict should have at least a delegate
| in Congress. ] am a little skeptical
at this time about the wisdom of Civ
ing full representation, and am of
the opinion that delegate should
be tried out first. OF course, If the
| system proves satisfactory to both
Congress and Washington, full rep
| resentation could be granted. Wash
! ington should certainly have all the
| self-government that 1t is possible
| to grant without taking away any
of the general authority of Congress.
| Either a city manager or a city
council working in conjunction with
the Commissioners and acting as an
ediate body between the two
might work well. ] believe that at
this session a close study of the sit
uation should be made, and something
of the sort may be decided upon"
Opposes Rent Control.
Senator Harreld said that he was
emphatically opposed to rent legisla-
ton other than proper licensing and
examination of real estate dealers.
He gave as his opinion that if it had
not been for the Rent Commissions s
activities there would have been no
shortage in housing here, and said
that il a ''hands-off" policy is adopt
ed the law of supply and demand will
soon adjust matters.
The Oklahoma Senator said that he
Twas emphatically in favor of Congress
paying its fair share of the upkeep
of Washington. He said that the
amount to be contributed by the Fed
mined each year and that the lump
sum plan with its fixed rate was not
an equitable method of meeting the
expenses in Washington.
Senator Mckinley said that the Ma
| tional Capital was one of the most
| beautiful in the world and that Con-
gress should work along constructive
lines to keep it so. He likewise ap-
proved of Congress contributing to
the expenses of the District in order
that Washington could keep pace in
development with other great capi-
tails.
Although I am not familiar enough
with Washington and its problems to
discuss them at this time" said Sena-
tor Sackett," I have been president of
the Louisville Board of Trade and
have had a good deal of experience in
civic matters. l want to assure Wash
ingtonians that / am a constructive
and not obstructive legislator and
that the interests of the National
Capital will be my interests in work
on the Senate District committee"