Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-19
OPPOSE LARGER
PARK COMMISSION

Continued from First Page)
taking substantially the same views
on the bill as the Commissioners.
The Commissioners report on the
bill declared: 1T is manifest that
in the future growth of the National
Capital and environs the proposed
commission will be in position of
authority that might be embarra So
ing to the administrative authorities
of the District of Columbia. Maryland
and Virginia. With the present com
position of the National Capital Park
commission. 1t is not probable that
any discord will arise. All the mem
hers are Federal officers in positions
of Legislative or administrative au
thority, with a thorough knowledge
of the National Capital and its en-
virons. and with full appreciate
of their responsibilities.
Experience elsewhere in the United
States has shown that those who are
not in positions of authority and re-
sponsihilitN are prone to create plans
that those who are responsible can
not carry out. either because proper
consideration has not been given to
the ordinary requirements and neces-
stiles of municipal activities or be-
cause the plans provide for things be-
yond the capacities of the taxpayers"
The Commissioners recommended
one modification which would charge
the commission with the duty of de-
velopinC comprehensive. consistent
and co-ordinated plans for the Ma
tional Capital and its environs. to
include recommendations to the
proper executive authorities az to
highways. parks, parkways and play
grounds.
1t is apparent the Commissioners
said. that the inclusion of other items
set forth in section l (b) would take
from the Board of Commissioners
the Zoning Commission. the Public
Utilities Commission, the school
board and the director OF traffic.
many of the duties and responsible.
lities now intrusted to. them The
enactment of the bill with the para
graph as worded originally would re-
move from these agencies, the Com
missoners explained. the power to
plan and initiate, and these agencies
could no longer be held responsible
for the duties intrusted to them by
the acts of Congress creating them
Needs Expert Talent.
1T is manifest that nobody. however
brilliant he may be. is competent to
prepare detailed plans for a city with
out knowledge of the municipal activ.
tiles of that city. and this knowledge
cannot be acquired without study.
which requires much time and atten-
ton. The National Capital Park Com
mission should have the most expert
talent available to develop plans for the
National Capital. but these assistants
should be employed, as Were d'Enfant
and Ellicott. who developed the origi-
nal plan Of the National Capital. under
the supervision of Presidents Wash
ington and jefferson.
The National Capital Park Com
mission is now composed of seven
members, and the addition Of other
members will make that commits
sion too large for effective admins
trative work. Proposed changes in
the highway plan are often of an
emergency nature and require
prompt approval by the Highway
Commission. There is more delay in
getting large commission together
than in assembling a small one, and
the more members there are the
more proba bility there Is of contro-
versy, which will lead to further de-
Law
The official transcript OF the hear
ings before the subcommittee on bath
ing pools, Fairgrounds and parks on
the bill to enlarge the National Capital
Park Commission and entrust to it
city planning powers, shows that
Lieut.. Col. J. Franklin Bell, Engineer
Commissioner of the District, emphatic
ally supported the bill.
In his statement before the commit
tee. while the fort drive, Sixteenth
street. the improvement of Piney
Branch road, and the Reno reservoir
were under discussion. he said:
II want to subscribe fully to the
sentiment expressed by Mr. Moore
representing the Commission of Fine
Arts. ] think he has described fully
the ideas Of the District Commission
ers in respect to this matter We
have been trying to do those things
for years, but we cannot get them
done, partly due to the fact that we
have not had the talented experts to
make the necessary studies so that
the ideas could be put before Con
gress in a convincing way. In other
words, we have been going on a ha nd
to-mouth existence, doing fairly well
with the appropriations available and
with the plans made, but dragging he
hind all the time and having new sub
divisions developed. thereby losing all
chance of developing the plans for
park and school sites
Just a moment later, after Repre-
sentative Keller had sought informa-
ton. Col. Bell replied, Well, / think
this bill ought to pass
After another intersection by Rem
resentative Keller, Col. Bell, in replv.
ing. said, The people of the District
of Columbia now have no representa-
ton on the Park Commission at all:
no representative of the District In all
those seven members-except that |
am Engineer Commissioner, but | am
Il Federal officer, detailed to the Dis
trict, and l do not represent the
District"
A little later on Col. Bell said, I'VE
have no strong objection to the in
crease of personnel" and again he
said hope the committee will give
considerable to the Commissioners
letter in reference to this bill, remem-
herring all the time that we are
strongly in sympathy with what you
want done and we want the bill
passed even If we are not in favor of
the modifica TONS